Explore the 10 best sales CRM systems to boost your numbers

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems help sales organizations manage contacts, deals, and sales opportunities so that no leads fall through the cracks. The best CRM software solutions also include collaboration features that help teams manage all sales pipeline and process aspects. Plus, robust sales CRM tools often have advanced tools and native or third-party integrations that allow companies to streamline other processes outside the initial closing of a sales deal, such as marketing, accounting, and customer service business functions.
The best sales CRM platforms focus on user-friendly features for managing a sales pipeline, even for novice CRM users. This type of software is used by companies ranging from one-person solopreneur teams to enterprise organizations—any business that sells products or services benefits from adopting a sales CRM product.
10 best sales CRM of 2024
Provider | Best for | Lowest month-to-month price | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|
Freshsales | Teams that need sales automation and artificial intelligence (AI) tools | $11 per user, per month (free plan for up to three users) | View offer at Freshsales |
HubSpot CRM | Sales representatives who want a user-friendly platform | $20 per user, per month (free plan for up to five users) | View offer at Expert Market |
Zoho CRM | Best for outside sales teams looking for robust customization | $20 per user, per month (free plan for up to three users) | View offer at Zoho |
Bitrix24 | Best for teams that need a free plan for unlimited users | $61 for up to five users monthly (unlimited plan for free users) | View offer at Expert Market |
Zendesk Sell | Best for direct sales organizations | $25 per agent, per month | View offer at Expert Market |
Agile CRM | Best for sales teams that need built-in marketing and service tools | $14.99 per user, per month (free plan for up to 10 users) | View offer at Expert Market |
Apptivo | Best for businesses seeking exceptional customer support | $20 per user, per month | View offer at Expert Market |
Close | Best for those who need built-in calling and texting | $59 per user, per month | Learn more |
Less Annoying CRM | Best for small teams that want unlimited contacts and pipelines | $15 per user, per month | Learn more |
Nimble | Best for small businesses seeking an inbox-based CRM | $29.90 per user, per month | View offer at Expert Market |
10 best sales CRM | |||
---|---|---|---|
Freshsales | View offer at Freshsales |
||
Teams that need sales automation and artificial intelligence (AI) tools | |||
$11 per user, per month (free plan for up to three users) | |||
HubSpot CRM | View offer at Expert Market |
||
Sales representatives who want a user-friendly platform | |||
$20 per user, per month (free plan for up to five users) | |||
Zoho CRM | View offer at Zoho |
||
Best for outside sales teams looking for robust customization | |||
$20 per user, per month (free plan for up to three users) | |||
Bitrix24 | View offer at Expert Market |
||
Best for teams that need a free plan for unlimited users | |||
$61 for up to five users monthly (unlimited plan for free users) | |||
Zendesk Sell | View offer at Expert Market |
||
Best for direct sales organizations | |||
$25 per agent, per month | |||
Agile CRM | View offer at Expert Market |
||
Best for sales teams that need built-in marketing and service tools | |||
$14.99 per user, per month (free plan for up to 10 users) | |||
Apptivo | View offer at Expert Market |
||
Best for businesses seeking exceptional customer support | |||
$20 per user, per month | |||
Close | Learn more | ||
Best for those who need built-in calling and texting | |||
$59 per user, per month | |||
Less Annoying CRM | Learn more | ||
Best for small teams that want unlimited contacts and pipelines | |||
$15 per user, per month | |||
Nimble | View offer at Expert Market |
||
Best for small businesses seeking an inbox-based CRM | |||
$29.90 per user, per month |
Notes: *Discounted rates are available for annual commitments (with the exception of Less Annoying CRM); all providers that offer free plans are plans with basic CRM features
Freshsales: Best for sales automation features and AI tools
Freshsales entered the CRM market in 2016 as the fourth product launched by Freshworks, driven by the need to manage their sales contacts more efficiently. Today, Freshworks serves over 67,000 customers, with approximately 6,400 subscribers relying on Freshsales as their CRM solution.
Freshsales
Base price: | $11 per user, per month |
Free trial length: | 21 days |
Free plan available?: | Yes, for up to three users
|

Why we picked it
Freshsales is a powerful sales CRM solution that offers a wide range of sales-focused features to streamline an organization’s sales process. The provider offers an AI-powered lead scoring system that helps sales reps prioritize the hottest leads to reach out at the right time, increasing the chance of closing sales and maximizing sales revenue. It also has mobile iOS and Android apps that allow reps to view and update deals on the go.
Furthermore, Freshsales has affordable pricing plans for small to growing teams, including a free forever plan for up to three users, making it a solid option for budget-conscious teams. The platform also boasts a comprehensive contact management system that tracks prospect and customer details and interaction history, including emails, phone calls, and in-person or virtual meetings. This makes it easy for any sales rep to meet a customer’s needs easily since they are up to date on all previous communications.
Freshsales also offers robust workflow automation features that allow users to create specific rules to trigger actions, putting many manual processes on autopilot, such as sending follow-up emails or updating deal stages. Plus, its analytics and customizable reporting dashboards give sales leaders excellent insights into sales performance, which improves forecasting and empowers them to make smart business decisions, such as which sales reps are excelling and which may need coaching.
Learn more: Read our in-depth Freshsales review.
Top sales features of Freshsales
Some of the most valuable sales features Freshsales offers include:
- AI-powered lead scoring (Pro plan and above)
- Workflow automation tools
- Comprehensive contact center
- Sales forecasting tools (Pro plan and above)
- Multiple sales pipelines (Pro plan and above)
- Customizable sales dashboards (Growth plan and above)
- Custom sales activities (Pro plan and above)
- Omnichannel customer communications channels
- Email templates
See more Freshsales plans & pricing
Plans | Free Trial or plan available? | Features | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
Free | Yes | Account and contact management Deal management Built-in phone and live chat |
$0 |
Growth | Yes | Visual sales pipeline Integration with short message service (SMS), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Business messages 20 basic workflows |
$11 per user, per month |
Pro | Yes | 10 sales pipelines 50 basic workflows and 50 advanced workflows Access to Freddy AI insights |
$47 per user, per month |
Enterprise | Yes | AI-powered forecasting insights 10 custom modules Profiles automatically enriched with public information |
$71 per user, per month |
Free | |
---|---|
Yes | |
Account and contact management Deal management Built-in phone and live chat |
|
$0 | |
Growth | |
Yes | |
Visual sales pipeline Integration with short message service (SMS), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Business messages 20 basic workflows |
|
$11 per user, per month | |
Pro | |
Yes | |
10 sales pipelines 50 basic workflows and 50 advanced workflows Access to Freddy AI insights |
|
$47 per user, per month | |
Enterprise | |
Yes | |
AI-powered forecasting insights 10 custom modules Profiles automatically enriched with public information |
|
$71 per user, per month |
HubSpot CRM: Best for a user-friendly platform
HubSpot is a comprehensive sales, marketing, and service software platform, established in 2006 by graduate students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The company aims to help businesses enhance their inbound marketing strategies. With 12 offices worldwide and a workforce of over 7,600 employees, HubSpot supports an impressive 216,000-plus customers across the globe.
HubSpot
Base price: | $20 per user, per month
|
Free trial length: | None |
Free plan available?: | Yes, for up to five users |

Pros
- Supports up to one million sales products and 5,000 documents
- Live chat and Facebook Messenger integration
- Up to 5,000 email templates
Cons
- Limited to one shared inbox
- Limited to one HubSpot-provided phone number
- Lacks automated sequences or workflows until higher-priced plans
“HubSpot has many workflows we can set up, which ensures no lead falls through the cracks,” says Ultan O’Callaghan, CEO at Thooja. “For example, if someone contacts us through our website, we can easily set up a workflow to ensure they are contacted by sales rep.”
HubSpot’s Sales Hub Starter Plan offers email support and a comprehensive knowledge base, HubSpot Academy to learn about its rich feature set, and HubSpot Community to learn from other users. Professional Plan users gain access to phone support.
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at Expert Market
Why we picked it
HubSpot is a popular name in the sales CRM world because the provider offers user-friendly tools for smaller teams to enterprise-level organizations. The free forever plan supports up to five users, making it another good choice for teams with limited budgets. My personal favorite sales feature of HubSpot is the user-friendly Kanban-style sales pipeline that makes it simple to track and prioritize sales opportunities visually throughout the sales process and ensure deal stages are up to date.
Moreover, HubSpot’s sales CRM offers fantastic email tracking tools so sales reps are notified when a lead opens an email, downloads an attached document, or clicks a link. This enables reps to reach out at the right time when decision-makers have the deal at the top of their minds. Plus, the email automation features allow team members to craft custom email sequences sent at predefined triggers, such as a set timeline, or when a prospect demonstrates a behavior, such as opening an email.
HubSpot’s contact management center is also top-notch, including detailed contact information, linking social media profiles and key company information automatically to give sales reps the information they need to build strong client relationships and close deals effectively in one central location. Plus, while many businesses need to use a separate meeting scheduling tool, such as Calendly, HubSpot offers a meeting scheduling tool that gives users a personalized booking link. Meetings are stored in HubSpot for easy interaction tracking.
Learn more: Read our full-length HubSpot review.
Top sales features of HubSpot CRM
Here are HubSpot’s most valuable sales features:
- Workflow automation features
- Email scheduling
- Customizable quotes and payment collection
- User-friendly sales pipelines (multiple pipelines on higher-tier plans)
- Email tracking and notifications
- Email templates
- Personal meeting scheduling links
- Live chat for prospects and customers
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Automatic lead rotation (on the Professional plan)
- Sales forecasting (on the Professional plan)
See more HubSpot plans & pricing
Plans | Free trial | Features | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
Free | N/A | Contact management Deal pipeline Meeting scheduling Shared inbox Conversational bots Email scheduling Email reply tracking Gmail, Outlook, and Microsoft integrations |
$0 (up to five users) |
Sales Starter | 14 days | All features on HubSpot Free plus: Sales automation Sales content analytics Automated task queues Team performance measurements HubSpot-provided phone numbers Digital signatures Conversation routing Multicurrency support Task and deal notifications Task calendar sync Payments |
$20 per month, per seat |
Sales Professional | 14 days | All Sales Starter features plus: Prospecting and lead management Sales forecasting Custom reporting and analytics Customizable playbooks Call transcriptions Coaching playlists Account-based marketing (ABM) tools and automation Contact scoring Video messaging Workflow extensions Automated sequences (outreaches, follow-ups, and tasks) |
$100 per month, per seat |
Sales Enterprise | 14 days | All Sales Enterprise features plus: Predictive lead scoring Recurring revenue tracking Deal journey analytics Lead form routing Advanced permissions Single sign-on (SSO) Field-level and advanced permissions Conversation intelligence (insights on customer calls) |
$150 per month, per seat |
Free | |
---|---|
N/A | |
Contact management Deal pipeline Meeting scheduling Shared inbox Conversational bots Email scheduling Email reply tracking Gmail, Outlook, and Microsoft integrations |
|
$0 (up to five users) | |
Sales Starter | |
14 days | |
All features on HubSpot Free plus: Sales automation Sales content analytics Automated task queues Team performance measurements HubSpot-provided phone numbers Digital signatures Conversation routing Multicurrency support Task and deal notifications Task calendar sync Payments |
|
$20 per month, per seat | |
Sales Professional | |
14 days | |
All Sales Starter features plus: Prospecting and lead management Sales forecasting Custom reporting and analytics Customizable playbooks Call transcriptions Coaching playlists Account-based marketing (ABM) tools and automation Contact scoring Video messaging Workflow extensions Automated sequences (outreaches, follow-ups, and tasks) |
|
$100 per month, per seat | |
Sales Enterprise | |
14 days | |
All Sales Enterprise features plus: Predictive lead scoring Recurring revenue tracking Deal journey analytics Lead form routing Advanced permissions Single sign-on (SSO) Field-level and advanced permissions Conversation intelligence (insights on customer calls) |
|
$150 per month, per seat |
Zoho CRM: Best for robust customization options
Zoho CRM began as a vision to create intelligent technology that enhances business efficiency. Launched in 2005, it started as an alternative to traditional college education and swiftly evolved into a leading CRM company. With a legacy spanning over 25 years, Zoho boasts a workforce of more than 15,000 employees, operates 16 data centers, and serves over 100 million customers across 150-plus countries with its array of 55-plus products.
Zoho CRM
Base price: | $20 per user, per month* |
Free trial length: | 15 days |
Free plan available?: | Yes* |

Why we picked it
Zoho CRM is an excellent CRM with all the core features sales organizations expect, plus, it excels in customization options to fit specific business needs. While the provider has robust customization, they also have a forever-free plan with basic features for up to three users, and Zoho Bigin boasts one of the most affordable paid plans on the market that focuses on contact and pipeline management.
Zoho CRM made our list of the best sales CRM solutions due to its powerful customization tools that give users the ability to customize the platform’s layout, including custom fields, views, filters, and modules. The CRM system can be further customized by integrating a wide range of apps, such as marketing, accounting, and customer service tools.
Plus, it has easy-to-use workflow automation tools that reduce manual tasks, allowing sales reps to focus on building relationships with clients to close more deals. The software boasts an impressive AI sales assistant called Zia that provides valuable insights on the next best actions to help sales reps engage leads effectively and reveal bottlenecks in the sales process.
Zoho CRM also offers territory management features that give sales leaders control over assigning geographic or product-specific territories to specific sales reps to match the right reps to the appropriate territories automatically, improving sales performance. Furthermore, the platform has solid reporting tools to help leaders make data-backed decisions, such as customizable sales dashboards with real-time insights.
Learn more: Read our comprehensive Zoho CRM review.
Top sales features of Zoho CRM
Some of the top sales features Zoho CRM offers include:
- Sales automation tools
- Sales forecasting (on the Standard plan and above)
- Sales forecasting (on the Enterprise plan and above)
- Lead scoring (on the Standard Plan and above)
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Sales reporting and analytics (custom reports on the Standard plan and above)
- Zia sales assistant (on the Enterprise plan and above)
- Email campaigns
- Custom email templates
See more Zoho CRM plans & pricing
Plans | Pricing | Free Trial or Plan Available? | Features |
---|---|---|---|
Free plan | Free for up to three users | Yes | 3 organization emails Sales and marketing automation tools Document library Standard reports 10 custom email templates 1GB file storage for the organization |
Standard plan | $14 per user, per month | Yes; 15 days | 50 organization emails Supports up to five currencies Email integration Up to 10 custom lead scoring rules Up to 100 custom reports 10 custom dashboards Up to 250 mass emails per day 100 custom email templates Zoho Meetings integration Google calendar integration Up to 5 CRM Marketplace extensions |
Professional plan | $23 per user, per month | Yes; 15 days | 75 organization emails Supports up to 10 currencies Up to 20 custom lead scoring rules Motivator tool for sales gamification Unlimited custom reports Unlimited custom dashboards Up to 500 mass emails per day Unlimited custom email templates Inventory management tools Customer service tools Up to 10 CRM Marketplace extensions |
Enterprise plan | $40 per user, per month | Yes, 15 days | 500 organization emails Sales territory forecasting Supports up to 25 currencies Up to 30 custom lead scoring rules Anomaly detector Up to 1,000 mass emails per day ZIA AI tool for scoring, recommendations, and email and call summaries Up to 20 CRM Marketplace extensions |
Ultimate plan | $52 per user, per month | Yes; 15 days | 500 organization emails Supports up to 50 currencies Up to 50 custom lead scoring rules Up to 2,000 mass emails per day ZIA AI tool for scoring, recommendations, and email and call summaries Up to 50 CRM Marketplace extensions |
Free plan | |
---|---|
Free for up to three users | |
Yes | |
3 organization emails Sales and marketing automation tools Document library Standard reports 10 custom email templates 1GB file storage for the organization |
|
Standard plan | |
$14 per user, per month | |
Yes; 15 days | |
50 organization emails Supports up to five currencies Email integration Up to 10 custom lead scoring rules Up to 100 custom reports 10 custom dashboards Up to 250 mass emails per day 100 custom email templates Zoho Meetings integration Google calendar integration Up to 5 CRM Marketplace extensions |
|
Professional plan | |
$23 per user, per month | |
Yes; 15 days | |
75 organization emails Supports up to 10 currencies Up to 20 custom lead scoring rules Motivator tool for sales gamification Unlimited custom reports Unlimited custom dashboards Up to 500 mass emails per day Unlimited custom email templates Inventory management tools Customer service tools Up to 10 CRM Marketplace extensions |
|
Enterprise plan | |
$40 per user, per month | |
Yes, 15 days | |
500 organization emails Sales territory forecasting Supports up to 25 currencies Up to 30 custom lead scoring rules Anomaly detector Up to 1,000 mass emails per day ZIA AI tool for scoring, recommendations, and email and call summaries Up to 20 CRM Marketplace extensions |
|
Ultimate plan | |
$52 per user, per month | |
Yes; 15 days | |
500 organization emails Supports up to 50 currencies Up to 50 custom lead scoring rules Up to 2,000 mass emails per day ZIA AI tool for scoring, recommendations, and email and call summaries Up to 50 CRM Marketplace extensions |
Bitrix24: Best for teams that need a free plan for unlimited users
In 2012, Bitrix24 launched its CRM and project management platform. Today, the company supports over 15 million users globally, operating from 17 data centers and utilizing 6,000 servers.
Bitrix24
Base price: | $61 monthly for up to five users |
Free trial length: | 15 days |
Free plan available?: | Yes, with limited features |

Pros
- Unlimited built-in phone calls, including video calls
- Competitive pricing for small teams
- Store an unlimited number of deals
Cons
- Basic plan only supports up to five users
- Only 24GB of storage for the organization
- Lacks custom fields in tasks and projects
Bitrix24 offers excellent customer support for all paid plan subscribers. Support avenues include online training via built-in tooltips throughout the platform, video tutorials, webinars, and live chat. However, phone support is not available.
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at Expert Market
Why we picked it
Bitrix24 made our list of the best sales CRM tools because of its user-friendly interface and the forever-free plan for unlimited users, which includes core CRM features that sales teams need. Plus, the CRM platform offers useful features, such as sales automation, so that users can create workflows to send follow-up emails, schedule phone calls, and keep every sales opportunity status updated automatically.
Moreover, Bitrix24 has top-notch pipeline management tools that give team members a clear view of each deal stage so no prospects fall through the cracks. The platform also has excellent communication features that let users contact leads and customers via built-in phone, email, and direct messages. All interactions are logged in the CRM system automatically, allowing multiple team members to collaborate on each deal efficiently. The software boasts a company social network to keep team members across departments engaged.
Finally, this provider offers solid sales analytics and reporting metrics to provide sales leaders with real-time data on sales performance and trends. This allows them to make informed decisions about which products and services are performing well and what types of promotions to offer to entice prospects. Plus, Bitrix24 stands out for having a sales product catalog and website builder to showcase products and services.
Learn more: Read our in-depth Bitrix24 review.
Top sales features of Bitrix24
Some of Bitrix24’s most popular sales-focused features include:
- Online storage
- Robust collaboration features
- Omnichannel communication tools
- Unlimited tasks
- Website builder
- Multiple sales pipelines (on the Basic plan and above)
- Sales automation tools
- Company social network
- Reporting and analytics (on the Basic plan and above)
See more Bitrix24 plans & pricing
Plans | Free Trial or Plan Available? | Features | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
Basic | Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | 24GB Includes 5 users 1 account administrators Collaboration, tasks and projects, CRM, Bitrix24 sign, drive, contact center, website builder, and online store |
$61 per organization, per month |
Standard | Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | 100GB Includes 50 users 5 account administrators Everything in Basic plan plus; segment-based email marketing, online documents, and administration |
$124 per organization, per month |
Professional | Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | 1,024GB Includes 100 users 10 account administrators Everything in Standard plus sales intelligence, workflow automation, and human resources (HR) |
$249 per organization, per month |
Enterprise | Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | 3TB Includes 250 users 25 account administrators Everything in Professional plus unlimited branch accounts, high-performance enterprise cluster, and encryption at rest. |
$499 per organization, per month |
Basic | |
---|---|
Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | |
24GB Includes 5 users 1 account administrators Collaboration, tasks and projects, CRM, Bitrix24 sign, drive, contact center, website builder, and online store |
|
$61 per organization, per month | |
Standard | |
Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | |
100GB Includes 50 users 5 account administrators Everything in Basic plan plus; segment-based email marketing, online documents, and administration |
|
$124 per organization, per month | |
Professional | |
Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | |
1,024GB Includes 100 users 10 account administrators Everything in Standard plus sales intelligence, workflow automation, and human resources (HR) |
|
$249 per organization, per month | |
Enterprise | |
Yes; 15-day free trial and free forever plan | |
3TB Includes 250 users 25 account administrators Everything in Professional plus unlimited branch accounts, high-performance enterprise cluster, and encryption at rest. |
|
$499 per organization, per month |
Zendesk Sell: Best for direct sales organizations
Founded in 2007, Zendesk is a sales and service software platform that now serves more than 100,000 subscribers globally. With a workforce of 5,450 employees, Zendesk operates across 160 countries and territories.
Zendesk Sell
Base price: | $25 per user, per month |
Free trial length: | 14 days |
Free plan available? | No |

Why we picked it
While Zendesk is well-known as a customer service platform, this provider also excels in the CRM market by offering an excellent CRM product, Zendesk Sell. It’s valuable for direct sales organizations because its features focus on making the sales process efficient and building strong client relationships. This provider also offers a solid range of pricing plans that make it a good option for teams of all sizes.
Zendesk Sell’s CRM platform is easy to use for beginner to experienced CRM users, with a simple drag-and-drop visual dashboard that makes it easy to update deal stages, along with customizable sales pipelines. Plus, the CRM system has a built-in appointment scheduling tool that streamlines setting appointments with customers and leads, all while tracking meetings within the platform for transparency.
Its sales automation features are also helpful, allowing team members to automate manual, repetitive tasks, such as lead assignments, follow-ups, and data entry. Reducing or eliminating these manual tasks allows sales reps to focus on strengthening client relationships and personalizing their communications.
Furthermore, Zendesk Sell provides robust analytics and reporting dashboards that users can customize to their specific needs. This allows sales managers to view sales performance trends and metrics to make data-backed decisions that help the team close deals faster and generate more revenue.
Learn more: Read our comprehensive Zendesk Sell review.
Top sales features of Zendesk Sell
The top sales features of Zendesk Sell include:
- Advanced roles and permissions (on the Sell Professional plan and above)
- Multiple, customizable sales pipelines
- Appointment scheduling tool
- Workflow automation features
- Round-robin lead distribution (on the Sell Growth plan and above)
- Prebuilt sales dashboards
- Custom sales dashboard and reports (on the Sell Growth plan and above)
- Email tracking
- Call tracking and recording
See more Zendesk Sell plans & pricing
Plans | Free trial | Features | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
Sell Team | Yes, 14 days | Two customizable sales pipelines Task and appointment setting Email and calendar integrations Email tracking, call tracking, call recording, and text messaging Team document repository Prebuilt sales dashboards Smart lists and templates Data import and export Robust application programming interfaces (APIs) Single sign-on (SSO) |
$25 per user, per month |
Sell Growth | Yes, 14 days | All Sell Team offerings and: Advanced and custom sales reports Sales forecasting and goals tracking Prospecting and enrichment credits Email sequences Unlimited email templates and personalization tags Business phone number Advanced activity reports Goals tracking Sequence reporting Product and price book |
$69 per user, per month |
Sell Professional | Yes, 14 days | All Sell Growth offerings and: Lead and deal scoring Task automation Advanced roles and permissions Company hierarchy tree Customized notifications Automated power dialer Call scripts Link sharing |
$149 per user, per month |
Sell Enterprise | Yes, 14 days | All Sell Professional offerings and: Unlimited sequences Unlimited sales pipeline Direct dial phone number Company technology stack |
$219 per user, per month |
Sell Team | |
---|---|
Yes, 14 days | |
Two customizable sales pipelines Task and appointment setting Email and calendar integrations Email tracking, call tracking, call recording, and text messaging Team document repository Prebuilt sales dashboards Smart lists and templates Data import and export Robust application programming interfaces (APIs) Single sign-on (SSO) |
|
$25 per user, per month | |
Sell Growth | |
Yes, 14 days | |
All Sell Team offerings and: Advanced and custom sales reports Sales forecasting and goals tracking Prospecting and enrichment credits Email sequences Unlimited email templates and personalization tags Business phone number Advanced activity reports Goals tracking Sequence reporting Product and price book |
|
$69 per user, per month | |
Sell Professional | |
Yes, 14 days | |
All Sell Growth offerings and: Lead and deal scoring Task automation Advanced roles and permissions Company hierarchy tree Customized notifications Automated power dialer Call scripts Link sharing |
|
$149 per user, per month | |
Sell Enterprise | |
Yes, 14 days | |
All Sell Professional offerings and: Unlimited sequences Unlimited sales pipeline Direct dial phone number Company technology stack |
|
$219 per user, per month |
Agile CRM: Best for sales teams that need built-in marketing and service tools
Launched in 2013, Agile CRM is a versatile software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. Today, the provider supports a global customer base of 20,000, supported by a team of over 290 employees.
Agile CRM
Base price: | $14.99 per user, per month |
Free trial length: | none |
Free plan available?: | Yes, for up to 10 users
|

Why we picked it
Agile CRM made our list because many sales teams desire a CRM solution that has built-in integrations with marketing and customer service business functions. This CRM tool delivers an exceptional user experience for sales organizations with seamless integrations to weave in service and marketing features that make it easy for departments to collaborate seamlessly. It also offers a forever-free plan for up to ten users, which makes it a solid option for startups with limited budgets.
Furthermore, Agile CRM offers an excellent contact management system that gives users a comprehensive view of each lead and customer, including interaction history and detailed customer information so all team members have the information they need when reaching out and making personalized sales recommendations. The platform also has outstanding sales automation features that put manual processes on autopilot, such as lead assignment and deal status updates.
The CRM also has a lead scoring tool that helps sales reps prioritize the hottest deals based on customizable criteria. This ensures reps spend more time focusing on deals higher in revenue potential and more likely to close. Plus. Agile CRM offers email tracking tools that make it easy to track emails right within the CRM without using a third-party integration. Users can view open rates, click-through rates (CTRs), and more. Finally, sales leaders find value in the customizable reporting dashboards to track sales performance and metrics in real time to make sound business decisions.
Learn more: Read our in-depth Agile CRM review.
Top sales features of Agile CRM
Some of the most valuable sales features of Agile CRM include:
- Native marketing and customer service features
- Email tracking
- Lead scoring
- Sales and marketing automation (on the Starter plan and above)
- Reporting and analytics tools (on the Regular plan and above)
- Email templates and campaigns
- Appointment scheduling
- Custom CRM fields
- Unlimited deals, tasks, and documents
- Custom deal milestones
See more Agile CRM plans & pricing
Plans | Free trial or plan available? | Features | Pricing per user, per month |
---|---|---|---|
Free | Yes | Unlimited deals, tasks, and documents Appointment scheduling Lead scoring |
$0 |
Starter | No | Email campaigns Marketing automation Landing page builder |
$14.99 per user |
Regular | No | Helpdesk Canned responses Create service groups |
$49.99 per user |
Enterprise | No | 50-plus integrations Syncs with Stripe, Shopify, and Google Basic reports |
$79.99 per user |
Free | |
---|---|
Yes | |
Unlimited deals, tasks, and documents Appointment scheduling Lead scoring |
|
$0 | |
Starter | |
No | |
Email campaigns Marketing automation Landing page builder |
|
$14.99 per user | |
Regular | |
No | |
Helpdesk Canned responses Create service groups |
|
$49.99 per user | |
Enterprise | |
No | |
50-plus integrations Syncs with Stripe, Shopify, and Google Basic reports |
|
$79.99 per user |
Apptivo: Best for exceptional customer support
Founded in 2009, Apptivo is a sales CRM platform focused on offering small businesses an affordable, user-friendly sales management solution. Today, the platform serves more than 150,000 customers across 194 countries.
Apptivo
Base price: | $20 per user, per month |
Free trial length: | 30 days |
Free plan available?: | No
|

Pros
- Vast library of integrations
- User-friendly mobile apps
- Multiple sales pipelines
Cons
- No free forever plan available
- Limited to 18 integrations in the Lite Plan
- Lacks e-commerce and marketing automation tools in the Lite Plan
Apptivo’s Lite plan offers customer support via email, phone, live chat, knowledge base, how-to videos, webinars, and training support. On the Lite plan, phone support is available 24/5 and live chat is offered 24/7.
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at Expert Market
Why we picked it
Apptivo made our list of the top sales CRM tools because its simple, user-friendly platform is easy for teams to adopt and use immediately. While it’s easy to use, this provider also offers robust customer support to help teams maximize the CRM benefits and customize the features for each business use case.
Along with exceptional customer support, Apptivo offers solid sales features, such as a wide range of integrations to customize the platform, sales automations, multiple sales pipelines, for different products or services, lead management tools, such as a web form to lead feature, and a top-notch contact management system. The platform also offers marketing tools that assist the sales process, such as email templates, referral tracking, email open and click tracking, and marketing automations. In addition, the CRM system offers custom fields to capture prospect data, such as lead scoring, so that sales reps can prioritize hot leads.
Furthermore, this CRM provider also excels in the reporting and analytics arena. All paid plans include standard and custom reports and dashboards, performance dashboards, a win/loss lead analysis, and Kanban-style views. The Premium plan and above support scheduled reports.
Learn more: Read our full Apptivo review.
Top sales features of Apptivo
Some of Apptivo’s most popular sales features include:
- Product catalogs
- Lead list management
- Tasks, appointments, and notes
- Multiple sales pipelines
- Custom CRM fields
- Email templates
- Referral tracking
- Data import and export
- CRM migration from other CRMs
See more Apptivo plans & pricing
Plans | Free trial or plan available? | Features | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
Lite | Yes, 30 days | 18 connected apps 24 automated workflows Eight customizable dashboards |
$20 per user, per month |
Premium | Yes, 30 days | 46 connected apps 75 automated workflows 25 customizable dashboards Track and manage ecommerce products |
$30 per user, per month |
Ultimate | Yes, 30 days | 57 connected apps 150 automated workflows 50 customizable dashboards Automated marketing email sequences |
$50 per user, per month |
Enterprise | No | 65 connected apps 300 automated workflows 100 customizable dashboards Google Maps integration |
Custom pricing |
Lite | |
---|---|
Yes, 30 days | |
18 connected apps 24 automated workflows Eight customizable dashboards |
|
$20 per user, per month | |
Premium | |
Yes, 30 days | |
46 connected apps 75 automated workflows 25 customizable dashboards Track and manage ecommerce products |
|
$30 per user, per month | |
Ultimate | |
Yes, 30 days | |
57 connected apps 150 automated workflows 50 customizable dashboards Automated marketing email sequences |
|
$50 per user, per month | |
Enterprise | |
No | |
65 connected apps 300 automated workflows 100 customizable dashboards Google Maps integration |
|
Custom pricing |
Close: Best for built-in calling and texting
Close is a CRM that was launched in 2013 to help sales teams focus on effective communication and reducing manual processes. The company now has over 90 employees who serve thousands of customers worldwide.
Close
Base price: | Starting at $59 per user, per month |
Free trial length: | 14 days |
Free plan available?: | No |

Why we picked it
Close made our list because while it’s more expensive than many other CRM providers on the market (especially on the lowest-cost tier), it has powerful communication tools that make it worth the cost for many sales organizations. This CRM system offers exceptional built-in calling, texting, and email tools within the platform that streamline lead and client engagement. It also has a power dialer and calling automation that makes reaching out to prospects more efficient by reducing manual processes.
Close also has a solid pipeline management system that users can customize to prioritize certain tasks and deals as well as efficiently track deal stages over time so nothing falls through the cracks. Plus, subscribers can manage multiple pipelines for different sales products or processes.
This provider also shines in the reporting and analytics category. All plans include robust reporting—and they aren’t limited to sales performance. Sales managers can also analyze automation workflow performance and email campaign performance, which provides valuable insights into which sales strategies are working best and which need to be tailored. Users also have access to opportunity funnel reports to track the performance of each stage in the sales pipeline. The comprehensive reporting features are also helpful in identifying potential bottlenecks in the sales process and identifying where leads often get stuck.
Top sales features of Close
The top sales-focused features of Close include:
- Worldwide phone calls and texting
- Multiple sales pipelines (on the Professional plan and above)
- Power dialer
- Workflow automation
- Robust reporting and analytics
- 100-plus app integrations
- Email open tracking
- Bulk email
- Call forwarding and recording
See more Close plans & pricing
Plans | Pricing | Free Trial or Plan Available? | Features |
---|---|---|---|
Startup | $59 per user, per month | 14 days | Up to 25,000 leads Up to 50,000 contacts Data import and export Application programming interface (API) access Custom fields One custom activity type Two-way email sync Email templates and snippets Bulk email Email open tracking Worldwide text and calling Call forwarding 7-day call recording retention 5 workflow automations Activity reports and dashboards Opportunity funnel reports Email template performance reports Workflow performance reports User roles and permissions Two-factor authentication (2FA) |
Professional | $109 per user, per month | 14 days | Up to 250,000 leads Up to 500,000 contacts 3 pipelines 5 custom activity types 7-day call recording retention 25 workflow automations |
Enterprise | $149 per user, per month | 14 days | Unlimited leads Unlimited contacts 10 pipelines 200 custom activity types Unlimited call recording retention Call coaching Voicemail drop 100 workflow automations Custom graphs |
Startup | |
---|---|
$59 per user, per month | |
14 days | |
Up to 25,000 leads Up to 50,000 contacts Data import and export Application programming interface (API) access Custom fields One custom activity type Two-way email sync Email templates and snippets Bulk email Email open tracking Worldwide text and calling Call forwarding 7-day call recording retention 5 workflow automations Activity reports and dashboards Opportunity funnel reports Email template performance reports Workflow performance reports User roles and permissions Two-factor authentication (2FA) |
|
Professional | |
$109 per user, per month | |
14 days | |
Up to 250,000 leads Up to 500,000 contacts 3 pipelines 5 custom activity types 7-day call recording retention 25 workflow automations |
|
Enterprise | |
$149 per user, per month | |
14 days | |
Unlimited leads Unlimited contacts 10 pipelines 200 custom activity types Unlimited call recording retention Call coaching Voicemail drop 100 workflow automations Custom graphs |
*Annual billing is available for a reduced rate
Less Annoying CRM: Best for unlimited contacts and pipelines
In 2009, Less Annoying CRM was founded by a pair of brothers with the mission of helping small businesses grow and succeed. As of 2023, the software company supports over 25,000 customers with a dedicated staff of 19 employees.
Less Annoying CRM
Base price: |
Base price: |
Free trial length: | 30 days |
Free plan available?: | No |

Why we picked it
Less Annoying CRM is truly designed for sales organizations looking for a simple-to-implement CRM solution. It’s ideal for smaller companies that don’t want the hassle of trying to choose from a range of plans as it only offers one plan with relatively basic features for a competitive price. It comes with a powerful contact management system that gives users real-time access to detailed prospect and customer data and interaction history.
The visual sales pipeline also helps teams mitigate potential bottlenecks and track deal stages easily. While Less Annoying CRM doesn’t have advanced sales automation features, it does have automated task and follow-up reminders that help sales reps stay on track so deals don’t get lost in the pipeline.
Less Annoying CRM doesn’t offer iOS or Android mobile apps, but it does have a responsive website that fits the size of any mobile phone or tablet screen. Finally, while the reporting and analytics tools are more basic than higher-cost CRM providers, sales leaders can still create and share activity reports and lead reports filtered by date range, specific CRM users, and activity type. This helps sales managers make data-backed sales performance decisions and identify their top-performing reps, as well as those who may need sales coaching.
Top sales features of Less Annoying CRM
Some of the most valuable sales features of Less Annoying CRM include:
- Contact management center
- Google and Outlook calendar integration
- Email integration
- Shared scheduling
- Automated reminders and follow-ups
- Lead stage and activity reporting
- Task prioritization
- Deal stage tracking
Less Annoying CRM plans & pricing
Plans | Pricing | Free Trial or Plan Available? | Features |
---|---|---|---|
Less Annoying CRM | $15 per user, per month | 30 days | Unlimited contacts and companies 25GB storage per user Task prioritization Automated reminders and follow-ups Unlimited custom fields Custom user permissions Unlimited pipelines Email integration Basic activity and lead reporting Responsive mobile website |
Less Annoying CRM | |
---|---|
$15 per user, per month | |
30 days | |
Unlimited contacts and companies 25GB storage per user Task prioritization Automated reminders and follow-ups Unlimited custom fields Custom user permissions Unlimited pipelines Email integration Basic activity and lead reporting Responsive mobile website |
|
Nimble: Best for sales teams that want an inbox-based CRM
Nimble CRM is a CRM tool that integrates directly into the user’s email inbox, providing a seamless and efficient experience. According to 6sense, the platform is utilized by more than 1,400 customers.
Nimble CRM
Base price: | $29.90 per user, per month |
Free trial length: | 14 days |
Free plan available?: | No |

Why we picked it
As a sales professional who has used a plethora of CRM tools, one of the top features I look for is robust email integration. Moving back and forth between the CRM platform and email inbox isn’t productive, and Nimble made our list because it integrates the CRM right into each user’s email inbox.
Nimble also boasts one simple pricing plan with the core CRM features every sales team needs. Plus, the provider offers workflow automation to streamline manual processes. This CRM system also has powerful social listening features that auto-enrich contacts and companies with data in the contact management center and match social profiles to leads in the platform.
Additionally, Nimble has a browser extension called Nimble Prospector that simplifies sales prospecting by culling lead phone numbers, email addresses, and other data and creating or editing contacts and companies in the CRM platform automatically. This provider also offers marketing tools that make selling easier by sending personalized content to specific groups to engage prospects throughout the buying journey.
Nimble also offers a robust library of app integrations to customize the CRM system. Several of the most popular integrations include Google Workspace, Outlook, Microsoft 365, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Zendesk, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, PandaDoc, and Talkdesk.
Learn more: Read our comprehensive Nimble review.
Top sales features of Nimble
Some of Nimble’s most valuable sales features include:
- Sales prospecting browser extension, Nimble Prospector
- Customizable pipelines
- Customer segmentation
- Personalized marketing email sequences
- Custom widgets for user dashboards
- Social listening tools
- Task reminders and scheduling
- Sales automation
See Nimble plans & pricing
Nimble keeps things simple and straightforward; there’s only one plan available at a monthly rate of $29.90 per user. That plan gives you everything Nimble has to offer, which means you’re fully equipped as soon as you sign up but there may also be little room for growth if you end up requiring additional features.
Top features of a sales-focused CRM
While many advanced CRM solutions offer complex features, such as custom workflow automations and AI tools, core CRM features are the top priority for managing sales opportunities and closing deals. Some of the most valuable core CRM features to look for include:
- Contact management system: This is arguably the most crucial feature of a CRM platform. This is where client data, company information, and communication history are stored.
- Sales pipelines: Sales pipelines provide a visual representation of where each deal is in the sales funnel and make them easy to track across the buying journey. Teams with multiple products and services benefit from a CRMs ability to create multiple pipelines.
- Reporting and analytics: This allows sales leaders to track sales metrics and performance, including team, product, and individual sales rep activity.
- Sales and marketing workflow automations: Automations put manual, repetitive tasks on autopilot to save time and improve productivity. Examples include deal stage automations and automated email sequences.
- Collaboration tools: These features improve communication among sales reps and other team members who interact with leads and customers. Collaboration tools include features, such as direct messaging, task assignment, and file sharing.
- App integrations: Built-in (also called native) or third-party apps that integrate with the CRM system to streamline the sales process. Examples include marketing, customer service, and accounting apps.
How to choose the right CRM for your business
Choosing a sales CRM is a critical decision because using one helps teams improve their close rate, drive revenue, and retain customers over the long term. Sales organizations must assess their needs and test-drive several CRM platforms before making a final selection. Key questions sales leaders should consider when choosing a sales CRM include:
- Budget allocation: For instance, smaller teams, startups, or solopreneurs may need a free CRM. Some companies prefer to start with a cheap CRM solution they can grow with as the team scales.
- Features and automation tools: Consider whether your team simply needs core CRM features, such as contact and pipeline management, or advanced tools, such as workflow automations. Many businesses like to start with a basic plan on a simple CRM system with the option to scale to a more advanced plan with complex features as their needs evolve.
- Number of users: Assess the number of users the CRM should support. For example, will your sales team use the CRM or will other departments, such as customer support and marketing, need access? Consider the pricing scheme of each CRM solution as most have a per-user, per-month cost. If your team has many users who need basic features, a free plan for unlimited users (such as the free plan Bitrix24 offers) may be an ideal option.
- Customer support: Does your team need robust onboarding support, email, live chat, and phone support? If the team is new to using a CRM platform, choose a provider that offers comprehensive support at no extra cost.
- Integration support: While most CRM providers support many app integrations, conduct thorough research upfront. Make a list of the integrations your team needs, such as scheduling software, accounting, email marketing, videoconferencing, and calling software, and ensure the CRM software you choose supports each integration.
Moreover, while it’s an excellent idea to test out several CRM solutions during the free trial period, expect to discover more about what features, tools, and integrations the team needs most over time. Don’t feel pressured to commit to a year or more immediately for a discounted rate if you pay upfront. For any new software adoption, a great best practice is to sign up for a monthly commitment until the team is confident the product is the right fit. After several months, consider an annual plan for cost savings.
The takeaway
The best sales-focused CRM systems give businesses the power to streamline their sales processes, collaborate effectively, assess lead and customer needs, and close deals efficiently. A great CRM tool is simple to adopt and use, has a user interface (UI) that is easy to navigate, and ensures sales opportunities are up to date with reminders and automations. Choose a CRM that’s right for your team by assessing your company’s budget and feature needs, testing out several platforms, and seeking feedback continually from your CRM users.
Our methodology
When selecting the top sales CRM, the Fortune Recommends™ team drew heavily on firsthand experience with these platforms. After extensive testing, we honed in on the best by evaluating over 20 CRM solutions available in the U.S., scoring each based on key sales features:
- Annual cost: We factored in both monthly and annual pricing, considering the number of users each plan accommodates to determine overall value.
- Core features: Essential features like reporting tools, document management, and third-party integrations were crucial in our assessment of a CRM’s capability to support robust sales operations.
- Pipeline management: Effective pipeline management is vital to closing deals. We focused on CRMs that offer strong support in managing customer journeys, highlighting critical touchpoints for sales engagement.
- Dashboard customization: An effective sales team needs a CRM that can adapt to their unique processes. We prioritized platforms offering customizable dashboards that keep teams organized and productive.
- Advanced features: While not essential, we also considered tools such as task automation and delegation, which can enhance sales efficiency.
- Customer support: Reliable support is non-negotiable. We evaluated the availability and accessibility of customer support options, including self-service resources and live assistance.
- Free trial length: We gave higher scores to CRMs that offer extended free trials, providing ample time to assess whether the platform meets sales needs.
- Free plan availability: Platforms offering free, albeit limited, plans without expiration dates received extra consideration for their accessibility.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a sales CRM cost?
Popular CRM providers offer a range of pricing plans from free forever plans with limited features for a few users to $100 or more per user, per month, for enterprise-sized teams. A common starting price for the lowest-cost paid plan tier is around $10–$30 per user, per month. Some CRMs offer a free forever plan with basic features for unlimited users, such as Bitrix24. Most CRM tools give users a 15- to 30-day free trial to test drive the features.
How do I choose a sales CRM?
Consider the needs of your sales organization and narrow choices down to three to five CRM options to test out. Consider the company’s budget allocation, features and app integrations needed, and the number of users the CRM must support. Take advantage of live demos from sales reps to learn which CRM tool meets the teams’ needs and offers the best customer support.
What is the best CRM for sales teams?
While there is robust competition in the market, Freshsales topped our list as the best sales CRM solution due to its flexible plans and pricing, excellent automation and integration features, exceptional customer support, and user-friendly interface. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the ideal fit for every sales team. Other top CRM platforms include HubSpot, Zoho CRM, and Bitrix24.
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