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What is CRM software?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a piece of software that helps you keep track of your customers and what they do. For example, you can see when they buy something from you when they contact you for help, or when they visit your website. CRM software also helps you connect different parts of your business, like marketing, sales, and customer service. This way, everyone can work together better and make your customers happy.
I have experienced firsthand the importance of a CRM while running my startup and here is why you should incorporate one in your venture.
Factors to Consider While Selecting a CRM Tool for Your Startup
Choosing the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is crucial for the success of your startup. A well-chosen CRM can enhance customer relationships, streamline processes, and boost sales. Here are key factors to consider when selecting a CRM tool:
- Scalability
As your startup grows, your CRM needs may change. Choose a CRM that can scale with your business, offering features that support growth without requiring a complete system overhaul. Look for tools that allow you to add users, features, or integrations as needed. - Ease of Use
A user-friendly interface is essential for team adoption. Opt for a CRM with an intuitive design that minimizes the learning curve. A complex system can lead to frustration and low usage rates, hindering your team’s efficiency. - Integration Capabilities
Your CRM should seamlessly integrate with other tools your startup uses, such as email marketing platforms, project management software, and accounting systems. This integration helps ensure a smooth workflow and allows for better data sharing across departments. - Customization Options
Every startup has unique needs. Look for a CRM that offers customization features, allowing you to tailor the tool to fit your specific business processes and workflows. This flexibility can enhance user experience and overall effectiveness. - Data Security
Protecting customer data is paramount. Ensure the CRM you choose has robust security measures in place, including encryption, user access controls, and compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR. This will help safeguard sensitive information and build trust with your customers. - Reporting and Analytics
A CRM should provide insightful reporting and analytics tools to track performance metrics, customer interactions, and sales data. These insights will help you make informed decisions, optimize strategies, and identify areas for improvement. - Mobile Accessibility
In today’s fast-paced environment, mobile accessibility is important for remote teams and on-the-go access to customer information. Choose a CRM that offers a mobile app or a responsive design, allowing your team to stay connected and productive regardless of location. - Customer Support and Resources
Reliable customer support is essential, especially during the implementation phase. Look for a CRM that offers comprehensive support options, including tutorials, documentation, and responsive customer service. This ensures you can resolve issues quickly and effectively. - Pricing Structure
Evaluate the pricing model of the CRM tool to ensure it aligns with your budget. Some CRMs offer tiered pricing based on features, user count, or data storage. Consider both upfront costs and potential long-term expenses as your team grows. - Trial and Demonstration
Before making a final decision, take advantage of free trials or demos offered by CRM providers. This hands-on experience will help you assess the tool’s functionality, ease of use, and whether it meets your startup’s specific needs.
What are the advantages of CRM software?
To get you warmed up, let us first highlight some advantages of CRM software. However, these are not the only advantages. I have just filtered out the ones that I feel are important. Let’s dig in shall we?
- Improve customer relationships: CRM software helps you remember who your customers are, what they like, what they need, and how they interact with you. This way, you can treat them better and make them happy. Happy customers are loyal customers who buy more from you and tell others about you.
- Increase productivity: CRM software helps you save time and effort by doing some things for you automatically. For example, it can fill in customer information for you, send emails or messages to customers at the right time, or remind you to follow up with them. This way, you can focus on more important things and get more done.
- Organize contact data: CRM software helps you keep all your customer information in one place that is easy to find and use. You can see everything about a customer on one screen, such as their name, phone number, email address, purchase history, feedback, etc. You can also update this information anytime and share it with your team members. This way, you can avoid confusion and mistakes and have a clear picture of your customers.
- Segment customers: CRM software helps you group your customers into different categories based on their characteristics or actions. For example, you can segment them by age, gender, location, interests, spending habits, etc. This way, you can understand them better and offer them more relevant products or services that suit their needs.
- Create sales reports and forecast sales performance: CRM software helps you collect and analyze data about your sales activities and results. You can see how many leads you have generated, how many deals you have closed, how much revenue you have earned etc. You can also use this data to predict how well your sales will do in the future based on past trends or patterns. This way, you can measure your progress and plan your strategies accordingly.
Now that we already know why we need CRM, let’s break down the list of the top 10 best CRM for startups(editor’s choice).
1. Hubspot
HubSpot CRM is a cloud-based platform that helps startups track and nurture leads, manage customer relationships, and analyze business metrics. It is one of the most popular and best-loved CRM options for startups because it offers a free plan with unlimited users and contacts, as well as powerful features that can help startups grow their sales and customer base.
Advantages:
- HubSpot CRM is free for unlimited users and contacts, making it ideal for startups with a limited budget.
- HubSpot CRM is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface that integrates well with other tools like Gmail, Outlook, WordPress, etc.
- HubSpot CRM offers powerful features such as email marketing, lead generation, pipeline management, reporting, etc., that can help startups grow their sales and customer base.
- HubSpot CRM has a large community of users and experts who can provide support and guidance for startups using the platform.
Disadvantages:
- HubSpot CRM’s free plan has some limitations such as restricted customization, storage space, integrations, etc., that may require upgrading to paid plans for more advanced needs.
- HubSpot CRM’s paid plans are expensive compared to some other CRM options in the market, especially for startups with high volumes of contacts or data.
- HubSpot CRM may have some performance issues such as slow loading times or glitches that can affect user experience and productivity.
Pricing:
HubSpot CRM offers four pricing plans: Free, Starter ($50 per month), Professional ($500 per month), and Enterprise ($1,200 per month). The prices vary depending on the number of features, integrations, customizations, support, etc., available in each plan. The free plan includes basic features such as contact management, email marketing, live chat, etc., while the paid plans offer more advanced features such as automation, analytics, reporting, etc. You can compare the plans here: https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/crm
2. Zoho CRM for Startups
Zoho CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management software that helps businesses manage their sales, marketing, customer service, and other operations. It is one of the most popular CRM solutions in the market, with over 50 million users worldwide.
Some of the advantages of Zoho CRM are:
- It offers a free plan for up to three users and 5,000 records.
- It has a user-friendly interface and a high level of customization.
- It integrates with other Zoho products and third-party applications.
- It provides advanced features such as artificial intelligence, automation, analytics, and social media integration.
Some of the disadvantages of Zoho CRM are:
- It can be overwhelming for beginners due to its complexity and learning curve.
- It has limited customer support options and sometimes slow response times.
- It may have compatibility issues with some browsers and devices.
The pricing of Zoho CRM depends on the edition and the number of users. The free plan offers basic features such as leads, contacts, accounts, deals, tasks, events, notes, call logs, email templates, web forms, reports, dashboards, and feeds. The paid plans range from $14 to $52 per user per month (billed annually) and offer more features such as workflows, scoring rules, email insights, and social media integration. The ultimate edition costs $100 per user per month (billed annually) and includes all features plus a dedicated database cluster and premium support.
Pricing page: https://www.zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
3. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 CRM is a cloud-based or self-hosted customer relationship management software that also offers tools for project management, customer support, internal communications, and website building. It is used by over 8 million businesses worldwide.
Some of the advantages of Bitrix24 CRM are:
- It has a flat monthly price for an unlimited number of users.
- It has a wide range of features that cover different aspects of business operations.
- It has a user-friendly interface and a high level of customization.
- It integrates with other Bitrix24 products and third-party applications.
Some of the disadvantages of Bitrix24 CRM are:
- It can be overwhelming for beginners due to its complexity and learning curve.
- It has limited customer support options and sometimes slow response times.
- It may have compatibility issues with some browsers and devices.
The pricing of Bitrix24 CRM depends on the edition and deployment options. The free plan offers basic features such as leads, contacts, deals, tasks, events, notes, call logs, email templates, web forms, reports, and dashboards. The paid plans range from $19 to $159 per month (billed annually) for cloud-based deployment and offer more features such as workflows, automation rules, and email marketing. The self-hosted option costs from $1,490 to $24,990 (one-time payment) and includes all features plus source code access and extra security.
4. ClickUp CRM for startups
ClickUp CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management software that is part of ClickUp, a project management platform that also offers tools for collaboration, productivity, and automation. It is used by over 200,000 businesses worldwide.
Some of the advantages of ClickUp CRM are:
- It is easy to set up and customize according to your business needs.
- It integrates with other ClickUp features and third-party applications.
- It allows you to track your sales pipeline, manage contacts, send emails, schedule appointments, and more.
- It has a user-friendly interface and a high level of flexibility.
Some of the disadvantages of ClickUp CRM are:
- It can be confusing for beginners due to its complexity and multiple options.
- It has limited customer support options and sometimes slow response times.
- It may have some bugs and glitches that affect its performance.
The pricing of ClickUp CRM depends on the plan you choose. The free plan offers unlimited tasks, unlimited members, 100MB of storage space, and one workspace. The paid plans range from $5 to $9 per member per month (billed annually) and offer more features such as unlimited storage space, unlimited integrations, and custom fields. The enterprise plan offers custom pricing and features such as advanced security, and dedicated support.
5. Agile CRM
Agile CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management software that offers sales tracking, contact management, marketing automation, and web analytics. It is designed for small and medium-sized businesses.
Some of the advantages of Agile CRM are:
- It has a free plan for up to 10 users and 1,000 contacts.
- It has a user-friendly interface and great integration capabilities.
- It has a solid foundation that makes it easy to understand the tools and creates numerous options for fluidity and control of CRM automation benefits.
- It helps organize a performance to help prospects and be more agile with marketing.
Some of the disadvantages of Agile CRM are:
- The free version has limited marketing automation tools.
- The customer support is sometimes slow or unresponsive.
- The pricing plans can get expensive as you scale up your business or operations.
The pricing of Agile CRM depends on the plan you choose. The free plan offers basic features such as email tracking, web engagement, and social media integration. The paid plans range from $8.99 to $47.99 per user per month (billed every two years) and offer more features such as landing pages, email campaigns, web analytics. The enterprise plan offers custom pricing and features such as a dedicated account manager, and onboarding coach.
6. Insightly CRM for startups
Insightly CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management software that offers features for marketing automation, project management and customer support. It is designed for startups and small businesses.
Some of the advantages of Insightly CRM are:
- It has a very user-friendly and intuitive interface that has a great look and feel.
- It offers the right amount of CRM tools along with features for lead management, mass emailing, workflow automation, reporting.
- It integrates with other popular applications such as Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, QuickBooks.
- It has a remarkable tool for keeping track of customers and managing business expenses.
Some of the disadvantages of Insightly CRM are:
- It has limited customization options and sometimes lacks advanced features.
- It has a steep learning curve for some users who may find it complex or overwhelming.
- It has inconsistent customer support that may be slow or unresponsive.
The pricing of Insightly CRM depends on the plan you choose. The free plan offers basic features such as 2 users, 2,500 records, 10 custom fields. The paid plans range from $29 to $99 per user per month (billed annually) and offer more features such as unlimited records, custom branding, advanced reporting. The enterprise plan offers custom pricing and features such as dedicated account manager, priority support.
7. Streak
Streak CRM is a customer relationship management tool that works inside Gmail and Google Workspace. It allows you to manage your workflows such as sales, hiring, fundraising, and support from your inbox. Here are some of its advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- Simple collaboration: You can share contacts, email, files, and anything else needed to get the job done with a single click.
- Multipurpose: You can replace multiple external systems with Streak. It supports various use cases such as project management, email tracking, mail merge, snooze, send later, snippets, etc.
- Works with Google Apps: Streak connects securely to Google Apps. You can access your data from any device and sync it with other Google products such as Calendar, Drive, Sheets, etc.
Disadvantages:
- Limited customization: Streak may not offer enough flexibility or features for complex or specific workflows. You may need to use third-party integrations or extensions to enhance its functionality.
- Gmail dependency: Streak relies on Gmail for its core operations. If you prefer a different email provider or want to access your CRM data outside of Gmail, Streak may not be suitable for you.
Pricing: Streak offers a free plan for personal use and a 14-day trial for its paid plans. The paid plans start from $15 per user per month (billed annually) for the Solo plan which includes basic CRM features. The Pro plan costs $49 per user per month (billed annually) and includes advanced features such as unlimited pipelines, custom permissions, reporting and analytics, etc. The Enterprise plan costs $129 per user per month (billed annually) and includes premium features such as data validation, dedicated success manager, API access, etc.
8. Salesforce CRM for startups
Salesforce CRM is a customer relationship management software that helps startups build stronger customer relationships, collaborate better, and grow faster. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce CRM for startups:
Advantages:
- It is easy to use and set up, with a user-friendly interface and a mobile app1.
- It offers sales and customer support features in one app, called Salesforce Essentials.
- It integrates with many other apps and platforms, such as Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Mailchimp, etc.
- It provides insights, learning and support for startups to align with Salesforce and launch on AppExchange.
Disadvantages:
- It can be expensive for some startups, especially as they scale up and need more features or users.
- It can be complex to customize or configure for specific needs or workflows.
- It can have compatibility issues with some third-party apps or systems.
Pricing: Salesforce Essentials costs $25 per user per month (billed annually) for up to 10 users. It includes basic sales and support features, such as contact management, email integration, live chat, reports and dashboards. For more advanced features or users, there are other plans available that range from $75 to $300 per user per month (billed annually).
9. MansaCRM
MansaCRM is a cloud-based platform that helps start-ups and SMES manage customer relationships. MansaCRM is the newest and most innovative CRM on this list as it is building an AI-native solution offering a CRM, users do not have to update manually.
Here are some key advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- MansaCRM is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface
- MansaCRM is very founder friendly as it includes an investor update template allowing start-ups to send monthly reports to your investors
- MansaCRM integrates a high level of automation to its product roadmap thanks to AI integration (coming soon) allowing users to automate: Email marketing, Lead generation (ICP based), Pipeline Management, Note transcripts, Call Reports etc., that can help sales teams focus on their customer interactions rather than updating the CRM
- MansaCRM has a large network of venture capital funds and founders accessible via the CRM that can benefit its users greatly
Disadvantages:
- Due to its novelty (launched in 2024) some of the most exciting features with regard to integrationsn Marketing and AI are yet to be released and the company plans for a release by Q4 2024
- It does not yet have a mobile app
Pricing:
MansaCRM offers 3 pricing plans: Basic (€14.99 per month), Standard(€29.99 per month per user), and Premium ($99 per month for 5 Users).
You can compare the plans here: https://www.mansastars.com/#Pricing
10. Salesflare
Salesflare CRM is a customer relationship management software that helps startups sell more with less work. It automates data entry, tracks and follows up leads, and enables team collaboration. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of Salesflare CRM for startups:
Advantages:
- It integrates with Gmail, Office 365, Exchange, iCloud, LinkedIn, Zapier, etc.
- It collects data from various sources and keeps it updated automatically1
- It provides insights on lead behavior and activity
- It offers simple and affordable pricing plans
Disadvantages:
- It is mainly designed for B2B sales, so it may not suit B2C or other types of businesses
- It does not have a built-in phone system or live chat feature
- It may have limited customization options for some users
Pricing: Salesflare CRM costs $29 per user per month (billed annually) for up to 5 users. It includes unlimited contacts, email tracking, email templates, email campaigns, web tracking, etc. For more users or features, there are other plans available that range from $49 to $99 per user per month (billed annually). There is also an early-stage program for startups that need Salesflare even more affordable for now.
11. Close CRM for startups
Close CRM is a sales engagement platform that lets you email, call, and text leads from your desktop. It also tracks every touchpoint with a lead in a visual timeline.
Some advantages of Close CRM are:
- It has powerful sales automation features that can help you streamline your lead generation and sales process.
- It integrates with many popular tools such as Zapier, Mailchimp, Slack, etc.
- It offers unlimited users, contacts, and emails for all plans.
Some disadvantages of Close CRM are:
- It does not have a mobile app.
- It does not support social media integration or web forms.
- It can be expensive for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
The pricing of Close CRM depends on the plan you choose. There are four plans: Starter ($35/user/month), Basic ($65/user/month), Professional ($95/user/month), and Business ($145/user/month). All plans include unlimited calling minutes to US/Canada numbers. You can also get a 14-day free trial for any plan.
CRM for Startups FAQs
Q: What is CRM? A: CRM stands for client relationship management. It is a software that helps businesses manage their interactions with customers, prospects, and partners.
Q: Why do startups need CRM? A: Startups need CRM to organize, track, and grow their customer base. CRM can help startups with tasks such as lead generation, pipeline management, email marketing, customer service, analytics, and more.
Q: How to choose the best CRM for startups? A: There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The best CRM for startups depends on factors such as budget, features, scalability, integration, ease of use, etc. Some of the popular CRM solutions for startups are Salesforce Essentials, Pipedrive, Zendesk, Zoho, ClickUp, etc.
Q: What are some of the benefits of using CRM for startups? A: Some of the benefits of using CRM for startups are:
- Improved customer satisfaction and retention
- Increased sales productivity and revenue
- Enhanced collaboration and communication
- Reduced operational costs and errors
- Better decision-making and forecasting
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