Follow Up Boss alternatives (2026).
What actually changed under Zillow, the honest alternatives worth your time, and a step-by-step checklist for moving your database without losing it.
Disclosure:Aveliox (our product) is the first alternative on this page. We've kept the Zillow section strictly factual — verify every claim yourself via the linked primary sources — and we tell you below when staying on FUB is the right call.
What changed at Follow Up Boss
Follow Up Boss has been the default CRM for serious teams for a decade, and on pure product quality it still earns that. But three facts have changed the decision in the last two years:
- Zillow owns it. Zillow Group acquired Follow Up Boss in 2023. FUB kept its brand and team, but it is a Zillow company — the same Zillow that competes with agents for consumer attention and sells those consumers back as leads.
- The November 15, 2025 privacy-policy update.Zillow Group updated its privacy policy to address "mutual customers" — people who exist both in your FUB database and in Zillow's consumer products. The practical effect: Zillow can use data about those shared contacts across its ecosystem. Your client list is most agents' single most valuable business asset; it now sits inside the data estate of the industry's biggest portal. Read the policy on zillowgroup.com and the coverage in industry press (Inman and HousingWire both reported on the change) and draw your own conclusion.
- Zillow Pro goes nationwide mid-2026.Zillow is bundling FUB into its $138/mo Zillow Pro offering rolling out across the country. That's a good deal on paper — and it makes plain where the roadmap points: deeper into Zillow's ecosystem, with your database as part of the gravity.
None of this means FUB suddenly stopped working. It means the question changed from "is this a good CRM?" (yes) to "am I comfortable building my business's most valuable asset inside Zillow?" For a growing number of agents the answer is no — hence this page.
The honest cost picture
One thing this page will nottell you: that FUB is expensive. Bare FUB Grow at $58–69/user/mo is genuinely cheap — cheaper than Aveliox's $149 Minimum. The honest comparison is the stack: FUB doesn't include an IDX website, transaction management, e-signature, design tools or postcards, and the dialer is a +$33/user add-on. A working FUB-centered stack typically lands at $300–600/mo once you add the tools it expects you to bring. If you only need a lead-routing CRM core and already love your other tools, FUB remains a fine choice. If you're paying for the whole stack, the math changes — run your own numbers here.
Where FUB agents actually go.
Ordered by how often they fit — with the trade-offs stated plainly.
Aveliox — replace the whole stack, not just the CRM
Our product — see disclosure above.
If the reason you're leaving FUB is data independence and stack cost, Aveliox is the direct answer: one flat price with everything included on every tier — CRM, power dialer, email automations, AI marketing studio, transaction management, e-signature, printed postcards, reputation and buyer portals. Only the IDX website + live MLS feed is gated to higher tiers. No contract, no setup fee, and your data is contractually yours — we never sell it, mine it, or share it with a portal.
Why ex-FUB agents pick it
- Kills the add-on stack: dialer, email, marketing, transactions and e-sign are built in
- Independent — no portal owns us, and your client data never feeds one
- Free white-glove migration: we move your FUB database, rebuild your action plans as automations, and verify routing
- No contract: if we stop earning the business, you leave with your data
Honest trade-offs
- Bare FUB Grow is cheaper than our $149 Minimum — if you only want a CRM core, FUB wins on price
- FUB's integration marketplace (250+ tools) is far bigger than ours
- If your lead flow is Zillow Flex, FUB's native fit is hard to beat
Pricing: Minimum $149/mo · Pro $399/mo · Elite $599/mo · Team $299/seat/mo · Brokerage $199/seat/mo.
Sierra Interactive
Strengths
- Some of the best IDX websites in the industry — strong SEO track record
- Transparent pricing on the website
- Capable CRM with good lead routing
Trade-offs
- No mobile app
- Design/marketing tooling is limited — you'll still pay for design tools
- Website-first DNA; the CRM is the supporting act
Pricing: $359.95 / $474.95 / $724.95 per month. Setup: None published. Contract: Month-to-month options. Best for: SEO-focused agents and teams whose website IS their lead engine.
Lofty (formerly Chime)
Strengths
- Strong AI assistant and ad-management tooling
- Good IDX websites with built-in lead capture
- Feature-dense for the price at team scale
Trade-offs
- Setup fees at every tier ($500–2,000)
- No free trial — you commit before you try
- Annual contracts; pricing is opaque until you talk to sales
Pricing: Core: reported ~$449/mo · Premier: reported ~$700/mo for 15 users · Enterprise: reported ~$1,500/mo for 100 users. Setup: $500 / $1,000 / $2,000 by tier. Contract: Annual; no free trial. Best for: Teams spending heavily on paid lead gen who want ads + CRM under one roof.
BoldTrail (formerly kvCORE)
Owned by Inside Real Estate
Strengths
- Genuinely broad platform — websites, lead gen, CRM and back office in one vendor
- Strong brokerage/enterprise tooling (recruiting, back office, white-label)
- Built-in lead generation marketplace
Trade-offs
- Quote-only pricing — you can't see a price without a sales call
- Widely reported setup fees of $500–2,000 before you send a single email
- Known for bloat and a steep learning curve; many agents use a fraction of it
- Recurring support complaints in user reviews
Pricing: Quote-only; reported ~$499/mo for solo agents · Front Office (brokerage): reported $1,000+/mo. Setup: Reported $500–2,000 onboarding fees. Contract: Typically annual. Best for: Large brokerages that want one enterprise vendor and have staff to drive adoption.
Real Geeks
Strengths
- Solid IDX websites at a fair price
- Simple, proven lead-gen + CRM combo that's been around for years
- Less bloated than the enterprise platforms
Trade-offs
- $250 setup fee and a 6–12 month commitment
- CRM is functional but basic next to modern AI-first tools
- Marketing/design tooling is thin — most users add Canva and an email tool
Pricing: $299 / $599 / $999 / $1,599 per month by tier. Setup: $250. Contract: 6–12 month commitment. Best for: Agents who want a proven IDX website with a workable CRM attached.
Wise Agent
Strengths
- Cheapest credible CRM in real estate — $49/mo flat
- Friendly support, simple to learn
- Solid transaction checklists for the price
Trade-offs
- No dialer, no IDX website, no AI — it's a contact manager, not a platform
- Dated interface
- You'll assemble the rest of your stack from other vendors
Pricing: $49/mo flat. Setup: None. Contract: Month-to-month. Best for: Brand-new or part-time agents where every dollar counts.
…and when you should just stay on Follow Up Boss
Stay if: your team's lead economics are built on Zillow Flex or Premier Agent and the tight FUB integration is making you money; you have an ops person who loves your current integration stack; or you've read the new privacy policy and you're genuinely fine with it. Switching CRMs to make a point is a bad trade — switch when the math and the data question both point the same way.
The FUB database escape checklist
This is the exact sequence we use in white-glove migrations. It works whether you're moving to Aveliox or anywhere else on this page — your database is portable, and no CRM can hold it hostage.
- Export everything from Follow Up Boss
Export your contacts via CSV from FUB's settings. Also export your action-plan definitions (screenshot or copy them — you'll rebuild these) and download any attached files you care about. Do this while your account is active; don't cancel first.
- Import into the new CRM
Map the columns in your export to the new system's fields during CSV import. In Aveliox this is a guided import — or skip it entirely and send us the export; white-glove migration is free on every plan.
- Rebuild your drips and action plans
Recreate your follow-up sequences before you redirect any leads, so day-one leads get day-one follow-up. Prioritize: new-lead response, nurture for 30/60/90-day leads, and past-client touches. This is the step agents skip and regret.
- Redirect your lead sources
Re-point every source at the new CRM: Zillow/realtor.com lead emails or API connections, your website forms, ad campaign webhooks, open-house apps and your brokerage's relay address. Keep a list — most agents find one or two sources they forgot existed.
- Run both in parallel, then verify
Keep FUB alive for 2–4 weeks. Send test leads through every source and confirm they arrive, route and trigger follow-up in the new system. Verify your contact count matches the export. Only then cancel — and keep your final CSV export as a permanent off-site backup.
Want it done for you? Every Aveliox plan includes free white-glove migration — we handle steps 1 through 5, most agents are fully moved within the week, and you approve everything before it goes live.
Leaving FUB, answered.
Why are agents leaving Follow Up Boss in 2026?
Three reasons come up over and over: Zillow's ownership and the November 15, 2025 privacy-policy change that allows Zillow to use 'mutual customer' data from agents' accounts; the total cost of the stack (FUB alone doesn't include a website, transaction management or marketing tools, so a working setup typically runs $300–600/mo); and roadmap concern — FUB's future is now tied to Zillow's ecosystem strategy, with the Zillow Pro bundle going nationwide in mid-2026.
Did Follow Up Boss get worse after Zillow bought it?
No — and we won't pretend it did. FUB is still a clean, fast, well-supported CRM with a huge integration ecosystem. The issue isn't product quality; it's who owns the company, what its privacy policy now permits with your client data, and whose strategy the roadmap serves.
What does the November 2025 Zillow privacy-policy change actually say?
Zillow Group updated its privacy policy effective November 15, 2025 to address 'mutual customers' — consumers who appear both in an agent's Follow Up Boss account and in Zillow's consumer products. The practical effect is that Zillow can use data about those shared contacts across its ecosystem. Read the policy yourself and ask FUB support direct questions before you renew; don't take our word (or anyone's marketing) for it.
What is the cheapest Follow Up Boss alternative?
Wise Agent at $49/mo is cheaper than FUB itself — but it's a basic contact manager, not a platform. If you want to actually replace FUB plus the tools around it, Aveliox starts at $149/mo with everything included, which is usually less than FUB + an IDX website + a dialer + an email tool combined.
Can I export my database from Follow Up Boss?
Yes. You can export your contacts via CSV from FUB's settings, and its API allows deeper extraction. Your database is portable — the escape checklist below walks through the whole move.
How long does switching from Follow Up Boss take?
For most solo agents and small teams: a weekend. Contact export/import takes minutes; the real work is rebuilding your action plans and re-pointing lead sources (Zillow, realtor.com, your website, ads) at the new CRM. Aveliox's white-glove migration team does all of this for you, free — most agents are fully moved within the week.
Your database belongs to you. Keep it that way.
Free white-glove migration on every plan. No contract — if we stop earning your business, you leave with everything.