According to 2025 statistics, 91% of companies worldwide with 10 or more employees use CRM software. The number will continue to rise as over 60% of respondents in a recent survey said that a CRM tool is more important than ever to achieve sales and marketing goals.
The key to running a business smoothly lies in how well you can organize your operations into doable work with realistic goals. One of the most important parts is keeping track of your customers and achieving your sales goals. That’s where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software makes your life easier. Whether you are a small business owner, a big company, or a freelancer juggling multiple clients, CRM software can help you automate certain tasks and enhance the flow and productivity of your business.
This article will help you find the best CMR software in 2025 that aligns with your requirements. We have explored the top-performing ones in terms of their features, expert insights, innovative capabilities, and ease of use. Nothing complex. This is a simple and clear comparison to help you pick the right option for your needs. Even if you are a beginner, this would help
10 Best CRM Software for Businesses & Entrepreneurs
1. HubSpot CRM – The Friendly All-Rounder
G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Hubspot is one of the best CRM solutions, especially if you are starting a small business. The platform offers a free plan with easy-to-understand guides and tutorials to help you start using different features effectively. It also provides users access to generative AI tools that assist with developing advertising campaigns.
Within the Hubspot ecosystem, you will find two mini software solutions: the Sales Hub and the Service Hub. The Sales Hub streamlines sales processes, whereas the Service Hub helps with customer support tools like ticketing and feedback management. You can start using the free plan of Hubspot by creating an account using your email address.
Features Under Free Plan (14-Day Trial):
- Track customer data
- Leverage automated marketing, sales, and service campaigns
- Access detailed and in-depth reports
- Contact management
- Basic email marketing
Features Under Paid Plan:
- Ad scheduling
- Integrated customer communication
- Lead management
- Sales funnel analysis
- Automation tools
- Sales lead generation
- Helpdesk functions
- Advanced reporting options
- Customizable email templates
- Document management
Latest Updates:
- HubSpot has shifted to a multi-CRM strategy to enhance customer experience
- Founder Dharmesh Shah is developing a network of AI Agents, which already has 250,000 users as of January 2025
- Marketing Hub offers optimized landing pages and lead generation via live chat
Personality: The helpful teacher who gives free lessons and never runs out of patience.
Best Feature: All-in-one marketing, sales, and support tools—and a 14-day free plan.
Who It’s For?
✅ Beginners who want free but powerful features
✅ Small businesses needing marketing + CRM in one place
✅ Freelancers who want to organize contacts
Reality Check:
- Can get expensive as you scale
- Advanced analytics need paid plans
Final Verdict: If you don’t want to pay right away but need a powerful CRM, this is the safest bet.
2. Zoho CRM – The Customization King
G2 Rating: 4.1 out of 5
Zoho is different from other tools as the company has built its own infrastructure to host and support its software systems, including their CRM tool. This reduces the total cost of ownership for its customers, unlike most platforms that have to pay their cloud providers to host their software. So, this is a major advantage for its users.
Coming to its features, Zoho CRM offers omnichannel experiences to manage customers. Meaning that you can organize your customer interactions across social media, emails, calls, and more in one place. It also uses AI to predict sales opportunities and track key performance metrics to help businesses make smart and informed decisions. This makes managing customers easy and hassle free.
Features Under Free Plan (15-Day Trial):
- Contact and Lead Management
- Basic Workflow Automation
- Multi-Channel Communication
- Standard Reports and Dashboards
- Mobile App Access
Features Under Paid Plan:
- Advanced Workflow Automation
- Support & Suggestions from AI-Powered Sales Assistant Zia
- Customization and Branding
- Advanced Analytics Using AI
- Territory Management
- Multiple Pipelines Management
- Integration with Third-Party Apps like Zoom, MailChimp, and Google Workspace
- Data Enrichment and Validation
Latest Updates:
- Zia now offers more accurate predictions and deeper insights into customer behaviors
- A more intuitive and customizable interface enhances user experience
- Addition of new integrations with popular tools and services
- Implementation of enhanced security protocols to protect user data
- Introduction of new features and improvements for better mobile CRM management
Personality: The DIY expert who lets you tweak, fix, and modify everything.
Best Feature: AI-driven sales forecasting & tons of customization.
Who It’s For?
✅ Small businesses & startups on a budget
✅ Teams who love customizing workflows
✅ Users who need automation + AI insights
Reality Check:
- Takes time to set up properly
- Interface feels a little old-school
Final Verdict: If you want a highly customizable and affordable CRM, Zoho is your playground.
3. Pipedrive – The No-Nonsense Sales Tracker
G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Pipedrive is one of the best CRM software designed for small to medium-sized businesses. Users provide positive feedback for its easy-to-use and intuitive interface that helps even a beginner or a non-techie understand and use the platform effectively. Drag-and-drop features and its AI Sales Assistant help move leads through the sales process smoothly.
There is a built-in email tool that lets you create and automate marketing campaigns with ready-to-use templates. You can use Pipedrive apps on your iOS and Android mobile so that you always have your eyes on the important deals.
Features Under Free Plan (14-Day Trial):
- Visual Pipeline Management
- Contact & Lead Management
- Email Integration & Tracking
- Activity & Task Management
- Basic Sales Reporting & Insights
- Customizable CRM Setup
- Mobile App Access
Features Under Paid Plans:
- Visual Drag-and-Drop Sales Pipelines
- Customizable Deal Stages and Automation
- AI-Powered Sales Assistant
- Unified Inbox for Email and Messaging Sync
- Smart Contact Data Pulled From the Web
- Sales Activity Planning and Automation (Follow-Ups, Call Scheduling)
- Lead Generation Chatbot and Web Forms
- Marketing Campaign Management (Emails, Templates, Segmentation)
- Sales Forecasting and Customizable Reports
- Team Goals, Permissions, and Project Tracking
- 24/7 Live Chat and Phone Support (On Higher Plans)
Latest Updates:
- Refreshed AI Sales Assistant with smarter suggestions and proactive alerts
- Improved insights & reports with real-time pipeline health and team performance dashboards
- Enhanced automation builder now supports multi-condition workflows
- Faster contact syncing across email, LinkedIn (via extensions), and CRMs
- Updated mobile app: voice notes, offline mode, and lead view optimizations
- New Smart Docs feature for managing proposals, quotes, and contracts directly inside Pipedrive
Personality: The ultra-organized friend who keeps everything neat, tidy, and visual.
Best Feature: Drag-and-drop sales pipeline that makes tracking deals super simple.
Who It’s For?
✅ Sales teams who love visual pipelines
✅ Users who want a simple, no-fluff CRM
✅ Teams who need custom workflows
Reality Check:
- Not great for marketing automation
- No free plan
Final Verdict: If your main goal is closing sales (and not running marketing campaigns), Pipedrive is as simple as it gets.
4. Freshworks CRM – The AI-Powered Sales Guru
G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Freshworks is the parent company offering different solutions, including Freshsales (discussed below). While Freshsales is specifically designed for customer relationship management, Freshworks offers a more comprehensive solution for customer support, marketing, IT service management, human resources, and more.
It is a powerful AI-powered sales platform that competes with big names such as Salesforce and Hubspot but at a much lower price. Long story short, Freshworks was built to solve real customer problems in a simple and smart way for businesses of all sizes.
Features Under Free Plan (21-Day Trial)
(Free forever plan available for small teams of up to 3 members)
- Contact and Account Management
- 24/5 Customer Support Via Email
- Built-In Phone and Email (Limited Usage)
- Deal Management and Kanban-Style Pipeline
- Mobile App Access (IoS and Android)
- Basic Sales Sequences
- Task and Appointment Scheduling
- AI-Powered Contact Scoring (Limited)
Features Under Paid Plans:
- Advanced Workflow Automation and Multi-Step Journeys
- AI-Powered Insights with Freddy AI for Deal Prediction and Next-Best Actions
- Visual Sales Pipeline with Drag-and-Drop UI
- Email Tracking, Templates, and Bulk Emailing
- Sales Forecasting And Revenue Analytics
- Built-In Chat, Telephony, and SMS (With Region-Specific Carrier Support)
- Territory Management and Team Goal Tracking
- Custom Reports and Dashboards
- Integration with Freshdesk, Slack, Hubspot, Mailchimp, and Zapier
- Custom Modules and Fields for Industry-Specific Tailoring
- Role-Based Permissions and Audit Logs (Enterprise Only)
Latest Updates:
- New “Ask Freddy” feature for querying CRM data using natural language
- Freshsales mobile app upgrades: offline mode and geo-tracking for field reps
- Smart forms and auto-profile enrichment from web visitors
- Unified customer timeline combining interactions from sales, service, and marketing
- Tighter integration with Freshchat and Freshdesk for seamless customer engagement
Personality: The intuitive assistant who makes selling feel like second nature with AI smarts.
Best Feature: Freddy AI – an intelligent assistant that automates tasks, predicts deals, and scores leads.
Who It’s For?
✅ Small to mid-sized businesses looking for an easy-to-use, AI-driven CRM
✅ Sales teams that need multichannel engagement (email, phone, WhatsApp, live chat)
✅ Businesses wanting a budget-friendly alternative to HubSpot and Salesforce
Reality Check:
- Limited customization in lower-tier plans
- Reporting features aren’t as deep as Zoho or HubSpot
Final Verdict: If you want an affordable, AI-powered CRM that helps your team close deals faster and smarter, Freshworks CRM is your go-to.
5. Freshsales – The AI Sales Genius
G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Freshsales CRM is built by Freshworks to help sales teams connect with their customers with a personalized approach. It automates tasks, tracks deals, and simplifies email communication to enhance productivity and efficiency. It offers web forms that allow businesses to collect customer data and identify highly potential leads.
Another feature called Freshsales Suite is a combination of sales and marketing tools that makes this one of the best CRM software solutions to enhance customer engagement and growth.
Features Under Free Plan (21-day trial):
- Contact and Account Management
- Built-in Phone and Email Integration
- Mobile App Access
- Visual Sales Pipeline
- 24×5 Support
Features Under Paid Plans:
- AI-Powered Contact Scoring
- Sales Sequences and Workflows
- Advanced Reporting and Analysis
- Multiple Sales Pipelines
- Territory Management
- Dedicated Account Manager (Enterprise Plan)
Latest Updates:
- Improved authentication for integrations requiring access to multiple accounts
- Launch of documentation and resources for integrating AI assistance into applications
- Fixed security issues in the setup of data like contacts and accounts
Personality: The smart salesperson who predicts customer moves before they happen.
Best Feature: AI-powered lead scoring—it knows who is likely to buy before you do.
Who It’s For?
✅ Sales teams that want AI to help close deals
✅ Small businesses looking for multichannel communication
✅ Teams that hate manual data entry
Reality Check:
- Fewer integration options compared to big CRMs
- Lower-tier plans lack deep customization
Final Verdict: If you want AI to do the heavy lifting in sales, Freshsales is your smart assistant.
6. Agile CRM – The Budget-Friendly Powerhouse
G2 Rating: 4 out of 5
If you are looking for an affordable CRM tool, Agile offers various subscription plans to cater to the requirements of small to large businesses. When you integrate Dropcontact with this platform through Zapier, you can manage incomplete customer contacts efficiently. It helps users automatically update and refine contact information, saving time and reducing errors.
Agile’s free plan is ideal for businesses with up to team members and stores up to 50,000 contacts.
Features Under Free Plan (14-Day Trial):
(Free forever plan available for up to 10 users)
- Contact and Company Management
- Deal Tracking With 360° Sales Pipeline Views
- Lead Scoring Based On Interactions and Behavior
- Email Tracking and Basic Templates
- Appointment Scheduling and Calendar Sync
- Task and Project Management
- Custom Data Fields for Contact Segmentation
- Web-To-Lead Forms
- Basic Marketing Tools (Email Campaigns, Newsletters)
- Chrome Extension For Gmail Sync
- Integrations with Tools Like Google Apps, Shopify, And Help Scout
Features Under Paid Plans:
- Advanced Workflow Automation and Autoresponders
- Multichannel Marketing: Email, Sms, Social, And Push Notifications
- Custom Landing Page Builder and Online Form Creator
- Web Engagement Tracking and Behavioral Analytics
- Helpdesk and Ticketing Integration For Customer Support Teams
- Custom Reports, Sales Analytics, and Campaign Performance Tracking
- Telephony And VoIP Support With Call Recording
- Lead Capture Via Chatbot and Live Chat Widgets
Latest Updates:
- Improved drag-and-drop marketing automation builder with new templates
- Revamped mobile app with real-time push notifications and offline access
- Upgraded telephony module with better call routing and logs
- AI-powered lead scoring models are now more adaptive to customer behavior
- More third-party integrations: Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, Mailchimp, and Zapier
- Support center tools now include knowledge base and feedback forms
Personality: The thrifty expert who gets the job done at an affordable cost.
Best Feature: Sales, marketing, and service automation in one affordable package.
Who It’s For?
✅ Small businesses needing everything in one CRM
✅ Teams that love automation on a budget
✅ Startups looking for email tracking & lead scoring
Reality Check:
- Interface feels outdated
- Free plan has user limits
Final Verdict: If you want an affordable all-in-one CRM, Agile is a great choice.
7. Apptivo CRM – The Small Business Star
G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5
If you are seeking the best CRM for small business customization, Apptivo could be your top choice. This software is used by thousands of organizations worldwide. It is a great choice if you want a tool that works easily with other third-party apps, is customizable according to your needs, and offers a lot of features. Apptivo smoothly integrates with popular platforms like PayPal, QuickBooks, Google tools, Slack, and Microsoft Office 365. This allows you to keep track of your customers, sales, and tasks all in one place.
In addition, it also helps businesses in sending reports, collecting payments, and signing documents online. In short, users prefer this CRM due to its ease of use and the things they can change when they want.
Features Under Free Plan (30-Day Trial):
- Contact and Lead Management
- Task Management and Calendar Syncing
- Basic Workflow Automation
- Email Templates and Tracking
- Invoice and Estimate Tools
- Sales Pipeline Tracking
- Reporting and Dashboards
- Access to Mobile App
- Up to 3 Users
Features Under Paid Plans:
- Advanced Sales Pipeline Automation
- Integrated CRM + Invoicing + Project Management Tools
- E-Signature and Payment Gateway Integration
- More User Access and Custom Roles
- Marketing Tools (Campaign Tracking, Email Blasts)
- Customizable App Modules and Layouts
- Third-Party Integrations (Google Workspace, Office 365, Slack, Etc.)
- Multi-Language and Multi-Currency Support
- Real-Time Reports and Analytics
- Priority Customer Support
Latest Updates:
- Enhanced integration with Shopify, PayPal, and QuickBooks
- New sales performance dashboard with customizable KPIs
- Improved drag-and-drop builder for custom app modules
- Smarter workflow automation templates for small businesses
- Revamped mobile app with offline mode and voice notes
Personality: The jack-of-all-trades who does everything well at a fair price.
Best Feature: Highly customizable with affordable pricing.
Who It’s For?
✅ Small businesses needing scalable tools
✅ Users who love affordable customization
✅ Teams that need project + invoice management
Reality Check:
- Interface is not the most modern
- Fewer integrations compared to big CRMs
Final Verdict: If you want a budget-friendly, all-in-one CRM, Apptivo is a hidden gem.
8. Zendesk CRM – The Customer Support Pro
G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5
This is one of the best CRM software that mainly focuses on customer service management. In 2024, it launched the Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) suite with new features to help teams work better and organize things while keeping track of customers and solving their problems. The same year, Zendesk also made headlines by introducing an innovative way to charge money based on how much you use the platform, what results you achieve, and how many members of your team use it. This came as a smart move as now most of the repetitive tasks are handled by AI, and companies need fewer employees to manage a system.
Zendesk offers two different tools: Zendesk Sell for sales teams and Zendesk Support to manage customer services, including keeping track of buyers and answering their questions. Both tools offer a lot of helpful features and are easy to use.
Features Under Free Plan (14-Day Trial):
- Contact and Lead Management
- Sales Pipeline Tracking
- Email and Activity Tracking
- Task and Appointment Scheduling
- Customizable Sales Stages
- Basic Reports and Insights
- Access to Mobile App (IoS & Android)
- Integrations with Tools Like Gmail And Outlook
- Up to 1 User (Zendesk Sell Trial)
Features Under Paid Plan:
- Advanced Sales Forecasting and Deal Insights
- Full Access To Zendesk Sell and Zendesk Support
- Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) Tools
- AI-Based Lead Scoring and Suggestions
- Automated Task Creation and Workflows
- Omnichannel Support (Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone)
- Help Center, Community Forums, and Knowledge Base
- Ticketing System with Slas and Priority Levels
- Custom Dashboards and Analytics
Latest Updates:
- Zendesk introduced a mix of outcome-based, usage-based, and seat-based pricing to make things fairer and smarter as AI reduces team sizes
- A new Workforce Engagement Management suite to help customer service teams stay productive and efficient
- Enhanced Zendesk Sell features now support smarter lead qualification and pipeline tracking using artificial intelligence
Personality: The friendly support agent who never leaves a customer hanging.
Best Feature: Seamless customer support integration.
Who It’s For?
✅ Customer support teams
✅ Businesses with high-volume customer queries
✅ Teams that need ticketing + CRM together
Reality Check:
- Not built for sales-heavy teams
- Can be expensive as support tickets grow
Final Verdict: If customer service is your top priority, Zendesk is a no-brainer.
9. SAP CRM – The Enterprise Giant
G2 Rating: 4.1 out of 5
SAP is a big name, just like Microsoft and Zoho. It meets the needs of large companies that want to give their customers a special and personalized experience. ERP is one of its most popular tools that helps businesses in supplies, orders, and payments. SAP connects ERP with CRM to help you talk to your customers, keep track of sales, and give support. It has an AI agent that can learn from all this data and suggest better ways to send messages to customers and sell products and services. You can use this AI to reply to messages automatically.
SAP’s CRM is like a big Lego set. You build it and change it the way your business needs. Whether you manage a customer support team, a marketing group, a sales group, or an e-commerce store, this is the best CRM software with a dedicated space for specific tasks. In short, SAP is an ideal choice if you want to grow and serve customers in a smart and organized way.
Features Under Free Plan (30-Day Trial):
- Access to Demo Of SAP Sales Cloud or Service Cloud
- Basic Sales Pipeline Visualization
- Contact and Account Management
- Task and Activity Tracking
- Sample Automated Workflows
- View Of Modular CRM Features (Marketing, Sales, Service)
- Integration Demo Wwth SAP ERP
- Limited Dashboard and Reporting Preview
- Trial AI Functionalities With Joule (SAP’s AI Assistant)
Features Under Paid Plan:
- Deep ERP And CRM Integration for Unified Data and Operations
- AI for Predictive Sales Insights and Personalization
- End-to-End Automation Across Sales, Marketing, Service, and Commerce
- Industry-Specific CRM Modules (Retail, Automotive, Manufacturing, Etc.)
- Real-Time Sales Forecasting and Lead Scoring
- Omnichannel Customer Engagement (Email, Chat, Phone, Web)
- Advanced Customer Journey Mapping and Segmentation
- Flexible and Modular Architecture for Customization
- E-Commerce Integration and Tools
- Role-Based Access and Data Governance
Latest Updates:
- Launch of SAP Joule — a generative AI agent integrated across the SAP CX suite
- Improvements to SAP Sales Cloud UI for faster deal navigation
- Expansion of AI-based recommendation engines in marketing automation
- Rollout of low-code/no-code tools to customize workflows faster
- More robust mobile features with offline access and real-time sync
Personality: The corporate CEO who runs a tight, data-driven ship.
Best Feature: Advanced analytics + AI-driven insights.
Who It’s For?
✅ Large enterprises & corporations
✅ Businesses needing deep analytics
✅ Teams handling complex workflows
Reality Check:
- Overkill for small teams
- Steep learning curve
Final Verdict: If you need a powerful enterprise CRM, SAP is built for scale.
10. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales – The Enterprise Powerhouse
G2 Rating: 3.8 out of 5
This is the best CRM software for those who use Microsoft tools such as Team, Word, Excel, and Outlook for business. The majority of the users like the CRM due to its flexibility, add-ons, and services. It offers a wide range of sales and customer relationship management solutions from a central platform. It lets you connect it to other Microsoft tools to do things like following up with your customers, answering their queries, and keeping track of what they buy.
In addition, its AI integration helps in responding to your customers faster. Moreover, it connects to LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator, allowing you to get new customers directly from social networks. Dynamic 365 is like having a super-organized smart notebook helping your business reach its sales goals in one place.
Features Under Free Plan (30-Day Trial):
- Contact and Account Management
- Basic Sales Dashboards
- Guided Selling and Sales Sequences (Limited)
- Email Tracking and Task Management
- Customer Insights Preview
- Case Management Preview
- Lead Capture and Tracking
- Mobile Access
Features Under Paid Plan:
- Advanced AI-Powered Sales Insights
- Full Customer Journey Mapping
- Conversation Intelligence
- Real-Time Sales Forecasting
- Relationship Analytics
- Sales Accelerator With Built-In Automation
- Omnichannel Support (Chat, Voice, Email)
- Service-Level Agreement (Sla) Tracking
- Knowledge Base Management
- Deep Integration With Microsoft Teams, Power BI, And Dynamics ERP
Latest Updates:
- Microsoft added Copilot AI to help sales and service teams write emails, get real-time customer suggestions, and summarize conversations
- Deeper integration with Microsoft Teams and Viva Sales for better collaboration
- Improved customization with Power Platform, making automation super easy without code
- New multi-language support and AI voice bots for global users
Personality: The data-driven strategist who knows every move of your customers before they do.
Best Feature: AI-powered sales insights + deep integration with Microsoft tools (Excel, Teams, Outlook).
Who It’s For?
✅ Enterprises & mid-sized businesses already using Microsoft products
✅ Sales teams needing predictive analytics + automation
✅ Companies with complex customer relationships
Reality Check:
- Expensive for small businesses
- Steep learning curve—not beginner-friendly
Final Verdict: If you’re running a data-heavy sales operation and want a CRM that predicts customer needs, Dynamics 365 has you covered.
CRM Software Comparison At a Glance
| CRM Name | Best For | Standout Feature | Forever Free Plan | Ease of Use ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| HubSpot | Beginners & Small Businesses | All-in-one marketing + sales | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Zoho CRM | Customization Lovers | AI-driven sales forecasting | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Freshworks | Growing Teams & Omnichannel Engagement | Unified customer view + omnichannel messaging | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Freshsales | AI-Powered Sales Teams | AI lead scoring & automation | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pipedrive | Simple Sales Tracking | Drag-and-drop pipeline | ❌ No | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Agile CRM | Budget-Friendly Automation | Sales, marketing & support | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Apptivo CRM | Small Business Growth | Customization + invoicing | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Zendesk | Customer Support Teams | Seamless support + ticketing | ✅ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| SAP | Large Enterprises | Advanced analytics & AI | ❌ No | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Large Organizations & Enterprises | Deep Microsoft ecosystem integration | ❌ No | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Which CRM is Your Perfect Match?
- Free & beginner-friendly? HubSpot CRM
- Customization options? Zoho CRM
- Simple sales tracking? Pipedrive
- Omnichannel engagement? Freshworks CRM
- AI-powered sales automation? Freshsales (by Freshworks)
- Sales, marketing & service automation? Agile CRM
- Small business growth? Apptivo CRM
- Customer support teams? Zendesk Sell
- Enterprise-scale operations? SAP CRM
- Microsoft apps integration? Microsoft Dynamics 365
Final Tip: Always test a free trial before making the final choice.
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