6 Best CRMs for Salespeople & Teams 2023

Check out our independent editorial review of the best CRM software for sales professionals, including use cases for each option.

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

Take Our Quiz for Your Best CRM

Answer a few questions about your business, and we'll give you a personalized product match.

Question 1

What is Your Price Range?

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    Question 2

    How Many Users Will You Have?

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      Question 3

      What is Your Most Important Feature-Set?

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        While all the options on our list scored well in specific categories as well as received high overall marks, we found the best CRM for salespeople to be Freshsales, scoring the highest for core features, ease of use, and customer support. Continue reading through our list to see how each CRM scored in all categories, or jump down to see how we evaluated each software.

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

        Freshsales: Best Overall CRM for Salespeople

        Features an intuitive UI and advanced sales tools for an affordable price.

        Price Range: Free to $69 per user, per month (21-day free trial)

        Overall Rating star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Core Features star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Cost star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Ease of Use star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Customization star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Integrations star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Customer Support star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full

        Pros:

        • Easy-to-use interface
        • Built-in phone, chat & SMS
        • AI forecasting & custom reporting

        Cons:

        • Lacking many marketing features
        • Only a few app integrations
        • Customer support could be better

        Freshworks' Freshsales is a robust yet easy-to-use CRM offering core and advanced sales features for a competitive price. Its free tier offers contact management and tools like phone, web forms, live chat, and SMS. 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

        • Growth: $15 per user, per month (free for 3 users)
        • 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

        • Free Contact Management: Get a phone dialer, SMS, and live chat for unlimited users.
        • 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 their site to take advantage of their free tier and free trial:

        Visit Freshsales

        Zoho CRM: Best for Online Marketing & Sales

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

        Price Range: Free to $52 per user, per month (15- to 30-day trial)

        Overall Rating star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Core Features star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Cost star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Ease of Use star-fullstar-full star-fullstar-full Customization star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Integrations star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Customer Support star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full

        Pros:

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

        Cons:

        • Free plan lacks social integrations
        • May be too robust for some
        • User experience could be better

        Zoho CRM is a sales pipeline software with AI-powered sales tools and leading marketing CRM and collaborative CRM functionality not typically found in its competitors. The free tier is basic, but you can upgrade into affordable paid tiers for sales features like forecasting and inventory management plus marketing features like social media management and email marketing. Zoho is highly customizable with a large number of app integrations and add-ons you can purchase.

        While Zoho CRM may be robust, its user interface isn't the best. For a more intuitive and user-friendly CRM, check out Freshsales, which won in the ease of use category.

        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 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.

        Zoho CRM best 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:

        Visit Zoho CRM

        Pipedrive: Best CRM for Add-on Purchases

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

        Price Range: $14.90 to $99 per user, per month (14-day trial)

        Overall Rating star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Core Features star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Cost star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Ease of Use star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Customization star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Integrations star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Customer Support star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full

        Pros:

        • Visual interface is easy to use
        • Affordable plans with a free trial
        • Add-on features available

        Cons:

        • App integration may be difficult
        • Analytics reporting is not robust
        • 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: $14.90 per user, per month
        • Advanced: $27.90 per user, per month
        • Professional: $49.90 per user, per month
        • Power: $64.90 per user, per month
        • Enterprise: $99.00 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.
        • Large Number of Integrations: Access over 300 apps in the Pipedrive Marketplace.
        • Add-Ons: Pay for advanced add-ons for prospecting, email marketing, and more.
        • Industry-Relevant Uses: Use integrations and add-ons for industry-specific needs.

        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 site directly:

        Visit Pipedrive

        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 $1,200 per month (Sales Hub)

        Overall Rating star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Core Features star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Cost star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Ease of Use star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Customization star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Integrations star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Customer Support star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full

        Pros:

        • Free CRM is flush with features
        • Extensive knowledge base & support
        • 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 unlimited users and one million contacts you can nurture through your pipeline. In addition to free sales features like live chat, email, quotes, and calling, you also get access to the free tools in its marketing, service, and other hubs, which integrate within your CRM for added help desk and digital marketing functionality. Upgrade your CRM for advanced sales features like custom reporting and forecasting.

        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 want inexpensive yet robust upgrade options, check out Freshsales for affordable sales features or Zoho CRM for marketing and sales.

        HubSpot CRM Pricing

        • Free Version: Supports unlimited users
        • Sales Hub Starter: $18+ per month for 2 users
        • Sales Hub Professional: $450+ per month for up to 5 users
        • Sales Hub Enterprise: $1,200+ per month for up to 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:

        Visit HubSpot CRM

        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 star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Core Features star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Cost star-fullstar-full star-fullstar-full Ease of Use star-fullstar-full star-fullstar-full Customization star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Integrations star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Customer Support star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full

        Pros:

        • Integrates with 250+ apps
        • Separate project pipeline tools
        • Highly functional mobile app

        Cons:

        • Free plan is limited
        • Upgrades can be costly
        • Customer support could improve

        Insightly is a CRM solution with robust project management capabilities, specifically through its separate project pipeline and available integrations with productivity apps for customization. It features updated milestone tracking and has over 250 pre-built integrations with collaboration software like Slack and Asana. The best value for small-to-medium sales teams is the mid-tier Professional plan at $49 per user, which includes lead routing and custom BI features.

        While Insightly is great for sales and ongoing project management, if you only need a CRM for its sales features, it may be better to explore one of the above options like Freshsales.

        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 AppConnect

        Insightly Key Features

        • Robust Integrations: Link with G Suite, Microsoft Suite, Slack AI bot, and 250+ apps.
        • 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 calls.

        Insightly CRM best CRM

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

        Visit Insightly

        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 star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Core Features star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Cost star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Ease of Use star-full star-fullstar-fullstar-full Customization star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full Integrations star-fullstar-fullstar-fullstar-full Customer Support star-fullstar-fullstar-full star-full

        Pros:

        • Advanced custom reporting
        • Multiple pipeline tracking
        • Customer support features

        Cons:

        • Interface can be confusing
        • Missing some advanced features
        • Customer support is lacking

        Salesforce Sales Cloud is a well-known 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 Essentials 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, check out their website directly below:

        Visit Salesforce

        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, CRM features, and ease of use.

        How We Evaluated the Best CRMs

        In our editorially independent review of the best CRM software, we analyzed dozens of top options based on six weighted scoring categories. To determine our list, every possible CRM option was scored in each one of these categories to calculate a total score out of five. Only those scoring highly enough made our list. Also included in our analysis is a primary use case for each option.

        Evaluation Criteria

        The best CRMs are reasonably priced and easy to implement and use, and include a robust set of sales and marketing core features. Thus, these three criteria carry the most weight in our ratings. Also included are criteria for customization and crucial third-party integrations, as well as customer support.

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

        Bottom Line: Best CRM Software

        With so many CRMs on the market, it can be daunting to go to 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 still need to compare and contrast a few options, read our versus articles above to make a final decision.

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