The Best CRM Software 2024
With so many CRMs on the market, it can be hard to know which is the right one for your business. In this guide, we explore 10 different CRM systems to help you make an informed decision. From their strengths and weaknesses, to reviewing their suitability by business type and size, take a look through some of the most popular CRM systems currently on the market.
10 minutes
Written by The Access CRM Team
This guide comprises both larger, well-established CRM vendors, and emerging competitors to provide a comprehensive overview of the CRM industry. Delving beyond the price of each system, we’ll highlight pros and cons to explain who each CRM system is best for and why.
Choosing a CRM can be a daunting prospect with numerous features and functions to consider. That’s why we’ve broken down features, integrations, and pricing in this article too. We aim to not only provide suggestions you can use immediately, but also provide the best solutions for the constantly growing and changing future.
Note: pricing information and reviews data in this article may change, but is correct at the time of writing (21st March 2024).
How we decide the 10 best CRM systems
To determine which CRMs to include in this shortlist, we considered various factors. Analysing the integration, user support, scalability, automation, and much more. Combining research, customer reviews, and industry evaluations, we were able to pinpoint a variety of standout CRM systems. We recognise that different businesses value different features, so have measured each CRM system’s adaptability in a range of industries.
User reviews and customer satisfaction played a big part in which CRM vendors make the shortlist. Using feedback from real users, we were able to gain insights into the integration quality, customer service, and usability of the software. We aimed to ground our recommendations in the experiences of real CRM users from large companies as well as smaller enterprises.
The mix of CRM systems in this list means that we have included both market leaders like Salesforce and HubSpot and smaller vendors. This ensures that everyone can find a CRM to suit their business needs and aligns with their requirements. With the above in mind, we present the 10 Best CRM Software for 2024:
The 10 Best CRM Software for 2024
Salesforce
Why it’s great
As one of the pioneering cloud-based CRM systems, Salesforce has continued to continuously innovate their features, and have solidified themselves as a market leader. Known for award-winning account management, automation, and forecasting, Salesforce is a natural contender on this shortlist.
Pricing
Salesforce offers five pricing plans: Starter, Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, and Unlimited+. Salesforce plans vary from £20 user/month to £400 user/month, depending on which plan you select.
Who’s it best for
Salesforce has established itself as a CRM for all business sizes. Prioritising scalability, Salesforce caters to many different industries with both start-ups and large companies benefiting from its advanced customisation capabilities to tailor the system to their needs.
Pros
- 30-day risk-free trial - pre-loaded data or upload your own with access to online training and live onboarding webinar
- Fully customisable
- Established reputation within the industry
Cons and limitations
- Expensive pricing tiers
- Learning curve due to customisation capabilities
Hubspot
Why it’s Great
HubSpot is renowned for its user-friendly platform. Like Salesforce, it’s known for its innovation. HubSpot offers systems that cater to businesses of all sizes, with software that can grow alongside your business.
Pricing
HubSpot offers Professional and Enterprise plans for large corporations from £1,562/month. For smaller businesses they offer a free plan with unlimited users. The Starter plan starts at £27/month or £18/month if paid upfront. HubSpot bills users annually.
Who it’s Best For
HubSpot CRM is ideal for businesses seeking a user-friendly CRM solution that offers functionality as well as simplicity. Its intuitive interface makes it well-suited for inexperienced users, while its customisation options cater to experienced users looking for more advanced features.
Pros
- Integrates with other HubSpot tools in Sales and Marketing
- Diverse features in Management and Automation
Cons and limitations
- Less extensive reporting capabilities compared to other software systems
- Technical experience is required for advanced customisation
Monday CRM
Why it’s Great
One of the best CRMs for businesses who require a flexible CRM system. Customised workflows and streamlined project management solidifies Monday CRM on our list. Consolidating tasks, projects, and customer interactions into a centralised hub, Monday CRM keeps useful information within reach for easy access.
Pricing
Monday CRM offers flexibility to businesses who’d rather pay for their CRM annually including an 18% discount. The four plans available are Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. The Basic CRM plan starts at £13 user/month, which is perfect for a business on a budget.
Who it’s Best For
For all CRM users, from beginner to advanced levels, Monday is a dynamic solution with a varied array of useful features in task management, reporting, and forecasting.
Pros
- Extensive integration with third-party software
- Customisable interface
Cons and limitations
- Lack of depth in reporting compared to other solutions
Access CRM
Why it’s Great
Access CRM provides comprehensive end-to-end visibility of each customer interaction, campaign management, reporting, dashboards and more. With scalability in mind, the CRM is flexible in accommodating your business growth and needs.
Pricing
Access CRM provides two pricing plans, and a fourteen-day free trial before you buy. The Professional subscription starts at £318 /month for four users and £58 per additional user. The Advanced CRM plan starts at £1,759 for businesses with fifteen or more users. The annual contract is paid monthly.
Who it’s Best For
Access CRM comes with templates and workflows for specific industries such as real estate, legal, and charity. These sector-specific solutions facilitate rapid integration. As well as this, the system has thorough Sales and Marketing automation making it an attractive option for any business looking for a well-rounded system.
Pros
- Industry specific systems to facilitate rapid integration
- Immediate integration with popular third party apps
Cons and limitations
- Learning curve requiring additional training
- Customisation setup may require post-onboarding support (support available from Access)
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Sugar CRM
Why it’s Great
With a distinct emphasis on automation, Sugar CRM is a reliable cloud-based solution for companies looking to drive growth and expand their business at a rapid rate. Sugar CRM is versatile and innovative, harnessing the power of AI to predict changes within your business.
Pricing
With three distinct pricing tiers, Sugar CRM offers various levels of support based on the size of your team. The essentials plan is priced at £15 user/month and is billed annually. The Advanced and Premier plans require a minimum of ten users, which may be inconvenient for a small team looking for more from their CRM.
Who it’s Best For
Sugar CRM is best for businesses who value customisation and would like their system to be highly personalised. Businesses with access to support will find it easier to use Sugar CRM’s range of analytics and reporting tools.
Pros
- Flexible pricing plans
- Built in analytics and automation tools
Cons and limitations
- Set up could be complicated if you need a customised system
Insightly
Why it’s Great
Vivid charts and customisable dashboard views make streamlining Sales, Marketing, and Project Management tasks easy. Driving growth is simplified when you can work on your mobile phone as well as desktop. Insightly also offers a ‘Project Runway’ so that you can keep track of all ongoing tasks at once, effortlessly segment customers, and assign users task lists to keep your team on track.
Pricing
Whilst Insightly do offer a free plan, it’s limited to two users which may dissuade businesses looking to drive growth. Insightly provides three paid plans, Plus, Professional, and Enterprise. Starting at just over £22 user/month for its lowest tier Insightly is more expensive than other systems on our list.
Who it’s Best For
Insightly is best for teams that value its project management capabilities and bulk email solution. Insightly is a CRM that can grow alongside your needs regarding automation, reporting, contact management, and more. If you require a thorough free CRM system or you don’t have a big budget, consider looking elsewhere as Insightly’s free features are limited.
Pros
- Customisation on Professional and Enterprise plans
- Great integration with third-party software
Cons and limitations
- No live customer support – all support at Insightly is done via email
- Workflow automation is not available for low tier plans
Pipedrive
Why it’s Great
If you’d like to spend minimal time on training, Pipedrive could be the system for you. The simple layout allows users to focus on the most relevant data and contact management is a priority, with AI autofill of contact details. The Kanban style layout leads users through the Sales process with an intuitive display.
Pricing
Pipedrive has five pricing tiers starting with Essential at £21.90 user/month when billed monthly. Pipedrive offers a 32% discount when you choose annual billing. The most expensive Enterprise plan is priced at £99.90 user/month.
Who it’s Best For
As the name suggests, Pipedrive is made by Sales teams for Sales teams. With limited customisation outside of the Sales process, more time can be spent enhancing customer relations. This is probably not the CRM for anyone focused on advanced workflows, automation, or customisation as all of these features are limited without developer input.
Pros
- Affordable plans
- Sales pipeline can be customised fully
- Contact Information autofill feature on higher paying plans
Cons and limitations
- No free plan available
- Reports have limited custom fields on most pricing tiers
Zoho
Why it’s Great
With a focus on its integration Zoho CRM integrates to many other Zoho products. This is a particularly good software to use if you already have other Zoho applications, but it works just as well with third-party apps like QuickBooks or Mailchimp. Zoho CRM also offers a free CRM plan like a few others on this list, making it an attractive choice for start-ups who only require basic contact management and lead tracking software.
Pricing
Zoho CRM’s pricing plans can be tried for free for fifteen days before you buy. You can also save up to 34% when switching to annual billing. The Standard plan starts at £16 user/month making it an affordable choice.
Who it’s Best For
An easy-to-use software, Zoho CRM is ideal for new businesses who do not require advanced customisation or Sales tools. The free plan is limited to three users. However, it will be able to provide necessary features if you need them in the future, on any of their paid plans.
Pros
- Affordable plans
- Easy to use
- Money back guarantee
Cons and limitations
- No integration on their free plan
- Limited customisation options
Agile CRM
Why it’s Great
Agile CRM offers a free plan for up to ten users whilst boasting features that are only offered in paid plans by other CRM’s. Agile CRM’s paid plans are affordable and include Sales, Marketing and Customer Service tools.
Pricing
Agile CRM has four plans including its free tier for up to ten users. The Starter plan starts at $14.99 user/month when billed monthly. The highest tier, Enterprise, starts at $79.99 user/month which makes it one of the cheapest CRMs on our list.
Who it’s Best For
Agile CRM is ideal for new businesses and teams of up to ten users. Made with growing businesses in mind the CRM is jam packed with tools and integration options. However, support is limited for lower price tiers which could hinder the onboarding and integration processes if you need any extra support.
Pros
- Webinars available for additional support
- Free plan for up to ten users
Cons and limitations
- Cheaper pricing tiers are tied to longer contracts
- Less integration options compared to other CRM systems
Zendesk Sell
Why it’s Great
Zendesk, originally a help desk system, integrates seamlessly with Zendesk for Service. Although, it has plenty of other features making it a good basic CRM for any business.
Pricing
Another CRM on the pricier side, Zendesk starts at £20 user/month and continues up to £115 user/month for its highest priced tier. Zendesk also offers Add-ons you can buy alongside your plan such as AI and Data Protection plans. Add-ons start at £40 user/month.
Who it’s Best For
For businesses using Zendesk software, this is a natural choice. However, if you’re looking for a heavily customisable CRM with advanced features like pipelines and email editing, there may be better options out there.
Pros
- Integration with Zendesk software
- Customer Service features
Cons and limitations
- Higher tiers are pricier than other CRM systems
- Limited pipeline customisation
How to pick the right CRM
Choosing the correct CRM for your business requires an evaluation of your current and future needs, as well as your company objectives. It’s important to assess the main functions you expect the CRM to deliver. For example, you may wish to enhance your customer relationship management or automation in the Sales process. Pinpointing your core values will enable you to select a CRM that aligns well with your business goals.
Next, identify any features that are non-negotiable to your business. Market segmentation, Marketing analytics, or Sales reports – whatever you require to seamlessly integrate with your existing software. Consider your budget, as it will define your options when searching for a suitable CRM.
Check out our article What is CRM to learn about the different types and benefits of CRM systems.
If you'd rather speak to a CRM expert about your requirements, book a demo with us so we can discuss your options.
How Access CRM can help
Discover more about how Access CRM can streamline your Sales process, drive growth, and improve customer relationships. Access CRM’s range of software is designed for any industry, with sector specific solutions to easily integrate with existing systems. Start Access CRM free trial now!
We also offer CRM solutions designed for specific industries:
