Folk vs Freshsales
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Folk (folk.app) is a CRM built to centralize business relationships across email, calendar, social platforms, and thousands of other tools, then use AI assistants to automate repetitive sales work. It aims to capture the full context of a company's relationships in one simple CRM, with AI Assistants that learn from this data to automate busywork, including a Follow-up Assistant, Recap Assistant, Research Assistant, and Workflow Assistant. Folk includes the folkX Chrome extension for capturing and enriching leads directly from LinkedIn, one-click contact enrichment for emails and phone numbers, collaborative sales pipelines with dashboards, and integrations with over 6,000 tools. It offers native Windows and Mac desktop apps and iOS/Android mobile apps, and states it is trusted by over 5,000 companies, with high ratings on Product Hunt, the Chrome Web Store, and G2.
Freshsales is a sales‑focused CRM that combines contact management, pipeline visualization, and AI‑driven lead scoring in a single platform. It lets reps log calls, send emails and track interactions without leaving the system. The solution offers built‑in phone capabilities, email sync, and customizable reporting, helping teams prioritize prospects and close deals faster. It integrates with common productivity tools and provides a free tier for small teams.
- Deep LinkedIn integration via the folkX extension for fast lead capture
- Multiple purpose-built AI assistants (follow-up, recap, research, workflow) reduce manual sales admin
- Native desktop (Windows/Mac) and mobile (iOS/Android) apps beyond the web app
- Transparent published pricing with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required
- AI lead scoring reduces manual triage.
- Built‑in phone eliminates third‑party dialers.
- Intuitive pipeline visualizations.
- Free tier suitable for small teams.
- No free tier - the trial is time-limited and a paid plan is required afterward
- Enrichment and AI field usage are capped per plan, which may run out for high-volume users
- API access and custom objects are locked behind the Premium tier and above
- Advanced reporting requires higher‑tier plan.
- Limited offline access on mobile.
- Customization can be complex for non‑technical users.
More alternatives & similar tools
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AI-powered CRM and marketing automation platform built for small and mid-sized sales teams.
The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataFreshsales offers a free tier and built‑in phone for SMBs, while Folk provides deeper LinkedIn capture and multiple AI assistants but requires a paid subscription.
Key differences
- •Pricing model: Freshsales has a freemium tier; Folk only offers time‑limited paid trials.
- •AI assistants: Folk includes several specialized AI helpers (follow‑up, research, workflow); Freshsales provides only AI lead scoring.
- •LinkedIn lead capture: Folk’s folkX Chrome extension directly enriches LinkedIn leads; Freshsales lacks native LinkedIn capture.
- •Native desktop/mobile apps: Folk supplies Windows, macOS, iOS, Android apps; Freshsales is cloud‑only with limited mobile offline access.
- •Customization & reporting: Freshsales requires higher‑tier plans for advanced reporting; Folk locks API and custom objects behind premium tiers.
Pricing & value
Freshsales includes a free tier suitable for small teams; Folk has no free tier, only a paid subscription after trial.
Ease of use / learning curve
Folk provides native desktop and mobile apps plus AI assistants that automate tasks, reducing manual effort.
Features & depth
Folk offers multiple AI assistants, LinkedIn capture, and workflow automation; Freshsales focuses on AI lead scoring and basic pipeline.
Integrations & ecosystem
Folk connects to over 6,000 tools and LinkedIn via folkX; Freshsales lists a few integrations (Slack, Zapier, Gmail, Outlook).
Collaboration
Folk includes shared pipelines with customizable roles; Freshsales does not mention collaborative pipeline features.
Scalability
Freshsales targets SMBs to mid‑market and offers cloud SaaS; Folk’s limits on AI usage and API access may hinder high‑volume scaling.
Support
Freshsales provides email, live chat, and phone support; Folk offers help‑center only unless on Enterprise tier.
Choose Folk if…
Teams that rely heavily on LinkedIn prospecting, need multiple AI assistants, and can afford a paid plan.
Choose Freshsales if…
SMBs or mid‑market teams needing a free CRM with built‑in phone and basic AI scoring.
Common questions
Is there a free version of either product?
Freshsales offers a freemium tier; Folk only provides a 14‑day free trial, then requires a paid subscription.
Which tool better supports LinkedIn lead capture?
Folk includes the folkX Chrome extension that captures and enriches leads directly from LinkedIn; Freshsales has no LinkedIn capture feature.
What support is available on the lower‑cost plans?
Freshsales offers email, live chat, and phone support across plans; Folk’s support is limited to a help center unless you upgrade to Enterprise.
