The best CRM software can help you consolidate all your customer data, make data-driven decisions, and personalize your customer service and marketing campaigns.
However, with so many choices available, choosing the best CRM software isn’t easy. To help, we’ve reviewed and compared the market’s top CRM apps.
We’ve meticulously tested their ease of use, functionality, integrations, customer support, and more to deliver accurate insight into who each one is best for.
The 10 Best CRM Systems in 2024
- Monday Sales CRM — Best for ease of use
- Salesforce Sales Cloud — Best CRM for sales reps
- Pipedrive — Best for pipeline management
- HubSpot — Offers the best free CRM software
- Act! — Best on-premise CRM system
- Less Annoying CRM — Best for simplicity
- Zoho CRM — Best for large businesses
- Freshsales — Best for small businesses
- Maximizer — Among the best sales CRM tools for medium-to-large-sized businesses
- Zendesk Sell — Top CRM for customer service teams
- Show Full Guide
The Best CRM Platforms Reviewed
Our in-depth reviews of the market’s best CRM software will give you a deeper understanding of what each provider offers. This will help you accurately gauge how well each customer relationship management (CRM) tool would align with your business’s needs.
1. Monday CRM — Best CRM Software for Ease of Use
Best For | Ease of use |
---|---|
Price | $12/seat/month |
Free Version | 14-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Monday is a simple, easy-to-use sales CRM app for businesses of all sizes. Its drag-and-drop UI is incredibly intuitive, and there are extensive options to customize the platform to your needs.
It automatically logs all emails and keeps track of conversations across multiple channels, eliminating concerns about scattered, inaccurate, or outdated data. It’s also excellent for email marketing.
You can leverage a library of email templates to save valuable time and increase the productivity of your sales agents. Another key feature is monday’s sales automation.
You can set up triggers for different actions and automatically assign leads to sales reps, set reminders for tasks and meetings, and get notified when a lead opens a marketing email.
The platform offers some of the best mobile CRM app solutions, which can serve as an extension of the platform for your sales reps when they’re on the move. The mobile experience gives you access to the software’s core boards: Contacts, Accounts, Leads, and Deals.
Read our full Monday review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Syncs with your Gmail/Outlook inbox
- Offers advanced automations without any coding
- Provides real-time notifications
- Budget-friendly and scalable
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Few social media integrations
- Lead scoring is only available on Enterprise plan
2. Salesforce Sales Cloud — Best CRM for Sales Reps
Best For | Sales teams |
---|---|
Price | $25/user/month |
Free Version | 30-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Salesforce is one of the most best sales CRM solutions. The platform offers a 360-degree view of your customers, facilitates team communication, and helps improve productivity.
Salesforce provides all your teams with key information on every lead and customer. You can even configure the system to send notifications to the right sales reps whenever a lead clicks an ad, opens a link in your marketing email, or downloads a lead magnet.
The platform also features powerful AI capabilities. For example, Salesforce’s Einstein will inform your sales reps when it’s best to engage with different leads. It can also help them formulate convincing and engaging messages to help convert leads into paying customers.
In addition to its well-designed and intuitive desktop platform, it’s one of the best CRM tools for mobile, offering easy-to-use apps that boast all the basic features you need, letting your sales reps work on the go and even offline.
Read our full Salesforce review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Fully customizable
- Easy cross-department collaboration
- Ideal sales and email marketing CRM
- Advanced activity tracking with real-time notifications
- Powerful AI capabilities
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Pricier plans than competitors
- Steep learning curve
3. Pipedrive — Best CRM for Pipeline Management
Best For | Pipeline management |
---|---|
Price | $14/user/month |
Free Version | 14-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Pipedrive is a budget-friendly and a relatively simple CRM tool, making it a top choice for small businesses. Despite this, the platform is feature-rich and highly scalable.
The Kanban boards you can create are minimalistic, so there’s no visual clutter, and you can tell exactly what everyone’s working on at a glance. It’s also remarkably easy to add and customize new pipeline stages, thanks to its rich library of templates.
Pipedrive also features automatic progress tracking, letting you monitor your business’s performance in real-time. You can also see your average conversion rate, the number of new leads in your pipeline, average time-to-sale, and other key performance indicators.
The real-time reports clearly show areas for improvement and allow you to course-correct if necessary. It also offers great email marketing capabilities, including mass emailing, customizable email templates and signatures, and email scheduling.
Read our comprehensive Pipedrive review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Easy to use
- Free 14-day trial with no credit card required
- Drag-and-drop automations
- Automatic progress tracking
- Best mobile CRM app experience
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Security alerts are reserved for the Enterprise plan
4. HubSpot — The Best Free CRM Software
Best For | Free CRM tools |
---|---|
Price | $15/seat/month |
Free Version | Free plan |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
HubSpot Sales Hub is a powerful sales CRM that allows organizations to centralize all their tools and data. The best part is that you can get started with contact management, creating and managing deal pipelines, scheduling, and reporting for free.
It easily offers the best free CRM plan that combines features from its different hubs — Sales, Service, Marketing, Operations, etc. — making it perfect for startups and small businesses that can’t afford paid-for CRM software or who only need a few basic features in the short term.
HubSpot creates detailed profiles of your contacts and leads in your pipeline so your sales agents can see all the activity, including previous emails, calls, meetings, notes, and other crucial details to help them close the deal.
To improve conversion rates, Sales Hub offers professional email templates and AI-powered insights that help your sales reps personalize communication and meaningfully engage leads and prospects.
Read our HubSpot review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Powerful reporting
- Phenomenal free CRM tools
- Ample plans for scaling
- Excellent for email marketing
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- No automations on the free plan
- Expensive paid plans
5. Act! — Best On-Premise CRM System
Best For | On-premise CRM software |
---|---|
Price | $30/user/month |
Free Version | 14-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Act! is a CRM and marketing automation platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Although it’s more expensive than some, it’s one of few to offer an on-premise CRM solution — giving businesses control over how it’s implemented.
Besides this, small businesses appreciate Act!’s simple user interface. You can import all your existing contacts and segment your leads and customers based on their past purchases or readiness to buy for personalized campaigns — all very easily.
For email marketing, Act! gives you access to professional email templates, advanced automations, A/B testing, lead scoring, and real-time performance metrics. You can even create high-converting landing pages and web forms.
It also has very well-designed CRM software apps for iPhones, iPads, and Androids, letting your teams manage automations, leads, and more on the move.
Read our full Act! CRM review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Easy email marketing automations
- Professionally made email templates
- A/B testing and real-time email performance metrics
- On-premise option
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Relatively expensive
- Not as feature-rich as some
6. Less Annoying CRM — Best CRM Software for Simplicity
Best For | Simplicity |
---|---|
Price | $15/user/month |
Free Version | 30-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Less Annoying CRM offers a beginner-friendly web-based customer relationship management system that’s affordable and receives constant free updates. While it isn’t the best CRM for mobile, as no apps are on offer, it works on any browser on any device.
Its simplicity, ease of use, and affordable pricing make it an incredibly popular small business CRM system. While it lacks AI automation and scalable plans, its reputation is near-perfect.
With just one plan, you’ll get everything from contact and pipeline management to task and project tracking and collaboration features. You also get handy integrations with popular business tools like Mailchimp, calendars, Agile Forms, and Zapier.
Read our full LACRM review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Modern and beginner-friendly interface
- Integrations are simple to set up
- Excellent customer support
- Offers ample customization
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Lacks features like automation
- Isn’t scalable
7. Zoho CRM — Best CRM for Large Businesses
Best For | Large businesses |
---|---|
Price | $14/user/month |
Free Version | 15-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Zoho CRM is a fully customizable customer relationship management platform that lets you streamline any aspect of your business. You can empower your sales reps and customer service teams with powerful collaboration features, making it ideal for large businesses.
As one of the top CRM apps, Zoho CRM also functions as an omnichannel communication platform that facilitates contact management across all your business touchpoints. This includes email, phone, social media, live chat, self-service portals, and even web conferences.
With Zoho CRM, your sales reps can unify customer data to avoid data silos, optimize sales organization by avoiding non-revenue generating activities, and automate marketing operations.
As one of the most popular CRM tools, it should come as no surprise that Zoho CRM can also enhance sales enablement. You can leverage the platform to develop client portals, track all orders and shipment statuses, generate auto-populated invoices, monitor stock, track expenses, and coordinate with partners and suppliers.
Read our detailed Zoho CRM review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Robust, highly customizable CRM platform
- AI-powered sales forecasting and lead scoring
- Advanced security and compliance
- Canvas Design Studio lets you fully redesign your CRM
- Exceptional email marketing and automation
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Steep learning curve
- Lacks flexible integrations
8. Freshsales CRM — Best CRM Software for Small Businesses
Best For | Startups and small businesses |
---|---|
Price | $15/user/month |
Free Version | 21-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Freshsales CRM focuses on contact and lead management tools, helping you meet your sales goals and close deals more efficiently. This top CRM tool comes with handy mobile CRM apps for iOS and Android to help you capture information instantly to improve the customer experience.
It’s one of the best CRM systems for small businesses as you can capture more leads through landing pages, web forms, and live chat. You can also configure assignment rules to automatically assign new leads to the most appropriate sales rep.
It also offers powerful AI functionality, auto-enriching lead profiles with their publicly listed information. This includes their job title, role, and company, saving you time and giving your sales teams the necessary context to personalize marketing messages.
Read our full Freshsales review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Simple and easy to use
- Task reminders for your sales team
- Advanced AI forecasting
- Highly customizable
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Mixed customer support reviews
- Only 10 sales pipelines
9. Maximizer — Best Sales CRM App for Large Businesses
Best For | Large businesses |
---|---|
Price | $65/user/month |
Free Version | Demo |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Maximizer is one of the top CRM providers that is designed specifically for sales leaders. Its features help with coaching sales reps, monitoring their performance, and establishing processes and best practices to help increase sales.
We found that Maximizer truly shines in its ability to uncover sales opportunities. After honing in on qualified leads, you can set up the steps a sales agent should take to close the deal, including writing emails, scheduling calls, drafting proposals, and everything in between.
Additionally, you can see exactly what every sales agent is working on and what stage of the process they’re in. Your sales leaders can even set quotas and monitor each sales agent’s performance.
Maximizer also functions as a CRM customer service platform. It automatically logs all support tickets, complaints, and refund requests and alerts you in real-time so your customer service department can promptly resolve the issue and retain the customer.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Facilitates sales coaching
- Makes it easy to monitor individual performance
- Lets you clearly define every step of your sales process
- Easy to manage massive databases
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Dated interface
- No marketing automation
10. Zendesk Sell — One of the Best CRM Apps for Customer Service Teams
Best For | Customer service teams |
---|---|
Price | $19/user/month |
Free Version | 14-day trial |
Mobile CRM App Support | iOS and Android |
Zendesk Sell helps organizations gain and maintain full pipeline visibility, define every step of the sales process, boost team productivity, and improve your customer’s experience.
With Zendesk’s CRM software, you’ll be able to capture and organize your lead data and have all the information you need to personalize your messages to close more sales.
That said, the key selling point of Zendesk Sell is email intelligence. This functionality tracks and logs all email communication, features real-time notifications, and provides activity reporting so your sales agents know when to reach out to each prospect.
Your sales department will also have access to a power dialer, allowing them to contact qualified leads in seconds. Every call is recorded, and your agents will have quick access to sales scripts, lead profiles, notes, and even call analytics to help them reliably close more deals.
Read our full Zendesk review.
Pros![pros](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2024%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Pipeline management and pipeline visibility
- Built-in telephone system with a power dialer
- Email templates and phone sales scripts
- Real-time push notifications
Cons![cons](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%2026'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- No built-in marketing automation
- Steep learning curve
The 10 Best CRM Tools Compared
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the best CRM platforms in 2024 so you can narrow down your options:
Top CRM Apps | Best For | Price | Free Version/Free Trial | Mobile Support |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monday Sales CRM | Ease of use | $12/seat/month | 14-day trial | iOS and Android |
Salesforce | Sales and marketing teams | $25/user/month | 30-day trial | iOS and Android |
Pipedrive | Pipeline management | $14/user/month | 14-day trial | iOS and Android |
HubSpot | Free CRM tools | $15/seat/month | Free plan | iOS and Android |
Act! | On-premise CRM software | $30/user/month | 14-day trial | iOS and Android |
Less Annoying CRM | Simplicity | $15/user/month | 30-day trial | iOS and Android |
Zoho CRM | Large businesses | $14/user/month | 15-day trial | iOS and Android |
Freshsales | Small businesses | $15/user/month | 21-day trial | iOS and Android |
Maximizer | Medium-to-large-sized businesses | $65/user/month | Demo | iOS and Android |
Zendesk Sell | Customer service teams | $19/user/month | 14-day trial | iOS and Android |
How We Review And Test CRM Software
We base our recommendations on first-hand testing. All the CRM Software products we feature, have been tested based on the following criteria:
- Ease of Use: We assess the CRM service’s overall UX across platforms. Some CRM services we’ve used have a learning curve, so we also factor in their online documentation.
- Functionality: We consider the depth of features on offer, including contact, lead, and pipeline management, marketing capabilities, and the depth of reporting on offer.
- Integrations: We assess the CRM platform’s ability to integrate with essential everyday tools like email marketing services, accounting software, and ERPs, for example.
- Security and Compliance: We look for features like data encryption, role-based access controls, GDPR compliance, and industry-specific regulations like HIPAA.
- Customization: We check for features like custom fields, workflows, and automation rules, to assess whether the platform can be tailored to specific needs and industries.
- Value for Money: We weigh the feature-to-price value on offer and consider whether the provider offers affordable scalability.
- Mobile Accessibility: To ensure sales reps and managers can use the CRM on the go, we test the mobile apps available and evaluate their functionality.
- Reputation: We don’t waste our time with tools that don’t have a good reputation. We note what other users have to say to ensure we offer full insight into the tools we feature.
What is CRM?
Customer relationship management software is a cloud-based or on-premise application that allows you to collect and manage prospect and customer data, visualize and streamline your sales process, automate your marketing efforts, and close sales more reliably.
Because of this, a top CRM tool is vital to scaling your business, nurturing your customer relationships, and encouraging repeat business and customer loyalty.
Why You Need a CRM System
Even if you only work with a few clients, managing their data and interactions with your business with spreadsheets is a recipe for disaster, especially in terms of duplicate entries, inaccurate information, or outdated data.
This won’t do your customer service or sales teams any good, and we wouldn’t recommend making any decisions based on data like this. From automated lead scoring to personalized marketing, here are the main reasons why you need an online customer relationship management system:
How to Choose the Right CRM Software for You
Choosing one CRM service provider over another can be difficult. That’s where our guide comes in, allowing you to focus your attention on the best CRM for your specific needs and budget.
Here are the key factors to consider when choosing a CRM for your business:
Functionality
Before you commit to a specific CRM service, it’s important to understand what features your team needs. For example, you might not need integration with accounting tools, but marketing automation is at the very top of your list.
Knowing what you need from a CRM from the outset will help you eliminate certain CRM platforms and narrow down your list of options.
Scalability
As your company grows, your CRM solution should scale with you and support your growth. Look for a CRM platform that’s easy to scale, both in terms of the number of users and functionality.
It’s worth considering these points at an early stage, as once you’ve signed up, switching CRMs can be a nightmare. Beyond this, be sure to factor in the cost of scaling with the CRM.
Third-Party Integrations
A good CRM should streamline workflows, centralize data, and facilitate team communication and collaboration. To do all that effectively, it should integrate with the tools your business uses daily.
This includes your email, calendar, project management software, and other business software. Automatically syncing data across apps allows your team to complete tasks without leaving the platform.
It’s important to note the integration options on offer, but it’s also vital to ensure the integrations are available on the plan you can afford. Often, many CRM solutions reserve certain third-party integrations for higher-end plans.
Pricing
Most CRM service providers have a monthly subscription plan where you pay for every user. If you have a larger team, the cost can quickly add up, so you should carefully consider how many people need access.
Beyond this, a free or cheap CRM service is also an option, but whether these will suffice really depends on your specific needs. These are usually very limited in their offerings but offer a great opportunity to test the platform before you commit.
Reputation
Reading reviews and getting a good understanding of a CRM’s reputation is a good idea. This is why we’ve included our full reviews to ensure you get full insight into the platform you’re considering for your business.
We’ve meticulously tested each of these CRM platforms to ensure we offer unbiased, accurate insight into their usability, support, value for money, functionality, and more.
CRM Mobile App Support
CRM software apps are vital in today’s fast-paced world. Your sales team won’t always be at their desks in the office, and neither will you. As such, whether the platform offers mobile CRM solutions is a key consideration, as is the level of functionality and ease of use of these mobile CRM applications.
The best CRM app for Android and iPhone should let you handle, at a minimum, the basics, including contact management, email marketing, and collaboration.
Free vs Paid CRM Software Providers
Several free CRM software solutions exist, like HubSpot, but it’s worth noting that free plans are incredibly limited and may not include core CRM features. Many providers also offer demos and free trials.
But, while a free CRM might suffice for startups, we recommend using these to test the platform before scaling to a paid plan — even a cheap paid service.
Ultimately, the decision of free vs paid CRMs is dependent on your specific needs and budget. If you do opt for a free plan, be sure to note all the limitations in terms of users, features, and integrations, and also make sure you factor in the cost to scale.
Prioritize Mobile CRM Solutions
Apps for CRM are vital in today’s world, where many work in hybrid, remote, or field environments and need flexible access to their work platforms wherever they go, on any device.
This is a key consideration, as some CRM software apps aren’t fully fledged, meaning your team won’t be able to do everything they need to do when they aren’t at their desk.
The best CRM app for iPhone or Android should let your customer service and sales team perform a variety of tasks, from managing leads and scheduling follow-ups to having the means to access and update lead and customer data and more without needing to be at their desktop.
Be sure to note what devices your team uses to check whether the provider offers dedicated apps for CRM — both Android and iPhone. The best CRM for mobile will also offer added perks like offline functionality, where it syncs changes when you’re back online.
Conclusion
When it comes to CRMs, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Depending on your industry and your specific business needs, you might need a CRM with features that help organize your reps or a custom CRM software package that you can tailor to your unique sales process.
Other organizations will want a CRM marketing software product with advanced email marketing automations, built-in email templates, and real-time notifications.
You should carefully compare the different solutions, evaluate the features you need, and make an informed decision.
Our other CRM guides
- Why is CRM Important?
- How Does CRM Software Work? A Full Guide
- How to Choose a CRM: A Complete Guide
- Here are the Key CRM Features Every Business Needs
- A Beginner’s Guide on How to Use a CRM
FAQs
What is the most popular CRM software to use?
What is the best CRM software for small businesses?
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What’s the best free CRM?
What’s the difference between CRM and ERP?
References
- Customer Relationship Management (Harvard)
- KPIs and Their Impact on Overall Organizational Performance (ResearchGate)
- A Refresher on A/B Testing (Harvard Business Review)
- The Secret of Sales Enablement (Training Industry)
- Marketing-Qualified Leads vs Sales-Qualified Leads (University of Maryland)