8 Best Octopus CRM Alternatives in 2026
Octopus CRM is one of the cheapest LinkedIn tools around, so people looking for an Octopus CRM alternative usually aren't chasing a lower price. They want something it doesn't do. Octopus CRM runs as a browser extension and covers the LinkedIn basics. This guide compares eight tools on where they run, AI writing, email, free trials and price, using each vendor's own pages as checked on October 2, 2026.
Hollerly is our product, so it's listed first. If budget is what matters most, Octopus CRM may still be the right call, and we say so.
Hollerly, Waalaxy and Linked Helper are our top three Octopus CRM alternatives for 2026. People usually move on because Octopus CRM runs in the browser and lists no AI writing, email steps or inbox. Hollerly runs in the cloud from $19 with AI-written messages and adds email on Pro, but it costs about twice as much as Octopus CRM's Starter plan.
Top 3 Octopus CRM alternatives at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Pricing | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hollerly | People who want AI writing and cloud running | From $19/mo | AI-written messages, cloud browser and IP, email on Pro |
| 2 | Waalaxy | Small budgets that want ready-made sequences | From €19/user/mo | 99+ ready-made sequences and an email finder |
| 3 | Linked Helper | Power users who want depth for little money | From $15 per license, $8.25 on 12 months | 30+ actions, scraping and a built-in CRM |
Looking for an Octopus CRM alternative that writes and follows up for you?
Octopus CRM automates connection requests, messages to 1st-degree connections, profile visits and endorsements, run as campaigns and funnels. You write the templates. Its pages list no AI writing, no email steps and no unified inbox, so personalization and follow-up are still your job.
It also runs in your browser as an extension. That keeps the price low, but your outreach depends on your Chrome session. If you'd rather close your laptop and let campaigns run, or want each message researched and written for you, you'll need a different kind of tool.
Octopus CRM has real strengths: the lowest price in this category, a 7-day trial with no card, HubSpot and Zapier, and it doesn't ask for your LinkedIn credentials. Keep those in mind as you compare.
Why listen to us?
We build Hollerly, a LinkedIn and email outreach tool, so we have a stake in this list and we put ourselves first. To keep it fair, we read each vendor's own pricing and product pages on October 2, 2026, quote prices as listed that day, and say "not listed" when we couldn't confirm something. We don't quote ratings or reviews we haven't checked, and we say where another tool is the better choice, including over Hollerly.
What is Octopus CRM?
Octopus CRM is a LinkedIn automation tool that runs as a Chrome extension, with a personal CRM dashboard. Its pricing sits on its homepage; the separate pricing page returned an error when we checked, and per-plan limits weren't published. For safety, it lists activity alerts for excessive activity and works within LinkedIn's weekly invite limit.
Key features
- Connection requests: automated, personalized invites, plus a "Connect by Email" option.
- Messages: bulk messages to 1st-degree connections.
- Visits and endorsements: automated profile visits and up to 7 skill endorsements per profile.
- Campaigns and funnels: sequences of actions, with CSV import and export.
- Personal CRM: a dashboard with stats and activity alerts.
- Integrations: Zapier, HubSpot, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Zoho and Asana.
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly billing | Billed yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $9.99 a month | $6.99 a month |
| Pro | $14.99 a month | $9.99 a month |
| Advanced | $21.99 a month | $14.99 a month |
| Unlimited | $39.99 a month | $24.99 a month |
- ✓Lowest entry price in this list
- ✓7-day trial with no card
- ✓Doesn't ask for LinkedIn credentials
- ✓HubSpot plus Zapier
- ✕Browser extension only, no cloud option listed
- ✕No AI writing or email steps listed
- ✕Plan differences and limits not published
- ✕LinkedIn only
Why look for an Octopus CRM alternative?
1. It runs in your browser
Browser extensions work inside your Chrome session. Hollerly runs each LinkedIn account in its own cloud browser with an IP in your country, during your working hours, with your laptop closed. Here's why Hollerly has no Chrome extension.
2. No AI writing is listed
With Octopus CRM you write the templates. Hollerly reads each prospect's headline, latest post and company website, then writes the note or message. You approve the first five, then it runs. Variables with fallbacks and spintax still work if you prefer templates.
3. No email steps or inbox
Octopus CRM is LinkedIn only and lists no unified inbox. On Hollerly Pro, sequences add email steps from your own Gmail, Outlook or SMTP mailbox, and replies on either channel land in one inbox, tagged by intent with a drafted answer.
4. Plan limits aren't published
The pages we checked show four prices but not what separates them. Hollerly lists its limits per plan, and its safety defaults, on the pricing and LinkedIn automation safety pages.
5. You've outgrown solo use
Octopus CRM lists no team seats or roles. Hollerly Agency covers three LinkedIn accounts with sender rotation, three seats with roles and white-label client reports for $69 a month.
Octopus CRM free trial vs Hollerly's free trial for LinkedIn automation
Looking for an Octopus CRM free trial? LinkedIn automation is easiest to judge on a real campaign, and both tools let you try before paying. Octopus CRM lists a 7-day trial with no credit card on its plans. Hollerly offers a 7-day trial of its Pro plan, also with no card, so you can test AI-written messages, email steps and the AI inbox on a real campaign.
To get the most from either trial, run one small campaign of 50 to 100 well-matched leads, check the messages carefully, and watch acceptance and reply rates rather than volume. Our guide on how to automate LinkedIn outreach walks through a test campaign step by step.
8 best Octopus CRM alternatives in 2026
| # | Tool | Best for | Pricing | AI-written messages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hollerly | AI writing and cloud running | From $19/mo | Yes, every plan |
| 2 | Waalaxy | Small budgets | From €19/user | AI assistant labeled "soon" |
| 3 | Linked Helper | Power users on desktop | From $15 per license | Yes, with AI credits |
| 4 | Dux-Soup | LinkedIn-only, local or cloud | $55/seat local, $99 cloud | Yes, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini |
| 5 | Dripify | Cloud sequences priced per seat | From $59/user ($39 yearly) | AI icebreakers |
| 6 | Meet Alfred | LinkedIn, email and X | From $29/user as displayed | Beatrix AI (details not listed) |
| 7 | Expandi | LinkedIn-first agencies | $99/mo ($79 yearly) | Not listed |
| 8 | Closely | A few accounts with IPs and warmup | From $65/mo ($39 yearly) | Growth plan and up |
1. Hollerly
Best for: solo sellers, founders and small teams who want LinkedIn and email outreach in the cloud, with every message written by AI.
Hollerly runs each LinkedIn account from a dedicated cloud browser with its own IP in your country, so campaigns run while your computer is off. Claude writes each connection note, message and email from the prospect's headline, latest post and company website, and builds an ideal customer profile from your website with lead scoring. New accounts warm up for two weeks, invites are capped at 20 a day by default, and campaigns pause for 24 hours if LinkedIn pushes back.
Where it fills the Octopus CRM gap: Starter costs about $9 a month more and pays for cloud running, AI writing, a unified inbox, an account health score and a weekly results email. Pro at $49 adds email, AI reply drafts, A/B tests and CRM sync. Where it's weaker: it costs more, it has no contact database or email warmup, and it's a newer product with fewer integrations.
Key features
- Cloud running with one dedicated browser and IP in your country per account
- AI-written notes, messages and emails researched from each lead's profile, post and company website
- AI ideal customer profile from your website, with lead scoring
- Unified inbox on every plan; AI reply tags and drafts on Pro
- Email steps from your own mailbox, HubSpot and Pipedrive sync on Pro
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- Starter: $19 a month, 1 LinkedIn account, 300 connection requests a month
- Pro: $49 a month, email steps, 200 email finder credits, AI reply drafts
- Agency: $69 a month, 3 LinkedIn accounts, 3 seats, white-label reports
- 7-day free trial of Pro, no card
- ✓Runs in the cloud, not in your browser
- ✓AI writes every message from real research
- ✓Unified inbox on every plan
- ✓Published safety defaults and automatic pauses
- ✕About twice the price of Octopus CRM Starter
- ✕No contact database or email warmup
- ✕Email starts on Pro
- ✕Newer product with fewer integrations
2. Waalaxy
Best for: solo users and small teams starting LinkedIn prospecting on a small monthly budget.
Waalaxy is a LinkedIn and email outreach tool installed from the Chrome Store, with 99+ ready-made sequences, an email finder and CRM sync. Pro is capped at 300 invites a month and the other plans at 800. Cold email is on the Business plan, and its AI assistant is labeled "soon".
Waalaxy is the natural next step up from Octopus CRM: ready-made sequences, an email finder and email on its top plan. Hollerly matches its entry price and adds cloud running and AI writing. Compare them in Octopus CRM vs Waalaxy.
Key features
- 99+ ready-to-use sequences and automated follow-ups
- Email finder with 25 to 500 credits a month
- Cold email and LinkedIn plus email campaigns on Business
- API plus Make, Zapier and n8n on Advanced and up
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- Pro: €19 a user a month, 300 invites a month
- Advanced: €49, 800 invites a month
- Business: €69, adds cold email
- 14-day free trial on all plans
- ✓€19 monthly entry
- ✓Ready-made sequences and an email finder
- ✓14-day trial on every plan
- ✕Monthly invite caps
- ✕Email needs the top plan
- ✕AI assistant not yet available
3. Linked Helper
Best for: budget users and agencies who can keep desktop software running on a PC or a server.
Linked Helper is a desktop app sold per LinkedIn account license, with 30+ action types, profile and company scraping, email finding, a built-in CRM and AI messages. The computer or VPS running it has to stay on, and you buy proxies separately.
Linked Helper is close to Octopus CRM on price but goes much deeper: more actions, scraping and AI messages. It's desktop software, not cloud. Hollerly runs in the cloud for a little more. See the Linked Helper alternative page.
Key features
- 30+ campaign action types
- Scraping of profiles, companies and employees, plus email finding
- Built-in CRM with notes, tags and an inbox
- HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, plus Zapier, Make and n8n
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- Standard: $15 per license a month, down to $8.25 on a 12-month term
- Pro: see their pricing page
- 14-day Pro trial, no card
- ✓From $8.25 a month on a 12-month term
- ✓30+ actions and a built-in CRM
- ✓Long list of native CRMs
- ✕A computer or server must stay on
- ✕Proxies bought separately
- ✕No email sending
4. Dux-Soup
Best for: LinkedIn-only users who want AI personalization and a choice of local or cloud running.
Dux-Soup now sells its product as STACKED, in two versions: a local desktop app for Mac and Windows, and a cloud version that runs with your computer off. It offers up to 12 campaign actions, AI personalization with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, a unified response inbox and native CRM integrations.
Dux-Soup adds AI and a cloud option that Octopus CRM lacks, at several times the price. Hollerly runs in the cloud for $19, against $99 for STACKED Cloud. See the Dux-Soup alternative page.
Key features
- Unlimited concurrent drip campaigns
- Up to 12 actions, including InMail and post likes
- AI personalization with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and more, plus Zapier and Make
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- STACKED Local: $55 a seat a month, or $41.25 billed yearly
- STACKED Cloud: $99 a seat a month, or $74.17 billed yearly
- Free trial terms: not listed
- ✓Cloud option that runs without your computer
- ✓Choice of AI models
- ✓Native Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive
- ✕LinkedIn only
- ✕$55 entry, $99 for cloud
- ✕Trial terms not stated
5. Dripify
Best for: individual sellers and small teams who want cloud LinkedIn and email sequences priced per seat.
Dripify is a cloud LinkedIn automation tool with a drag-and-drop sequence builder, email steps, 100 email finder credits a month on every plan and AI icebreakers. It publishes daily quotas per plan.
Dripify takes you from the browser to the cloud and adds email, at a much higher price, and Basic allows one campaign. Hollerly is cheaper, with unlimited campaigns. Compare them in Dripify vs Octopus CRM.
Key features
- Drag-and-drop sequences with actions and conditions
- Email finder and verification, 100 credits a month
- Inbox on Pro and up; A/B testing on Advanced
- HubSpot, Salesforce, Make, Zapier, webhooks and API
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- Basic: $59 a user a month, or $39 billed yearly, 1 campaign
- Pro: $79, or $59 billed yearly
- Advanced: $99, or $79 billed yearly
- 7-day free trial with Advanced features, no card
- ✓Runs in the cloud
- ✓Published daily quotas per plan
- ✓API, webhooks, HubSpot, Make and Zapier
- ✕Basic allows one campaign
- ✕A/B testing only on the $99 tier
- ✕Small email finder allowance
6. Meet Alfred
Best for: solo users and small teams who want LinkedIn, email and X with social posting at a low per-seat price.
Meet Alfred states it uses cloud-based sending and covers LinkedIn, email and X, plus social scheduling. Email starts on Business, and Salesforce and HubSpot integrations start on its three-seat Teams plan. Beatrix AI is free to try with any paid plan.
Meet Alfred moves you to the cloud and adds channels, from $29 a user as displayed next to its annual toggle. Hollerly costs less, includes an inbox and writes every message with AI. See the Meet Alfred alternative page.
Key features
- LinkedIn automation for Basic, Premium and Sales Navigator accounts
- Email and X steps on Business and up
- Lead Finder capped at 1,000 to 10,000 results
- White label and CRM integrations on Teams
Pricing (as displayed on October 2, 2026)
- Individual: $29 a user a month
- Business: $49 a user a month
- Teams: $39 a user a month, minimum 3 seats
- Free trial, no card; length not stated
- ✓Cloud-based sending
- ✓LinkedIn, email and X plus social scheduling
- ✓No-card trial
- ✕Monthly-billed prices not clearly shown
- ✕Email needs Business or higher
- ✕CRM integrations start on Teams
7. Expandi
Best for: agencies and sales teams running LinkedIn-first campaigns who want a dedicated IP and native CRM sync.
Expandi is a cloud LinkedIn automation tool with smart campaigns built from 19 actions and 11 conditions, A/B testing and a smart inbox with labels, tags and notes. Each account gets a dedicated country-based IP and an automatic warm-up.
Expandi is a big step up from Octopus CRM in features and price. It lists no AI writing. Hollerly costs far less and writes each message. See the Expandi alternative page.
Key features
- Smart campaigns with 19 actions and 11 conditions
- Dedicated country-based IP and automatic warm-up
- Smart inbox with labels, tags and notes
- Native HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive, plus Zapier, webhooks and API
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- Business: $99 a month, or $79 billed yearly
- Agency: custom pricing for 10 or more seats
- 7-day free trial, no card
- ✓Dedicated IP and warm-up included
- ✓Conditional campaigns and A/B testing
- ✓Native HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive
- ✕$99 a month on monthly billing
- ✕No built-in AI writing listed
- ✕No lead database or email finder
8. Closely
Best for: small teams and agencies running LinkedIn plus email from a few accounts who want IPs, warmup and data in one price.
Closely runs LinkedIn and email sequences in the cloud with a dedicated residential IP per LinkedIn account. Every plan includes unlimited email accounts, account warmup and white label, and its smart inbox supports assignment and tagging.
Closely adds cloud running, email and warmup, at $39 a month on annual billing. AI personalization starts on its $159 Growth plan. Hollerly is cheaper on monthly billing and writes with AI from Starter.
Key features
- Dedicated residential IP and LinkedIn warmup per account
- Unlimited email accounts and warmup on every plan
- Smart inbox with assignment and tagging
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and GoHighLevel, plus webhooks
Pricing (as listed on October 2, 2026)
- Starter: $65 a month, or $39 billed yearly, 1 LinkedIn account
- Growth: $159, or $95 billed yearly, 3 accounts
- Essential: $259, or $155 billed yearly, 5 accounts
- Free trial offered; length not stated
- ✓Residential IP and warmup on every plan
- ✓White label on every plan
- ✓Annual billing about 40% below monthly
- ✕Starter has no data or AI credits
- ✕Trial length not stated
- ✕Zapier, Make and API not listed
Ready to move beyond Octopus CRM?
If budget decides it and you're happy writing your own messages and running automation from your browser, Octopus CRM is hard to beat on price. If you want cloud running, AI writing and email follow-ups, start a trial with one of the tools above. Our guide to the best LinkedIn automation tools covers more options.
- Export your leads from Octopus CRM as a CSV.
- Start a Hollerly trial and connect your LinkedIn account, plus your mailbox for email steps.
- Pick a sequence template, upload the CSV and approve the first five messages.
- Pause your Octopus CRM campaigns. Hollerly skips duplicates and anyone on your do-not-contact list.
FAQ
+What is the best Octopus CRM alternative?
If you want LinkedIn automation that runs in the cloud, writes each message with AI and adds email follow-ups, Hollerly starts at $19 a month. Waalaxy and Linked Helper are other common choices. If the lowest price matters most, Octopus CRM itself starts at $9.99 a month.
+What is the main difference between Octopus CRM and Hollerly?
Octopus CRM runs as a browser extension and automates invites, messages, visits and endorsements from templates you write, from $9.99 a month. Hollerly runs in the cloud, writes each message with AI from the prospect's profile and company, and adds email and AI reply drafts on its $49 Pro plan.
+Can I use Octopus CRM and Hollerly together?
Yes, but keep each LinkedIn account in one tool. Running two tools on the same profile doubles the activity LinkedIn sees and makes its weekly invite limit harder to respect. A simple test is to move one campaign to Hollerly during the trial and compare results.
+Which Octopus CRM alternative is best for small budgets?
Linked Helper starts at $15 a license, or $8.25 a month on a 12-month term, but runs as desktop software. Hollerly Starter at $19 and Waalaxy Pro at €19 are the next step. Hollerly includes cloud running and AI-written messages on its entry plan.
+Does Octopus CRM have a free trial for LinkedIn automation?
Yes. Octopus CRM lists a 7-day trial with no credit card required on its plans (checked October 2, 2026). Hollerly also offers a 7-day trial of its Pro plan with no card, which includes AI-written messages, email steps and AI reply tagging, so you can compare them side by side.
+Is Octopus CRM a Chrome extension?
Yes. Octopus CRM works as a Chrome extension for LinkedIn automation, with a personal CRM dashboard. Hollerly has no extension: you connect your LinkedIn account once and it runs from a dedicated cloud browser with its own IP in your country, even when your computer is off.
Get replies without the busywork
Hollerly finds the people, writes every message with AI and follows up on LinkedIn and email until they reply. Runs in the cloud, from $19 a month.
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