Best CRM for Small Business: Top 11 Options to Boost Efficiency and Growth

Boost efficiency and growth with the best CRMs for small businesses. Explore 11 top-rated tools with features tailored to your needs.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

Email  |  Call (888) 600-8654

Have a quick question? I answered nearly 1500 FAQs.

Introduction

You have passed the initial stages of learning how things operate as a small firm. You now want to expand because you have a strong clientele and reliable statistics. CRM software with a balance between feature-rich functionality and affordable cost is necessary to achieve that. Ultimately, it’s all about efficiency.

I understand that you didn’t launch your company to look around for the ideal apps to support your expansion. I’m easing the burden a little bit. In order to identify the top CRM applications for small businesses, I combed through over 140 available apps, eliminated the pricey or cumbersome ones, and put the worthy options to the test.

You can increase sales, optimize your workflow, and monitor outcomes with the help of the top 11 CRMs that you’ll learn about in this article.

What differentiates the best CRM for small businesses?

How we test and assess applications: People who have used, tested, and written about software for a large portion of their careers write our roundups of the finest apps. Unless otherwise noted, we invest numerous hours in investigating and testing apps, utilizing each one as intended and comparing it to the standards we establish for the category.

We appreciate the faith readers place in us to provide honest reviews of the categories and applications we review, thus we never receive payment for connections to other websites or positions in our posts from any app. Read the complete description of our selection process for apps to be featured on our site for additional information.

One of the essential sales applications in your technological arsenal is a CRM. Together with a history of previous and upcoming interactions, it includes all the information you need to build leads and deals for them. By informing you of your next steps and managing your sales team, it makes you more productive. You may also look at statistics to identify areas for improvement because all of your data is centrally located here.

But what matters most in customer relationship management tools for small businesses specifically? A tool that limits you later on or forces you to switch is not what you want; rather, you want something that is neither overly simplistic nor very CRM-focused.

While starting at a fair price on the lowest plan and maintaining a reasonable level for the additional features available on the higher plans, the subscription price should also be able to accommodate your growing budget. To ensure that your team has the information they require, you also need a platform that allows you to see and manage your business operations.

Considering that, I tested several customer relationship management apps for small businesses and the following features are what I searched for:

  • User experience: I searched for CRM systems for small businesses that are easy to use on a daily basis, offer rapid setup times, and provide convenient access to support information when needed.
  • Sales features: Your CRM, the hub of your customer information as well as sales productivity, will assist you in monitoring contacts and activity and following the progress of your deals with a visual sales funnel.
  • Reporting & Analytics: If you are unable to gauge your progress, how can you get better? You may accomplish this with the help of a set of reports that are included in every competent CRM for small businesses.
  • Integrations: The key is a CRM that works well with the rest of your apps. More integrations imply more features you can use from the dashboard, more smooth data transfer, and more automation possibilities.
  • Value for money: I looked at what you will pay now and in the future. On the most affordable plan, the monthly maximum cost is $40 per user. Additionally, I didn’t include apps that rose significantly in price in the higher tiers.

1. Vtiger (iOS, Android, Web): The best comprehensive CRM application for small companies

Vtiger Pros

  • Every module allows for a great deal of customization.
  • Two-tier cost according to the needs of user access

Vtiger Cons

  • The learning curve is somewhat steep.

There is no better all-in-one CRM solution for small enterprises than Vtiger. It will help you handle all of your contacts and transactions while incorporating marketing, support desk, management of projects, inventory, and documentation.

To fit all of this in, you would assume the UI would be a complete mess. However, Vtiger maintains everything tidy: each major feature set has its own screen, and the top may be easily navigated. If you want to transition between screens, for example, to return to your sales funnel after viewing your inventory, hit the hamburger button located in the upper-left corner. When you do that, a large menu will open, allowing you to go directly to your destination.

Having some excellent features and some that are only passably good is another risk associated with all-in-ones. Here are a few instances of how Vtiger excels in this area:

  • A brief form appears when you add a fresh contact, allowing you to complete it quickly in between emails or calls. When you have more time, you can put all the necessary information on the primary contact page.
  • A graphic pipeline on the sales screen makes it easier to monitor your transactions. When you click on a transaction, you can view the next task and all of the specific details about the data that is associated with it.
  • Along with a live chat button and the option to create your personal FAQ section to assist your support staff, the support center screen maintains track of open tickets that have been submitted by your clients.
  • Using the email marketing panel, you can create autoresponders and campaigns. Each message can be customized using the recipient’s information by creating and saving templates with configurable fields.
  • You may delegate tasks to anyone, line them up inside, and manage your projects on the projects page. It features a separate activity stream where you can publish updates or send messages. To use this as your only source of truth, you can connect and attach anything here.
  • You can handle product-related taxation in addition to keeping track of goods and services, purchase orders, and invoices.

Vtiger pricing: One Growth’s monthly fee is $12 per user. As you expand, the more expensive plans provide two categories of pricing according to user privileges. In the One Pro plan, for instance, customers who want access to every module will pay $30 per user per month, but only $20 for exposure to a single module.

2. Flowlu (iOS, Android, Web): The most cost-effective all-in-one CRM program for small companies

Flowlu Pros

  • Provides features for finance and invoicing.
  • Excellent fit for groups using the Agile framework

Flowlu Cons

  • Very few reports that are focused on sales

If you have eight or more individuals working with you, Flowlu offers excellent strength at a reasonable cost. A comprehensive onboarding task list and a slick user interface allow you to integrate sales with customer portals, financial features, projects, collaboration, and knowledge bases. It’s a comprehensive CRM with a focus on business and project management.

You will see a stream of recent messages when you log in each day. To bring everyone together, you can type announcements or conduct a brief survey. You may go anyplace you need to go from there using the menu on the left, which includes shortcuts to establish new contacts, deals, or tasks without needing to click twice or three times.

It has all the capabilities for managing contacts and sales. Every activity has a filterable list layout that you may utilize to arrange your work or monitor the performance of your team. I also appreciate the ability to automate each step of the sales pipeline; establish the guidelines and concentrate on your sales activities rather than administrative duties.

As a one-stop shop, Flowlu specializes in project management, connecting projects with the individuals you’re managing them for and centralizing all the data for convenient access (using both waterfall & Agile approaches).

Flowlu pricing: One of the plans is free. Flowlu’s cheapest subscription (Team) costs $39 for eight users, which comes to $4.87 per user per month if you surpass that. Because the cost is for a set number of people, it can be advantageous for your roster. The Enterprise package ($249/month) unlocks all the capabilities for a set cost, not a per-user price like much of the competition, and is available if you ever have more than 25 users.

3. Zoho CRM (iOS, Android, Web): The best CRM for expanding your small company

Zoho CRM Pros

  • Strong AI (Zia)
  • Feature-rich

Zoho CRM Cons

  • The user interface can occasionally be excessively cluttered.

Software selection for your business involves more than simply short-term considerations. Yes, this software meets my demands right now, but what will happen if we grow or quadruple our clientele in the upcoming year? Will it continue to provide for me despite the additional workload without taking away our hard-earned cash?

Without attempting to take your money, Zoho CRM will undoubtedly help you. The free option is a wonderful deal. The least expensive plan is reasonable. With the entire spectrum of capabilities you’ll receive—including, to name a few, AI, machine learning, and advanced reporting—it remains reasonably priced as you go to the more expensive levels.

Although the user interface is not as attractive as some of the competition, Zoho makes up for it with a plethora of features, including email marketing, an enterprise activity feed to enhance team communication, support for building customer self-service sites, support features, & automatic lead scoring. As you observe, Zoho is also getting close to being an all-in-one solution.

You can easily integrate it with Zoho Projects to track your projects, and after you finish the setup, you can view your assignments from the CRM dashboard. Additionally, the CRM interfaces with hundreds of additional Zoho apps, the majority of which provide either fully functional free plans or easily accessible subscription ones. Upgrades and downgrades are possible as your budget grows or contracts.

Zoho CRM cost: Standard, the most affordable option, costs $20 per user per month and offers basic capabilities; Professional, which costs $35 per user per month, offers greater automation and process management. More data analytics and options to personalize the interface & functionality are made available with Enterprise ($50 per user per month); the Ultimate plan unlocks Zia, the built-in AI model in Zoho CRM ($65 per user per month).

4. HubSpot: The best CRM for creating a business website with lots of content

HubSpot Pros

  • You can access advanced features when you’ve decided to take things further.
  • A ton of helpful material

HubSpot Cons

  • Complicated pricing

In the CRM space, HubSpot is a well-known brand. Marketing, sales, customer support, operations, and business-to-business (B2B) commerce are all included in this one-stop shop. The CMS Hub allows you to handle your content marketing processes and create your company website, which distinguishes it from other solutions on this list.

HubSpot offers comprehensive user onboarding tutorials that make the process easy even if you’ve no prior experience with web design. Look through layouts & templates to pick the one that fits best. The next phase is to decide which pages to include; you can easily add a Home page, an About page, a Pricing page, and more.

The blog section can be accessed once you have finished adding all the content to your primary website pages. Now is the time to start crafting content that aligns with your primary keywords so that potential customers can find you through internet searches. Building a connection with your target market based on openness and trust is made possible by this excellent chance to discuss your company in detail and how you address the issues of your clients. AI can also create a first draft, which you can then alter if you detest writing them.

HubSpot’s AI capabilities don’t end there. Get your CRM data via a chat interface by visiting ChatSpot. Checking your agreements, adding new contacts and tasks quickly, and even requesting the creation of graphics are all possible. The backend of these platforms is connected, although the point of entry is not within the main application you are using.

HubSpot pricing: A good free plan with an infinite number of contacts is offered. For $30 per user per month, HubSpot offers a solid entry-level package that includes all the essential capabilities for the majority of its Hubs. To view it, click on the ‘For individuals and small teams’ page. The cost varies based on your desire to unlock additional content in any Hub. Make sure to take your time looking over the pricing page because there are many combinations, which can make it a little complicated (and expensive).

5. Capsule (iOS, Android, Web): The best project management CRM for small business

Capsule Pros

  • Excellent insight into the tasks of each team
  • Reading and interacting with the user interface is quite simple.

Capsule Cons

  • Support is only provided via tickets.

In short, it’s a robust CRM paired with a reliable project management application. Like any successful productivity tool, it recognizes the importance of user experience. It features a dashboard and an easy-to-use user interface that help manage the overburden.

There are three views available on the Projects screen: calendar, Kanban, & list. Here, you can enter all the tasks you need to do, designate the appropriate individuals, and incorporate all the files required for execution. Return to the dashboard after that, where all of your jobs are arranged on the right-hand list and ready for you to start working on. The most recent action for you and your team is displayed on the left side of this list; it is a stream of calls, tasks, and deal updates that have been performed.

Once you have completed some weeks of work, you can review the reports to identify any issues with productivity. Almost all of the apps in this category use the standard sales pipeline information that is atop this report. Utilize these to determine which jobs require more time and who is struggling to complete projects; perhaps they need support, guidance, or a word of encouragement.

Capsule price: All the essential features and 30,000 contacts are included in the cheapest subscription, Starter, which costs $21 per user per month. At $38 per user per month, the Growth package is the most affordable option. It adds automation, advanced data analysis, and user roles, and it raises the contact limit.

Though the continuous priority support is excellent under that level, if you need it, the most expensive plan, Advanced, costs $60 per user per month and further increases storage and contact limitations without unlocking any notable features within the software.

6. Freshsales (iOS, Android, Web): The best basic CRM for small business

Freshsales Pros

  • A component within the Freshworks software package
  • Strong AI capabilities for lead prediction and scoring

Freshsales Cons

  • Occasionally slow

The appearance, feel, navigation, and the general logic of each app are unique. Depending on their level of power, you might be prepared to put up with the difficult parts or the harsh learning curves. Then there are applications like Freshsales, which maintain a modest level of difficulty without losing any of its functionality.

Immediately after completing the onboarding, you will be asked to enter the leads, tasks, & appointments. Each page has a “What’s this section about?” link that will open the help page if you need to know what’s occurring with each click. Freshsales also outlines how to take advantage of these capabilities to make your company function more efficiently.

The Zia and AI features of Zoho CRM are undoubtedly familiar to you if you’ve been reading this post the old-fashioned way, that is, from beginning to end without skimming and skipping. A comparable feature set is provided by Freshsales, where Freddy, an adorable 3D dog, spends time sniffing around the data you provide.

It highlights priority connections that have a greater probability of being a good fit for your company, makes recommendations for when to keep up with leads to maintain the engagement trend, and can be set up as a chatbot on the website to manage appointments and customer service.

In addition to all the features you would anticipate from a CRM, Freshsales helps you manage documents, track items, and engage via chat and phone. If you would like to add more functions to that set, Freshworks offers additional software that adds marketing and customer support to Freshsales.

Freshsales price: The Growth plan, which offers sales features, phone, chat, & AI contact rating, among other crucial capabilities, starts at $11 per user per month. This is followed by a price increase to $47 per user per month for the Pro plan, which unlocks time-based processes, AI deal information, and subsequent best action.

Lastly, all of the AI forecasting capability is unlocked at the highest tier (Enterprise), which caps at $71 per user per month. If you want AI in your CRM, for instance, this is more expensive than Zoho CRM’s highest level. If so, you should schedule some time to try both and determine which one suits you best.

7. Folk (Web): The best CRM for small business for straightforward, highly customized emails

Folk Pros

  • Accommodates several pipelines
  • AI that can be customized

Folk Cons

  • Absence of mobile applications

Be aware that Folk feels different than everyone else on this list. Pie chart-heavy reports and intricate sales pipelines are not its forte. It does not want you to view your business connections as a dashboard of metrics. Instead, it provides an easy way to manage all of your connections and send highly customized emails to the lists in bulk, substituting the distinctive appeal of human speech for automated templates.

If you utilize Notion, you will feel completely at home. To view a breakdown of emails, browse the settings, and begin a search of the contacts database, click the buttons on the left. Your contact lists are displayed a little lower down. Folk is helpful for managing a variety of connections. You may work with investors at various stages of the relationship as well as clients on a traditional sales model. With 50 distinct templates to choose from, you may browse the template collection if you want further inspiration.

Without data, however, personalization is impossible. To offer you a more comprehensive image of the person you are speaking with, Folk features a contact enhancement feature that automatically fills in the blanks in contact details. In addition to other pieces of information, it can locate businesses, positions, and phone numbers.

It makes up for the absence of sophisticated analytics and reporting with its ease of use, support for numerous relationships, and powerful customizing tools. Consider Folk to be less of an enterprise software for managers and more of a sales tool for the employees at close quarters.

Folk price: The Standard package, which offers 500 messages and 100 enrichments per month, starts at $24 per user per month. The cap is raised to 2000 and 500 for the next and most expensive plan, Premium, which costs $39 per user every month. Selling expensive services or products with a drawn-out sales process seems to be a better fit for this feature set & pricing.

8. Kommo (iOS, Android, Web): Top CRM for small business for multi-channel sales

Kommo Pros

  • Accommodates numerous pipeline configurations
  • AI-powered keyword recognition to automate interactions

Kommo Cons

  • Limited tools for task management

Kommo helps you reach people where they prefer by distributing your messages over a variety of channels rather than just conventional phone calls and emails. These include Apple Messages, WeChat, Telegram, Skype, Viber, and Meta’s major three: Facebook, Instagram, & WhatsApp. Additionally, you can send messages to Slack channels or via SMS to add variety to this list.

In the application’s Chats area, you can see the discussions align as you link them. In this window, you can have one-on-one conversations with each of your leads. Sending a promotional message to a large audience at once and monitoring its effectiveness are both possible with broadcasts. As communications arrive and go, your CRM changes with actions & signals, sparing you the time it would take to retype content while you are speaking.

To keep your sanity when there are so many messages going around, you must automate. With Kommo’s Salesbots, you may activate actions according to keywords in the communication, set up automated responses to incoming communications, and alert a team member if a customer is kept in view for longer than 5 minutes. You can browse different themes or make your own, and these are only a handful of the ones that are currently available.

The majority of the features are centered on multi-channel sales. This is especially evident in the dashboard, which displays data such as the number of open chats and median response times. To get more in-depth sales data, navigate to the Stats tab. There, you will see panels that provide you with call reports, win-loss analysis, and other helpful information.

Kommo pricing: A trial is available for free. The base price for integrating all of your sales channels, including email, into the platform is $15 per user per month. For $25 per person every month, Advanced provides automation and salesbots. The Enterprise plan, which is the highest tier and costs $45 per user per month, increases the limit on measured features and enables lead scoring.

9. Salesmate: The best CRM for small business that uses SMS and phone calls

Salesmate Pros

  • Includes an AI chatbot assistance.
  • Modifiable screen arrangements

Salesmate Cons

  • The cost of calls could be reduced.

The majority of CRM communications are conducted via email. What about the traditional phone call, though? Or that thoughtful SMS? With capabilities built around those channels, Salesmate provides the means to link them to your CRM and ensure that you get the most out of these exchanges.

An excellent onboarding process and helpful mini-tutorials on every page enhance the user interface’s appeal. Your next lead will be on the phone in no time thanks to Salesmate’s clear explanations. Emails are not entirely ignored; rather, they are compiled in a Team Mailbox. Any emails you receive from hi@yourcompany.com can be sent to it, and your team can collaborate to process them.

Once the phone is connected, wonderful things begin. Unlocking these capabilities requires completing a form and submitting your business for consideration (keep in mind that call rates are in addition to your usual subscription). After completing those requirements, however, you can begin sending and getting SMS messages directly on the platform, with each contact’s activity log being updated.

Apart from the dashboard, you can initiate calls using the deal cards in your sales funnel, which is incredibly convenient for me. And when a call comes in, the page for that person appears on the screen, allowing you to strike up a chat right away.

All things considered, Salesmate is a comprehensive product that includes a separate interface for setting up automation for marketing, another for handling client conversations, and a reporting area that allows you to build as many different perspectives on your information as you require. If you find yourself looking at several of these reports frequently during the day, you can include them in the dashboard.

Salesmate price: Basic, which costs $29 per user per month, comes with integrated texting, calling, & workflow automation. At $49 per user per month, the mid-tier Pro plan grants access to team management tools and personalized reports. Going ahead, Boost ($50 per user per month) enables phone services like Voicemail Drop (a sort of reverse voicemail); if the contact doesn’t answer, you may leave one recorded note on their voicemail; and Power Dialer (automatic voice calls).

Additionally, you can sign up for the Enterprise plan (price on request) if you would like to remove all restrictions and receive specific assistance from Salesmate.

10. NetHunt (iOS, Android, Web): The best CRM for small businesses for Gmail inbox management

NetHunt Pros

  • Links to LinkedIn
  • Allows for multi-channel discussion, including Telegram and WhatsApp

NetHunt Cons

  • Substantial price increases between plans

Imagine being able to use a CRM while using Gmail for your daily tasks. NetHunt makes that possible. Additionally, NetHunt offers a distinct dashboard that you can use to make general choices and adjust the settings, in contrast to the majority of other CRMs for Google Mail.

Getting started is straightforward. Simply sign up using the Gmail account that you currently use, and NetHunt will take care of everything for you. Once you have installed the browser extension, you may access it while using Gmail.

Alternatively, you may utilize the web application, which has a user experience that is similar to Gmail so you won’t be distracted by the details. Checking deals, creating and updating contacts, sending messages to the lists you created, and creating processes to automate repetitive tasks are all possible with the online app.

Simple reports for pipeline, time in the stage, and user activity are available. You can use the offered integration to feed your information to Looker Studio if you’d like to dabble in business intelligence tools. This will enable you to create real-time updating interactive reports and dashboards that will help you stay on top of things.

NetHunt price: With two more subscription categories, NetHunt’s pricing was redesigned this year to allow for scaling without breaking the bank. All of the fundamental CRM functions are available in your Gmail account, with a monthly starting price of $30 per user. You can access automation, improved reports, and integrations with other message channels as you go through the levels. There are four different price points: $42, sixty dollars, $84 & $120 per user each month.

11. Zapier: The most effective tool for creating your own CRM

Zapier Pros

  • Create a straightforward solution from scratch.
  • Putting automation first

Zapier Cons

  • Advanced CRM functions are absent.

Zapier is expanding its product portfolio. Using Zaps, Interfaces, & Tables in tandem, you can develop unique applications that address business issues with an automation-focused approach.

Following that, utilizing step-by-step Zaps to change your data is simple. If you choose not to enter any code, you will never be forced to. Additionally, you may select the ideal tech stack for managing SMS, calling, or email marketing because you can link to hundreds of other company apps. You may use a button within your Zapier Interface CRM to initiate changes across all of your applications once they’re connected.

Which CRM software is ideal for small businesses?

Even if your company is small now, you shouldn’t compromise on software quality or ruin your budget by joining the major players’ pricey enterprise software club. You are free to explore any of these choices if you like, therefore spend your time choosing the one that works best for both you and your group.

If you require something more potent, you can also look at our selections for the top CRMs in general, which compiles the best in the field, including reliable tools for navigating the business world.

Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.

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