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The SharpSpring Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about SharpSpring in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

SharpSpring

The Insider’s Guide

Marketing automation and CRM for agencies and small businesses

SharpSpring, as pictured on sharpspring.com

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from SharpSpring’s own pages.

Made by SharpSpring · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com

1.8GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from SharpSpring’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SharpSpring’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

1.8

GPA, above 12 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade

SharpSpring is a marketing automation platform with a built-in CRM, aimed at agencies and small businesses. It covers email marketing, sales engagement, social posting, retargeting ads and analytics in one product. Its pricing link now points to Constant Contact's Lead Gen and CRM pricing page, which could not be read.

To get you started, here are 7 things to know about SharpSpring, taken from its own pages and our grades.

We couldn't confirm any price, its pricing links lead to Constant Contact, and the main call to action is a demo.
From our report card of SharpSpring
  1. 1

    Best for agency marketing automation and CRM

    SharpSpring is marketing automation and CRM with email, sales engagement and retargeting, aimed at agencies and small businesses.

  2. 2

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  3. 3

    Email marketing

    Sends email content tailored to each lead's interests and behavior.

  4. 4

    Marketing automation

    Rule-based workflows that personalize messages by buyer behavior and timing.

  5. 5

    Built-in CRM

    Tracks sales opportunities and contacts alongside the marketing data, with productivity tools for sales teams.

  6. 6

    A 1.8 GPA, above 12 of 102

    That is against the other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  7. 7

    Keep it

    To replace SharpSpring you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

SharpSpring at a glance

Pricing
Paid
Free plan
No
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
SharpSpring
Category
Email Marketing & Newsletters
Our grade
1.8 GPA, weak

The report card

Best for agency marketing automation and CRM

SharpSpring is marketing automation and CRM with email, sales engagement and retargeting, aimed at agencies and small businesses. We couldn't confirm any price, its pricing links lead to Constant Contact, and the main call to action is a demo.

ToolGPA report cardSharpSpringGraded Nov 13, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCNo price could be confirmed: the Pricing link leads to a Constant Contact page we couldn't read, so we place it in the middle.
Free plan and trialFNo free plan or trial is stated on the pages we read. The main call to action is a demo.
FeaturesBEmail, automation, a CRM, sales engagement, social and retargeting ads, tracking and analytics. Nothing in the listing shows a gap.
Ease of useCNo store rating on record. A suite with a CRM and automations to build and connect.
Platforms and integrationsCWeb only, with no integrations listed on the pages we read.
Grade point averageWeak, out of 4.01.8

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who SharpSpring is for

  • Fits if you run an agency that wants a CRM beside email
  • Makes sense if you want ad retargeting from the same tool

Who it is not for

  • Not for you if you want a price, as none could be confirmed
  • Skip it if you want to try it free, since only a demo is offered
  • Watch out: pricing links now point to Constant Contact's Lead Gen and CRM product, so it may be sold under that name too

Good to know

Good for

  • Marketing agencies that run campaigns for several clients
  • Small businesses that want marketing automation and a CRM in one product

Worth knowing

  • Pricing is not shown on SharpSpring's own site: the Pricing link leads to a Constant Contact page that blocks automated reading, so no plan or price could be confirmed.
  • The site lists a demo as its main call to action; no free plan or trial is stated on the pages read.
  • The pricing links now point to Constant Contact's Lead Gen and CRM product, so the product may be sold under that name too.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

SharpSpring's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.

No price could be confirmed: the Pricing link leads to a Constant Contact page we couldn't read, so we place it in the middle.
From our grade for value for money

We could not confirm SharpSpring’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. sharpspring.com has them.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Marketing automation and CRM for agencies and small businesses. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: sales pipeline, marketing automation, reports, email campaigns.

Email, automation, a CRM, sales engagement, social and retargeting ads, tracking and analytics.
From our grade for features
Email marketing
Sends email content tailored to each lead's interests and behavior.
Marketing automation
Rule-based workflows that personalize messages by buyer behavior and timing.
Built-in CRM
Tracks sales opportunities and contacts alongside the marketing data, with productivity tools for sales teams.
Sales engagement
Built-in messaging and task automation for follow-ups.
Social media and retargeting ads
Posts to social channels, tracks mentions, and shows targeted content on sites leads visit after leaving yours.
Tracking and analytics
Reports across marketing and sales activity, including campaign results tracked through the life of a lead.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

SharpSpring is made by SharpSpring.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

12/102

Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above

SharpSpring's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 12 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 12.

It stands best on features (B, above 47 of 102) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 103 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. SharpSpring’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 21 of 102
  • FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 102
  • BFeaturesAbove 47 of 102
  • CEase of useAbove 11 of 102
  • CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 102

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace SharpSpring you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 78 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools grade higher.

What you could make

  • Sales pipeline and reports: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
  • Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. SharpSpring’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Keap, Ontraport and BenchmarkONE

The 5 tools SharpSpring is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

  • 3.2GPA

    HubSpot

    Free plan · from $20/mo

    Free CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite.

    • HubSpot has a free plan. SharpSpring does not.
    • Only HubSpot lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Only HubSpot lists a browser extension.
    SharpSpring and HubSpot compared in full
  • 2.4GPA

    ActiveCampaign

    Free trial · from $15/mo

    Email marketing and multi-step automation priced by contacts.

    • ActiveCampaign also covers forms.
    SharpSpring and ActiveCampaign compared in full
  • 2.2GPA

    Keap

    Free trial · from $299/mo

    CRM with sales and marketing automation for small businesses.

    • Only Keap lists iOS and Android apps.
    • SharpSpring also covers reports and email campaigns.
    • Keap also covers booking links, workflow automation, forms and invoicing.
    SharpSpring and Keap compared in full
  • 2.4GPA

    Ontraport

    Free trial

    CRM with marketing automation, payments and membership sites.

    • Only Ontraport lists iOS and Android apps.
    • SharpSpring also covers reports and email campaigns.
    • Ontraport also covers booking links, shared inbox, workflow automation and forms.
    SharpSpring and Ontraport compared in full
  • 2.4GPA

    BenchmarkONE

    Free plan · from $29/mo

    Small-business CRM with email marketing and automation.

    • BenchmarkONE has a free plan. SharpSpring does not.
    • Only BenchmarkONE lists a browser extension.
    SharpSpring and BenchmarkONE compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

9

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is SharpSpring free?

No. SharpSpring is a paid product.

What platforms does SharpSpring work on?

SharpSpring is available on Web.

Does SharpSpring have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. SharpSpring is listed for Web.

Does SharpSpring have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. SharpSpring is listed for Web.

Is SharpSpring open source?

SharpSpring is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.

Who makes SharpSpring?

SharpSpring is made by a company of the same name.

What are the alternatives to SharpSpring?

The closest alternatives to SharpSpring in our directory are HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Keap, Ontraport and BenchmarkONE.

How does SharpSpring compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?

SharpSpring's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 12 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 12.

Could I make my own version of SharpSpring?

To replace SharpSpring you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from SharpSpring’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SharpSpring's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by SharpSpring. Prices change, so check sharpspring.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

7,721

Tools graded, in 95 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 7,721

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "SharpSpring: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/sharpspring

Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/sharpspring/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after SharpSpring, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what SharpSpring’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. SharpSpring is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SharpSpring. Prices and plans change: check sharpspring.com before you buy.