Best CRM Software for Startups

Perhaps the most popular customer management software solution available in the market right now is Salesforce. I can understand why it’s considered the world’s best and most widely adopted from my extensive testing. Salesforce is a favorite for salespeople, making the onboarding process more seamless especially when hiring more reps. 

With Salesforce, I found it easier to organize customer data in a single centralized dashboard. I was also able to integrate this platform with other tools like DocuSign, ActiveCampaign, and even Zapper. 

Although the learning curve is a bit steeper, it’s the one software I recommend for small to medium businesses thanks to its ability to provide an all-in-one solution.

Why I like Salesforce

I liked its powerful reporting feature with which you can create revenue reports and forecast your expected earnings. This is essential when making financial decisions. In addition, from my test, I was able to collaborate on multiple dashboards, connect with Slack, and even create a custom workstation where the team could access automatic updates. 

My team was able to create custom channels for various uses, and it enabled me to add an unlimited number of users. From those dashboards, sharing business strategies, and customer-related info, and updating the team was relatively easier. 

Salesforce may be a bit costly, but it has a more affordable alternative: Salesforce Essential which costs only $25 per user/month. It may not have a free plan but for such robust features, I consider the pricing and the 14-day trial period fair. 

It has all the essential CRM tools not to mention its flexibility and scalability. This makes it an ideal option if you’re looking for the best CRM for investor management startup.

For startups with a tight budget looking for free software to propel their business forward, HubSpot is the best option. It’s the one CRM platform with a suite of individual tools each offering various functions of business management. It’s ideal for anyone looking for the free best CRM software for startups.

Whether it’s marketing or sales, operations or customer service, I was able to access it all from HubSpot’s suite of tools. But by free I don’t mean it’s entirely free, rather it means you can access premium features from the free version and the paid plans are relatively affordable. 

What’s more, I had the convenience of choosing whether to buy each tool individually or opt for an all-in-one CRM solution by buying a full package. However, cost-effectiveness and flexibility aren’t the only thing that makes HubSpot the best free CRM for startup companies according to me. 

Its HubSpot for Startups program is another thing that led me to give it a thumbs up. 

The program is designed to provide team onboarding and tailored training specifically for startups and it comes with a whopping 90% discount in this first year. I mean, what more would eligible startups need to keep operation costs running low in the first 12 months of business? 

I was able to use the money saved to budget for other aspects of the business, more so on growth. Furthermore, with the free plan, I was able to use HubSpot’s elite sales, marketing, customer service, and operational tools without paying a dime. 

But there’s more. I got to use their live chat, content management, shared inbox, deal tracking, email marketing, dashboard reporting, and on-screen calling, all for free. Can you think of a better deal than that? 

However, I couldn’t access other advanced features on the free plan but that came at a cost of only $45 per month. I found the HubSpot Academy quite resourceful, more so since I could conveniently access the training materials for free. They came in handy when we needed to conduct team orientation and bring everyone up to date. 

I recommend HubSpot CRM if you’re a young business with a limited budget seeking to get more for less or even free. Since there’s a limit on who can use HubSpot CRM except for startups, it’s a great place to get started for free as you experiment with each feature. I consider it the best free CRM for a startup company.

Why I like HubSpot

I liked experimenting with HubSpot not because of its popularity and abundance of free offerings but for its inclusivity. It’s more of an all-in-one solution meaning I could use it to conduct sales, marketing, AI automation, and customer service. 

It’s rare for CRM software to provide free email marketing and this is an advantage I capitalized on greatly. The ability to customize HubSpot offerings and integrate them with Gmail, Slack, and Outlook is a plus.

Of all the six CRM tools I reviewed, Zoho topped the list in terms of customization. Here I was able to access everything related to customer relationship management. I’m talking about lead generation tools, workflow automation, pipeline management, robust reporting, and analytics, name them. 

I read, managed, and responded to customer messages from the unified box and various customer communication channels. And yes, I could also make calls, and utilize live chats and other social platforms with relative ease. This made it qualify as the best web based CRM with VOIP calling for startups or small businesses.

But one thing I found impressive with this CRM tool is its Canvas design studio from where I was able to design my own CRM interface to suit my preferences. The design studio utilizes an intuitive drag-and-drop editor which is surprisingly easy to use.

Zoho is one of those CRM tools that integrate with other tools within their cloud software so you don’t need to shop for other external apps. Since it has a fee plan and an even affordable pro plan (going for just $14), I recommend you check it out and I’m sure you’ll like it especially if you’re keen on seamless customization.  

Why I like Zoho CRM

Zoho is a pod choice for startups working on s budget but looking for something with robust functionality. The mass email capability is a plus for conducting those ensuing outreaches during the early stages of lead generation. 

As for automation, it’s equally robust though it’s not beginner friendly so some prior learning is necessary.

Overall, I liked the fact that I could seamlessly integrate lead and deal management capabilities. It’s not so strict when it comes to lead acquisition so I was able to onboard leads we captured on social media, websites, and online forms. That’s just how Zoho CRM is not to mention it supports up to 800 integrations.

If you’re looking for a versatile CRM that caters to all your project management needs, look no further than Insightly. It works best with calendar syncing and task tracking. It boasts robust workflow management features great for streamlining operations and saving time. 

When I needed to assign leads to various sales reps, I only had to utilize the lead routing feature which again works automatically thus speeding up things. Perfect for pushing warm leads down the sales funnel. 

The powerful automation capabilities ensured I could send emails and update records effortlessly. It comes with built-in email marketing features which helps accelerate email marketing efforts since with it we can send, create, and track emails within the platform. 

However, there are so many things you can achieve with Insightly, which is why its learning curve is steeper. It’s also one of the most expensive CRMs on this list (though not as expensive as HubSpot CRM) with a starting price of $29 per user per month. 

Fortunately, it has a 14-day free trial and once you upgrade, they have round-the-clock email and phone support.  

Why I like Insightly

This is CRM software that’s extremely reliable when it comes to organizing existing contact lists and reaching prospective clients thanks to its advanced lead and contact management functionalities. 

I also noted it has other unique ways of capturing new leads. For example, I was able to add new contact details manually and easily through batch imports, which are also possible from an Excel spreadsheet (the quickest option though). 

I was also able to achieve the same from the Insightly app from where I only needed to scan business cards and voila! New leads. With every lead captured, I used the social profile enrichment feature to connect each record with the right social media information. 

Pipedrive is a startup tool built for startups. Among the best CRM tools for startup businesses, it offers everything a young business needs to grow. Everything from flexibility to low costs, ease of use, and ability to scale up. Pipedrive’s strength is in its sales pipeline, an essential feature for small businesses. 

This is all I needed to maintain sales and contact management and solve various problems synonymous with a young business. 

I found it easier to manage deals with Pipedrive’s default deal pipeline and still be able to create an unlimited number of custom deal pipelines with as many steps as I liked. Since these are kanban boards, dragging and dropping them from one stage to the next was super straightforward and my team made great progress in a short time. 

Pipedrive also works seamlessly with email marketing tools and third-party calendars for easy scheduling and communication. 

Using it to organize customer data, collaborate with teams, and manage correspondence was pretty straightforward. We were able to determine which leads to contact first and prioritize follow-ups accordingly. 

In addition, Pipedrive helped weed out duplicate contacts to ensure seamlessness in our lead management efforts. Still, it lacks certain crucial tools, and others like project management capabilities,  web forms, and chatbots are available in the paid plans. But since it’s straightforward and intuitive, the  $12.50 per user/mo starting plan is worth it. 

Why I like Pipedrive

With its reporting interface, Pipedrive allows you to create unlimited custom reporting dashboards and custom reports. Its more than 30 workflow templates are enough to enable your sales team to keep up with top deals, schedule meetings, and trigger emails all automatically. This is great for scalability.

Monday.com is a project management system and my experience with it is nothing other than flexibility and transparency, especially when I used it to organize my work. I especially liked the visual scheduling interface and its ability to customize workflows. 

It supports multiple users per account so it’s great for onboarding multiple team members. While it’s not the most affordable option on this list, it stands out for its stacked-up features and compatibility with third-party tools which I was able to integrate with relative ease. 

Why I like Monday CRM

I was impressed with its third-party generative AI adaptability. The AI assistance was instrumental in meeting various project needs, particularly automation. We were able to employ Monday across our HR, sales and marketing, products, and operation departments.