Contact management software offers tools for recording details about contacts, but the best solutions are found as a feature of customer relationship management (CRM) software. This is because CRMs also let you track how a contact interacts during the sales and marketing processes from a single platform. We’ve compared several options to determine the six best contact management solutions, including the best overall.
Our top picks and their best use cases include:
- Zoho CRM: Best overall choice for businesses wanting a contact management platform with multichannel communication
- Really Simple Systems: Excellent option for multidisciplinary teams in larger companies that are looking for a centralized contact manager
- Apptivo: Ideal for retail and ecommerce businesses needing a contact management software with a payment processing integration
- Agile CRM: Built for sales teams that need a contact management solution with a native (built-in) dialer
- HubSpot CRM: Great fit for growing teams looking for a free contact management solution
- Bitrix24: Recommended for sales teams needing a contact management software with quotes and invoicing features
How We Evaluated the Best Account Management Software
An effective contact management software must be able to streamline a company’s data recording and organization system using customizable fields and data entry automation. But the best also have additional helpful features like an intuitive visual dashboard where you can view all your client’s data on a single page, automation, or the ability to set lead scoring rules.
We found that Zoho CRM is the best overall choice for businesses looking for a contact management solution because it offers the best value considering the combination of its pricing, contact syncing capabilities, lead monitoring, core CRM features, ease of use, and expert scores. It also comes with highly customizable fields, excellent reporting capabilities, robust integrations, and a mobile CRM.
The tabs below offer more insight into our evaluation process for selecting the best contact management software:
40% of Overall Score
The costs per user and any upfront costs like CRM customizations, onboarding, and maintenance fees were considered. We also factored in the availability of a free plan and monthly billing option to determine the best value for your money.
20% of Overall Score
We evaluated the overall set of CRM features, including customizable fields, reporting, and analytics. The quality of its contact management capabilities was one of our main deciding factors. In addition, we looked at the availability of a mobile app and third-party integrations.
15% of Overall Score
The best contact management software should not require technical skills to understand and use, and it should also have an intuitive interface. Each solution on this list was evaluated on how easy it is to set up and operate.
15% of Overall Score
Business owners looking for CRM systems for contact management prefer those that come with 24/7 customer service via phone, live chat, and email. We assessed the platforms in this article to see the quality of help and support they offer to their users.
10% of Overall Score
We checked customer reviews on reputable sites to evaluate how satisfied their customers are. We also noted common issues that the users had. Apart from online reviews, we weighed the features that stood out, their value for money, and their popularity to narrow down the best contact management software.
Zoho CRM: Best Overall Contact Management Platform With Multichannel Communication
Zoho CRM
What We Like
- Offers free plan for up to three users
- Customer support is available across multiple channels
- Has social media and desk software integrations
What's Missing
- Needs faster customer response time
- Free plan is limited to three users
- Does not have auto-profile enrichment feature
Zoho CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports three users
- Bigin for Small Business: $7 per user, per month
- Standard: $14 per user, per month
- Professional: $23 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $40 per user, per month
- Ultimate: $52 per user, per month
- Zoho CRM Plus: $57 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 15 to 30 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Zoho CRM is a customizable CRM software that comes with multichannel communication capabilities, a two-way help desk software integration, social media integration, email analytics, and a native dialer. It also features a Contacts module where you can create and view contact data, set up customer accounts with multiple contacts, and assign people as active leads.
Zoho CRM’s biggest setbacks include its slow customer response time and lack of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools in the lower-tier plans. It is also missing advanced pipeline customization available in Salesforce Essentials and auto-profile enrichment that Freshworks CRM offers. Nevertheless, it scored the top spot in this list because of its powerful contact management capabilities, multichannel support, ease of use, and availability of free and affordable plans.
Zoho CRM Features
Zoho CRM’s contacts management tab (Source: Zoho CRM)
- Easy to set up and operate
- Contact management features include multichannel communication, help desk integration, email analytics, lead monitoring, and native dialer
- SalesSignals gives you real-life notifications about your customer and contact activities
- Higher tiers offer Zia AI, a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that provides predictions, suggestions, and recommendations
- Analytics include charts, funnels, key performance indicators (KPIs), a target meter, an anomaly detector, customizable dashboards, and workflow reports
- Automated lead generation from social media and social interaction tracking
- Marketing and workflow automation
- Web forms and team collaboration tools
- Inventory management tools for products, price books, sales quotes, sales orders, invoices, vendors, and purchase orders
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS
- Lower-tier plans offer email, live chat, and phone support during office hours, while higher-tier plans offer 24/7 support
Read our Zoho CRM review to discover how this software can benefit your growing business.
Really Simple Systems: Best Contact Management Software for Data Centralization
Really Simple Systems
What We Like
- Offers free plan for up to two users
- Provides 360-degree view of customer interactions
- Free CRM support with all plans
What's Missing
- No mobile apps
- Limited customization and reporting tools
- Offers only a few third-party app integrations
Really Simple Systems Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports two users
- Starter: $14 per user, per month
- Professional: $30 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $46 per user, per month
- Free trial of Professional plan: 14 days
Add-on Features:
- Simple Marketing: $22 per month**
- Advanced Marketing: $46 per month
- Service Desk: $46 per month**
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
**Either Simple Marketing or Service Desk can be included for free with five or more users on the Enterprise plan. Both tools can be included for free with 10 or more users.
Really Simple Systems is an integrated CRM that allows users to access sales, marketing, and marketing data and tools at any point in the customer lifecycle. It enables multiple teams to manage their contacts, activities, marketing campaigns, and sales opportunities in a single platform. This software truly lives up to its name with its ease of use and short learning curve.
Unlike the rest of the CRM providers in this article that have mobile apps, Really Simple Systems can only be accessed on mobile via browser. It also does not have Zoho CRM’s wide customization capabilities. However, its excellent centralized platform makes it a great choice for cross-team data access within a single company.
Really Simple Systems Features
Really Simple Systems’ contact management system (Source: Really Simple Systems)
- Simple to set up and use
- Sales module includes contact management, pipeline management, quotes, opportunity history, sales forecast, activity management, calendar, geolocation, and email integration
- Marketing module includes lead management, campaign management, email marketing, marketing automation, lists and segmentation, analytics, and web forms
- Service desk module features case management, service level agreements (SLAs), and case reports
- Mobile-optimized, cloud-based CRM
- Self-help resources include an online customer portal, video tutorials, live webinars, and blogs
- Customer support is available during business hours U.K. time via phone (for Professional and Enterprise tiers only), email, and live chat
Check out our Really Simple Systems review to learn more or to find out if it is the right fit for your business.
Apptivo: Best Contact Manager for Retail & Ecommerce Payments
Apptivo
What We Like
- Offers a free plan for one user
- Has built-in payment processing tools
- Features include product, order, and inventory management
What's Missing
- Free plan does not include mobile apps
- No visual sales pipeline and social media integration
- Limited third-party integrations
Apptivo Pricing at a Glance*
- Starter: Supports one user (free)
- Lite: $8 per user, per month
- Premium: $12 per user, per month
- Ultimate: $20 per user, per month
- Enterprise: Contact sales team for pricing
- Free trial: 30 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Apptivo is a cloud-based business management suite with integrated apps for lead, contact, and deal management. It has built-in payment processing tools and integration with PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. These features make it an ideal choice for retail and ecommerce account managers who prefer using a contact management software with the ability to create orders, send invoices, and collect payments.
Unlike all the other CRM providers in this article that offer a free plan, Apptivo’s free option does not include mobile apps. It also has limited third-party integrations, but its native apps for billing, inventory, project management, product management, and human resources all make up for the functionalities that you might look for in other apps.
Apptivo Features
Apptivo’s contact management tab (Source: Apptivo)
- Easy to set up and operate
- Lead, contact, task, deal, and opportunity management
- Sales automation features include custom fields, automated workflows, custom views, and summary dashboard
- Product catalogs included in all paid tiers
- CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) feature for Ultimate and Enterprise users
- Marketing tools include email templates, mass emails, email tracking, referral tracking, and marketing automation
- Custom reports, win/loss analysis, Kanban view, performance dashboards, and custom charts
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS
- 24/7 email and chat support, 24/5 phone support, and training support
Agile CRM: Best Contact Manager With a Built-in Dialer
Agile CRM
What We Like
- Offers a free plan and affordable packages
- Has a built-in dialer with call recording function
- All plans include email tracking, email campaigns, and lead scoring capabilities
What's Missing
- No self-service customer portal
- Lacks customization options for reports
- Lower-tier plans offer very limited integrations
Agile CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports up to 10 users
- Starter: $9.99 per user, per month
- Regular: $39.99 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $64.99 per user, per month
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates, and biennial rates are available at lower rates.
Agile CRM is a fully integrated CRM equipped with contact management, sales enablement, marketing automation, and service automation features that can all be accessed anytime. It also offers web engagement, a help desk, social media marketing, mobile marketing, and live chat functionalities. Its built-in dialer makes it a great option for sales teams that prefer calling their prospects or customers and receiving calls directly from within the platform.
What Agile CRM lacks are the extensive reporting capabilities that Zoho CRM offers. Its lower-tier plans also provide very limited integrations—with only one for the free plan and three for the Starter plan.
Agile CRM Features
Agile CRM’s contact management tab (Source: Agile CRM)
- Simple setup process and intuitive user interface
- Sales features include contacts, lead scoring, deals, tasks, appointment scheduling, custom deal milestones, email tracking, and phone dialer
- Lead prospector adds leads, tasks, and deals with one click from Chrome browser
- Marketing capabilities include email campaigns, web engagement, form builder, email template builder, marketing automation, and social monitoring
- Create mobile-responsive landing pages using free templates and visual designer
- Service features include a help desk, canned responses, and a knowledge base
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS
- Customer support is available 24/5 via chat, email, and phone
Find out more about what this platform can do for your business by reading our Agile CRM review.
HubSpot CRM: Best Free Contact Management Software
HubSpot CRM
What We Like
- Free plan supports 1 million contacts and companies
- Has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- Includes lead generation tools such as smart forms and chat
What's Missing
- Free option only offers community support
- Workflow, marketing automation, and custom reporting cost extra
- No advanced project management or operational CRM features
HubSpot CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports an unlimited number of users
- HubSpot for Startups: Ranges from $40 to $89 per month
- Marketing Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Sales Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Service Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- CMS Hub: Ranges from $270 to $900 per month
- Operations Hub: Free or starts at $45 per month
- CRM Suite: Starts at $68 per month
- Free trial for CMS and Operations Hub: 14 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
HubSpot CRM is an all-in-one CRM platform that offers tools for lead generation, sales, marketing, customer service, content management, and operations. It also offers a free contact database and management software that comes with pipeline management, email tracking, email templates, appointment scheduling, and live chat features.
One of the major setbacks of HubSpot CRM is the steep price jump from one plan to another. It also lacks workflow automation, marketing automation, and advanced support in its lower-tier plans. Despite these weaknesses, its feature-packed freemium option makes it a top choice for teams that are looking for a free contact management software.
HubSpot CRM Features
HubSpot’s Contacts tab (Source: HubSpot)
- Offers five premium products: Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Customer Management System (CMS) Hub, and Operations Hub
- Easy to set up and operate
- Contact management, website activity tracking, deal management, tasks, and meeting scheduling
- Deal pipelines, simple automation, custom properties, and quotes
- Landing pages, live chat, conversational bots, forms, contact website activity, list segmentation, and email marketing
- Marketing features include optimized content, social media tools, A/B testing, website traffic analytics, and campaign reporting
- Bulk email sending, email tracking, and templates
- Track goals with period-based quotas and view performance metrics on the reporting dashboard
- Track and improve customer experience using ticketing, canned responses, surveys, and insights
- Help center includes community support, a knowledge base, and video training; paid tiers offer email, chat, and phone support
Read our HubSpot CRM review to find out how it can help improve your business processes.
Bitrix24: Best Contact Manager for Quotes & Invoicing
Bitrix24
What We Like
- Has a free plan and affordable paid options with multiple users
- Excellent collaboration tools
- Offers project management features with Kanban view
What's Missing
- Requires technical skills to set up and use
- Customer support is available via limited channels and during office hours only
- Limited customization options
Bitrix24 Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports an unlimited number of users
- Start+: $19 per month (up to two users)
- CRM+: $55 per month (up to six users)
- Project+: $55 per month (up to 24 users)
- Standard: $79 per month (up to 50 users)
- Professional: $159 (unlimited users)
*Based on annual billing. Monthly and quarterly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates, while two-year subscriptions come at lower rates.
Bitrix24 is a collaboration and productivity suite that offers CRM, communications, project management, contact center, and website building tools. It has a free contact management software that allows you to store an unlimited number of contacts, leads, deals, and companies. You can also send out customized invoice forms and quotes directly to your clients.
Despite its strong contact management features, Bitrix24 is held back by its complex user interface, limited customer support, and lack of customization options. If you are looking for an alternative that is easier to use, consider Apptivo. However, Bitrix24 is still an ideal solution for sales teams that need a robust contact management software that allows them to generate an unlimited number of invoices and quotes.
Bitrix24 Features
Bitrix24’s contact management tab (Source: Bitrix24)
- Unlimited deals, leads, contacts, and companies
- Communication tools include high-definition (HD) video conferences and calls, chats, and workflow tracking
- CRM comes with lead acquisition, lead management, and sales automation tools
- Workload management, task templates and automation, and visual project management
- Contact center has dialer, live chat, and customizable contact forms
- Website builder allows you to build search engine optimization (SEO)-ready websites, landing pages, and online stores
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS
- Customer support is available via email and web form; live chat support is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) +3 on weekdays for paid plan users
Go to our Bitrix24 review page for more details on its features and to see if it is a good fit for your business.
Andrew Baker
Hi Jason,
Nice article.
You should really add contactzilla.com to your list of contact management software.
They help remote teams like Hawaii County manage their contacts and provide them with a single source of truth in disaster recovery periods. Pretty relevant in a time like now.
Best,
Andy
Amanda Norman
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for suggesting Contactzilla. We review and update buyer’s guides approximately once per year, so we’ll have another look before the next update.
Thanks for stopping by!
Mandy, Moderator
Owen
are there any programs that allow contact with your customers via sms?
Jeremy Marsan
If you install the mobile app for any of the CRMs (Insightly, Zoho, Pipedrive) there’ll be a link to send an SMS to your contacts. Clicking this brings you out of the CRM to your regular texting app with the customer number pre-loaded.
If you want to send SMS from your desktop, I believe Zoho is the only program that can handle this. It requires an extension called SMS magic.
Rich Reeves
Great article, Gavin!
I recommend that you also check software/tools that can integrate CMS or CRM with phone systems. Tenfold is one of those tools. It can integrate Office 365 (https://www.tenfold.com/integrations/microsoft-office-365), Salesforce, Zendesk and other systems of record to different phone systems. Unifying these systems are crucial in making things more efficient and effective.
Gavin Graham
Thanks for the tip, Rich.
James
Nice article.
Maybe you could look at noCRM (http://www.nocrm.io.com) for your next review.
I use it to streamline my sales process and it always has a ‘to do next’, meaning I never forget to take action on a lead.
Gavin Graham
Hi James — thanks for the tip!
G
Jude
Thanks for the tips! Another one is GetResponse – it has marketing automation, email, and many other features.
Gavin Graham
Hi Jude,
Thanks for the tip! We’ll consider it for our next update of the guide.
G