Lead management software helps sales teams organize and prioritize their leads with tools like lead scoring, filtering, and qualification. Though teams could store data in spreadsheets or in paper files, the best tool for the job is a customer relationship management system (CRM) designed to help sales professionals optimize their use of the lead data they collect.
We evaluated a variety of CRM software to learn which ones are best at lead management and which is the best overall.
Lead Management Software | Best For |
|---|---|
(Best overall) Businesses wanting a solution with a comprehensive feature set to support the sales pipeline | |
Teams that use their sales pipeline reporting for strategic decision-making | |
Companies needing lead management tools that support sales team territories | |
Businesses wanting to engage, qualify, and route leads via live chat and customizable webforms | |
Product-based businesses needing lead management tools that include catalogs and quotes | |
Sales teams looking for a free lead management system that supports unlimited users |
How We Evaluated Lead Management Software Options
I reviewed dozens of CRMs to narrow down which solutions offered the best range of lead management tools at a variety of price points to meet most budgets. Evaluation criteria included whether the solution offers automation tools, templates, and business app integrations, as well as lead capture, qualification, and organization functionality. It should also be easy to set up and use, regardless of the user’s technical aptitude.
Based on my research and evaluation, Zendesk Sell is the best overall lead management CRM for its range of system integrations, intuitive interface, and robust features like profile enrichment and lead filtering. Zendesk Sell earned a score of 4.88 out of 5, which aligns with my personal experience testing Zendesk Sell along with a myriad of CRM software in a variety of sales scenarios.
Click the tabs below for more information on how we evaluated lead management software.
30% of Overall Score
Small businesses often have small budgets and need sales technology solutions that are budget-friendly. Free CRMs are a great choice for many companies, some are willing to pay for access to premium features, and still others prefer having a range of service plans to choose from as the company grows.
20% of Overall Score
Small companies and solopreneurs don’t typically have IT departments to set up and maintain CRM systems, meaning business owners and employees must learn to navigate the software themselves. While most CRM vendors offer some type of customer support, the best lead management software is intuitive enough that users can find their way around the basic features without assistance.
15% of Overall Score
CRMs have a lot of features in common, such as contact management and email integration. However, not all of them offer tools specifically designed to support lead management. To be included in my evaluation and scoring, CRMs were assessed for their ability to provide lead scoring, registration, filtering, qualification, and assignment. Each feature isn’t available on every CRM on this list, but points were deducted for those missing tools.
10% of Overall Score
CRMs work very well as a standalone system, but their power increases exponentially when integrated with other common business applications. Each solution on our list was assessed for its ability to integrate with email marketing software, ecommerce tools, social media accounts, accounting systems, and more.
10% of Overall Score
The best lead management CRMs do more than just organize prospects and potential customers. They also feature tools to enhance deal and opportunity management like visual pipelines for monitoring deal stages at a glance.
10% of Overall Score
Sales teams are busy and don’t want to deal with repetitive tasks at the expense of pursuing leads. Hands-free workflows that manage email drips, sales tasks, schedules, reminders, and other easily automated processes free up agents to spend more time on leads and less time managing CRM data.
5% of Overall Score
CRMs are not one-size-fits-all so it’s important for companies to adapt systems to their unique needs. Customization options for contact fields, pipelines, reports, and dashboards help teams maximize the features CRMs offer.
Zendesk Sell
PROS
- Workflow automation tools
- Highly customizable
- Free mobile apps
CONS
- Profile enrichment costs extra
- Entry-level plan only supports three users
- Limited integrations with the Team tier
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Lead Management-specific Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Zendesk Sell is our top choice in lead management software for its comprehensive feature set that’s intuitive and easy to use. Although this solution doesn’t have a free plan like other CRMs on our list, Zendesk Sells’ entry-level plan is affordable for most small businesses and includes all the lead management tools most sales teams need.
Pricing
- Team: $19 per user, per month for up to three users only
- Professional: $49 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
- Elite: $199 per user, per month
- Free trial: 14 days
The pricing above is based on an annual contract. Zendesk Sell also offers a month-to-month subscription at a slightly higher fee.
Zendesk Sells’ customizable sales pipeline (Source: Zendesk Sells)
Features
- Document storage for contracts, quotes, and invoices
- Customizable sales pipeline
- Prioritize activities with lead and deal scoring
- Sales forecasting reports predict which opportunities are likely to close
- Individual and team goal tracking to monitor and motivate agents
Agile CRM
PROS
- Includes project management tools
- Telephony capabilities available with all plans
- Manage all email accounts in a single inbox
CONS
- No live chat feature
- Free plan limited to 10 users
- Limited third-party integration support
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.88 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 3.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Lead Management-specific Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
Agile CRM offers a 360-degree view of customers with insight into engagement touchpoints across the company, including sales, marketing, and support teams. Advanced, customizable reporting tools help sales managers monitor agent performance, team growth, and track the entire sales pipeline.
Pricing
- Free: Supports up to 10 users
- Starter: $8.99 per user, per month
- Regular: $29.99 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $47.99 per user, per month
The pricing above is for a two-year contract. Agile CRM also offers monthly and annual subscription options.
Sales funnel analysis report (Source: Agile CRM)
Features
- Lead scoring and qualification helps prioritize which opportunities to pursue
- Lead generation tools like social media integration
- Reports and graphs include data on time to first response, priority leads, and more
- Gamification features increase motivation to convert leads
- Web analytics track the website activity of potential leads
Freshworks CRM
PROS
- Free sales templates
- Lead scoring available on all plans
- Built-in phone dialer
CONS
- Lacks lead registration
- Per-day bulk email limits
- No built-in calendar
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Lead Management-specific Features | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
Since we last updated:
Freshworks CRM, formerly Freshsales, recently rebranded with a new name, new service plans, and access to Freshmarketer automation software. Forever-free plans are still available and include mobile apps, 24×5 support, live chat, and more.
Freshworks CRM allows you to prioritize the best leads, support territory sales, and streamline lead assignment. Its mobile app, built-in phone, and territory-based lead management tools round out the features that help this CRM manage leads in the office or in the field.
Pricing
- Free: Supports unlimited users
- Blossom: $12 per user, per month
- Garden: $25 per user, per month
- Estate: $49 per user, per month
- Forest: $79 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 21 days
Territory management in Freshworks CRM (Source: Freshworks CRM)
Features
- Round-robin automated lead assignment
- Lead segmentation based on predefined territory criteria
- Assign phone numbers to territories so leads are always routed correctly
- Run sales reports by territory or individual sales rep
- Restrict record access by territory
Pipedrive
PROS
- Unlimited, customizable sales pipelines
- Features automated workflows
- Multilingual phone support
CONS
- Lacks lead assignment
- Limited marketing tools
- No support ticketing system
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 4.63 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Lead Management-specific Features | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
Pipedrive CRM offers a visually intuitive sales pipeline so agents can see all stages and opportunities at a glance. Its live chat feature includes a chatbot with tailored questions to help connect leads to the correct agent or sales team.
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 (minimum of 10 seats)
- Free trial: 14 days
The pricing above is for an annual contract. A monthly subscription option is also available.
Configuring live chat in Pipedrive (Source: Pipedrive)
Features
- Chat live with website visitors on the web or on your mobile app
- Chatbot engages website visitors and answers questions based on predefined criteria
- Route leads according to how a lead answers chatbot questions
- Custom webforms for lead capture
- Get email notifications of new lead captures
Bitrix24
PROS
- Free plan supports unlimited users
- Sales and marketing automation features
- Multichannel communication tools
CONS
- Limited analytics and reports on the free plan
- No standalone desktop app
- Lacks LinkedIn integration
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 1.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Lead Management-specific Features | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
Bitrix24 is a browser-based CRM loaded with tools that product-based sales teams need to convert leads to sales. Features include a website builder, product catalog, quotes, invoicing, and order processing—making Bitrix24 a turnkey lead management system for businesses that sell tangible goods.
Pricing
- Free: Supports unlimited users
- Start+: Supports two users for $24 per month
- CRM+: Supports six users for $69 per month
- Project+: Supports 24 users for $69 per month
- Standard: Supports 50 users for $99 per month
- Professional: Supports unlimited users for $199 per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 30 days
The pricing above is for Bitrix24’s monthly cloud subscription. It also offers three-month, one-year, and two-year contracts. Alternatively, you may purchase an on-premise edition starting at $1,490.
Bitrix24 catalog creator (Source: Bitrix24)
Features
- Easy-to-use product catalog creator
- Create, email, and store quotes inside the CRM
- Lead qualification
- Searchable lead filters
- Supports multiple sales pipelines
HubSpot CRM
PROS
- Free plan supports unlimited users
- Easy to use
- Facebook Messenger integration
CONS
- Sales and Marketing module upgrades can be expensive
- Free plan lacks customer support access
- Most social media tools require a paid plan
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 2.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.63 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Lead Management-specific Features | 2.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
HubSpot CRM is a no-frills lead management CRM for unlimited users and is free forever. Though not as feature-packed as other free CRM plans, HubSpot is intuitive and easy to understand regardless of a user’s technical aptitude.
Pricing
- Free: Supports unlimited users
- Sales Hub and Marketing Hub add-ons: $50 per month to $800 per month depending on the features selected*
*Pricing is based on a monthly subscription. Discounted pricing is available for annual contracts.
HubSpot CRM’s native email integration (Source: HubSpot CRM)
Features
- Lead segmentation
- Detailed reports on sales pipeline
- Automatic sales activity logs
- Native Gmail and Outlook integration
- Conversations inbox unifies email, live chat, and bot messages
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