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CRM · head to head

Apptivo vs Indy

Apptivo logo

Apptivo

CRM

A bundle of around fifty business apps sold on one per-user subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Indy logo

Indy

Proposals

Freelance workflow suite covering proposals, contracts, invoices and time tracking with a usable free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Indy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apptivo the tiers gate the number of apps rather than only the depth, so a business that buys Lite at 15 US dollars because of the CRM and later needs an app in the 46-app Premium set faces a 67 per cent per-seat increase to unlock it.; Indy the free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • They diverge on capability: Apptivo covers CRM core, Indy covers Contract library.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apptivo and Indy actually diverge.

Attributes where Apptivo and Indy differ
AttributeApptivoIndy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
Free tierNoYes
CategoryCRMProposals

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apptivo

  • CRM core
  • Invoicing and estimates
  • Project management
  • Field service
  • Help desk
  • Procurement and inventory
  • Custom apps and fields
  • Workflow automation

Only in Indy

  • Contract library
  • Proposals
  • Invoicing
  • Time tracking
  • Task and calendar
  • Client portal
  • Free tier

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apptivo

  • A ten-person consultancy that wants CRM, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools togethernot Indy
  • A distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration projectnot Indy
  • A service business replacing a spreadsheet-driven help desk that also wants the ticket history visible on the sales contactnot Indy
  • A business already paying separately for CRM, invoicing and project tools that wants to cut vendor count and consolidate billingnot Indy

Indy

  • A new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscriptionnot Apptivo
  • Testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to onenot Apptivo
  • Part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free capsnot Apptivo
  • Replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoicenot Apptivo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apptivo

  • The tiers gate the number of apps rather than only the depth, so a business that buys Lite at 15 US dollars because of the CRM and later needs an app in the 46-app Premium set faces a 67 per cent per-seat increase to unlock it.
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25 rules on both Lite and Premium, which is low for any business automating more than a basic sales process, and lifting it means jumping to Ultimate at 40 US dollars.
  • Each app is shallower than the dedicated product it replaces, so teams that outgrow one module end up buying a specialist tool anyway and lose the single-record advantage that justified the suite.
  • There is no free tier, only a 30-day trial, so evaluating the breadth properly against real data requires paying or rushing the trial window.
  • The interface is dense and inconsistent between apps because they were built over many years, which lengthens onboarding and produces persistent user complaints in teams that are not technically confident.

Indy

  • The free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • Project management and task tracking are shallow, so anyone running several concurrent projects will keep a separate tool and lose the single system benefit.
  • Reporting on income, utilisation and profitability is thin next to a dedicated accounting or time tracking product.
  • Payments are processed by a third party gateway, so the card fee applies on top of the subscription and materially changes the cost per invoice on small jobs.
  • As with every bundle, leaving means separating proposals, contracts, time and invoices out of one export, which is harder than replacing a single purpose tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apptivo

On request
  • Lite$15/month
    • 18 apps
    • 100 custom fields per app
    • 25 workflows
  • Premium$25/month
    • 46 apps
    • 250 custom fields per app
    • 25 workflows
  • Ultimate$40/month
    • All apps
    • 350 custom fields per app
    • 150 workflows
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • 500 custom fields per app
    • 300 workflows
    • 100 custom dashboards

Indy

Free
  • Indy$undefined/year
    • Free tier with monthly document limits
    • Proposals, contracts and invoices
    • Time tracking and tasks

Which should you pick?

Choose Apptivo if

  • You need crm core.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want invoicing and estimates.
Apptivo review

Choose Indy if

  • You need contract library.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want proposals.
Indy review

Questions people ask

Is Apptivo or Indy better?
Neither clearly leads. Apptivo starts at On request and Indy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apptivo or Indy?
Indy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Apptivo and Free for Indy.
Does Apptivo or Indy run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Indy for free?
Yes. Indy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Apptivo starts at On request.
What is Apptivo best used for?
Apptivo is most often used for a ten-person consultancy that wants crm, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools together, a distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration project, a service business replacing a spreadsheet-driven help desk that also wants the ticket history visible on the sales contact, a business already paying separately for crm, invoicing and project tools that wants to cut vendor count and consolidate billing. Of those, a ten-person consultancy that wants crm, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools together and a distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration project are not what Indy is typically brought in for.
What can Apptivo do that Indy cannot?
Apptivo covers CRM core, Invoicing and estimates, Project management, Field service. Indy covers Contract library, Proposals, Invoicing, Time tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apptivo: Does Apptivo have a free plan?

No. There is a 30-day free trial; the cheapest ongoing plan is Lite at 15 US dollars per user per month billed annually.

Indy: Is the free tier actually usable?

Yes, for real signed contracts and invoices, but it caps documents per month and active freelancers hit that fairly quickly.

Apptivo: What is the real difference between Lite and Premium?

Mostly app count and dashboards: Lite opens 18 apps, Premium opens 46 with custom dashboards. Check which specific app you need before choosing on price.

Indy: Does it take a percentage of invoices?

The payment gateway charges its standard card fee. That is separate from the subscription and should be modelled per invoice.

Apptivo: Is monthly billing more expensive?

Yes, by roughly a third. Lite is 15 annually versus 20 monthly, Premium 25 versus 30, Ultimate 40 versus 50.

Indy: Can it manage several concurrent projects?

Only lightly. The task and project features are the weakest part of the product.

Apptivo: Are all fifty apps really included?

Only on the top tiers. The lower tiers include a subset, and the app list per tier is the thing to verify before buying.

Indy: Are the contracts legally sound?

They are standard freelance templates with editable clauses. They are a starting point, not legal advice for your jurisdiction.

Indy: Who is it wrong for?

Agencies, anyone with subcontractors, and freelancers who need real project management or detailed profitability reporting.

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