What lead follow up software is and the short answer
Lead follow up software records each new inquiry and makes sure someone, or an automation, replies and keeps replying until the lead books or says no. The right product depends on how leads reach you. If they phone, you need calling and texting built in. If they fill in forms, a CRM with email sequences and task reminders is enough.
For a free start, HubSpot and Zoho CRM both have free editions. For phone-led businesses, Quo starts at $28 per user a month, or $15 billed annually, and GoHighLevel at $97 a month flat. Real estate teams should look at Follow Up Boss. Prices below were read on 3 October 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page.
Eight lead follow-up tools and their entry prices
| Product | Entry price | Pricing model | Best at | One limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoHighLevel | $97 a month (Starter) | Flat, unlimited users and contacts; phone, SMS and email billed by usage | Automated text, call and email follow-up with pipelines in one account | Usage charges on top, and more setup than a simple CRM |
| HubSpot | Free tools, $0 | Free for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; paid tiers per seat | A no-cost CRM to start logging and chasing leads | Free tier caps users and contacts |
| Zoho CRM | Free for 3 users; Standard $14 per user a month billed annually | Per user | Lowest paid per-user price here | Telephony comes through third-party integrations |
| Quo (formerly OpenPhone) | $28 per user a month ($15 billed annually) | Per user, one number each | Phone-first follow-up with auto-replies to missed calls | A phone system, not a pipeline CRM |
| Salesforce | Starter Suite from $25 per user a month | Per user | A CRM that can grow into heavy customization | Pro Suite needs an annual contract |
| Follow Up Boss | Grow $69 per user a month | Per user; Pro is $499 a month for 10 users | Real estate teams with many lead sources | Calling is a $39 per user add-on on Grow |
| Jobber | Core from $29 a month billed annually | Per plan, extra users $29 each | Trades that follow up quotes and jobs | Sales pipeline and AI receptionist are paid add-ons |
| Keap | From $299 a month | One plan, 2 users included | CRM plus sales and marketing automation in one plan | High entry price and a $299 early termination fee on annual contracts |
Pipedrive is another common choice, but its pricing page was served in euros for this research, from 14 euros per seat a month billed annually, so it is left out of the dollar table.
Three things that separate these tools
- Whether calling and texting are built in. GoHighLevel and Quo include a phone number and SMS in the product. Zoho CRM lists telephony as integrations. Follow Up Boss charges extra for calling on its entry plan.
- Per-user or flat pricing. Five people on Follow Up Boss Grow pay $345 a month. Five on GoHighLevel pay $97 plus usage. One person on Zoho CRM Standard pays $14.
- How much is automated. A CRM reminds a person to follow up. An automation platform sends the first reply itself. Which you want depends on whether your leads go cold in minutes or days.
The fastest automated reply is usually a text to a missed call. Missed call text back software compares six products that do it.
Where GoHighLevel fits and where it does not
GoHighLevel fits a business whose leads arrive by phone, form and chat and whose owner wants the first response sent automatically. Its vendor lists missed call text back, workflows, pipelines, calendars and appointment reminders as part of the platform, and a workflow can stop when the lead replies so a person takes over. The GoHighLevel feature list shows what is included.
It does not fit a team that only needs a contact list and reminders. HubSpot's free tools or Zoho CRM do that for nothing. It is also a general platform, so a real estate team gets more ready-made lead-source handling from Follow Up Boss, and a trade business gets quoting and scheduling from Jobber.
A recommendation by buyer type
- Solo owner, few leads, no budget: HubSpot free tools or Zoho CRM Free.
- Solo owner whose leads phone: Quo.
- Small team wanting automated follow-up across text, call and email: GoHighLevel Starter. Check the usage costs in what GoHighLevel costs.
- Real estate team: Follow Up Boss. See GoHighLevel vs Follow Up Boss.
- Home service company: Jobber.
- Sales team expecting complex customization later: Salesforce Starter Suite.
Sources used for this page
The facts above come from the pages below, read on 3 October 2026. We have not used these products hands-on. Prices and terms change, so confirm them on the vendor's site before you buy.
- HighLevel pricing — Vendor pricing page · gohighlevel.com · checked 2026-10-03
- HighLevel homepage feature list — Vendor product page · gohighlevel.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Workflow Settings — Vendor documentation · help.gohighlevel.com · checked 2026-10-03
- HubSpot CRM pricing — Vendor pricing page · hubspot.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Zoho CRM edition comparison — Vendor pricing page · zoho.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Quo pricing — Vendor pricing page · quo.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Salesforce small business pricing — Vendor pricing page · salesforce.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Follow Up Boss pricing — Vendor pricing page · followupboss.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Jobber pricing — Vendor pricing page · getjobber.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Keap pricing — Vendor pricing page · keap.com · checked 2026-10-03
- Pipedrive pricing — Vendor pricing page · pipedrive.com · checked 2026-10-03