Customer relationship management (CRM) software for accounting professionals is designed to help accountants, bookkeepers, and finance staff manage invoicing and billing in a centralized platform. Essential features include payment processing, tax computations, access to open balances, subscription management, and financial report generation. We evaluated various CRMs for accountants and bookkeepers based on pricing, features, and support.
The top six CRMs for accountants and bookkeepers are:
- Zoho CRM: Best overall CRM for accountants and bookkeepers due to its in-app invoicing; quotes, configure, price, quote (CPQ) functions; and seamless integration with third-party apps
- HubSpot: Best free CRM and is suited for teams that need CRM that integrates seamlessly with their existing bookkeeping software
- Bitrix24: Ideal for users that need a comprehensive CRM system for sales, marketing, and project management, as well as ecommerce tools
- Pipedrive: Great choice for accountants who want visual representations of their accounts and deal stages
- Freshsales: Good option for users who want a feature-rich in-app telephone system within their CRM
- Capsule CRM: Recommended for novice users who need simple CRM software
How We Evaluated the Best CRM Systems for Accountants & Bookkeepers
CRM providers should offer solutions addressing unique industry-specific and user needs, such as those of accounting and finance professionals. To determine the best options, we evaluated costs and capabilities that are particularly helpful to these users, including invoicing, generating quotes, and managing financial statements. In addition, we considered other factors associated with product usability and customer support.
Based on our evaluation, Zoho CRM is the best overall CRM for accountants and bookkeepers due to its overall broad range of finance-related capabilities. These features include creating invoices, quotes, sales orders, and purchase orders (POs) from within the app. It also has CPQ functionality and integrates seamlessly with other popular accounting and bookkeeping apps.
The tabs below provide insights into our evaluation process for choosing the best CRM software options for accountants and bookkeepers:
40% of Overall Score
Total costs and various pricing options are typically the most important criteria for any small business decision, so it was the most heavily weighed when reviewing the CRM providers most suitable for accountants and bookkeepers. We considered the availability of a free plan, varying subscription options, and whether or not there are monthly billing plans available.
20% of Overall Score
The purpose of any CRM is to provide functional solutions associated with sales, marketing, customer service, and project management. Specifically, we looked at features we consider necessary in CRM that can be used by finance professionals, including invoicing, billing, and payment processing.
15% of Overall Score
User-friendliness and intuitiveness are two of our key considerations when looking into a software’s ease of use. We evaluated whether the software is beginner-friendly or if it requires some level of experience to get users up to speed with using the system.
15% of Overall Score
Support is a critical part of running CRM, especially for small businesses that don’t have in-house technical support. We analyzed the types of support offered by these providers via live chat, email, and phone.
10% of Overall Score
We looked through existing customer reviews on credible sites to measure the level of satisfaction current users have, as well as any problems that they typically encounter. We also added our thoughts and expert opinion on key features, value for money, and popularity.
Zoho CRM: Best Overall CRM for Accountants & Bookkeepers
Zoho CRM
What We Like
- Simple and intuitive interface
- Ability to integrate seamlessly with Zoho’s Finance Suite and other Zoho business tools for centralized management of data as well as other third-party apps
- Lets users create invoices, quotes, sales orders, and POs from within the app
What's Missing
- 24/7 support is only available upon purchase of an Enterprise support plan
- Free plan is capped at three users and has limited capabilities
- Limited storage capacity; requires add-on for additional monthly storage
Zoho CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free plan: Up to three users
- Standard: $14 per user, per month
- Professional: $23 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $40 per user, per month
- Ultimate: $52 per user, per month
- Free trial: 15 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Zoho CRM is a robust CRM that is easy to install and use and is a part of the Zoho family offering a suite of excellent business tools. It provides essential features for accountants and bookkeepers, such as generating quotes, invoices, and POs, creating product inventories, and managing subscriptions for repeat customers.
While it has the fundamental finance features included, the real power of Zoho lies in its ability to integrate with the Zoho Finance Suite. It works with Zoho Books, Zoho Subscriptions, and Zoho Expense—letting users enter information in a single app and sync it to the rest of the systems. Through these integrations, users can manage quotes and invoicing, generate financial reports, process payments and subscriptions, and compute taxes accurately.
For those who don’t use other Zoho products, Zoho CRM offers integrations with other popular accounting apps, including QuickBooks and Xero.
One thing to note is that Zoho’s free plan has limited features. Users who want a free CRM with extensive functionalities should consider either HubSpot or Capsule CRM. HubSpot’s free plan offers essential lead generation and marketing tools as well as an invoice template generator. Meanwhile, Capsule CRM offers basic features plus more robust ones, including sales tools, opportunity management, and integrations to more than 1,000 apps via Zapier.
Zoho CRM Features
Zoho CRM with Zoho Invoice integration. (Source: Zoho)
- Generate auto-populated invoices with the benefits of CPQ via subforms
- Generate an auto-populated invoice with the agreed-upon terms that can be exported as a PDF and sent via email
- View order contents, the status of shipments, and outstanding balances
- Compare periodic expenses with customizable dashboards
- Get stock information that auto-adjusts with every order
- Browse records of transaction history and subscription renewal dates
Check out our Zoho CRM review to explore other features that this platform offers.
HubSpot: Best Free CRM for Accountants
HubSpot
What We Like
- Allocation for unlimited users and plan upgrade fees only apply to users needing access to paid features
- Includes a free invoice template generator
- Sales tools recognize multiple currencies
What's Missing
- Requires an additional cost for added marketing, sales, and customer service tools
- Lack of flexibility in pricing scheme which requires a preset number of users for paid plans—making plan upgrades very expensive
- Some integrations require additional monthly fees
HubSpot’s Pricing at a Glance*
- Free Plan: Supports unlimited users
- Starter Sales Plan: $45 per month for 2 paid users**
- Professional Sales Plan: $450 per month for 5 paid users**
- Enterprise Sales Plan: $1,200 per month for 10 paid users
Add-ons:
- Extra paid user: Starts at $23 per user
- Starter CRM Suite: $45 per month
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
**Paid plan subscribers have access to productivity tools while unlimited free users can only access databases, view reports, and perform basic administrative tasks.
HubSpot CRM is a forever-free CRM solution that offers a wide range of integrations for popular accounting and bookkeeping applications like Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting. It also integrates with widely used payment platforms, such as Stripe and PayPal.ƒ
HubSpot has CPQ features for quickly and accurately generating quotes for orders as well as identifying the sales performance of different products. Its sales analytics reports also give users helpful insights into the overall health of their sales pipeline.
While HubSpot offers solid features in its free plan, users who need more advanced features need to upgrade. However, its pricing scheme is inflexible and is not the most budget-friendly. Its higher-priced plans range from $450 to $1,200 per month. Users who want more affordable and flexible paid plans can consider Zoho CRM, Capsule CRM, and Bitrix24.
HubSpot Features
HubSpot’s integration with Xero includes automatic syncing of customer details. (Source: HubSpot)
- Provides custom form fields for gathering the exact billing information they need
- Send invoices or payment reminders in bulk through personalized mass emails
- Has a document library that allows users to store contracts and account statements online
- Collect and manage customer interactions via email and live chat in a single shared mail through its universal inbox
- Lets users build a product library and report on the sales performance of different products as well as use the data to see which products and services are selling best
- Allows e-signatures for quotes, eliminating the need for printing and sending hard copies to customers
Check out our HubSpot review to explore other features that this platform offers.
Bitrix24: Best All-in-One CRM for Multidisciplinary Teams
Bitrix24
What We Like
- Ability to create quotes and invoices straight from the system
- Includes a breadth of features that covers project management, marketing, and sales automation
- Has an online store hosting feature that lets users directly process their Ecommerce finances
- Extensive contact channels from within the CRM, including phone, social network messaging apps, and live chat
What's Missing
- Paid plans have a limit on the number of users
- Requires a learning curve because the interface is complex
- Limited online storage capacity
Bitrix24 Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports unlimited users
- Start+: $19 per month for 2 users
- CRM+: $55 per month for 6 users
- Project+: $55 per month for 24 users
- Standard: $79 per month for 50 users
- Professional: $159 per month for unlimited users
- Free trial of paid plans: 15 days
*Pricing plans above are for Bitrix24’s cloud-hosted plans, billed annually. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Bitrix24 is a comprehensive CRM solution that provides several helpful tools for certified public accountants (CPAs), accountants, and bookkeeping professionals, including invoices and quotes. It also allows users to sync financial data automatically with their existing accounting software, like Xero or QuickBooks.
Unique features it offers that are usually not found in other CRMs include hosting an online store straight from their Bitrix24 account—allowing users to easily manage finance-related transactions, such as processing payments, doing stock inventory, and stock keeping unit (SKU) monitoring.
It also offers robust sales management tools, such as sales intelligence tools, providing information on customer acquisition costs and marketing return on investment (ROI). Its analytics reports help users to visualize sales trends and forecast revenues. Furthermore, its sales reports can identify top clients, provide financial period comparisons, and even calculate advertising spend and ROI.
Bitrix24 requires some level of a learning curve due to its complex and feature-rich dashboard. Accountants and bookkeepers who prefer simpler CRM can consider Capsule CRM. It is a no-frills CRM that’s easy and intuitive to navigate, making it ideal even for novice users.
Bitrix24 Features
Bitrix24’s invoicing functionality. (Source: Bitrix24)
- Calendar syncing with Outlook or Google calendars to remind of recurring invoices or important billing dates as well as to schedule tasks
- Store payment details like bank accounts, routing numbers, and tax IDs with each contact for easier billing and payment transactions
- Allow customers and clients limited access to view or download documents like contracts and invoices stored within the Bitrix24 system
- Includes free Xero integration that lets users create invoices without leaving the Bitrix24 environment
- Automated workflows that come prepopulated with five business processes, including expense reports and purchase requests.
Check out our Bitrix24 review to explore other features that this platform offers.
Pipedrive CRM: Best for Visual Pipelines & Prioritization Tools
Pipedrive CRM
What We Like
- Great visual representation tools that help users identify priority tasks
- Offers revenue forecast reports
- 24/7 customer support via live chat
What's Missing
- No free plan
- No built-in invoicing tool and integration is limited to Xero and QuickBooks only
- Limited phone support
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: 14 days
Add-ons:
- Lead Booster: $32 per month
- Web Visitor Analytics: $41 per month
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available except for the Enterprise plan.
Pipedrive offers detailed visual pipelines that indicate which stage each deal is in at the moment. This functionality enables teams to see at a glance which accounts to prioritize while simultaneously making sure no leads or prospects slip through the cracks.
It integrates with several popular finance management tools, including QuickBooks and Xero, letting users create and send invoices directly to both invoicing apps without leaving the Pipedrive platform.
Pipedrive’s higher-priced service plans include a recurring revenue feature to manage billing plans and payment schedules. It offers revenue forecast reports that let users predict turnover and sales growth. The system also reflects customer payments that come in multiple installments, letting users project revenues accurately.
Pipedrive doesn’t offer a free plan and has no built-in invoicing tools. Users who don’t have a budget for a paid plan can consider HubSpot CRM or Capsule CRM instead. Those who need built-in invoicing tools should look at Zoho CRM or Bitrix24 as great alternatives.
Pipedrive Features
Pipedrive and Xero integration (Source: Pipedrive)
- Syncs customers’ contact information automatically when integrated with either Xero or QuickBooks to eliminate duplicates
- Create custom fields and filters for detailed reports on revenue, deals, activities, and leads through customizable reports
- Design custom product catalogs to house pricing information, product duration, and notes
- Has workflow automation tools to send Slack notifications, trigger emails, and create templated workflows for reuse
- Has good email tracking features, allowing users to get notified when an email has been received, opened, and read
Check out our Pipedrive review to explore other features that this platform offers.
Freshsales: Best for Feature-rich In-app Calling
Freshworks
What We Like
- Extensive integrations with payments, accounting, and billing apps
- Feature-rich cloud telephony
- Sales forecasting and revenue opportunity prediction
What's Missing
- Free plan has limited functionalities
- Per-user limit on file storage
- No offline data access
Freshsales Pricing at a Glance*
- Free Plan: Supports unlimited users
- Growth: $15 per user, per month
- Pro: $39 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $69 per user, per mont
- Free trial: 21 days
Add-on:
- Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ): $19 per user, per month
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Freshsales is a powerful CRM that integrates well with accounting apps, such as QuickBooks, Xero, and Revv—allowing them to bring all their customer and accounting data into a single interface. It offers task workflows that let users automate repetitive tasks, such as updating records, sending emails, and generating recurring invoices.
Freshsales allows users to purchase an add-on CPQ feature to generate company-branded documents, such as invoices, quotes, onboarding documents, and contracts. It equips users with the correct pricing at the time of sending quotes or invoices. Users can also send documents to customers from the system and log the updates on the activity timeline.
Freshsales’ free plan lacks essential functionalities and is mostly limited to contact management and emails. Users who want feature-rich free CRMs can consider HubSpot or Capsule CRM.
Freshsales Features
Freshsales’ invoicing dashboard (Source: Freshsales)
- Freshsales auto-converts the exchange rates for more than 150 currencies
- Allows users to automate complex business processes, including email triggers, instant notifications, and user behavior tracking
- Build and share reports on every aspect of your business, including sales metrics, territory reports, and pipeline progress; users can also preview reports before they’re run to see how the data is represented
- Offers a variety of forms on users’ websites so visitors can leave specific requests, such as quote and consultation requests, contact, and subscription forms
- Has robust collaboration tools that feature document sharing, team inbox, and instant messaging.
Check out our Freshsales review to explore other features that this platform offers.
Capsule CRM: Best Basic CRM for Accountants & Bookkeepers
Capsule CRM
What We Like
- Free plan is feature-rich and includes free integrations to 1,000+ apps and unlimited sales opportunities
- Paid plans include premium accounting integrations
- Strict user permissions to protect accounts
- Simple and intuitive interface
What's Missing
- Free plan is limited to two users
- User restrictions not available with the basic paid plan
- No in-app invoicing and quote generation feature
Capsule CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free plan: Supports two users
- Professional: $18 per user, per month
- Teams: $36 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $54 per user, per month
- Free trial: 30 days
*Pricing is based on a pay-as-you-go basis with no contracts attached.
Capsule CRM is a no-frills CRM that’s simple, easy to use, and integrates well with some of the most popular accounting software, such as Xero and QuickBooks. Its integration with accounting software adds all paying contacts into the Capsule CRM dashboard automatically. It displays all pertinent information, including payment due dates, invoice status, and overdue amounts.
Capsule CRM enables users to gather existing client information from spreadsheets or apps into a centralized system to reduce manual entry. Connecting other popular business tools, such as Gmail and Outlook, gives users one complete view of all their client interactions.
This software has excellent reporting capabilities that include a sales pipeline dashboard for tracking conversion rate, sales pipeline milestones, and forecast. Its advanced sales reporting tool provides visibility on won and lost opportunities, pipeline growth, and sales forecasts.
While Capsule CRM’s free plan has many helpful features, its allocation is limited to two users. It also doesn’t have an invoice and quote generator within the app and requires third-party integrations. Users who need a free plan with unlimited users can consider signing up for HubSpot CRM, while users who want in-app finance features can consider either Zoho CRM or Bitrix24.
Capsule CRM Features
Capsule CRM’s Xero integration (Source: Capsule CRM)
- Track conversion rate, sales pipeline milestones, and forecast in one view
- Syncs all pertinent contact information in accounting and booking app integrations automatically
- Invoice and payment history data is available right in the contact card when Capsule CRM is integrated with your accounting app
- Has strong record protection that makes private records accessible only to certain users or teams
- Features security tools allow admins to restore records that are deleted accidentally
- Task management tools: Get reminded of upcoming tasks via email so that you never miss a deadline
