Octopus CRM Review 2026: Pricing, Pros, Cons and 6 Alternatives

Octopus CRM is a Chrome extension that automates LinkedIn connection requests, bulk messages to your 1st-degree connections, profile visits and skill endorsements. As of October 2026 it costs $9.99 to $39.99 per month per LinkedIn account ($6.99 to $24.99 billed annually), with a 7-day free trial and no credit card required. It's one of the cheapest LinkedIn automation tools still on the market, but it runs inside your browser, covers LinkedIn only and needs one subscription per LinkedIn account, which is why growing teams usually end up comparing Octopus CRM alternatives.

We tested Octopus CRM hands-on in May 2024 and re-checked its website, pricing and Chrome Web Store listing in October 2026. Here's what it does, what each plan includes, the pros and cons, and six alternatives compared side by side.

Octopus CRM at a glance

Sources: octopuscrm.io, the Octopus CRM FAQ and the Chrome Web Store listing, checked in October 2026.

What is Octopus CRM?

Octopus CRM (listed on the Chrome Web Store as "Octopus - All-in-One LinkedIn Automation") is a LinkedIn autopilot for salespeople, recruiters, agencies and business owners. You install the extension, send profiles from a LinkedIn or Sales Navigator search to its built-in CRM page, then let it work through them. Its features:

• Auto-connect: personalized connection requests to 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
• Bulk messages: message hundreds of 1st-degree connections at once.
• Profile visits: visit profiles automatically so people see you in "Who viewed your profile".
• Auto-endorse: endorse up to 7 skills on your contacts' profiles.
• Campaigns and funnels: keep audiences in separate campaigns and chain actions, for example connect, send a thank-you message once the invitation is accepted, endorse skills, then follow up.
• Stats: profile views, search appearances, Social Selling Index, acceptance and response rates.
• Import/export: upload a CSV of LinkedIn profile URLs or export your data to CSV.
• Integrations: Zapier and HubSpot, to push LinkedIn actions to your CRM or Google Sheets.
• Activity Control: alerts when your account activity looks excessive (Unlimited plan).

What changed since 2024?

Very little, and that's the main story. In October 2026 Octopus CRM has the same four plans at the same prices as when we tested it in May 2024. It's still a Chrome extension with no cloud mode, its website doesn't advertise AI-written messages or email steps, and each subscription still covers a single LinkedIn account. The extension is maintained (version 3.7.20 was published in October 2026), but its Chrome Web Store user count went from 90,000 in our 2024 screenshots to 70,000 today.

Meanwhile most competitors moved to the cloud, added email to their sequences and now use AI to write messages. That gap is what you're weighing when you pick Octopus CRM in 2026.

Octopus CRM pricing (October 2026)

Prices from octopuscrm.io as of October 2026, per LinkedIn account. Annual billing saves 35%.

Octopus CRM's pricing table during our 2024 test. The prices are unchanged in October 2026; the "Bypass weekly invite limit" line is no longer listed.

What to know before you pick a plan:

• Campaigns start at Advanced. Starter and Pro only give you single actions. If you want funnels, which is the point of automating, budget $21.99 a month ($14.99 billed annually).
• "Premium users only" is a filter, not a restriction. The Starter plan can invite any LinkedIn member; the option lets you keep only Premium profiles in a list, according to Octopus CRM's FAQ.
• One license per LinkedIn account. Each Octopus account is tied to one LinkedIn account, so three salespeople means three subscriptions. Agencies managing 20+ accounts can ask for special pricing.
• The free trial covers everything. The 7-day trial gives full access to the Unlimited plan, so you can test funnels and Activity Control before paying.

How Octopus CRM works: our hands-on test

Getting a first campaign running takes three steps:

1. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store, enter your email address and confirm it.
2. Run a LinkedIn or Sales Navigator search, open the extension, choose a campaign type (connecting, messaging, visiting or endorsing) and how many profiles to send to the CRM. Importing 100 leads took a few seconds in our test.
3. Open the CRM page, enter how many profiles to process and click Launch.

What we noticed during our May 2024 test:

• Onboarding was confusing. Nothing happened after installing the extension until we reopened it, and instead of a dashboard we were told to wait for an email with instructions and a video tutorial.
• No clear start or pause button. A campaign starts when you type a number and click Launch, which isn't obvious without the tutorials.
• A disconnection bug. The extension showed "Signed out" while we were still logged in to LinkedIn. Reinstalling the extension fixed it.
• It only runs while Chrome runs. Everything happens in your browser, so nothing is sent while your computer is off or asleep.

Once it worked, profile visits ran as expected and results showed up in the CRM.

Is Octopus CRM safe?

Octopus CRM adds random delays between actions, never asks for your LinkedIn password (it works through your logged-in browser) and offers Activity Control alerts on the Unlimited plan. Its own FAQ still warns that excessive activity can get your account flagged.

Two things to keep in mind. First, LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits bots and automation tools in general, so every LinkedIn automation tool, Octopus CRM and the alternatives below included, carries some risk. Second, Octopus CRM's homepage still promotes "Connect by Email" to send more invitations than LinkedIn's weekly limit. We'd stay well within the weekly invitation limit instead: volume spikes are what get accounts restricted.

Octopus CRM pros and cons

Pros

• Price: from $6.99 a month billed annually, among the cheapest LinkedIn automation tools you can buy.
• Simple: four actions plus funnels, quick to learn once you've watched the tutorials.
• No password sharing: it runs in your own logged-in browser.
• Works with every LinkedIn plan, including free accounts and Sales Navigator.
• Generous trial: 7 days of the top plan without a credit card.

Cons

• Browser-dependent: no cloud, so campaigns stop when Chrome is closed.
• LinkedIn only: no email steps and no email finder, so you need another tool for multichannel outreach.
• One account per subscription: no team workspace or shared inbox for several LinkedIn accounts.
• No AI writing: messages rely on templates and variables like first name and company.
• Key features gated: campaigns from Advanced, Zapier/HubSpot and Activity Control only on Unlimited.
• Rough edges: confusing onboarding and a disconnection bug in our test.

Verdict: who should use Octopus CRM in 2026?

Octopus CRM still does what it promised in 2024: cheap, basic LinkedIn automation for one person. If you're a freelancer or recruiter who sends a few invitations and follow-ups a day from your own computer, the Advanced plan at $14.99 a month (billed annually) is hard to beat on price.

It's the wrong pick if you need campaigns to run while your laptop is closed, want LinkedIn and email in the same sequence, manage several LinkedIn accounts, or want AI to write personalized messages. That's where the alternatives below come in.

Octopus CRM alternatives compared (October 2026)

Prices from each vendor's pricing page in October 2026. Waalaxy only lists prices in euros.

1. useArtemis: LinkedIn + email in the cloud, with lead data included

useArtemis is our own tool, so take this section with that in mind. It's a LinkedIn and email prospecting platform for founders, sales teams and agencies, and it covers the gaps Octopus CRM leaves open:

• Runs in the cloud: campaigns keep going when your computer is off, at a human-like pace within safe sending limits. LinkedIn accounts connect through a secure connection.
• LinkedIn + email in one sequence: invitations, messages, profile visits and likes, mixed with email steps sent from Gmail, Outlook or any SMTP/IMAP mailbox.
• Leads included: Discover, a B2B lead database with verified emails, a LinkedIn and Sales Navigator scraper and an email finder that verifies addresses.
• AI-written messages personalized for each lead, a unified inbox for LinkedIn and email replies, and automatic AI replies on the Scale plan and up.

Pricing as of October 2026, billed monthly, with credits that roll over: Starter $69 (2 LinkedIn accounts, 500 verified emails, 2,500 Discover leads), Scale $159 (5 accounts, 1,500 emails, 5,000 leads, automatic AI replies) and Agency $399 (10 accounts, 10,000 emails, 100,000 leads). There's no free trial or free plan. It costs more than Octopus CRM, but Starter already covers two LinkedIn accounts and replaces a separate email tool and lead database.

2. Linked Helper: the power-user desktop app

Linked Helper is the closest match to Octopus CRM on price, with far more depth. It's desktop software that runs on your computer (or your own server), not a browser extension, and its campaign builder supports many more actions, plus built-in AI for messages and replies. Standard costs $15 per LinkedIn account per month, or $8.25 a month on a 12-month term; Pro is $45 a month ($24.75 on 12 months). Optional cloud data storage costs more ($29.90 Standard, $59.90 Pro per month), but the automation still runs on your machine. There's a 14-day trial of the Pro version without a credit card. Our Linked Helper review goes deeper.

3. Dux-Soup, now STACKED

Dux-Soup has been rebuilt as STACKED, powered by Dux-Soup: a desktop app for Mac and Windows instead of the old Chrome extension, sold in two editions. STACKED local runs on your machine for $55 per seat per month ($41.25 billed annually); STACKED cloud runs on Dux-Soup's servers for $99 per seat per month ($74.17 billed annually). Both include unlimited drip campaigns with up to 12 action types, AI message personalization and integrations with Salesforce, Zapier, Make and Slack, and there's a free two-week trial without a credit card (pricing). If you liked Octopus CRM's approach but want a cloud option later, it's the most natural upgrade. See our Dux-Soup review.

4. Waalaxy: the beginner-friendly option

Waalaxy is a Chrome extension that now sends everything from the cloud, so you can turn your computer off. It's known for its simple, guided interface and campaign templates. Plans are priced per user in euros: Pro €39 a month (€19 billed yearly), Advanced €99 (€49 yearly) and Business €139 (€69 yearly); Business adds cold email sequences, LinkedIn + email campaigns and multiple sender accounts. Pro is capped at 300 invitations a month. All plans have a 14-day free trial. More in our Waalaxy review.

5. Expandi: cloud safety and personalization for one account

Expandi is a cloud LinkedIn automation tool that gives each account a dedicated country-based IP and lets you set your own daily limits with automatic warm-up. It supports conditional sequences, email follow-ups and image/GIF or video personalization (as paid add-ons). It costs $99 per LinkedIn account per month, or $79 billed annually, with a 7-day trial; agencies with 10+ seats get custom pricing. Our Expandi review has the details.

6. HeyReach: built for agencies with many senders

HeyReach is a cloud tool designed to run many LinkedIn accounts ("senders") from one place, with a unified inbox and free seats for teammates and clients. Growth costs $79 per sender per month ($63 billed yearly) and includes a dedicated residential proxy per sender; Agency plans start at $999 a month for 25 senders. Email isn't built in: HeyReach connects to Instantly or Smartlead for multichannel campaigns. There's a 14-day trial without a credit card. If you're comparing HeyReach and Octopus CRM, they solve different problems: Octopus CRM automates one account cheaply, HeyReach scales dozens.

How to choose an Octopus CRM alternative

• You want the cheapest option and don't mind keeping your computer on: Linked Helper.
• You want one LinkedIn account automated in the cloud: Expandi, Waalaxy or STACKED cloud.
• You run many LinkedIn accounts for clients: HeyReach, or useArtemis on the Agency plan if you also need email and lead data.
• You want to find leads, verify their emails and contact them on LinkedIn and email from one place: useArtemis.

For a wider comparison, see our list of the best LinkedIn automation tools. And if the last profile sounds like you, compare useArtemis plans.

FAQ

Is Octopus CRM free?

No. Octopus CRM has no free plan, but every plan comes with a 7-day free trial that gives full access to the Unlimited plan, with no credit card required. After the trial, plans cost $9.99 to $39.99 a month, or $6.99 to $24.99 a month billed annually (October 2026).

What is the best free alternative to Octopus CRM?

There's no free tool that matches Octopus CRM feature for feature: LinkedIn automation tools have largely replaced free plans with trials. In October 2026, the most generous ones are Linked Helper (14 days of the Pro version, no credit card), HeyReach (14 days, no card), Dux-Soup's STACKED (two weeks, no card) and Waalaxy (14 days). For ongoing use on a budget, Linked Helper is the cheapest paid alternative, at $8.25 a month on a 12-month term.

What is the difference between Octopus CRM and Linked Helper?

Both run on your own computer and cost little. Octopus CRM is a Chrome extension with four actions and simple funnels, priced per LinkedIn account from $9.99 a month. Linked Helper is a desktop app with a more advanced campaign builder and more actions, so it suits power users who don't mind a steeper learning curve. As of October 2026, Linked Helper costs $15 per LinkedIn account per month on Standard and $45 on Pro, with discounts on 3-, 6- and 12-month terms.

Octopus CRM vs Expandi: which one should you choose?

Octopus CRM is a cheap browser extension that only works while Chrome is open. Expandi runs in the cloud, so campaigns continue when your computer is off, and it costs more ($99 per LinkedIn account per month, or $79 billed annually). Choose Octopus CRM for low-volume, single-user LinkedIn outreach and Expandi or another cloud tool if you need campaigns running around the clock.

Can Octopus CRM manage several LinkedIn accounts?

Not with one subscription. Each Octopus CRM account is tied to one LinkedIn account, so you need a subscription per account and switch LinkedIn logins in your browser to move between them. Tools built for teams and agencies, such as useArtemis or HeyReach, manage several LinkedIn accounts from one workspace.