HiHello is a genuinely great free digital business card app. If you also want premium metal hardware, a built-in CRM, and Canadian CAD pricing, here is the honest case for Anexus Connect as your alternative.
HiHello earned its reputation: a very generous free tier, a clean interface, and handy Chrome and Gmail extensions for scanning paper cards (Anexus has an in-app scanner on PRO, without a browser extension). It is a software-first app, and the physical NFC card is an optional add-on. Anexus Connect takes a different path — it leads with premium engraved metal cards, pairs them with a built-in CRM that tracks every visitor by source, and adds native sync to 10 CRMs. It is Canadian-made, priced in CAD, shipped tracked across Canada, and free to start.
Whichever you choose, this is the ground Anexus Connect covers:
HiHello is software-first with an optional NFC card. Anexus leads with the hardware: Metal Black and Stainless Steel are precision-machined and laser-engraved at $59.99, or add a $24.99 Phone Tap sticker. A card that feels as considered as the introduction it makes.
See the NFC cardsBased on HiHello’s public documentation, it offers Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier connections on selected tiers. Anexus records source and device context for submitted contacts, then supports native sync to 10 named CRMs. Verify both vendors’ current plan pages before buying.
Explore the built-in CRMHiHello is US-based and priced in USD. Anexus is made in Ontario, priced in CAD with no conversion surprises, ships tracked across Canada, works in English, French and Spanish, and its smart profile speaks 18 languages (Visitor Translation, PRO).
See CAD pricingLike HiHello, Anexus has a free-forever plan: smart profile, NFC sharing, Apple Wallet pass (free with any Anexus card, otherwise a one-time $1.99), contact capture, and basic insights. Where it goes further, the optional PRO adds AI-drafted Gmail follow-ups tied to each visitor's activity.
See the full comparisonA shareable booking link is part of the free Basic plan, so someone can put a meeting in your calendar while you are still standing there. Two-way Google Calendar sync comes with PRO and keeps your real availability accurate.
How booking worksOn PRO, whoever opens your shared profile reads it in their own language — 18 of them, detected automatically. Keep that apart from the website interface, which is available in English, French, and Spanish.
See Visitor TranslationThe HiHello alternatives worth shortlisting, and what actually separates them: Anexus Connect — Canadian, NFC-first: laser-engraved Metal Black or Stainless Steel cards at $59.99 CAD, a built-in CRM built into the card, and native sync to 10 CRMs including Pipedrive, Zoho, Copper, Close and monday.com. Blinq (Melbourne, Australia) — app-first, with a PVC-style NFC card sold as an add-on; syncs to HubSpot, Salesforce and Zapier. Popl (United States) — the widest hardware range: cards, tags, wristbands, keychains and phone cases; syncs to HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo and Zapier. V1CE (United Kingdom) — the broadest choice of materials: metal, wood, bamboo, ceramic and PVC in several finishes; native CRM integrations are limited. Uniqode (New York, USA) — NFC business cards as an add-on to a wider QR-code platform; HubSpot, Salesforce and Zapier. If a premium engraved metal card, a CRM that lives inside the card itself, and Canadian pricing in CAD matter to you, Anexus Connect is the one built around those. If you need the widest accessory range or shipping outside Canada, one of the others will fit better.
Yes — especially if you want a premium physical card and a real CRM. Both offer a free-forever plan, a smart profile, Apple Wallet passes, and QR sharing. Anexus adds engraved metal hardware, a built-in CRM with source attribution, native sync to 10 CRMs, and AI follow-ups. If you only ever wanted a free digital card, HiHello is already excellent.
HiHello has years of polish, one of the most generous free tiers in the category, and handy Chrome and Gmail extensions for scanning paper business cards into contacts — Anexus has a business-card scanner too, but it lives in the app on PRO, with no browser extension. It is also a mature, well-known US brand. If those matter most and you don't need a metal card or a full CRM, HiHello may be the better fit.
Export your contacts from HiHello as CSV or vCard and import them into Anexus Connect. If they are already in a CRM like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho, connecting Anexus to that CRM is usually easier than moving files. Note that a HiHello NFC card can't be re-pointed to an Anexus profile, so you'd order a fresh Anexus card.
Both start free, and Anexus is billed in Canadian dollars rather than US. Anexus PRO is $6.99 CAD/month or $59.99 CAD/year. Cards are a one-time CAD purchase: $59.99 for metal, $24.99 for the Phone Tap sticker. Check HiHello's site for its current USD pricing, since the two are billed in different currencies.
No. With either platform, tapping your card or scanning your QR opens your profile in the other person's browser — no app or account needed on their side. On Anexus, your smart profile also speaks 18 languages (Visitor Translation, PRO).