BASIC vs Salesforce
Enterprise power at an enterprise price — or everything you actually need for £3/user/month.
Salesforce is the world's most popular CRM for a reason. It's incredibly powerful, deeply customisable, and backed by a massive ecosystem of integrations and consultants. For large enterprises with dedicated Salesforce administrators and six-figure software budgets, it's a solid choice.
But if you're a small team of 2–20 people, Salesforce is almost certainly overkill. The learning curve is steep, the pricing is complex (and expensive), and you'll spend weeks configuring things before your team can even start using it. Most small teams end up paying for hundreds of features they'll never touch.
BASIC takes the opposite approach. We built the core tools small teams use every day — contacts, deals, projects, field service, and invoicing — and made them work together in one simple platform. No setup wizards, no consultants, no certification programmes. Just sign up and start working.
Feature comparison
| Feature | BASIC | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | ||
| Deal pipeline | ||
| Project management | Built-in | Add-on (extra cost) |
| Field service | Built-in | Field Service Lightning (extra cost) |
| Invoicing | Built-in | Requires integration |
| API access | Included on all plans | Enterprise plan and above |
| Pricing model | £3/user/month — everything included | From $25/user/month (Essentials) to $300+/user/month |
| Setup time | Minutes | Weeks to months |
| Learning curve | Minimal — intuitive UI | Steep — Trailhead certification recommended |
| Custom fields | ||
| Reporting | Built-in dashboards & CSV export | Advanced (extensive customisation) |
| Mobile access |
Pricing comparison
£3/user/month — one plan, everything included. No contracts, cancel anytime.
From $25/user/month (Essentials) to $300+/user/month (Unlimited). Many features require add-ons at extra cost. Annual contracts are standard.
Cost at scale
BASIC is £3/user/month — always. Here's what that looks like as your team grows compared to Salesforce.
| Team size | BASIC / month | Salesforce / month | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 user | £3 | $25 | £264/yr |
| 5 users | £15 | $125 | £1,320/yr |
| 10 users | £30 | $250 | £2,640/yr |
| 25 users | £75 | $625 | £6,600/yr |
| 50 users | £150 | $1,250 | £13,200/yr |
| 100 users | £300 | $2,500 | £26,400/yr |
A 10-person team on BASIC costs just £30/month.
That's £360/year for full CRM, project management, field service, and invoicing. No per-feature charges. No tier upgrades. No surprise invoices.
£3/user/month — forever.
£0
Setup fees
£0
Training costs
£0
Consultant fees
Enterprise software often costs 5–20x its sticker price once you factor in implementation consultants, training programmes, admin hires, and ongoing customisation. BASIC has none of that. Sign up and start working in minutes.
Pros & cons
BASIC
Strengths
- Incredibly affordable at £3/user/month
- CRM, project management, field service, and invoicing in one platform
- Set up in minutes with no training required
- API access included on every plan
- No contracts — cancel anytime
- Simple, clean interface that anyone can use
Limitations
- No advanced workflow automation
- Smaller integration ecosystem
- Not designed for enterprise-scale organisations
- No built-in email marketing
Salesforce
Strengths
- Extremely powerful and customisable
- Massive ecosystem of integrations (AppExchange)
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Scales to thousands of users
- Industry-specific solutions available
Limitations
- Expensive — especially with add-ons
- Steep learning curve requiring training or consultants
- Complex setup that takes weeks or months
- Many core features require higher-tier plans
- Annual contracts are standard
The verdict
If you're a large enterprise with complex sales processes, hundreds of users, and a budget to match, Salesforce is a proven choice. Its depth of customisation and ecosystem are genuinely unmatched.
But if you're a small team that needs a CRM, project management, and business tools that just work — without spending weeks on setup or thousands on monthly subscriptions — BASIC is built specifically for you. At £3/user/month with everything included, it's a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the complexity.
The question isn't whether Salesforce is good software. It is. The question is whether you need all that power, or whether a simpler tool would serve your team better and save you a lot of money in the process.
Ready to try the simpler alternative to Salesforce?
Try BASIC free — no credit card required. £3/user/month when you're ready.