In our independent editorial review of retail CRM solutions, learn about the top options along with their primary use cases.
Contact management software is a tool that stores and organizes lead and customer data in a centralized location. The best contact management software are typically CRMs that allow users to create segmented lists, track interactions, and easily update contact information so they can better engage new leads and keep current customers happy. To help you find an efficient way to store and access contact data, we’ve evaluated the top contact management software.
Here are the best contact management software solutions:
In our evaluation of the top options for contact management, we first defined six weighted categories based on factors that tend to be the most important to users. Then, we used a list of key subcriteria to assign every option a score out of five in each category. Finally, we used that information to determine an overall score for all software on our list and identify primary use cases.
Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless noted.
Per our scoring, Zoho CRM is the top contact management software overall; it also placed first in core features and customization, and tied in cost. Keep reading to understand how each contact management software option fared in all categories.
Integrates with social media and other channels to enrich and track contact data in real time.
Price Range: Free to $52 per user, per month (15- to 30-day free trial)
Zoho CRM is a contact management solution known for its tight social media integration. Syncing with Facebook and other social networks enables you to have conversations with leads and prospects (which are then saved) and automatically enrich contact data. Zoho CRM also allows users to track and interact with contacts via email, telephony, and other channel integrations. It’s the best CRM for businesses that run multichannel marketing campaigns.
Even though Zoho CRM has great multichannel contact management functions, its customer service can be improved. If your team is looking for great user support, check out EngageBay, which won in this category and also provides some multichannel contact management tools.
Harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to add, score, and engage with contacts.
Price Range: Free to $69 per user, per month (21-day free trial)
Freshsales is contact management software with built-in AI automation. Known as Freddy, this AI assistant engages with contacts, scores leads, and deletes duplicate contact data — it also automates email sends, invoicing, and general data entry. Sales reps can keep contact info organized in Freshsales by segmenting using demographics and behaviors. Busy professionals needing to streamline their sales process should check out this CRM.
While Freshsales has great AI-powered tools, it lacks robust marketing features and customizations in its lower paid tiers. If having these functions is important for you, try Zoho CRM, which won for core features and customization.
Stores up to one million non-marketing contacts and auto-updates list segments in a free plan.
Price Range: Free to $1,200 per month (Sales Hub)
HubSpot CRM is an industry leader in lead generation that offers a solid suite of free contact management tools. These include email activity tracking, data extraction via Gmail or Outlook, and automatically updated list segments. Plus, unlike most free plans, HubSpot CRM provides up to a million non-marketing contacts at no cost and also supports unlimited users. HubSpot CRM is ideal for small businesses wanting a scalable CRM they can eventually upgrade.
Although HubSpot’s free plan has powerful sales and marketing features, its higher tiers are pricey and you might have to pay extra for additional users. If you need a robust free plan with less expensive paid upgrades, look into Zoho CRM, which won for core features and tied for cost.
Features a limitless contact database with color-coded boards and a visual interface.
Price Range: Free to $24+ per user, per month (14-day free trial)
monday sales CRM is a customizable, user-friendly platform by monday.com that lets you build and organize an unlimited database of contacts using its kanban-style visual boards. Store your contacts' data like deals, priority tags, and phone numbers and add notes to each board to display info like appointment schedules or project tasks. Then create color-coded tags that show keywords associated with a contact or labels that help you track your tasks and projects.
Even though monday sales CRM is easy to use and set up, its support solutions could be improved. If your team needs intuitive software and robust customer service, check out EngageBay, which has top-notch user support and is highly visual.
Provides a holistic view of your contact’s profile, interests, and engagements on a single page.
Price Range: Free to $73.59 per user, per month
EngageBay is a cloud-based CRM with robust features for contact management and customer behavior tracking. Build comprehensive profiles for your contacts from multiple touch points like web email, social media, and communication history, then track them individually on a single page. When your contacts open or reply to your email campaigns, this interaction is updated into your database so you can use this info to segment them into or to personalize your content.
While EngageBay has a great customer tracking tool, you need to upgrade to more expensive tiers for advanced contact management features. If you need an affordable option with tight multichannel tracking functions, try Zoho CRM, which won in core features and tied in pricing.
Helps sales teams manage contact engagements and projects using collaborative tools.
Price Range: Free to $99 per user, per month (14-day free trial)
Insightly is a collaborative CRM with robust project management tools that help you track and manage your contacts' information and activity. Add your contacts to the CRM with its automatic data importing feature and then use its list view tool to segment them into lists. Set auto reminders for follow-ups and appointment schedules with your contacts, or use its built-in milestone tracker to set deadlines and to update them with the progress of their projects.
Insightly is great for project management but it lacks the advanced sales features that your team might need. If you’re looking for a CRM with powerful sales tools, you can explore Zoho CRM, which is flush with these features and integrates with Zoho Projects.
The best options for contact management include these functions:
Monitor and record engagements with your contacts from multiple touch points and in every stage of the sales process.
Capture, track, and nurture your leads throughout their journey toward becoming a paying customer for your business.
Access in-depth data about your contacts using social and publicly listed information.
Create and keep detailed contact records like social media profiles, communication history, and sales activities in a centralized location.
If you’re still relying on spreadsheets to manage your contacts, consider any of the options above to help organize and streamline your data. What’s more, the best contact management software options are also CRMs, which means you’ll be able to avail of other functions that will make your overall sales process even more efficient. If you’re specifically trying to manage leads, check out our guide on the best lead management software.
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