Expandi vs Octopus CRM (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Octopus CRM grades higher than Expandi: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Expandi grades higher on platforms. Octopus CRM grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Expandi
Cloud-based LinkedIn outreach sequences with email follow-ups
Octopus CRM
Chrome extension that automates LinkedIn invites and messages
Which one is for you
Pick Expandi if
- Fits if your outreach is mostly LinkedIn and you want it to run from the cloud with no browser left open
- Works for teams that log LinkedIn activity to HubSpot, Salesforce or Pipedrive
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're a team of five, at $79 a seat a month billed annually or $99 monthly
- Skip it if you want full cold email campaigns in the same tool, as email is limited to follow-ups
- Tight if you're trying it out, as there's no free plan and the trial lasts only 7 days
- Watch out: personalized images and GIFs cost extra, and video messages need a paid Sendspark add-on
- Watch out: it's web only, and more than 10 seats or white labeling are priced by sales
Pick Octopus CRM if
- Fits if you want cheap LinkedIn outreach for one account
- Works for people who work in Chrome all day
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want email or other channels, as it's LinkedIn only
- Not for you if you can't keep Chrome open while it works
- Watch out: each license covers one LinkedIn account, so more accounts mean more subscriptions
- Tight if you want Activity Control, which only the Unlimited plan has
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAExpandiFair | 2.4GPAOctopus CRMFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DOne plan, per seat: five people pay $79 each billed annually, $79 a head, or $99 billed monthly. That's in this category's dearest tenth, which starts at $69, and image personalization and video cost extra on top. | A$6.99 a month on yearly billing for one LinkedIn account, well under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter ($25). The top plan is $24.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. The 7-day trial unlocks every feature, which is a short window for judging LinkedIn results. | C7-day free trial of the Unlimited plan with no card. No free plan. |
| Features | COn LinkedIn it runs if-then sequences of requests, messages, InMails and event invites, with team workspaces and CRM sync. The gap is email: it only sends follow-ups, and full cold email campaigns run through the Smartlead integration. | CConnection requests, messages, profile views, endorsements, funnels and a personal CRM, LinkedIn only. Activity Control is on Unlimited. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. It runs in the cloud with a dedicated IP, so there's no browser to leave open, but you'll set limits, warm-up and campaign types before it sends. | CNo store rating on record. An extension to install, a LinkedIn account to connect and funnels to build. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive sync, Smartlead, Hyperise, Sendspark, Zapier, Google Sheets, webhooks, an API and an MCP server in beta. No phone or desktop app. | CChrome extension only, with Zapier, HubSpot, Zoho, Asana and Google Sheets. No web, desktop or phone apps. |
| Best for | LinkedIn outreach run from the cloud | low-cost LinkedIn automation in Chrome |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Expandi and Octopus CRM. How we grade
Price against what you get
Expandi starts at $79 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Octopus CRM starts at $6.99 a month and scores 2.0.
Expandi scores higher, and starts $72.01 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other cold outreach tools on the chart, 11 score higher than Expandi for less, and 1 scores higher than Octopus CRM for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Octopus CRM also covers sales pipeline, marketing automation and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Expandi | Octopus CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $79 per seat / month, billed annually ($99 monthly) | $6.99 per month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial with all features | 7-day free trial with full access to the Unlimited plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | ProfitSoft BV | Octopus CRM |
| Price read from | expandi.io | octopuscrm.io |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Expandi
- There is one plan, $99 per seat a month billed monthly, and no free plan; the trial lasts 7 days.
- Email in sequences is limited to follow-ups; full cold email campaigns are coordinated through the Smartlead integration.
- Image and GIF personalization costs extra, and video messages need a paid Sendspark add-on.
- Teams of more than 10 seats and white labeling are priced by sales.
Octopus CRM
- It runs only as a Chrome extension, so the browser has to stay open while it works.
- Each Octopus license is tied to one LinkedIn account; more accounts need separate subscriptions.
- Activity Control, the safeguard against excessive activity, is in the Unlimited plan per the FAQ.
- It covers LinkedIn only, with no email or other channels.
Key features
Expandi
- Smart sequences
- An if-then builder sends connection requests, messages, InMails, event invites and email follow-ups, choosing the next step from what each prospect does.
- Account safety
- Runs in the cloud from a dedicated IP address in your country, warms new accounts up gradually and keeps daily actions within limit ranges you set.
- Campaign types and priorities
- Several campaign types, including a Mobile Connector campaign that adds 100 connection requests a week, with prioritization and recovery of campaigns.
- Personalization
- Dynamic placeholders in every message; personalized images and GIFs cost extra, and video messages come through a paid Sendspark integration.
- Workspaces for teams
- Team workspaces with duplicate prevention, tags and notes on conversations, and a central dashboard with step-by-step campaign statistics.
- CRM sync, API and webhooks
- Native HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive sync of LinkedIn activity, plus webhooks, API credentials, Zapier and an MCP server in beta.
Octopus CRM
- Automated invites and messages
- Sends personalized connection requests and bulk messages, with random delays between actions to mimic manual work.
- Campaigns and funnels
- Builds multi-step campaigns that follow connections through a lead generation funnel, with data import and export.
- Personal CRM
- Keeps a CRM of processed contacts with stats, and skips people who already received a request or message.
- Profile views and endorsements
- Can automatically view profiles and endorse skills as additional touchpoints.
- Activity Control
- Alerts when activity on the LinkedIn account looks excessive. The FAQ lists it under the Unlimited plan.
- Zapier and HubSpot hand-off
- Pushes LinkedIn actions to Zapier, which can forward them to apps such as HubSpot, Zoho, Asana and Google Sheets.
Plans
Expandi
Business$79
per seat / month, billed annually ($99 monthly)
All features: smart sequences, a dedicated country-based IP, auto warm-up, unlimited campaigns and templates, and CRM integrations.
AgencyCustom
For more than 10 seats or white labeling: roles and permissions, client reports and a dedicated customer success manager. Sold through sales.
Octopus CRM
Starter$6.99
per month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly)
Entry plan, for one LinkedIn account. Works with LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
Pro$9.99
per month, billed annually ($14.99 billed monthly)
Mid-tier plan for one LinkedIn account. Works with Sales Navigator.
Advanced$14.99
per month, billed annually ($21.99 billed monthly)
Higher tier for one LinkedIn account. Works with Sales Navigator.
Unlimited$24.99
per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly)
Top tier, marked Recommended. Adds Activity Control and works with Premium, Sales Navigator and Recruiter accounts.
Ways to pay less
Expandi
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
Paid annually up front, Business is $79 per seat a month instead of $99; Expandi also says larger seat counts get bigger discounts.
Octopus CRM
- Annual discount
35% off with annual billing
The pricing section's Annually toggle is marked -35% and shows lower monthly prices on every plan.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Expandi or Octopus CRM?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Expandi starts at $79 per seat / month, billed annually ($99 monthly), and Octopus CRM starts at $6.99 per month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Expandi or Octopus CRM?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Expandi nor Octopus CRM has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Expandi and Octopus CRM run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Expandi lists a web app and only Octopus CRM lists a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.