Keap CRM Review

• Keap is our pick for the best small business CRM platform for ease of use.
• Keap has e-commerce features for invoicing and native payment processing.
• The platform integrates with more than 2,500 software programs to streamline any business process.
• This review is for small business owners and managers who are interested in implementing Keap CRM. 

Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that's well suited for small business owners and anyone who's new to this software category. The platform combines sales and marketing automation, making it especially useful for new e-commerce businesses that are seeking an all-in-one solution. 

In addition to built-in invoicing and numerous payment processing integrations, Keap offers checkout cart features to increase conversion rates and average cart values. The platform's easy automations save customers a reported 10 hours per week by eliminating manual tasks such as sending texts and email follow-ups and recording new leads immediately after they complete a form on your landing page or social media account. Setting up your CRM is fast, thanks to a dedicated customer success manager and simple drag-and-drop sales pipeline builders that make it easy to stay organized and get a clear picture of your business opportunities. 

Keap Editor's Score: 94/100

Why We Chose Keap for Ease of Use 

Keap is a simple all-in-one CRM platform with sales and marketing automation features that are easy to set up and use. The platform is designed to grow your business, with the assumption that you're not necessarily an expert in the sales pipeline or CRMs. After starting with a pre-built sales pipeline template, you can automate emails, notifications and tasks with automatic triggers for when you move a deal from one stage to another. Keap helps business owners measure success effectively, with analytics and reports for list growth, email marketing performance and revenue trends over time. 

Keap stores all of your customer contact information and activity in one place. All of your interactions with a contact are automatically added to their account for quick review by anyone on your team. You can organize information by category or chronologically to get the context you need at a moment's notice. From the contact dashboard, you can quickly call, text, email, book an appointment, process a purchase, add an invoice and much more with one click. You can also segment your contact list by groups to easily trigger automated actions based on a group member's activity. 

Source: Keap

Pros

• You get sales and marketing automation in one easy-to-use platform.
• All Keap plans include access to a customer success manager, U.S.-based phone support and 24/7 chat support directly from the Keap app.
• You can automatically collect and score leads for a more efficient sales process. 

Cons

• Many of the available software integrations require a monthly fee.
• The free data migration process is limited to your contacts, 10 items and one landing page.
• Contact-based pricing means your monthly base price increases as your contact list grows.

Usability

Keap is in the top tier for its usability, which is why we selected it as our best pick for ease of use. You can set up the system on your own in as little as 20 minutes, and each plan includes a dedicated customer success manager to ensure you get the system up and running smoothly. When you reach a new feature for the first time through the CRM dashboard, you'll find helpful video tours that walk you through the capabilities. Beyond adding a new pipeline or using other CRM features, you can select from the premade templates that are easy to customize to suit your needs. Keap makes automation simple while maintaining a personal touch by helping you send the right messages at the right time to leads and clients who engage with your content through emails, forms and social media.

Source: Keap

Keap Features

Both of Keap's two main CRM products include everything you need to begin capturing leads, moving them through your sales pipeline and making a sale with built-in invoicing and payment processing options. In fact, few other providers include so many features with their entry-level plans. However, a few of our favorite features, including some of the e-commerce and lead scoring tools, are available only with the upper-tier Max plan.

Automation

Keap enables complex automation that can free you from repetitive tasks. To do so, the platform uses easy-to-build automations based on "when-then scenarios." For example, when a public form is submitted, Keap immediately sends a notification to you and a confirmation email to your new contact. Automation options are nearly as wide as your imagination. Keap also has a number of premade templates for landing-page leads, invoice reminders and deal offers.

Source: Keap

Lead Scoring

The lead-scoring features become available with the Max plan. This feature assesses each prospect's interest based on their engagement level, including information from web forms submitted, links clicked, emails opened and tags you apply. The highly customizable feature lets you set the weight or value for any variable and remove points based on certain criteria – for example, when a contact does not open or engage with a new email campaign. When paired with a sales strategy built on your team members' knowledge and experience, lead scoring can be used to increase efficiency and drive revenue.

E-Commerce Payments

Keap's native invoicing and payment processing tools can help you get paid faster while providing your customers with secure payment options, including debit cards, credit cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment platforms. Keap has dedicated, partnership-level integrations with payment processors, including PayPal, Stripe, WePay (Chase), EVO Payments, Eway and Nexus Merchants. Processing rates and terms vary by provider, with same-day deposits available in some cases. [Learn more about credit card processing services in our PayPal review and Stripe review.] In addition to accepting payments, you can increase your average cart value with upsells or promos at checkout and implement abandoned-cart automations to entice customers to return.

Source: Keap

Integrations

Keap integrates with more than 2,500 platforms and tools. No other CRM provider we reviewed connects with as many apps that help businesses operate efficiently. Keap's marketplace includes partner-level, certified and third-party integrations for email, lead generation, specialty apps, pre-built campaigns and much more. However, Keap's integrations are among the most expensive of the CRM providers we reviewed. If you're looking for a CRM that can integrate with far more free tools, read our review of HubSpot CRM.

Key takeaway: Keap offers the most integrations, but they are the most expensive integrations of any CRM provider we reviewed.

Keap Cost

Keap has a unique contact-based pricing structure. There are two core plans, Pro and Max, which start at $129 and $199 per month, respectively, when billed annually. The Pro plan includes two user seats and 1,500 contacts, while the Max plan includes three user seats and 2,500 contacts. The platform can easily handle more than 25,000 contacts with a higher monthly base. Each additional seat for either plan costs $29 per month, regardless of the number of contacts. 

We've compared the starting prices per month per user, as well as the features offered, in the chart below. We recommend you take advantage of Keap's 14-day free trial before you buy, to see how the platform suits your business requirements. 

Tip: Many CRM providers have multiseat minimums that are not obviously reflected in the advertised price per user, so pay close attention when you compare Keap's products that include multiple seats with the entry-level price.

Keap Setup

Keap is exceptionally easy to set up, thanks to the inclusion of a dedicated customer success manager with every plan. The free option includes ​​a basic contact import, 10 items and one landing page that would be enough to get a small team up and running quickly. Setting up your sales pipeline is especially easy, thanks to drag-and-drop tools and a Kanban system with automations to instantly communicate with new leads and begin cultivating a successful relationship. For more complicated items, including setting up new integrations, professional paid support is also available. 

Source: Keap

Keap Customer Service

Keap has above-average customer service, including U.S.-based phone support on weekdays and 24/7 chat support via the mobile app with both plans. Domestic customers can reach a support specialist by phone Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Local support is also available for subscribers in the U.K. and Australia. In addition, unlike most competitors, Keap includes a dedicated success manager with all plans.

Keap also offers self-help resources, including informative webinars and instructional articles that guide you through processes such as automating text messages and connecting your CRM software to WordPress. 

Keap Drawbacks

The variability of a contact-based pricing structure is a drawback for growing companies that want tight control over their recurring software expenses. Increasing contacts from 1,500 to 25,000 with the Pro plan raises the monthly base fee by 217%, from $129 to $409. Plus, after you exceed your allotment of 150 or 250 text messages, there is a charge of 4 cents per marketable message, meaning you'll have to keep a close eye on your text message automations.

Another limitation is that there is currently no sales funnel that allows you to create and connect multiple landing pages to convert more leads. Although this capability is listed as "coming soon," it feels like a missing feature in a high-performing, automation-rich CRM. For a CRM platform with a useful sales funnel tool, consider our review of Freshsales, the CRM platform from Freshworks.

Tip: Be careful when you're automating text messages with only 150 or 250 allotted text messages per month (depending on which plan you purchase). Charges can quickly add up when you go over these limits.

Methodology

We considered many major CRM software providers for review in 2022. After performing our initial research into each platform, we selected 11 of the leading customer relationship management solutions available today for small businesses: Salesforce, Keap, Freshworks, Zoho, monday.com Sales CRM, Oracle NetSuite, HubSpot, Insightly, Pipedrive, SugarCRM and Zendesk. After spending many collective hours participating in live product demos and testing each platform through trial or paid accounts, we identified the best use case for 11 providers, to help small business owners and managers choose the best CRM tool for their needs.

We also took a deeper dive into six of our top performers, providing greater insight into the features and tools that separate these CRMs from the rest of the competition. Of the CRM platforms for which we wrote a full review, Keap was the easiest to use, making it an excellent fit for startups and growing businesses that are new to this software category. Your dedicated customer success manager will help get your platform up and running smoothly with pre-built pipeline templates, automated email capabilities and lead management tools that can transform your customer relationships.

Keap FAQs

Is Keap free?

No, Keap is not free. However, a free 14-day trial for the Pro plan does not require a credit card. You can upgrade to the Max edition from the app at any time.

Did Keap buy Infusionsoft?

Infusionsoft rebranded as Keap in January 2021. According to the company, the new name is meant to represent the grit and passion entrepreneurs use every day to grow their businesses.

Where is Keap's headquarters?

The all-in-one sales and marketing platform company headquarters is in Chandler, Arizona. Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) was co-founded by Eric Martineau and Scott Martineau in Mesa, Arizona, along with the current CEO, Clate Mask.

Bottom Line

We recommend Keap CRM for …

• Businesses setting up their first CRM system.
• E-commerce businesses, which will enjoy Keap's numerous payment and checkout features.
• Companies looking for simple sales and marketing tools in one platform.

We don't recommend Keap CRM for …

• Large businesses with more than 25,000 contacts.
• Businesses that want a lot of free integrations.
• Businesses that want to send more than 250 promotional texts per month.