10 Best CRM Software I Found After Testing 30+ CRMs

Choosing the best CRM software can feel overwhelming. With countless options on the market, it’s easy to get lost in features, pricing models, and promises.

I’ve spent years working with sales and marketing teams, seeing firsthand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to managing customer relationships. Sitting with sales reps during their meetings taught me about their frustration with clunky software and deals falling apart because critical follow-ups slipped through the cracks. I’ve also seen my sales colleagues lose valuable time troubleshooting CRMs that were not designed to meet their needs.

A clunky or overly complicated CRM slows down your team and impacts your bottom line. The best CRM software acts as an extension of your sales process—empowering reps with insights, automating repetitive tasks, and enabling them to focus on what matters the most: building relationships and closing deals.

To help businesses avoid the missteps I’ve encountered in the past, we've partnered with sales professionals and Blue Bowen, our resident expert on CRM solutions, to assess 30+ CRM solutions based on real-world sales needs: usability, automation capabilities, scalability, reporting, and integration with email and marketing software. I’ve also analyzed G2 reviews to get a clearer picture of what real CRM users value most. These insights helped me understand the common pain points users face, ensuring the CRM recommendations below align with your business needs.

10 best CRM software for 2025: My top picks

A CRM helps you store customer contact details, manage the sales pipeline, gain insights into sales forecasting trends, and automate repetitive tasks like sending follow-up reminders. CRM tools let you share notes on customer interactions, so you can collaborate better with account executives, BDRs, and customer success teams. 

Best CRM software go one step more by letting you acccess customer data, performance metrics and sales pipeline from a single dashboard. I’m all about tools that make life easier, so I love it when CRM systems include automation for managing leads and running email campaigns. Plus, they integrate with analytics tools and calendars. And some also offer AI-powered insights to help you stay on top of high-value leads and sales KPIs. 

What I believe sets the best CRM software apart

The importance of CRM features depends on the role of end users and their daily tasks. Here's what I think sets the best CRMs apart from the rest. These are also the criterion based on which we evaluated the CRM solutions.

• Intuitive user interface: Ease of use is an absolute must for any software, no doubt about it. Working with the sales and marketing teams has shown me just how much different teams rely on their own set of metrics. If a CRM isn’t easy to use, they won’t be able to create role-specific dashboards with the key metrics and tasks they need. Plus, I know my sales teammates would love using drag-and-drop Kanban boards to visualize their deals, but can't do so if the CRM isn’t easy to use.
• Task and activity management: If you’re anything like me, you love task management software for how easily it keeps you on top of to-dos and deadlines. It’s the same with CRMs—I’ve noticed a lot of users prefer automatic task creation triggered by events like deal stage changes or lead inquiries. From what I’ve seen, they also really appreciate activity timelines that give a clear, chronological view of all interactions.
• Reporting and analytics: I’ve noticed my sales peers are big fans of custom report builders. They love real-time dashboards for tracking the latest metrics on sales pipelines, campaign performance, and support tickets. Plus, based on my research and G2 review data, CRM users today prefer tools with predictive analytics to forecast trends, spot churn risks, and suggest the next best steps.
• Integrated communication tools: Having spent a good amount of time with sales and marketing teams, I know the last thing they want is to bounce between tools before or after client meetings. That’s why it’s crucial for your CRM to have shared inbox capabilities and automatically log interactions—whether it’s emails, calls, or messages—and link them to the right accounts.
• Integration: I know for a fact that CRM users, myself included, love having solid integration options. Native integrations offer out-of-the-box connections to tools like marketing platforms, ERPs, accounting software, and customer support systems. Plus, you may also want API access in case you're building custom integrations for unique business needs.
• Advanced automation: CRM software with advanced workflow builders make it easy to set up time-based triggers—like automatically sending follow-up emails after a demo. I’ve also seen my sales teammates get excited about event-driven automation, where things like form submissions or customer interactions trigger real-time responses.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve tested over 30 CRM tools, and the 10 that made the cut really stood out. They impressed me with how easy they are to use, their ability to automate sales processes, deliver data-driven insights, and handle task management.

To be included in the CRM software category, a product must:

• Offer a set of sales-focused tools
• Manage leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities effortlessly
• Capture and store all sales activities and interactions in one place
• Combine customer history and transactions into a single, easy-to-use interface
• Track prospects and contacts as they move through the sales pipeline
• Support communication at every stage of the customer lifecycle
• Provide reporting tools to monitor and improve sales performance
• Streamline processes with workflow automation features
• Bring everything together on one unified database and platform

1. Salesforce Sales Cloud

I’ve had the chance to work with Salesforce Sales Cloud. I like how it stands out as a powerhouse in terms of CRM capabilities, offering everything from managing leads, contacts, and opportunities to advanced reporting and real-time dashboards.

I really appreciate how customizable and scalable it is. You can tailor it to fit any business process, and it grows with your team. Plus, Salesforce features superior integration capabilities, regardless of whether you’re connecting to marketing tools, accounting platforms, or support systems.

But I felt that the sheer number of features can feel overwhelming at first, so there’s definitely a learning curve to get through. Customization is powerful but sometimes requires technical expertise, which can slow things down if you’re not prepared. Lastly, the pricing can add up quickly, especially for smaller businesses that need more advanced features. I’ve also noticed that performance can occasionally lag, particularly when dealing with large datasets.

What I dislike about Salesforce Sales Cloud:

• Despite the powerful integration available, I felt that it can be challenging to achieve the desired setup and you may need require technical expertise for it.
• I also felt that the pricing can be a concern for smaller businesses as costs may increase with additional features and users.

What G2 users dislike about Salesforce Sales Cloud:

“The new Salesforce Lightning version has so many click-throughs and is generally slower. It takes a lot of time to hover over links to reveal key data items you need to see, or worse, having to open multiple browser tabs to see more detailed account/opportunity information.

There's so much data they are trying to show or link to on a page. Still, I find that most important data is buried or hidden behind ‘view more/all’ links or shown in the pop-up windows, so I constantly have to dig deeper to find what I need and often get lost in dozens of browser tabs.”

- Salesforce Sales Cloud Review, Ted G.

2. HubSpot Sales Hub

 We've spent some time with HubSpot Sales Hub, and here's my take. One of its standout features is the Prospecting Workspace, which brings all my team tasks into a single view, helping me stay focused without juggling multiple tabs. 

I also liked the Meeting Scheduler which syncs directly with our calendar, letting prospects book meetings at their convenience, which cuts down on the back-and-forth emails. Plus, the Sequences feature allows us to automate personalized email outreach for consistent follow-ups without losing that personal touch.

HubSpot Sales Hub is generally user-friendly. However, I noticed some of the more advanced features can be a bit overwhelming at first. I also disliked the limited customization options in the free and lower-tier plans. Also, I felt that the contact management functionalities sometimes feel less robust compared to other CRM solutions I've used.

What I dislike about HubSpot Sales Hub:

• Customization options may feel somewhat restrictive especially for businesses opting for lower-tier plans.
• I also felt that the contact management system isn't robust and can make it challenging to handle complex relationships. 

What users dislike:

“I wish you could organize the static lists better. When referring to leads in a list, you cannot click ‘next’ within the list to go to the next lead. You have to go back to the main list page and click on a different contact when it would be much more ideal if you didn't have to keep going back.”

- HubSpot Sales Hub Review, Cole L.

3. ActiveCampaign

While trying out ActiveCampaign, I noticed this CRM beautifully combines CRM and marketing automation capabilities. 

I especially liked its automation capabilities that allowed our teamto create dynamic workflows for simplifying customer interactions. I also love how easy ActiveCampaign is to use. Even though there’s a slight learning curve at the start, once I got the hang of it, managing customer lists and setting up campaigns became straightforward. Plus, the integration options are top-notch—whether I need to connect it to Shopify, WooCommerce, or other apps, it’s all seamless.

Our team also loved how customer-focused the platform is. The support team is always quick to respond and genuinely helpful, which makes troubleshooting much less of a hassle. I also appreciate the segmentation and targeting tools for creating tailored campaigns based on customer behaviors. 

I felt that the email template editor could use an upgrade—it can feel a bit clunky, and I’ve occasionally wished for more streamlined options. Some of the more advanced features can be a bit complex to figure out without the help docs. And yes, the pricing can feel a little steep for small businesses.

What I dislike about ActiveCampaign:

• The email editor may feel a little clunky.
• I also felt that the pricing can be challenge for smaller businesses.

What G2 users dislike about ActiveCampaign:

"I dislike the pricing model. It almost feels like we are penalized for growing our database because the more people in there, the more expensive it gets. I also don't know that I feel that it's incredibly intuitive. I spend a lot of time learning how to do things by reading articles in the Support section. I'm usually able to figure it out, but I wish it was more intuitive."

- ActiveCampaign Review, Karin C.

4. ClickUp

ClickUp is a feature-rich and versatile CRM that I’ve found to be a powerful tool for managing tasks and workflows.

I like how ClickUp lets me customize workflows with tags, custom fields, and multiple views like Kanban boards, lists, calendars, or timelines. Easy integration with tools like Slack and Google Drive also made it easy for me share key updates and work with documents. 

One of my favorite things about ClickUp is the ability to switch between different views. It’s perfect for teams where everyone works differently. Some of us love boards, others prefer lists, and it all works.

I also appreciated task dependencies and automated workflows which offered me a clear view of progress and resource allocation. Plus, ClickUp combines tasks, documents, and reminders into one platform, so I don’t have to juggle multiple tools anymore. For small teams like mine, the free plan and affordable premium tiers are a lifesaver.

When I first started using ClickUp, the sheer number of features was a bit overwhelming. The setup took some time and planning to get it right for my workflow. Occasionally, I’ve run into performance issues like lags and bugs, which can slow things down, especially on large projects. I've also seen notifications being delayed at times, and there are moments when features like time tracking feel a bit off.

While I appreciate the regular updates, it feels like the focus is more on adding new features than perfecting the existing ones, which can affect reliability.

What I dislike about ClickUp:

• I felt that it takes time to fully understand the vast number of features.
• I dislike how occasional lags, bugs, and delayed notifications can disrupt workflows.

What G2 users dislike about ClickUp:

"In some cases, preparing our entire work team may be a little slow, due to the large number of functions and customization options that can be overwhelming for new users, requiring training time.

It may be that when working with many tasks and projects simultaneously, we feel a little slow down, but I think it does not affect the team's efficiency.

Although the free version is robust, certain advanced features come at a cost that can be high compared to other tools.

On the other hand, the interface could sometimes look complex compared to the structure of other similar platforms, making it difficult to quickly navigate large projects."

- ClickUp Review, Jose R.

5. Close

When testing Close, I liked how it makes it easy to manage sales with a simple platform. The user-friendly interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, helping us simplify daily operations. I particularly love the integrated calling and email features, which let our team handle all communication directly within the platform. 

I also like the smart views, which are quick, customizable mini-reports that offer instant insights into leads and progress. I also appreciate the bulk editing feature that helps with updating multiple records at once.

I felt that the lack of advanced features can feel limiting for teams that are scaling up. The reporting tools and automation options aren’t as robust as I’d like, making it less ideal for handling complex sales processes. Pricing plans feel a bit inflexible, and users have reported unexpected price hikes in the past.

I’ve also had some challenges with customer support. While they’re responsive for basic queries, resolving more technical issues can take longer than expected. Additionally, the data import process could be smoother for custom fields.

What I dislike about Close:

• I felt that Close lacks comprehensive reporting and robust automation capabilities.
• I also didn't like the inflexible pricing structure and occasional unexpected price hikes. Both can be frustrating for businesses on a budget.

What G2 users dislike about Close:

“I would really like the ability to use my Close number to send as an iMessage. Nearly all of our clients have iPhones, and sending green texts looks bad and makes people think you're not texting a real person. And that person-to-person connection with our clients is super important.

Also, I'd really like more functionality on triggers for workflows. It seems pretty basic, and a lot of what we're trying to automate can't be done only in Close with the current native triggers. We have to integrate other services to get it to do what we want."

- Close Review, Nate E.

6. SAP Sales Cloud

If you're looking to handle the entire sales lifeycle with efficiency and precision, SAP Sales Cloud might be the tool you need. 

What I really appreciate is its comprehensive suite of built-in features like lead and opportunity management to account and territory management, making it easier to manage complex sales processes. The integration with the SAP ecosystem is excellent as well. I could get a unified view of data across business functions since SAP Sales Cloud connects seamlessly with SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA.

Another highlight is its scalability and flexibility. I like how SAP Sales Cloud offers customizable dashboards and reports that help adapt businesses to evolving needs. The analytics and AI tools offer predictive insights, helping our team forecast trends and opportunities with confidence. 

However, I didn't like how setting up SAP Sales Cloud was so complex. Its vast range of features and configurations required significant time and expertise to align with our workflows. The learning curve is steep too. While the system is undeniably powerful, it took a lot of training for our team to fully utilize its capabilities.

I felt that SAP Sales Cloud isn’t the most budget-friendly CRM out there, making it harder to justify for smaller businesses or startups. AI also noticed how there are limitations within the standard modules, and addressing highly specialized needs often requires extra work or add-ons. I’ve also experienced performance lags when handling large datasets, which can slow things down during busy periods.

What I dislike about SAP Sales Cloud:

• Setting SAP Sales Cloud up was a challenge. It required a lot of time and expertise to align with our team's workflows.
• I felt that the pricing is steep, which makes it tough to justify for smaller businesses or those with tighter budgets.

What G2 users dislike about SAP Sales Cloud:

“Although it's an all-rounder, it doesn't integrate well with third-party solutions outside its ecosystem. That's its biggest drawback. Other minor drawbacks I've encountered are sometimes slow user support, though rare, and some occasional system issues.”

- SAP Sales Cloud Review, Kayci J.

7. Pipedrive

We loved Pipedrive for its user-friendly interface and clean design.

It’s intuitive enough that our team could start using it right away without any extensive training. The visualization tools make it easy to track deals and activities in real-time, meaning we could manage multiple deals faster.

The platform also helped us save time with task automation, allowing our team to focus more on selling and less on admin work. Plus, the affordability is a big win, especially for smaller teams or businesses that don’t want to overspend on a CRM.

I have noticed a few limitations too. While Pipedrive is great for basic pipeline management, it lacks some advanced features like robust automation and customizable email campaigns. I felt that the integration option is a bit clunky. Many require third-party cloud data integration tools, which adds complexity and cost. I’ve run into bugs and inconsistencies, too, such as issues with document uploads or email deliverability.

I've also seen Pipedrive struggles with offering deeper analytics and cutomizable reports. And while it’s generally affordable, the pricing structure can get tricky. Some features require higher-tier plans, and the costs can add up quickly.

What I dislike about Pipedrive:

• I noticed Pipedrive  lacks robust automation and customizable email campaign tools, which can make it difficult to manage complex needs.
• Also, I didn't like how the CRM relies on third-party tools for integrations, resulting in complexity and extra costs.

What g2 users dislike about Pipedrive:

“The lack of features in the Campaigns app is very frustrating, missing some basic things like ‘view in browser’ page hosting. Certain things about the interface make no sense, like editing email templates, setting up your meeting scheduler, etc. It's all hidden within contact records after many clicks instead of having their dedicated editing pages. With their funding/buy-out by Vista Equity Partners, I am not seeing as many features or updates to the app.”

- Pipedrive Review, Chris L.

8. Bigin by Zoho CRM

Bigin by Zoho CRM stood out to me because of its user-friendly platform.

I didn't have to spend too much time trying to understand the features or going through documentation to understand the CRM software. I also like the visual pipeline managenent which offers clear, easy-to-read visuals of sales stages, tracking every deal's progress from start to finish. The pipeline setup is straightforward and customizing it to match our team's sales process took just a few minutes.

I also noticed how Bigin is priced much lower than other CRMs on the market, which makes it a perfect option for startups and small businesses that want powerful tools without stretching their budgets. Despite the affordability, I feel that Bigin doesn’t skimp on features, offering key functionalities like contact management, email integration, and automation that make running my business much smoother.

I’ve found the limited number of custom fields to be restrictive. While the CRM works well out of the box, tailoring it to meet unique business needs can feel constrained if you need to add a lot of specific data points. Additionally, while Bigin supports email campaigns, the lack of pre-designed email templates has been frustrating for me. 

I feel that Bigin could also improve is its reporting capabilities. While the available reports cover the basics, they might feel too simplistic for someone looking for deeper, customizable analytics. 

What I dislike about Bigin by Zoho CRM:

• I didn' like the restrictions on adding custom fields.
• I also struggled with the lack of pre-designed email templates. Creating templates took extra work when managing email campaigns.

What G2 users dislike about Bigin by Zoho CRM:

“Browser notifications are missing. The email templates could improve slightly, and the default system notifications can´t be modified. Dashboards do not have a PDF export option. Can´t determine incoming internet message access protocol (IMAP) messages dates; it just grabs everything that the inbox connected has.”

- Bigin by Zoho CRM Review, Mario U.

9. Thryv

Thryv is another CRM software popular for bringing everything - scheduling, client communication, and even social media management - under one roof. 

I also like how the platform comes packed with features that small businesses need, like automated appointment reminders and marketing tools, which have helped me stay organized and maintain great relationships with my clients.

I love Thryv’s customer support. Whenever I’ve run into questions or needed help, their 24/7 assistance has been there to guide me. It’s reassuring to know I can reach out through chat, phone, or email and get a quick response.

However, it took me some time to figure out all the features on Thryv and how to best use them. Another thing I’ve noticed is the pricing structure, which feels a bit steep for what’s offered. Lastly, I felt there are some feature limitations. For example, I wasn’t able to connect it to certain dialer systems our team uses.

What I dislike about Thryv:

• Getting familiar with all the features took more time than I expected, which was frustrating during the onboarding process.
• I was disappointed to find that Thryv doesn't connect with certain dialer systems I rely on, which hampers my workflow.

What G2 users dislike about Thryv:

“While there are areas to include standard business information, webpage, phone number, etc., there are too many instances where the same information is requested in other modules or fields. This is not a significant issue until you change an address or a number. Then, it becomes a challenge to locate each field so it can be edited.”

- Thryv Review, Mike P.

10. Monday CRM

 Monday CRM is known for its user-friendly interface and high level of customization.

I’ve found that its design makes it easy to navigate, even for those without much technical experience. It allows me to visualize my workflows clearly with Kanban boards, timelines, or simple lists.

I also like how it lets you customize workflows for creating pipelines and automating processes. Plus, I appreciate its ability to integreate with a wide variety of third-party tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams.

Another thing I love about monday CRM is its ability to bring together team collaboration and project management. The collaborative features, like shared boards and team updates, ensure aligmment among team members. Plus, the variety of templates help me start projects without creating a new template from scratch.

I’ve seen Monday CRM lacks advanced time tracking and workload management features in lower-tier plans. This can be frustrating if you’re on a basic plan and realize you need these tools but don’t want to pay for an expensive upgrade.

I've also found reporting tools to be limited when it comes to creating in-depth, customizable reports. Some users also report that the sheer range of features can feel overwhelming initially, which adds to the learning curve.

What I dislike about Monday CRM:

• It was frustrating to see some key features, like advanced time tracking, available only in higher-tier plans.
• The reporting options feel a bit too simple for my needs. I wish I could create more detailed, customizable reports.

What users dislike:

"I hate that there is no undo button, so if you accidentally remove data or change the wrong line item, it is difficult to get the old information back. My company utilizes mirror columns and connected boards a good bit; I wish that Monday would work on updates for that process to simplify how you make everything connect and work through multiple boards."

- Monday CRM Review, Jody O.

 

CRM software: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions related to a CRM solution.

1. Which CRM software is the best? 

After hands-on testing and analyzing G2 user reviews, we found that Salesforce Sales Cloud, HubSpot Sales Hub, and ActiveCampaign are the best CRM software options.

2. What is the easiest CRM to use?

From the 30+ CRM software we tested, Floww.ai, Less Annoying CRM, and Capsule CRM stood out as the easiest to use. 

3. Which CRM is best for a small business?

Based on real reviews from CRM users and our extensive testing, Salesforce Sales Cloud, HubSpot Sales Hub, and ActiveCampaign are the top three CRMs for small businesses. 

4. What is the best CRM software for startups?

Salesforce Sales Cloud, HubSpot Sales Hub, and ActiveCampaign. 

5. What are the challenges with CRM software?

After testing over 30 CRM software, I’ve identified the following common challenges:

• Overwhelming features: CRMs can include valuable features like lead management automation, analytics, email management, and more. Most companies ignore these extra features and focus on opportunity and contact management.
• Dated information: CRMs function as a repository of contact information. However, it can be challenging to update this information when contacts switch companies or change emails. You can solve this problem by removing outdated and duplicate entries from your CRM. Also, clean your contact database periodically.
• Change management: It is challenging for employees to change their work habits to adapt to a CRM. CRMs can be substantial in size and have countless features and peculiarities to figure out.

I’ve tested CRMs, now it’s your turn.

By taking the time to evaluate what works best for your goals, you’ll find a CRM system that aligns with your vision and empowers your team to work more efficiently. For our team, the right CRM software made a huge difference in streamlining processes, improving communication, and staying on top of customer relationships.

We hope this list of the best CRM providers takes you one step closer to finding the right solution! 

Integrate your CRM tools with the best project management software to create smarter workflows.