Really Simple Systems Review: Is It Right for Your Business?
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
This article is part of a larger series on CRM.
Really Simple Systems software is an easy-to-use customer relationship management (CRM) platform with a centralized set of tools for managing sales, marketing, and customer service activities. It provides traditional sales operation features for contact and pipeline management, and customization capabilities for reports, data fields, dashboards, and charts. It also offers a free-forever plan. Read our Really Simple Systems review below for more details.
Really Simple Systems
What We Like
- Tools are easy to learn and operate
- Integrates with accounting software
- System has a robust set of customization options for design, layouts, and fields
- Offers a free-forever plan option
- Built-in quote generation tools
What's Missing
- No mobile application
- Marketing tools require monthly add-on costs
- Customer service management features require additional costs
- No social media integrations
- Advanced auto-reporting tools are only available on Enterprise plan
What We Recommend Really Simple Systems For
Based on our Really Simple Systems review, it’s best suited for startups or small businesses on a tight budget looking for a user-friendly platform. Because of its wide range of customization capabilities and affordable pricing tiers, this CRM software is also an excellent choice for companies focused on a niche market, product, or service that requires specialized data fields like claim numbers, unique tracking IDs, or need uncommon dashboard configurations.
Who Really Simple Systems Is a Good Fit For
- Small businesses looking for a free or low-cost CRM solution: Really Simple Systems offers a free option with basic CRM functionality for organizing contact data, monitoring opportunities, and managing tasks. The paid plans are also relatively inexpensive and extend capabilities to email synchronization and integration with accounting software. For information on other free CRM products, check out our picks for the best free CRM software.
- Teams needing robust CRM system customization: Even on the Free plan, users can customize their system to their business’ needs, including custom data fields, table grids, drop-down lists, dashboard layouts, and CRM page design. Other highly customizable CRMs can be reviewed in our article on the best customizable CRM systems for 2021.
- Salespeople seeking CRM tools that are easy to learn: This software is recognized for how quickly users adapt to using the available tools and how easy the interface is to navigate. For that reason, it was also our number one pick as the best simple CRM system.
Who Really Simple Systems Is Not a Good Fit For
- Companies looking for automated email capabilities on a tight budget: Some of its more advanced marketing features, like template designers and automated drip campaigns, require an additional monthly payment on top of subscribing to a paid plan. To learn about more affordable options with email marketing, check out our article about the best CRMs for email marketing.
- Organizations needing low-cost solutions to manage customer service: Features in the Service Desk add-on that can assist in managing customer support require an additional monthly fee as well as subscription to the Professional level plan. For low-cost customer service tools, check out Bitrix24.
- Sales teams looking for mobile CRM capabilities: While Really Simple Systems has solid mobile responsiveness from their web site for mobile devices, they do not have a mobile application that can be downloaded on iOS or Android devices. For an in-depth evaluation of mobile CRM products, check out our picks for the best mobile CRM applications for 2021.
Really Simple Systems Pricing
Really Simple Systems offers a forever-free CRM for up to two users. However, the features available to businesses in the free version are limited to basic features like contact organization and pipeline management.
Paid plans start at $18 per user, per month ($14 per user, per month when paid annually) and offer additional integrations for business tools like accounting software. The big catch in the pricing structure is that its marketing and customer service desk tools require monthly add-on costs (regardless of paid tier).
Plans | Free | Starter | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best For | Startups | Growing businesses | Multi-sales teams | Large-scale businesses |
Monthly Pricing ($/User/Month) | $0 | $18 | $38 | $55 |
Annual Pricing ($/User/Month) | $0 | $14 | $30 | $46 |
Maximum Users | 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Contact Management | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Pipeline Management | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Accounting Software Integrations | ✕ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
VoIP Telephone Integrations | ✕ | ✕ | ✔ | ✔ |
Quote Generation Tools | ✕ | ✕ | ✔ | ✔ |
Simple Marketing Add-on (Annual Billing) | ✕ | $22 per month | $22 per month | Included for up to 5 users, then $22 per month |
Advanced Marketing Add-on (Annual Billing) | ✕ | $46 per month | $46 per month | $46 per month |
Service Desk Add-on (Annual Billing) | ✕ | $46 per month | $46 per month | Included for up to 5 users, then $46 per month |
Free Plan
For up to two users and storage for up to 100 records, users on the Free plan get basic features including contact management, pipeline management, opportunity stage tracking, and sales forecasting. They also can integrate their calendar to the CRM system and create task reminders. A few features not included in the Free plan are integrations with email, accounting, voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP), and single sign-on software—plus the ability to set security permission levels.
Starter
The Starter plan allows for an unlimited number of users and expands on everything in the Free plan, including feature capabilities to integrations with accounting software, email systems, and geolocation tools using Google Maps. The Starter plan is also the first tier that allows the option to purchase the simple or advanced marketing add-ons.
Professional
The Professional plan includes everything in the Starter plan and adds built-in quotation tools and the ability to set system permission levels within the CRM. Integration capabilities widen slightly by allowing VoIP telephone integrations. The Professional plan also allows users to purchase the optional service desk add-on.
Enterprise
With unlimited records, contacts and document storage, the Enterprise plan includes everything from the Professional tier plus advanced and auto-scheduled reports. Users can also include customizable charts for their dashboard and integrate with single sign-on software. The plan allows up to five users to use the marketing and service desk add-ons at no additional cost.
Really Simple Systems Features
Really Simple Systems is an all-in-one platform that offers tools for managing sales prospects, marketing campaigns, and customer support operations. It stands out for its ease of use and comprehensive customization capabilities. The software also has the ability to integrate with popular tools like Zapier, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Gmail, and Xero.
Really Simple Systems Add-ons
- Simple Marketing ($26 per month): Email marketing automation tool that can handle up to 5,000 emails per month. This feature is included for free when you subscribe to the Enterprise plan with five or more users.
- Advanced Marketing ($55 per month): Includes email marketing, lead management, and web form creation tools. It enables you to send up to 50,000 emails per month.
- Service Desk ($55 per month): Has customer service tools, such as case management, service level agreements (SLAs), and case-level ranking. For larger teams and businesses that choose the Enterprise option, this feature is automatically included.
General Features
Your business can manage customer, prospect, and supplier contacts by organizing information, monitoring interactions, and managing tasks associated with specific contacts. On the higher-tiered plans, you can also integrate your business email and VoIP phone system into the CRM, and synchronize contact data and communications.
Really Simple Systems contacts list view
(Source: Software Suggest)
Really Simple Systems also has pipeline management tools that allow your business to create and track sales opportunities. You can customize sales opportunities by adding deal values and probabilities of closing the deal. This information assists in more accurate sales forecasting reports for your business.
Really Simple Systems opportunities list
(Source: G2)
On the Professional and Enterprise plans, your business has access to built-in quote generation tools. This gives your sales reps the ability to create quote proposals from an opportunity record where they can view a quote, download a proposal, and send a proposal to a prospect.
Really Simple Systems quotations tool
(Source: Really Simple Systems)
For an additional $55 per month, your business can also access Really Simple Systems service desk features for managing customer support. Within that feature is the service level agreement (SLA) tool that automatically prioritizes customer cases. You can customize your support system with target response times and triggers to identify urgent cases.
Really Simple Systems service desk priority levels
(Source: Really Simple Systems)
For marketing features, Really Simple Systems offers optional Simple Marketing and Advanced Marketing add-ons at an additional cost. The add-ons allow website integrations and workflow automations to automatically add new account records captured from your online webforms. Drip campaigns that send automated emails to your contacts can also be deployed based on schedule intervals to send newsletters, special offers, and event invitations.
Really Simple Systems campaign designer
(Source: SmallBizCRM)
Mobile App
Really Simple Systems does not offer a mobile application for iOS or Android system download. Mobile use is limited to viewing its desktop version on a mobile device. While it’s not an app native to the operating system of the mobile device, it will automatically fit to the size of your device’s screen since the website is mobile-responsive.
Reporting & Analytics
One standout attribute of the Really Simple Systems CRM reporting features are that sales forecasting capabilities are available on the Free plan. Forecasts, along with outstanding tasks, the current sales funnel, and revenue breakdowns can all be presented on the CRM dashboard.
Really Simple Systems dashboard (Source: NeilPatel.com)
Reports can be designed to your business’ needs with custom widgets and charts, as well as the specific data being pulled and analyzed. However, some of the more advanced reporting features that generate report summaries, allow data filtering, and create auto-scheduled reports are only available on the Enterprise plan.
Really Simple Systems widget customization
(Source: Really Simple Systems)
Third-party Integrations
Really Simple Systems integrates with popular small business applications like Gmail, Office 365, and Zapier on the Free plan. The Starter plan expands capabilities to accounting software like Xero, Sage Business Cloud, and Kashflow. Your business can integrate VoIP telephone systems once subscribed to the Professional plan, and single sign-on functionality can be attained on the Enterprise plan with OneLogin and Microsoft Azure integrations.
Really Simple Systems creating invoice from Xero (Source: Really Simple Systems)
Customer Service
Really Simple Systems provides customer support during standard business hours by phone, email, and live chat. In addition to its customer support channels, there are also supplemental tools you and your team can access, including webinars, a blog, tutorial videos, and a customer support hub with step-by-step instructions and how-to guides.
Really Simple Systems support hub
(Source: Really Simple Systems)
Ease of Use
No Really Simple Systems review would be complete without noting that it’s an excellent product for users new to operating a CRM. At most, a minimal skill level is needed to set up and use the platform. It’s also easy to navigate because the interface only uses a few buttons on the vertical, left tab: Sales, Marketing, Service & Support, and History.
Really Simple Systems dashboard
(Source: Discover CRM)
Really Simple Systems Alternatives
Really Simple Systems offers some tremendous CRM benefits to your business, such as an easy-to-use system, a free option, and tools for managing contact information and sales pipelines. Still, it may be missing a feature or product attribute your business heavily desires. Below are some alternatives to consider:
 |  |  |
Best for: Startups looking for a free CRM with email marketing tools | Best for: Small businesses that want a lower-cost alternative for managing customer service requests | Best for: Sales teams that want a built-in telephone system included in their CRM |
Starting price: Free to $45 per month* | Starting price: Free to $39 per month* | Starting price: Free to $15 per user, per month* |
*Pricing is based on annual billing
What Users Think of Really Simple Systems
The Really Simple Systems reviews left by customers are relatively consistent across the board. For the most part, users give relatively high marks when reviewing Really Simple Systems’ ease of use, value for money, and customer support offered by the provider.
- Capterra: 4.4 out of 5 based on 297 reviews
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 based on 142 reviews
- Software Advice: 4.43 out of 5 based on 297 reviews
Most of the poor reviews of Really Simple Systems stem from a functional element of the platform, such as the fact that it lacks a mobile application or that it cannot integrate with a specific third-party tool. However, most users say it’s an intuitive platform that’s easy for an entire sales team to adopt.
Bottom Line
Based on our Really Simple Systems review, we find it is a low-cost (or even free) CRM that provides the basic features of most sales CRMs. The lack of a mobile app and additional costs for add-ons is offset by the robust customization and the easy-to-use CRM tools. Plus, with optional add-ons for managing marketing and customer service operations, you can decide when to make the investment for the more advanced features as your business scales.
You Might Also Like…
- Are you looking for a CRM that comes at no cost? Check out our picks for the best free CRM software for small businesses.
- Looking to make the most out of your CRM investment? Here are some CRM best practices for small businesses.
