9 Best CRMs for Outlook Integration Platforms in 2023
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
This article is part of a larger series on CRM.
Microsoft Outlook is a popular office productivity software used for emailing and managing a work calendar. When integrated with customer relationship management (CRM) software, users can manage meetings, store contacts, send emails, and sync Outlook data into one platform. The best CRM-Outlook integration is cost-friendly, easy to use, and provides exceptional functionality into your CRM system. Based on our evaluation of over a dozen platforms, the top picks for the best CRM for Outlook include:
- Best overall: HubSpot CRM
- Robust contact management tools: Pipedrive
- Complete business management CRM: Bitrix24
- Best CRM-Outlook plugin: eWay CRM
- Great workflow automation features: Zoho CRM
- Excellent low-cost data sync features: Apptivo
- Ideal for creating simple Outlook automations: monday.com
- Solid project management capabilities: Insightly
- Best for Microsoft-using businesses: Microsoft Dynamics 365
Best Outlook CRM Integrations Compared
Provider | Starting Monthly Price per User* | Free Plan? | Our CRM Rating Out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $30 (up to two users) | ✓ | 4.80 |
 | $14.90 | ✕ | 4.74 |
 | $49 (up to five users) | ✓ | 4.52 |
 | $18 | ✓ | 4.48 |
 | $14 | ✓ | 4.38 |
 | $8 | ✕ | 4.17 |
 | $10 | ✓ | 4.10 |
 | $29 | ✓ | 4.04 |
 | $65 | ✕ | 3.89 |
*Based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for slightly higher rates.
HubSpot CRM: Best CRM for Outlook Overall
Overall Score:
4.80 / 5
Pros
- Free plan for unlimited users, which includes the ability to integrate with Outlook
- Seamless Outlook integration process and all-around intuitive CRM to operate
- Offers HubSpot sidebar in Outlook for document, templates, and meeting access in both systems
Cons
- Paid plans get expensive
- Only five email templates available on Free plan
- Task syncing features are relatively expensive
- You want free email tools: HubSpot has the best free CRM system, mainly because it includes unlimited user capacity and robust tools. It has email capabilities that include integration with Outlook for sending, receiving, and tracking emails in the CRM, synching directly with the Outlook system. Users can also send mass emails, schedule sends, share up to one team inbox, and get notified for email opens, all at no cost.
- You are new to operating a CRM: HubSpot is one of the top simple CRMs because of its clean interface and easy integration process. Even users with no technical skills can operate HubSpot’s tools, connect it with their Outlook account, and extract value quickly.
- You heavily rely on Outlook for productivity: HubSpot, as an Outlook CRM, offers more than email capabilities. Users can synchronize calendar data, schedule meetings, and access email templates using both systems. The CRM integration also offers an access option where users can view HubSpot as a sidebar within Outlook’s interface to track and log emails, pull templates, create automated sequences, attach documents, and manage meetings.
- You need scalable paid plans: Though it has excellent free tools that include the Outlook integration, all of the paid plans get expensive, regardless of whether you bundle them or purchase the Hubs individually.
- You want a cost-friendly way to track tasks in Outlook: One specific feature that gets expensive is the task calendar sync. This covers the ability to automatically add HubSpot tasks onto the Outlook calendar, and vice versa. This capability requires the Starter plan, which begins at $45 per month.
- Alternative: eWay CRM offers task synchronization beginning on its free plan.
HubSpot CRM Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Each plan offers a 14-day free trial.
**CRM Suite includes sales, marketing, customer service, CMS, and operations software. Individual modules can be purchased for lower monthly costs.
HubSpot sidebar in Outlook (Source: HubSpot)
Our Expert Opinion
HubSpot is the best CRM for Outlook by a large margin. The integration to send, receive, and track Outlook emails is available for free to an unlimited number of users. Plus, HubSpot has its unique sidebar feature, which extends its overall capabilities—letting users access email templates, pull documents, schedule meetings, and create automated sequences in a CRM sidebar within Outlook. Finally, the CRM is highly intuitive, both in terms of Outlook functionality and when using the other essential CRM features.
HubSpot has numerous integration options and built-in features that allow it to serve many use cases and industry requirements. Check out our full HubSpot CRM review to see if it’s right for your business.
Pipedrive: Best for Contact Management
Overall Score:
4.74 / 5
Pros
- Low-cost artificial intelligence (AI) features
- Users can two-way sync contact and calendar data between Outlook and the CRM
- Great end-to-end lead generation and management capabilities
Cons
- No free plan
- Email sync with Outlook requires Advanced plan
- Expensive workflow automation
- You want a robust lead and contact management tool: Pipedrive is solid lead management software that pairs nicely with the integrative Outlook data sync capabilities. Users can create contact records, monitor their deal progress, and synchronize those records in real time with Outlook. Sales teams ensure contact data stays up to date with Smart contact, which auto-populates information found online to keep records relevant.
- Your sales team collaborates on opportunities: Teams that use Pipedrive can collaborate within the CRM using a group events calendar, mentioning each other on records and notes, and sharing email templates. Additionally, with the Outlook integration, users can sync calendar events and contact data to their Outlook system for teams to view on either interface.
- You want advanced sales tools with your Outlook CRM: On top of the excellent email, contact, and calendar sync features with Outlook, Pipedrive has built-in sophisticated sales tools for insights and streamlining tasks. Smart Docs, for example, auto-fills CRM data in quotes or contracts to help get more proposals out. There’s also the AI Sales Assistant, taking CRM performance and activity data to find ways for users to improve.
- You need a free integration with Outlook: Pipedrive does not offer a free plan and, therefore, does now allow a free integration with Outlook.
- Alternative: HubSpot and eWay CRM are the best alternatives that offer a free-forever plan and an excellent Outlook integration.
- You want low-cost automation features: Repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails and updating lead or deal records, are far less tedious when you automate them. Unfortunately, the workflow automation tools for Pipedrive are not included until the Advanced plan for $24.90 per user, monthly.
- Alternative: Zoho CRM is a great Outlook CRM that offers basic workflow automation for free.
Pipedrive Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per user, per month breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Paid plans include a 14-day free trial.
Pipedrive contact record with email sync (Source: Pipedrive)
Our Expert Opinion
Pipedrive offers sales teams, through Outlook, a simple way to manage leads and deals. The integration comes with two-way email, contact, and calendar sync between both systems to help consistently maintain data integrity. Users updated their information with the Smart contact data tool that auto-enriches profiles using online and social media sources. That feature, along with the AI Sales Assistant and Smart Docs, give Pipedrive a high degree of sophistication.
Want more details on this top-notch sales CRM? Check out our Pipedrive review with insights on pricing, features, and integrations to see if it’s right for your small business.
Bitrix24: Best All-around Business Management System
Overall Score:
4.52 / 5
Pros
- Serves as an all-in-one business solution for sales, marketing, service, projects, and human resource (HR) management
- Free plan for unlimited users includes calendar, file, and contact sync with Outlook and Microsoft Office
- Has various industry use cases including ecommerce, project-based, and service businesses
Cons
- Complex setup process when starting with your CRM
- Free plan does not include Outlook email sync
- Most of the HR management features require Professional plan and above
- You are a project-based business: In addition to the lead and deal management features and a contact center module, Bitrix24 has a built-in project management tool on the Free plan for users to oversee internal projects and client deliverables. This is useful for companies that provide their services in the form of projects, like freelance writers, video producers, business management consultants, graphic designers, trade contractors, and software developers.
- You need free data sync with Outlook: The Bitrix24 integration with Outlook has some of the data sync capabilities available on the Free plan for unlimited users. The data sync options available include files, calendar events, and contact import from Outlook to the CRM.
- You want to manage multiple business functions in one platform: Bitrix24 isn’t just a sales and marketing platform. It also includes a wide range of modules for overseeing other aspects of a business. These include HR tools, project management modules, ecommerce software, customer service features, and inventory management capabilities.
- You want a simple CRM: With the many modules and features offered by Bitrix24, especially when integrated with Outlook, usability tends to be an issue for new users setting up and operating the CRM.
- Alternative: HubSpot and Apptivo are robust CRM platforms with Outlook integrations that perform well in the product ease-of-use category.
- You need free Outlook email capabilities: While Bitrix24 has free Outlook data sync for calendar events, contacts, and files, the two-way email use between Outlook and the CRM requires the Basic plan starting at $49 per month.
- Alternative: HubSpot has Outlook email capabilities to send, receive, and track emails on its Free plan.
Bitrix24 Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per month breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Bitrix24 also offers a 30-day free trial on paid plans.
Bitrix24 syncing Outlook calendar to the CRM (Source Bitrix24)
Our Expert Opinion
Although Bitrix24 has some usability issues and doesn’t offer free Outlook email features, it’s still a viable solution to sales and business management as a whole. It has excellent, free built-in project management tools and comprehensive platform capabilities. Teams can use Bitrix24 to manage sales deals and customers, and engage contacts using email, telephone, live chat, and messaging apps. It also offers human resource, ecommerce, and customer service features.
Bitrix24 is a comprehensive business management platform. Learn how it can support all the functions of your business in our in-depth Bitrix24 review.
eWay CRM: Best for Outlook Plugin Features
Overall Score:
4.48 / 5
Pros
- Free plan for unlimited users
- Offers marketing, sales, and projects management modules
- Uses an Outlook plugin where users can access the CRM from Outlook’s interface
Cons
- Poor usability ratings overall
- Third-party integrations limited mostly to Microsoft products
- Interface is nearly identical to Microsoft apps, which isn’t ideal if you’re unfamiliar with those products
- You want to use your CRM directly in Outlook: One of the best features of eWay CRM is users can access CRM data and functions as a plugin from Outlook’s interface. So, while they are managing their Outlook email, calendar, or contacts pages, they can use a sidebar tool to pull files or view contact, deal, task, or project information and have the data synchronized between both systems.
- You need a free CRM specifically for Outlook: eWay CRM is specifically designed for Outlook and Microsoft users. Its interface appears almost identical to a Microsoft product for those who are familiar and comfortable with that design. Additionally, eWay CRM has a free plan for unlimited users, which includes manual email tracking, record management for tasks, companies, contacts, and deals, and calendar data sync for both systems.
- You need robust integrations outside of Microsoft: Because it’s a Microsoft-specific CRM, eWay CRM does not have a wide range of third-party integration options outside of Microsoft.
- Alternative: Zoho CRM is the best Outlook CRM for integrations, with over 1,000 unique options to choose from.
- You want more advanced email marketing campaign tools: eWay CRM does have email marketing capabilities, but they are limited to sending mass emails within Outlook and storing message templates.
- Alternative: HubSpot is the best CRM email marketing platform, with advanced design tools and automated sequences that also offers a CRM-Outlook integration.
eWay CRM Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user monthly breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost.
eWay CRM using the Outlook plugin (Source: eWay CRM)
Our Expert Opinion
Similar to HubSpot, eWay CRM offers an Outlook plugin option for users to access their CRM from the Outlook interface. Because of the wide range of features available through the plugin and the fact that eWay CRM is built specifically for Outlook, it’s our pick for the best Outlook plugin. Plus, it offers a free-forever plan for unlimited users, which gives teams a no-cost solution to save Outlook emails in the CRM and manage contacts, companies, and projects.
Zoho CRM: Best Workflow Automation
Overall Score:
4.38 / 5
Pros
- Free and low-cost plans for solid scalability
- Excellent workflow and task automation capabilities
- Plenty of system customization options
Cons
- Poor experience ratings for setting up the CRM and integrating with third-party tools
- Zoho plugin for Outlook not available until Professional plan
- Third-party integrations, including Outlook, not available for free
- You need robust workflow automation in your Outlook CRM: Zoho is the best Outlook CRM in terms of configuring macros and sales workflow automation within your CRM system. That capability is available on the Free plan, where users can have up to 10 workflow rules and triggers per module. This lets teams put repetitive tasks, such as email reminders, user notifications, deal stage changes, contact record updates, and task creation, on auto-pilot.
- You want to keep Outlook task, event, and contact data synchronized: While the Outlook plugin isn’t available until the Professional plan, Zoho users can begin basic integrations with Outlook for data synchronization on the Standard plan for just $14 per user on a monthly basis. This allows users to keep tasks, contacts, and calendar events up to date in both systems.
- You want a free Outlook CRM plugin: Zoho CRM offers a plugin option for Outlook where users can access the Zoho as a sidebar within Outlook to synchronize CRM data, store associated Outlook emails in Zoho records, and add CRM file attachments to emails. Unfortunately, these features require the Professional plan.
- Alternative: eWay CRM is the best Outlook plugin that starts on its free-forever plan.
- You need a highly intuitive CRM integration with Outlook: Zoho CRM gives teams advanced capabilities, including complex automation flows, artificial intelligence (AI) insights, and macros that allow one-click workflow automation. Those levels of sophistication, however, often make the platform difficult to navigate and operate.
- Alternative: HubSpot and Apptivo provide better product simplicity in regard to their CRM integration with Outlook.
Zoho CRM Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user monthly breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Zoho CRM offers a 15-day free trial on the paid plans.
Zoho Outlook plugin managing a lead (Source: Zoho)
Our Expert Opinion
Zoho CRM is a popular platform for teams to manage sales and marketing. We found its best built-in capabilities are the workflow automation tools, which begin on the free-forever plan and let teams put tedious tasks, such as data updates and follow-up emails, on auto-pilot. Zoho CRM would rank higher if its Outlook plugin and data sync capabilities were available on the lower-priced plans. Those features are valuable to maintain data integrity on two systems.
Be sure to check out our Zoho CRM review for in-depth insights on product features, third-party integrations, user reviews, and best-for use cases.
Apptivo: Best for Low-cost Outlook Data Sync
Overall Score:
4.17 / 5
Pros
- Cost-friendly CRM system for all plans
- Two-way email, contact, and calendar sync with Outlook is inexpensive and offers an Outlook plugin
- Intuitive CRM to set up and operate plus tons of system customization
Cons
- No free plan
- Limited number of third-party integrations
- No built-in meeting scheduler tools
- You need a low-cost Outlook data sync and plugin solution: Apptivo has the most cost-friendly Outlook integration in terms of total capabilities. While other products offer a free integration, those are limited to one type of data sync or just the plugin tool. Apptivo offers the plugin and data sync for email and calendar events starting at $8 per user, per month.
- You run a unique sales operation: Total CRM customization is one of the best attributes of Apptivo. Between the tailorable data fields, mapping, views, and custom applications, Apptivo will meet any type of business and operation to manage sales deals, leads, customers, projects, and referral partners.
- You want to schedule and manage meetings from your CRM: One downside of Apptivo is there isn’t a built-in meeting scheduler tool—something convenient for getting sales calls on your calendar and keeping it in sync with Outlook.
- Alternative: Pipedrive and HubSpot both include an excellent built-in meeting scheduler tool in their CRM products.
- You need a free Outlook CRM: Though an inexpensive CRM option, Apptivo does not offer a free-forever plan for startups, freelancers, or small businesses on a super-tight budget to get no-cost CRM and Outlook features.
- Alternative: HubSpot and eWay CRM are the two best free Outlook CRMs on this list.
Apptivo Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user monthly breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Paid plans include a 30-day free trial.
Apptivo plugin for Outlook (Source: Apptivo)
Our Expert Opinion
Apptivo stands out for cost-effective CRM and Outlook solutions. All of the plans are inexpensive, and the lowest-tiered plan allows users to begin data synchronization between their Outlook and CRM software for email, contact, and calendar data. Plus, it allows for the Outlook plugin where users can access Apptivo directly in the Outlook system. From there, they can pull or manage CRM records, like deals, leads, or cases, for Outlook emails all in one interface.
Want to learn more about this low-cost and versatile product? Our comprehensive Apptivo review offers in-depth details on its features and use cases.
monday Sales CRM: Best Simplified Outlook Automations
Overall Score:
4.10 / 5
Pros
- Free-forever plan available
- Simple product to use that uses a familiar spreadsheet-style format for sales and project data entry
- Excellent sales team collaboration features with commenting on items and whiteboard tools
Cons
- Misleading pricing; paid plans require a minimum number of users
- Outlook integration unavailable until Standard CRM plan
- monday Sales CRM only allows calendar sync with Google Calendar, not Outlook
- You need a simple Outlook CRM system: Using monday Sales CRM gives users the benefits of platform simplicity. The interface uses a spreadsheet-style format for teams to enter and manage any data they can view on Kanban, Gantt, timeline, map, or chart board styles. You can also customize data fields, properties, and boards to any operation, as well as configure automated workflows that create, move, or edit board items if certain events, like status changes, occur.
- You want to incorporate Outlook data into workflow automation: Teams can create monday Sales CRM item tasks out of Outlook emails and two-way sync calendar data. You can easily set automations either from scratch or through premade workflow templates. So, if a status changes, a certain time has passed, or an email is received in Outlook, then the item is created or updated in monday Sales CRM.
- You want to synchronize calendar data with Outlook: While monday Sales CRM does allow calendar sync, it’s limited to just Google Calendars and not Outlook.
- Alternative: Apptivo starts its calendar sync on the lowest-tiered plan for just $8 per user, per month. Pipedrive also offers low-cost calendar data sync to Outlook starting at just $14.90 per user, per month.
- You need to manage aesthetic marketing campaigns from the CRM system: With the CRM system, monday Sales CRM users can integrate with Outlook or Gmail to send, receive, and track email communications from the systems. The downfall, however, is that these capabilities cannot extend to designing visual graphics to use in these emails, as common in mass marketing campaigns.
- Alternative: HubSpot is the best alternative for managing mass email marketing campaigns with design capabilities starting on the Free plan.
monday Sales CRM Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a monthly per-user breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. There is a 14-day free trial for the paid plans.
monday Sales CRM creating Outlook automations (Source: monday.com)
Our Expert Opinion
monday Sales CRM is primarily a work management tool that offers a CRM product with boards designed to oversee leads, deals, and accounts, and handle sales workflow automations. The main feature of the Outlook integration is data synchronization through a quick and simplified automation design process.
monday sales CRM is simple, cost-friendly, and has excellent team collaboration tools Read our monday.com review to learn about the platform’s features, integrations, and best-for use cases.
Insightly: Best for Managing Tasks & Projects
Overall Score:
4.04 / 5
Pros
- Includes built-in project management
- Offers Insightly sidebar to add and view CRM records while in Outlook
- Integration allows email, contact, and calendar sync plus Outlook email sends from the CRM
Cons
- Marketing and customer service modules require separate software product for additional cost
- Free plan limited to two users and just basic contact and project management
- Expensive for quotes, price books, and product management
- You need project management features: Insightly is great for contractors, software developers, business consultants, and content producers who want to track client deliverables in the same system they manage the sales pipeline. It includes a built-in project management tool with milestone and process tracking, task management, workflow automation, and the ability to convert won opportunities directly into projects.
- You want to access CRM data from the Outlook interface: Insightly’s integration with Outlook offers a two-way data sync for contact, email, and calendar data and the ability to connect email systems and send Outlook messages within the CRM. There’s also a plugin that lets users access and manage Insightly CRM records from a sidebar within the Outlook system.
- You need low-cost quote management: Insightly does not begin offering features to quote generation, products management, and stored price books until the Enterprise plan.
- Alternative: Zoho CRM has low-cost inventory management capabilities that start at $23 per user, per month for users to create and send quotes and organize products and services.
- You manage a revenue operations team: One key issue with Insightly is that marketing and customer service management features require you to subscribe to a separate, native software for an additional cost. This is not ideal if you manage a revenue operations team where direct sales, marketing, customer success, and service functions all fall under one management, strategy, and resource umbrella.
- Alternative: HubSpot, Bitrix24, and Zoho CRM are the best alternatives that have complete functionality for revenue operations management.
Insightly Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user monthly breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Insightly offers a 14-day free trial for paid plans.
Insightly plugin for Outlook (Source: Discover CRM)
Our Expert Opinion
Insightly is one of the few CRMs on this list with project management within its main product. The main difference that makes Insightly the best Outlook CRM with project management is the plugin. Users can view and manage Insightly records, like leads, opportunities, and projects, from a sidebar in Outlook. This gives teams end-to-end functionality within Outlook to oversee workflows throughout the sales process while managing client deliverables.
Insightly comes equipped with powerful lead, opportunity, and project management capabilities. See if it’s the right provider for your business in our Insightly CRM review.
Microsoft Dynamics 365: Best for Teams Using Microsoft 365
Overall Score:
3.89 / 5
Pros
- Built by Microsoft for seamless integration with other Microsoft apps
- Excellent intelligence tools for analyzing the sales pipeline, sales rep behaviors, and making sales forecasts
- Great sales management tool for overseeing different territories, providing knowledge resources and coaching reps
Cons
- No free plan
- All paid plans get expensive
- Poor usability reviews for users not familiar with Microsoft products
- You currently use Microsoft 365 apps: Businesses already invested in Microsoft Office products get a seamless integration, similar interface, and complete functionality by connecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 to their other apps. The first-tier plan offers integration to apps like Outlook, Exchange, Excel, Teams, OneDrive, and OneNote for plugin capabilities, data synchronization, activity tracking, and resource storage like email templates or knowledge articles between systems.
- You manage a larger sales team: Dynamics 365 includes features specifically designed for larger sales teams to stay organized and collaborate. These include territory management features, seller behavior analysis, coaching tools, and intelligence on competitive products or brands.
- You are a startup or freelance business: Dynamics 365 has no free plan, expensive paid plans, and many features designed to handle larger sales teams and territories. These product attributes don’t align with the needs of a solo-operated firm or new business.
- Alternative: HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Zoho CRM are all cost-effective and small business-friendly CRMs that integrate with Outlook.
- You use Google Workspace products: As a native software to Microsoft applications, Dynamics 365 uses a similar interface and offers an easy integration process to Microsoft products. That said, teams using Google Workspace for email, calendar, and productivity management would not have a smooth user experience trying to use Google and Microsoft apps simultaneously.
- Alternative: Our guide on the best Google CRM provides alternatives for Google Workspace teams.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user monthly breakdown; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Products include a 30-day free trial.
Dynamics 365 plugin for Outlook (Source: Microsoft)
Our Expert Opinion
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a sophisticated CRM solution that, based on our evaluation, has particular use cases. For example, because it’s made by Microsoft, it’s one of the best options for your business assuming you already use Microsoft products. The integration process is smooth and users can ensure their interface layout, color scheme, and tool design is nearly identical to Outlook and other Office 365 apps.
Is Dynamics 365 right for your business? Find out in your detailed Microsoft Dynamics 365 review with insights on features, native and third-party integrations, and user reviews.
How We Evaluated the Best CRM Systems for Outlook
To determine the best CRM for Outlook, we evaluated the specific features available once the integration is completed. For example, the ability to send emails from both systems and having that message data synchronized two ways gives businesses the convenience of using either product with the assurance their data will remain consistent.
Additionally, being able to manage Outlook meetings and contacts within the CRM expands that workflow centralization even further. We also looked at other critical CRM attributes, such as price, customer support, and general features like having a mobile app.
The tabs below offer insight into our evaluation process of the best Outlook CRMs:
25%
General Features
20%
Niche/Advanced Features
20%
Pricing
20%
Help & Support
15%
Expert Score
25% of Overall Score
Because most CRMs already integrate with Outlook, the top criteria were general features we felt were crucial to any CRM system, regardless of its primary use case. A mobile application, for example, lets sales teams operate while on the go. We also looked at reporting and analytics tools, system customization options, and the ability to integrate with other applications outside of Outlook.
20% of Overall Score
We evaluated niche features specifically offered through the CRM-Outlook integration. Synchronized contact and meeting management, for example, are essential functions that let users remain productive regardless of the system used. We also wanted to see Outlook email capabilities, like two-way data sync, the ability to send emails from the CRM, and accessibility to email templates.
20% of Overall Score
Pricing considered free plan availability and various scalable pricing options businesses could afford as they grow. We also looked at the availability for a subscriber to either pay monthly or save by paying annually. Finally, we looked at the costs required specifically to integrate with Outlook and gain access to those product capabilities from the CRM.
20% of Overall Score
Extensive support and service help prevent poor user experiences and outcomes users may encounter while using any of these Outlook CRMs. Help and support were evaluated in terms of customer service hours and the availability of support via phone, live chat, and email. We also looked at self-service and help center resources users can access, like tutorials, forums, or training modules.
15% of Overall Score
In addition to firsthand experience with these Outlook CRM systems, we evaluated what actual users say about each product according to reviews. These criteria consider how customers feel to gain insight into value for the price paid and how users feel about the Outlook and CRM features. It also helped us understand the ease of use for each product when integrating with Outlook, operating the features, and navigating the interface.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Many CRMs have an integration with Outlook and have capabilities ranging from basic data sync to plugin tools that let you access CRM records from Outlook. Based on our review, HubSpot is the best CRM that works with Outlook because of its complete functionality that includes a plugin tool, free plan, and product usability. However, if you want specific features, like a built-in project management module, tons of customization, or an interface similar to Outlook, other CRMs could be a better choice.
Technically yes, on two fronts. Microsoft offers a Microsoft Outlook Customer Manager that integrates with the Outlook for Business product for users to track deals, tasks, and sales activity. Microsoft also has the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales app that offers seamless integration with Office products for more advanced CRM capabilities like list segmentation, lead management, quote generation, and product price lists.
Integrating a CRM with Outlook lets users maintain data integrity by keeping contact, calendar, and email information in sync between each system. Additionally, some CRM-Outlook integrations let you send, receive, and automate emails directly from the CRM system to help keep workflows centralized.
Bottom Line
A CRM for Outlook lets you send, receive, and track emails in both Outlook and the CRM system, as well as two-way sync with contacts, calendars, and email data. The primary benefits of this integration are teams can maintain data integrity and ensure their information is up to date. Additionally, users get more work centralization between commonly used apps by completing CRM and Outlook functions in either interface.
