Customer relationship management (CRM) software offer features like task automation or lead management. However, the best operational CRM systems offer tools that go beyond helping businesses streamline sales processes by managing emails, tracking calls, and setting appointments. For example, they can calculate commission totals and manage accounting tasks. In this article, we chose the best CRM provider for a range of sales operational needs.
Based on our criteria, these are the top six CRM software to optimize sales operations:
- Pipedrive: Best overall CRM for visualizing sales pipelines and reports
- Insightly: Best for businesses that are looking for a tool to boost their sales team’s productivity
- Freshsales: Great option for teams that focus on phone-based sales and outreach
- Bitrix24: Right CRM for businesses that require multichannel communications management tools
- Copper: Great option for sales teams that need to automate repetitive tasks
- Salesforce: Ideal for businesses that want integrated customer service tools
We have evaluated different CRM systems based on features specific to sales operations. If you want to check out options that extend to other processes, such as marketing and customer service, you may read our top picks for the best CRM software for small businesses.
How We Evaluated CRM Systems for Sales Operations
An operational CRM software’s role is to drive efficiency within your sales organization. It eliminates repetitive work like call logging and ensures that your sales agents are engaging with the right prospects. We developed a scoring system that ranks different providers according to pricing and benefits for operational teams.
With an overall score of 4.14 out of 5, Pipedrive takes the top spot on the best CRM for sales operations. It provides user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing sales tools, as well as artificial intelligence (AI)-driven recommendations. It also offers one of the most competitive prices among the providers mentioned in this article.
Click on the tabs below to learn more about our scoring system:
40% of Overall Score
On top of providing the essential features, the best CRM systems should offer the most competitive prices as well. Even entry-level plans should give you access to features that can streamline your sales processes.
20% of Overall Score
A CRM should provide basic features like customizable pipelines, reporting tools, and a mobile app. Since CRM systems can serve as control hubs for marketing, customer service, and other aspects of a business, being able to integrate with third-party software is also a big plus.
15% of Overall Score
CRM systems are designed to simplify complex business processes. Thus, top CRMs should not require a lot of technical skills to set up and operate.
15% of Overall Score
The ability to provide technical support is also a big consideration in ranking these CRM providers. The support team should be accessible within a wide time frame through various channels, such as email, phone, and chat.
10% of Overall Score
Through the first-hand experience with various CRM software, we have come up with expert analysis on how these software perform against each other. We have considered their overall usability, value for money, popularity, and the features that stand out.
Pipedrive: Best Overall Operational CRM
Pipedrive
What We Like
- Offers one of the most affordable plans
- Highly visual pipelines and reports
- Provides an AI assistant
What's Missing
- Phone support only available in the most expensive plan
- Does not offer its built-in dialer in the lower plans
- Lead generation tools cost extra
Pipedrive Pricing at a Glance*
- Essential: $15 per user, per month
- Advanced: $29 per user, per month
- Professional: $59 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user, per month, billed annually (requires at least 10 users)
*Based on monthly billing. Annual subscriptions are also available at slightly lower rates.
Pipedrive’s highly visual and customizable features enable you to create easy-to-understand sales pipelines, reports, and dashboards. It gives your sales team more time to focus on selling and closing deals rather than interpreting complex data. Its AI assistant also recommends which deals to focus on, boosting sales performance and preventing you from missing opportunities.
Pipedrive Features
- Lead and deal management
- Communications tracking
- Workflow automation
- Insights and reports
- Mobile app
If you are interested in learning more about how Pipedrive can make it easier to manage your sales operations, check out our Pipedrive review.
Insightly: Best for Boosting Sales Team’s Productivity
Insightly
What We Like
- Extensive third-party software integrations
- Has integrated project management system
- Real-time data synchronization with mobile app
What's Missing
- Dialer costs extra
- Workflow automation tools are only available in the higher plans
- Email scheduling not offered in the entry-level plan
Insightly Pricing at a Glance*
- Free plan: Supports up to two users
- Plus: $35 per user, per month
- Professional: $59 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $129 per user, per month
*Based on monthly billing. Annual subscriptions are also available at slightly lower rates.
Insightly is a CRM that provides lead routing, workflow automation, and email management tools. What makes it stand out is its built-in project management tool that you can utilize to manage deals. This tool would be helpful as you continue to build and nurture relationships with leads and clients, ensuring that no prospect falls through the cracks.
Insightly Features
- Email open and click statistics
- Relationship mapping
- Workflow customization and automation
- Customizable dashboards
- Mobile app
Freshsales: Best for Phone-based Sales & Outreach
Freshsales
What We Like
- Offers a free plan that allows unlimited users
- Has an AI assistant
- Provides an in-app dialer and toll-free numbers
What's Missing
- Complex pricing structure
- Limited email and social media integrations
- Sales forecasting is only available in the most expensive plan
Freshsales Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Unlimited customer support
- Growth: $18 per user, per month
- Pro: $47 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $83 per user, per month
*Based on monthly billing. Annual subscriptions are also available at slightly lower rates.
Freshsales’ strength lies in its robust phone-based sales tools. It has a built-in telephony solution that enables you to secure toll-free numbers. Its mobile app also provides field sales-friendly features, like voice notes, offline mode, and integration with Google Maps and Uber. Its customer support team is also one of the most reachable, being available 24/5 through phone, chat, and email.
Freshsales Features
- Marketing automation
- Sales management
- Analytics
- Workflow automation
- AI assistant
- Built-in telephony
Bitrix24: Best for Multichannel Communications Management
Bitrix24
What We Like
- Offers a free plan that accommodates unlimited users and contacts
- Extensive features, including contact management, ecommerce, and invoicing
- Has multichannel communications management tools
What's Missing
- Paid plans have limits on the number of users
- Sales intelligence tool is only available in the most advanced plans
- Limits the number of custom sales pipelines you can create
Bitrix24 Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Allows unlimited users
- Start+: $24 per month, for up to two users
- CRM+: $69 per month, for up to six users
- Project+: $69 per month, for up to 24 users
- Standard: $99 per month, for up to 50 users
- Professional: $199 per month, for unlimited users
*Based on monthly billing. Annual subscriptions are also available at slightly lower rates.
Bitrix24’s contact center solutions allow sales teams to organize contact records and communications. It centralizes all of your communication channels, such as email, chat, telephony, social media, and messaging apps. This multichannel ability enables you to engage more leads and customers, streamline communication, and ultimately improve conversion rates. It also offers detailed communication features like call tracking, email synchronization, and webforms.
Bitrix24 Features
- Contact center
- Quotations
- Product catalog
- Client profiles
- Marketing automation
- Reports and analytics
- Ecommerce
Copper: Best for Task Automation
Copper
What We Like
- Automatic contact enrichment
- Has a built-in project management tool
- Sales forecasting is available on all plans
What's Missing
- Limited communications management tools
- Almost all third-party integrations are not available in the entry-level plan
- Starting plan is limited to three users
Copper Pricing at a Glance
- Basic: $29 per user, per month, billed monthly*
- Professional: $59 per user, per month, billed annually
- Business: $119 per user, per month, billed annually
*An annual subscription is also available at $25 per user, per month.
Copper offers comprehensive automation tools that benefit your sales operations, such as contact enrichment, segmentation, compiling relationship histories, and sending personalized emails. It helps you understand each lead better, engage with them effectively, and increase conversion rates. It can also automate communications when prospects show signs of interest, such as clicking on a link in your email or filling in a form on your website.
Copper Features
- Behavior-based communication
- Automated calls, meetings, and activities logging
- Project management
- Bulk emailing
- Reporting tools
Salesforce: Best for Integrated Sales & Customer Service
Salesforce
What We Like
- One of the most feature-rich CRM solutions
- Extensive mobile app features, such as AI-powered analytics and task automation
- Offers a lot of tutorials and guides
What's Missing
- Most third-party software integrations cost extra
- Advanced plans do not have monthly billing option
- Reporting tools can be difficult to use
Salesforce Pricing at a Glance
- Essentials: $35 per user, per month, billed monthly*
- Sales Professional: $75 per user, per month, billed annually
- Enterprise: $150 per user, per month, billed annually
- Unlimited: $300 per user, per month, billed annually
*For up to 10 users. An annual subscription is also available at $25 per user, per month.
Salesforce’s solutions for small businesses give you access to comprehensive sales and customer service tools. Among these tools are AI-driven contact enrichment, deal projections, and case management. This CRM system also works seamlessly with Salesforce’s suite of integrated products for various business processes, such as marketing, ecommerce, and analytics.
Salesforce Features
- Rule-based lead scoring
- Sales forecasting
- Workflow and approval automation
- Quotations
- Case management
- Service telephony
- Mobile app
