Online stores benefit the most from customer relationship management (CRM) software with customer activity tracking, marketing campaigns, and order management features. The best CRM for ecommerce businesses offers affordable and simple features to store customer information, track inventory, run email campaigns, and process orders. I evaluated dozens of providers and rated Bitrix24 as my top pick because of its robust free ecommerce plan for unlimited users.
Here are the seven best ecommerce CRM software for small businesses and their use cases:
- Bitrix24: (Overall) Best free ecommerce CRM
- Zoho CRM Plus: Best for managing inventory
- HubSpot CRM: Best for payment processing
- Odoo CRM: Best for integrating multiple business apps
- Pipedrive: Best for creating product catalogs
- monday CRM: Best for no-code workflow automation
- Copper CRM: Best for contact and lead capture
- Best CRM for Ecommerce at a Glance
- Bitrix24: Best Free Ecommerce CRM
- Zoho CRM Plus: Best for Inventory Management
- HubSpot CRM: Best for Payment Processing
- Odoo CRM: Best for Integrating Multiple Business Apps
- Pipedrive: Best for Creating Product Catalogs
- monday CRM: Best CRM for Ecommerce Workflow Automation
- Copper CRM: Best for Contact & Lead Capture
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Bottom Line
Best CRM for Ecommerce at a Glance
| Provider | Free Plan | Free Trial | Starting Monthly Price per UserBased on annual billing; monthly billing option is available at a higher rate, unless otherwise specified. | My Rating out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ✓Unlimited users | 15 days | $49 for five users | 4.40 |
| Visit Bitrix24 | ||||
 | ✕ | 30 days | $5 | 4.38 |
| Visit Zoho CRM Plus | ||||
 | ✓2 users | ✕ | $15 | 4.37 |
| Visit HubSpot CRM | ||||
 | ✓Unlimited users | 15 days | $7.25 | 4.32 |
| Visit Odoo CRM | ||||
 | ✕ | 14 days | $14 | 4.28 |
| Visit Pipedrive | ||||
 | ✕ | 14 days | $36 for 3 users | 4.13 |
| Visit monday CRM | ||||
 | ✕ | 14 days | $9 | 4.01 |
| Visit Copper CRM | ||||
Bitrix24: Best Free Ecommerce CRM
Zoho CRM Plus: Best for Inventory Management
HubSpot CRM: Best for Payment Processing
Odoo CRM: Best for Integrating Multiple Business Apps
Pipedrive: Best for Creating Product Catalogs
monday CRM: Best CRM for Ecommerce Workflow Automation
Copper CRM: Best for Contact & Lead Capture
Methodology: How I Evaluated the Best Ecommerce CRM for Small Business
To determine the best CRM for ecommerce, I evaluated features relevant to managing a business that sells products and services online. For instance, payment processing through a Stripe integration and inventory management tools are useful for handling some of the back-end operations. I also looked at marketing capabilities through mass email campaigns and social media integrations, as well as typical software product attributes like pricing and support. Review my evaluation process of the best CRM for small ecommerce businesses:
General CRM features are tools and capabilities relevant to any CRM system, regardless of use case or vertical. These include contact and lead management, reporting tools, customizable data fields and pipelines, workflow automation, email management, data import/export, and a mobile app. I also wanted expanded ecommerce CRM integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
I checked if the provider has built-in templates or automation to assess the ease of use. I also searched reputable review sites to gauge general user sentiment regarding its learning curve and ease of setup. In addition, I considered its plan options to see if it was easily scalable.
Pricing considered the overall affordability of each CRM system. This factor accounted for freemium plan options, low-cost subscriptions, and billing flexibility by allowing users to subscribe monthly or save with an annual plan. I also examined the cost of features specifically useful for ecommerce businesses and whether they were available on the free or lower-tiered plans.
Extensive customer support prevents poor user experiences while using these ecommerce CRM solutions. I wanted to see if the providers offer multiple phone, email, and live chat service channels. I also looked at self-service resources like knowledge base guides and community forums and the hours of customer support availability.
In addition to firsthand experience with these ecommerce CRMs, I evaluated what actual users say about the products according to online reviews. This allowed me to thoroughly understand how customers feel about the general and niche CRM features and whether they’re worth the cost. It also helped me gauge product usability by navigating the interface, operating the features, and setting up the modules.
Niche and advanced features looked at capabilities specifically relevant to ecommerce companies. These included features for customer segmentation, customer tracking, loyalty programs, return on investment (ROI) reporting, and marketing automation. I also wanted to see each CRM offer operational features like inventory management and payment processing, either built-in or through integration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Ecommerce CRM software lets you develop customer relationships and manage an online storefront—ideally all in one interface. It’s ideal for online retailers, wholesalers, or any other business selling products online, as it has tools such as customer tracking, email marketing, social media management, inventory monitoring, and payment and order processing.
Online retailers and ecommerce businesses don’t necessarily need—but can greatly benefit from—an ecommerce CRM system. Ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce give you the basics to create an online store, market to customers, and handle orders. A CRM, however, provides more advanced features for tracking customer activity, managing projects, handling service requests, tracking inventory, and automating campaigns.
Based on my evaluation, Bitrix24 is the best CRM for ecommerce that businesses can choose because of its ease of use, tools for ecommerce operations, and robust marketing features. Zoho CRM Plus and HubSpot CRM are similar providers that compete well in this space.
HubSpot CRM and Pipedrive rank high in usability because of their simple and intuitive interfaces. HubSpot is known for being easy to use despite having robust features, including sales, marketing, service, and ecommerce tools. Pipedrive, on the other hand, is also an easy-to-use CRM focused on sales teams.
Bottom Line
Investing in ecommerce CRM solutions helps online storefronts track customers, deploy marketing campaigns, and manage inventory. The best CRM for your business will depend on your preferences and budget. If you want to explore ecommerce CRM tools without spending a fortune, Bitrix24 is your best option. Go for other solutions like Zoho CRM Plus for built-in inventory management or Pipedrive for catalog management.
