Deploying a CRM system in your business can help you to streamline your sales and marketing processes and improve your customer relationships whilst empowering you with a wealth of knowledge from data analytics. There are however many CRM software providers on the market and choosing the right one can time consuming, so we have explored what each of the leading CRM software providers can offer to assist you in this search.
Topics
Featured CRMs
| Best CRM for small business | Cheapest price per month | Free trial |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | £20 | Yes |
| Bigin | £0 | Yes |
| Zoho CRM | £0 | Yes |
| Copper CRM | $25 | Yes |
| Monday.com | £0 | Yes |
| Freshsales CRM | £0 | Yes |
| HubSpot CRM | £0 | Yes |
| Insightly CRM | £0 | Yes |
| Less Annoying CRM | $15 | Yes |
| Zendesk Sell | £19 | Yes |
| Pipedrive CRM | £12.50 | Yes |
| Keap CRM | $79 | Yes |
| Teamgate CRM | 8EUR | Yes |
| Nimble CRM | $19 | Yes |
| Freshworks CRM | £0 | Yes |
| SugarCRM | £41.60 | Yes |
| Act! CRM | £15 | Yes |
| Capsule CRM | £0 | Yes |
| Agile CRM | £0 | Yes |
| SAP | Not stated | No |
| ServiceNow | Not stated | No |
| Microsoft Dynamics | £37.70 | Yes |
* The facts and figures included here come from each company’s website and were accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed. Also, please keep in mind these may not be apples to apples comparisons as each provider offers different solutions. This guide should be used as a starting point for more research on your part.
Below we profile each of the companies’ services and features in a bit more detail.
Companies are ranked in no particular order.
1. Salesforce
- Offers CRM software that caters for a variety of needs including small businesses
- Tailored to the needs of your businesses
- A cloud-based system that can track email and capture web leads
- Centralise and improve your sales
- Improve customer services through increasing satisfaction and retention through help desk solution
- Gain marketing insights through better data and grow your pipeline
- Capture leads and conversions
- Automate sales processes
- Reduce admin work
- Contact them on 0800 092 1223
Website Salesforce CRM
2. Bigin
- CRM system designed for small businesses
- Offers a risk-free trial for 15 days and free plan for a single user and 500 records
- Capture all communication and activities in one place
- Manage your pipeline effectively
- Real-time notifications and automation of activities
- Apps for iOS and Android
- User-friendly dashboard to give you an overview
- Manage activities and follow-up activities
- Choose a template to suit your business and get set up in less than 30 minutes
- Sign up online on their website
Website Bigin CRM
3. Zoho CRM
- Easy to use CRM system
- A powerful suite of software to run your business
- Offers flexible month to month contracts and transparent pricing
- Onboarding and training support including a migration wizard to import data easily
- Automate processes and reduce admin
- Integration with other systems and applications
- Track all communication channels – telephone, email, live chat and social media
- Apps for iOS and Android
- Offers a 15-day free trial
- Sign up online
Website Zoho CRM
4. Copper CRM
- Provides an integrated CRM solution
- Offers a 14-day trial
- Better insight into customer activity
- Integrates with Google Workspace, Chrome and other tools and apps
- Add leads, look up interactions, create events and follow up on tasks
- See everything from your Gmail inbox
- Automate workflow and tasks
- Track progress
- Mobile apps on iOS and Android
- Book a demo and start a trial online
Website Copper CRM
5. Monday.com
- Offers an international used CRM system
- Designed to boost team alignment, efficiency and productivity
- Offers a free plan for up to 2 users
- Streamline processes, tools and files and customisable workflows
- Bring teams together with collaborative tools
- Easy to use automation and real-time notifications
- High-level overview through customisable dashboards
- Integrate with a variety of tools
- 24/7 customer support
- Sign up online for a 14-day free trial
Website Monday.com CRM
6. Freshsales CRM
- Offers Sales CRM and Sales & Marketing CRM
- Create and track sales activities
- Tailored processes and contact lifecycles
- Customisable fields, roles and modules
- Caters for multi-currencies and languages
- Automate tasks
- Connect communication channels and unify customer information
- Integrates with your phone
- Gain insight and enhance productivity with AI and sales data
- Offers a 21-day free trial
Website Freshsales CRM
7. HubSpot CRM
- Offers a powerful and easy to use CRM
- Provides free access to some features on Marketing Hub, Sales Hub and Service Hub
- Premium software is offered with enhanced features and first-class support
- 14-day free trial available on CMS Hub and Operations Hub
- Each of the platform products are available as standalone items or combined
- Automation of processes
- Connection of communication tools
- Templates and builder tools
- Offers a choice of plan levels – Starter, Professional and Enterprise
- Provides support by phone and email
Website HubSpot CRM
8. Insightly CRM
- Offers a CRM system that is built to provide insight
- Provides a free plan for up to 2 users
- Track activity and communications
- Automatically route leads to the right person
- Workflow automation
- Send, track and save emails
- Align teams and processes
- Securely connect all your tools
- Customisable real-time data dashboards
- Manage on the go with a mobile app on iOS and Android
Website Insightly CRM
9. Less Annoying CRM
- CRM system created for simplicity
- Designed for individuals, small businesses and teams
- An affordable alternative for smaller businesses
- Free 30-day trial
- No long-term contracts
- Intuitive system
- Quick and easy set up
- Simple pricing plans
- Free phone and email support
- Sign up online for a free trial
Website Less Annoying CRM
10. Zendesk Sell
- Sales based CRM system
- Designed to maximise productivity, visibility and revenue
- Assists in making data-driven decisions
- Integrates with tools and apps
- Complete overview of customer accounts and track sales
- Build and manage sales pipelines
- Automate communication tracking
- Mobile app so you can use it on the go
- Reporting and forecasting
- Sign up for a free trial on their website
Website Zendesk Sell CRM
11. Pipedrive CRM
- Sales led CRM systems
- Designed by salespeople to help grow revenue
- Offers a free 14-day trial
- Reduce manual work with automation
- Set up the software in a few minutes
- Schedule calls, emails and meetings
- Access insights and reporting
- Intuitive design
- Mobile app
- Sign up for a free trial online
Website Pipedrive CRM
12. Keap CRM
- CRM for sales and marketing
- Offers 14-day free trial
- Provides three levels of plans
- Easy to use software
- Capture leads more efficiently
- Automate communications and follow up
- Consolidate tools including email and SMS, calendar bookings, invoice and payments
- Customisable options on some plans
- Mobile app
- 24/7 support
Website Keap CRM
13. Teamgate CRM
- Offers a smart sales CRM system
- Provides a free trial
- Integrated inbox to send and receive emails with most email providers
- Save time on administration and streamline processes
- Provides smart customer management tools
- Onboarding support
- Simplify sales processes and access tools
- Gain insight into your sales pipeline
- Integrate with tools and apps
- Book a demo or free trial online
Website Teamgate CRM
14. Nimble CRM
- Offers a CRM system for more than salespeople
- Offers a 14-day free trial
- Easy to use
- Integrates with email, social media and website
- Tracks all activity
- Manage data and reporting
- User-friendly dashboard
- Customisable pipelines
- Mobile iOS and Android apps
- Sign up for a free trial online
Website Nimble CRM
15. Freshworks CRM
- Provides a range of CRM systems tailored to different needs
- Offers a 21-day trial
- Omnichannel suite
- Support desk and contact centre solutions
- Messaging solutions
- Sales solutions
- Marketing solutions
- Easy to use and intuitive system
- Integrates with other software
- Sign up online for a free trial
Website Freshworks CRM
16. SugarCRM
- CRM system designed for marketing, sales and customer service
- Offers 7-day free trial
- Designed for startups to mid-size organisations
- Provides a complete view of customer history and sales
- Intuitive customer experience tools
- Analytics that allows you to make data-driven decisions
- Offers a choice of plans that can be upgraded at any time
- Provides a comparison tool to help you to choose the right plan
- Add-ons are available at an extra cost
- Sign up online for a demo or free trial
Website SugarCRM
17. Act! CRM
- All in one CRM system for sales and marketing
- Offers a 14-day free trial
- Transparent fees and value for money
- Provides power tools to support sales and promote your business
- Automate processes
- Track and monitor sales and customers
- Store all customer communications in one place
- Outlook integration
- Mobile app for iOS and Android
- Sign up for a free trial online
Website Act! CRM
18. Capsule CRM
- Provides a choice of CRM plans
- Offers a free plan for up to 250 contacts and 2 users
- 30-day free trial available on all plans
- Consolidate all customer communications in one place
- Track and monitor customers and sales
- Tailor your pipeline to your needs
- Make informed decisions using sales analytics reports
- Integrate with popular tools and apps including QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, Outlook, Gmail and Mailchimp
- Provides calendar and task management tools
- Sign up online for a free trial
Website Capsule CRM
19. Agile CRM
- CRM designed for sales, marketing and customer service
- Offers a free trial
- Provides an all in one platform
- Easy implementation and use
- Integrates with tools and apps
- A fast, cloud-based system
- Manage contacts, communications and appointments
- Track sales and monitor progress
- Automate workflows
- Sign up online for a free trial
Website Agile CRM
20. SAP
- Offers a range of sales, marketing and service CRM software
- Cloud-based software that provides real-time data
- Personalise communications and customer journeys
- Simplify and refine processes with AI and automation
- Streamline your analytics
- Mobile app to access your data/customers from any device anywhere
- Create loyalty and growth
- Gain customer insights from reporting
- Purchase a single module or combine into a more comprehensive package
- Offers a range of other business software solutions
Website SAP CRM
21. ServiceNow
- Offers Customer Service Management (CSM) software
- Provides a choice of three plans
- Improves service operations
- Engage customers with digital workflows
- Bring together front, middle and back office
- Automate processes and increase efficiency
- Intelligent route tasks to the best employee
- Monitor services and identify problems quicker
- Increase self-service
- AI-powered chatbot
Website ServiceNow CRM
22. Microsoft Dynamics
- Offers a variety of CRM software for sales, marketing and customer service
- Engage customers and build personal experiences
- Connect customer experiences across channels using AI
- Gain valuable insight through customer data
- Accelerate revenue using AI
- Use collaboration tools to aid customer journeys
- Improve sales pipeline efficiency
- Optimise operations and elevate employee effectiveness
- Provide an omnichannel solution across channels seamlessly
- Sign up for a 30-day free trial of their software
Website Microsoft Dynamics CRM
What is CRM software?
CRM stands for customer relationship management and CRM software is designed as an integrated software solution that brings together all customer information and interactions. It helps businesses to consolidate all their customer information in a single place and better manage those contacts and maintain relationships by tracking communications, purchases and customer details. It allows sales and marketing teams to track leads and develop pipelines. It allows businesses to analyse their data and make informed decisions based on what their customer information and sales data say and can forecast and report.
Many CRM software providers offer different plans and packages, and their content can vary so it is worth checking what you will get before purchasing a plan or utilise their free trial to sample what their software offers. Some providers also offer features that can include automation of processes to reduce administration, integration with business apps and tools, capturing emails, sending of emails and text messages, calendar integration, and the ability to access it through a mobile.
Why do small businesses need CRM software?
Small businesses can benefit from CRM software as much as larger businesses as it can help them to streamline processes and communications and assist in tracking customers more effectively. The CRM software can bring together all your communication with a customer and allow you to quickly look at your history with them on a desktop or on the move making your business seem more responsive and customer-focused. By streamlining your processes and introducing automation, you can reduce administration time and focus your resources on sales and business management. The CRM software also provides greater insight into your customers and sales and allows you to analyse the data captured to make more informed decisions.
Small businesses can benefit from these features as it makes managing customers easier, can elevate pressures on your business through streamlining processes and increasing the information they have when making decisions. It can support growth and increase sales as well as give you a competitive edge.
How much is CRM software?
The cost of CRM software varies depending on the provider, what the software offers and the number of users you have and in some cases the number of contacts you have. There are a few providers that offer a free plan which is normally limited by the users and the number of contacts that you can have in the CRM.
Paid plans start at £5 per month per user for basic plans and there are often 3 or 4 levels of plans available that are tiered in pricing and the level of features included which can be priced into hundreds of pounds depending on the provider.
What is the cheapest CRM software?
The cheapest CRM software is free but this offers limited functionality, users and contacts. The basic paid plans will offer more functionality, users and contacts, however, generally the more you pay the more features, capabilities and capacity you will get. Basic paid plans can start as low as £5 per month per user.
What is the best CRM software?
Which CRM software is best is subjective depending on your needs and budget. There are a variety of CRM software options available and some specialise in providing support to particular sectors, functions or scale of businesses. The content of these CRM systems can vary and therefore it is important to understand what you need from your CRM software now and in the future so that it can grow with you. You should list out your needs and compare each of the offerings to see if provides the features that you need. Some systems may offer more than what you require and you may end up paying for features that you do not need which might mean you are paying more for it than necessary as other providers may offer a more basic plan at a more affordable price.