If you’re involved in a business, no matter the size, Customer Relationship Management aka CRM would certainly be a major part of your schedule.
See, CRM isn’t a new concept. It has always been there. It started with Rolodexes and handwritten notes, and with the advancement of technology, it evolved into databases stored on computers.
The only difference is, in the good old days, CRM was just about a strategy/tool/process that helps in organizing and accessing customer data in a better way.
However, in the current age, managing your business’s relationship with customers isn’t that easy. The notes, old analog, and legacy systems just don’t work anymore.
In order to compete in any industry, you need something that revolutionizes the way you connect with customers. To put it simply, you need a robust CRM software.
In fact, a report on the State of Sales by LinkedIn discovered that 64% of companies consider CRM technology to be either impactful or extremely impactful.
But we know that there are just so many CRM software available in the market, and it can be difficult to pin one down. To make your decision easier, we scoured the internet and created a list of the best ones.
But, before we get to the list, let’s take a quick look at what a CRM software is. Ready? Let’s roll!
What is a CRM Software?
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software gathers all the customer information in one place, and provides you with a 360-degree view of all your customer data.
These details might be the name of your customer, their email address, phone number, communication preferences as well as their purchase history.
Basically, using a CRM software, you and your team can get easy and direct access to all the real-time customer data, which results in unparalleled coordination and a wonderful customer experience.
So, now that you know what a CRM software exactly is, let’s get to what you came for – the best 9 CRM software that you should definitely consider using this year.
List of The Best CRM Software You Can Use!
1. Zoho CRM
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Zoho CRM works for everyone. It has a simplistic user interface, customizable modules, and an automation feature.
This CRM software allows you to define your workflow, manage leads, and automate processes. It also integrates with Twitter, Facebook & Google+, so you can reach out to more leads quickly.
Zoho CRM also has a free version, which can be used by up to 3 users. Although, this version has limited features and functionality. You also get access to over 10 email templates.
What makes Zoho stand out from other CRM software are features like robust sales forecasting, KPI tracking, sales funnel tracking, and customizable data comparisons.
Pricing:
- Offers a free version that’s available for up to 3 users.
- The Standard edition is for $14 per user/month.
- The Professional edition is $23 per user/month.
- The Enterprise edition is $40 per user/month.
- The Ultimate edition is $52 per user/month.
All four editions are billed annually. If you purchase the ‘ultimate edition’, you would get an exclusive 30-day free trial. However, for the rest of the paid editions, there’s a 15-day free trial.
Read more: 11 Dashboard Software You Should Explore in 2021
2. Freshsales
Freshales is undoubtedly a fully-fledged CRM software that provides everything your sales team needs to do – attracting quality leads, nurturing customer relationships, and winning leads with AI-powered insights.
This ultimate CRM software has a built-in email, phone, chat, and call system. Furthermore, as it automates many sales processes, it can increase the productivity level of your sales team.
Freshsales has a powerful AI which offers you insights into the best deals that you should go after. Its native CPQ feature makes generating and sharing quotes assets super easy.
Pricing:
- There is a free plan with limited functionality.
- The Growth plan is $15 per user/month, billed annually.
- The Pro plan is $39 per user/month, billed annually.
- The Enterprise plan is $69 per user/month, billed annually.
3. Salesforce
Next on the list is Salesforce – a fully customizable CRM software, which offers tools for sales processes, team collaboration, along with some amazing integrations.
This software helps you and your team automate all the tedious tasks, track customer interactions, and build strong and sturdy task management systems. It even has a feature that can predict your future sales.
The only drawback is, Salesforce has a difficult learning curve. However, it offers comprehensive tutorials and lessons, so you can easily learn how to use this CRM software.
Pricing:
- The Essentials plan is $25 per user/month.
- The Professional plan s $75 per user/month.
- The Enterprise plan is $150 per user/month.
- The Unlimited plan is $300 per user/month.
These plans are billed annually, and a 14-day free trial is available for all of them.
4. Keap
This CRM and sales pipeline software is specifically tailored for small businesses, self-employed individuals, freelancers as well as everyone involved in the e-commerce space.
Keap allows you to build a solid database for your leads by importing spreadsheets and scanning business cards. Apart from lead generation, the software also lets you customize the fields and contact info as per your business needs.
Even though Keap has several amazing features, it’s slightly expensive if you are on a tight budget or if you are running a startup. Moreover, the number of integrations in Keap is limited.
Pricing:
- The Lite Plan is for $56 per user/per month. (Free trial available)
- The Pro plan is $105 per user/per month. (Free trial available)
- The Max plan is $140 per user/per month.
5. Capsule
Capsule helps you take your customer and business relationships to the next level. This CRM software has a clean user interface, zero learning curve and it is really good at managing your daily tasks.
On Capsule, you can quickly find out what’s going with your sales pipeline and what your team needs to do. It even lets you import your contact lists from Gmail and Outlook, along with your CSV spreadsheets and files.
If you’re running your business entirely on your own, or with a partner, Capsule’s free version can work for you as it allows two users! The paid version has Zendesk, Zapier, G Suite, Twitter, and Mailchimp integration.
Pricing:
- Has a free, basic version that can be used by up to 2 users.
- The Professional version is $18 per user/month.
- The Teams version is $36 per user/month.
The paid versions are billed monthly and you get a 30-day free trial as well.
6. Hubspot
HubSpot is a famous name in the CRM world. It has a free platform with basic features including cross-channel tracking of customer interactions and lead management.
This excellent CRM software also integrates with Zapier, so you can share information across apps like Slack, Google Sheets, Google Calendar, Airtable, and more.
You can also opt for the paid Sales Hub, which takes Hubspot to the next level. It would give you deeper insights into your prospects, AI assistance, and high-end automation.
Pricing:
- HubSpot CRM is free, with unlimited users.
- The add-on packages are $50 each per user/month. (Billed monthly)
- HubSpot CMS starts at $300 per month. (Billed monthly)
- The Starter Growth Suite starts at $113 per user/month. (Billed monthly)
Read more: 9 Client Management Software You Must Check Out!
7. EngageBay
EngageBay calls itself a HubSpot alternative and has three major business-related suites: CRM & Sales Bay, Marketing Automation, and Live Chat & Helpdesk.
The CRM & Sales Bay offers features like multi-channel listening, tracking contact activity, open and click rates, aggregating contact information, and many more.
Moreover, it integrates with Office 365, Gmail, and many other IMAP services. That’s not it! It even integrates with SendGrid, Xero & Zapier, so you can connect your CRM with your other business processes.
Pricing:
- Offers a free plan, limited to 1000 branded emails and 1000 contacts.
- The Basic plan is $10.39 per user/month billed annually, and $12.99 per user/month if billed monthly.
- The Growth plan is $19.99 per user/month billed annually, and $24.99 per user/month if billed monthly.
- The Pro plan is $39.99 per user/month billed annually, and $49.99 per user/month if billed monthly.
8. Salesmate
If you want to spend less time learning the nitty-gritty of a CRM software, and more time on actually selling your product, then Salesmate is the best choice for you.
Salesmate is super easy to use and most suitable for startups and small businesses. However, it can certainly be used in the real estate and construction sector.
This software has a customizable and interactive dashboard, along with other features like Live Chat and DocuSign integrations. It also has a mobile app!
Pricing:
- The Starter plan costs $12/user/month.
- The Growth plan costs $24/user/month.
- The Boost plan costs $40/user/month.
All three plans are billed annually. Furthermore, Salesmate also offers a 15-day free trial for every plan.
9. Nutshell
Nutshell is a complete CRM package that comes with powerful sales automation and marketing tools. It has an easy-to-setup interface and offers several third-party integrations.
This amazing CRM software allows you to segment leads and customers in different ways including lifetime value, location, and the industry.
Moreover, Nutshell also allows you to create and access customer conversation histories. You can even use its ‘lead form’ integration to turn your website visitors into contacts.
Other cool features of Nutshell are the in-app phone dialing and recording, sales automation suite, map view, and of course, the fully customizable reporting tools!
Pricing:
- The Starter plan is $19 per user/month and is billed annually. It costs $22 per user/month if you want it to be billed monthly.
- The Pro plan is $35 per user/month and is billed annually. It costs $39 per user/month if you want it to be billed monthly.
There is a 14-day free trial for both plans!
Wrapping Up
There you go! This was our take on the best CRM software that you should definitely be using this year. After all, they help you provide your customers with some extraordinary.
Honestly speaking, without a CRM software, your customer information would be all over the place, and it would be really hard for you to track the touchpoints and interactions you have had with customers.
The result? A dull sales cycle, with a sub-par customer experience. So, what are you waiting for? Pick a CRM software from the list and get going. Cheers!
Further reads:
10 Top Performing Business Metrics Your Business Must Know About!
9 Powerful Mind Mapping Software & Tools You Need to Check Out!
11 Awesome Sales Management Tools That Your Business Needs!
