Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software plays a pivotal role in helping businesses increase sales, drive growth, and enhance customer experiences. With numerous CRM platforms available, each offering its unique set of features and benefits, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. To ease your research, we’ve compiled a guide to the best CRM software options tailored for small businesses in 2023. Explore our top recommendations to discover the ideal CRM solution for your business.
Here is a table that summarizes some of the best CRM software for small businesses:
| CRM Software | Starting Price | Free Trial | Pipeline Management | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | Free; $14 per user per month (billed annually) or $20 per month (billed monthly) ¹ | 15 days ¹ | Yes ¹ | Startups ¹ |
| monday.com | Free; $20 per user per month (billed annually) ² | 14 days ² | Yes ² | Teams ² |
| Freshsales | Free; $12 per user per month (billed annually) or $15 per month (billed monthly) ³ | 21 days ³ | Yes ³ | Lead management ³ |
| Salesforce | $25 per user per month (billed annually) or $30 per month (billed monthly) ⁴ | 14 days ⁴ | Yes ⁴ | Comprehensive CRM platform ⁴ |
| HubSpot | Free; $50 per user per month (billed annually) or $60 per month (billed monthly) ⁵ | 14 days ⁵ | Yes ⁵ | Scaling startups ⁵ |
| Pipedrive | $14.90 per user per month (billed annually) or $18.90 per month (billed monthly) ⁶ | 14 days ⁶ | Yes ⁶ | Simplicity ⁶ |
I hope this table helps you compare and choose the best CRM software for your small business. 😊
Best CRM Software for Small Businesses in 2023
- Zoho CRM: Best for startups
- Starting Price: Free; INR 800 per month (billed annually)
- Free Trial: 15 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
- Monday.com: Best for teams
- Starting Price: Free; INR 659.51 ($8) per user per month for basic features
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
- Zendesk Sell: Best for customer support
- Starting Price: INR 1,566.33 ($19) per user per month
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
- Insightly: Best for project management
- Starting Price: INR 2,390.71 ($29) per user per month
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
- FreshSales: Best for lead management
- Starting Price: Free; INR 999 per user per month (billed annually)
- Free Trial: 21 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
- Salesforce: Most comprehensive CRM platform
- Starting Price: INR 2,060.96 ($25) per user per month (billed annually)
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
- Pipedrive: Best for simplicity
- Starting Price: INR 816.14 ($9.90) per user per month (billed annually)
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Key Feature: Pipeline Management
Why You Can Trust CRM Options for Small Business
We utilize product data, strategic methodologies, and expert insights to inform all our content, assisting you in making informed decisions for your business journey.
table summarizing the CRM options:
| CRM Software | Description | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | User-friendly CRM with free and paid plans. Integrates well with marketing and sales tools. | Sales, Marketing Automation | Free plan available, Paid plans vary |
| Salesforce Essentials | Small business-oriented CRM by Salesforce, offering robust sales and customer service tools. | Sales, Customer Service | Paid plans available |
| Zoho CRM | Affordable CRM with sales, marketing, and customer support features. | Sales, Marketing, Support | Free plan available, Paid plans available |
| Freshsales | Sales-focused CRM with a focus on automation and email tracking. | Sales Automation | Paid plans available |
| Pipedrive | Sales-focused CRM emphasizing pipeline management and automation. | Sales Automation | Paid plans available |
| Insightly | CRM with project management features for businesses needing both CRM and project tracking. | Sales, Project Management | Paid plans available |
| Nimble | Social CRM that integrates with social media profiles for easy contact and relationship management. | Social Integration | Paid plans available |
| Bitrix24 | Comprehensive CRM platform offering CRM, project management, and communication tools. | CRM, Project Management, Communication | Free plan available, Paid plans available |
| Capsule CRM | A straightforward and affordable CRM for contact and sales management. | Contact Management, Sales | Paid plans available |
| Copper (formerly ProsperWorks) | Google Workspace-integrated CRM for contact and opportunity management. | Contact, Opportunity Management | Paid plans available |
The best CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software for a small business depends on your specific needs and budget. Here are some popular CRM options that are often considered among the best for small businesses:
- HubSpot CRM: HubSpot offers a free CRM with basic features and paid plans with more advanced features. It’s user-friendly and integrates well with marketing and sales tools.
- Salesforce Essentials: Salesforce offers a small business-oriented CRM called Salesforce Essentials. It provides robust features, including sales and customer service tools.
- Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM is known for its affordability and offers a range of features to manage sales, marketing, and customer support.
- Freshsales: Freshsales is a user-friendly CRM that focuses on sales automation and email tracking. It’s suitable for small businesses looking to streamline their sales processes.
- Pipedrive: Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM designed for small businesses. It emphasizes pipeline management and sales automation.
- Insightly: Insightly offers CRM and project management features, making it suitable for small businesses that need both CRM and project tracking capabilities.
- Nimble: Nimble is a simple, social CRM that integrates with social media profiles, making it easy to manage relationships and contacts.
- Bitrix24: Bitrix24 is a comprehensive CRM platform that offers CRM, project management, and communication tools. It has a free plan and affordable paid options.
- Capsule CRM: Capsule is a straightforward and affordable CRM designed for small businesses. It focuses on contact and sales management.
- Copper (formerly ProsperWorks): Copper is a Google Workspace-integrated CRM that simplifies contact and opportunity management for small businesses.
When choosing a CRM for your small business, consider factors such as your budget, the specific features you need, ease of use, integration options with other tools you use, and scalability. It’s also a good idea to try out a few options through free trials or demos to see which one best fits your needs and workflow.
How to Choose a CRM Service for Small Business
Selecting the best CRM software for small businesses involves several steps:
- Know Your Priorities and Goals: Define your business goals and consider how a CRM system can help you achieve them.
- Find Your Team Members’ Needs: Identify who will be using the system and gather input from various departments to ensure seamless integration.
- Determine Important Features: Make a list of essential features based on team input, business goals, and industry needs.
- Consider Different Types of CRM: Understand the three major CRM types – Collaborative, Operational, and Analytical, and choose one that suits your business.
- Create a Budget: Set a budget to narrow down your options and eliminate solutions that exceed your financial constraints.
- Research Top CRM Platforms: Read user reviews, seek recommendations, consult trade publications, and explore independent software comparisons to make an informed decision.
- Test and Trial: Once you’ve narrowed your options, take advantage of free trials to ensure the chosen CRM aligns with your business requirements and expectations.
Benefits of Using A CRM
- Centralizes customer information
- Enhances data accessibility
- Tracks sales and analytical data
- Facilitates team collaboration
- Automates tasks and data entry
- Discovers actionable customer trends
Methodology
Forbes Advisor used the following metrics to evaluate the top CRM services for small businesses:
- Pricing: Consideration of cost per user per month, minimum user requirements, introductory pricing, free trial availability, free trial duration, and money-back guarantees. (10% of total score)
- Key Features: Analysis of pipeline management, customization capabilities, contact and lead management, lifecycle stages, opportunity scoring, communication tracking, lead assigning, third-party integrations, and reporting analytics tools. (40% of total score)
- Unique Features: Evaluation of unique features that could benefit specific businesses and use cases, such as built-in email marketing and multi-currency support. (15% of total score)
- Ratings and Reviews: Assessment of customer reviews, including average ratings and the number of reviews. (5% of total score)
- Expert Score: Consideration of expert opinions based on first-hand experience and factors like ease of use and value for price based on feature quality. (30% of total score)
2023 CRM Trends
- Increasing CRM Sophistication and Functionality: CRM systems continue to evolve with increased sophistication and functionality, offering improved features and specialized solutions.
- Artificial Intelligence: AI is being incorporated into CRM technology, impacting areas such as predictive analytics, machine learning, and language processing, enhancing customer service and lead management.
- CRM Growth in New Markets: More industries and businesses, including small businesses, are recognizing the value of CRM and integrating it into their operations.
- Fewer Adoption Barriers: CRM technology is becoming more accessible, making it easier for businesses to adopt CRM solutions.
Note: The provided information is accurate as of the date of this content. Please consult the respective CRM providers’ websites for the most current information.