Most Demanding 10 CRM Tools
Table of Contents
- jaro Education
- 26, December 2022
- 10:25 am
As customer expectations continue to change, the route to purchase becomes more complex. Today, owning a business means balancing multiple roles. From keeping in touch with customers to courting leads to identifying opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and fostering customer loyalty, businesses need to devote attention to repeatedly increasing revenue.
What could be a possible solution? This is where CRM (Customer Relationship Management) helps business owners and sales teams to organize and simplify the sales cycle while fostering better collaboration between departments and is clearly better at building relationships with customers.
In this blog post, we’ll break down the best CRM tools, the CRM tools list, the CRM software list, marketing CRM tools, and what a CRM application is.
What is CRM Application?
Let’s get into the basics.
A CRM application is software that helps companies manage interactions with current and prospective customers. A CRM stores the aforementioned customer information, communication, and sales progress, as well as improving customer support.
However, the CRM application is much more than just a database of contacts. A good CRM application will help you to:
- Know your customers better
- Tailor your communication
- Automate marketing and sales processes
- Analyze information for better decisions
In sum, the primary use of CRM tools is to enable organizations to build a better relationship with their customers, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately, increase profits.
Why Do Businesses Need CRM Tools?
Conducting business is no easy feat. On average, businesses utilize almost 1,000 different applications, of which just 28% are integrated.
To remain competitive, your organization needs to be customer-centric and powered by the right technology. However, finding timely, reliable, and actionable information can be a challenge. How do you convert the streams of data from sales, marketing, customer service, and social channels into something meaningful for your business?
The answer is a CRM solution. Below are a few of the reasons why using a CRM solution is imperative to your business.
For businesses to survive, they need to focus on how they engage with customers, specifically improving these relationships by being able to access the right information at the right time. Gathering and transmuting data into insights from across various departments, such as sales, marketing, and customer support, is not always an easy exercise, especially without the right tools.
Enter CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools. CRM systems allow businesses to bring together all customer-centric information and categorize it in one place. CRM tools allow teams to understand customer behavior, reveal customer touchpoints, facilitate communication, and ultimately respond to customers’ needs faster. To be brief: CRM tools help you manage relationships better so that you can grow smarter. Successfully dealing with the fragmented allocation of data into actionable insights is what every modern business needs.
Best CRM Tools for 2025
Now that you’re aware of what CRM tools are, it’s time to take a look at some of the best CRM tools on the market. These tools are widely used due to their features, simplicity, and cost.
CRM Tool | Key Features | Starting Cost (per user/month) | Free Plan |
---|---|---|---|
Zoho CRM | AI-powered insights, multichannel support, workflow automation | ₹1,280 ($15) | ✅ Yes |
HubSpot CRM | Contact management, email tracking, sales pipeline, marketing tools | ₹0 (Free); Paid from ₹3,320 ($40) | ✅ Yes |
Pipedrive | Sales pipeline visualization, lead tracking, and automation | ₹1,650 ($20) | ❌ No |
Salesforce CRM | Customizable dashboards, sales forecasting, and strong integration options | ₹2,480 ($30) | ❌ No |
Insightly | Project + CRM features, workflow automation, email tracking | ₹1,650 ($20) | ✅ Limited |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM | Unified operations, sales insights, and deep Microsoft 365 integration | ₹5,790 ($70) | ❌ No |
Monday.com CRM | Visual workflow, customizable dashboards, automation | ₹1,240 ($15) | ✅ Limited |
Salesforce Sales Cloud | Lead management, AI assistant (Einstein), powerful reporting | ₹2,480 ($30) | ❌ No |
Creatio CRM | Low-code platform, marketing & sales automation, customizable workflows | ₹3,310 ($40) | ✅ Limited |
Sugar CRM | AI-powered predictions, sales automation, and strong analytics | ₹3,310 ($40) | ❌ No |
1. Zoho CRM
*Zoho
Zoho CRM is a cloud-based platform for businesses of all sizes. Zoho CRM is designed for both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) communication, allowing users to manage multiple channels of communication (email, telephone, social media) on a single platform. In addition, Zoho automatically creates workflows for you and offers superb suggestions and insights integrated into the platform powered by its very own intelligent assistant known as “Zia.”
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2. HubSpot CRM
*GrowthLoop
HubSpot CRM is a very popular free platform for CRM and is one of the best options out there for startups or small businesses. HubSpot CRM helps you manage your pipeline and automate aspects of your sales process. The email tracking technology is brilliant.
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3. Pipedrive
*Pipedrive
Pipedrive is very sales-focused and different from other CRMs. Pipedrive focuses on providing users with a visual representation of their sales pipeline and keeping things simple. Helps a sales team track leads, create goals, and reduce the stress of completion of regular task automation.
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4. Salesforce CRM
*Wikipedia
Salesforce is one of the strongest and most widely used CRM software anywhere. It allows for custom dashboards, and sales automation, and connects to all types of tools.
Advantages | Disadvantages |
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5. Insightly
*Wikipedia
Insightly is a combination of CRM and project management tools. It is a great tool for a company that needs customer management and workflow on the same platform.
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6. Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM
*pixels technologies
As a high-end enterprise software, Dynamics 365 has deep integration with Microsoft tools, allowing for powerful analytics across the entire business, sales insight, and mapping of business operations.
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7. Monday.com CRM
*Monday.com
Powered by Monday.com’s work OS, this CRM provides visually appealing dashboards and customizable workflows. Ideal for teams that need flexibility and collaboration.
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8. Salesforce Sales Cloud
*Salesforce Sales Cloud
Sales Cloud is Salesforce’s core product based around sales management, AI-based insights, and lead tracking. Best for traditional businesses that focus on growth and sales metrics.
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9. Creatio CRM
*PCmag
Creatio is a low-code platform that enables users to build their workflows for marketing, sales, and service processes. Ideal for organizations needing customization without complex coding.
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10. Sugar CRM
*Leadspicker
SugarCRM is a customer relationship management solution with an emphasis on AI-driven analysis, sophisticated analytics, and deep automation designed to support medium to large businesses.
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CRM Tools List by Category
CRM tools come in many forms and are made with a range of focus. Some tools will be best for a small team that is in the early stages of its growth, while others can cater to major companies that require a complex level of customisation and analytics. To help streamline the hunt, we categorized the most common CRM tools into categories focused on strengths — like best for sales, best for marketing, most affordable, and more.
So you can just quickly find the particular CRM that fits specifically for your business goals, team size, and budget! Now let’s get on with the CRM tools list by categories so you can find one that works best for you!
- Best for Beginners: HubSpot CRM
- Best for Enterprises: Salesforce
- Budget-friendly CRM: Zoho CRM
- Visual Sales Tracking: Pipedrive
- Marketing Automation: Keap
- All-in-One CRM: Freshsales
- Project Management + CRM: Insightly
Marketing CRM Tools: Why Marketers Love CRMs
Marketing these days is more than just cool sayings and pretty pictures—it’s about making connections and ultimately creating results. This is where Marketing CRM tools come into play. These tools are designed to help Marketers connect the dots between their audience’s data, marketing campaigns, and conversions. So, why do Marketers love CRMs so much?
Centralized Customer Data
Instead of bouncing between multiple spreadsheets and email lists; CRMs allow all of the customer’s information to live in one place. Contact information, how they like to be contacted, when they last visited your website, whether they purchased, etc. Less effort should yield more personalized and targeted marketing campaigns.
Marketing Automation
Use CRMs to automate manual processes like email campaigns and follow-ups, or nurturing leads. This should free up time for you to work on your marketing strategy and creative process.
Lead Tracking and Scoring
CRMs allow Marketers to track how their customers and leads engage with emails, click on ads, and how landing pages translate to conversions. Many of the tools also allow Marketers to assign a score to leads based on engagement, which makes it easy to send only the best leads to Sales.
Campaign Performance Analytics
You have some level of analytics that alludes to what is working and what is not. From email open rates to social media return on investment (ROI)—all from one dashboard.
Better Collaboration
CRMs allow Marketing and Sales to work together. Shared visibility means you won’t be guessing or communicating about where something came from or how much impact it had in relation to results.
Enhanced Customer Experiences
Knowing the customer behavior and the stages along their journey gives marketers the ability to deliver the right message at the right time, which results in increased satisfaction and loyalty.
What Makes a Good CRM Software?
A good customer relationship management (CRM) software is one that does not only manage customer data but also allows teams to create stronger relationships, increase productivity, and ultimately grow the business. A great CRM should be easy, adaptable to your needs, and help you complete tasks without being cumbersome. At a base level, a good CRM should enable you to organize and refer to customer information in one place, facilitate tracking of interactions over email, phone, and social media, and automate repetitive tasks like follow-up calls/reminders, data entry, and lead nurturing.
What distinguishes a good CRM is how well-suited it is for your business size and needs. In all likelihood, a small business will want a simple, inexpensive CRM, while a bigger enterprise may look for customization, integration with other systems, and reporting. A good CRM will have collaboration tools for marketing, sales, and customer service teams so they are working together, not as separate entities. A good CRM should also have data security, mobile access, and customer support.
In conclusion, a good CRM should feel more like a business partner rather than a tool; a partner that helps you stay organized, close more deals, and make genuine connections with your customers.
Conclusion
CRM tools are like your business assistant—they’re organizing your leads, scheduling your follow-ups, reminding you of an important conversation, and, more importantly, helping you build better connections with people.
Whether you’re a solo founder, a marketing manager, or a CEO, choosing the right CRM tool for your firm can help transform your customer relationships and scale your business. In the online and offline marketplace of contact management, CRM tools are the best tools in your competitors’ toolbox.
So, explore the tools, test-drive the demos, and choose the one that fits your business best. After all, strong relationships, make strong results.
Frequently Asked Questions
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools are software applications that help businesses manage interactions with current and potential customers. They store contact information, track communication, automate tasks, and improve sales, marketing, and customer support.
The main purpose of a CRM tool is to help businesses build and maintain strong relationships with customers by organizing data, tracking interactions, and automating sales and marketing processes.
Some of the best CRM tools for small businesses include:
HubSpot CRM (Free and user-friendly)
Zoho CRM (Affordable and customizable)
Freshsales (AI-driven and all-in-one solution)
Pipedrive (Great for sales-focused teams)
Common features of CRM tools include:
Contact and lead management
Sales pipeline tracking
Email and SMS automation
Marketing campaign management
Reporting and analytics
Integration with third-party apps
There’s no major difference. Both terms refer to the same thing — applications or platforms used for managing customer relationships. “CRM software” is a broader term, while “CRM tools” may refer to specific functionalities within that software.
Yes! Many CRM tools offer marketing CRM features, such as:
Email campaign automation
Customer segmentation
Lead nurturing
Performance tracking
These features help personalize marketing efforts and improve conversion rates.
Not at all. CRM tools are useful for businesses of all sizes. Many platforms offer free or low-cost plans for startups and small businesses.
Most modern CRM tools are designed to be user-friendly. Platforms like HubSpot, Zoho, and Freshsales offer easy onboarding, tutorials, and drag-and-drop features for beginners.
CRM tools help support teams by:
Providing a 360° view of each customer
Storing conversation history
Tracking support tickets
Automating responses
This leads to faster, more personalized service.