- Save resources with no-code customization
- Build dashboards for better predictability
- Close faster with AI tools at every stage
- Powerful integrations
- Full access, no credit card required
- AI powered automations that save time
- Easily schedule & customize sales actions
- Get 40% off when you buy
- Easy setup with built-in guidance tools
- Marketing, sales, commerce & more in one suite
- Logical, user-friendly interface
- Up-to-the-minute sales updates
- A top CRM system for fast growing businesses
- Multiple AI-powered automations
- Over 750 integrations
- Free expert assistance included
- Create marketing campaigns fast with AI
- Leverage product reviews and recommendations
- Grow faster with multi-channel segmentation
- Manage sales through a visual sales pipeline
- Multiple user-friendly sales dashboards
- Free 14-day trial
- All-in-one tool with invoicing, payments & AI
- Great for service-based small businesses
- 7-day free trial
Check out our top accounting software pick:
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- Seamless transition from books to taxes
- Integrates with Mailchimp, payroll & more
- Get 90% off for 3 months
What Is CRM Software and Why It Matters
CRM software centralises customer data, automates sales and marketing tasks, and delivers real‑time insights. By unifying interactions—from email to calls—it empowers teams to close more deals faster and increase customer loyalty.
Top Benefits of CRM Implementation
1. Driving More Sales
- Centralized contact logs make follow‑ups seamless and timely.
- Built‑in collaborative tools help salespeople close deals faster together.
2. Boosting Customer Retention
- Logging feedback ensures no customer query is missed.
- “360‑degree” customer profiles enable personalized service.
3. Streamlining Your Sales Funnel
- Visual pipelines let you track every opportunity stage.
- Granular reports highlight exactly where prospects drop off.
4. Powering CRM Marketing
- Integrated email tools simplify campaign planning and tracking.
- Shared sales and marketing data improves targeting and conversion.
Choosing the Right CRM for Your Business
A. Plan Ahead: Setup Time
Cloud‑hosted CRMs deploy quickly—ideal for fast-moving teams. Look for strong support and active user communities to mitigate kick‑off delays.
B. Prioritise Ease of Use
CRMs like Pipedrive earn Reddit acclaim for intuitive visual pipelines. Ensure your choice offers mobile-friendly interfaces for on‑the‑go access.
C. Fit Your Budget
Most CRMs offer free trials and free tiers—ideal for evaluating tool fit without commitment. Compare scalable pricing to find a balance between value and affordability under “best inexpensive CRM”.
D. Look for Extensibility
Beyond lead capture, choose CRMs with rich integrations—especially if you use Google Workspace or marketing tools like MailChimp or HubSpot. This amplification boosts campaign efficiency and data coherence.
E. Evaluate Customer Service
If you're in the US, consider vendors offering support across your time zone, beyond standard ticket systems—this dramatically improves setup and ongoing use.
F. Assess the User Interface
Salespeople value visually organised front‑ends—a clear calendar view or pipeline board supports better daily workflow and higher adoption.
Key Takeaways
- Choose a user‑friendly CRM with visual pipelines—it drives adoption and efficiency.
- Ensure CRM marketing tools and integrations—especially if you're using Google Workspace.
- Opt for a scalable, affordable CRM with a free trial or tier to test ROI before committing.
- Prioritise solid support and training—your team needs responsive help and good onboarding experiences.
Our Top 3 Picks
- 1exceptional9.7
Customizable CRM option for businessesCustomizable CRM option for businessesRead monday sales CRM ReviewGreat for - No-code fully-customizable CRM
Price - $8 per seat per month (3 seat minimum)
Free trial - 14 days
It's easy and intuitive to get set up with monday sales CRM. You can customize almost anything to your needs–no IT needed. The seamless Gmail/Outlook integration means you can communicate with clients in one place, as well as log and track all your activities with them. But there’s more underneath the surface, making it surprisingly capable both for those who only utilize its core features as well as those who need more advanced tools.
The platform is super intuitive but also capable of handling complex sales processes. You can manage your post-sales too, like client onboarding and client projects. monday sales CRM saves you time by automating manual work.
monday sales CRM Pros & Cons
PROS
Integrates with most tools you already useAutomations eliminate manual workHandles post-sales processes & projectsCONS
Price can be an obstacle - 2excellent9.2
All-purpose CRM to support businesses
Free TrialRead Pipedrive ReviewGreat for - First-time CRM users
Price - Starting at $14.90
Free trial - 14 days
Another accessible CRM tool, Pipedrive fills in the gaps left by Monday and other competitors in its field, namely with lead-tracking and other sales-based reporting tools.
Pipedrive offers a simple yet sophisticated interface that more than makes up for it with its ability to represent the sales process in graphic form. It is a worthy tool for keeping track of contacts, improving communication both within and outside of the team, and keeping close tabs on sales and possible deals. Add in automated call tracking, a popular chatbot feature, and a ready-to-use platform, and you have a CRM tool that offers a solution to most of the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses.
Pipedrive Pros & Cons
PROS
Great for lead trackingPopular chatbot toolStrong mobile capabilitiesCONS
Not ideal for larger businessesNo native helpdesk creator - 3excellent9.3
Top customer service and relationship tools
30-day Free TrialRead Salesforce US ReviewA fully packed, cloud-based, scalable CRM with market recognition and a loyal user base, Salesforce has plenty going for it already. And it keeps evolving, which is one of the reasons it sees little turnover in companies once they embrace it. This powerhouse CRM offers a substantial advantage and many appealing features, one of them being the slate of add-ons that allow it to grow with whatever business is using it.
Salesforce offers every sales tool you can think of as well as a dynamic web of products that essentially allow you to customize your experience and scale the technology with your company’s growth. It features AI-backed lead scoring, a built-in communication tool called Chatter, and integrated invoicing, as well as the capacity to connect clients’ custom apps via Heroku cloud to the market. Add that to the array of standard sales, CS, and marketing tools and you can see why Salesforce is often the go-to CRM for larger companies.
Salesforce US Pros & Cons
PROS
Highly customizableScalable without limits—usable by the largest organizationsLarge app ecosystem, over 3000 apps available.CONS
Expensive compared to the competitionComplex, can be difficult and expensive to set up
