The 6 Best Small Business CRMs for 2022

CRM software is one of those things that many people might not think about often, but you can’t do without. It’s just a vital component in making your small business successful and it will make the process easier than ever before. This list has six great choices for all different kinds of businesses so take some time to look over them!

The “best crm for small business 2022” is a topic that has been discussed in the past. The 6 best small business CRMs are mentioned below.

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a program that organizes contacts and allows you to communicate with prospective buyers and customers. The finest small company CRM also provides a unified platform for organizing and collaborating on sales, marketing, and administrative operations, as well as allowing teams to automate some processes to boost efficiency.

We looked at a number of highly rated CRM software systems and came up with the following six CRMs for small businesses:

• Freshsales: Best overall, and a great option for small firms seeking for a good balance of lead management and integration tools.
• Zoho CRM is the best choice for businesses that rely significantly on social media marketing.
• Pipedrive is ideal for B2B enterprises with straightforward sales strategies that rely on direct selling.
• Bitrix24 is a good choice for small ecommerce shops.
• HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a scalable CRM that is ideal for growing enterprises.
• Essentials of Salesforce is a great choice for small sales teams looking for a powerful mobile app.

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Freshsales: The Best CRM for Small Businesses

Freshsales

4.68 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

What We Enjoy

• For multi-business capabilities, it easily interacts with other systems like Freshdesk and Freshservice.
• The cheapest plans come with built-in phone and email features.
• There is a free option available.

What Isn’t There

• On lower-cost subscriptions, there are no website monitoring features.
• Customer service is unavailable 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• There are no low-cost process automation features available.

A Quick Look at Freshsales Pricing*

• There are no limits to how many people may utilize it (limited features)
• $15 per month per user growth
• Pro: $39 per month, per user
• Enterprise: $69 per month for each user
• 21-day free trial

Paid-for add-ons include:

• $5 for workflows
• Credits for phones start at $25.
• $19 per user, each month for CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote).

*Pricing is for a one-year membership. At somewhat higher costs, monthly billing is also possible.

Freshsales is a great small company CRM alternative because of how effectively it handles lead handling. Chat Bot is included in the Pro and Enterprise subscriptions. It’s a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that converses with website visitors in real time in order to convert them into leads. Users may manage their leads using automated lead nurturing and analyze their sales funnels with visualizations that illustrate progress, potential value, and the projected close date.

In addition to the lead management capabilities, small businesses find plenty of value in its User-Friendliness, as well as the availability of a free option and low-cost subscription plans. The platform also gives businesses the ability to integrate with other Freshworks products like Freshdesk and Freshservice. This allows them to have a full-service small business management system with modules for managing human resources, customer service, call centers, and IT ticket servicing.

Freshworks provides the capacity to automate activities inside particular workflows, however this feature is only available to those who subscribe to higher-priced subscriptions. We propose Zoho CRM as the finest small business CRM that provides low-cost task automation for small firms who desire stronger automation features at a reduced price.

Freshsales Highlights

360-degree lead view from Freshsales (Source: Freshworks)

• It has graphic sales funnels that may be seen in funnel, Kanban, or timeline forms.
• Online integration: Creates web forms for generating leads and tracking website traffic by integrating with websites.
• Automate the grouping and filtering of leads based on location, demographics, and behavior using marketing segmentation options.
• Features of sales forecasting include: Make revenue projections and KPI reports for sales.
• Deduplication of contact data, auto-appointment scheduling with leads, and predictive lead grading are all Freddy AI insights.

Do you want to learn more about CRM? Visit our Freshsales review to learn more about its extensive feature set.

Freshsales is a great place to start.

Best for Social Media Marketing: Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM

4.39 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

What We Enjoy

• There are several options for system modification.
• Free plan and cheap price-per-user choices make this a cost-effective CRM solution.
• Automation features for creating workflow tasks, navigating the customer journey, and engaging with leads

What Isn’t There

• Customer service is important. Response times might be sluggish, and help isn’t always available outside of office hours.
• The free plan is restricted to three users and offers very few features.
• In comparison to the other CRMs on our list, the user experience has more flaws.

A Quick Look at Zoho CRM Pricing*

• Up to three users are free (minimal features)
• Standard: $14 per month per user
• Professional: $23 per month for each user
• Enterprise: $40 per month for each user
• Ultimate: $52 per month per user
• 15-day free trial

CRM Special Editions:

• Bigin: 0 to $9 per month per user
• Zoho CRM Plus costs $57 per month per user.

*Pricing is for a one-year membership. At somewhat higher costs, monthly billing is also possible.

Social media marketing is a very cost-effective way for a small company to develop. Small companies can use Zoho CRM to manage social media content, track page activity, and generate leads across a variety of social media sites, including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

The free version of Zoho CRM makes it accessible to solopreneurs and small organizations. It is, however, restricted in terms of the amount of users permitted and functionality, such as the capacity to send bulk email campaigns. Freshsales is a good solution for small firms looking for a free CRM that has this capability.

Features of Zoho CRM

Social media monitoring page in Zoho CRM (Source: Zoho)

• Social media tools: For posting, scheduling, and managing social media material, there are integrations with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media monitoring, automated lead creation from social media, and a consolidated history of client interactions are also included.
• Integration with Zoho Finance Suite: Allows for the preparation of quotations and purchase orders.
• Features of business card scanning include: The mobile application’s built-in business card reader syncs contact information to the CRM database.
• Cliq and Meeting connectors for online meetings provide remote management features.
• Users may synchronize their inboxes, contacts, and calendars with the CRM using integrations.

Read our Zoho CRM review to learn more about what it does well and how it may assist small companies in achieving their objectives.

Do you want to discover how Zoho CRM stacks up against another well-known CRM? Check out our Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce comparison review.

Go to the Zoho CRM website.

Pipedrive: The Best CRM for Direct Sales Operations for Small Businesses

Pipedrive

4.34 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

What We Enjoy

• Fields and pipelines that may be customized
• A large variety of third-party connectors are available for accounting, marketing, and task management.
• Capabilities for mass lead import from spreadsheets or other CRMs such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho

What Isn’t There

• There is no free plan available.
• There isn’t any phone assistance for customers.
• On lower-cost programs, there are no revenue forecasting options.

A Quick Look at Pipedrive Pricing*

• $12.50 per month per user is required.
• Advanced: $24.90 per month for each user
• Professional: $49.90 per month for each user
• Enterprise: $99 per month for each user (10-user minimum)
• 14-day free trial with full access

Add-ons:

• LeadBooster (a suite of lead creation tools) costs $32.50 per month per firm.
• $41 per organization, per month for online visitors (web activity monitoring).

*Pricing is based on a 12-month billing cycle. Except for the Enterprise package, monthly paying is also possible.

The Pipedrive elements connected to direct sales operations are especially useful for small company sales teams. Its smart contact data capabilities give information about leads based on data gathered from the internet and social media accounts. Smart Docs features enable you to submit quotations, proposals, and contracts from inside the CRM, as well as establish eSignatures. Outside connections allow sales teams to issue invoices and collect payments.

Pipedrive is a good platform for sales activities, but its revenue forecasting features are only accessible on the Professional and Enterprise subscriptions, which are more expensive. Small firms searching for cost-effective sales forecasting solutions might choose Zoho CRM’s Enterprise subscription, which includes forecasting for $99 per user, per month, payable yearly.

Features of Pipedrive

Deal conversion chart on Pipedrive (Source: Google Chrome)

• Smart Docs: Integrated document management solutions for tracking quotations, proposals, and getting electronic signatures.
• Built-in appointment booking tool: Sends calendar links to prospects through live chat, then uses Pipedrive Scheduler to sync meetings to the sales rep’s calendar.
• The smart contact data tool gives you useful information about your leads.
• AI sales assistant: Provides sales staff with performance advice based on prior customer behavior and CRM data.
• For invoicing and payment processing, there are integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, Paycove, PayKickstart, and RoyPay.

Read our Pipedrive review to discover more about this CRM’s extensive feature set.

Do you want to look at other CRMs that can be customized? Take a look at our list of the top CRMs that can be customized.

Go to Pipedrive.com.

Bitrix24 is ideal for small ecommerce shops.

Bitrix24

4.15 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

What We Enjoy

• One online shop with up to 100 goods is included in the free edition, which is accessible to an infinite number of users.
• All-in-one platform for company management
• Task templates, rule and trigger task auto-creation, and the ability to auto-manage recurring activities are all useful business automation capabilities.

What Isn’t There

• The user interface is difficult to navigate.
• After business hours, there is no customer service.
• Doesn’t have any reporting or analytics tools that are simple to use.

A Quick Look at Bitrix24 Pricing*

• Free: There is no restriction to the number of people who may use it.
• $39 per month (basic) (up to 5 users)
• $79 per month is the standard rate (up to 50 users)
• $199 per month for professionals (unlimited users)

*The aforementioned pricing is for monthly plans. You may alternatively pay in full once a quarter, once a year, or twice a year.

Bitrix24 is a one-of-a-kind ecommerce platform that allows small companies to build a website, handle orders, and manage inventory while connecting with their CRM. These capabilities are available for free to online retailers, as well as the option to handle payments via interfaces with major apps like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.

One of the most prevalent complaints about Bitrix24 is its usability, particularly when it comes to navigating the interface, which may be frightening due to the many functional buttons that may be presented on a given page. HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) or Freshsales, both of which are listed in our post about the top basic CRM systems, are more intuitive for companies seeking for an easy-to-navigate CRM software for small businesses.

Features of Bitrix24

The design of Bitrix24’s online shop (Image courtesy of Bitrix24)

• Create an ecommerce shop that interfaces with the CRM, accepts online orders, processes payments, and maintains inventory using an online store website builder.
• Built-in phone, call back widgets, and call monitoring features are just a few of the contact center options available.
• Quotations and invoicing: The ability to attach quotes or invoices to lead profiles is built-in.
• Features of project management include: Project management tools are built-in, allowing you to create and monitor project activities.
• Features of human resource management include: Basic absence management, time tracking, meeting brief generating, and employee directory compilation tools

Read our in-depth Bitrix24 review to see how this CRM suits the demands of many small enterprises.

Are you looking for additional information about retail CRMs? Take a look at our list of the finest retail CRM programs.

Bitrix24 is a website that you should check out.

HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the best CRM for scalability.

HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

3.97 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

What We Enjoy

• There is no restriction to the number of people who may utilize the free plan.
• It’s a simple interface to use, particularly for beginning users.
• Email signature generating, website assessor, blog topic generator, and marketing plan creator are just a few of the free marketing tools available.

What Isn’t There

• There are no project management tools available.
• The free plan does not include more than one pipeline.
• On the free plan, there is no phone assistance.

HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Pricing at a Glance*

• Free: Can be used by an infinite number of people.
• HubSpot for Startups: Monthly fees range from $40 to $89
• The Marketing Hub costs $45 per month (up to 1,000 contacts)
• Starts at $45 per month for Sales Hub (up to 2 users)
• Starts at $45 per month for the Service Hub (up to 2 users)
• CMS Hub costs between $270 and $900 per month.
• Starts at $45 per month for the Operations Hub.
• 14-day free trial for CMS and Operations Hub

Paid-for plan add-on:

• The CRM Suite costs $45 per month.

*Pricing is based on a 12-month billing cycle. Except for the Enterprise tier of each plan, monthly paying is also available at somewhat higher prices.

HubSpot is an excellent CRM for small organizations who are expanding or looking to expand their operations. It is a free plan that includes basic capabilities for contact management, lead communication, appointment booking, and service ticket management.

Regardless of whether plan is chosen, HubSpot’s plans are built for scalability. For example, its Starter package is $45 (includes two users) with the option of adding extra members for $23 per person. It also includes a one-of-a-kind additional tool that develops a marketing strategy for new enterprises or existing firms looking to expand.

HubSpot does not, however, provide project management tools to its users. Bitrix24, which provides powerful project management capabilities in its free plan, is a good option for small firms searching for methods to organize and monitor projects.

HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Features

HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management)’s marketing plan generator output example (Source: RedPandas Digital)

• Automations for custom workflows: Create assignments based on actions that generate leads.
• Quotations: Use click-to-quote tools to quickly produce professional quotes.
• Features of communication: Communication features such as a phone and email are built-in.
• Integrations with event planning and scheduling software such as Eventbrite, atEvent, and Attendease allow data from marketing events to be recorded and managed.
• Tools for making appointments include: Leads may make appointments using the built-in meeting scheduling tools.

Read our HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) review to get more information on how this platform helps small businesses grow.

Check out how HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) compares to another great CRM product in our comparison review of Insightly vs HubSpot.

Go to HubSpot CRM’s website. (Customer Relationship Management)

Essentials of Salesforce: The Best Mobile App

Essentials of Salesforce

3.10 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE

What We Enjoy

• Businesses may customize their dashboards and reports to only see the data they care about.
• In comparison to other CRMs with reporting, dashboards, and support features, it is quite affordable.
• Users may use the mobile app to accomplish virtually all of the same tasks that they can with the online application.

What Isn’t There

• Due to the many options and buttons offered, setup is not straightforward.
• There is no choice for a free plan.
• There are a maximum of 10 users allowed.

Essentials of Salesforce Pricing at a Glance*

• Essentials: $25 per month for each user
• 14-day free trial

Add-ons:

• $2 per 100 minutes, per month for Sales Dialer for Essentials (inbound and outbound calls through Salesforce phone channel).
• Sales Dialer (automated logging and click-to-dial): $5 per user, every month
• Social Intelligence costs $25 per month per user.
• Inbox: $25 per month, per user

*Pricing is based on a 12-month billing cycle. At a little greater cost, monthly billing is also possible.

Although Essentials of Salesforce offers AI capabilities, robust email marketing tools, and excellent solutions for report customization, one of the most standout features of this CRM is its mobile application. The mobile app has the ability to perform nearly all of the functions that can be done on its web application, making it easy for you to monitor sales pipelines, manage leads, and communicate with other team members―all while on-the-go.

Essentials of Salesforce lacks the availability of a free plan, something that is highly desired, especially by small businesses. For businesses looking for a free small business CRM, HubSpot CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a solid choice. We also recommend taking a look at our in-depth review of the best free CRM software.

Essentials of Salesforce Features

Essentials of Salesforce’ mobile opportunity view (Source: Salesforce)

• Features of customer service: Email, phone, live chat, social media, and a self-service help center are all tools for serving consumers.
• Lightning App Builder: Using prebuilt templates and a drag-and-drop interface, create bespoke Salesforce apps.
• Email auto-sync: Email data is synced with CRM automatically to establish contact profiles.
• DocuSign, Dropbox, Zapier, and Active Campaign are some of the integrations available.
• Deals and opportunities: Deal and opportunity management with custom visualization choices

Read our Essentials of Salesforce review to discover if this is the right platform for your business.

Visit Essentials of Salesforce

What We Looked for in the Best CRM for Small Businesses

To figure out which CRM is ideal for small companies, we looked at product price as well as basic CRM features tailored to small firms. Small company owners and workers, as well as solopreneurs, often wear numerous jobs. As a result, we took into consideration a tool’s general usefulness as well as customer support (having dedicated sales, marketing, and accounting departments).

Based on our evaluation, Freshsales is the best overall CRM for small business because of the combination of its User-Friendliness, robust lead management features, and affordability. It is equipped with lead generation and nurturing capabilities, and can be integrated with other native products for managing human resources, customer service, and call center operations.

In our article on what is a CRM, you can learn more about how these capabilities may help you better manage your company.

The categories below provide an overview of our criteria for selecting the best CRM software for small businesses:

40% of the overall score

Price was the most strongly weighted while analyzing the top small company CRM software, since it is often one of the most significant criterion for any small firm. We looked at whether or not there are any free plans, how many subscription choices are offered, and whether or not monthly pricing is accessible.

20% of the overall score

Overall CRM elements such as sales pipeline management tools, mobile app capabilities, and connectors with third-party apps were examined. We also looked at each CRM platform’s automation and artificial intelligence (AI) features.

15% of the overall score

The functions of any application are only as beneficial as they are usable; therefore, User-Friendliness was the next highest weight of criteria for the best CRM software for small business. This was analyzed in terms of the expertise needed to set it up and integrate it with other applications, the skill required to operate CRM tools, and the intuitiveness of navigating the interface.

15% of the overall score

Comprehensive support and service may help users avoid problems while using the platform. Customer service hours and availability of assistance by phone, live chat, and email were considered while evaluating help and support.

10% of the overall score

In addition to firsthand experiences with the providers, we evaluated what other small businesses are saying about each CRM. These criteria consider how users feel based on their reviews to gain insight on the product’s popularity, User-Friendliness, and overall value for the price.

*Percentages based on total score

The “best crm for small business 2021” is a question that has been asked by many people. The CRM software market is always changing, so it’s hard to know what the best option will be. Here are 6 of the best options out there.

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