Your sales team is on the verge of closing a big deal, but critical client details are scattered across sticky notes, spreadsheets, and emails.
It’s a frustrating and costly mistake that no business can afford.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems are designed to manage and optimize interactions with your clients, prospects, and other stakeholders.
But which one will work best for your workflow?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the top 10 CRM software solutions to help you put your business goals front and center. 🎯
- What Should You Look For In a CRM Software?
- Comprehensive Feature Comparison of CRM Tools
- Detailed Breakdown of the Top CRM Tools
- 1. ClickUp (Best for all-in-one CRM and task management)
- 2. Salesforce (Best CRM for enterprises)
- 3. Zoho CRM (Best for small to medium-sized businesses)
- 4. HubSpot CRM (Best for integrations and user-friendly interface)
- 5. Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Best for integrated ERP and CRM solutions)
- 6. Pipedrive (Best for pipeline management and sales optimization)
- 7. Freshsales CRM (Best for AI-driven insights and automation)
- 8. Insightly (Best for easy-to-read analytics and reporting)
- 9. SugarCRM (Best for highly customizable solutions)
- 10. Creatio CRM (Best for low-code process automation and flexibility)
- Build Stronger CRM Workflows With ClickUp
⏰ 60-Second Summary
Discover the 10 best CRM Software:
- ClickUp (Best for all-in-one CRM and task management)
- Salesforce (Best CRM for enterprises)
- Zoho CRM (Best for small to medium-sized businesses)
- HubSpot CRM (Best for integrations and user-friendly experience)
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Best for integrated ERP and CRM solutions)
- Pipedrive (Best for pipeline management and sales optimization)
- Freshsales CRM (Best for AI-driven insights and automation)
- Insightly (Best for easy-to-read analytics and reporting)
- SugarCRM (Best for highly customizable solutions)
- Creatio CRM (Best for low-code process automation and flexibility)
What Should You Look For In a CRM Software?
When choosing CRM software, focusing on features that align with your business goals and optimize operations is important.
Let’s look at some key factors to consider. 💁
- Lead management: Tracks and nurtures leads with real-time insights into lead behavior
- Integration capabilities: Integrates with other business software like ERP systems, marketing platforms, and productivity tools
- Revenue tracking: Monitors real-time sales data and generates comprehensive reports for informed decision-making
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Incorporates AI and ML to analyze customer data and improve engagement strategies
- Centralized data storage: Consolidates customer interactions across channels like websites, social media, and emails to improve service consistency
Your CRM software must have other advanced features, including customization options, multilingual support, document management, and forecasting tools.
🧠 Fun Fact: The first CRM system dates back to the 1980s, and it was more like a contact management database than the advanced tools we have today. The evolution of CRM software has played a crucial role in transforming businesses from simple contact storage to powerful platforms for managing customer relationships, sales, and marketing.
Comprehensive Feature Comparison of CRM Tools
Before we get into the specifics of each tool, let’s look at some comparison highlights to help you identify the best CRM software for your organization. 👇
General features
Explore the core functionalities each CRM offers, from AI-powered insights to customizable workflows and mobile app capabilities. This table gives a snapshot of the tools that can streamline your customer management processes.
CRM software | Customizable workflows | AI integration | Reporting | Mobile app functionality |
ClickUp | Highly customizable workflows for project management, CRM, and task automation | Advanced AI capabilities via ClickUp Brain | Custom dashboards and reports for project insights | User-friendly mobile application for task management and collaboration |
Salesforce | Flexible workflows with Flow Builder for complex processes | Advanced AI via Einstein for predictive analytics and lead scoring | Comprehensive reporting tools with personalized dashboards | Robust mobile app for managing leads and sales activities |
Zoho CRM | Tailored workflow options for complex sales processes | Extensive workflow customization tailored to sales processes | Versatile reporting features with customizable dashboards | Comprehensive mobile app for managing leads and tracking sales activities |
HubSpot CRM | Simplified workflow customization for simple automations | Limited AI features primarily for email tracking and lead scoring | Custom reports focused on marketing metrics and sales performance | Mobile app supports essential CRM functions like contact management |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Highly adaptable workflows using Power Automate for various business needs | Advanced AI integration via Azure AI for predictive insights | Comprehensive reporting tools tailored to specific KPIs and business objectives | Feature-rich mobile app offering sales tracking and reporting |
Pipedrive | Moderate customization focused on sales pipeline stages | Basic AI features for sales forecasting and activity suggestions | Visual reports highlighting pipeline metrics and performance | An intuitive mobile app designed for sales professionals on the go |
Freshsales CRM | Moderate customization options with automation features for sales tasks | AI-powered insights for lead scoring based on engagement levels | Reports and analytics are available but less detailed than competitors | Mobile app enables on-the-go lead management and communication |
Insightly | Moderate customization capabilities tailored to project management and CRM functions | Limited AI capabilities focused on improving user experience | Visual dashboards summarizing key metrics related to projects and sales activities | Efficient mobile app enables management of contacts, projects, and tasks |
SugarCRM | Scalable workflows aligning closely with business requirements | AI features for predictive analytics enhancing customer insights | Advanced reporting options with customizable dashboards for detailed analysis | Comprehensive mobile app providing access to all core functionalities |
Creatio CRM | Extensive no-code workflow options tailored to operational needs | Strong AI integration for process automation and predictive analytics | In-depth reporting capabilities with customizable dashboards for actionable insights | Feature-rich mobile app enabling collaboration and workflow management |
Pricing
Understanding the pricing structure is crucial when selecting a CRM that aligns with your budget. Here’s a breakdown of free options, starting prices, and enterprise-level plans for each platform.
CRM software | Free version | Starting price | Enterprise-level plan |
ClickUp | Free forever | $7/month per user | Custom pricing |
Salesforce | Free | $25/month per user (billed annually) | $165/month per user (billed annually) |
Zoho CRM | Free trial | $20/month per user | $50/month per user |
HubSpot CRM | Free | $15/month per user (Sales Hub Starter) | $150/month per user (Sales Hub Enterprise) |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Not specified | $65/month per user | $105/month per user |
Pipedrive | Free trial | $24/month per user | $129/month per user |
Freshsales CRM | Free | $11/month per user | $71/month per user |
Insightly | Not specified | $29/month per user (billed annually) | $99/month per user |
SugarCRM | Not specified | $19/month per user (billed annually) | $135/month per user (billed annually) |
Creatio CRM | Free | $15/month per user | $85/month per user |
Integration compatibility
A CRM’s ability to integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack can make or break its usability. Check this table to see which tools support popular integrations like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Slack.
CRM software | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 | Slack | Mailchimp | APIs |
ClickUp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open API |
Salesforce | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open API |
Zoho CRM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open API |
HubSpot CRM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open API |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Limited | Yes | Yes | Limited | Open API |
Pipedrive | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes | Open API |
Freshsales CRM | Yes | Limited | Limited | Yes | Open API |
Insightly | Yes | Limited | Limited | Limited | Open API |
SugarCRM | Limited | Limited | Limited | Limited | Open API |
Creatio CRM | Yes | Limited | Limited | Limited | Open API |
Scalability and support
Your CRM should grow with your business. This section outlines team scalability, the platform’s flexibility, and the type of customer support available to ensure your CRM can support your evolving needs.
CRM software | Team size scalability | Scalability levels | Customer support availability |
ClickUp | Small to large enterprises | High scalability with customizable options | 24/7 support via chat and email |
Salesforce | Small to large enterprises | Extremely high scalability for any size | 24/7 support |
Zoho CRM | Small to medium teams | High scalability with various tiers | Weekday support; premium options available |
HubSpot CRM | Small to medium Teams | Moderate scalability; suitable for growing businesses | Email and chat support during business hours |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Medium to large enterprises | Very high scalability for large organizations | 24/7 support for enterprise plans |
Pipedrive | Small to medium teams | Good scalability for sales teams | Email support; limited chat availability |
Freshsales CRM | Small to medium teams | Moderate scalability for growing teams | Email and chat support during business hours |
Insightly | Small to medium teams | Moderate scalability; best for startups and small businesses | Email support; limited chat availability |
SugarCRM | Medium to large enterprises | High scalability with customization options | Weekday support; premium options available |
Creatio CRM | Medium to large enterprises | Very high scalability; designed for larger teams | 24/7 support with extensive resources |
📖 Also Read: 10 Best CRM Software for Service Businesses
Detailed Breakdown of the Top CRM Tools
Each CRM promises to help you manage relationships and boost productivity, but which is the best fit for your needs? Let’s compare CRM software in detail and see what sets them apart.
1. ClickUp (Best for all-in-one CRM and task management)
First on the list is ClickUp CRM, a versatile solution that enhances productivity and centralizes customer relationship management. It offers tools that track sales pipelines, automate workflows, and manage customer data.
ClickUp Views
ClickUp Views lets you easily manage leads, sales pipelines, customer engagement, and orders with over 10 customizable views such as List, Board, and Table. These flexible options let you track accounts and workflows in a way that fits your team’s needs.
ClickUp Dashboards
ClickUp Dashboards simplify customer management by giving you a clear view of all your customer activities. You can customize cards to track key metrics like interactions, conversion rates, and task completions.
Each card is flexible, letting you resize and filter them to focus on the data that matters most.
The platform also offers over 1,000 pre-built templates, like the ClickUp CRM Template. This framework serves as a foundation for building relationships with prospects and customers and is everything you need to manage your sales pipeline.
It helps you:
- Qualify leads to ensure you’re focusing on the right opportunities
- Win deals by streamlining your sales process
- Organize contact information for easy access and management.
- Track deals and accounts to give you a complete view of your sales pipeline
ClickUp best features
- Integrations: Integrate with over 2,600 tools, including Google Drive, Outlook, Jira, and many more, with ClickUp Integrations
- Collaboration functionalities: Connect and engage with your team and clients in real time with ClickUp Chat and ClickUp Assign Comments
ClickUp limitations
- Some new users may experience a steep learning curve to the large number of features and customization options
- Customization options can be overwhelming for beginners
ClickUp pricing
- Free forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain: Add to any paid plan for $7/month per user
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
🧠 Fun Fact: The term customer relationship management was coined in 1995 by Tom Siebel, Jagdish N. Seth, and the Gartner Group, sparking the transformation of how businesses interact with customers.
2. Salesforce (Best CRM for enterprises)
Salesforce offers an all-encompassing platform to help businesses build stronger customer relationships and drive sales growth. It stands out for its customization and scalability.
You can implement its CRM capabilities into your unique workflow through customer apps, automated processes, and third-party integrations via the AppExchange marketplace.
Salesforce best features
- Organize your data into objects, records, fields, organizations, and applications in a spreadsheet-like format
- Automate customer interactions with Einstein Bots, which handle 60% of the inquiries, improving response times
- Leverage CRM Analytics for AI-powered predictions and perspective insights
Salesforce limitations
- Doesn’t offer color-coding options to organize leads
- Dashboards lack customization and advanced reporting features
Salesforce pricing
- Free
- Starter Suite: $25/month per user
- Pro Suite: $100/month per user
- Enterprise: $165/month per user
- Unlimited: $330/month per user
- Einstein 1 sales: $500/month per user
Salesforce ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (2,800+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (18,700+ reviews)
💡 Pro Tip: Develop a standardized follow-up process for each customer stage in your CRM. This helps ensure consistent communication and makes it easier for your team to prioritize each account’s needs.
3. Zoho CRM (Best for small to medium-sized businesses)
Zoho CRM offers a wide range of features to help businesses refine customer engagement and sales processes. Its clean interface supports sales forecasting, pipeline management, and analytics, making it a practical choice for remote sales teams.
Plus, the platform integrates with other Zoho apps and third-party tools, creating an ecosystem for customer data, sales management, and communication.
Zoho CRM best features
- Use PathFinder to get insights on customer interactions with your brand across multiple channels and touchpoints
- Create complex cross-functional paths and define different levels of customer journey with Journey Builder
- Follow up with customers via email, phone calls, chat, social media, and more with its omnichannel presence
Zoho CRM limitations
- Lacks offline capabilities
- The lead management process can be frustrating for B2B companies; it requires you to map the ‘last name’ for all leads, leading to inefficient workarounds
Zoho CRM pricing
- Standard: $20/month per user
- Professional: $35/month per user
- Enterprise: $50/month per user
- Ultimate: $65/month per user
Zoho CRM ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.1/5 (2,600+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (6,800+ reviews)
🔍 Did You Know? CRM technology is projected to be worth approximately $128.97 billion by 2028.
4. HubSpot CRM (Best for integrations and user-friendly interface)
Built with simplicity and scalability in mind, HubSpot CRM is a solid solution that integrates CRM, marketing, and sales tools into a platform. Its extensive library of free features like email tracking, content management, and live chat tools make it a popular choice to enhance CRM strategies for smaller teams.
You can track leads and automate outreach while analyzing campaign performance.
HubSpot CRM best features
- Visualize your entire sales pipeline as a dashboard in real-time
- Use AI-powered Smart CRM to unify customer data, teams, and tech stacks for a scalable customer experience
- Leverage various CRM components like deal and task management with email tracking
HubSpot CRM limitations
- Lacks options to design emails, especially when they include multimedia
- Limited reporting features; users can’t track the customer journey and understand marketing event timelines at a large scale
HubSpot CRM pricing
- Free
- Sales Hub Starter: $15/month per user
- Sales Hub Professional: $90/month per user
- Sales Hub Enterprise: $150/month per user
HubSpot CRM ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (12,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (4,200+reviews)
5. Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Best for integrated ERP and CRM solutions)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based CRM platform that integrates enterprise resource planning (ERP). It’s a good choice for organizations looking to streamline their customer management and operations, such as finance and supply chain processes.
It lets you leverage Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure and integrate with the ecosystem’s tools. Additionally, you can visualize data dynamically by experimenting with different chart types and fields directly within Microsoft Dynamics 365 dashboards.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 best features
- Use Microsoft Copilot for AI-powered real-time insights to gauge customer response and personalize journeys
- Connect and access data from many sources to create a holistic view of business operations
Microsoft Dynamics 365 limitations
- It’s primarily designed for Microsoft users, making it less adaptable for teams using diverse tools
- Limited collaboration opportunities, with reported slowdowns when multiple users edit the same document or presentation simultaneously
Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing
- Professional: $65/month per user
- Enterprise: $105/month per user
- Premium: $150/month per user
Microsoft Dynamics 365 ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.8/5 (1,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (5,700+ reviews)
🤝 Friendly Reminder: CRM adoption can falter if your team doesn’t know how to use it. It’s best to invest in onboarding and continuous learning, especially at the start.
6. Pipedrive (Best for pipeline management and sales optimization)
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM platform that emphasizes pipeline management and deal tracking. Its visual layout makes it easy for teams to see where deals are in the sales process and identify opportunities that need attention. You can also organize your workflow by automating repetitive tasks such as setting reminders or generating follow-up emails.
The Insights feature helps optimize workflows by identifying winning patterns, while its goal-setting and forecasting tools enable better resource allocation and strategy planning.
Pipedrive best features
- Avoid missing follow-ups with LeadBooster, Live Chat, Chatbot, and AI-powered prompts to focus on your leads
- Get real-time sales reports and understand the ins and outs of your sales funnel with AI suggestions, goal-setting, team monitoring, and advanced sales metrics
Pipedrive limitations
- Users can’t create product lists to match appropriate leads, making the data disorganized
- Finding high-level figures, like the number of new customers, requires a complex setup of filters and often gives unreliable answers
Pipedrive pricing
- Essential: $24/month per user
- Advanced: $44/month per user
- Professional: $64/month per user
- Power: $79/month per user
- Enterprise: $129/month per user
Pipedrive ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (2,100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (3,000+ reviews)
💡 Pro Tip: Set up customer feedback collection points within your CRM, such as automated surveys after support tickets are closed. This gives you valuable insights into customer satisfaction and areas for improvement.
7. Freshsales CRM (Best for AI-driven insights and automation)
Freshsales CRM focuses on providing tools that simplify lead management and communication.
The Contact Scoring System helps sales teams prioritize leads, while built-in email and phone support features make engaging with customers directly from the platform easy. This means you don’t have to switch through multiple internal and external communication tools.
Freshsales CRM best features
- View customer interactions, including social profiles, website engagement, customer touchpoints, and more, in one place
- Use Freddy, its AI assistant, to analyze and learn from customer historical data and activities for insights
- Get actionable insights with its in-depth analytics tools, create custom reports, and schedule them to be delivered to your mailbox
Freshsales CRM limitations
- Lacks advanced automation features like arithmetic operations and relative field comparisons
- The task management system doesn’t provide an overview for managers to track team member tasks
Freshsales CRM pricing
- Free
- Growth: $11/month per user
- Pro: $47/month per user
- Enterprise: $71/month per user
Freshsales CRM ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (1,200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (600+ reviews)
8. Insightly (Best for easy-to-read analytics and reporting)
Insightly combines customer relationship tools with project tracking features. This makes it a good option for teams that want to manage client relationships and associated tasks in one platform.
Plus, it helps you break down silos by making data accessible to all relevant stakeholders.
Insightly best features
- Drive, assign, and route leads while customizing objects, fields, and project management stages
- Design a convenient customer support panel with Insightly Service, offering knowledge management, ticketing, and reporting functionalities
- Create and track sales pipelines, empowering remote teams with its CRM mobile app
Insightly limitations
- Lacks advanced search options, leading to confusion
- The range of integrations may fall short for businesses using niche tools
Insightly pricing
- Plus: $29/month per user
- Professional: $49/month per user
- Enterprise: $99/month per user
Insightly ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (900+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4/5 (600+ reviews)
🔍 Did You Know? Around 82% of organizations rely on CRM systems for managing customer relationships and streamlining sales reporting. This adoption highlights the critical role CRM plays in helping businesses track performance, forecast sales, and make data-driven decisions.
9. SugarCRM (Best for highly customizable solutions)
SugarCRM is customizable CRM software that provides a detailed view of customer interactions and data. It offers robust tools for sales automation, marketing campaigns, and customer support, helping you manage relationships from the initial contact to post-sale support.
SugarCRM best features
- Gain visibility of customer activities, history, and records in one screen
- Predict sales performance with advanced forecasting, time-aware analytics, and real-time metrics
- Automate sales performance with drag-and-drop workflows and Smart Guides
SugarCRM limitations
- Lacks advanced reporting capabilities, such as the possibility to add more than just one data series to charts
- The programming language in the backend is difficult to learn, making it complex to use for non-technical users
SugarCRM pricing
- Essentials: $19/month for a minimum of three users
- Standard: $59/month for a minimum of 10 users
- Advanced: $85/month for a minimum of 10 users
- Premier: $135/month for a minimum of 10 users
SugarCRM ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.8/5 (700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 3.8/5 (400+ reviews)
💡 Pro Tip: Regularly update your CRM’s segmentation criteria to adapt to changes in customer behavior or market conditions. This ensures your targeting remains effective and relevant as customer needs evolve.
10. Creatio CRM (Best for low-code process automation and flexibility)
Creatio CRM is a process-driven platform emphasizing end-to-end customer journey automation and no-code customization. It combines sales, marketing, and service tools into a shared database, letting you manage every stage of the customer journey.
It helps you design and automate workflows without extensive technical expertise. You also get a 360-degree customer view with visibility into customer profiles, history, and AI-driven insights.
Creatio CRM best features
- Align your sales, marketing, and service teams with its lead to repeat customer process in a single-source database
- Analyze and track sales pipelines by stages, best reps, win/loss rate, and more to identify areas of improvement
- Improve customer service, response times, CSAT (customer satisfaction score), NPS (net promoter score), and CES (customer effort score) scores
Creatio CRM limitations
- You can’t upload individual lead contacts from phone or Outlook without full synchronization
Creatio CRM pricing
- Sales: $15/month per user
- Growth: $25/month per user
- Enterprise: $55/month per user
- Unlimited: $85/month per user
Creatio CRM ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (100+ reviews)
🔍 Did You Know? Forecasting and pipeline insights are the top CRM priorities for organizations today, with 43% of leaders emphasizing their importance. Closely behind, 41% prioritize intent data and lead scoring to identify and target the right opportunities.
Build Stronger CRM Workflows With ClickUp
Every software covered in this CRM comparison has strengths, from analytics to lead management and customer engagement tools.
If you’re still confused, here’s a tip: pick a CRM solution that meets your current needs and scale with your business as it grows. It should fit into your team’s workflow and integrate with your existing processes.
This is where ClickUp outshines other tools.
Designed for teams that want flexibility and control, ClickUp CRM integrates seamlessly with its powerful project management tools. Whether you’re tracking leads with ClickUp Dashboards or managing sales pipelines with Views, it allows you to create a system tailored to your team’s goals.
Sign up to ClickUp for free today! ✅