Customer relationship management (CRM) software has become an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes to manage interactions with customers and prospects.
By tracking leads, automating marketing workflows, and providing insights into customer behavior, CRM platforms help companies streamline operations, boost sales, and improve customer satisfaction.
With so many options on the market, it can be tricky to determine which solution is right for your business.
To help, here is an overview of 25 top CRM software tools and how they can benefit your organization.
From versatile platforms like Salesforce and Zoho to industry-specific solutions for real estate, finance, and more, there are CRM systems suited for companies across sectors.
25 Best CRM Software Examples
Here are 25 Best CRM Software Examples their Overview, Key Features, Ideal Users, and Pricing:
1. Salesforce
Overview
Salesforce is the global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) software.
The Salesforce CRM platform unifies sales, service, marketing, commerce, and more on a single, centralized platform accessible from any device.
Key Features
Key capabilities include sales force automation, marketing automation, customer service, reporting and dashboards, and robust customization.
Salesforce uses a drag-and-drop configuration for workflows, approval processes, and rules automation. It also provides AI capabilities like predictive lead scoring and Einstein Analytics.
Ideal Users
Salesforce is designed for businesses of all sizes in any industry. It is especially ideal for large enterprises that need a highly scalable CRM, companies focused on sales, marketing, and customer service, and those seeking in-depth analytics and customization.
Pricing
Salesforce CRM pricing is based on several users and features. It starts at $25/month per user for basic Salesforce CRM. More advanced editions scale up to $300/month per user. Custom enterprise pricing options are also available.
2. HubSpot
Overview
HubSpot CRM is an intuitive, user-friendly CRM platform that brings together marketing, sales, and service capabilities on one platform tailored for small and midsize businesses.
Key Features
Key features include contact and deal management, email integration and synchronization, marketing automation, reporting dashboards, integrations with other apps, and a free basic version. Configuration is easy with drag-and-drop tools.
Ideal Users
HubSpot CRM is designed for small businesses seeking easy-to-use CRM, companies focused on marketing and lead generation, businesses wanting integrated marketing and sales, and teams needing visibility on the sales pipeline.
Pricing
HubSpot offers a free version supporting 1 million contacts. Paid plans start at $50/month for 1 user with additional costs for more users and advanced features. Volume discounts are available.
3. Zoho CRM
Overview
Zoho CRM is a user-friendly yet customizable CRM platform capable of handling advanced CRM needs for businesses of all sizes. It brings sales, marketing, customer service, and more to one interface.
Key Features
Key capabilities include sales force and marketing automation, service ticketing, robust customization, analytics and reporting, social CRM integration, mobile access, and third-party integrations. AI powers lead scoring, forecasting, and sentiment analysis.
Ideal Users
Zoho CRM is flexible for growing SMBs wanting affordable but advanced CRM, midmarket businesses, MSPs, companies seeking open and customizable platforms, and teams needing end-to-end sales and customer engagement.
Pricing
Zoho CRM plans start at $12/month per user billed annually for the basic version. More advanced plans are $20/$35 per user/month with additional storage, features, and support. Enterprise pricing is also available.
4. Freshsales
Overview
Freshsales is a modern, intuitive CRM designed for high-performance sales teams. It helps streamline lead management, email marketing, sales pipeline, forecasting, reporting, and team collaboration.
Key Features
Key features include lead scoring, routing, notifications, built-in phone/email, sales pipeline management, pipeline analytics, conversation intelligence with AI, team collaboration capabilities, and mobile apps. It integrates with HubSpot, Gmail, and other tools.
Ideal Users
Freshsales is ideal for fast-growing startups and SMBs focused on sales, teams wanting intuitive design and usability, businesses looking to streamline sales processes, and companies seeking AI for sales productivity.
Pricing Plans
start at $19/month per user billed annually for the basic version. The advanced plan is $49/month per user. Custom enterprise pricing is also available.
5. Insightly
Overview
Insightly is a user-friendly CRM designed for small businesses. It provides core features for managing contacts, pipelines, reporting, email marketing, calendaring, and appointments.
Key Features
Key capabilities include contact management, pipeline management, email integration, a built-in calendar with appointment scheduling, customizable reporting dashboards, task automation, team collaboration, and mobile apps. Integrates with Office 365, G Suite, and more.
Ideal Users
Insightly offers the best fit for solopreneurs and very small teams wanting basic CRM, companies focused on contact management and pipeline, and businesses needing integrated calendaring.
Pricing
Insightly has a free version for 2 users. Paid plans start at $29/month per user billed annually. The premium plan is $49/month with more features and support.
6. Pipedrive
Overview
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM platform built for sales teams who need to manage leads and visualize sales pipelines. It focuses on simplicity, ease of use, and visual sales management.
Key Features
Key features include lead management, visual pipeline management, activity tracking and reminders, email integration, reporting and analytics, team collaboration, mobile access, and integration with other tools.
Ideal Users
Pipedrive is ideal for small sales teams needing pipeline visibility, early-stage startups, businesses focused primarily on sales vs. marketing, and teams wanting an intuitive interface.
Pricing
Pipedrive pricing starts at $12.50/month per user billed monthly. Additional charges apply for advanced features. Volume discounts are available. Custom enterprise pricing is offered.
7. Keap
Overview
Keap, formerly Infusionsoft, combines CRM and marketing automation tailored for small businesses. It focuses on converting leads into customers with email, landing pages, and a sales pipeline.
Key Features
Key features include lead management, customizable lead scoring, multi-channel email campaigns, landing page builder, built-in payment processing, pipeline management, appointment scheduling, and reporting.
Ideal Users
Keap works well for small businesses focused on lead conversion, service businesses like coaching/consulting, teams that want email marketing and landing pages, and those needing automated appointment scheduling.
Pricing
Pricing starts at $99/month for the Starter plan. The pro plan is $199/month with more features and contacts. Custom enterprise pricing is also available.
8. Zendesk Sell
Overview
Zendesk Sell is a sales-focused CRM that provides an intuitive, clean interface for managing the sales cycle and enhancing team productivity.
Key Features
Key capabilities include lead tracking, visual sales pipeline management, integrated email and SMS conversations, click-to-call phone dialer, reminders and activity tracking, sales analytics, and team collaboration tools.
Ideal Users
Zendesk Sell is designed for sales teams wanting an intuitive, collaborative CRM, small/midsize B2B businesses, teams needing integrated calling and email, and companies wanting seamless sales workflow.
Pricing Plans
start at $19/month per user billed monthly. The Advanced plan is $49/month with more functionality. Custom enterprise pricing is available.
9. Apptivo
Overview
Apptivo is a cloud-based integrated business management suite tailored for SMEs. It combines CRM capabilities with billing, project management, inventory, and other business functions.
Key Features
For CRM, key features include contact management, opportunity tracking, marketing automation, workflows and rules, dashboards and reporting, email integration, calendar syncing, and mobile access.
Ideal Users
Apptivo is ideal for small teams wanting integrated business software, high-growth startups, e-commerce sellers, companies needing a CRM and billing solution, and businesses wanting an all-in-one affordable system.
Pricing
Apptivo has a free CRM plan. Paid plans start at $8/user/month billed annually. All apps bundle is $12/user/month. Enterprise pricing is available.
10. SuiteCRM
Overview
SuiteCRM is an open-source, PHP-based CRM system modeled after Salesforce and SugarCRM. It offers full-featured customer management capabilities.
Key Features
Key capabilities include accounts and contacts management, opportunity forecasting, marketing campaign management, customer service, and support tracking, robust customization, and third-party integrations.
Ideal Users
SuiteCRM caters to small teams wanting open-source, self-hosted CRM, those with technical expertise for customization, and businesses seeking CRM without licensing fees.
Pricing
The open-source SuiteCRM is free to download. Paid enterprise Cloud Suite is $50+/month per user. Paid support packages are also available.
11. Vtiger CRM
Overview
vtiger CRM is an open-source, PHP-based platform for small-to-midsize businesses. It incorporates sales, marketing, customer service, inventory management, and project management capabilities.
Key Features
Key features include lead management, sales pipeline, workflow automation, marketing campaigns, service ticketing, SLA policies, analytics reporting, customization without coding, and mobile access.
Ideal Users
vtiger CRM appeals to small teams wanting open-source, customizable CRM, tech-savvy users who can handle customization and budget-conscious businesses.
Pricing
vtiger open source is free. The paid Cloud vtiger CRM business edition is $10/user/month. Paid support and other add-ons are also available.
12. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Overview
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an enterprise CRM platform that combines sales, customer service, marketing, and other capabilities in one solution with tight integration to productivity tools like Office 365.
Key Features
It provides sales force automation, marketing campaign management, customer service and ticketing, embedded analytics, custom reporting, workflows, and process automation, AI-driven analytics and conversational intelligence, and omnichannel engagement.
Ideal Users
Dynamics 365 is designed for medium to large enterprises needing advanced, scalable CRM with enterprise-grade capabilities. It works best for existing Microsoft customers.
Pricing Plans
start at $95/user/month. More advanced plans are $210+/month per user. Custom enterprise pricing with volume discounts is also offered.
13. Oracle CX Cloud
Overview
Oracle CX Cloud combines CRM with marketing, sales, commerce, and service capabilities in an integrated cloud suite to support customer experience management.
Key Features
Key features include sales automation, marketing and customer data management, omnichannel commerce, customer service, field service management, scalability, mobile access, analytics and reporting, AI-driven functionality, and third-party integrations.
Ideal Users
Oracle CX Cloud appeals to large enterprises seeking integrated CX applications, existing Oracle ERP customers, companies who need customizable enterprise-grade CX, and complex implementations.
Pricing
Oracle CX Cloud has custom enterprise pricing based on several users and apps deployed. Modules start at approx. $175 per user/month.
14. SAP C/4HANA
Overview
SAP C/4HANA delivers an integrated suite of customer experience solutions for marketing, sales, commerce, service, and customer data, all built on the SAP HANA architecture.
Key Features
Key capabilities include unified customer profile, marketing automation, sales management, commerce across all channels, service and support ticketing, customer identity management, analytics and reporting, AI and machine learning functionality, and flexible deployment options.
Ideal Users
SAP C/4HANA is designed for large enterprises needing real-time CX and omnichannel commerce, particularly existing SAP ERP customers and those wanting tight integration across CX applications.
Pricing
Pricing is customized based on the number of users, apps, and deployment specifics. Starts at approx. $140 per user/month for core sales and service capabilities.
15. Nimble
Overview
Nimble is a smart contact management CRM that brings together social media conversations and interactions with traditional CRM data to build relationship intelligence.
Key Features
Key features include unified contact profiles, relationship mapping and insights, integrated social media conversations from Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn, sales communications tracking, sales pipeline management, and Nimble for Outlook and GSuite sync.
Ideal Users
Nimble appeals to individuals and teams who want to leverage social connections for sales prospects and pipeline development. It works for small, digital media-savvy sales teams.
Pricing
Nimble has a free contact management version. Paid plans start at $19/user/month annually for sales CRM capabilities. Enterprise pricing is available.
16. Nutshell
Overview
Nutshell is an adaptable, easy-to-use sales CRM designed for sales teams who value simplicity and organization. It focuses on sales execution.
Key Features
Key capabilities include leads, accounts and contact management, sales pipeline visualization, integrated email and calendar, lifecycle stage management, customizable views and fields, sales playbooks, activity reminders, mobile access, and integrations.
Ideal Users
Nutshell is ideal for small to medium sales teams wanting a simple, streamlined sales CRM solution that keeps teams organized and on track.
Pricing
Nutshell is priced per user per month, starting at $19/month billed annually for the basic plan. An advanced version is $39/month with more features.
17. Zoho One
Overview
Zoho One is an integrated suite of business and productivity applications including CRM, marketing automation, finance tools, HR software, and more. It provides an all-in-one business platform.
Key Features
The CRM component provides sales force automation, marketing automation, service desk, multi-channel communications, third-party integrations, mobile access, AI, customization, and collaboration.
Ideal Users
Zoho One works best for growing SMBs who want a unified business platform with integrated CRM capabilities without a large upfront investment.
Pricing
Pricing starts at $35/employee/month when billed annually. This includes access to the full suite of business applications.
18. Bitrix24
Overview
Bitrix24 is a social collaboration and communication platform with integrated CRM (contacts/leads), project management, document management, and other tools for businesses.
Key Features
For CRM, key features include contact and company management, sales pipeline visualization, lead automation, sales team activity tracking, dashboards and reporting, web forms and feedback, mobile apps, and integration.
Ideal Users
Bitrix24 is ideal for small businesses that want an affordable, integrated platform with CRM capabilities and real-time team communication tools.
Pricing
Bitrix24 offers a free version. Paid plans for small businesses start at $99/month. More advanced plans are available.
19. Agile CRM
Overview
Agile CRM is a sales and marketing-focused CRM designed for startups and small businesses. It provides tools to manage the entire customer lifecycle.
Key Features
Key CRM features include contact management, lead scoring, sales pipelines, email marketing and automation, forms, mobile apps, calendar integration, lifecycle stage management, and reporting.
Ideal Users
Agile CRM is built for startups, small businesses, and fast-scaling companies that want an easy-to-use CRM with sales and marketing automation.
Pricing
The starter plan is free for 10,000 contacts. The growth plan starts at $8.99/month billed annually for up to 5 users. Enterprise pricing is available.
20. SugarCRM
Overview
SugarCRM is an adaptable, customizable CRM platform capable of scaling from small to very large deployments. It offers extensive customization without coding.
Key Features
Key CRM capabilities include account and contact management, opportunity management, email integration and automation, workflow building, collaboration tools, reporting and dashboards, mobile access, and API/CRM integration.
Ideal Users
SugarCRM appeals to medium-sized businesses up to large enterprises seeking a flexible, customizable platform that can scale with their growth.
Pricing
Packages start at $40/user/month for the basic edition. Advanced packages are $75/user/month with more features, storage, and support. Enterprise pricing can be customized.
21. OnePageCRM
Overview
OnePageCRM is a streamlined sales CRM designed for SMBs who value simplicity. It provides sales teams with basic tools to manage accounts, contacts, and deals/pipelines without complexity.
Key Features
Core features include contact management, sales pipeline and forecasting, simple reporting, Gmail integration, calendar and tasks syncing, lead assignment, notes and activity capture, mobile apps, and Zapier integration.
Ideal Users
OnePageCRM is best suited for small businesses who want easy, lightweight CRM focused primarily on managing accounts, contacts, deals, and sales teams.
Pricing Plans
start at $12/user/month billed annually for Starter. Pro plan is $18/user/month. Enterprise pricing is available.
22. Teamgate
Overview
Teamgate is an affordable CRM with capabilities tailored for sales and marketing teams at small/medium businesses. It focuses on core sales automation rather than advanced customization.
Key Features
Key features include contact management, visual pipeline management, sales automation, lead scoring, email, and SMS marketing, landing pages and forms, basic reporting, and integration with business apps via Zapier.
Ideal Users
Teamgate appeals to growing companies focused on sales and marketing that want easy-to-use CRM with lead management and email marketing automation capabilities.
Pricing
Teamgate offers a free version for 2 users. Paid plans start at $15/user/month billed annually. Enterprise pricing is available.
23. Really Simple Systems CRM
Overview
Really Simple Systems CRM provides an easy-to-use, affordable CRM solution designed for small and mid-sized businesses. It focuses on core sales and marketing functionality.
Key Features
Lead management, sales pipeline management, contact database, workflow automation, email marketing, customer service ticketing, reporting and dashboards, and integration via Zapier are key CRM capabilities.
Ideal Users
Simple Systems is ideal for small teams wanting straightforward, essential CRM focused on sales pipeline tracking rather than advanced customization and complexity.
Pricing
Plans start at $15/user/month billed annually. More advanced plans are $35/user/month with additional functionality
24. Base CRM
Overview
Base CRM is a streamlined, easy-to-use platform targeted at growing small businesses. It provides essential tools to manage contacts and communication as well as deals and pipelines.
Key Features
Key features include contact, lead, and deal management, email and SMS integration, sales pipeline management, simple reporting/dashboards, file sharing, activity logging, workflows and automation, and Zapier integration.
Ideal Users
Base CRM is ideal for very small teams focused primarily on managing contacts, communications, and moving deals through a sales pipeline without requiring advanced customization.
Pricing
Plans start at $15 per user/month billed annually for core features. An additional professional plan is $25 per user/month with more capabilities.
25. PipeDrive
Overview
PipeDrive is a sales-focused CRM and pipeline management solution designed for small sales teams. It provides tools to visualize deals and processes.
Key Features
Key capabilities include sales pipeline management with visual boards, contact/deal management, automated workflows and lead scoring, activity tracking and reminders, email integration and synchronization, customizable reporting, and mobile access.
Ideal Users
PipeDrive is best suited for startups and SMBs with small sales teams who want an intuitive, visual sales pipeline and process management solution.
Pricing Plans
start at $14 per user/month billed monthly with volume discounts available. Additional costs apply for advanced features like custom reporting.
What is a CRM Software?
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is a technology platform that helps businesses manage relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. Here is an overview of CRM software in 200 words:
CRM software allows companies to track and organize every interaction a customer has with the business, whether it’s through email, phone, social media, or other channels.
It features a central database to store all customer data including contact details, purchases, service history, and communication records.CRM helps sales teams manage leads, opportunities, and accounts more efficiently.
It tracks interactions over time to provide insights into customer needs and behavior. Marketing teams use CRM to segment customers for campaigns, track campaign performance, and determine future marketing initiatives.
Customer service teams can access the full history of a customer to provide personalized service.
BEST CRM systems:
1. Operational CRM
This focuses on automating sales, marketing, and service processes. It includes features like:
- Sales force automation – tools for salespeople to manage leads, opportunities, and accounts. This includes contact management, opportunity tracking, sales forecasting, etc.
- Marketing automation – automates repetitive marketing tasks like email campaigns, social media posting, and lead nurturing. Helps track campaign results.
- Customer service and support – automates ticket handling, call center operations, knowledge bases, complaint tracking, etc.
2. Analytical CRM
Collects and analyzes customer data to get insights and predict customer behavior. Includes:
- Customer analytics – analyzes customer demographics, behavior, churn, lifetime value, etc. Identifies upsell opportunities.
- Campaign management – tracks marketing campaign results to identify the most and least effective campaigns. Helps optimize marketing spending.
- Churn analysis – identifies customers likely to stop doing business. Helps retention efforts.
3. Collaborative CRM
Facilitates information sharing across departments and locations. Features include:
- Shared customer data is visible to sales, marketing, and support teams. Provides a unified view of the customer.
- Sales force productivity tools – allows salespeople to share best practices and knowledge.
- Social media integration – enables tracking customer conversations on social platforms.
4. Strategic CRM
The long-term initiative focused on thoroughly understanding customers and using data across the organization. Goals include:
- Build customer loyalty
- Transform customer service experience
- Differentiate from competitors
- Align organization around customer
The key benefit of CRM is gaining actionable insights about customers to improve marketing, sales, and service. This leads to better targeting, stronger customer relationships, and higher profits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Ques 1. What are the main benefits of CRM software?
Ans: CRM software provides many benefits, including increased sales productivity and efficiency, improved customer service and support, enhanced marketing and lead generation, unified customer data and insights, automation of repetitive tasks, and more personalized customer experiences.
Using a CRM centralizes all customer interactions to create a 360-degree view of each customer.
Ques 2. How can I choose the right CRM for my business?
Ans: Choosing the right CRM depends on your business needs, size, budget, and industry. Consider what features are most important like sales force automation, marketing automation, reporting, and more.
Also, determine how much you can spend on a monthly or annual basis. Finally, look for CRMs that cater to your specific industry like real estate, finance, healthcare, etc.
Ques 3. What makes Salesforce such a popular CRM choice?
Ans: Salesforce is the most widely used CRM thanks to its robust feature set, scalability, and high adoption rates.
It provides sales, marketing, and customer service solutions for businesses of all sizes. Key features include automation, analytics, AI, mobile capabilities, and third-party integrations. The extensive AppExchange also offers many add-ons.
Ques 4. Should I choose an open-source or proprietary CRM system?
Ans: Open-source CRMs like SuiteCRM and vtiger CRM offer more customization and lower upfront costs but require more technical expertise.
Proprietary systems like Salesforce and Zoho require monthly/annual fees but are easier to set up and use. Proprietary CRMs also provide ongoing customer support. Consider your budget and technical capabilities when choosing between the two.
Ques 5. How long does it take to implement a CRM?
Ans: The time to implement a CRM depends on the scope of the project, the amount of data migration needed, the level of customization, training requirements, etc.
For simpler cloud-based systems, it can take only 2-4 weeks from purchase to being operational. For advanced enterprise-level platforms, implementation can take 6 months or longer when accounting for implementation, testing, and change management.
