Customer relationship management (CRM) software for startups helps growing businesses organize and manage contacts, nurture leads, and provide superior customer service. To find the best CRM for startups, we compared dozens of solutions and narrowed it down to the six best, including the best overall, based on customer support, team collaboration tools, integrated phone system, product catalogs, quotes, invoicing, and avenues for training.
Our top picks, and their best use cases, are:
- Freshworks CRM: Startups wanting a comprehensive, easy-to-use CRM that scales as the company grows
- Zoho CRM: New businesses needing a CRM that supports product catalogs and quotes
- Streak: Young companies with operations that require tight integration with Google Workspace and Gmail
- Pipedrive: Teams that want collaboration tools, including goal setting and tracking
- Insightly: Growing businesses that need a customizable CRM with project management tools
- Agile CRM: Startups wanting a CRM solution with built-in phone features
How We Evaluated the Best CRMs for Startups
The best CRMs for startups take into account that budgets are particularly small for young businesses, and offer a variety of service plans in a range of prices. They should also be customizable and have the ability to scale as a company grows.
Based on my research, Freshworks CRM is the best choice for startups needing a customer relationship management solution. It scored a 4.98 out of 5 for its affordable pricing tiers, a free plan that supports unlimited users, and mobile apps that allow sales professionals and small businesses owners to work wherever they are.
The tabs below offer more insight into our evaluation process for selecting the best CRMs for startups:
30% of Overall Score
CRM costs range from free to $100 or more, depending on the size of your team and the features you need. I assessed the pricing of each solution’s service plans as well as the CRM’s overall value for the money.
20% of Overall Score
Small business startups have enough on their plates without worrying about how to install and maintain their CRM software. Each solution was evaluated on how easy it is to set up and use.
10% of Overall Score
I assessed all CRMs for the availability of common business app integrations, such as accounting and invoicing platforms and email marketing tools.
5% of Overall Score
Customizing your CRM helps you fine-tune the system to your startup’s current needs and accommodates changes you may need to make in the future. Common customization options include contact fields, dashboards, and reports.
5% of Overall Score
Automating repetitive tasks and sales processes, like email drips pipeline management, free up time for startups to focus on building relationships and growing the business.
30% of Overall Score
I evaluated the availability of CRM features that many startups rely on to maximize their time and sales efforts, including an integrated phone system, team collaboration tools, and multichannel customer support.
Freshworks CRM
PROS
- Built-in phone system
- Mobile app with invoicing features
- Free plan supports unlimited users
CONS
- Average speed compared to competitors
- Can get expensive when adding multiple users
- Features like website visitor tracking require additional cost
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.90 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Advanced Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Freshworks CRM, named one of our top CRMs for small business, is a solution that easily scales as a company expands. It features product catalogs, multichannel team communication, and customizable pipelines. The company’s free plan supports unlimited users, and paid tiers are affordably priced when it comes time to add additional features to the system.
Freshworks CRM Pricing
- Growth: $29 per user, per month
- Pro: $69 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $125 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 21 days
Based on annual billing.
Freshworks CRM Features
Freshworks CRM contact management
(Source: Freshworks CRM)
- Product catalogs
- Team collaboration tools
- Customer onboarding plans
- Automated workflows
- Multichannel communication through phone, email, chat, and SMS
- Manage payments and invoices through third-party integration with QuickBooks and Xero
Zoho CRM
PROS
- Customer support available across multiple channels
- Customizable product catalog
- Team collaboration through feeds, chat, groups, and product management features
CONS
- Lacks team and individual goal tracking options
- Free plan limited to three users
- Doesn’t offer team or individual goal setting
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Advanced Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Zoho CRM is a powerful software solution for startups that require team collaboration tools, customizable billing and payment options, and tools to generate product catalogs and quotes. Freshworks CRM narrowly missed being named as the best overall CRM for startups because its free plan is limited to three users.
Zoho CRM Pricing
- Free: Supports three users
- Standard: $12 per user, per month
- Professional: $20 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $35 per user, per month
- Ultimate: $45 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 15 days
Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Zoho CRM Features
Zoho CRM feeds dashboard
(Source: Zoho CRM)
- Customizable invoices and quotes
- Offers online and onsite training program
- Customer support through calls, live chat, and email
- Includes project management tools
- Built-in phone system and video conferencing
- Customizable pricing pages, product information, and customer database
Streak
PROS
- Direct integration with Gmail
- Team-accessible asset storage
- Accessible from any desktop or mobile browser
CONS
- Upgrades can be expensive
- No training available from vendor
- Lacks product catalog
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Advanced Features | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Streak is ideal for startups that rely on Gmail and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) for managing leads, support tickets, and projects. Users can power up their Gmail inbox with additional features like view tracking, mail merge, and multiple pipelines. However, it lacks a product catalog and vendor-produced training resources.
Streak Pricing
- Free trial: Unlimited period for basic features
- Solo: $15 per user, per month
- Pro: $49 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $129 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 14 days
Streak Features
Streak support dashboard
(Source: Streak)
- Generate and manage quotes and invoices
- Chrome extension for Gmail integration
- Knowledge base with in-depth tutorials
- Multiple custom pipelines for sales, support, and partnerships
- Enables Gmail to automate responses, view customer history, and leverage mail merge
Pipedrive
PROS
- Robust contact management features
- Third-party integration with customer support and invoicing apps
- Automate repetitive tasks with artificial intelligence (AI) sales assistant
CONS
- No free service plan
- Phone support limited to top-tier plan
- Lead generation tools cost extra
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Advanced Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Pipedrive is the ideal CRM for teams that want to set objectives, track team performance, and adjust their course of action. Furthermore, it offers a built-in phone system to track and record calls, as well as third-party integrations with popular team tools like Slack. Pipedrive’s biggest drawback is that it has no free plan, unlike other CRMs on this list.
Pipedrive Pricing
- Essential: $12.50 per user, per month
- Advanced: $24.90 per user, per month
- Professional: $49.90 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 14 days
*Billed annually
Pipedrive Features
Pipedrive pipeline view
(Source: Pipedrive)
- Customizable product catalog
- Workflow automation and detailed visual sales pipeline
- Outbound calling, call logging, and call recording features
- Third-party integration with Xero and QuickBooks for invoicing and quotes
- Extensive tutorials, training videos, online knowledge base, and community hub
Insightly
PROS
- Milestone tracker
- Workflow automation
- Third-party integration with Google Workspace, Gmail, Xero, and QuickBooks
CONS
- Free plan limited to two users
- Can be difficult to lean
- Customer support limited to paid plan
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Advanced Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Insightly is a type of CRM that offers a variety of project management tools to manage post-sale customer relationships. Startups can easily onboard team members and scale thanks to its reliable help center with in-depth tutorials and seek advice from the Insightly community hub. While Insightly is a convenient CRM for startups, it does lack social media integration, and its free plan is limited to two users.
Insightly Pricing
- Free: Supports up to two users
- Plus: $29 per user, per month
- Professional: $49 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 14 days
Insightly Features
Insightly’s wins and projections dashboard
(Source: Insightly)
- Manage bills and invoices
- Includes products and services catalog
- Integrated phone dialer and call logging
- Help center with in-depth tutorials and community with like-minded professionals
- Track milestones, streamline business processes, and utilize real-time data dashboards
Agile CRM
PROS
- Built-in, feature-filled phone
- Help desk workflows to manage incoming tickets and ensure resolution
- Drag-and-drop project management tool
CONS
- Limited customer support options
- Basic training available through online resources and webinars only
- Limited reporting and analytics
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.90 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 3.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Advanced Features | 2.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
Agile CRM has advanced telephony capabilities such as outbound and inbound calls, call automation, call recording, and call logs. System integrations support many existing marketing, social, and ecommerce tools you may already be using. Unfortunately, Agile CRM’s lack of customer support options and in-depth user training kept it from nabbing the top spot on our list.
Agile CRM Pricing
- 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.
Agile CRM Features
Agile CRM deals dashboard
(Source: Agile CRM)
- Built-in phone system supports personalized greetings and enhanced caller ID
- Marketing workflows and automation
- Training through webinars and educational resources
- Customizable customer contact fields
- Support for client billing and invoicing
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