Last Updated: Oct 2026
Why Your Business Needs CRM Software
- Increasing Sales
∙ Streamlined client contact boosts sales.
∙ Collaborative tools helps salespeople close the deal. - Improving Customer Retention
∙ Effective feedback logging keeps customers around longer.
∙ Integrated “360 degree” views of customer data help you serve them more effectively. - Streamlining Your Sales Funnel
∙ A CRM makes it easy to visualize your funnel.
∙ Granular reporting helps identify pipeline weak points. - Easy Online Marketing Tools
∙ CRMs help marketers plan and track email campaigns.
∙ Easily integrate sales and marketing data for better results and a higher conversion rate.
How to Choose the Right CRM Software for Your Business
- Setup Time
∙ Cloud-hosted solutions can be deployed faster than on-premises ones.
∙ Look for a CRM with good support and a large user community to easily resolve setup difficulties. - Ease of Use
∙ Many CRMs put a strong emphasis on ease of use.
∙ Find a tool with good data visualization and that provides streamlined apps to help your salespeople enter and access data on the go. - Price
∙ Most CRMs offer a free trial, to help your team evaluate the tool at no cost. CRMs range in price from “free” to “high-ticket enterprise sales”; find one that works within your budget. - Add-ons
∙ What does the CRM offer besides lead capture and outreach? Consider looking for a tool with a rich integration library to take advantage of connections with other services you may use. - Customer Service
∙ What hours is the support team available? Look for a support team accessible in your time zone and which provides more than simple ticket support. - Interface
∙ Is the CRM you’re considering visually pleasing? Opt for a tool that makes it easy for your salespeople to visualize their diary and priority appointments.
Our Top 3 Picks
- 1
Exceptional9.7
Customizable CRM option for businesses
Free TrialRead monday 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 CRM Pros & Cons
PROS
Integrates with most tools you already useAutomations eliminate manual workHandles post-sales processes & projectsCONS
Price can be an obstacle - 2
Very good8.7
A simple online CRMA simple online CRMRead Capsule ReviewGreat for - Businesses seeking a simple CRM solution
Price - $18 per user per month
Free trial - 30 days
Capsule CRM is a good solution for businesses that want an easy-to-learn tool that their sales staff can jump into immediately, without the need for extensive training.
It allows businesses to create leads from an intuitive dashboard and track deal flows throughout the pipeline. Capsule CRM integrates with an array of other business solutions that are in common use, so it should fit right into any company's existing workflow without issue. They even offer a free starter CRM for 2 users and up to 250 contacts.
Capsule Pros & Cons
PROS
Easy to useAttach unlimited documents to leadsFree versionCONS
Lacks some advanced CRM features - 3
Excellent9.3
Free CRM for startups and small businessesFree CRM for startups and small businessesRead HubSpot ReviewHubSpot’s CRM software is free and therefore best suited to small businesses that only need the core essentials. That said, it’s earned high reviews and offers a solid line-up of tools that make it worth considering for SMBs looking to increase sales.
HubSpot CRM has a clean dashboard that lets you sort deals and track all pertinent information which can be sorted by lead status, name, amount, or by custom filters, all so businesses can view their sales funnel in real-time. The software syncs up with Gmail and Outlook and includes tons of free communications tools such as live chat, cross-team emails, and a central inbox for sales, marketing, and customer service teams to manage conversations.
Most notably, HubSpot allows an unlimited amount of users and storage that can reach up to a million contacts. While limited for clients with advanced needs, HubSpot exceeds what you’d expect for free software and is a capable solution for small businesses looking to improve organization and productivity.
HubSpot Pros & Cons
PROS
Free softwareUp to 1 million contactsUnlimited usersCONS
Basic softwareNo statistics or forecasting tools
