Read our independent editorial review of the best contact management software for salespeople, including the best use cases for each option.
Marketing CRMs are software that combine standard sales and pipeline management features with powerful marketing capabilities that help you generate and nurture inbound leads. The top options offer tools like social media integration, email marketing, website builders and visitor tracking, and marketing automation and analytics, which help you reach leads from multiple sources and bring them into your pipeline. We've reviewed the best solutions to help you choose one.
Below is our list of the top six marketing CRMs for marketers and salespeople:
In our evaluation of the best CRM software for marketing features, we used six criteria to analyze our options, each containing subcriteria and holding a specific amount of weight toward the final score. Then, we used these benchmarks to assign each option a rating out of five, as well as to determine an overall winner. Finally, we identified a main use case for each option on our list.
Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless noted.
While all of the CRMs on this list are great options, we found that Zoho CRM offers the best overall value for sales and marketing professionals seeking a marketing CRM. Check out how the CRMs fared with regard to each scoring category below.
Offers robust marketing features such as email campaigns, social media management, and more.
Price Range: Free to $52 per user, per month (15- to 30-day free trial)
Zoho CRM is a leading sales and marketing CRM that offers robust multichannel marketing features and a free plan. Starting at its paid Standard level, you'll receive access to marketing automations, email campaigns, social media management tools (earning it the top spot as a social media CRM), and more in addition to standard CRM sales tools. Zoho CRM also offers affordable marketing add-ons, such as Campaigns for advanced email marketing.
While Zoho offers a free level with basic sales and marketing features, you must upgrade to access most of its key tools. Check out HubSpot Marketing Hub if you're looking for a free plan that's truly usable.
Provides solid features in its free tier plus the ability to upgrade and integrate with Sales Hub and Service Hub.
Price Range: Free to $3,200 per month
HubSpot Marketing Hub is HubSpot's marketing platform that offers critical free and paid tools. When you sign up for the free version (aka HubSpot CRM), you'll receive some Marketing Hub tools like email marketing, web forms, and live chat, plus basic sales and service features. Upgrade to a paid Marketing Hub level for more robust versions of your existing marketing features plus additional ones like social media management and landing page A/B testing.
HubSpot's free version of Marketing Hub is highly useful and its upgrades provide a solid amount of additional features plus seamless integration with the Service and Sales Hubs, but the paid tiers get pricey. For a free CRM with more affordable upgrades, check out Zoho CRM.
Email marketing software offering email automation and typical CRM functionality.
Price Range: $9.00 to $549+ per month (14-day free trial)
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing tool with a CRM to manage contacts who respond positively to your marketing efforts. Manually send emails to your entire list or certain segments, or use ActiveCampaign's automation tools to set up trigger emails and/or autoreponders that send when a lead takes an action. Also set up scheduled emails to nurture your leads or customers on their work anniversary or other key event, or to remind them to make a purchase.
ActiveCampaign's email automations earned it a top spot on our list of the best email marketing CRMs, but some users struggle with the platform because it's not a CRM first. If you're looking for a CRM that offers great email marketing capabilities, check out Pipedrive instead.
Simple, visual CRM offering marketing add-ons to get the best possible sales and marketing features.
Price Range: $14.90 to $99 per user, per month (14-day free trial)
Pipedrive is an easy-to-use CRM with a visual approach to marketing and lead management via its kanban-style pipeline. While its plans include some marketing features, where it really shines is with its marketing add-ons, including LeadBooster to generate leads, Web Visitors to track your site viewers, and Campaigns to market to your new leads via email. The add-ons transform this solid sales CRM into a robust marketing tool (and the best email marketing CRM) as well.
While Pipedrive is great for teams that are willing to purchase a paid CRM plus add-ons, it's not right for those looking to start with a free plan and upgrade only when necessary. If this is you, check out HubSpot Marketing Hub for a great free place to start.
Provides a highly affordable all-in-one package for marketing, sales, and service.
Price Range: Free to $89.99 per user, per month
EngageBay is a newer CRM and marketing platform with a free version and premium tiers. It offers separate marketing, CRM and sales, and service packages, but it's designed as an all-in-one platform. This is reflected in its bundle pricing, which is affordable and similar in cost to the individual plans. This means your marketing team can generate leads, sales team can close deals, and support team can handle tickets, all on a single platform for a low monthly fee.
EngageBay offers a basic free option and a discount on a two-year commitment, but if you have budget constraints and are looking for the best free bundle available, check out HubSpot Marketing Hub, which offers even better marketing, sales, and service tools for free.
Give users access to native social media advertising management not typically provided by other CRMs.
Price Range: Free to $159 per user, per month (30-day free trial)
Bitrix24 is a CRM offering many sales and marketing tools, including robust social media management. What makes Bitrix unique is that within the CRM, you can manage your social media profiles, create lookalike audiences, and publish social media advertisements. Most CRMs require you to leave the platform when working with social media ads, so this native integration is useful for businesses that prioritize social media marketing for lead generation.
Bitrix24's paid social media features make it more convenient to use if social media is key to your marketing plan, but its UI is tough to navigate. If you want an easier-to-use CRM that also offers great social media tools, consider Zoho CRM as an alternative.
Advertising and marketing campaigns are rarely successful in the 21st century without the support of CRM marketing software. But CRM software is more than a simple hub for connecting salespeople and marketers with their customers. In modern times, it can serve as a launchpad for your entire business model. Choose from this list of the best marketing CRMs or check out our article on the four types of CRMs, which includes marketing CRM software plus others.
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