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6 Best CRMs for Salespeople & Teams 2024

Nov 21, 2023
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Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps salespeople manage interactions with leads, prospects, and customers. The best CRMs allow you to store customer information, map sales processes, analyze data, collaborate with teammates, and help with things like reminders and task automation. To determine the top option for you, we reviewed dozens of products and scored each out of five to arrive at our overall list, including primary use cases for each.

Here are the top six CRM options for salespeople and teams:

  • Freshsales: Best overall CRM for features, pricing, and usability (free starting price)
  • Zoho CRM: Best for online marketing and sales pipeline features (free starting price)
  • HubSpot CRM: Best free CRM software with premium upgrades (free starting price)
  • Pipedrive: Best for an intuitive interface and advanced add-ons (14-day free trial)
  • Salesforce: Best CRM for managing long or complex sales cycles (30-day free trial)
  • Insightly CRM: Best software for project management and sales (free starting price)

Overall, we found that Freshsales is the best CRM for salespeople and teams, scoring the highest for core features and customer support, as well as tying for cost, ease of use, and customization. Continue reading to learn more about each CRM’s pricing plans, key features, and primary use case. Otherwise, jump down to see our scoring logic.

Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless otherwise noted.

thumbnail Freshsales logo

Freshsales: Best Overall CRM for Salespeople

Helps you manage sales processes with advanced yet intuitive features at an affordable price.

Price Range: Free to $69 per user, per month (21-day free trial)
Overall Rating
4.4
Core Features
4.7
Cost
4.6
Ease of Use
4.0
Customization
4.6
Integration
4.5
Customer Support
4.1

Pros:

  • Easy to set up & implement
  • Built-in phone, chat & SMS
  • Wealth of AI-powered tools

Cons:

  • Lacking many marketing features
  • Limited native Google integrations
  • Multiple pipelines missing in Growth

Freshworks' Freshsales is a robust yet easy-to-use CRM offering core and advanced sales features for a competitive price. Its free tier offers native communication tools, kanban views for deals, and a sales dashboard. Upgrade for a well-designed pipeline interface and advanced features like custom reporting, workflow automation, sales forecasting, and AI insights — these tools even earned Freshsales our titles of best operational CRM and best analytical CRM.

While Freshsales is powerful and affordable, it lacks some marketing features and its free tier doesn't offer a visual pipeline. If these features are important to you, check out Zoho CRM, which is our top marketing software.

Freshsales Pricing

  • Free Version: Supports up to 3 users
  • Growth: $15 per user, per month
  • Pro: $39 per user, per month
  • Enterprise: $69 per, user per month
  • Free Trial: 21 days
  • Integration with Freshworks’ free marketing and service platform tiers
  • Access to Freshworks Marketplace

Freshsales Key Features

  • Contact Management: Get a built-in phone dialer, SMS, and email feature for free.
  • Intuitive User Interface: Manage your sales process with an easy-to-use pipeline.
  • AI-Powered Sales Tools: Automate workflows and generate insights using Freddy AI.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Use tools for custom reports, sales analytics, and forecasting.

Freshsales CRM best CRM

If you'd like to learn more, take a deep dive by reading our editorially-independent Freshsales review. Otherwise, visit the Freshsales website to take advantage of their free tier and free trial:

thumbnail Zoho logo

Zoho CRM: Best for Online Marketing & Sales

Provides sales pipeline features and marketing tools like social media lead management.

Price Range: Free to $52 per user, per month (15- to 30-day free trial)
Overall Rating
4.3
Core Features
4.6
Cost
4.6
Ease of Use
3.7
Customization
4.6
Integration
4.8
Customer Support
3.0

Pros:

  • Good social media integrations
  • Strong marketing automations
  • Robust sales reporting & forecasting

Cons:

  • Free plan lacks social integrations
  • Involves a steep learning curve
  • Users report slow customer support

Zoho CRM is leading sales pipeline software known for its AI-powered sales tools and robust marketing features for lead management. While its free plan is basic, you can leverage tools for contacts, deals, and campaigns. Upgrade to its affordable paid tiers for forecasting and predictive lead scoring via Zia AI plus nurturing tools such as social media management and email marketing, or sync with the free version of other Zoho products to extend its functionality.

Although Zoho provides a balance of strong sales and marketing features, its user interface might be too complicated for beginners. For a more user-friendly CRM, try Freshsales, which won in the ease of use category and offers some marketing features.

Zoho CRM Pricing

  • Free Version: Supports up to 3 users
  • Standard: $14 per user, per month
  • Professional: $23 per user, per month
  • Enterprise: $40 per user, per month
  • Ultimate: $52 per user, per month
  • Free Trial: 15 to 30 days
  • Access to Zoho One Marketplace Apps

Zoho CRM Key Features

  • Online Marketing: Monitor social media campaigns, email marketing, and Google Ads.
  • Inventory & Product Management: Manage vendors, create price books, and more.
  • AI-Powered Tools: Use Zia for data enrichment, task automation, and sales analytics.
  • Customizations: Take advantage of custom fields, integrations, and Zoho’s sandbox.

best crm software zoho crm

To learn more about Zoho CRM and whether it's right for you, check out our in-depth Zoho CRM review. Otherwise, head over to their site below:

thumbnail HubSpot logo

HubSpot CRM: Best Free CRM With Upgrades

Offers a great set of free sales and marketing features with the ability to upgrade into paid tiers.

Price Range: Free to $1,500+ per month (Sales Hub)
Overall Rating
3.9
Core Features
4.4
Cost
3.4
Ease of Use
3.7
Customization
4.3
Integration
4.4
Customer Support
4.0

Pros:

  • Flush with free CRM tools
  • Extensive knowledge base
  • Premium sales upgrades

Cons:

  • Premium tiers can be costly
  • Not specifically sales-focused
  • Lacks in-depth data & reporting

HubSpot CRM is a top-rated free CRM option, offering up to 2,500 users robust tools for sales processes and marketing operations. Manage your pipelines with its free contact management, quotes, and calling tools, and reach out to your leads with live chat and email. Sync with other free HubSpot platforms for help desk and digital marketing tools, or subscribe to paid tiers for advanced features such as custom reporting, sales forecasting, and workflow automation.

HubSpot's free tier is the best available, but its paid levels can be pricey for single users or those seeking a mix of marketing and sales tools. If you’re looking for inexpensive yet robust upgrade options, see Freshsales or Zoho CRM, which are both tied in the pricing category.

HubSpot CRM Pricing

  • Free Version: Supports up to 2,500 users
  • Sales Hub Starter: $18 per month for 2 users
  • Sales Hub Professional: $450 per month for 5 users
  • Sales Hub Enterprise: $1,500 per month for 10 users
  • Additional users can be purchased for extra
  • Integration with HubSpot's free marketing, service, and other tools
  • Access to HubSpot App Marketplace

HubSpot CRM Key Features

  • Robust Free CRM: Manage a deal pipeline with sales, marketing, and service features.
  • Sales & Marketing Tools: Use deal tracking, contact management, live chat, and more.
  • HubSpot Ecosystem: Access to Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Operations Hubs.
  • Extensive Knowledge Base: Explore HubSpot Community’s free educational materials.

HubSpot CRM best CRM

For a closer look at HubSpot, check out our HubSpot CRM review, which includes an independent analysis and user roundup. Or, visit their site directly below:

thumbnail Pipedrive logo

Pipedrive: Best CRM for Add-on Purchases

Highlights a visual drag-and-drop interface with add-on features for sales and marketing.

Price Range: $14 to $99 per user, per month (14-day trial)
Overall Rating
3.9
Core Features
4.1
Cost
3.3
Ease of Use
4.0
Customization
4.3
Integration
4.1
Customer Support
3.9

Pros:

  • Visual pipelines across all plans
  • Affordable tiers with a free trial
  • 24/7 live chat & email support

Cons:

  • Limited native marketing tools
  • Lack of AI-powered workflows
  • Lead segmentation can be tricky

Pipedrive is an intuitive CRM that’s easy to use, providing a kanban-style drag-and-drop pipeline to manage leads and prospects. It offers a basic set of solid sales tools, but you can choose to pay for advanced add-ons, including LeadBooster (lead generation), Campaigns (email marketing), Web Visitors (visitor tracking), Smart Docs (esignatures), and Projects (project management). This lets you pay for the top-tier tools you need without upgrading your plan.

Although Pipedrive’s add-ons are robust, they can get pricey with monthly fees ranging from $6.70 to $41. If you're someone who needs a pre-built suite of tools, check out Zoho CRM for its sales and marketing mix.

Pipedrive Pricing

  • Essential: $14 per user, per month
  • Advanced: $29 per user, per month
  • Professional: $49 per user, per month
  • Power: $64 per user, per month
  • Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
  • Free Trial: 14 days
  • Pay for a la carte add-on features for sales, marketing, and more
  • Access to Pipedrive Marketplace

Pipedrive Key Features

  • Visual Pipeline: Manage a kanban pipeline with an intuitive UI and drag-and-drop tool.
  • Integrated Inbox: Sync your CRM with major email software like Gmail and Outlook.
  • Contact Management: Leverage unlimited contact records across all Pipedrive plans.
  • Industry-Relevant Uses: Use integrations and add-ons for niche-specific purposes.

Pipedrive CRM best CRM

For a complete breakdown of Pipedrive, including whether it's right for you and alternative options, check out our Pipedrive review. Otherwise, visit their website directly:

thumbnail salesforce logo

Salesforce: Best for Complex Sales Cycles

Provides robust tools for sales teams working on long or more complex sales processes.

Price Range: $25 to $330 per user, per month (30-day trial)
Overall Rating
3.8
Core Features
4.5
Cost
2.8
Ease of Use
3.3
Customization
4.6
Integration
5.0
Customer Support
3.9

Pros:

  • Advanced custom reporting
  • Multiple pipeline tracking
  • Over 7,000 app integrations

Cons:

  • Interface can be confusing
  • Users report slow support
  • Difficult to set up & maintain

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a highly customizable CRM offering detailed contact records and separate pipelines to manage leads and opportunities. The platform also includes key communication features like a built-in phone as well as live chat, plus collaboration tools for internal communication within teams. Its fully-customizable reports and dashboards give insights for sales activity, performance, and forecasting via graphs, charts, trends, and more.

While Salesforce Sales Cloud has advanced features, it might be too expensive or complicated for some teams. If you’re looking for a CRM with affordable sales features without sacrificing robust reporting tools, check out Freshsales.

Salesforce Sales Cloud Pricing

  • Starter: $25 per user, per month
  • Professional: $80 per user, per month
  • Enterprise: $165 per user, per month
  • Unlimited: $330 per user, per month
  • Free Trial: 30 days
  • Access to Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce Sales Cloud Key Features

  • Lead & Opportunity Pipelines: Access multiple pipelines and robust contact records.
  • Multichannel Communication Tools: Use a built-in dialer, online chat, and more.
  • Opportunity Management: View and track a detailed view of your most critical deals.
  • Custom Dashboards: Create and organize specific visual reports for at-a-glance info.

Salesforce best CRM

For a complete review of Salesforce and its tiers, check out our independent Salesforce review. Or, visit their website directly below:

thumbnail Insightly logo

Insightly: Best CRM for Project Management

Features a solid set of tools and integrations for internal and external project management.

Price Range: Free to $99 per user, per month (14-day free trial)
Overall Rating
3.6
Core Features
3.8
Cost
3.6
Ease of Use
3.5
Customization
4.2
Integration
3.8
Customer Support
2.9

Pros:

  • Workflows across paid plans
  • Separate project pipeline tools
  • Wealth of collaborative features

Cons:

  • Free tier could be more robust
  • Add-ons tend to be expensive
  • Phone support requires upgrade

Insightly is a cloud-based CRM with strong project management capabilities, specifically through its separate project pipeline and available integrations with productivity apps for customization. Monitor post-sales processes with its milestone tracking feature, visual kanban boards, and tight app integrations with collaboration software like Slack and Asana. Purchase its mid-tier Professional plan for lead routing and custom business intelligence features.

While Insightly is great for sales and ongoing project management, its free tier might be too barebones for some teams. For a more fully-featured free version, look into HubSpot CRM, which also offers free project management tools.

Insightly Pricing

  • Free Version: Supports up to 2 users
  • Plus: $29 per user, per month
  • Professional: $49 per user, per month
  • Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
  • Free Trial: 14 days
  • Access to Insightly’s app library

Insightly Key Features

  • Sales & Project Pipelines: View separate pipelines for sales and project management.
  • Mobile App: Manage projects in the field with real-time data sync and visual dashboard.
  • Advanced Sales Tools: Access premium features like lead routing and in-app calling.
  • Activity Tracking: Monitor leads in real-time and enrich social profiles automatically.

Insightly CRM best CRM

If you’d like to get a detailed view of Insightly CRM, read through our Insightly CRM review. Otherwise, head to the Insightly website:

Comparing the Top CRM Options

If you're able to narrow down your choices to a few top options but still need help deciding on the best CRM software for you, we have in-depth articles comparing and contrasting the best choices against each other. Check out our two-product comparative CRM articles below if you'd like a side-by-side analysis:

In the above articles, you'll get a complete breakdown of how each option stacks up against the other, including determined winners for key categories like pricing, features, and ease of use.

How We Evaluated the Best CRMs

In our editorially independent review of the best CRM software, we first identified six major categories essential for salespeople and teams looking for a cost-effective platform. We then identified a list of weighted subcriteria to assign each option a total score out of five. Finally, we determined the primary use case for each CRM that scored highly enough to make our list.

Evaluation Criteria

The best CRMs offer a robust set of sales and marketing core features and reasonably priced plans. Hence, we prioritized scoring core features and cost for this review, followed by ease of use. We also looked into each option’s customization capabilities and how well it syncs with third-party applications. Lastly, we considered the quality of the user support solutions available.

Core Features: 25%
Cost: 25%
Ease of Use: 20%
Customization: 10%
Integration: 10%
Customer Support: 10%

We explored each CRM’s must-have features, including sales pipelines lead and account management, reporting, and workflows.

Criteria Winner: Freshsales

We took into account the CRM’s affordability for basic and enterprise-level tiers, billing plans, add-ons, and no-cost options such as a free tier or trial period.

Criteria Winner: Multiple winners

We considered how real users across certified sites perceive the overall design of CRM’s UI and learning curve. We also looked at how comprehensive and accessible its knowledge base is.

Criteria Winner: Multiple winners

We looked at the customization and flexibility of each CRM to see how well it can be tailored to individual businesses.

Criteria Winner: Multiple winners

We evaluated how well a CRM integrates with native or third-party applications like email, accounting tools, Google apps, social media, and more.

Criteria Winner: Salesforce

We looked into feedback from verified users on reputable sites and assessed the user support each CRM offered, such as live chat, phone, and email.

Criteria Winner: Freshsales

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is CRM Software & Why Is It Important for Businesses?

Customer relationship management software is designed to help companies manage their customer data and support ongoing sales processes and marketing efforts. Businesses need CRMs to generate and nurture leads, create optimized workflows for day-to-day operations, and monitor individual or team performance. Teams and business owners relying heavily on data also need CRMs to organize their databases and develop accurate forecasts.

How Do I Choose the Right CRM Software for My Business Needs?

When choosing the right CRM for you, start by defining your SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and needs and assessing the resources you have, including finances, workforce, and technical know-how. You can also search for CRMs that might fit your needs by reading in-depth product reviews, comparison articles, and buyer’s guides, as well as consult CRM experts or join active community forums to weigh your options.

What Are the Key Features to Look for in CRM Software?

CRM software features fall into four main categories, such as core CRM features, which are standard functions that CRMs should have; advanced features designed for more complex workflows; marketing tools mainly for lead nurturing; and industry-specific functionalities. When looking for a CRM, it’s essential to have strong pipeline and contact management features, lead management tools, basic reports, as well as workflows and customization capabilities.

Bottom Line: Best CRM Software

With so many CRMs on the market, it can be daunting to try to research every single one of them. The best CRM software doesn’t only allow you to manage your contacts, deals, and pipelines; it also lets you customize and automate your workflows so you can better manage your business. Use our list to narrow your choices, and take our quiz for a personalized answer. If you want to learn more about CRMs and the various tools available, read our guide to essential CRM features.

This article was written by Alison Barretta and updated by Kezia Jungco.

Featured Partners: Sales Software

thumbnail Alison Barretta

Alison is a Philadelphia-based technology writer for Selling Signals. She has 15 years of experience in the digital space, and her specialties include comparison guides and reviews across CRM, ecommerce, and various SaaS products. In her free time, Alison has received two HubSpot certifications plus a TEFL certification, as well as leads an online martial arts learning program.

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