Best CRM Software For Small Business Of 2024
Editorial Note: This content has been independently collected by the Forbes Advisor team and is offered on a non-advised basis. This content is not part of the comparison service provided by RunPath Regulatory Services. Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps businesses increase sales, drive growth and provide exceptional customer experiences. There are many CRM platforms on the market, each with its own set of features and benefits. To help make your research easy, we’ve created a guide to the best CRM for small businesses available today. Take a closer look at our top picks so you can find your ideal CRM software.
The Best CRM Software for Small Businesses
- Zoho CRM: Best for startups
- Monday.com: Best for teams
- Zendesk Sell: Best for customer support
- Insightly: Best for project management
- FreshSales: Best for lead management
- Salesforce: Most comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) platform
- Pipedrive: Best for simplicity
Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content to guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
To find the best CRM software for small businesses, we considered over 25 of the leading CRM providers in the space and narrowed it down to 15, which we then evaluated across five key categories and 17 different metrics. Our ratings consider factors such as transparent pricing, employee self-sufficiency, compatibility with third-party integrations, access to customer support and ratings. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
BEST FOR STARTUPS
Zoho CRM
Starting price
Free; INR 800 per month (billed annually)
Free Trial
15 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting price
Free; INR 800 per month (billed annually)
Free Trial
15 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Zoho CRM offers everything you need to manage your sales pipeline and grow your business. It allows businesses of all sizes to customize their process, create sales workflows and leverage powerful reporting. It also provides a full suite of apps that integrate with the platform for marketing, customer support, accounting, human resources and inventory management, provided you have a paid plan.
Monthly plans start at INR 800 per month and go up to INR 2,600 per month, after discount when you sign up for a full year. There’s also a free option. The free basic plan is good for up to three users, so it’s best for small businesses and startups, and includes leads, deals, contact management, tasks, events, Zoho app integrations and multichannel marketing.
Paid plans include features such as custom dashboards, inventory management, advanced customization and scoring rules. You can also create a mobile app for your business in minutes using Zoho Creator. It allows you to access your business data from anywhere, directly from your Android and iOS devices.
Who should use it:
Zoho CRM is best for startups and small businesses because of its sales workflows and pay-as-you-go pricing.
- Offers a free plan
- No contracts
- Streamlined user interface
- Free plan doesn’t include third-party integrations, just Zoho apps
- Must pay for Premium and Enterprise support
BEST FOR TEAMS
monday.com
Starting Price
Free; INR 659.51 ($8) per user per month for basic features
Free trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting Price
Free; INR 659.51 ($8) per user per month for basic features
Free trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Cloud-based monday.com is best for teams that need to collaborate on tasks and projects. The platform offers a Kanban-style board view of your tasks that helps you visualize your work and collaborate with team members. You can also track the progress of projects, add due dates and comments and attach files.
You can get a free trial for 14 days, and monthly pricing starts at free and goes up to INR 1319.01 (%$6) for three users (yearly subscribers receive an 18% discount). For Enterprise-level plans, you must contact sales for a quote. Its free plan is robust, with templates for lead, contact and deal management, web forms, up to 1,000 contacts, two team members, over 20 column types and an iOS and Android app.
Paid plans include features such as unlimited customizable pipelines, unlimited contacts and viewers, sales forecasting, sales analytics, automations and integrations.
Who should use it:
The flexible monday.com CRM is best for teams, especially those that need to collaborate on projects and tasks. The platform visualizes your work in Kanban-style boards and lets you track the progress of tasks and add due dates, comments and attachments.
- Free forever plan
- Low-cost paid plans starting at INR 659.51 ($8) per user per month
- Very flexible CRM
- Forecast sales with Pro CRM plan
- iOS and Android apps
- Paid plans have a three-user minimum
- Involves a learning curve
- Can only score leads with Enterprise CRM
BEST FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Zendesk Sell
Starting price
INR 1,566.33 ($19) per user per month
Free Trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting price
INR 1,566.33 ($19) per user per month
Free Trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Zendesk Sell is best for businesses that need to provide customer support. It’s a CRM platform with integrated ticketing and help desk features, which allows you to manage customers from a single dashboard. You can track leads and opportunities in your pipeline, log communication history and assign tasks to collaborate with your team, as well as get real-time notifications when you receive an inquiry.
You can get a free trial for 14 days and pricing starts at INR 1,566.33 ($19) per user per month and goes up to INR 8,161.39 ($99) per user per month. Paid plans include features such as unlimited paid users, custom fields, reports and dashboards, team collaboration tools, advanced workflow automations and customer insights.
Who should use it:
Zendesk Sell is best for businesses that need to provide customer support and need a ticketing system.
- Calendar integration
- Connect to Zendesk Support
- Call tracking and recording
- Automated distribution not available on lowest plan
- No free plan
- Clunky interface
BEST FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Insightly
Starting Price
INR 2,390.71 ($29) per user per month
Free Trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting Price
INR 2,390.71 ($29) per user per month
Free Trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Insightly is best for small businesses that need to manage projects. It allows you to keep a pulse on your sales pipeline and project progress with its Gantt chart view, as well as track time and expenses. You can also create custom fields, import data from other apps and set up automatic reminders to follow up with leads.
You can get a free trial for 14 days, and pricing starts at 2,390.71 ($29) per user per month and goes up to INR 8,161.39 ($99) per user per month, paid annually. Plans include features such as advanced reporting, automation rules, custom branding, data import, and project management and delivery.
Who should use it:
Insightly is best for small businesses that need to manage projects and want to track their sales pipeline.
- Project management and delivery
- Lead management
- Opportunity management
- Lead assignment and tracking
- Track milestones
- Customizable reports
- No lead assignment and routing in Plus plan
- Can only schedule outbound emails with Professional or Enterprise plans
- More expensive than alternatives
BEST FOR LEAD MANAGEMENT
Freshsales
Starting Price
Free; INR 999 per user per month (billed annually)
Free trial
21 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting Price
Free; INR 999 per user per month (billed annually)
Free trial
21 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Freshsales built-in lead capture forms allow you to easily gather information from potential customers on the web. Then, track leads through your sales pipeline and convert them into opportunities and customers.
You can get a free trial for 21 days, and pricing starts at free and goes up to INR 4,999 per user per month. Paid plans include features such as multicurrency support, advanced reporting and analytics, business process workflows, deal management and holiday routing.
Who should use it:
Freshsales is best for businesses that need a CRM with comprehensive lead management.
- Free forever plan
- Low-cost paid plans starting at INR 999 per user per month
- No minimum user requirement
- Deal management
- Contact management
- Contact lifecycle stages
- One of the longest free trials available
- File storage limits
- Call masking not available on Free plan
- Warm transfers not available on Free or Growth plans
MOST COMPREHENSIVE CRM PLATFORM
Salesforce
Starting price
INR 2,060.96 ($25) per user per month (billed annually)
Free Trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting price
INR 2,060.96 ($25) per user per month (billed annually)
Free Trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Salesforce is best for businesses that want a comprehensive all-in-one CRM. It allows you to manage your leads, contacts, opportunities and customers. You can get a bird’s-eye view of your business with its interactive dashboard and receive real-time alerts.
To test drive plan features, take advantage of the free 14-day trial. Pricing starts at INR 2,060.96 ($25) per month when paid annually and goes up to INR 24,731.49 ($300) per month for the Unlimited plan. There are add-ons to extend the functionality of your Salesforce solution as you grow, which makes it a great option for companies that want to stick with the same CRM provider at all stages of growth.
Who should use it:
Businesses that need a comprehensive CRM in an all-in-one tool will appreciate Salesforce. As your company grows, you can add on additional products to support that growth.
- The cloud-based platform is accessible anywhere
- Its base plan, Essentials, is good for up to ten users
- Offers add-ons for extended functionality of the CRM
- Steep learning curve
- Monthly pricing is only available on its Essentials plan
- Setup takes a while
BEST FOR SIMPLICITY
Pipedrive
Starting Price
INR 816.14 ($9.90) per user per month (billed annually)
Free trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Starting Price
INR 816.14 ($9.90) per user per month (billed annually)
Free trial
14 days
Pipeline Management
Yes
Pipedrive is best for small businesses that need a strong core set of basic CRM features, but don’t want all the fuss that comes with a more robust system. It allows you to manage your leads, contacts and deals in a clean, intuitive visual interface. One major issue preventing Pipedrive from having a higher score is its security. You only get notified about suspicious logins, potential data leaks and loss if you have the Enterprise plan, which should come standard with any plan, no matter your CRM provider.
You can try it out for free for 14 days, and pricing starts at INR 816.14 ($9.90) per user per month when paid annually. With the Advanced plan and above, receive customizable email templates and signatures, email open and click tracking, email scheduling, video call scheduling and two-way email sync.
Who should use it:
Pipedrive is best for small businesses that want a simple CRM for lead management.
- Affordably-priced plans starting at INR 816.14 ($9.90) per user per month
- Beginner-friendly and easy to use
- Lead management
- Deal management
- Customizable sales pipelines
- 24/7 email and chat support
- 275+ apps and integrations
- No free plan
- Security rules and alerts only available on the Enterprise plan
- Phone support and implementation program only available with Enterprise plan
Forbes Advisor Ratings
Benefits of Using A CRM
The benefits of using a CRM platform are seemingly endless. For starters, it provides a central hub for customer information, makes that information accessible to all departments, tracks sales, organizes analytical information and facilitates collaboration between various teams.
How to Choose a CRM Service for Small Business
The return on investment from selecting the best CRM software can be massive. However, with so many CRM platforms on the market, the search can be overwhelming. To help combat decision fatigue, follow these simple steps to find the best CRM for your small business.
Step 1: Know Your Priorities and Goals
It is imperative to know why you want a CRM system in the first place. A CRM system can only help your business if you outline clear goals. To help clarify goals, begin with a business audit or gap analysis. Review yearly business performance reports to find areas that need improvement and identify key goals with timeline markers. Business goals could vary from expanding product lines to increasing revenue to strengthening customer service. After identifying business goals, consider how a CRM system could help you reach those goals.
Step 2: Find Your Team Members’ Needs
It is important to identify exactly who will be using the system and why. Sales and marketing departments are generally the main users of CRM software, however, every department should have input in the decision-making process for the system to work seamlessly. Ask each team member what their needs are and how they think the software system could help them perform their duties.
Step 3: Determine Important Features
The sheer volume of CRM features and tools is overwhelming. Take control of the situation by making a list of what you are looking for before you begin the search. For the sake of clarity, create a “must-have” features list to narrow down the options. Compile the information gathered from team members, along with your business goals and timeline markers to create the list. For example, if you are using the CRM for marketing purposes, then software with marketing automation, lead tracking and data analysis might be on your must-have list.
No matter what your focus is, make sure robust data security and customer support features are on the must-have list. Required software security features are two-factor authentication, encryption and advanced user permissions. Customer support features like live chat and phone support will be crucial when questions or concerns arise.
Step 4: Consider Different Types of CRM
While all CRM systems should help you develop better relationships with your customer base (hence the name), there is no one-size-fits-all system. CRM solutions can vary widely depending on the features they focus on. The three major types of CRM are:
- Collaborative. The main focus of the collaborative CRM is providing a seamless customer experience through the various departments of a company. Collaborative CRMs are great for larger companies where the marketing team, sales team and customer support teams are disconnected and need help sharing real-time customer information.
- Operational. The operational CRM streamlines the customer relations process. It is the best of the three for an all-around CRM solution. Operational CRMs typically leverage three automation features—sales force automation, marketing automation and service automation. The automatic responses help guide the customer’s journey from their first interaction on your website through the sales pipeline.
- Analytical. Digital platforms make it easy to collect large quantities of customer data. That data is wasted, however, if you do not have a way to analyze it. Analytical CRM analyzes your customers’ data, providing a deep insight into their buying behavior and purchasing trends. Business owners can use these insights to craft smarter marketing campaigns and enhance customer service.
Step 5: Create a Budget
The cost of CRM software swings widely based on the number of users, features, subscription base and more. Prices range from INR 800 per user per month on the low end to INR 8161.39 ($99) per user per month on the high end. Some companies do offer free versions of their software, however, the features, number of users and storage capacity are highly limited.
Another way to whittle down the plethora of companies is to set a budget at the onset to give you search parameters. This will give you a clear ceiling and eliminate options that live outside your predetermined budget.
Step 6: Research Top CRM Platforms
Once your search is narrowed down to a handful of options, start researching those options. There are a few key things you can use to determine if a platform will be a good fit for your needs.
- User reviews. Take time to read the user reviews of the potential software on your list. Pay attention to what reviews list as the pros and cons. This will give you a more honest version of the software than the company’s website.
- Word of mouth. Ask colleagues and other business owners about their CRM system. Are they happy with it? Why or why not? Would they recommend it for someone in your industry?
- Trade publications. Trade magazines and websites are always a great source of information on all things pertaining to your industry. Spend a few hours researching the mentions of CRM software on any trade publications.
- Independent software comparisons. There are many reputable websites unaffiliated with software companies that score, compare, and contrast products for consumers. Forbes Advisor is one such website, and we’ve published our guide to the best CRMs for small business for your reference.
Once you have narrowed down your search to one software provider, test it out to make sure it works for your company. Most CRM vendors offer a free full-feature trial of their product. Take advantage of this to ensure the system meets your business requirements and expectations.
Methodology
To determine the best CRM for small business, Forbes Advisor researched providers in the space and narrowed it down to the 15 top providers. We analyzed these across five primary categories for a total of 17 different metrics. The criteria were then weighted to favor features that matter most to small businesses. The best CRM software had the best overall scores based on our methodology.
Here are the metrics we used to evaluate the top CRM services.
Pricing
For pricing, we considered the cost per user per month for each paid plan, minimum user requirements, introductory pricing, the availability of free trials, free trial length and money-back guarantees. Pricing accounts for 10% of our total score.
Key Features
We analyzed each CRM based on key features such as pipeline management, customization capabilities, contact and lead management, lifecycle stages and tracking, opportunity scoring, communication tracking, lead assigning, third-party integrations and reporting analytics tools. These key features make up 40% of our score.
Unique Features
In addition to the key features, we also devoted 15% of our score to whether or not the services included unique features that could make a difference for certain businesses and use cases, such as built-in email marketing tools and multi-currency support for those who service international markets.
Ratings and Reviews
We also looked at customer reviews to determine if user experience matches marketing promises. We considered each provider’s average rating and how many reviews each had and weighed them at 5%.
Expert Score
Lastly, we included our expert opinion based on a great deal of first-hand experience using these different CRM services across several different use cases. We also considered factors such as ease of use and value for price based on the quality of the available features. This accounts for 30% of the total score.
2024 CRM Trends
CRMs are a vital component of today’s business landscape, and a number of CRM trends are becoming more common. Here are the top 2024 CRM trends we anticipate for the upcoming year.
Increasing CRM Sophistication and Functionality
Customer relationship management systems continue to become more sophisticated, functional and comprehensive. CRM software companies now offer improvements to existing functions while also creating specialized solutions for a variety of needs. Technological advancements regularly change the way we use CRMs in the business world by increasing the usefulness of and adding more value to collected data.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is hands down one of the most impactful technologies incorporated into the world of consumer data utilization. The technology encompasses many areas, including predictive analytics, machine learning and language processing. Companies have been adopting more and more AI technology to streamline internal and external processes and improve the customer’s experience with the business.
The primary areas in which we expect to see AI growth are predictive models (trigger events, customer behavior, project timelines, etc.), customer service (chatbots, self-service, sentiment analysis, etc.) and lead management (customer preferences, nurturing schedules, upselling suggestions, etc.). AI has the capability to both assist customers directly and to provide company employees with better tools and suggestions for managing and optimizing their work.
In 2019, data from Freshworks Inc. revealed that only 12% of CRM software users had incorporated AI tools, but that 75% were interested in exploring the capabilities offered by AI technologies.
CRM Growth in New Markets
CRM isn’t just for big companies and niche industries. Until recently, the majority of industries employing CRMs have been large corporations working in consulting, insurance, real estate and distribution. Now, more industries than ever before are recognizing the value of CRMs and finding ways to integrate these tools into business operations. A report from Stellaxius showed overall CRM usage increased by 18% between 2018 and 2019.
Industry-Specific CRMs and CRMs for Small Business
There has been an increase in CRM development that caters to the individual needs of certain industries. Examples include hospitality, banking, construction and healthcare, which are all industries that rarely benefited from CRMs in the past. Small business owners are also beginning to recognize the value that CRMs can give to customers and conversion rates. In the future, even more industries and businesses, regardless of size, are expected to begin using CRMs.
Fewer Adoption Barriers
It is now easier than ever to adopt CRM technology into the everyday operation of your company. CRM companies will continue to focus on making CRMs less expensive, easier to use and easier to implement. Companies that have been hesitant about integrating CRM technology into their business will be encouraged to give it a try.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
