Lead nurturing software are typically CRMs or marketing automation software that help sales and marketers attract, qualify, and engage leads to turn them into customers. The top software offer features like contact management, pipeline management, automated follow-ups, and drip marketing campaigns to guide prospects through the sales funnel and optimize conversion rates. To help you choose the right one for you, we’ve evaluated the best lead nurturing software.
Here are the eight best lead nurturing software:
- Zoho CRM: Best software for omnichannel lead nurturing (free starting price)
- HubSpot CRM: Best free nurturing option with upgrades (free starting price)
- Freshsales: Best lead nurturing workflow automation for salespeople (free starting price)
- Pipedrive: Best for an easy-to-use, visual sales pipeline (14-day free trial)
- Salesforce Essentials: Best sales nurturing option for advanced reporting (14-day free trial)
- EngageBay: Most affordable premium sales & marketing nurturing features (free starting price)
- ActiveCampaign: Best for automated email nurturing campaigns ($9.00 starting price)
- Insightly: Best lead nurturing CRM for project management (free starting price)
How We Evaluated the Best Lead Nurturing Software
In our evaluation, we first identified the top six weighted categories important to lead nurturing software and assigned each category key subcriteria. From there, we used the subcriteria to give each category a score out of five, and summed them all together to give each option an overall score out of five, including the identification of primary use-cases. Take a look at our specific evaluation criteria below:
Evaluation Criteria
We first looked at each option’s cost and core features such as pipeline management, marketing automation, and reporting. Next, we reviewed ease of use, integrations, and customization. Customer support rounded out our scoring to ensure users have the information and help they need.
Cost Overview
This reflects the per-user price of the lead nurturing software, including whether it provides a free plan and/or a free trial.
Criteria Winner: Freshsales
Core Features Overview
We considered features like online behavior tracking, lead segmentation, email marketing, and other functionality central to effective lead nurturing.
Criteria Winner: Multiple winners
Ease of Use Overview
We looked at whether each lead nurturing software is easy to use and learn while offering premium value for its services.
Criteria Winner: Multiple winners
Integrations Overview
We evaluated whether (and how well) each option interacts with other third-party apps like Zapier, Mailchimp, and Shopify.
Criteria Winner: Zoho CRM
Customization Overview
We looked at whether each lead nurturing tool allows users to tailor and personalize features — like reports, dashboards, and pipelines — to their needs.
Criteria Winner: HubSpot CRM
Customer Support Overview
We looked at whether each option provides support and after-sales service to users via phone, email, and live chat.
Criteria Winner: Multiple winners
Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless noted.
All software we evaluated are good options for businesses looking to capture leads and convert customers. However, Zoho CRM emerged as the best lead nurturing software, which also tied for core CRM features and came out on the top spot for integrations. Read on to see how each CRM performed in each category.
Bottom Line: Best Lead Nurturing Software
Lead nurturing is essentially customer relationship management, but businesses can’t afford to waste time focusing on the wrong leads. Lead nurturing software zero-in on the right leads, then enables teams to engage their audience at every step of the way with unique, tailored lead-to-customer journeys from the first touchpoint. The top eight lead nurturing software assist businesses to drive potential customers through the sales funnel.