Insightly vs SimPRO

Insightly vs SimPRO - An Honest Breakdown for mid-market Australian businesses

Wondering whether Insightly or SimPRO is the better fit for Professional Services? We break down features, pricing, and real-world suitability so you can choose with confidence - backed by 12+ of hands-on experience.

Features compared

50+

Clients advised

98%

Client retention

12+

Years experience

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Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature analysis for Insightly and SimPRO.

Contact management

Insightly

Built-in project management converts won opportunities into active projects with tasks and milestones, bridging the gap between sales and delivery

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

Both platforms are strong here. Insightly emphasises this as a core strength, and SimPRO also invests heavily in contact management. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Pipeline management

Insightly

Built-in project management converts won opportunities into active projects with tasks and milestones, bridging the gap between sales and delivery

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

Both platforms are strong here. Insightly emphasises this as a core strength, and SimPRO also invests heavily in pipeline management. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Email automation

Insightly

Email tracking with open and click notifications gives sales reps real-time insight into prospect engagement

SimPRO

SimPRO supports email automation. Advanced automation features may require higher-tier plans

Insightly highlights email automation as a core strength. SimPRO offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Reporting and analytics

Insightly

Insightly includes reporting and analytics capabilities. Feature depth varies by plan tier

SimPRO

Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations

SimPRO highlights reporting and analytics as a core strength. Insightly offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Integration ecosystem

Insightly

Limitation: Third-party integration ecosystem is smaller than HubSpot or Salesforce, often requiring Zapier for connections that other CRMs handle natively

SimPRO

SimPRO supports 37+ native integrations, covering the most common tools in a mid-market tech stack

Insightly has a broader native ecosystem (54+ integrations) compared to SimPRO (37+). Both connect via automation platforms like Zapier and Make.

Mobile app

Insightly

Insightly connects with 54+ tools natively, offering one of the broadest integration ecosystems in its category

SimPRO

Limitation: Mobile app has improved but can still feel clunky compared to more modern alternatives like ServiceM8 for field workers

Insightly and SimPRO take different philosophical approaches to mobile app; the better fit is usually the one that matches how your team already thinks about the problem.

Industry fit

Insightly

Insightly provides industry fit functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

SimPRO

SimPRO provides industry fit functionality, popular with Trades & Construction businesses

industry fit support varies across Insightly and SimPRO's plan tiers. Check whether the capabilities you need are on the plan you can actually afford.

Job management

Insightly

Built-in project management converts won opportunities into active projects with tasks and milestones, bridging the gap between sales and delivery

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

Both platforms are strong here. Insightly emphasises this as a core strength, and SimPRO also invests heavily in job management. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Quoting and invoicing

Insightly

Insightly provides quoting and invoicing functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

SimPRO highlights quoting and invoicing as a core strength. Insightly offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Scheduling and dispatch

Insightly

Insightly provides scheduling and dispatch functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

SimPRO highlights scheduling and dispatch as a core strength. Insightly offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Mobile field access

Insightly

Insightly manages contacts, organisations, opportunities, projects and 4 more object types

SimPRO

Advanced scheduling with drag-and-drop Gantt-style views, travel time calculation, and skill-based assignment optimises field team productivity

SimPRO highlights mobile field access as a core strength. Insightly offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Compliance features

Insightly

Insightly provides standard security controls. Contact the vendor for detailed compliance certifications

SimPRO

Limitation: Learning curve is steep due to the depth of features, and staff training is essential for productive use

Day-to-day compliance features workflows feel different between Insightly and SimPRO - watch a recorded walkthrough of each before judging which fits your team.

Pricing Comparison

General pricing information for each platform.

Insightly

Plus from approximately $44/user/month, Professional from approximately $69/user/month, Enterprise from approximately $139/user/month (AUD). All plans billed annually. Free plan discontinued.

Prices shown are approximate and may differ based on your plan, team size, and billing cycle. Verify directly with the vendor for current AUD rates.

SimPRO

Custom pricing based on business size and requirements, typically from $200-500+/month (AUD). Implementation and training costs additional. Per-user pricing applies. Annual contracts standard.

Pricing may vary based on team size, features, and region. Contact the vendor for the latest Australian pricing.

Pros & Cons

An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.

Insightly

Pros

Built-in project management converts won opportunities into active projects with tasks and milestones, bridging the gap between sales and delivery
Relationship linking maps connections between contacts, organisations, and opportunities, showing how deals relate to each other
Email tracking with open and click notifications gives sales reps real-time insight into prospect engagement
Products, price books, and quotes are included natively, so service businesses can generate proposals directly from the CRM
Insightly Marketing (AppConnect) provides visual workflow builder for automating lead nurturing alongside the CRM at no extra platform cost

Cons

The interface feels cluttered compared to modern CRMs like Pipedrive or Copper, which can slow down daily usage for sales teams
Two-user minimum on paid plans and relatively high per-user pricing means it is not cost-effective for solo operators
Customisation options, while available, require navigating a settings system that is less intuitive than competitors like Salesforce or Zoho
Third-party integration ecosystem is smaller than HubSpot or Salesforce, often requiring Zapier for connections that other CRMs handle natively

SimPRO

Pros

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
Advanced scheduling with drag-and-drop Gantt-style views, travel time calculation, and skill-based assignment optimises field team productivity
Comprehensive inventory management with stock tracking, purchase orders, and supplier management suits businesses handling significant materials
Asset and maintenance management tracks customer assets, maintenance schedules, and service history for recurring contract work
Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations

Cons

Implementation is complex and typically requires SimPRO consulting services, adding $5,000-20,000 to initial setup costs
Pricing is among the highest in the trades software category, making it a significant investment for smaller businesses
Learning curve is steep due to the depth of features, and staff training is essential for productive use
Mobile app has improved but can still feel clunky compared to more modern alternatives like ServiceM8 for field workers

Best For

Which tool suits which use case.

Choose Insightly if you need

✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
✓ Professional Services businesses
✓ Managing customer relationships
✓ Complex data models (contacts, organisations, opportunities and more)
✓ Manufacturing organisations

Choose SimPRO if you need

✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
✓ Complex data models (jobs, quotes, invoices and more)
✓ Trades & Construction businesses
✓ Manufacturing organisations
✓ Field service operations

Expert Verdict

Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.

Clever Ops Recommendation

Insightly and SimPRO solve different problems: Insightly handles crm & sales, while SimPRO covers industry tools. Most mid-market Australian businesses benefit from running both with a proper integration layer. Insightly is the right pick when professional services firms that need CRM and project management together, particularly consultancies and agencies that want to track client relationships through from lead to project delivery. SimPRO fits when mid-sized to larger trade and service contractors (20+ staff) with complex scheduling, inventory, and project management needs that justify the investment in a comprehensive platform. Clever Ops can design the integration architecture and implement both, typically within 4-8 weeks.

Migration Notes

What to know about switching between Insightly and SimPRO.

Migrating Between Insightly and SimPRO

Migrating between Insightly and SimPRO requires careful planning since they serve different functions. Clever Ops identifies the data overlap (your core data), builds custom mapping logic, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Even cross-category migrations typically complete within 4-8 weeks with our structured process.

Insightly vs SimPRO FAQ

Both Insightly and SimPRO serve Manufacturing businesses. Insightly is also popular with Professional Services organisations, while SimPRO is widely used in Trades & Construction. Clever Ops can advise based on what we have seen work for businesses like yours.

Insightly handles crm & sales (contacts, organisations, opportunities), while SimPRO covers industry tools (jobs, quotes, invoices). The key is connecting them so data flows automatically between both systems. Clever Ops builds these integrations, eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors across your operations.

For Professional Services, the answer depends on your operational model. Insightly is best for professional services firms that need CRM and project management together, particularly consultancies and agencies that want to track client relationships through from lead to project delivery. SimPRO is best for mid-sized to larger trade and service contractors (20+ staff) with complex scheduling, inventory, and project management needs that justify the investment in a comprehensive platform. Clever Ops has helped businesses across Professional Services choose the right stack. Book a free assessment for advice specific to your situation.

Since Insightly (crm & sales) and SimPRO (industry tools) serve different functions, many businesses run both. The key is connecting them so data flows automatically. Clever Ops builds these integrations, keeping your core records in sync across both platforms.

We audit your current workflows, team size, budget, and growth plans, then recommend the platform that fits. Our advice is vendor-neutral: we do not earn commissions from Insightly, SimPRO, or any vendor. Our Harvard-educated consultants have helped 50+ businesses make informed technology decisions over 12+. Book a free assessment to get started.

Yes. Insightly provides a REST API and SimPRO provides a REST API, so we can build reliable integrations between them. Common sync patterns include contacts and key records. Our integrations include error handling, retry logic, and monitoring. Clients typically save 8+ hours/week once the integration is live.

Insightly is generally simpler to set up. SimPRO typically requires more configuration and may benefit from expert implementation support. Clever Ops provides implementation services for both platforms, typically completing setup within 2 weeks.

Yes, both platforms are used by Australian businesses. Insightly is popular with Professional Services and Manufacturing in Australia. SimPRO is widely used by Trades & Construction and Manufacturing. Key Australian considerations include AUD pricing, local support hours, GST handling, and data residency. Insightly offers Australian-specific pricing. Clever Ops, based in Gippsland, Victoria, factors these nuances into every recommendation.