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Customer relationship management software, also known as CRM, stores customer data and allows you to manage interactions with potential and existing customers. You can use it to organize customer data from landing pages, lead forms, social media, and other digital sources. Software may include features that allow sales reps to track and initiate customer interactions. […]


Customer relationship management software, also known as CRM, stores customer data and allows you to manage interactions with potential and existing customers. You can use it to organize customer data from landing pages, lead forms, social media, and other digital sources. Software may include features that allow sales reps to track and initiate customer interactions.


CRM software that helps you to manage contacts, send emails and log customer contact. It also generates reports and allows you to manage your sales pipeline.


Zoho CRM – Best Overall

Prices: You can get a free version or four paid plans. For annual billing, you will receive a discounted rate.

  • Free version with limited features.

  • Standard $15/user/month (billed annualy) or $20/user/month

  • Pro: $35/user/month (billed per month) or $23/user/month (1-year).

  • Enterprise $50/user/month, or $40/user/month, (billed annually).

  • Ultimate: $65/user/month, or $52/user/month, (billed annually).


  • Get a free 15-day trial of all plans.


  • Limited features edition.


  • Monthly and annual billing.


  • No contract.


  • Technical support takes three to eight hours depending on the plan.


  • Additional fees for assistance with setup and extended support hours.

Overview of Zoho CRM’s features: The free Zoho CRM plan supports up to three users, and provides leads, documents, and mobile apps. Every paid plan includes access to a large collection of email templates. You can also send mass emails and track performance metrics like open and clicked rates. It is easy to collect, sort, schedule follow up calls, manage multiple sales channels, and track success with custom reports. All paid plans include an audit log. You can also define user roles or permissions. All paid plans include basic support, but there are limits to the number of sessions and length. Premium support can be purchased for an additional fee. Bigin is a low-cost CRM platform that Zoho offers to micro-businesses who are looking for basic features and a simple platform.


Salesforce CRM: The best for growing businesses

Pricing: There are four plans available for small businesses. Only the Essentials plan has a monthly pricing option. All other plans are only annual.

  • Essentials $25/user/month, or $35/user/month, (billed annually).

  • Sales Professionals: 75/user/month (billed annually).

  • Professional: $25/user/month (billed annually).

  • Market Cloud Account: $1250/user/month for up to 10,000 contacts (billed annually).


  • Get a free trial for most plans.


  • Many app integration options.


  • Plans to concentrate on services or sales.


  • Videos and educational training modules for


  • There is no free product.


  • An annual contract is required.

Overview of features: Salesforce CRM Essentials includes features like automatic customer data syncs and relationship tracking. You can also create charts and graphs using the data. The Sales Professional plan costs the same but is designed for sales force automation. While the Service Professional plan can be used to engage customers and manage their cases, it’s more expensive. Salesforce’s mobile app lets you update customer information, track commitments, and manage customer cases from either an Android or Apple smartphone. Support can be reached by phone, chat, or via a callback form. 24/7 support is also available for Marketing Cloud plans.


Freshsales from Freshworks: The best low-cost option

Prices: A free version is available along with three premium options. Plans are discounted if you pay annually.

  • Limited features.

  • Growth: $18/user/month, or $15/user/month, (billed annually).

  • Pro $47/user/month, or $39/user/month, (billed annually).

  • Enterprise $83/user/month, or $69/user/month, (billed annually).


  • A free version of with limited features.


  • 21-day free trial.


  • Choose from monthly or annual billing options.


  • Support available 24/5 via chat, phone, or email


  • Support is not available on weekends.


  • No contract required; automatic renewal.

Overview: All Freshsales plans include contact management, engagement tracking and the ability for custom sales activities. The software offers chat, email, and phone capabilities. It also has email sync and website tracking. Every paid plan comes with pre-built reports that you can customize to your requirements. Enterprise plans include dedicated account managers and customer support that is available 24 hours a days.


Monday Sales CRM: Best to customize

Prices: Monday Sales Salesforce plans are priced per user. However, a minimum number of three seats must purchased with paid plans.

  • Individual – A free version for two people.

  • Basis: Prices start at $37.50/month (billed monthly), or $30/month, (billed annually).

  • Standard Prices start at $51/month (billed monthly), or $42/month, (billed annually).

  • PRO: Starting from $90/month (billed monthly), or $72/month, (billed annually).

  • Enterprise: Quote-based pricing.


  • Free version.


  • 14-day free trial.


  • Training sessions available via Webinar.


  • 24/7 support.


  • After 30 days, there are no refunds for annual subscriptions.


  • Paid plans require at least three users.

Feature overview: Monday Sales CRM paid plans include forms to capture leads from your site; templates to manage contacts, leads and deals; the option to customize notifications; collaboration tools; as well as a mobile application. Higher-tier plans offer features such as contact management, lead management, and email integration. Live chat, email and phone support are available to customers. You can attend small-group training sessions on a variety topics when you have Monday access to your account.


Pipedrive: The best for flexibility

Prices: There are four plans available. You get a discount if you pay annually.

  • Essential $19.90/user/month, or $14.90/user/month, (billed annually).

  • Advanced $24.90/user/month or $34.90/user/year (billed monthly).

  • Pro: $59.90/month (billed monthly), or $49.90/user/month, (billed annually).

  • Enterprise $119/user/month, or $99/user/month, (billed annually)


  • 14-day free trial.


  • Chat and email support available 24/7.


  • Choose from monthly or annual billing options.


  • Cancel or change your plans at any time.


  • No free plans.


  • Phone support is only available for Enterprise levels

Overview of features: All Pipedrive plans include a 14-day trial, lead management and activity reminders. They also offer automatic call logging, deal reports and deal and activity reports. The Advanced plan offers email tracking, email sync and customizable email templates. Additional monthly fees can be paid for add-ons that manage the documentation process and manage projects. Live chat and email support are available 24 hours a day. The service can be cancelled, upgraded, or downgraded at any time. However, fees paid are non-refundable.


Insightly: Best for core features

Prices: A free version with three plans; annual billing only.

  • Limited features.

  • Plus: $29/user/month (billed annually).

  • Professional: $49/user/month (billed annually).

  • Enterprise: $99/user/month (billed annually).


  • A free trial for Professional and Plus plans.


  • A limited-feature plan.


  • Ebooks and Webinars.


  • Email support is only available for paid plans.


  • Annual billing only.

Insightly features overview: Insightly offers an unlimited plan that includes user, record, and feature limits. All paid plans include a mobile application, lead management, email templates and contact management. Enterprise and Professional plans offer unlimited permissions and outbound email scheduling. Email support is available for paid plan subscribers, but phone and live chat support are not.


What should you look for in CRM software

The right CRM software for small businesses will depend on how your marketing strategy is structured. For example, whether you are focusing on sales, large email campaigns, or building contact lists via web forms. These are the areas you should focus on when reviewing products.


Cost


Many providers offer several plans that allow you to scale up as needed. You usually pay a monthly fee per person. You should be aware of the minimum user requirements to avoid overestimating your monthly costs. If you pay annually, discounts are often available. However, if you cancel your subscription after a few months, the fee is not always refundable. Most providers offer a free trial, which allows you to try the product before making a purchase. Although free plans allow you to try products, the features offered by these plans are usually limited.


Contact management


The core of any CRM system is contact management. You can build your contacts lists with features like automatic customer data syncs. Activity timelines that track email opened, sent, and visited can help you manage interactions with your contacts.


Templates


Look for software that provides pre-built templates so that you can email your contacts. You can customize your templates, which allows you to tailor your messages to your target audience. You can send individual emails or large quantities of mail to your customers, which will allow you to respond to specific customers or market to large numbers of prospects.


Sales Management


A CRM system that includes sales management features is a great tool for maximizing the efforts of your sales team. You can connect with leads through your website by having built-in chat, email, and phone capabilities. Customer data can be synced, customer tracking, and notifications can all help build relationships with leads.


Reports Analytics


In some cases, pre-built reports provided by CRM software may suffice. Businesses that spend a lot of money on online sales will want to be able to personalize their reports. Software that allows for website analytics and anomaly detection is likely to be of interest to businesses that use web forms for lead generation.


Customer support


There are many CRM service providers that offer different levels of support. Some CRM providers limit support to weekdays, while others provide 24/7 support. Chat and email support are very common. Phone support is usually only available for the highest-tier plans. Each company will have to decide what level of support is best for them. It is rare to receive one-on-one assistance with setup. Instead, look for providers who offer tutorials, help libraries and training webinars to help your business get the most from the software.