8 CRM Examples: The Best CRM for Every Use Case
Let’s get you the right tool for the job
Every CRM is built with a different use case in mind.
That means that most of the 750+ CRMs (!) you’ll find out there on the internet do not really fit your specific use case. Finding out which ones will work best for your company can be a true nightmare.
That’s why I’ve made a list of some popular use cases… and I’ll give you an example of a top CRM for each one of those cases.
Here are some of the most common CRM examples:
- Salesflare: CRM to follow up B2B sales
- Salesforce: CRM to build enterprise workflows
- ForceManager: CRM to manage a field sales team
- Propertybase: CRM for a real estate company
- ActiveCampaign: CRM to do marketing automation
- Virtuous: CRM for fundraising as a non-profit
- Zendesk: CRM to organize customer support
- Kommo: CRM to manage instant messaging
Found your use case?👆 Awesome – just click right to it!
Your specific use case is not in the list? Let us know on the chat on our site and we’ll help you out!
1. Salesflare: CRM to follow up B2B sales
If you ask a customer of Salesflare why they use it, they’ll probably tell you: it helps me follow up my leads better. ✨
Salesflare is built to help sales teams in small and medium-sized B2B businesses build better relationships and sell more – following up flawlessly at scale – with a very easy to use sales CRM platform that automates most of that work for you.
Most B2B CRMs rely on you for (a ton of) data input. Otherwise they won’t do any of the things they’re promising they’ll do for you.
Not so with Salesflare. This CRM automates that data input – it collects and curates the information that already exists in your mailbox, calendar, phone, social media, email & web tracking, LinkedIn, … and displays it to you so you can use it to follow up your leads like a pro. 💪
It neatly integrates into your Gmail (also within Google Workspace) or Outlook inbox, as well as in LinkedIn, so you don’t have to continuously switch tabs. And wherever you work, it all ends up in one and the same place.
Features
You can use Salesflare to automate a lot of your routine sales work and better follow up your B2B leads:
- Email Sequences: Send personalized email sequences at scale. It can follow up for you until they reply, click or book a meeting.
- Email Templates: Use email templates and snippets to quickly send emails. (No need to retype or copy-paste.)
- Email Finder: Find their business email address based on their name and domain… straight from LinkedIn.
- Automated Reminders: Get automated reminders in case you forget to follow up.
- Data Enrichment: Automatically gather info about customers from email signatures, company databases, publicly available info, … without lifting a finger.
Testing it out
When you test Salesflare, you’ll immediately notice the emphasis on automation and ease of use. The setup process is incredibly straightforward, and you can connect your email and social media accounts with just a few clicks. Once connected, Salesflare automatically pulls in data, creating comprehensive profiles for each contact without requiring manual input from you.
The automated data entry feature is a standout. Salesflare collects and organizes contact information, company data, and even social media profiles, ensuring you have all the details you need in one place. The email and meeting tracking is seamless. Every email you send and receive is logged automatically, with real-time updates on when your emails are opened and links are clicked. This feature helps you stay on top of lead engagement and prioritize follow-ups effectively.
Salesflare’s timeline view is another highlight, providing a clear, chronological overview of all interactions with your contacts. This makes it easy to keep track of your communications and never miss a beat. Additionally, Salesflare’s integrations with Gmail and Outlook mean you can manage your CRM without leaving your inbox.
Overall, Salesflare makes following up with B2B leads effortless and highly efficient, thanks to its robust automation and user-friendly interface.
Pricing
Salesflare comes with 3 pricing plans:
- Growth: $29/user/month (billed annually)
- Pro: $49/user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: $99/user/month (billed annually)
Try Salesflare
Salesflare is specifically built for B2B sales, so if that’s you, awesome! Just sign up for a free trial and try it out.👈
If you’re not selling B2B, read on. I have 7 more use cases for you below!
2. Salesforce: CRM to build enterprise workflows
While small and medium-sized businesses are focused on finding a practical solution for their team, a large enterprise will find it more important to find something that allows them to turn all their internal and external workflows into software.
That’s why an enterprise CRM, with Salesforce as a prime CRM example, is essentially like a set of building blocks that you can combine and customize the way you like. ⚒️
There’s virtually no limit to what you can build with Salesforce, which is why they even organize a conference called “Dreamforce” where customers and prospects can go to dream about all the possibilities and share what they built.
As an enterprise CRM is big, complex and versatile, you usually have to hire a consultancy to take care of all the customization and building. This makes sense for enterprises, but not so much for smaller businesses.
Using an enterprise CRM is not much fun for your sales team either. The system is built for the organization (not the end user) and to provide infinite customizability, so being usable and practical is only a secondary goal of such a system.
Also, enterprise CRMs come with enterprise contracts. 🧐 That means commitments for multiple years with a fixed amount of licenses, no refunds, lots of small print, and enterprise sales people to deal with.
In short: if you’re not an enterprise, look for a Salesforce alternative. If you are an enterprise, this is most probably the type of CRM you need for your company.
Features
Salesforce offers a wide range of features tailored for large enterprises:
- Customizable Dashboards and Reports: Create and customize dashboards to get insights into business performance.
- Workflow Automation: Automate business processes using advanced workflow rules and triggers.
- AppExchange: Access a marketplace of applications and integrations to extend Salesforce’s functionality.
- Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud: Comprehensive modules to manage sales, customer service, and marketing activities.
- Mobile App: Access Salesforce data and functionalities on the go with a robust mobile app.
Testing it out
When I tested Salesforce, I found the setup process to be detailed, requiring considerable customization to fit specific business needs. The user interface is comprehensive but can be overwhelming for beginners. The initial setup requires a learning curve, but once configured, the system provides robust tools for managing complex workflows and customer interactions.
The flexibility to create custom objects, fields, and automation rules is impressive. However, I noticed that due to its complexity, it’s best suited for larger organizations with dedicated IT support or a consultancy. The AppExchange marketplace offers numerous integrations, enhancing the system’s capabilities, but integrating them can be time-consuming.
Overall, Salesforce excels in its depth and customizability, making it ideal for enterprises that need a tailored CRM solution. However, the complexity and cost might be prohibitive for smaller businesses.
Pricing
Salesforce pricing varies significantly depending on the edition and add-ons:
- Essentials: $25/user/month (billed annually)
- Professional: $80/user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: $165/user/month (billed annually)
- Unlimited: $330/user/month (billed annually)
- Einstein 1 Sales: $500/user/month (billed annually)
3. ForceManager: CRM to manage a field sales team

Is your sales team spending all or most of their time in the field?
Then you probably need a mobile CRM that is built for this, with:
- Geolocation, so you can quickly find the accounts and opportunities that are closest to your current position.
- Quick location based check-in, so you can record your visit in a few clicks or swipes.
- Mapping and routing built in, so you don’t need to get any additional mapping software like Badger Maps.
- Offline capabilities, as you can’t always have internet connection in the field.
A great example of a CRM that is built for this purpose is ForceManager. Although nowadays it states on its website that it’s a CRM for both on the road and in the office, until mid-2020 – a few months into the pandemic lockdown – it was fully focused on being a field sales CRM.
If your sales team doesn’t email much, doesn’t book meetings, and just knocks on doors – basically, if they’re only productive when in the field – this is what you need.
If they do field visits but email and book meetings beforehand, using something like Salesflare can be a better alternative.
Features
ForceManager is designed with features that cater to field sales teams:
- Geolocation Tracking: Find nearby accounts and opportunities based on your current location.
- Check-in Functionality: Quickly log visits and activities in just a few clicks.
- Mapping and Routing: Plan routes and optimize travel time between client visits.
- Offline Mode: Access and update information without an internet connection.
- Mobile-first Design: Optimized for mobile use, providing a seamless experience on smartphones and tablets.
Testing it out
While testing ForceManager, I immediately appreciated its mobile-centric approach. The app is user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy to log visits and updates while on the move. The geolocation feature is particularly useful, allowing me to identify and navigate to nearby clients efficiently.
The check-in functionality simplifies logging activities, and the offline mode ensures that work continues seamlessly even without a reliable internet connection. However, the desktop interface feels less refined compared to the mobile app, indicating a stronger focus on mobile usability.
Overall, ForceManager is an excellent tool for field sales teams, providing essential features for managing on-the-go sales activities. Its mobile-first design and geolocation capabilities are standout features, although the desktop experience could be improved.
Pricing
ForceManager offers a straightforward pricing model:
- Essential: $19/user/month (billed annually)
- Starter: $39/user/month (billed annually)
- Professional: $55/user/month (billed annually)
- Performance: $85/user/month (billed annually)
4. Propertybase: CRM for a real estate company

We often get real estate teams trying and liking Salesflare, but – let’s be honest – it’s not exactly built for it.
Salesflare is built for B2B sales, so if you’re in commercial real estate, awesome, but if you’re selling residential real estate you better get a CRM that is a better fit.
A great example of a CRM for real estate companies is Propertybase.
It actually does more than you’d normally expect from a CRM:
- You can easily spin up real estate websites.
- You can launch ad campaigns through it.
- You can keep track of leads and listings.
- You can send email marketing campaigns.
- And you can even sign contracts through it.
Granted, it’s maybe not exactly as slick and easy to use and some of the more generic sales CRM solutions for small businesses… but if you’re in real estate juggling different responsibilities, this may make your life a little easier.
Features
Propertybase offers comprehensive features tailored for real estate professionals:
- Website Builder: Create and manage real estate websites.
- Ad Campaign Management: Launch and monitor ad campaigns directly from the CRM.
- Lead and Listing Management: Track leads and property listings in one place.
- Email Marketing: Send targeted email campaigns to prospects and clients.
- Contract Signing: Facilitate digital contract signing and management.
Testing it out
Testing Propertybase, I found the platform to be specifically tuned for real estate needs. The website builder is straightforward, allowing easy creation of property pages. Managing leads and listings is efficient, with a clear overview of all properties and prospects.
The ad campaign feature integrates well, simplifying the process of promoting listings. However, the interface can feel cluttered at times, and navigating between different modules takes some getting used to. The email marketing and contract signing functionalities are robust, adding significant value for real estate agents.
Overall, Propertybase is a powerful CRM for real estate professionals, offering specialized tools that streamline managing listings and clients. The platform’s depth is impressive, though it may take time to master all its features.
Pricing
Propertybase pricing is tiered based on features:
- Company: $69/user/month (billed annually, minimum 4 users)
- Enterprise: $89/user/month (billed annually, minimum 10 users)
5. ActiveCampaign: CRM to do marketing automation
If you’re a blogger or influencer, a teacher, a fitness coach, … then your CRM needs are probably not that much about following up sales and much more about marketing effectively to your audience.
In that case, a great CRM example is ActiveCampaign.
If you Google them today, it’ll say it’s a “Customer Experience Automation Platform”. It may be hard to understand what they mean with that, so let’s break it down to see what it actually does:
- It helps you segment your audience and build case-by-case email workflows, so you can send the right message to the right people in the right scenario.
- It has a built-in template editor with which you can build beautiful marketing emails.
- Its website tracking can automatically track what topics people are interested in, so you can use that to personalize your emails even better.
Essentially, it’s a next-gen email marketing platform that enables you to go way beyond the generic email newsletter.
You might be asking yourself: then when don’t they say so? Well, they added some basic sales functionality later too and want their tagline to cover the whole package… but – at least according to what I hear from our prospects and customers – it’s not amazing.
It is yet another good example of the fact that you should get a CRM that is built for your exact use case.
Features
ActiveCampaign provides a range of features aimed at marketing automation:
- Email Marketing Automation: Create and automate email workflows based on user behavior.
- Audience Segmentation: Segment your contacts to send targeted messages.
- Template Editor: Design and customize email templates with a drag-and-drop editor.
- Website Tracking: Track user behavior on your website to personalize follow-ups.
- CRM and Sales Automation: Basic CRM functionalities for managing sales pipelines.
Testing it out
Testing ActiveCampaign, I found the marketing automation features to be highly intuitive and powerful. Setting up automated email workflows is straightforward, with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. The audience segmentation allows for precise targeting, enhancing the effectiveness of campaigns.
Website tracking provides valuable insights into user behavior, helping tailor email content based on interests. However, the CRM and sales automation features are relatively basic compared to dedicated sales CRMs. The platform shines in its core marketing functionalities but may fall short for those needing sales tracking capabilities.
Overall, ActiveCampaign is an excellent choice for marketing-focused users, offering robust automation and segmentation tools. Its ease of use and powerful marketing features make it a standout option, despite the basic CRM capabilities.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers several pricing tiers:
- Starter: $39/month for up to 2500 contacts & 1 user (billed annually)
- Plus: $95/month for up to 2500 contacts & 3 users (billed annually)
- Pro: $149/month for up to 2500 contacts & 3 users (billed annually)
- Enterprise: $255/month for up to 2500 contacts & 5 users (billed annually)
6. Virtuous: CRM for fundraising as a non-profit

Many non-profits out there need a way to organize their fundraising / donor management in a better way… because organizing yourself with a series of Excel sheets and an additional bunch of disconnected tools can be a huge pain.
An example of a CRM that helps with this is Virtuous.
Here are some of the things it can do for you that CRMs built for other purposes won’t do:
- Keep track of donor wealth, interests and social media behavior
- Engage through email marketing, direct mail, text messages, forms, …
- Process donor payments
- Help with volunteer recruitment
It’s of course not the right CRM for every non-profit organization. Many non-profits need the same type of easy-to-use sales CRM as for-profits. But if you’re knees deep into fundraising, this is probably what you need.
Features
Virtuous CRM is tailored for non-profits and offers features like:
- Donor Management: Track donor wealth, interests, and social media behavior.
- Multi-channel Engagement: Engage donors through email, direct mail, text messages, and forms.
- Payment Processing: Process donations and payments seamlessly.
- Volunteer Management: Recruit and manage volunteers efficiently.
- Reporting and Analytics: Generate detailed reports and analytics to track fundraising efforts.
Testing it out
When I tested Virtuous, the platform’s focus on non-profit needs was evident. The donor management features are comprehensive, providing a clear view of donor profiles and engagement history. The multi-channel engagement tools make it easy to reach out to donors through various mediums.
The payment processing and volunteer management functionalities integrate smoothly, streamlining the organization’s operations. The interface is user-friendly, though navigating through the extensive features can be initially overwhelming. Reporting and analytics tools are robust, offering valuable insights into fundraising performance.
Overall, Virtuous excels in addressing the unique needs of non-profits, with powerful tools for donor and volunteer management. While the breadth of features may require a learning curve, the platform provides significant value for fundraising organizations.
Pricing
Virtuous offers customized pricing based on organizational needs:
- Starter: Contact for pricing
- Platform: Contact for pricing
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
7. Zendesk: CRM to organize customer support

Running a support heavy business and in need of a system that manages support tickets and conversations?
Then a good example of a dedicated CRM for this purpose is Zendesk. The company was founded all the way back in 2007 and has been leading the space ever since. It was essentially started to make managing a helpdesk more “zen”.
Since then, a large amount of challengers have popped up, all focusing on a different aspect:
- Intercom: started from providing a human live chat experience with customers
- Hiver: enables you to simply use your Gmail inbox as a powerful support mailbox
- Groove: is really focused on the shared inbox experience (Front as well)
These systems are CRMs too in the sense that they enable “customer relationship management”, but they are very different from many of the other CRM examples in this list.
Features
Zendesk offers a comprehensive suite of features for customer support:
- Ticketing System: Manage and track customer support tickets efficiently.
- Knowledge Base: Create and maintain a self-service knowledge base for customers.
- Live Chat and Messaging: Provide real-time support through live chat and messaging.
- Automation and AI: Automate responses and workflows with AI-driven tools.
- Multi-channel Support: Integrate support across email, social media, chat, and phone.
Testing it out
Testing Zendesk revealed a robust platform designed for customer support. The ticketing system is efficient, with automation features that streamline ticket management. The knowledge base creation tool is user-friendly, allowing me to set up a comprehensive self-service portal for customers.
Live chat and messaging integrations work seamlessly, providing real-time support options. The AI and automation tools are effective in handling common queries, reducing the workload on support agents. However, the setup process can be complex, and configuring the system to fit specific needs may require time and expertise.
Overall, Zendesk stands out for its powerful support features and multi-channel capabilities. It is ideal for businesses focused on delivering excellent customer service, despite the initial complexity of setup and configuration.
Pricing
Zendesk pricing varies based on support needs:
- Suite Team: $55/agent/month (billed annually)
- Suite Growth: $89/agent/month (billed annually)
- Suite Professional: $115/agent/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (billed annually)
8. Kommo (formerly amoCRM): CRM to manage instant messaging

If you’re spending more time using WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram than emailing, you may need a CRM that’s built for instant messaging.
An example CRM that is trying to serve this use case is Kommo.
The company has been around since 2009 and its focus has varied widely over the years. The Internet Archive tells us that in 2011 it was an online CRM, from 2012-2016 a sales management system, from 2016-2018 a sales automation platform, and in recent years became a messenger-based sales CRM.
Now what does it do?
- It connects with the different instant messengers so you read and reply from one place.
- It has an “AI chatbot” that helps you automate some of your conversations.
- It helps you organize this in a sales funnel, so you can manage conversations better from lead to deal.
If that’s exactly what you need, give it a go! However, if emailing is your most important channel and messaging is only secondary, one of the other CRM examples in this list is probably a better choice, as Kommo’s Gmail and Outlook integrations are relatively shallow.
Features
Kommo is designed for businesses that rely on instant messaging:
- Instant Messenger Integration: Connects with WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
- AI Chatbot: Automate conversations with AI-driven chatbots.
- Sales Pipeline Management: Organize conversations and leads into sales pipelines.
- Lead Scoring: Automatically score leads based on engagement and behavior.
- Multi-channel Communication: Manage communications across multiple messaging platforms from one interface.
Testing it out
Testing Kommo, I appreciated its strong focus on instant messaging. Integrating with WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram was straightforward, and managing conversations from a single platform was highly efficient. The AI chatbot feature adds value by automating routine interactions, though customization options are somewhat limited.
The sales pipeline management tool is intuitive, making it easy to track leads and progress through the sales cycle. However, the email integration is basic, and those heavily reliant on email might find it lacking. The interface is clean and user-friendly, but advanced users may crave more customization options.
Overall, Kommo excels for businesses prioritizing instant messaging, offering robust tools for managing and automating conversations. While its email functionalities are limited, its strengths in messaging make it a valuable tool for specific use cases.
Pricing
Kommo offers tiered pricing based on features:
- Base: $15/user/month (billed annually)
- Advanced: $25/user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: $45/user/month (billed annually)
FAQ
What is an example of good CRM?
Some examples of good CRM (Customer Relationship Management) are Salesflare, Salesforce, ForceManager, Propertybase, ActiveCampaign, Virtuous, Zendesk, and Kommo. All of these CRMs have different use cases depending on your company’s size and needs. For example, Salesflare is more suited for small and medium-sized B2B businesses while Salesforce can be more fitting for large enterprises who find it more important to turn their internal and external workflows into software.
What is the number 1 CRM in the world?
The number 1 CRM in the world according to our research is Salesforce for larger enterprises, and Salesflare for small and medium-sized businesses, ForceManager for mobile CRM, Propertybase for real estate companies, ActiveCampaign for marketing, Virtuous for non-profit businesses, Zendesk for support heavy business, and Kommo for businesses that use WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
What is a common use case for CRM software?
A common use case for CRM software is managing sales processes and customer interactions. Sales teams use CRM systems to track leads, manage opportunities, and monitor the entire sales pipeline. By centralizing customer data, CRM software enables sales representatives to engage in targeted communications, improve lead conversions, and enhance customer satisfaction. Moreover, CRM’s analytics features offer valuable insights into sales performance, helping businesses make data-driven decisions to optimize their sales efforts.
What is CRM and what are some examples?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a technology and a strategy that focuses on managing and improving interactions with current and potential customers. CRM systems enable businesses to store customer information, track interactions, and automate various processes, resulting in more personalized and effective customer engagement. HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and Salesflare are some examples of popular CRMs.
What are CRM tools?
CRM tools refer to software applications or platforms designed to facilitate Customer Relationship Management. These tools provide a range of functionalities to streamline lead management, sales processes, marketing campaigns, customer support, and analytics. CRM tools allow businesses to capture and organize customer data, track interactions, automate tasks, and gain insights to improve customer relationships and drive business growth.
If this article helped you find the right CRM for your use case, we’re super happy we could help!
And if you haven’t found your CRM yet, I hope this article makes clear that there’s a CRM for every use case and you shouldn’t just go for the first system that pops up when you type “best CRM” into Google.
It’s not an easy journey, so if you want to find the best CRM for you, reach out to us on the chat on our website! We’re here to help out, even if Salesflare is not the right fit for you.
I hope you liked this post. If you did, spread the word!
👉 You can follow @salesflare on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Want to keep exploring?
There's a lot more where this came from. Check out our latest guides here:- LinkedIn CRM integrations, B2B CRMs & AI CRMs
- CRMs for Outlook, CRMs for Gmail, CRMs for Google Workspace & CRMs for email
- CRMs for consultants (+ how to use) & CRMs for marketing agencies
- Mobile CRMs, cloud based CRMs & customer database software
- CRMs for startups & CRMs for small businesses
- Sales CRMs, sales management software, lead mgmt software & sales tracking software
- Salesforce competitors & a Salesforce vs. HubSpot comparison
- Email trackers, email finders & how to send a mass email
- Gmail email template extensions & LinkedIn email finder extensions
- Sales prospecting tools, lead generation tools & B2B lead generation companies
- What is a CRM, CRM benefits, CRM challenges, CRM features, how to choose a CRM, how to implement a CRM, how to use a CRM, CRM strategy, & CRM examples
- Sales dashboard examples, sales forecasting, sales reports & sales analysis
- 7 Best CRMs for Google Workspace + Integration Features - January 23, 2025
- LinkedIn Email Finder (+ Email Sequences) - January 23, 2025
- 8 Benefits of CRM + 6 Challenges to Overcome First - January 21, 2025