Most customer relationship management (CRM) systems are designed to be easy to use, but the definition of “easy” varies from user to user. Studies show only 47% of companies reach a 90% post-implementation adoption rate, which gives simple CRMs an edge over complex solutions that may deter user engagement.
An ideal CRM system should offer extensive customer service and training materials for easy onboarding. On top of this, it should have a user-friendly interface and not require users to pay for additional core features. We reviewed dozens of CRMs to learn which is the most user-friendly as well as which one is the best overall. The top six simple CRM systems are:
- Really Simple Systems: Small businesses needing a CRM with built-in marketing and service desk capabilities
- Freshworks CRM: Teams wanting an intuitive, easy-to-use CRM with built-in calling
- Pipedrive: Organizations wanting a CRM with an emphasis on visual sales management tools
- Agile CRM: Teams looking for a CRM with gamification tools to increase user engagement
- HubSpot: Businesses wanting a free, no-frills CRM with basic features for unlimited users
- Less Annoying CRM: Companies requiring simple pricing and easy-to-use core CRM tools
How We Evaluated Simple & Easy CRM Software
The ideal simple CRM software for small businesses is straightforward with core features and straightforward pricing. What sets the best simple CRM apart from the competition is reliable customer service, a user-friendly interface, a robust mobile app, and reporting features—along with minimal technical skill and setup required for users. We’ve considered all these aspects when rating these tools.
We determined that Really Simple Systems lives up to its name as it is the best simple CRM system. It offers multichannel customer support, fast setup, and third-party integrations with popular solutions to boost its capabilities. Their free forever plan supports up to two users, while their premium options range from $14 to $46 per user, per month, making it a fitting choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, or small business owners on a tight budget.
For more information about our evaluation criteria, click below:
40% of Overall Score
We evaluated the software options based on their affordability, the cost of their subscription plans, and whether they offered a free trial period.
20% of Overall Score
A simple CRM system should have general features such as reporting and analytics, customizable pipelines, robust integrations, and a seamless mobile app.
15% of Overall Score
Even without a technical background, a simple CRM system should have a straightforward installation and setup process.
15% of Overall Score
Access to multichannel customer support such as live chat, email, and phone are lifesavers for first-time CRM users who need to learn the ropes.
10% of Overall Score
A simple CRM should have an intuitive interface that’s easy to learn and use at a reasonable price.
Really Simple Systems: Best Overall Simple CRM
Really Simple Systems
What We Like
- Free customer support with all plans
- Includes task management tools
- Accessible from mobile web browser
What's Missing
- Customer support available during business hours only
- Advanced reports for Enterprise plan only
- Lacks mobile apps
Really Simple Systems Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports up to two users
- Starter: $14 per user, per month
- Professional: $30 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $46 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 14 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Really Simple Systems lives up to its name with easy-to-learn tools for sales agents, marketing reps, and service desk employees. This is a great choice for businesses that want a solution that streamlines the sales process, along with prospect and client data in a single place for a coherent customer experience journey.
Really Simple Systems Features
Really Simple Systems dashboard
(Source: Really Simple Systems)
- Opportunity probability and weightings limit the guesswork involved in sales forecasting
- Automatically merge records to reduce duplication potential
- Create email marketing campaigns with their simple drag-and-drop design interface
- Includes a seven-step setup guide
- Team training tools include videos, webinars, and a support hub
Freshworks CRM: Best Simple CRM With Built-in Calling
Freshworks CRM
What We Like
- Built-in cloud telephony
- Offers workflow automation
- Auto-profile enrichment
What's Missing
- Limited third-party integrations
- Advanced reports limited to Enterprise plans
- Limited overall social media integration
Freshworks CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: For unlimited users
- Growth: $29 per user, per month
- Pro: $69 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $129 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 21 days
*Pricing shown is based on annual billing. Monthly billing plans are available at slightly higher rates.
Freshworks CRM earned a spot in our comparison for its user-friendly CRM features and built-in phone dialer that can make, log, and record calls in a single click. This is the perfect choice for companies that want a simplified solution that combines power of a CRM with a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) business phone system so users only need to learn a single platform.
Freshworks CRM Features
Freshworks CRM Freddy AI
(Source: Freshworks CRM)
- Choose from seven roles to modify permissions and protect data or create customized roles
- All plans allow third-party integration with apps in the Freshworks Marketplace
- Customizable form fields, layouts, and sales pipeline help users focus on what’s important
- Workflow automations include triggers for lead qualifications and send emails or SMS, eliminating monotonous tasks
- Training videos to onboard new users quickly
- Customer support includes, email, phone, ticketing, and an extensive knowledge base
Pipedrive: Best Simple CRM With Visual Sales Pipeline Tools
Pipedrive
What We Like
- Affordable premium plans
- 24/7 multilingual live chat and email support
- Advanced user permissions
What's Missing
- Lacks a free plan
- Phone support limited to Enterprise plan
- Two permission sets only on basic plans
Pipedrive Pricing at a Glance*
- 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
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Pipedrive makes CRM data more simple to understand compared to other types of CRMs. It does this by including tools such as Kanban-style drag-and-drop pipelines and customizable dashboards that appeal to visually oriented workers, like graphic designers or architects.
It is worth noting, however, that Pipedrive’s permission sets are more robust than the rest of its interface and differ across Pipedrive plans. Essentials and Advanced plans have two permission sets (admin user and regular user), and a Professional plan has three permission sets (admin user, manager, and regular user). Meanwhile, the Enterprise plan has every permission set except for admin users, but it is fully customizable.
Pipedrive Features
Pipedrive dashboard
(Source: Pipedrive)
- Deal reports and activity reports available in all plans
- Custom field reports and revenue forecast reports exclusive to premium plans
- Visual sales pipeline with drag-and-drop interface
- Automated workflows, including deal updates and email sends
- Integration with cloud storage providers to reduce hunting for documents in multiple locations
- Audio notes via mobile app with automated transcription for easy reading
- Copious training videos and tutorial, online knowledge base, and community hub
Agile CRM: Best Simple CRM for Increasing User Engagement
Agile CRM
What We Like
- Marketing automation available in paid plans
- Includes social monitoring tools
- Paid plans feature email and phone support
What's Missing
- Free plan has no integration features
- Limited reports and analytics capabilities
- Free plan limited to email support
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.
Sales teams won’t be efficient or productive if they find it difficult to navigate through the CRM. Agile CRM’s gamification tools motivate sales teams by supporting friendly competition and encouraging collaboration within the platform. This is a terrific choice for teams that are energized by good-natured rivalry designed to produce superior results.
Agile CRM Features
Agile CRM dashboard
(Source: Agile CRM)
- Syncs with Google Calendar and includes appointment scheduling tools
- Add leads, deals, and tasks to the CRM in an instant with a Chrome extension
- Access contacts, deals, and upcoming tasks from the mobile app
- Manage tasks with drag-and-drop functionality and sort tasks by category
- Training materials include workshops, webinars, and setup guides
See more features on our Agile CRM reviews page.
HubSpot: Best Simple, Free CRM for Unlimited Users
HubSpot
What We Like
- Lively online hub for community support
- Access to HubSpot Business Insights to automatically populate contact records
- Email tracking features
What's Missing
- Free plan lacks direct customer support
- Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
- Tracking limited to 200 emails per month on free plan
HubSpot Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: For unlimited users
- Starter: $45 per month, starts at two paid users
- Professional: $450 per month, starts at five paid users
- Enterprise: $1,200 per month, starts at 10 paid users
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
While HubSpot isn’t the only free CRM on our list, it’s our pick as the best free solution for unlimited users. It offers many of the features included with paid CRM solutions, such as email integration and pipeline management, and is bundled in an intuitive, easy-to-learn package. HubSpot CRM is an excellent choice for businesses wanting a free-forever system that accommodates large and small teams.
HubSpot Features
HubSpot reporting dashboard
(Source: HubSpot)
- Offers email, website, and phone integrations
- View detailed metrics on sales activity and performance
- Integrated live chat support for engaging with customers right in the CRM
- Includes Gmail and Outlook integration, simplifying email-based activities such as marketing campaigns
- Canned snippets make it easier to answer frequently asked questions
- Create standalone or website-embedded forms to efficiently collect customer data
- Connect supported ad networks for insight into advertising analytics
Less Annoying CRM: Best Simple CRM With Straightforward Pricing
Less Annoying CRM
What We Like
- Single-tier pricing
- Extremely short learning curve
- Syncs with Google Calendar
What's Missing
- No mobile app
- Customer support available on business hours only
- Limited integrations
Less Annoying CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Monthly plan: $15 per user, per month
- Free trial: 30 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Less Annoying CRM stacks up well against similar solutions on our list. Where it really shines, though, is its lack of complex pricing tiers that can make choosing the right service plan a chore. It offers features that are available for a flat fee of $15 per user, per month, with no contracts or usage limits, making it the best choice for companies that don’t want to sort through a myriad of service plans to find the best solution.
Less Annoying CRM Features
Less Annoying CRM lead report
(Source: Less Annoying CRM)
- Filter leads and automatically create simple reports based on each pipeline
- Manage highly customizable settings for contacts, records, and pipelines in a few clicks
- Receive free phone and email support, even during the free trial
- Get free assistance when uploading and importing contact files
- Built-in shared calendar for team insight of events and tasks
- Strong login credentials and user permissions to protect accidental data access or deletion
See more features on our Less Annoying CRM reviews page.
