7 Best CRM for Startups & Small Business (2023)

Selecting the appropriate CRM for your startup is crucial for your company’s success. Whether it’s lead management, contact organization, or sales force coordination, top-tier startup CRMs are your allies in achieving your objectives. In this article, I’ll present a list of the top 7 CRMs for startups, aiding you in finding your perfect fit.

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Table of Contents

What Makes The Best CRM For Startups?

Key elements that determine the ideal CRM for budding businesses:

Budget-Friendly Pricing For startups and emerging businesses, cost-effective CRM solutions are always an advantage.

It’s essential not to overspend just to kickstart your business operations.

User-Friendly Design A CRM system that is intuitive ensures efficiency and cost savings over time.

Wasting hours on just understanding the software isn’t what you want.

Ready for Integration Opting for a CRM that supports integration further streamlines operations, leading to significant time and monetary savings.

Seamlessly link your CRM to other operational tools like your data management system or financial software.

Furthermore, integrating with platforms like Zapier broadens the horizon of capabilities.

Reliable Customer Service Always go for a CRM that offers stellar customer support. Timely assistance from the software provider is invaluable.

Be it via phone, electronic mail, or real-time chat, assistance should be at your fingertips when required.

Comprehensive Features While the necessary CRM functionalities depend on your business’s unique requirements, certain features remain fundamental. This includes managing leads, handling contacts, and streamlining sales processes.

More insights on this will be discussed further in this piece.

Having understood the prerequisites for a CRM suitable for startups and SMEs, let’s delve into some top-performing CRM platforms in the current market.

What Are The Best CRM For Startups & Small Business?

The following are the best CRM for startups to consider.

Best Overall Startups CRM

Unlocking Success with Pipedrive

Pipedrive, crowned as the Best Overall Startups CRM, unveils a simplicity that’s a breath of fresh air for sales enthusiasts. This CRM was designed with one goal in mind – to keep you laser-focused on closing deals. It’s no wonder that it stands tall as one of the fastest-growing CRM software options available today.

Mastering Your Sales Funnel

With Pipedrive, you can effortlessly map out your sales funnel’s various stages, shedding light on your deal’s precise location in the process. Gone are the days of confusion; now, you’ll know precisely what needs to be done to seal the deal.

Automate, Streamline, Thrive

Pipedrive doesn’t just stop at organization. It goes the extra mile by automating those mundane, repetitive tasks that drain your time and energy. Picture this: you receive automatic reminders and alerts to ensure you never miss a crucial deadline. It’s like having a diligent assistant by your side 24/7.

Team Collaboration at Its Finest

Your team’s success is paramount, and Pipedrive recognizes that. It offers a suite of collaboration features to facilitate seamless teamwork on deals and sales processes.

The Complete Customer Picture

Ever wished you had a photographic memory when dealing with leads and customers? Pipedrive’s Contact History provides precisely that – a complete view of your interactions with each lead or customer.

Insights Galore

No more flying blind. Pipedrive’s reporting and dashboards provide invaluable insights into your sales pipeline’s performance, allowing for informed decision-making.

User-Friendly Experience

Pipedrive boasts an intuitive user interface that even newcomers will find a breeze to navigate. Its visual sales pipeline offers a clear snapshot of deal progress, guiding you toward the right actions at the right time.

Pricing That Fits Your Budget

Pipedrive’s pricing is just as flexible as its features:

  • Essential: $14.90
  • Advanced: $24.90
  • Professional: $49.90
  • Enterprise: $99.00

Moreover, you can test-drive Pipedrive with a generous 14-day free trial.

What We Love and What We’d Improve

Pros:

  • Effortless setup and user-friendly interface.
  • Visual sales pipeline for easy deal tracking.
  • Intuitive UI for newcomers.

Cons:

  • Customization options could be more extensive.

Product Updates to Get Excited About

Stay ahead of the game with Pipedrive’s new LeadBooster analysis functions. They’ll supercharge your chatbots and help you reel in more leads effortlessly.

Ready to transform your startup’s CRM experience? Dive into Pipedrive now and watch your deals flourish!

Try Pipedrive Today.

Best For Productivity

Buckle up, folks! We’re about to embark on a journey through the dynamic world of Monday.com, the ultimate hub for productivity and teamwork.

Boosting Team Productivity

Monday.com is your trusty companion in the quest for peak productivity and seamless collaboration. Imagine a world where task assignment, deadline setting, and progress tracking are a breeze – that’s the power of Monday.

Tailor-Made Workflows

Flexibility reigns supreme with Monday.com, where you can craft custom workflows that mirror your unique processes. The software adapts to your needs, not the other way around.

Visual Insights at a Glance

The visual dashboard is your team’s compass, helping you swiftly gauge performance and spot areas that need improvement. Say goodbye to forgetfulness – with tasks and deadlines assigned, your team is always on the right track.

Lead Entry Made Easy

Monday.com lets you input leads from any source, taking the data entry burden off your sales team. They can focus on what they do best – selling!

Unveiling Key Features

  • Seamless Email Integration: Import leads into the CRM with ease.
  • Email Campaign Tracking: See who’s engaging with your emails.
  • Time-Saving Email Templates: Craft and send professional emails in no time.
  • Activity Management: Never let a task slip through the cracks.
  • Sales Forecasting: Predict deal closures with precision.

User Experience Redefined

The visual dashboard provides an instant overview of task and project statuses. Your team can swiftly review what’s happening and take action when needed. Monday.com makes task assignment, deadline setting, and progress tracking a breeze with its intuitive interface.

Pricing to Suit Your Needs

Choose a plan that fits like a glove:

  • Individual: $0 per seat per month.
  • Basic: $8 per seat per month.
  • Standard: $10 per seat per month.
  • Pro: $16 per seat per month.
  • Enterprise: Customized pricing, tailor-made for your requirements. (Minimum team size: Three people)

Our Take on Monday

Pros:

  • Time-saving automations ensure task completion.
  • Flexible Board Views offer data visualization that suits your preferences.
  • Stellar community support for customers.

Cons:

  • Consistency between platforms could be improved.
  • Notifications, if not managed, can become overwhelming.

Stay Updated with New Features

Experience the expanded Monday work docs settings, opening up endless possibilities for customizing your workflows.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your team’s productivity and collaboration? Dive into Monday.com today!

Get Started with Monday.com.

Best For Growing Relationships

Are you ready to take your sales game to the next level? Look no further than Salesmate, the CRM software designed to supercharge your sales team’s performance and foster meaningful customer connections.

Unlock the Power of Personalized Productivity: Salesmate empowers startups to zero in on what truly matters – their core business and relationships. Picture this: effortlessly reaching out to prospects, tracking emails, calls, and meetings, and gaining a comprehensive overview of every interaction. It’s a game-changer!

Actionable Insights at Your Fingertips: Our intuitive reports and dashboards provide invaluable insights into your sales process and performance. With this treasure trove of data, you can fine-tune your strategies for maximum impact.

Bid Farewell to Repetitive Tasks: With Salesmate, mundane, repetitive tasks are a thing of the past. You can finally channel your energy into nurturing relationships and sealing deals.

Key Features That Shine:

📧 Sales Sequences: Automate follow-up emails and tasks effortlessly. 

🎯 Lead Assignment: Assign leads to your sales team for efficient follow-ups. 

🤖 Sales Automation: Say goodbye to manual tasks with our automation features. 

🔍 Sales Activity Tracking: Get a bird’s-eye view of prospect interactions. 

📅 Email & Calendar Sync: Seamlessly sync everything in one place. 

📬 Email Tracking: Stay informed about opened and clicked emails.

User Experience Beyond Compare: The moment you dive into Salesmate, you’re greeted with a user-friendly dashboard offering a panoramic view of your sales pipeline. Quick searches for deals, contacts, and companies are a breeze.

Affordable Plans Tailored for You: Salesmate understands that one size doesn’t fit all.

Choose from our flexible plans:

🚀 Starter: $12 per user per month 🌱 Growth: $24 per user per month 📈 Boost: $40 per user per month 🌐 Enterprise: Custom quote-based

What We Love (and What We Don’t) About Salesmate:

Likes:

  • Intuitive interface for a smooth start.
  • Outstanding customer support, always ready to assist.
  • Comprehensive tracking of all your business activities in one place.

Dislikes:

  • Occasionally, voice dialler connectivity may not meet expectations.

Stay Ahead with Product Updates: Our drag-and-drop email template builder and formula fields empower you to create and customize content effortlessly.

Ready to revolutionize your sales strategy? Don’t wait any longer. Try Salesmate today!

Best For Expertise

With over a quarter of a million global businesses relying on Zoho CRM, it’s no secret why it’s the preferred choice for boosting sales and making lucrative deals. Dive into a world of insightful features and unparalleled tools to propel your business to new heights.

A CRM for All Your Needs: Zoho CRM stands tall as a versatile, general-purpose CRM that lets you manage your entire sales process from a single platform. The best part? You can tailor it to suit your unique business requirements without any coding knowledge or developer hires.

Zoho’s Power-Packed Platform: Beyond CRM, Zoho offers a suite of software to manage websites, emails, and finances. Dive into the world of email marketing with robust tools for contact segmentation, automated sequences, and engagement tracking. Ensure compliance with the latest regulations through Zoho Payroll.

Connect Across Multiple Channels: If reaching customers across various channels is your goal, Zoho CRM is the ultimate choice.

Key Features That Shine:

📊 Zoho Analytics: Make informed business decisions with data-driven insights.

📈 Zoho Reports: Measure and manage performance across sales, marketing, customer service, and support.

🔍 Search Capabilities: Find any information you need effortlessly.

🧠 Zia, the AI Engine: Receive intelligent lead and deal predictions.

🚀 Intelligent Alerts: Stay on top of customer and deal updates.

A User Experience That Wows: The graphical interface provides a clear view of leads by source and the probability of closing deals. Accessing features is a breeze with the left-hand side menu.

Pricing Plans for Every Need: Zoho CRM offers a range of plans to suit various budgets:

🌟 Standard: $14 per user per month 🏆 Professional: $23 per user per month 💼 Enterprise: $40 per user per month 🚀 Ultimate: $52 per user per month (billed annually)

What We Applaud and Question About Zoho CRM:

Likes:

  • A comprehensive CRM with expert features.
  • Streamlined invoice management for payment tracking.

Dislikes:

  • Coordination could be improved when seeking assistance from multiple support teams.

Stay Updated with Product Enhancements: Segment records effortlessly with Finance suite integration and explore new data analysis possibilities. Discover extensions to connect with additional applications, extending your CRM’s functionality.

Ready to elevate your sales game? Get started with Zoho CRM today!

Best For A 360 View Of Business

Are you ready to supercharge your startup’s sales pipeline and seal the deal with ease? Freshworks CRM is your ultimate AI-powered ally on this exciting journey.

🚀 Accelerate Your Success: Freshworks CRM is tailor-made for small teams with big dreams. As your business grows, so does the power of this versatile software.

🌟 Personalization at Its Best: Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all solutions. Freshworks CRM lets you tweak every engagement feature to match your unique business and customer demands.

🔍 The Complete Customer Picture: To deliver top-tier customer service, you need to know your customers inside out. Freshworks CRM gives you a panoramic 360-degree view of your customers, ensuring unparalleled service excellence.

🗂 Never Miss a Beat: Context is king. With Freshworks CRM, every interaction is logged, and you’ll never forget what was discussed during a previous chat or call. This is a game-changer for superior customer service.

Key Features to Boost Your Business:

  • 🔍 Gain complete context with the right touchpoints on the customer timeline.
  • 📈 Prioritize your sales cycle and pipeline with lead and deal scoring.
  • 📞 Communicate seamlessly across channels with Freshchat for an outstanding customer experience.
  • 📊 Improve revenue predictability with forecasting and pipeline management.
  • 🤝 Unify sales and support functionalities with a shared inbox.

User Experience That Puts You in Control:

Remembering past interactions is effortless, thanks to the ability to record and access them with ease. Plus, our user-friendly interface ensures you’ll navigate Freshworks CRM like a pro.

Pricing Plans Tailored for Your Needs:

  • 💸 Free Plan: $0 per user per month (billed annually).
  • 💼 Growth: $15 per user per month (billed annually).
  • 🏆 Pro: $39 per user per month (billed annually).
  • 🌐 Enterprise: $69 per user per month (billed annually).

What We Love and What We’re Working On:

What We Love:

  • 🤖 The chatbot journey builder automates customer interactions brilliantly.
  • 🌐 Fetching data with webhooks is a breeze.

What We’re Working On:

  • 📚 For newcomers, there’s a slight learning curve to master all the features.

Coming Soon:

Mobile shortcuts will give you even more control when using Freshworks CRM on your phone.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Don’t wait, try Freshworks CRM today!

Best Free CRM

Looking for a CRM that packs a punch without emptying your wallet? Look no further! HubSpot CRM is the crown jewel of free CRMs, offering a superb user experience.

🌟 Feature-Rich Freedom: HubSpot CRM is designed for small businesses seeking seamless integration with other products. Say goodbye to manual data entry – HubSpot CRM automates it all, leaving you to focus on your business goals.

📊 Visualize Your Success: Our visual dashboard helps you see what’s working and what’s not in your sales process. Detailed reports ensure you make informed decisions about your business.

Key Features That Ignite Your Potential:

  • 📈 The reporting dashboard delivers quick and accessible insights for small businesses.
  • 🏢 Company insights provide a competitive edge for your company.
  • 🤝 Deal tracking keeps your sales pipeline in check, ensuring no opportunities slip through the cracks.
  • 🔄 Pipeline management guarantees an efficient and effective sales process, leading to more closed deals.

User Experience That Sets You Up for Success:

Seamless integrations with other HubSpot products ensure a smooth workflow. Automatic recording of customer interactions simplifies your CRM experience, while note-taking becomes a breeze.

Pricing That Can’t Be Beaten:

HubSpot CRM is completely free. No strings attached.

Why We Love HubSpot CRM:

What We Love:

  • 📚 Having all your information in one place is priceless.
  • 🧩 Identifying primary contacts within organizations is a game-changer.

What We’re Improving:

  • 🔍 Searching for individual objects can be a tad tedious.

Coming Soon:

The relaunch of Service Hub and a native payment processor promise an even better experience for everyone involved.

Ready to embark on your CRM journey? Start with HubSpot CRM today!

Best For Exceeding Customer Expectations

Welcome to Insightly – your passport to exceeding customer expectations! Whether you’re a small business looking to skyrocket your sales and marketing efforts or a rapidly growing enterprise in need of seamless scalability, Insightly has your back.

Why Choose Insightly?

At Insightly, we’re all about delivering a world-class customer experience. We bridge the gap between your sales and marketing teams, making sure they’re always in sync, working towards the same goal – your customer’s satisfaction. Here’s why we’re your best choice:

  1. Transform Leads into Loyal Customers

Our software has the remarkable ability to transform leads into not just customers but enthusiastic promoters of your brand. By leveraging Insightly, you’ll gain the profound insights you need to elevate your business to unprecedented heights.

  1. Seamless Integration

Don’t fret about disrupting your business workflow; Insightly seamlessly integrates with the apps you rely on daily. Stay connected effortlessly and ensure a smooth, uninterrupted operation.

Exceeding Expectations – Made Easy

If you aspire to exceed your customer’s expectations, look no further than Insightly, the ultimate CRM solution.

Unveiling Key Features:

  • Team Alignment: With Insightly, everyone in your organization aligns around your customer’s needs, ensuring a cohesive approach to achieving customer satisfaction.
  • Personalized Marketing: Craft personalized marketing campaigns that captivate your customers, driving your sales to new heights with ease.
  • Customer Behavior Insights: Gain a competitive edge by modeling and understanding customer behavior like never before.
  • Trust-Building: Establish trust and credibility by consistently delivering an outstanding customer experience that keeps them coming back for more.

Pricing That Fits Your Needs:

Choose from our three flexible pricing plans:

  • Plus: Starting at just $29 per user per month.
  • Professional: Upgrade to the Professional plan for only $49 per user per month.
  • Enterprise: Go all-in with our Enterprise plan at $99 per user per month.

All plans are billed annually, ensuring you get the best value for your investment.

Explore Your Options:

While Insightly is a standout choice, it’s essential to consider other CRM tools in the market, such as Salesforce and SugarCRM, for a comprehensive evaluation of your CRM needs.

Make your move towards exceptional customer satisfaction today with Insightly!

What Are CRM For Startups & Small Business?

A CRM solution enables companies to oversee customer records and engagements, assist with marketing automation, and enhance total sales outcomes.

CRM solutions aim to gather customer details into a unified database, simplifying the process for sales personnel to monitor prospects, clients, and progression stages.

For startups venturing into CRM, the ideal software should support multiple customer engagements throughout all phases of the business – from generating leads to establishing loyal business supporters.

Handling certain business operations can be tedious and intricate, so employing a CRM solution provides automation and records customer engagements efficiently.

Sales representatives can employ a responsive CRM solution to refresh the sales progression instantaneously, data which becomes accessible for fellow team members.

Such transparency is vital for startups as it aids in predictions and defining objectives.

Considering that sales CRM systems are consistently merging with various task management tools and offering tailored workflow management applications for time efficiency, it’s clear why this kind of CRM finds favor with startups.

(Advanced) CRM Features For Startups & Small Business

CRM platforms come in a diverse array of options.

Some provide an all-encompassing experience, while others focus on fundamental functionalities.

Knowing the features a CRM system offers is vital for making an informed choice.

Though we’ve previously discussed the primary functionalities of CRM platforms, here are some enhanced features that could be particularly appealing to startups.

Unrestricted User Count and Scalability As your enterprise expands, adding more users to your CRM becomes necessary.

You don’t want to be tied to a CRM vendor that bills extra for each additional user.

Some systems grant complimentary usage for a limited number of users, while others start with unlimited users.

Picking a CRM that evolves with your venture is crucial for scalability.

Task Coordination Efficient task tracking and management are pivotal for small enterprises.

CRMs that encompass task coordination features facilitate this.

It lets you delegate tasks, establish timelines, and monitor task status.

Such a feature is indispensable for smaller companies to ensure all tasks are accounted for and operations run smoothly.

Client Interaction Tools Emerging businesses necessitate streamlined business operations that technology can seamlessly support, leading to the role of client interaction tools.

These tools consolidate customer information into one unified database, simplifying the task for sales units to monitor leads, clientele, and sales progressions.

Projecting Upcoming Sales Leveraging various automated tools, predicting potential sales conversions has become more intuitive.

Such functionalities are especially valuable for startups, offering clarity on probable deal closures.

Having this data, teams can judiciously allocate their efforts and resources.

Lead Capture and Management While many seasoned firms have dedicated email platforms, a lot of startup-centric CRMs facilitate using mainstream emails like Gmail or Outlook for corporate communications.

Using these platforms, inbox leads can be generated and directly monitored in the CRM.

It’s crucial for startups, enabling prompt conversion of email contacts into leads.

Top-tier CRMs sync seamlessly with premier email marketing tools, streamlining lead acquisition.

Given the potency of emails in marketing, this remains a paramount feature for startups when selecting a CRM.

Data Review and Insights A robust CRM should inherently offer analytical tools as part of its business analysis suite.

Such features allow startups to monitor sales trends and outcomes.

This capability is crucial for startups, helping pinpoint effective strategies and areas of improvement.

Lead Ranking Assigning scores to leads, thereby gauging their potential, is vital for startups.

It helps zero in on leads with the highest conversion prospects, optimizing sales initiatives.

Custom Field Design Startups require a CRM with a flexible interface, where data columns can be effortlessly added, removed, or modified.

This feature grows in importance as the business scales, necessitating the tracking of diverse data types.

Sales Metrics Observation Effective sales oversight is incomplete without assessing key metrics.

CRMs should provide tools to monitor metrics like conversion percentages, deal counts, and average deal value.

CRMs that track these metrics usually produce more accurate sales insights.

Mobile Integration Regardless of whether it’s iOS or Android, a CRM should come with a mobile application.

This is invaluable for startups, offering CRM access round the clock, irrespective of location.

Additionally, mobile apps simplify real-time data modifications.

 

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Top Pick

Pipedrive: Pipedrive is lauded for its user-friendly nature and minimal learning time. Its intuitive interface guarantees that your crew can navigate and utilize it efficiently without any hassles.

Visit Website Check Review →

Best For Task Management

Monday.com: Monday.com excels in fostering peak productivity by letting users monitor their milestones. The platform is also packed with features that ensure cohesive collaboration among teams.

Visit Website Check Review →

Best For Enhancing Client Ties

Salesmate: Salesmate is favored by groups that value nurturing and preserving robust customer bonds. This platform also facilitates reaching out to potential clients and amplifying lead generation.

Visit Website Check Review →

Best For Adaptability

Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM offers diverse tailoring options to ensure the system is tailored to your unique business requirements, whether they’re straightforward or intricate.

Visit Website Check Review →

Best For Comprehensive Insights

Freshworks CRM: Freshworks CRM enriches user experience by offering a comprehensive perspective on every contact. This feature guarantees you’re equipped with all the requisite data, making every client feel special.

Visit Website Check Review →Our content is reader-driven. Purchases made via our site links may result in affiliate commissions for us.

Your choice in CRM software can significantly influence your business trajectory.

A subpar customer relationship management system can deplete both your time and resources, but an effective one can conserve them.

Given the advanced functionalities inherent in enterprise CRM software, coupled with the associated price, it’s understandable that nascent businesses opt for more budget-friendly and simpler CRM solutions.

But identifying a CRM that aligns with a business’s specific needs always necessitates thorough scrutiny.

In this piece, I’ll introduce you to the leading CRM tools for startups and budding businesses, assisting you in determining the most suitable CRM software for your enterprise.

Let’s dive in

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