The 10 best customer relationship management softwares for small businesses in 2025

I signed up for the Sales Hub Professional trial—this gave me access to automation, sequences, deal pipelines, and custom reports. From there, I set out to test two main things:

• How smooth is it to set up a working sales pipeline from scratch?
• Can a small team automate lead nurturing without feeling like they’re setting up a machine they can’t control?

Setting Up the Pipeline and Contact Flow

I started by importing a list of leads and set up a basic sales pipeline. Creating stages was straightforward—New Lead, Contacted, Qualified, etc.—and I was able to link deals, contacts, and companies together pretty seamlessly. What stood out was the timeline view for each contact. I could see every email, task, call, and note in one place, which helped me quickly figure out where things stood.

Automating Follow-Ups

Next, I tested workflows and sequences. I built a basic automation:

When a contact fills out a form → create a deal → assign to sales rep → send a personalized email → wait 2 days → set a task reminder.

This worked perfectly. The visual builder made it clear what was going to happen, and test runs behaved exactly as expected. Sequences let me set up manual or semi-automated email follow-ups with delays, personalization tokens, and tasks between steps— great for small teams doing cold outreach or lead nurturing.

Email and Calendar Sync

I synced my Gmail and Google Calendar. Emails logged automatically, and I could send from inside HubSpot with templates or manual messages. Calendar sync let me insert “Book a time” links, and once someone scheduled a meeting, HubSpot auto-created tasks and reminders—saving a few back-and-forth emails.

Who This Is Great For

• Small businesses doing consultative or B2B sales
• Teams who want to automate workflows without a CRM admin
• Founders who want clarity on engagement and next steps
• Sales reps who want a clean, visual pipeline

Final Take

HubSpot CRM feels like a real assistant when used right. It doesn’t just store your data—it acts on it. That’s where the value is. But you’ll only get that value if you’re ready to set up workflows, use sequences, and commit to the system. If you just want to log calls and track deals manually, there are leaner (and cheaper) tools. If you’re aiming to scale and want your sales and follow-ups to run smoother—with minimal chaos—HubSpot can definitely justify its price.

I started with the Enterprise trial and the onboarding wizard helped me set up the basics—modules like Contacts, Leads, Deals (called Potentials), Tasks, and Emails. I wanted to simulate a solo founder or small sales team onboarding their leads and building a workflow to qualify, follow-up, and close deals.

Importing and Managing Leads

I imported a CSV file of leads. Mapping fields was smooth—Zoho auto-matched most columns like email, phone, lead source, etc. Once imported, each lead got a full record with a timeline of activity. I liked that I could set lead scoring rules based on engagement or criteria without needing deep admin setup.

Workflow Automation

This is where Zoho started flexing its muscle. I created a rule that when a lead is marked Interested, it:

• Creates a deal
• Assigns it to a rep
• Sends a templated email
• Schedules a follow-up call in 2 days

The visual workflow builder gave me a lot of control. I could add decision branches, delays, and even custom functions (though some required scripting). It took me ~20–30 minutes to build and test a workflow—not bad, but definitely more technical than HubSpot.

Emails and Follow-Ups

I synced Gmail and tested sending templated emails with merge fields. These worked fine, but email tracking (opens/clicks) was inconsistent. Follow-ups were managed through Tasks and Calls modules. I could log calls manually, and auto-create reminders for missed follow-ups—basic, but useful.

Who This Is Great For

• Small to mid-sized sales teams with structured pipelines
• Users who want full control over workflows, scoring, and reporting
• Tech-savvy founders or teams who don’t mind setup work
• Businesses looking for scalable CRM at a mid-range price

Final Take

Zoho CRM is like a box of powerful tools: you can build almost anything, but you’ll need to spend time assembling it. It’s not magical out of the box—but if you put in the effort, the return is big, especially with lead management, automation, and customization. It delivers great value for small teams ready to build their own system instead of adapting to a pre-built one.

I approached Agile CRM with a lean team mindset—just one or two people managing inbound leads, following up, and closing deals. After signing up for the Enterprise trial, I tested contact import, pipeline setup, email campaigns, and workflow automation.

Contact Import and Organization

Importing a CSV was smooth. Agile let me tag and segment leads during import, which made targeting later campaigns easier. Each contact record included a timeline with notes, emails, tasks, and deal activity—less visual than HubSpot, but still helpful.

Pipeline and Deal Tracking

I set up a 5-stage pipeline with drag-and-drop deals. Custom fields like Product Interest and Deal Size were easy to add and filter in reports. For a budget-friendly CRM, that level of customization stood out.

Workflow Automation

I built a simple lead nurturing workflow:

New lead from webform → send welcome email → wait 1 day → create call task → if unopened after 3 days, send reminder → if response, move to Qualified.

The builder worked fine, though delays were rigid (24h blocks vs “next weekday 9am”). Still, for small teams, it delivered usable automation quickly.

Email Campaign Test

I ran a 3-step drip campaign. The editor was basic but supported personalization tokens and open/click tracking. Alerts on link clicks were handy for quick follow-up.

Who This Is Great For

• Small businesses with simple B2B pipelines
• Teams wanting sales + basic marketing + support under one roof
• Founders who want automation without HubSpot-level costs
• Users okay with a bit of manual setup and learning curve

Final Take

Agile CRM offers a lot for the price—sales, marketing, and service bundled together. It’s not the slickest tool, but for small teams wanting steady growth without switching platforms every year, it’s a solid option. You’ll get value if you’re willing to tweak workflows and live with an older interface.

My goal with Pipedrive was simple: build a functional, visual pipeline and run a realistic follow-up process without the distraction of bloated tools. In my test, I set up a deal pipeline, imported contacts, automated a follow-up, and ran a basic email flow. Everything focused on sales execution.

Pipeline Setup and Deal Tracking

Right after sign-up, Pipedrive dropped me into a visual pipeline builder. I customized the default 5 stages into a B2B flow: New Inquiry → Discovery → Proposal Sent → Negotiation → Won/Lost. Deals showed all the essentials at a glance—name, value, close date, and owner. Drag-and-drop worked fast, and overdue deals were clearly flagged, making it hard to lose track of follow-ups.

Activity Scheduling

This is Pipedrive’s biggest strength. Each deal had a “next activity” box. Once I completed a call or task, the CRM nudged me to set the next one. That simple enforcement ensured my pipeline always kept moving. The timeline view of calls, meetings, and tasks made team-wide visibility effortless.

Workflow Automation

I tested an automation: When a deal hits Proposal Sent → send templated email → create call task in 2 days. It was easy to set up, though less flexible than Zoho or Agile CRM. Pipedrive keeps automation focused tightly on sales actions, not broad marketing flows.

Email and Communication

I connected Gmail and sent emails directly from deals. Opens and clicks were tracked, and conversations auto-logged in the contact timeline. The Smart BCC trick was handy—copy it into any outbound email, and Pipedrive logs it under the right deal, even outside the CRM.

Who This Is Great For

• Sales-first small businesses
• Founders or reps who want daily pipeline clarity
• Teams that value speed, task reminders, and focus
• Users who prefer execution over dashboards

Final Take

Pipedrive is laser-focused on execution. It’s not an all-in-one solution, but that’s the point. If your main challenge is knowing who to follow up with, when, and what’s been said, Pipedrive nails it. For small sales teams or solo closers, it’s one of the easiest crm softwares to adopt—and stick with.

I tested Freshsales by importing contacts, building a sales pipeline, connecting email, setting up a lead nurture flow, and experimenting with Freddy AI’s lead scoring. The interface felt modern and polished—similar in clarity to Pipedrive but with more advanced tools under the hood.

Contact Setup and Segmentation

I imported a CSV of leads from sources like web forms, referrals, and LinkedIn. Freshsales let me map custom fields and auto-assign leads to reps based on source—handy for distribution. Each contact had a timeline showing every touchpoint: emails, calls, notes, tasks, and deals. It’s clean and contextual, which helped when juggling multiple conversations.

Sales Pipeline and Deal Handling

I built a pipeline (New Lead → Discovery → Demo Scheduled → Proposal → Closed). Deal cards showed value, next action, lead score, and recent communications. Moving deals between stages triggered automations I’d set up—for example, moving to Demo Scheduled sent a confirmation email and created a reminder task.

Email and Communication

After connecting Gmail, I tested outreach emails. Tracking worked well: opens, clicks, and replies were logged in the timeline. Templates with tokens (name, company) made follow-ups fast. I also tried the built-in dialer with a dummy number—it worked seamlessly.

Automation and Workflows

Using Journey Builder, I created a nurture sequence: New lead → intro email → wait 2 days → if no reply, follow-up → if clicked, notify rep → if no click after 5 days, assign call task. It was clear and visual. Not as deep as Zoho’s Blueprint, but much easier for quick automation.

Freddy AI: Lead Scoring and Insights

Freddy scored leads based on behavior (opens, clicks, replies) and field data (source, industry). It also suggested best times to contact based on engagement. While not revolutionary, the scoring was practical—it helped me prioritize warmer leads instead of chasing cold ones.

Who This Is Great For

• Small to mid-sized businesses wanting CRM + automation in one
• Sales reps who want fewer tabs and integrated tools
• Founders who like AI lead scoring to prioritize follow-ups
• Teams ready to automate without going enterprise-level

Final Take

Freshsales feels like a CRM built for busy doers. It balances usability with power—automation, email, calls, and AI scoring—without overwhelming setup. It’s not the cheapest or the deepest, but for lean teams wanting actionable tools and clarity, it’s a strong middle ground.

I tested Capsule to see how well it supports service-focused businesses—like consulting or agencies—that need to manage client relationships, not just sales. I imported contacts, built a pipeline, connected email, logged history, set up tasks, and tried Tracks for repeatable workflows. Capsule’s strength quickly became clear: it keeps everything about a client in one place.

Contact and History Management

Capsule is very contact-centric. Each contact has a full timeline—emails, notes, files, and tasks all in one place. This made it easy to pull up past conversations, documents, or calls even months later. Tags and custom fields helped segment clients (e.g., “High-Value,” “Needs Renewal”), and filtering worked smoothly.

Sales Pipeline

I built a B2B workflow pipeline: Lead → Discovery → Proposal → In Progress → Closed. Opportunities are always tied to contacts, so context is never lost. Drag-and-drop stages worked smoothly, and while reporting was basic, it was enough to see where deals were stuck.

Tracks (Repeatable Workflows)

Capsule’s unique Tracks feature works like templates for repeatable steps. For onboarding, I set up: Welcome Email → Kickoff Call → Share Docs → 2-week Follow-up Task. It’s not full project management, but it’s great for consistency in service delivery.

Tasks and Calendar

Capsule uses a straightforward task system—manual but clear. I scheduled daily follow-ups tied to contacts or deals, and reminders showed up on the dashboard. The calendar view helped manage client meetings once tasks were date-based.

Email Sync and Logging

I connected Gmail and used Capsule’s dropbox BCC feature to log emails. Conversations showed up in the contact’s timeline reliably. Full two-way sync is only available with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, but even the basic logging worked fine for client history.

Who This Is Great For

• Freelancers or service providers managing client history
• Agencies or consultants with repeatable onboarding/delivery steps
• Small teams who value clarity over complexity
• Businesses where post-sale service matters as much as sales

Final Take

Capsule CRM is simple but intentional. It doesn’t try to be everything, but what it does—relationship tracking and organization—it does very well. For service-based businesses, it’s a clean way to stay on top of clients and never lose track of conversations. It’s not built for automation-heavy sales, but it’s a solid choice for teams that thrive on clarity and consistency.

I tested Less Annoying CRM as a lightweight tool for service businesses and freelancers. I imported leads, set up categories and pipelines, created tasks, logged emails, and checked the reporting. The goal: to see if it could keep follow-ups simple and reliable—without integrations, apps, or add-ons.

Contact Setup and Simplicity

Importing a CSV with custom fields (lead source, business type, interest level) was quick. Contacts are organized with Groups and Custom Fields, instead of tags. The spreadsheet-style contact list with filters felt basic but fast. What stood out was the Next Follow-up box at the top of every contact page—it quietly pushed me to stay on track.

Pipelines and Status Tracking

I built a simple pipeline: New Inquiry → Contacted → Meeting → Proposal Sent → Won/Lost. Pipelines are shown as sortable lists (not visual boards), which works fine for small volumes. I liked that one contact can have multiple pipelines attached, each with notes, close dates, and deal value.

Calendar and Follow-Ups

The dashboard is task- and calendar-driven: overdue items, today’s tasks, and upcoming follow-ups. Tasks can be created manually or while writing notes (“Remind me to follow up next Wednesday”). It’s not automated, but the workflow keeps you attentive daily.

Email Logging

Full sync isn’t available, but the email BCC logging address worked reliably. Emails I sent from Gmail appeared in the contact timeline. There’s no open/click tracking, but it’s enough to preserve the communication record.

Who This Is Great For

• Solopreneurs, coaches, consultants, or freelancers
• Teams focused on personal follow-ups, not automations
• People who hate complicated tools and prefer clarity
• Businesses managing a few hundred contacts, not thousands

Final Take

Less Annoying CRM doesn’t try to be flashy—it’s built to make sure you never miss a follow-up. It’s perfect for freelancers or small teams who live on calls, proposals, and steady check-ins. If your business depends on client relationships rather than automation-heavy sales, this CRM will keep you consistent without overwhelming you.

To test Salesmate, I imported leads, built a pipeline (inquiry → demo → proposal → won/lost), ran an email campaign, created automation workflows, connected the inbox, and tried the built-in calling & SMS features. The big question: Can it keep me consistent with leads while reducing manual work—without overwhelming setup?

Getting Started Was Clean and Focused

Salesmate’s onboarding flow asked me about my goals (sales, outreach, support) and preloaded the right boards and fields. The dashboard gave an instant overview of open deals, tasks, and pipeline health. The left-side navigation kept things organized without bloat.

Pipeline and Contact Management

I customized stages, values, and close dates in the drag-and-drop pipeline view. Each deal had a timeline feed with emails, notes, calls, and tasks all in one place. Contact records were solid too—complete with status, tags, source, and full communication history.

Built-in Calling and Texting (Super Handy)

Using Salesmate’s virtual number, I could click-to-call, record and log calls, take notes mid-call, and set follow-ups instantly. SMS worked right inside the platform too. For teams that rely on phone and text, this was a standout feature.

Automation That Actually Saved Me Time

I built a workflow: “If a lead is tagged demo request → send intro email + create a call task for tomorrow.” It worked flawlessly. Salesmate’s automation builder is visual, logical, and beginner-friendly, with ready-made recipes available.

Email Campaigns and Templates

I ran a 3-step drip campaign with personalized fields (like name and company). It tracked opens, clicks, and replies—and updated each lead’s timeline accordingly. For small-scale outreach, this made tools like Mailchimp unnecessary.

Who It’s Ideal For

• Small businesses or lean sales teams doing direct outreach
• Solopreneurs who need CRM + phone/SMS in one place
• Teams prioritizing communication over deep analytics
• Users who want automation without coding complexity

Final Take

Salesmate is light, modern, and practical where it matters most: keeping up with leads, communicating across email/SMS/phone, and automating routine tasks. It’s not trying to be an all-in-one mega suite. Instead, it nails the essentials for sales-focused teams who value clarity and speed.

I tested Monday CRM by building a full sales-to-service workflow: a custom board for lead tracking, an onboarding board for clients, automations for follow-ups, and email integration. The goal was to see if it could manage both pre-sale and post-sale activity in one place—and it delivered.

Flexibility

Monday doesn’t force you into a rigid CRM layout—you design what you need using boards and columns. For example, my Sales Pipeline board included Deal Name, Company, Contact Person, Stage, Value, Close Date, and an Activity Log. That flexibility is powerful, but it also means you need to think like a builder, not just a user.

Automations That Actually Helped

I set up automations like: “When a deal stage changes to Proposal Sent, notify the rep and create a follow-up task in 3 days.” And, “When a deal is marked Won, duplicate it into the Onboarding board.” These worked smoothly and reduced manual effort—perfect for small teams balancing sales and delivery.

Email Integration and Timeline

After connecting Gmail, I could send and receive emails directly inside a deal. Replies logged automatically, keeping conversations tied to the deal. Email tracking (opens/clicks) is available only on Pro plan or higher, but it worked well during my trial.

From CRM to Project Management

Once a deal closed, I used a Client Onboarding board for tasks like Welcome Call, Asset Collection, Setup, and Kickoff Meeting. This showed how Monday connects sales with service delivery in one platform, avoiding tool-switching and keeping client handoffs smooth.

Who This Is Great For

• Teams that want custom control over workflows
• Sales + service businesses needing CRM + project management
• Agencies, consultants, or repeatable client delivery processes
• Users who prefer visual, flexible tools with automation

Final Take

Monday CRM feels more like a custom workspace than a traditional CRM. That’s a good thing—if you’re willing to invest in setup. It’s a unified place to track leads, send emails, assign tasks, and manage client onboarding. The trade-off: more effort upfront compared to plug-and-play crm tools, but much more flexibility once it’s built.

To test Zendesk Sell, I set up a sales pipeline, imported leads, connected email, used Smart Lists, tested lead scoring, and briefly checked the mobile app. My focus: does it actually make staying on top of deals and follow-ups easier, or just add extra steps?

Strong Pipeline View + Smart Lists

Zendesk Sell provides a structured drag-and-drop sales pipeline with deal cards showing value, stage, last activity, and assigned rep. The standout feature was Smart Lists—live filters like:

• Deals with no activity in the last 7 days
• Leads worth more than $10k tagged ‘hot’

This helped me instantly spot which deals needed attention—without manually digging through stages.

Email Tracking and Automation

After connecting Gmail, I could send tracked emails (opens and clicks) that automatically logged against contact records. Automation rules worked, but were limited—more like simple “if this, then that” logic than advanced branching. Example: “If lead = high priority → assign follow-up task in 2 days.”

Built-in Calling and Activity Feed

Zendesk Sell includes calling (with recording, notes, and outcomes like ‘Reached’ or ‘Left voicemail’). The activity feed was especially useful: a running log of all calls, emails, and tasks for each deal—so any rep taking over instantly saw the full history.

Mobile App Was a Bonus

The mobile app let me update leads, add notes, and get reminders on the go. For field sales reps, this makes Zendesk Sell more practical than crm applications that are desktop-only.

Who It’s Ideal For

• Sales teams that value structure, speed, and simplicity
• Reps who want less fiddling, more closing
• Companies already using Zendesk Support
• Businesses running straightforward, not complex, sales processes

Final Take

Zendesk Sell feels like it’s designed for salespeople first. It gives clarity on who to contact, what to do next, and which deals are slipping. For structured pipelines, light automation, and clean communication tools, it’s solid. But for complex marketing campaigns or highly customized workflows, it may feel restrictive unless paired with the full Zendesk Suite.