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CRM · head to head

Insightly vs Scratchpad

Insightly logo

Insightly

CRM

CRM & project management for any business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Scratchpad logo

Scratchpad

CRM

Faster workspace over Salesforce for sales reps to update pipeline, take notes and manage deals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Insightly record counts are capped by plan, at 100,000 on Plus and 500,000 on Enterprise, so the database size decides the tier; Scratchpad scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • They diverge on capability: Insightly covers Contact management, Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Insightly and Scratchpad actually diverge.

Attributes where Insightly and Scratchpad differ
AttributeInsightlyScratchpad
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Chrome extension
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM).

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 Insightly

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Project management
  • Task management
  • Email integration
  • Reporting
  • Mobile app
  • Mailchimp

Only in Scratchpad

  • Spreadsheet pipeline views
  • Call recorder and notetaker
  • AI field updates
  • Deal and account agent
  • Hygiene monitor
  • Notes linked to records
  • Custom prompts
  • Kanban and forecast views

What people use each for

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

Insightly

  • CRM with project delivery tracking after the salenot Scratchpad
  • Managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record setnot Scratchpad

Scratchpad

  • A 60-rep Salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline callnot Insightly
  • A rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty Salesforce recordsnot Insightly
  • A sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by emailnot Insightly
  • A revenue operations lead trialling AI notetaking that writes back to CRM fields before committing budget, using the free tiernot Insightly

Where each one falls short

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

Insightly

  • Record counts are capped by plan, at 100,000 on Plus and 500,000 on Enterprise, so the database size decides the tier
  • Workflow automation requires the Professional plan at $49 per user per month
  • AI Copilot is metered by query, at 75 on Plus and 100 on Professional
  • Mass email is capped daily, at 2,500 on Plus and 10,000 on Enterprise
  • CRM, Marketing and Service are sold as three separate products, and Marketing is priced per account by prospect count starting at $99 for 2,000
  • Sandboxes and audit logging are Enterprise only at $99 per user per month

Scratchpad

  • Scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • AI credits are metered per user per month at 400 on Solo and 800 on Team, which means heavy notetaking use pushes teams towards Enterprise for capacity rather than for features.
  • There is no proper native mobile application, so representatives who wanted to update records from a car park between meetings are back in a mobile browser.
  • Sync with Salesforce and call processing can lag, and a pipeline view showing yesterday state during a forecast call undermines the exact meeting the tool was bought to improve.
  • It creates a second notes surface alongside native Salesforce notes, so organisations end up with deal history split across two places unless they explicitly ban one of them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Insightly

Free
  • CRM Plus$29/user/month
    • lead and contact management
    • project management
    • advanced reports
  • CRM Professional$49/user/month
    • all Plus features
    • lead assignment/routing
    • workflow automation
  • CRM Enterprise$99/user/month
    • all Professional features
    • sandboxes
    • products/pricebooks/quotes

Scratchpad

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Workspace limited to 3 views
    • 10 hours a month of call recording and notetaking
    • AI field updates
  • Solo$19/month
    • Unlimited views with sheets and notes
    • Call recorder and notetaker
    • AI field updates
  • Team$49/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • 800 AI credits per user per month
    • Gong integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited AI credits
    • White-glove agent services included
    • Enterprise security and administration

Which should you pick?

Choose Insightly if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Insightly review

Choose Scratchpad if

  • You need spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome extension.
  • You also want call recorder and notetaker.
Scratchpad review

Questions people ask

Is Insightly or Scratchpad better?
Neither clearly leads. Insightly starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Insightly or Scratchpad?
Insightly starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free.
Does Insightly or Scratchpad run on more platforms?
Insightly runs on Web, Ios, Android. Scratchpad runs on Web, Chrome extension.
Can I use Insightly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Insightly best used for?
Insightly is most often used for crm with project delivery tracking after the sale, managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record set. Of those, crm with project delivery tracking after the sale and managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record set are not what Scratchpad is typically brought in for.
What can Insightly do that Scratchpad cannot?
Insightly covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Project management, Task management. Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Call recorder and notetaker, AI field updates, Deal and account agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Insightly: How much does Insightly CRM cost?

Insightly CRM plans are priced per user per month when billed annually: Plus at $29, Professional at $49 (the most popular option), and Enterprise at $99. All plans include a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card.

Source
Scratchpad: Does Scratchpad work with HubSpot?

No. It is Salesforce-only.

Insightly: Is there a free trial for Insightly?

Yes, Insightly offers a 14-day free trial across most products with no credit card required, allowing you to test CRM, Marketing Automation, Support & Ticketing, and AppConnect features.

Source
Scratchpad: Is the free plan usable in production?

Yes for an individual: full workspace with three views, 10 hours of recording and 100 AI credits a month. Teams outgrow it on views and credits.

Insightly: What record storage limits apply to Insightly CRM plans?

Insightly CRM Plus includes 100,000 records, Professional includes 250,000 records, and Enterprise includes 500,000 records. File storage increases from 10 GB on Plus to 100 GB on Professional and 250 GB on Enterprise.

Source
Scratchpad: Does it replace Salesforce licences?

No. Every user still needs their own Salesforce licence; Scratchpad is an interface on top.

Scratchpad: What are AI credits spent on?

Notetaking, summarisation, field update suggestions and agent queries. Enterprise removes the cap.

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