Best CRM for Small Business | Top 11 Reviewed for 2023

With the best CRM for small business needs, you’ll be able to take care of the most important factor of any business — your customers. From building long-lasting relationships to closing more deals, these tools are a must-have, especially for small businesses that need to build a reputation and encourage repeat business.

The best CRM tool will depend on your needs, so to help you find the right one we’ve reviewed the market’s best CRM for small businesses — from the almighty Salesforce to Zoho, and Zendesk — here you’ll learn everything you need to know to make an informed decision on the best one for your business.

CRM Software for Small Businesses in 2023 — Top 11 Shortlist

Once you realize that your small business needs the help of good CRM software and start searching for the right one, you’ll learn that this task requires a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, you won’t have a problem finding the perfect CRM software, as you’re currently on a page that contains a list of the best ten options for small businesses.

We’ve created this list based on the CRM software usability, price, functionality, integrations, and a few other aspects necessary for successful business-building. Here are our favorites:

1. ZohoCRM— The best Overall CRM software for small businesses in 2023
2. Freshsales — A helpful CRM software for small businesses and contract tracking
3. Salesforce — A comprehensive CRM tool for 360 customer management
4. Monday.com — An easy-to-use platform with additional project management features
5. HubSpot — The best CRM for free tools and one of the leading business tools in 2023
6. Pipedrive — Best CRM for simple lead management
7. Insightly — Popular for tracking sales
8. Bonsai — Popular all-in-one CRM tool for self-employed individuals
9. Less Annoying CRM — Best CRM software for startups
10. Zendesk — Best for customer support teams
11. Capsule — Best for small sales teams

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Best CRM Tools for Small Business — Compared

Upon thorough research, we tried to sum up what each of the ten CRM software solutions above is best for, so you could see which one would be particularly beneficial for your specific business type, sector, and goals.

If that wasn’t enough to help you make a decision, we prepared detailed reviews of CRM software for small business needs, which should be enough to help you take your pick.

1. Zoho CRM – Best Overall CRM Software for Small Business

ZohoCRM helps bring the best out of your customer-facing teams with its robust automation and pipeline management features.

For starters, it lets you create multiple columns to manage each stage of the deal. This’ll make it easier for you to delegate tasks to your team. After all, the employee who has been trained to send the first pitch might not have what it takes to close the deal.

If you want to generate more leads without spending hours cold-emailing prospects, Zoho CRM will be your friend in automating lead generation. It’ll find out potential leads from websites, social media platforms, chats, and trade shows and score their probability to close the deal so that you don’t waste your time on dead leads. 

Lead scoring will also help you choose the right sales rep to handle the deal. For example, if the lead score is too low for a deal and it seems hard to close, you can send in your most experienced employee to increase your chances of winning over the client.

Speaking of sales rep assignments, you can automate and optimize this process with Zoho CRM. It’ll evaluate factors like zip code, a product of interest, lead score, and other custom criteria relevant to your business to find the perfect sales rep match for every lead. The better your associate understands and connects with the lead, the higher will be their chances of closing the deal. 

Pricing

Zoho CRM offers a Standard plan at $14 per user per month that is suitable for small to mid-sized businesses and includes features like predefined reports and dashboards, email templates, and custom fields. If you need more advanced functionality, you can upgrade to the Enterprise or Ultimate plan.

You can test out Zoho CRM without any financial risk by signing up for a 15-day free trial. No credit card information is required, so there is no risk of losing any money.

2. Freshsales – Helpful CRM Software for Small Businesses and Contract Tracking

Freshsales is an all-in-one platform to manage lead interaction for all departments — sales, marketing, and customer support. Right from the first conversation with a lead to post-sale service, it helps you manage every interaction to win over new & old customers.

Our favorite thing about Freshsales is its AI bot Freddy. Freddy can chat with your prospects on your behalf when your team is busy with other clients. This reduces the wait time for your prospects and also filters out dead leads. 

Freddy will also help you close more deals through its smart suggestions on the next best action. Organize your sales tasks better, formulate the right strategies and win over your clients, all with Freddy’s help.

Growing your customer base alone isn’t enough. If you truly want to drive up your profit, you need to target high-value clients. Freshsales’s revenue forecasts will help you with that. 

It studies user behavior for both current leads and past users and helps you find out which of the leads can be converted to a high-paying client. Quit juggling 20 clients to reach the same monthly targets that 10 high-paying clients can help you achieve.

If you’re looking for expert advice, we suggest upgrading to Freshsales’s Enterprise plan which comes with a dedicated account manager who will give you priority support and consultation so that nothing will interrupt your business even for the slightest of durations.

Pricing

Freshsales offers a forever free plan with features like contact and account management, 24/5 support, and a mobile app.

Freshsales offers a free plan with many useful features, but to access Freddy, Freshsales’s highly regarded bot, we recommend upgrading to a paid plan. The most affordable option is the Growth plan, which costs $15 per user per month.

Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial on all of its paid plans, which gives you plenty of time to evaluate whether the tool is a good fit for your business. With no financial risk, we recommend giving Freshsales a try.

3. Salesforce — Best CRM software for Customer 360

Salesforce is an all-in-one CRM software that covers a wide range of needs related to the management of customer relationships. It’s our top pick because it allows you to have a perfect overview of all spheres of your business and attract and keep clients more easily.

Salesforce is one of the top-rated CRM tools in the industry. In fact, it’s renowned for being the best CRM software for small businesses in the UK and in many countries around the world.

Key Features:

• Contact, opportunity, and quote management — Whatever aspect of your small business you want to manage, Salesforce will enable you to do so. You will be able to keep track of your contacts, monitor the activity timeline of your work, track the products important for your business, and more.
• Einstein analytics — Use Einstein analytics to get the latest service insights and data in order to close more complicated sales and deals.
• AppExchange — Salesforce works impeccably with numerous apps. As a result, you will be able to streamline your workflow with many additional applications and use their features to your advantage.
• Customer 360° — Salesforce is entirely focused on making its clients happy, which is why the company has developed a 360° approach to make sure it meets all customers’ needs.

Pricing:

• Free trial
• Essentials — €25
• Sales/Service professional — €75

4. Monday.com — Best for Project Management

Monday.com is a cloud-based software that will ensure all your projects are done by qualified people and are on time.

Kanban boards will enable you to have the progress of all the projects on display so that you can manage them accordingly and collaborate with your team effectively. Also, Monday.com is a great option for those among you looking for the best free CRM software for small businesses.

Key Features:

• Unified workspace — Monday.com is a centralized platform that enables its users to do their work across all departments and collaborate on projects more efficiently.
• Automations — Create custom templates and use them to automatically complete work that doesn’t require any personalized details.
• Visual project representation — Monday.com allows you to arrange your work through charts, Kanban boards, dashboards, and timelines so that you can easily track how the project develops and progresses.
• Instant deal overview — Information that you need to close any deal is available with a single click. You can check your contract details anytime and follow the progress of any deal.

Pricing:

• Free-forever plan
• Basic — $8 per seat per month
• Standard — $10 per seat per month
• Pro — $16 per seat per month
• Enterprise — Contact customer support

5. HubSpot — Best for Free Tools

HubSpot is the best option for companies that wish to try free CRM software for small businesses but don’t want to invest a lot of money right away. This option offers a free-forever plan that features plenty of free tools, which are more than enough to get you on the right track.

HubSpot also scored highly in our rankings for the best construction CRM software as well.

Key Features:

• Extensive database — Put all the details about your leads, clients, and deals on the same platform and access them at all times with a click or two.
• Workflow automation — HubSpot automates tasks like building lists, sending emails, and similar. This ensures a seamless workflow and leaves more space for complicated tasks that require your attention.
• Top-notch information hub — You can get help from custom bots or HubSpot’s knowledge base and help desk, where you can find answers to all your questions regarding CRM features.
• Leads management and nurturing — Your leads will see exponential growth with list segmentation, lead scoring, persona management, smart content, and various other tasks and activities.

Pricing:

• Free-forever tools
• Starter — $50 billed monthly, $45 billed annually
• Professional — $890 billed monthly, $800 billed annually
• Enterprise — $3,200 annually

6. Pipedrive — Best for Simple Lead Management

Pipedrive should be your go-to option if you’re looking for simple CRM software for small business. This software offers core CRM features packed into a simple interface and makes it easy for you to manage your contacts, leads, and deals.

Key Features:

• Email and calendar sync — Thanks to this feature, you will be able to sync your calendar with Pipedrive and have your schedule automatically filled once a new task enters your working hours via email.
• Sales assistant — This personal assistant will improve your sales based on your performance history and give you hints about what to focus on next.
• Insights and reporting — Pipedrive will provide reports based on valuable insights from all your business data, such as your leads, team performance, revenue, and activities, which will help you spot weaknesses and improve with every next step.
• Simple functionality — Pipedrive is a highly functional platform that enables you to use all the vital CRM features easily, without spending days and nights learning how the software works.

Pricing:

• Free trial — 14 days
• Essential — $19.90 billed monthly, $14.90 billed annually
• Advanced — $34.90 billed monthly, $24.90 billed annually
• Professional — $59.90 billed monthly, $49.90 billed annually
• Enterprise — $119 billed monthly, $99 billed annually

7. Insightly — Best for Tracking Sales

Small teams that need to track sales should look no further than Insightly. You will be able to take full control of your project progress and sales pipeline, thanks to exclusive features for time and expense tracking, automatic reminders, data import, and more.

Key Features:

• Metrics tracking — Insightly allows you to track your sales processes from the start. You will always know every little detail about the sale, thus ensuring on-time delivery of high-quality products and services.
• General usability — Even small businesses that have no experience with CRM software will be able to use Insightly, as this software doesn’t have a steep learning curve.
• Mobile-friendly platform — Insightly works on both iOS and Android mobile devices, so you can always keep track of changes regarding your sales processes and other work-related tasks via native mobile apps.
• Customizable dashboards and apps — You can adapt Insightly to your needs and desires regardless of your business type. Namely, this software enables users to build custom apps, create unique dashboards, set workflow automation, and have a fully customizable work environment.

Pricing:

• Free Trial — 14 days
• Plus — $29 per user per month, billed annually
• Professional — $49 per user per month, billed annually
• Enterprise — $99 per user per month, billed annually

8. Bonsai — Popular All-in-One CRM Tool for Self-Employed Individuals

Bonsai is a phenomenal all-in-one tool that offers far more than just CRM functionality — from task management to time tracking, tax preparation, invoice automation, and more, Bonsai is an invaluable asset for small businesses and freelancers alike.

Key Features:

• CRM — You can manage all your leads, customers, and notes all in one place, plus automatically have leads tagged and keep track of where each contact is in your funnel
• Accounting — Automate your income and expense tracking, create customizable invoices, send automated invoice reminders, and automate your tax deductions
• Templates — This tool gives you ample free contract, proposal, invoice, agreement, quote, and scope of work templates to speed up your processes
• Automation — From automated timesheets to client payment reminders and even updates on payment timelines, Bonsai automates your day-to-day tasks to help you

Pricing:

• Free trial — 14 days
• Starter — $17/month
• Professional — $32/month
• Business — $52/month

The above is for annual subscriptions. Monthly plans start at $24/month.

9. Less Annoying CRM — Best CRM software for startups

Even if you’ve just entered the business world, your integration into it will be much easier with a CRM solution like Less Annoying CRM. Apart from being less annoying than other CRM software options, it’s also quite affordable, which makes it perfect for a startup.

Key Features:

• Contact management — Staying in touch with your clients and making them feel important is a must nowadays, and you can easily meet these expectations through Less Annoying CRM’s screen, where you can see all the files, events, notes, tasks, and other info.
• Simple collaboration — Delegating work is essential for effective business growth, and Less Annoying CRM is made in such a way that each employee can access important documents and files and communicate with others about important tasks.
• Straightforward interface — When you’re just starting a business, you need a platform that’s easy to use. Less Annoying CRM features a simple interface without lacking any important features, so it’s all you need for small business development.
• Up-to-date pipeline leads — You’ll never miss an important lead once you start using this solution for your startup. The software will regularly update all the information regarding your leads, such as contact info, status, priority, and last conversations.

Pricing:

• Free trial — 30 days
• Paid plan — $15 per user per month

10. Zendesk — Best for Customer Support Teams

Zendesk is one of the best CRM software when it comes to customer support. Thanks to its help desk and ticketing features, you can take care of your customers easily, and a single dashboard can keep all their information in the same place. 

Key Features:

• Sales calls and emails — Thanks to Zendesk, you will be able to manage all your sales calls and emails, as well as keep all the log information for future reference. Also, you’ll get real-time push notifications about customers’ inquiries, so you will never miss a chance to land a new client.
• Integrations — Like many other CRM software options, Zendesk works with a plethora of other apps and allows you to expand the functionality of your small business.
• Prospecting tools — Zendesk’s various prospecting tools help sales teams boost productivity by building targeted lead lists, expanding to untapped markets, completing outreach tasks automatically, etc.
• Analytics and reporting — Various analytics and sales reporting tools make Zendesk ideal for maintaining performance. Calculated metrics offered by Zendesk CRM software will tell you exactly what to do to become even better at what you do.

Zendesk Service Pricing:

• Team — $49 per agent/month billed annually
• Growth — $79 per agent/month billed annually
• Professional — $99 per agent/month billed annually
• Enterprise — $150 per agent/month billed annually
• Additional Enterprise-ready plans — from $215 per agent/month billed annually

Zendesk Sales Pricing:

• Team — $19 per agent/month billed annually
• Growth — $49 per agent/month billed annually
• Professional — $99 per agent/month billed annually

11. Capsule — Best for Small Sales Teams

Capsule is an affordable CRM software for small business needs that stands out from the crowd with its good sales analytics and collaboration tools. Thanks to it, everyone on the team can follow the projects and be in the loop.

Key Features:

• Contact management — With Capsule CRM, you can always have an overview of all the companies and people you’re doing business with.
• Email templates — Why waste time writing individual emails every day when you can send them via Gmail or Outlook within Capsule itself?
• Calendar and tasks — Capsule allows easy creation of tasks related to phone calls, meetings, and appointments and adds them to your calendar for seamless organization.
• Sales pipeline and analytics — Improve your sales and gain insight into new business opportunities by monitoring the sales circle and reading personalized reports.

Pricing:

• Free plan — Up to two users and 250 contacts
• Professional — £12
• Teams — £24
• Enterprise — £36

What Does a CRM Software for a Small Business Do?

CRM software is a customer relationship management solution that offers a variety of tools and features for improving the connection between your small business and your clients. These platforms give you a better insight into the needs of your potential and existing customers and help you build a brand that everyone wants to work with.

Once you start using CRM software, you’ll be able to safely store all the data about your clients and your mutual deals, monitor and manage your projects and collaborations, establish effective communication, analyze and improve your sales, and offer outstanding customer service.

What Are the Advantages of Using a CRM Tool for a Small Business?

Many small business owners claim that their companies flourished once they started using a CRM software solution, especially those using the best real estate CRM software. Some of the CRM software advantages they mentioned are:

• Contact management — A good CRM solution will help your small business attract new customers and maintain strong relationships with existing ones. You can easily monitor and manage all the ongoing projects while offering your clients the best possible service.
• Data storage — If you don’t use software for handling all the data about your clients, the information can easily get lost or misplaced. With CRM software, you’ll have everything under the same roof — details about your customers, the status of your deal, all the files and documents, and much more.
• Analytics and reports — CRM software platforms can track your scores, leads, and progress and then compile them in a report. You can use these analyses to learn from your mistakes and build better relationships with your clients.
• Integration and automation — Depending on the CRM software you pick, you’ll be able to integrate it with certain applications and improve the overall functionality of your business.
• Improved sales — No matter how good your sales metrics are, they can be even better with CRM software that keeps track of essentials and provides insights into what you should do next.

Small Business CRM FAQs