The 10 Best CRM Software in 2024

The best CRM software are generalized sales tools that allow businesses of all sizes to manage and track client interactions and streamline processes. The software offers a mix of core and advanced features, affordability, intuitive UX and customization for businesses to adapt the tool to fit their unique needs. While the providers below offer general marketing and sales solutions, they also have in-market specializations that allow niche sectors to implement a tool with industry-specific features.

Employees per Company Size

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)

Any Company Size
Any Company Size

Features

Calendar, Collaboration Tools, Contact Management, and more

Even though there are different types of CRM software, the best general providers still offer core functionalities such as integrations, internal and external omni-channel communication and advanced reporting and analytics. Below, I dive into popular CRM providers, including HubSpot, monday sales CRM, Freshsales and Creatio, to see how they compare to one another while also identifying unique use cases for each.

*Price when billed annually, not including tax.

HubSpot’s free CRM software is a robust solution that allows organizations to build out sales and marketing strategies. The free version offers access to up to five users and a multitude of tools. Within that free tool, users can access basic marketing and sales tools such as contact management and website landing pages. If you’re in need of more functionality, you can purchase add-ons that are billed monthly.

HubSpot is a popular CRM tool for its marketing, sales and support solutions that also provide powerful integrations. This makes the tool easily accessible and able to be combined with other sales or communication software. Within the tool, users can engage directly with leads and customers while producing pre-made reports.

Since there are reports of limitations within HubSpot’s customization of the dashboard and reports, I recommend looking into Pipedrive for its sales-focused software and customizable dashboards.

For more information, read our full HubSpot CRM review.

Pipedrive is an easy and effective CRM for managing end-to-end sales. Users can create and track sales pipelines, manage leads and automate entire sales processes in one place. As sales software, Pipedrive offers custom fields, drag-and-drop interface and an intuitive design that allows users of all technical expertise levels to easily navigate.

While Pipedrive is a top generalized CRM provider, its scalability and industry specialization make it a standout platform. It offers features and functions for startups, SMBs and enterprises. Some of the industries that Pipedrive can be adapted to serve include automotive sales, banking, B2B organizations, higher education, healthcare and hospitality.

For another general CRM provider with a focus on intuitiveness, I suggest looking into Creatio or Less Annoying CRM. Both options are easy to implement and set up but might lack some of the advanced features you receive with Pipedrive.

For more information on this CRM provider, read our full Pipedrive review.

Users of monday CRM can manage all client and internal communication and workflows in one place. At a glance, they can understand task and project progress, making it easy to identify and stop inefficiency. Utilizing monday sales CRM’s customizable, drag-and-drop project trackers and sorting make it easy for any permitted user to know detailed status updates about all leads, projects and deals.

Monday CRM is an intuitive and easy to implement CRM. Its dashboard makes it easy for teams to collaborate with one another on projects and deals while keeping track of important documentation and workflows. It is also beta testing monday AI for automated task generation and email composition tools, making it a dedicated and evolving sales platform.

For a similar CRM provider with a range of industry specializations, AI tools and pricing, I recommend looking into Pipedrive.

Read our monday sales CRM review for more information.

Zoho CRM offers many features supporting omnichannel engagement. These tools house all customer-facing communication channels within the CRM dashboard. These can include telephone, social media, email and chat rooms. Businesses can create multichannel and multi-step campaigns to engage with ideal customers. This tool allows for the unification of customer signals, such as real-time updates across teams and interfaces.

Zoho CRM is top-scoring and leading CRM software known for its marketing and sales intelligence tools. Zoho CRM is also affordably priced, which can be appealing for small to midsize businesses. The mobile app is highly praised for its interface and accessibility, allowing sales reps to access key information while on the go.

Zoho CRM is comparable to other general CRM providers on this list, such as Pipedrive, Freshsales and monday sales CRM. Pipedrive and monday sales CRM both offer in-market expertise in niche industries, while Freshsales offers a comparable free platform and premium pricing structure.

Check out our independent Zoho CRM review for more insight.

With Netsuite CRM, organizations can improve overall sales performance with visibility into pipelines and forecasts and a fully unified quote-to-order, cash and fulfillment solution. Beyond campaign management, support teams can access customer information anytime, anywhere to drive customer satisfaction and retention. This way, customers experience support that can influence referrals and new opportunities.

NetSuite CRM is a product of Oracle that provides a flow of information across a business’s customer lifecycle, from lead generation through opportunity, order, fulfillment, renewal, upsell, cross-sell and support. Users can generate a single view of prospects, customers, partners and vendors and give sales, marketing and support teams real-time data to deliver top-level customer experiences and drive sales.

Netsuite CRM offers basic sales and support features but doesn’t have many additional tech features compared to others on this list. If AI-powered tools or more advanced lead generation and reporting capabilities are a priority, I suggest considering HubSpot, Zoho CRM or Freshsales.

Freshsales is a robust general CRM solution that offers all the core features a business would expect from a CRM tool, in addition to advanced technical features for lead management and engagement. Not only does Freshsales allow you to import and manage leads, but it also scores contacts as high-intent based on who they are in their organization and their engagement with your brand.

Freshsales is a top CRM provider for small businesses, especially due to its affordability. It offers a free version of its platform that only allows up to three users, which would be productive for a startup or small business. But SMBs with more users could likely afford the premium plans for access to advanced features.

If you’re wanting to consider another CRM tool with more free features and capabilities, look into HubSpot for its additional scalability, in particular.

Head over to our detailed Freshsales review for more information on this CRM provider.

Creatio is a CRM provider that can be customized without any code. This allows businesses to automate workflows and build out their ideal sales process without the need for advanced technical knowledge. This is ideal for businesses that want a CRM solution that can be customized to their specific marketing, sales and service processes.

Creatio is a CRM provider that embraces the freedom to create custom automations and workflows. It is a straightforward provider that can be adapted into multiple industries such as banking, insurance, telecommunications and more. With robust support, courses, videos and playbooks, Creatio gives users all the resources they need to implement the software and get to customizing.

If you’re wanting an even more affordable solution with Google Workspace integrations, I would recommend Freshsales as an alternative.

Jobber is a field service CRM that keeps all client information updated and centralized so users can easily access key information while on the go. With Jobber, they can manage incoming requests, create quotes, schedule jobs and projects, send invoices and accept payment in person or online. This makes it a great CRM provider for small businesses that offer labor services.

Jobber helps users quote, schedule, invoice and get paid, all within its mobile software. Niche industries and services that benefit from Jobber include landscaping, plumbing, electrical contracting, pest control and cleaning services.

Jobber’s features make it a great tool for general contractors, but it can be pricey. If you’re wanting a similar tool that can offer the same business benefits and more scalability, I recommend considering Pipedrive for its construction industry specialization.

Less Annoying CRM is a self-funded CRM provider that specializes in serving small businesses. Its pricing is affordable and at a flat monthly fee. It offers free customer support, and customers can sign up and cancel whenever they want. Basic features offered by Less Annoying CRM include contact management, embedded calendars and integrations, task management and collaboration tools.

Less Annoying CRM is easy to set up and use, even by organizations with limited technical expertise. With 256-bit encryption, constant backups and free updates, the software is secure while keeping a straightforward UI and maintenance. This makes it a great option for startups or small businesses that need a tool for basic marketing and sales operations.

Since Less Annoying CRM is catered toward small businesses that need core CRM features, some organizations might find it limiting. If you’re wanting a similar product, check out Creatio for its affordability.

HoneyBook prioritizes professional and secure payment processing for its users. Processing more than $8 billion in transactions, users of HoneyBook can easily create and send branded voices that get paid on time through simple digital processing directly through its platform. Businesses can create an intuitive payment experience for their customers that ensures cash flow with instant deposits.

HoneyBook is an all-in-one client flow management platform that helps businesses create uniform client experiences from lead generation to purchasing. Users can create interactive websites and intake forms that make it easy for clients to select services, sign contracts electronically and send payments.

If you’re wanting similar management software that offers more project management tools and can be scalable for bigger teams and businesses, I suggest looking into monday sales CRM for its customizable workflows and expense tracking.

This list I’ve created presents the top general CRM providers in the market, but now you need to narrow them down to find the software for you. I suggest your next step be requesting quotes or demos from the providers that pique your interest, or sign up for their free versions or trials. This way, you can begin communicating directly with the provider’s sales team and start implementing the software into your existing sales and marketing process.

Below are sample questions or points of consideration I suggest when selecting CRM software:

I scored and reviewed each of these general CRM providers against an inhouse rubric created by our team. This rubric is outlined with criteria and subcategories of standard CRM features and functionalities. Next, I identified an ideal use case for each provider that summarizes the product’s best offerings to help guide you to a provider that could fit your needs best.

Here’s the exact breakdown of the scoring criteria I followed when reviewing the best CRM software:

The best general CRM software include HubSpot, Pipedrive, Freshsales, Zoho CRM, Creatio and more. A business can benefit from any CRM provider on this list. But since each offers a unique ideal use case, one might fit your needs better than another. I suggest first considering your budget, specific needs, industry specialization and number of users. From there, this guide can help steer you in the right direction toward the best CRM for you.

Since users will have a staff of different technical skill sets, choosing an easy-to-use CRM is understandable. While this can be subjective, easy-to-use CRM typically offer no-code customizations, straightforward setup and intuitive user interface. Within this guide of the best CRM, Freshsales, Creatio, Less Annoying CRM and Pipedrive all have received positive, real user feedback regarding ease of use.

There are some CRM providers that do offer fully free versions of their software. Typically, these free CRMs are limited variants of their expansive platforms that only offer basic features such as contact management, capped integrations and email templates. These free CRMs also have a capped number of users, averaging between two and five users. If you subscribe to a fully free CRM and run into roadblocks with how stripped the platform is, upgrades and add-ons are available.

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