The microstructure of cutting tools coatings directly affects their performance. In particular, morphology, size, and orientation of top grains are relevant in the process of designing and producing coatings due to their direct influence on the mechanical and tribological properties. This work aims at investigating the influence of the crystallographic texture of the top α-Al₂O₃ layer of insert coatings on their frictional response. The commercially available coating systems were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The microstructure was analyzed by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), surface roughness was measured using white light interferometry (WLI), and the coefficient of friction (COF) was measured using a nanotribometer in the ball-on-disk configuration under sliding conditions. Our results show a strong correlation between crystallographic texture and COF results, highlighting the influence of microstructure on the tribological performance of cutting tools coatings.