Best CRM Software of 2022

The Best CRM Software of 2022

• Best for Project Management: monday.com Sales CRM
• Best for Small Businesses: Salesforce
• Best for Ease of Use: Keap
• Best for Communication: Freshsales
• Best for E-Commerce: Oracle NetSuite CRM
• Best for Integrations: HubSpot CRM
• Best for Remote and Hybrid Teams: Zoho CRM
• Best for Cross-Platform Integrations: Quickbase
• Best for Customer Support: Sage CRM
• Best for Complete Customer Life Cycle: Zendesk
• Best for Visual Sales Pipelines: Pipedrive
• Best for Customization: Insightly
• Best for Midsize Businesses: SugarCRM

• Businesses use CRM software to engage and build connections with leads and clients.
• CRM software can be hosted in the cloud or on-premises, depending on which company and service package you choose.
• CRM software helps sales teams and other companies manage their customers' data.
• This article is for small business owners interested in learning about the best CRM software and what to look for in a CRM.

When choosing customer relationship management (CRM) software for your business, there are multiple factors to consider, including cost, features, setup and integrations. Since there are so many options on the market, we've researched and analyzed many of the leading platforms to determine the ones we think are best for various business needs. We arrived at our best picks after looking at a number of factors, including how much each CRM costs, how simple it is to use, the tools it offers your sales and marketing teams, and how well it integrates with other popular business applications. Continue reading to learn more about our recommendations, as well as important things to consider when you choose your CRM software.

Most CRM software is priced on a per-person per-month basis. Many companies opt for annual billing to simplify the payment process and save money. (Most services reduce the per-month price if you pay annually rather than monthly.) With that in mind, these are the general pricing tiers you can expect:

• $10 to $15: Inexpensive CRM products are a great option for tiny businesses with modest needs, and many services charge only $10 to $15 per user per month. Affordable systems like these don't usually require much in-house tech support to implement. If you want a fast solution with minimal hassle, this price range is a great place to find one. Just make sure the storage options meet your needs; low-cost CRM software usually caps the number of customer records you can store.
  
  
• $20 to $40: For additional features and a broader range of integrations with third-party systems, a CRM in the range of $20 to $40 per user per month will likely meet your needs. The majority of CRM software we reviewed falls into this price range because it's designed to meet the needs of the SMB set. As you peruse options in this price range, check for limitations on the number of supported users and storage caps that could force you to upgrade to higher-priced plans.
  
  
• $50 to $75: CRM software that falls between $50 and $75 per user per month is typically intended for enterprise use. Such systems often include options to integrate with legacy systems and allow greater customization than other CRM software. As powerful as they are, systems like these are not necessary for most small businesses.
  
  
• $250 or more: High-end CRM systems often provide extensive training, customization and implementation services with the software. Another reason for the steep cost of these solutions is that they are not cloud services; instead, they can be hosted locally, which is a boon for organizations with unique security needs.

Did you know?: Most CRM services offer free trial periods for new customers, so you can test-drive the system of your choice without the risk of sinking money into a product that ultimately doesn't work for you.

When you seek a CRM program, it's important to know what you need. Here are common features you'll find in CRM systems so you can decide which ones would best serve your business's needs.

Workflow Automation

Workflow automation is the basis of how your system moves and the automatic actions within the software. For example, you could set the software to automatically send a message to a sales representative whenever a customer fills out a form on your website. This feature moves certain procedures and data along within your program, minimizing your workload and taking care of the tiny details of your team's sales and marketing tasks.

Reporting

CRM reports break down your sales and marketing data to help you better understand and analyze leads, customers' buying behaviors, the number of outbound calls your team makes, and other important marketing metrics. Some CRM software offer more report types than others – with some allowing you to tailor your own reporting metrics – and more ways to view the data, such as in bar graphs or pie charts.

Customer Data Management

Understanding your customers is the first step in running a successful business. Customer data management tools allow you to organize data on customers clearly, helping you improve customer relationships.

Customization

Making your CRM your own will reduce the learning curve of using it and ensure it provides the information you need. When a program is customizable, you can pick the features you want and mold your contact fields, dashboard, reports, extensions and plugins to best support your needs and budget.

Third-Party Integrations

Third-party CRM integrations provide a wider range of tools to use within your system. You can connect your CRM to programs with features the CRM may not have, such as your email marketing or accounting software. This saves you from manually entering data you already have in another program, constantly flipping between apps and spending money on additional tools for your CRM. [Related article: How CRMs Streamline Email Marketing]

Tip: To ensure you get the most out of your CRM system, outline what you're looking for and need before buying. This will keep you from overpaying for features you'll never use.

1. Set a budget.

CRM costs range from free to upward of $1,000 per month, so it's best to set your budget before you start shopping. It's easier to narrow down your options by eliminating CRM software outside your price range before you drill down into feature sets and service plans.

2. Make a feature list.

The number of tools and functions in even the most basic CRM system can be overwhelming. For clarity, list the CRM features you must have and the features that would be nice to have but aren't crucial. This is a good time to get feedback from other people in your company who will use the CRM. They may recommend features you hadn't thought of or eliminate ones you thought they would need.

3. Gather referrals from businesses like yours.

In a crowded sales technology market, choosing the right CRM can be daunting.  Recommendations from people who understand the needs of your industry from the inside are invaluable.

4. Assess the current market.

The CRM space changes rapidly as technology improves, so high-profile solutions you've heard of in the past may no longer be the best choice. Small business advice websites and trade publications are the best way to see what's currently popular – and what's not.

5. Read reviews.

As your list of CRM candidates grows, take the time to read any user reviews you come across. You'll gain more insight as to how individual solutions perform in the real world than you will by reading about them on the vendors' websites.

6. Test your top choices.

At this point, you'll have a sense of which CRM software has the most potential, so take each one of these contenders for a test drive. Most companies offer free trials, so try as many as you can before spending money on a permanent solution. Sales reps are usually eager to answer any questions you have or show you a demo of their product, but remember that it's their job to present their CRM in the best light possible, so using the software yourself is the best way to test it.

7. Make your decision.

Once you've done your due diligence, it's time to make a final selection. It may take a while to work through all these steps, but it's time well spent on such an important investment.

Key takeaway: CRM software is a critical part of your sales and marketing teams' daily operations, which serve as the engine of your revenue. Keep detailed notes as you explore various platforms, and invite other team members to join demos and take advantage of free trials.

A central location where your employees can log all customer communications and build marketing campaigns can benefit your business in multiple ways. A CRM offers your company the following abilities:

• Organize and maintain customer information. CRM software is ideal for companies that need to use up-to-date data to service their customers. This is the most basic yet essential benefit that CRM software can provide for your business.
  
  
• Forecast your sales process. CRM software allows you to predict your future sales based on past sales data. Sales reports and insights are key for companies to project future needs and costs.
  
  
• Streamline and scale your sales cycle. With the data you receive from CRM software, you can streamline your sales process and cut out unnecessary steps. You'll see which types of communication work and which ones don't. When you need to scale up your sales process, CRM software can help you with that too.
  
  
• Automate your workflow. CRM software automates data entry and administrative tasks, allowing your team to focus on building meaningful customer relationships. Workflow automation also minimizes the potential for human error.
  
  
• Build customer relationships. CRM software helps your team engage and build lasting connections with customers. Using the data stored in your CRM, your team can track customer information and cater their interactions to meet each customer's unique needs and preferences.

What does a CRM system do?

CRM systems help your sales team log communications, manage leads and sometimes build marketing campaigns. In other words, a CRM allows you to build and maintain relationships with your customers and other businesses.

Organizations use CRM solutions for various reasons. Initially, though, the CRM industry was geared primarily toward sales and PR professionals, offering a convenient way to store information and track communications with customers. Today, CRM solutions straddle several areas, such as marketing, analytics, communication and light project management. Some CRM systems even have built-in chatbot and calling capabilities, letting your sales reps communicate with clients directly from the system.

What are some examples of CRM software?

CRM software is any tech solution that helps businesses manage communications with their current and potential clients. Leaders in the CRM software industry include Salesforce, Zoho and HubSpot.

What makes a CRM system 'open source'?

When software claims to be "open source," it typically means that some or all of the source code is available to users for review and modification. Developers and programmers who want the ability to customize their CRM software extensively often opt for open-source solutions.  

What are the differences between ERP, CRM software and marketing automation?

ERP software has some overlap with CRM software, so it's understandable that there's frequent confusion regarding the difference between ERPs and CRM software.

ERP software is intended to manage nearly every aspect of a business's operations, including accounting, human resources, inventory and analytics. As such, CRM capabilities are often built into ERP software. CRM software focuses specifically on managing customer information, logging interactions with clients and storing sales-related lead details. Marketing automation, meanwhile, is what businesses use to streamline, automate and measure marketing tasks to build their revenue.

Should I consider a free CRM?

The obvious perk of using a free CRM is that it does not cost anything. Systems like HubSpot move the needle when it comes to what free CRM software can offer, improving business processes and organization at zero cost.

Free programs typically limit the number of users, integrations and campaign creation opportunities. They give you just enough features to show you that you may need more. In other words, they are good starter programs to use while you figure out exactly what you want.

However, you may encounter poor security features or a lack of automatic backups. Free programs can be breached or lost, and they don't offer much support for growing companies.

What other tools integrate with CRM software?

Sales and marketing add-ons are the most common integrations for CRM solutions. Reporting and tracking tools are also popular. Direct integrations typically connect most quickly, while third-party integrations require middleware to facilitate the exchange of data between the CRM, the operating system and other applications. Custom API integrations typically take longer because the integration has to be built.

How do I get my team on board with CRM software?

It's important to communicate to your team the benefits of a CRM system. Include your staff in the search process so you can find a solution that pleases everyone. Before and during implementation, make sure your team gets all the training they need so they're comfortable using the program. Talk to your employees about their concerns, and encourage them to ask questions so the training representative can address them. You want your team to feel that they can use the CRM system comfortably and proficiently.

What is a CRM analyst?

A CRM analyst examines your consumer data to help your business make the best sales and customer service recommendations. These experts help you understand your customers' needs and interests so you can determine the best ways to market to them.

What are the disadvantages of CRM software?

As with any business strategy, there are some challenges in using CRM software. First and foremost, some systems may not be affordable for small business owners. In addition to being pricey upfront, many CRM services have hidden costs. For example, you might have to pay for system administrators, software developers, maintenance and data backups on top of the CRM's base fee. Read the fine print and ask the CRM vendor about any hidden costs before deciding whether you can afford a certain system.

Your CRM could also negatively impact your business if it shuts down or fails. You run the risk of losing all your records, which can hurt your business financially and let your customers down. Also, depending on the CRM's learning curve and your team's experience, training your staff to use the CRM effectively can be a long and tedious journey.

What is the first step in the CRM process?

The first step in the CRM process is research. Take time to understand your target audience and how you should approach them. You want to know their interests, how they prefer to be contacted, their demographics and what forms of communication they respond to the best.

Then, divide your targets into groups so you can market to them directly according to their preferences. Gathering and grouping your leads is an important initial step in the CRM process, allowing you to better understand the marketing strategy you should create so you can successfully turn them into customers.

How do CRM systems typically handle automation?

You can automate three kinds of workflows within your CRM: marketing, sales and service roles. CRM automation allows your program to perform certain tasks repeatedly so an employee doesn't have to do them manually. This not only saves time and streamlines your team's workflow, which can boost your company's overall productivity, but it is also especially useful for moving consumers from the knowledge-gathering part of the buyer experience to the stage where they can be molded into a customer.

In recent years, CRM software has become more sophisticated and integrated with a broader range of business operations. Social media and email integration, for example, have been hallmarks of the CRM evolution. With the emergence of AI and machine learning, CRM functionality will continue to grow.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a hand in CRM growth. With more people at home than ever before – conducting business from home offices or making purchases online – there was an increased need for communication between customers and employees. CRM software was the solution to this problem, providing organized recordkeeping services for medical professionals and streamlined tracking systems for products.

In 2022, CRMs will become more focused on self-service for customers. Salesforce data showed that nearly 80% of service professionals said that their customers have increased their use of self-service during the pandemic. Examples of self-service will be seen in FAQ pages, help centers and secured customer profiles, where returns can be processed or orders can be tracked. 

There will also be more integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) in the form of CRM connections to IoT feeds. The amount of IoT-connected devices is expected to surpass 25.4 billion by 2030. By 2025, estimates suggest there will be 152,200 IoT devices connecting to the internet every minute. The developers who tap into these trends in a way that maintains or enhances user experience are poised for success in the next decade.

Simone Johnson contributed to the writing and research in this guide.