The 11 Best CRMs for SMBs

Client relationship management (CRM) software is popular because it gives businesses an advantage when tracking contacts and customer interaction history. Given how many CRMs are on the market, it can be a challenge for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to find the best CRM software to maximize their efficiency.

The right CRM will support your particular suite of services. We believe that investing in small business CRM software can help SMBs establish continuity between every client relationship stage and department — from marketing and sales to customer success and billing.

Here, we’ll cover: 

• The potential impact of a good CRM on how your marketing and sales teams operate
• Features of ten popular CRMs and what they could offer your business
• Advantages of having a platform that goes beyond basic contact management
• Why you should consider a platform that expands on typical CRM functionality

How CRMs Assist Marketing and Sales Teams

A CRM can serve as a vital tool to help your SMB improve workflows and reduce repetitive tasks. It’s critical software for sales and marketing teams in particular. 

No matter how you prefer to connect with potential customers, ease of use matters. The right CRM features should be user friendly and make it easier to carry out your marketing strategy. 

A CRM’s most popular marketing functions include:

• Segmenting contact lists to improve targeting 
• Connecting your email client to avoid spamming contacts
• Automating custom follow-up to various lists by integrating with an email marketing tool
• Logging touch points via social media platforms to track a contact’s history
• Creating a custom audience for ad targeting 

Sales is all about building relationships, which means that a CRM can fulfill many of its needs. Sales teams often use a CRM to:

• Reduce time spent on data entry and spreadsheets, and reallocate that time to prospecting
• Pull up accurate contact data in seconds while taking a call
• Quickly generate quotes based on client data
• Increase communication between sales reps
• Enhance visibility over the sales cycle, from start to finish

If a CRM system offers customization, it can prove useful to SMBs beyond marketing and sales: tracking vendors, improving customer support or even housing data about employee skills.

Customer Relationship Management Tools for Businesses

There are plenty of CRM platforms to choose from, but it can be time-consuming to research which CRM offers the right tools to make your SMB more efficient. We’ve done some of the hard work for you.

Below, we review ten of the top client relationship management tools, including notable features and pros and cons based on real user reviews.

1. Accelo: A Complete Professional Services Automation System

Accelo is an end-to-end cloud-based platform built to help service businesses automate tasks, improve visibility and increase profits. Accelo goes beyond customer relationship management to offer solutions for all stages of client work, including sales and quoting, project management, client support and tickets, billing and retainer management.

The Accelo platform streamlines all aspects of your client work into one centralized client record.

Features

• A centralized client database to provide all employees with up-to-date client information
• Project management tools, including time tracking, resource management and project templates and triggers
• Retainers, including contract management and automation of recurring work and tasks
• Reporting and analytics, including revenue and sales forecasting, client profitability reports and team member performance

Pros

• Built for all aspects of client work beyond its robust CRM, including quote automation and project management 
• Products can be purchased individually for unmatched customization

Cons

• Works best for teams of seven or more, so may not be the best fit for freelance consultants or smaller teams and startups
• No built-in marketing automation tools — but does have a range of seamless third-party integrations, including HubSpot and MailChimp

Schedule a demo to see why Accelo could be the solution you’ve been seeking for better client relationship management — and then some.

2. HubSpot CRM:

HubSpot CRM is a pipeline management tool that provides real-time visibility into your firm’s sales pipeline. Their free CRM tier offers additional tools to assist sales activities, marketing, customer service and operations professionals. HubSpot CRM is well known for helping business owners and their teams nurture existing client relationships.

Features

• Intuitive contact management with enriched data to save time on pre-sale research
• Lead management, including nurturing, scoring and automated sales alerts and tasks
• Options to send emails and make calls directly from the platform 
• Thorough deal tracking, pipeline dashboard and performance reports

Pros

• Free subscription option with simple CRM tools and essentials for new firms
• Option to upgrade to Marketing or Sales Hub paid plans for additional key features and expanded workflow tools

Cons

• Free plan does not include customer support and it’s very easy to max out its limitations
• Limited customization not ideal for companies with complex sales funnels 

3. Insightly:

Insightly is a CRM software that can be used in a range of industries, including consulting, professional services, nonprofits, media and advertising and more. Insightly aims to help its users go beyond sales to better connect with customers and align teams to encourage longer-term relationships.

Features

• Lead routing and workflow automation streamline the sales process
• Milestone tracking and process management
• Customer support and SLA management help improve customer satisfaction
• Build and deploy custom apps in minutes with no code using AppConnect

Pros

• Can handle complex automations that trigger task delegation, manage email campaigns and more
• Ticketing add-on to simplify interactions with customer service representatives

Cons

• Users note declining satisfaction due to upsell attempts
• No built-in contract management or billing, so it can’t serve as an end-to-end solution 

4. Keap:

Keap combines CRM, sales and marketing automation, contact management and eCommerce capabilities with the primary focus of helping small business owners manage client relationships. Its set of tools offers a wide range of features beyond the typical CRM, including appointment setting and landing page and email templates.

Features

• Lead management including lead nurturing, lead scoring and automated sales alerts
• Social media marketing, including social profile integrations
• Campaign management, including calendars and event marketing
• Reporting and analytics

Pros

• Keap Lite pricing tier for solopreneurs and small teams. 
• Marketing automation capabilities create a consistent customer experience 

Cons

• No option to remove or hide existing tabs — even with customization
• Some features, including the mobile app and SMS messaging options, only available in limited regions

5. monday sales CRM:

monday.com’s sales CRM is a cloud-based CRM software that serves as an add-on to monday.com’s Work OS platform. It supports sales teams as they build workflows, manage leads and send quotes and invoices. With custom dashboards and sales analytics, this CRM can help your team set the stage for better deals and stronger client relationships.

Features

• Sales pipeline visibility
• Editable deal stages
• Manage post-sale activities
• Resource management tools for sales teams

Pros

• Email sync and notifications
• Performance tracking and goal management

Cons

• Lacks adequate implementation support according to some users
• Does not natively connect to project management tools or other monday.com apps without a separate subscription and implementation

READ NEXT: Accelo vs. monday.com

6. NetSuite CRM:

NetSuite CRM is a cloud-based solution that integrates with the NetSuite ERP platform. It brings customer data, sales and marketing automation and support together to help businesses gain visibility into their work and continue to grow. 

Features

• Sales automation and forecasting, including pipeline visualization and revenue projections
• Partner relationship management with visibility into partner sales forecasting and options for joint marketing, orders and commissions
• Customer service and support featuring case management and online self-service options
• Reporting and analytics, including customer service metrics, lead-generation trends and customer acquisition costs

Pros

• Integration with the NetSuite ERP platform offers a robust combination of tools 
• Sale performance and commission tracking

Cons

• Includes ERP-specific advanced features that won’t suit many service businesses
• Some users mention a steeper learning curve due to a complex UI and confusing fields

7. Nimble:

Nimble is a CRM that merges details about business contacts from multiple platforms into one enriched database. This platform makes it possible for your entire team to draw insights about clients from other websites and platforms to develop the ultimate client record. Interactions with potential customers and internal actions are both tied to a contact record, providing excellent visibility to the entire team.

Features

• Data enrichment via social media and email signatures
• Task, event and call tracking tied to contact history
• Nimble Prospector sends templated group emails and displays contact details on social and email
• Pipeline visualization and deal management tools

Pros

• Natively integrates with Microsoft 365 to pull in communication history, calendar data and more about existing contacts
• Simplifies prospecting for those who frequently use social media

Cons

• Most useful for agencies with a dedicated sales team 
• Some users are frustrated by its limited email storage and non-traditional pipeline

8. Pipedrive:

Pipedrive is a small business CRM with additional sales-focused features, including lead segmentation and a customizable pipeline. Custom sales stages and activity reminders support smooth workflows and uninterrupted conversations with leads. Additional features include document management and email marketing.

Features

• Specialized team management
• Detailed reports, including deal tracking, conversion rate by lead source and revenue forecasting
• Embeddable forms to manage inbound leads
• Tools for tracking team performance and setting goals

Pros

• Not as complex as some larger CRMs, so easier to implement and train users
• Sales automation and tips from AI-powered Sales Assistant 

Cons

• One user notes that the platform lacks popular integrations
• Not connected to the full client journey via project management, billing or other essential work management features

9. Salesforce Sales Cloud:

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a web-based CRM solution that helps companies manage their customers, partners and employees. The platform offers several pricing levels and features, providing scalability for rapidly growing companies. Businesses can use it to configure solutions that can shift with their changing business needs.

Features

• Sales automation including customer data management, workflows and contract management
• Customer service and support, including case management and call center management
• Project management, including tasks, billing and reporting
• Reporting and analytics, including forecasting and pipeline visualization

Pros

• Ability to automate business processes, including simple tasks like creating automatic email alerts to more time-heavy tasks like filling out orders 
• Fully customizable, with options to add custom fields and tabs, create email templates and build reporting dashboards

Cons

• Cost of is often higher than other CRM options, and increases with customizations and API integrations 
• Users note that customization may not be achievable for smaller businesses with limited training and resources

10. Scoro:

Scoro is a CRM and systems-oriented project management platform that helps consulting firms, agencies and other professional service providers manage complex projects. It improves team productivity with customized project templates and ample integrations.

Features

• KPI dashboard for simple goal tracking
• Task bundles to cut down on project creation time
• Multiple languages for invoices, quotes, contracts and more
• Customizable templates for unique workflows

Pros

• Useful for businesses that need the ability to automatically plan recurring projects
• Best for businesses that value clear KPI visibility

Cons

• More costly than some other project management tools
• Users point out that it’s not ideal for expense forecasting and cost management

READ MORE: Accelo vs. Scoro

11. Zoho CRM:

Zoho CRM is built to help businesses of all sizes manage their customer relationships. The platform helps companies engage with customers and build revenue via its workflow automation features, advanced analytics, customer segmentation and KPI tracking.

Key Features

• Sales automation, including a contact database, quotes and contract management
• Customer service and support features 
• Marketing automation, including lead management and email marketing campaigns
• Integrates with Zoho’s Bigin platform to support additional processes and operations

Pros

• A free version is available for three or fewer users 
• Pay-as-you-go service allows customers to pay monthly or annually without a contract

Cons

• While the free and standard levels offer some solutions, many of the features available through Zoho are only available in their higher-priced plans.
• Users report that customer support for each Zoho product is not coordinated, which can can interfere with the user experience

The Power of Software for Managing More Than Contact Data

You can see that many CRMs have similar features, but that doesn’t mean they’re equal when it comes to accommodating your particular business processes. 

There’s tremendous value in housing accurate data in a centralized space with custom fields. However, SMBs need robust all-in-one functionality to maximize efficiency and profitability.

Client relationship management doesn’t stop after you make a sale. If you run a professional services business, it makes sense to select a CRM that’s designed to support growing customer loyalty over time. The benefits of a CRM can extend far beyond contact management if the other parts of the client lifecycle are linked back to the client record. 

A platform that’s not limited to the features of a CRM, like Accelo, makes it possible for your clients and team to see the big picture behind every client relationship — long after a contract has been signed.

Your project management team can:

• Easily transition new clients from sales by converting quotes into projects
• Auto-assign tasks based on team availability
• Manage workload by monitoring time-tracking data and a scheduling dashboard

Your customer success or technical support team can:

• Follow the entire journey of a given contact from the moment the record was created
• Keep track of the history of communication with both companies and individual contacts
• See existing projects and review their progress before engaging with a client

Your billing team can:

• Bill clients in bulk with detailed invoices created from billable time logs
• Review sent, paid and overdue invoices in automatically generated reports
• Manage retainers of various billing periods with a hands-off approach

Your operations team can:

• Optimize existing workflows and create new ones using trigger automations
• Review an auto-generated dashboard to see which projects and clients are profitable
• Improve new hire onboarding protocol using thorough platform documentation

Your clients can:

• Check on project progress at any time by logging in to a client portal 
• View and pay invoices on their own time
• Understand adjustments to project plans based on accurate budget and time logs  

How To Know It’s Time to Experience Accelo

Chances are, your business is ready for more than a basic CRM. Here’s what you could be experiencing if this is the case. 

• Your team is overwhelmed and you’re noticing rampant inefficiencies
• You know you need to set up better workflows but aren’t sure how to do so 
• You need a CRM, plus project management, customer support, billing and more
• You’re unsure of exactly how profitable each client or type of project is
• You’d like to invest in deeper client connections and increase recurring work

Sound familiar? Your business is ready to experience the power of a dedicated client work management platform — and your clients are no doubt ready to engage with your team in a new way.

➡️ Find out why a CRO at one marketing technology consulting firm says “Accelo ranks as the best CRM view of all time” — and how the firm doubled in size and increased client commitments by 90% using the platform.

Your business can experience similar results when you enable Accelo across your teams. Schedule a demo and speak with one of our experts to learn more.