The Best CRM Software Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM) systems, small businesses have different needs than large enterprises. Not only are their budgets smaller, but they likely have limited or no dedicated IT staff, meaning they need solutions they can get up and running with a minimum of effort and without extensive training. Very small startups, in particular, need a system that just works, while still providing the core capabilities of CRMs that can scale to the needs of huge businesses.Many CRM products specifically cater to the needs of small to midsize businesses (SMBs). After all, it’s hardly a niche market. According to the World Bank, as much as 90% of all companies qualify as SMBs. So here we present our tried and tested recommendations for CRM systems that are suited to companies with more modest means. Read on for our top picks, along with buying advice to help you choose the CRM system that’s right for your small business.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Best for Sales Pipelines
Why We Picked ItZoho offers a full-featured CRM package, but its separate Bigin offering is aimed at small businesses. It’s designed so that anyone can start managing contacts and sales pipelines right away, regardless of their past experience with CRM systems. It also offers a robust mobile app, so sales pros can easily access their tools on the go.Who It’s ForIf you’ve just started transitioning away from maintaining contacts in spreadsheets, and you aren’t ready for a major CRM system’s deep feature set, give Bigin by Zoho a look. It gives you useful tools without overwhelming your sales staff. Just be aware that if your organization starts to outgrow its capabilities, upgrading to the full Zoho CRM product won’t be as smooth as simply upgrading your license.
PROS
CRM rebuilt for mobile
Integrates advanced CRM features into an affordable plan
Built-in telephony options
Rich integration options
Customizable dashboards
Helpful contextual data is easily available
CONS
Some mobile integrations limited to iOS devices
Interface might confuse traditional CRM users
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Bigin by Zoho CRM Review
Salesforce Starter
Best Entry-Level CRM
Why We Picked ItSalesforce rewrote the book on CRM when it debuted in 1999, and today it’s widely considered the industry leader. Salesforce Starter is the company’s entry-level tier, aimed squarely at SMBs. It does a great job of walking new customers through the setup and training process while providing the robust functionality and customization the Salesforce platform is known for. Although its predecessor, Salesforce Essentials, was limited to small teams, Starter supports up to 325 users per instance. And when you’re ready to grow beyond that, Salesforce is more than ready to accommodate you.Who It’s ForIf you insist on a world-class CRM system backed by world-class support, Salesforce is for you. Salesforce Starter is your SMB-friendly onramp to the Salesforce platform and ecosystem. However, it has a few drawbacks. For example, it has limited third-party software integrations and reporting capabilities. It’s true that Salesforce scales to meet the needs of any business; just prepare yourself for the price tag.
PROS
Affordable, feature-rich CRM
Many customization options
Minimal setup
User-friendly interface
CONS
Few third-party integrations
Adopters should still anticipate a slight learning curve
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Salesforce Starter Review
Capsule CRM
Best for Small Sales Teams
Why We Picked ItCapsule CRM is all about saving its users time, particularly in SMB environments. Its UI is elegant and clutter-free, and it can integrate with accounting systems, such as Freshbooks, Quickbooks, and Xero, making it easy to get up and running with your organization’s existing contacts. Although it lacks some of the competition’s features, we appreciate its more minimalist approach. Capsule CRM also has an outstanding self-help support website.Who It’s ForGo for Capsule CRM if you want a system with a no-nonsense UI that’s designed around the idea that not all businesses work the same way. It integrates with many of the major business software packages, so it adapts to the way you work, rather than forcing you into new processes. Just don’t expect it to have the competition’s perks.
PROS
Reminds businesses to reach out to contacts they haven’t talked to in a while
Outstanding note-taking and sharing functions
A plethora of integrations with most-used SMB tools
CONS
Could use more analytics options
You need to dig deep to find some of the functionality
Feature set might be limited for larger businesses
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Capsule CRM Review
Freshsales CRM
Best for Basic CRM Needs
Why We Picked ItFreshsales is an outstanding entry-level CRM for early-stage businesses, but it also offers a reasonably deep feature set for people who already have some experience with CRM. It provides an AI assistant, integrations with other business software, and customization options for people who have specific workflows in mind.Who It’s ForCompanies that are just getting off the ground with CRM would do well to choose Freshsales. It has a low learning curve, and while it lacks bells and whistles, it’s robust enough to grow with you as you gain experience with the platform. However, it lacks the enterprise-ready upgrade path found in Salesforce and Zoho.
PROS
Freshsales simplifies the CRM process for small businesses.
Extensive customization options.
Proactive AI assistant
Various integrations to extend functionality.
CONS
No reports available in the free plan.
Determining which is the best plan can be time consuming.
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Freshsales CRM Review
Less Annoying CRM
Best for Budget-Conscious Start-Ups
Why We Picked ItThis entry prides itself on not annoying its customers—or not as much as the competition, anyway—but its most outstanding feature might be its price, which is among the lowest of all the products we tested. Although “less expensive” can sometimes mean “low value,” Less Annoying CRM has an ample feature set that’s worth your consideration.Who It’s ForIf you’re unsure how much budget you’re ready to commit to CRM, look this way. You’ll gain the contact management and business-process features you expect from a larger CRM vendor at a very affordable price, and hopefully, its ease of use and friendly UI won’t annoy you.
PROS
One affordable plan
Plenty of support and help options
Looks great on mobile
CONS
Limited reporting capabilities
No way to add dedicated leads
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Less Annoying CRM Review
Vtiger
Best Affordable CRM for Small Businesses
Why We Picked ItFor its price, Vtiger is a surprisingly full-featured CRM. In a single platform, it combines contact management, calendaring, email marketing, internal chat integration, and marketing automation. Once you get used to its unique interface, you’ll quickly and efficiently jump between multiple tasks.Who It’s ForIf you want a CRM for your small to midsize business, but don’t want to skimp on features, Vtiger might be up your alley. Its healthy collection of bundled functions should give you all the tools you need to get your salesforce up and running. That said, its UI is a little complex and idiosyncratic, which may mean a steeper learning curve than what you’ll find with competing CRMs.
PROS
Affordable and well-equipped small business CRM
Email, calling, and note taking capability are easily accessible
Responsive 24/7 support
Superb proactive alert system helps generate sales activity
CONS
Innovative but convoluted navigation and menu system
There’s a tendency to have to open multiple tabs and pages
Not ideal for businesses with multiple sales pipelines
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Monday.com
Best for CRM and Pipeline Management
Why We Picked ItAlthough CRM isn’t Monday.com’s primary focus, it advertises a number of CRM features, all set within the context of a broader online collaboration platform. You can think of it as a general “work management” tool that’s designed to help teams stay on task and keep projects running smoothly, which overlaps with key CRM functions.Who It’s ForMonday.com will never replace a full-featured CRM platform, but it doesn’t try to. Give it a look if your organization has grown past the stage of using spreadsheets to manage contacts, and could benefit from basic CRM capabilities (especially if you have pressing team-collaboration fish to fry).
PROS
Modern user interface
Customizable
Offers in-app automations
Includes templates
CONS
Confusing pricing and plans
Inconsistent and Byzantine navigation options
Free plan isn’t designed for serious business use
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Monday.com Review
Pipedrive CRM
Best for Pipeline Organization
Why We Picked ItPipedrive might not be the most robust CRM in terms of features, but it shines in ease of use. It’s deal-oriented, and lets you visualize the entire sales process from start to finish, which can help eliminate second-guessing within teams. It has a pleasing UI, and is easy to set up and use, making it a good choice for small teams. It also includes a customizable chatbot that you can add to websites for lead generation.Who It’s ForIf your organization is strapped for time and personnel, you’ll appreciate how quickly you can get to work with Pipedrive. Its straightforward UI means you’ll spend less time wrangling the software and more time concentrating on your next sale. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for extensive customization options or third-party software integrations, you might look elsewhere.
PROS
Offers an intuitive interface and deal-driven workflow
Solid mobile apps plus call and email synchronization
Helps SMBs keep on top of their CRM process
CONS
Limited functionality for the price
No separation between lists of new leads and contacts
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Pipedrive CRM Review
HoneyBook
Best for Solo Entrepreneurs and Freelancers
Why We Picked ItHoneyBook stands out from the crowd of CRM solutions with its unique, almost whimsical interface. Rather than being a standalone CRM product, it aims to be a comprehensive small business management system. As a result, it bundles lead and project tracking with invoicing, proposal creation, contracts, scheduling, online payments, and other useful features.Who It’s ForEvery business starts somewhere, and if you’re an entrepreneur with a team of up to around three people, HoneyBook may be just what you need. It’s not designed for experts or dedicated sales staff, but instead provides CRM capabilities alongside a host of other capabilities you’ll want for day-to-day operations. You’ll probably outgrow it someday, but it’s still a great jumping-off point for a burgeoning business.
PROS
Friendly and user-focused CRM for entrepreneurs
Easy onboarding service and great support
Dynamic pipeline-focused system
Integrates business management, invoicing, automation, and payments
Versatile iOS and Android apps
CONS
Costs more than other small business CRMs
Might not suit larger businesses or teams
Limited integrations
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
HoneyBook Review
Onpipeline CRM
Best for CRM Novices
Why We Picked ItOnpipeline is simple and easy to use, and it’s priced accordingly. Its feature set is somewhat limited compared to the competition. Still, its UI is straightforward enough that you can get up to speed with it quickly, even if you don’t have previous experience with CRM systems.Who It’s ForEven if you’ve never used CRM software before, you should have little trouble getting started with Onpipeline. It gives you all the essential features you need out of the box, and it won’t trouble you with a lot of complex setup and configuration. If your organization is rapidly growing, though, be mindful that it might take some effort to migrate your data to a more scalable system.
PROS
Easy to use
Simple data integration
Aesthetically pleasing tabular views
CONS
Only imports data from CSV files
Difficult email syncing
Map feature would greatly benefit from dedicated mobile apps
SPECS
Name
Value
Document Library
Live Chat
Chatbot/Conversational AI
Multi-Currency Support
Pipeline Management
Integrated Email Marketing
Analytics
Custom Dashboards
Email Routing
REST API
24-Hour Support
Phone Support
User Forums
Learn More
Onpipeline CRM Review
Buying Guide: The Best Small Business CRM Software for 2024
(Credit: Salesforce)
What Is Small Business CRM Software?If you’re an entrepreneur or small business with more than 50 customers, and you’re trying to manage your customer contacts with a big spreadsheet, you’ve probably already realized this is an unwieldy task. CRM systems are designed to take the pain out of this all-important function.CRMs have two important advantages over spreadsheet contact lists: First, they add internal features that directly handle other parts of your sales funnel, notably pipelining, scheduling, and even commission management, among other things. Second, and even more important, they integrate with other software. We can’t overstate the positive effect smart software integration can have on your sales process. Your spreadsheet just sits there, but a CRM platform can automatically move customer data back and forth between itself and other systems. Hooking your CRM into the rest of your software stack means the details of every customer interaction are there on demand. That can cover anything from lunch with a sales rep to things like website contact forms, phone calls, online chats, and social media mentions. A sales rep can pull that data into a purchase conversation, or a help desk technician can use it to better understand the customer’s situation. What Can a CRM Do for Your Business?Think of a CRM as a sponge that can soak up all the information your company has about a specific customer. Then you can wring it out so that data flows everywhere you need it to go. When you use CRM to its full potential, it can gather all your company’s interactions with each customer and combine them with related data from such sources as accounting, inventory, marketing, and purchasing. That can help you maintain a complete sales pipeline that’s not only accurate but able to react quickly to new opportunities. For example, if a help desk representative realizes a customer is ready for an upsell opportunity while addressing an unrelated support issue, that information doesn’t get lost in an email. That data can be automatically snatched from the tech’s trouble ticket, added to the customer’s CRM record, and then placed in the pipeline so the sales manager can parcel out the opportunity. This kind of automation is possible because CRMs can move data in and out of business systems across multiple channels. Depending on how your sales department works, CRM data can show up in a dedicated app interface, an email, a Slack message, and on any device, especially mobile ones. Even more critical than fast dissemination is intake. That’s where you want to pay attention to a CRM solution’s automation capabilities.By automating data gathering in the CRM and every app with which you integrate it, you get the data you want and move it where you need it. You’re always looking to build a funnel—a wide mouth at one end that grabs as much data as it can. By the time the information reaches the other end, the funnel has parsed it into useful units aimed directly at the people who need it. The primary challenge for smaller businesses is that deploying CRM systems and integrating them with existing systems can be challenging. It often requires significant effort by trained IT staff, who are likely to be in short supply or nonexistent at very small organizations.Over the last couple of years, however, CRM vendors have begun directly addressing the needs of small business buyers. Some have built brand-new products with new interfaces and features designed from the ground up with small and micro-business users in mind. Others have pared down their flagship products to make them easier to use while keeping an upgrade path easy for growing customers. We put top players in the small business CRM space through their paces in this roundup. How Do CRMs Handle Customer Data?Getting back to our sponge analogy, the primary function of any CRM should be to soak up data. Whether it’s from documents, phone calls, social media chats, or anything else, you’re looking for a solution that can grab data from all the key channels you’re using to interact with customers. But gathering the data is only half the mission. Parsing and routing data comprise the other half, and that can get tricky. Once you’ve decided on your primary customer communication channels and made sure your CRM can grab data from them and parse it. For example, if you’re gathering phone calls and social media chats, keywords might become important, especially mentions of a specific product name. The same might be true for a valued customer name or account number. You could match that against sentiment indicators, which should tell you the topic of any interaction and how the customer felt about it. It takes work, but smart data distribution is where CRMs can shine. In an enterprise setting, this part is handled by a platform-specific developer or implementation staff. Small teams typically don’t have as many resources available, so it’s up to the CRM vendor to make configuring and customizing the software as easy as possible. The trade-off is that you typically won’t get as flexible a solution as you would with an enterprise platform. That routing function is less complex than the data gathering and parsing function, but it’s no less important. Your CRM can score top marks on gathering data and still fail overall if it can’t get that information to the right people at the right time. Customizing this process depends on how your salespeople do their jobs, meaning there’s no turnkey solution. This part will require meetings with your staff to detail how sales actually happen so you can then map your CRM’s notification features to those needs.Is a CRM Worth It for a Small Business?SMBs represent a huge market, which is why some big CRM players are scaling down their enterprise offerings to meet the needs of smaller organizations. Generally, they’re just highlighting what they feel are the best SMB features of their current offerings and the development work usually centers around making those capabilities easier to use. Using this approach, enterprise CRM players set themselves up for two benefits. First, they make inroads into the long-term lucrative SMB market. And second, they’re able to develop an on-ramp to their flagship products as these customers grow. That’s even more valuable now that most CRM companies revamp these platforms into software hubs that let them sell additional sales and marketing software. These new tools plug into the CRM’s framework and customers use them via the same UI.The best example is Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, the undisputed behemoth of the CRM space. To tap into SMB customers, the company has built Salesforce Essentials, which it’s billing as an all-new platform explicitly built to entice small businesses. But under the covers, this is the same technology as you’ll find in its enterprise offering, just with a reduced set of features and a more straightforward user interface. But complex, scalable platforms like Salesforce aren’t for everyone. Smaller CRM vendors compete by expanding their capabilities as much as possible while keeping the whole solution simple enough to entice SMBs. Some do this by adding artificial intelligence (AI) and business intelligence, but most focus on building as many third-party software integrations as possible. For instance, Pipedrive CRM offers quick chatbots customers can drop into their sites, while Zendesk Sell plugs into the wider array of Zendesk help desk tools. Meanwhile, Freshsales CRM has also bumped up its integrations and tacked on workflow automation and better sales analytics. What are the considerations of a viable small business-focused CRM? Pricing is the first and most obvious starting point. These kinds of CRMs begin at $10 per user per month for the more basic solutions but can cost upwards of $50 per user per month for more comprehensive services. As with any subscription software, it’s essential to take advantage of free trials when available. No matter how many reviews you read or demos you watch, it’s difficult to determine how a particular CRM will work for you until you evaluate it in your organization with the people who’ll be using it every day. Solutions need to be easy to grasp by non-specialists. Training need not be in-person and lengthy, but you’ll want a healthy support library, an effective knowledge base that contains FAQs and articles, and a solid onboarding process, too.
Recommended by Our Editors
Mapping out a growth path is important as well. While this sounds like you’re building an exit strategy even before you buy the product, knowing how a given CRM will grow with your company is an important part of buying the right solution today. Work with sales leads to determine your present and future needs and investigate if your CRM solutions easily allow for more users, a larger contact base, the analytics you think you’ll need, as well as the digital marketing hooks you’ll eventually want to use.
(Credit: Zoho)
Make the Most of Third-Party IntegrationsSmall business CRMs may not come with all the bells and whistles of enterprise CRM platforms, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a unified system for your salespeople. Check your CRM’s integration and partner lists to see your options for integrating your solution with software from third-party vendors. Social media listening and selling, email marketing, business analytics, marketing automation, and even lead management can all be handled by dedicated vendors, and opting for a low-cost partner integration may still be cheaper than paying for a larger CRM platform to get those capabilities. Making sure that your small business CRM can eventually establish data relationships with other apps, especially those that are low-cost and aimed at smaller companies, is critical if you want to get as much life from your purchase as possible. Vendors will have lists of the canned integrations they can offer immediately. If the service you want to integrate with is on that list, great. But if not, you may have to look at rolling your own.One way to do this is with Zapier, a popular and low-cost third-party automation and integration tool. It can help you tie various web services together into automated workflows. However, although Zapier is a dependable tool, its data exchange features are limited by its ease of use. Sit down and decide exactly what you need from a third-party integration, and only then decide whether you want to go DIY with Zapier or invest some money in a developer to build a more flexible integration. Take Advantage of Mobile CRM AppsOne of the most important developments in CRM for SMBs and entrepreneurs is the availability of easy yet effective mobile apps. These days, small businesses move around. They’re also increasingly distributed—even globally—and the devices used by sales staff can vary widely. So it’s important that your CRM support not just PCs but also tablets and phones. Although some vendors try to pass off mobile browser versions of their web apps as their solution for mobile device users, this kind of setup pales next to a bona fide mobile app. Browser-based apps can access online databases and services, but they do not interact directly with the built-in features that many mobile devices offer, including security, Near Field Communication (NFC) for mobile payments, and access to cameras and other sensors. Having a CRM solution that can run effectively on tablets, smartphones, or convertible 2-in-1 devices has a definite advantage for small business users. Some solutions, including Editors’ Choice pick Bigin by Zoho CRM and Freshsales CRM, offer Android and iOS apps, but the iOS applications support more mobile integrations. Both Bigin and Salesforce Essentials (our Editors’ Choice pick for small business CRM) are mobile-first solutions that offer apps with all the necessary features and controls of their desktop counterparts. Bigin goes the extra mile to include Apple Watch integrations with a wearable widget that enables shortcuts. Many of these are conveniences and not breakthrough features, but they do show Zoho’s initiative in making Bigin more personal to users, at least those who’ve invested in Apple’s ecosystem. The Small Business CRM Players to WatchWe were pleasantly surprised at the many choices that small businesses have when it comes to attractive and versatile small business CRMs. In this roundup, we’ve included leading vendors with products or plans aimed explicitly at SMBs. We’ve also covered the cream of new entrants that were designed from the ground up to be used by entrepreneurs and small shops. As a result, the solutions we tested run the gamut from reliable standalone systems focused purely on contact management and sales to apps that add basic CRM functionality to general business management tools.There is no one-size-fits-all CRM. Although other vendors we tested may not have had all the features of our winning solutions, most offer easy-to-use designs, interesting feature sets, and new ways to customize the tools, especially around building your own workflows. Check out all the reviews in this roundup, and you might find that a smaller solution may work better for your organization. For more on CRM, check out our roundup of full-featured CRM systems, some of which can scale to meet the needs even of large enterprises.
