and easy methods to decide the one which’s finest for you
Are you searching for one of the best CRM in your startup?
We’ll current the highest selections for startups with out complicated you with a number of particulars about options. 😖 And we’ll clearly clarify when to choose which CRM. 😁
This features a mixture of evaluate scores from completely different platforms to focus on what your fellow startups take into consideration their CRM.
Right here’s what we’ll cowl briefly: 👇
- How you can define what the best CRM is for your startup
- The 7 best CRMs for startups ranked 👈 (be at liberty to go right here without delay!)
- Which of these CRMs to pick in your specific case
- Why the best CRM is the one your sales team uses
- 3 steps to CRM success
How will you outline what one of the best CRM is in your startup?
There are three questions to contemplate when selecting an ideal CRM for startups:
- Does the CRM work in your use case and kind of startup enterprise?
- Does it match with the remainder of your gross sales toolset?
- Is it a superb CRM?
To reply query 1, begin from your actual use case and your kind of startup enterprise:
To reply query 2, take into account whether or not the CRM methods you’re looking at are a nice match in your gross sales toolset. We now have devoted breakdowns for the next:
And eventually, for query 3, you may search for CRMs which might be properly rated by their customers throughout platforms. For this, try the CRMs for startups on this record and their international evaluate scores.
These international evaluate scores are obtained by combining three scores into one:
- Product score, from the #1 B2B software program evaluate website (G2)
- Cell app score, from the #1 cell app retailer (Google Play)
- Electronic mail plugin score, from the #1 e mail plugin market (Google Workspace Market)
That method you already know you get a CRM for startups that performs on all fronts. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The 7 finest CRMs for startups ranked
Don’t need to learn the entire comparability? 🤓
Right here’s a fast overview of how every CRM for startups performs:
- Salesflare: 9.7/10 🏆
- Salesforce: 8.7/10
- HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub: 8.6/10
- ActiveCampaign: 8.5/10
- Freshworks CRM: 8.3/10
- Zoho CRM Plus: 7.7/10
- Pipedrive: 6.6/10
Wish to dig into the main points? Learn on! 👇
1. Salesflare [9.7/10] 🏆

When you’re a small or medium-sized B2B enterprise and want one thing that your group will truly use, Salesflare might be the correct selection for you.
Salesflare is a devoted gross sales CRM that was constructed from the bottom as much as assist your gross sales group construct higher relationships and promote extra, whereas requiring little or no of that dreaded information enter.
It’s made to tug all the info collectively from the place it already is (your Office 365 or Google email, LinkedIn, calendar, telephone, social media, firm databases, e mail signatures, email tracking, internet monitoring, …) and makes use of that that can assist you comply with up your leads in a greater method.
The flip aspect is that some firms are not used to sharing this a lot info inside the group, though this has been altering dramatically lately, and Salesflare has launched a permissions system for firms who need to restrict a few of that newly created transparency.
Salesflare’s G2 evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 9.5
- Ease of Setup: 9.5
- Meets Necessities: 9.3
- High quality of Assist: 9.7
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 9.9
- Ease of Admin: 9.5
Salesflare’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 9.6/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 4.8/5 → 9.6/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 5/5 → 10/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 9.7/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $49/person/month (billed yearly)
- $55/person/month (billed month-to-month)
When you don’t promote B2B (aka to different companies) and don’t do energetic gross sales, one of many beneath CRMs would possibly then be a greater match for you. However, when you do actively promote B2B, give Salesflare a try.
It solely takes a couple of minutes to start a Salesflare trial and comply with up your leads in a greater method.👈
We assure you received’t discover any higher CRM in your startup! 👌


2. Salesforce [8.7/10]
Salesforce is the most important CRM firm on the earth, controlling about 24% of the market. Its inventory ticker is even “CRM”, so we undoubtedly can’t compile a listing of CRMs with out mentioning it.
Whereas, within the first few years of its existence, Salesforce was centered on startup firms, it has since shifted its deal with enterprises. This additionally instantly explains why it’s forte is excessive customizability (supplied you pay a group of consultants to do this) and why it has positioned itself to be the one software program vendor that gives an answer to all what you are promoting wants.
Salesforce does nonetheless supply an answer to startups and small companies at this time, known as Salesforce Necessities, a restricted model of the total platform. In comparison with different CRMs on this record nevertheless, it lacks in person friendliness and is probably not personalized for gross sales groups.
This frustration with Salesforce is definitely one of many the reason why we began constructing Salesflare, and – maybe not surprisingly – why lots of our clients discover Salesflare whereas searching for a greater different.
If excessive customizability is nevertheless your factor, otherwise you’re working at a company, Salesforce would possibly nonetheless be your best option for you. However earlier than signing any contract, read this guide to the small print first.
Salesforce’s G2 evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 8.1
- Ease of Setup: 7.5
- Meets Necessities: 8.8
- High quality of Assist: 8.2
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 8.3
- Ease of Admin: 8.0
Salesforce’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 8.2/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 4.2/5 → 8.4/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 4.7/5 → 9.4/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 8.7/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $75/person/month (solely billed yearly)
3. HubSpot CRM & Gross sales Hub [8.6/10]
HubSpot is a advertising and marketing automation platform turned all the things platform. It was based in 2005 to make advertising and marketing automation simpler.
These days, HubSpot’s foremost promoting level is providing an all-in-one resolution, together with advertising and marketing, gross sales, service and operations. When you don’t like utilizing completely different apps and integrating them (utilizing instruments like Zapier and native integrations), then HubSpot is perhaps what you’re searching for.
The flip aspect of the coin is that HubSpot’s software program is extraordinarily costly. Sure, its minimal startup CRM is free, nevertheless it’s solely similar to the others on this record when you purchase it along with the Gross sales Hub. And if you wish to truly reap the advantages of the all-in-one platform, it’s essential pay up for the opposite Hubs too.
On prime of that, you’ll discover that the completely different instruments within the platform don’t examine to their extra polished, feature-rich and normally cheaper rivals.
Truly, when you’ve got some concepts of what performance you want (a CRM, lead kinds, touchdown pages, automated emails or perhaps newsletters, …), hit us up on the chat and we’ll show you how to give you the right sales-marketing stack in your startup. I assure that it’ll be higher and cheaper… and straightforward to combine.
HubSpot’s G2 evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 8.6
- Ease of Setup: 8.3
- Meets Necessities: 8.5
- High quality of Assist: 8.5
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 8.7
- Ease of Admin: 8.6
HubSpot’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 8.5/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 4.6/5 → 9.2/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 4.0/5 → 8.0/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 8.6/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $90/person/month (billed yearly – minimal 5 customers)
- $100/person/month (billed month-to-month – minimal 5 customers)
4. ActiveCampaign [8.5/10]
ActiveCampaign is an e mail advertising and marketing/automation platform, based in 2003. It now manufacturers itself as a buyer expertise automation (CXA) platform, to cowl its increasing vary of performance.
ActiveCampaign added a startup CRM to its providing in 2014, as a gross sales centered add-on to the remainder of the platform. This integration between e mail automation and CRM might be its foremost forte.
Establishing ActiveCampaign shouldn’t be a lightweight activity and its software program could develop into overwhelming, whereas the CRM side itself then again won’t be as characteristic wealthy in comparison with the opposite CRMs for startups on this record.
When individuals examine ActiveCampaign to Salesflare, which additionally presents automated emails and e mail sequences, our recommendation is normally easy: when you’re an ecommerce firm or B2C firm, otherwise you want very complicated or very excessive quantity e mail automation, ActiveCampaign might be what you’re searching for. When you’re a B2B firm with an energetic gross sales group and the necessity to automate extra private emails, then go together with Salesflare.
ActiveCampaign’s G2 evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 8.7
- Ease of Setup: 8.5
- Meets Necessities: 9.1
- High quality of Assist: 9.1
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 9.2
- Ease of Admin: 8.7
ActiveCampaign’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 8.9/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 4.3/5 → 8.6/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 4.0/5 → 8.0/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 8.5/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $149/month (billed yearly, with max. 2500 contacts)
- $187/month (billed month-to-month, with max. 2500 contacts)
5. Freshworks CRM [8.3/10]
Freshworks CRM is a sales CRM from Freshworks, the corporate behind / initially known as Freshdesk. Freshworks was based in 2010 to supply a greater, cheaper resolution for customer support groups.
Freshworks’ foremost promoting level is its characteristic depth. It has additionally managed to supply this vary of performance by a better to make use of interface than its rivals/predecessors from the identical metropolis (Chennai, India), Zoho.
The flip aspect right here is that the software program does really feel fairly cumbersome and that the performance looks like its constructed too quick to be very well thought by. If complicated software program frustrates you, it most likely isn’t for you.
When you’re in for its most simple plan, the price-functionality ratio is similar to the extra usually priced startup CRMs on this record. The pricing nevertheless ramps up in a short time from there as you want extra performance (or greater than 1 pipeline, 5 sequences, …).
Salesflare doesn’t typically get in comparison with Freshworks CRM, however when it occurs, it’s individuals weighing getting one thing that their group will love to make use of, in opposition to one thing that checks off just a few extra of the bins on their specs record.
Freshworks CRM’s G2 evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 9.1
- Ease of Setup: 8.9
- Meets Necessities: 8.9
- High quality of Assist: 9.0
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 9.1
- Ease of Admin: 9.4
Freshworks CRM’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 9.0/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 3.8/5 → 7.6/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 4.2/5 → 8.4/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 8.3/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $39/person/month (billed yearly)
- $47/person/month (billed month-to-month)
6. Zoho CRM Plus [7.7/10]
Zoho Company is a software program growth firm, based in 1996 (coincidentally in the identical metropolis as Freshworks above), which is behind an extraordinarily wide selection of software program merchandise.
It launched a startup CRM product in 2005, which has traditionally been positioning itself as a cheaper different to Salesforce. And that’s instantly its largest energy.
The top of its providing is Zoho One, which supplies you entry to 40+ of its “enterprise apps” for $105/person/month (or $45 when you get it for ALL your workers). Discuss low cost!
The flip aspect is that Zoho’s merchandise don’t really feel person pleasant. Whereas the engineering group does churn out loads options for a low value, the person expertise is usually missing.
Nonetheless, when you can’t resist a superb deal, Zoho has a complete lot to give you. Or, when you’ve already tried Zoho and didn’t adore it, give Salesflare a try.
Zoho CRM’s evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 8.1
- Ease of Setup: 7.6
- Meets Necessities: 8.2
- High quality of Assist: 7.4
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 7.9
- Ease of Admin: 7.8
Zoho CRM’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 7.8/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 4.2/5 → 8.4/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 3.5/5 → 7.0/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 7.7/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $57/person/month (billed yearly)
- $69/person/month (billed month-to-month)
7. Pipedrive [6.6/10]
Pipedrive is a dedicated sales CRM. It was based in 2011 in Estonia as a counterreaction to enterprise CRMs like Salesforce, that are constructed extra for enterprise wants than they’re for gross sales groups in startups.
Pipedrive’s energy is its easy and properly thought of person expertise, particularly in the case of its older performance. It makes information enter and preserving observe of actions simpler, albeit nonetheless very guide.
Its foremost weak spot is that it has develop into a bit stale, with a extra restricted cell app, missing primary automation (e.g. of information enter), a wonky email integration, and a set of newer performance that’s not as thoughtfully constructed anymore.
Sooner or later in time, we positioned Salesflare as “Pipedrive with out the typing” (verify this TechCrunch video as an example). We did this as a result of like Salesflare, Pipedrive is constructed for gross sales groups, is simple to make use of, and straightforward to arrange.
The primary distinction is that, in contrast to Pipedrive, Salesflare was constructed from the bottom as much as automate your group’s information enter, which additionally makes it straightforward to maintain it alive / updated… so you may reap all the advantages you’d anticipate to get from a CRM . As a result of, in any case, a CRM is simply helpful when you maintain utilizing it.
Pipedrive’s G2 evaluate scoring:
- Ease of Use: 8.9
- Ease of Setup: 8.7
- Meets Necessities: 8.4
- High quality of Assist: 8.4
- Ease of Doing Enterprise With: 8.7
- Ease of Admin: 8.6
Pipedrive’s evaluate scores:
- Product (G2): 8.6/10
- Cell app (Google Play): 3.3/5 → 6.6/10
- Electronic mail plugin (Google Workspace): 2.3/5 → 4.6/10
- FINAL STARTUP CRM SCORE: 6.6/10
Value of the Professional plan:
- $49.90/person/month (billed yearly)
- $59.90/person/month (billed month-to-month)
Which of those CRMs to choose during which case?
Right here’s a fast abstract on professionals and cons:
- Salesflare [9.7/10] 🏆: your startup’s gross sales group will truly use it (however the transparency created could also be too excessive for some groups)
- Salesforce [8.7/10]: you’ll be capable of customise all the things (nevertheless it received’t be made for startups, nor for gross sales groups)
- HubSpot CRM & Gross sales Hub [8.6/10]: you’ll have all the things in a single place (nevertheless it’ll get extraordinarily costly for a set of instruments that’s not on par with what you get if you purchase the specialised instruments individually)
- ActiveCampaign [8.5/10]: you’ll get superior e mail automation (however the CRM half received’t be as developed as with the others within the record)
- Freshworks CRM [8.3/10]: you’ll get a ton of performance (however it might get a bit cumbersome and sophisticated)
- Zoho CRM Plus [7.7/10]: you’ll get plenty of performance for a low value (nevertheless it received’t be person pleasant)
- Pipedrive [6.6/10]: you’ll get one thing that’s made for gross sales groups (however that has develop into a bit stale)
Don’t take our phrase for it nevertheless. We’re very properly knowledgeable, but in addition somewhat biased. 😄
And know that, in the long run, your priorities will outline what’s your best option for YOU.
Nonetheless, earlier than we depart you with some sensible recommendation on easy methods to decide and implement the correct one, allow us to share with you why we imagine one of the best startup CRM is the one your gross sales group truly makes use of.
Why one of the best CRM is the one your gross sales group makes use of
A research by CSO Insights reveals that 43% of CRM clients use fewer than half of the options of their CRM.
One other startling statistic from a Staples Office research is that 70% of workers say poorly performing know-how is a drain on productiveness charges; an important issue, forward of burn-out, sickness and workplace politics. 😣
And it’s not nearly not utilizing sure options, or severely harm productiveness, it’s about way more. A CRM that isn’t correctly utilized by your startup’s gross sales group causes a lengthy collection of very critical points:
- When anyone leaves, you need to begin constructing plenty of buyer relationships once more from scratch
- When anyone is sick, it’s very onerous to exchange them
- Teaching your gross sales group and serving to them do higher could be very onerous, as you’ve gotten little or no to base your self on
- Creating up-to-date income forecasts requires plenty of work/nagging
- Collaborating inside the gross sales group or between the gross sales and advertising and marketing groups is 10x more durable
- …
That’s why, in accordance with CSO Insights, 72% of senior executives would commerce extra ease of use for much less performance, and, in accordance with Inside CRM, 65% of gross sales professionals discover ease of use the most important CRM feature. ✨
In conclusion, in case your gross sales group doesn’t use the CRM, it’s not very helpful to have one.
Now, how do you be sure you decide and implement a CRM in order that they WILL use it? 👇
3 steps to CRM success
Based mostly on a few years of serving to clients achieve success, right here’s our 3-step recommendation to choose the correct CRM in your startup and implement it the correct method:
- Determine what you want a CRM for. Many startups will simply kind “CRM” into Google. What they’ll usually find yourself with is among the 700+ CRMs with among the deepest pockets, which will get it visibility on the prime of search and evaluate listings, not the one that’s finest for them. When you’re in actual property, you’ll want one thing else than if you’re in ecommerce, or when you’ve gotten a nail salon, or when you’re in B2B sales.
- Contain your gross sales group within the choice. Don’t select a CRM by your self and impose it in your startup’s gross sales group. Likelihood is excessive they received’t use it, which can render the CRM ineffective. As a substitute, make a shortlist and get them to really use these CRMs. In the event that they see themselves utilizing the CRM, you’re far more possible they’ll begin and maintain utilizing it. Plus, you’ve gotten their buy-in.
- Prepare the group on what it does and HOW you’ll use it as a group. Coaching the group on what the CRM can do is important, so your group can use it to its fullest potential. Nonetheless, you’re setting your self up for failure when you don’t additionally resolve the way you’re going to make use of it as a group. If everyone makes use of the system otherwise, it’s onerous to collaborate or make sense of the info. Take just a few moments to give you some pointers, and also you’ll have once more maximized your probabilities for achievement.
When you comply with all 3 steps, you’re instantly forward of 99% of different startups, as our expertise tells us all of them appear to skip at the very least one in every of them! 🥇
Need extra steering? Tell us! Our group is right here to assist. Even when you don’t find yourself choosing Salesflare.

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