Plus I\u2019ll summarize the different review scores to highlight what fellow small businesses think.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I\u2019ll cover in short: \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n
- \n
- How you can define what the best CRM is for your small business<\/a><\/li>\n
- The 8 best CRMs for small businesses ranked<\/a><\/li>\n
- Which of these CRMs to pick in which case<\/a><\/li>\n
- Why the best CRM is the one your sales team uses<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3 steps to CRM success<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\nChoosing and Ranking Small Business CRMs: Methodology<\/h2>\n
There are a three questions<\/strong> to consider when choosing a great small business CRM:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Does it work for your use case and business?<\/li>\n
- Does it fit with the rest of your sales toolset?<\/li>\n
- Is it a good CRM?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
To answer question 1, start from your exact use case <\/strong>and your type of business:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Are you a small or medium-sized business (SMB) actively selling B2B<\/a>? Salesflare<\/a> will be best for you.<\/li>\n
- Are you in real estate instead? Check out our review of Propertybase in this article<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Are you in another type of B2C business and need something for sales? Have a look at Pipedrive<\/a> or Freshworks CRM<\/a>. (Or you can also check out these full lists of the best sales CRMs<\/a> and best lead tracking software<\/a>.)<\/li>\n
- Are you an SMB but more focused on marketing automation? Have a look at HubSpot,<\/a>\u00a0ActiveCampaign<\/a> or EngageBay<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- You want something that can do literally everything and is not built for anything in particular? Sounds like Zoho CRM Plus<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Are you working for a company with 200+ employees? You\u2019ll probably need an enterprise CRM like Salesforce<\/a>. Also\u2026 why did you Google this? \ud83d\ude01<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To answer question 2, consider whether the CRMs you are looking at are a great fit for your sales toolset<\/strong>. I have made dedicated breakdowns for the following:<\/p>\n
- \n
- For Outlook<\/a><\/li>\n
- For Gmail<\/a> \/ For Google Workspace<\/a><\/li>\n
- For LinkedIn<\/a><\/li>\n
- For your mobile phone<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And finally, for question 3, you can look for CRMs that are well rated<\/strong> by their users across platforms. For this, check out the CRMs in this list<\/strong> and their global review ratings.<\/p>\n
These global review ratings<\/strong> are obtained by combining three ratings into one:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Product rating, from the #1 B2B software review site (G2)<\/li>\n
- Mobile app rating, from the #1 mobile app store (Google Play)<\/li>\n
- Email plugin rating, from the #1 email plugin marketplace (Google Workspace Marketplace)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That way you know you get a small business CRM that performs on all fronts. \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/p>\n
\nThe 8 Best CRMs for Small Businesses Ranked<\/h2>\n
To compile this ranking, I went through a list of around 600 possible CRMs to make a pre-selection. Then I tested every one of the 8 selected small business CRMs first hand and researched them in detail for you below.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t want to read the whole comparison? \ud83e\udd13<\/p>\n
The top 8 best CRMs for small businesses in 2026 are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Salesflare: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/li>\n
- Salesforce: 8.7\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- EngageBay CRM & Sales Bay: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- ActiveCampaign: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Freshworks CRM: 8.3\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Zoho CRM Plus: 7.7\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Pipedrive: 6.6\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Want to dig into the details? Read on! \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n
\n1. Salesflare [9.7\/10]<\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/h3>\n
<\/source><\/picture> <\/source><\/picture> ![\"Salesflare's](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/salesflare-new-homepage_f7ae91fcb03f8da6bca69d08cb24e93d_800.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re a small or medium-sized B2B business and need something that your team will actually use<\/strong>, Salesflare<\/a> may be right for you.<\/p>\n
Salesflare is a dedicated sales CRM that was built from the ground up to help your sales team build better relationships and sell more, while requiring very little of that dreaded data input<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s made to pull all the data together from where it already is (your Office 365<\/a> or Google email<\/a>, calendar, phone, social media, company databases, email signatures, email & web tracking, \u2026) and uses that to help you follow up your leads in a better way<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The flip side is that some companies are not used to sharing this much information<\/strong> within the team, although this has been changing dramatically in recent years, and Salesflare has introduced a new permissions system for companies who want to limit some of that newly created transparency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like all the features of Salesflare, which are easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to implement. The back-end developers know their stuff very well and take the time and patience to solve your questions promptly. The team is always communicative and tries to help you in the extra mile.\u201d writes Alex Z.<\/a>, project manager at a technology company, about Salesflare.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When you start using Salesflare, the first thing you\u2019ll notice is how seamlessly it integrates into your existing workflow. There\u2019s no tedious data entry required: Salesflare automatically pulls in information from your email, calendar, and social media accounts, building comprehensive profiles for your leads without you lifting a finger. The platform is designed with B2B sales teams in mind, so it feels intuitive from the get-go. You\u2019ll appreciate how Salesflare tracks every interaction you have with your leads, from emails to meetings, and logs them automatically, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. The smart reminders and task automation features are like having a personal assistant that keeps you on top of every follow-up. As you continue using it, you\u2019ll find that Salesflare really is as easy to use as it claims, making it a tool that your whole team will actually want to use, day in and day out.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Salesflare\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 9.5<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 9.5<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 9.3<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.9<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 9.5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesflare\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Product (G2): 9.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.8\/5 \u2192 9.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 5\/5 \u2192 10\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan:<\/p>\n
- \n
- $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $64\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Try Salesflare<\/h4>\n
If you don\u2019t sell B2B (aka to other businesses) and don\u2019t do active sales, one of the below CRMs might then be a better fit for you. But, if you do actively sell B2B, give Salesflare a try<\/a>.<\/p>\n
It only takes a few minutes to\u00a0start a Salesflare trial<\/a><\/u><\/strong> and follow up your leads in a better way.\ud83d\udc48<\/strong><\/p>\n
I guarantee you won\u2019t find any better CRM for your small business! \ud83d\udc4c
\n\n\n \n \n \n \n ![\"Salesflare](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/salesflare-awards-transparent-2024-800.png\")
\n <\/picture>\n <\/a>\n \n Some of the awards Salesflare has received for its ease of use, ease of implementation, and quality of support.\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure> \n \n \n\n
\n2. Salesforce [8.7\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Salesforce](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/salesforce-homepage_0d981f13eb6f6f0d38e98cbb6e95b66f_800.PNG\")
<\/figure>\nSalesforce is the biggest CRM company<\/strong> in the world, controlling about 20% of the market. Its stock ticker is even \u201cCRM\u201d, so we definitely couldn\u2019t compile a list of CRMs without mentioning it.<\/p>\n
While, in the first few years of its existence, Salesforce was focused on small businesses, it has since shifted its focus on enterprises<\/strong>. This also immediately explains why it\u2019s forte is extreme customizability (provided you pay a team of consultants to do that) and why it has positioned itself to be the one software vendor that offers a solution to all your business needs.<\/p>\n
Salesforce does still offer a solution to small businesses today, called Salesforce Essentials, a limited version of the full platform. Compared to other CRMs in this list however, it lacks in user friendliness<\/strong> and is not really customized for sales teams<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
This frustration with Salesforce is actually one of the reasons why we started building Salesflare<\/strong>, and \u2013 perhaps not surprisingly \u2013 why many of our customers find Salesflare<\/a> while looking for a better alternative.<\/p>\n
If extreme customizability is however your thing, or you\u2019re working at a corporate, Salesforce might still be the best choice for you. But before signing any contract, read this guide to the small print<\/a> first.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I like that it\u2019s] easy to use, plenty of capabilities. Easy to learn [how to] customize.\u201d writes Giulia M.<\/a>, a senior Salesforce developer, about Salesforce Sales Cloud.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When I tested Salesforce, I immediately felt the power of its extensive customizability. The setup process, however, was not as smooth as I had hoped. I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer number of features and options available. Customizing Salesforce to fit my specific needs took significant time and effort, often requiring help from consultants. While the platform eventually offered me a tailored solution, the complexity made it less intuitive to navigate, particularly for a small business focused primarily on sales. The learning curve was steep, and I often felt like I was only scratching the surface of what Salesforce could do.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Salesforce\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 7.5<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.8<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 8.2<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 8.3<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesforce\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Product (G2): 8.2\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.2\/5 \u2192 8.4\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.7\/5 \u2192 9.4\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.7\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (Salesforce Sales Cloud Pro Suite):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $100\/user\/month<\/strong> (only billed annually)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n3. HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub [8.6\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"HubSpot](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/hubspot-homepage_7fd7a201dc9a1792d169d0e212864abb_800.PNG\")
<\/figure>\nHubSpot<\/a> is a marketing automation platform <\/strong>turned everything<\/em> platform. It was founded in 2005 to make marketing automation easier.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, HubSpot\u2019s main selling point is offering an all-in-one solution<\/strong>, including marketing, sales, service and operations. If you don\u2019t like using different apps and integrating them (using tools like Zapier and native integrations), then HubSpot might be what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n
The flip side of the coin is that HubSpot\u2019s software is extremely expensive<\/strong>. Yes, it\u2019s small business CRM is free, but it\u2019s only comparable to the others in this list if you buy it together with the Sales Hub<\/a>. And if you want to actually reap the benefits<\/a> of the all-in-one platform, you need to pay up for the other Hubs too.<\/p>\n
\u201cHubspot is extremely powerful and customizable but also very easy to use and quick to get started with right out of the box. [\u2026] HubSpot has an extensive marketplace of integrations that work well and are easy to implement.\u201d writes Jacob B.<\/a>, a sales rep at an IT services company, about HubSpot.<\/p>\n
On top of that, you\u2019ll find that the different tools in the platform do not compare<\/strong> to their more polished, feature-rich and usually cheaper HubSpot alternatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Actually, if you have some ideas of what functionality you need (a CRM, lead forms, landing pages, automated emails or maybe newsletters, \u2026), hit us up on the chat and we\u2019ll help you come up with the perfect sales-marketing stack<\/strong>. I guarantee that it\u2019ll be better and cheaper\u2026 and easy to integrate.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Testing HubSpot was an interesting experience. The integration of marketing, sales, and service tools into a single platform was a strong selling point. Setting it up was relatively straightforward, and I appreciated how user-friendly the interface was. However, as I started to explore the more advanced features, the costs began to add up quickly. While the free CRM was robust enough for basic tasks, unlocking the full potential of the platform required investing in multiple Hubs, each with its own hefty price tag. The all-in-one solution was convenient, but I often found myself questioning whether the high price justified the value, especially when compared to specialized tools.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
HubSpot\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.6<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.3<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 8.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.6<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
HubSpot\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Product (G2): 8.5\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.6\/5 \u2192 9.2\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.0\/5 \u2192 8.0\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (HubSpot Sales Hub Professional):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $90\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/span><\/li>\n
- $100\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly, but with annual commitment)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
+ an extra required fee of $1500 for onboarding<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n4. EngageBay CRM & Sales Bay [8.6\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"EngageBay](\"https:\/\/blog.salesflare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Engagebay-home-1024x481.png\")
<\/figure>\nEngageBay<\/a> is the newest CRM in this list, founded in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n
It\u2019s an all-in-one CRM<\/strong>, spanning everything from CRM to marketing and sales, so you could call it a younger HubSpot. The company even uses the same way to structure its products, with a free CRM at the center and a series of \u201cbays\u201d around it (like the \u201chubs\u201d of HubSpot\u201d).<\/p>\n
The biggest pro of EngageBay is exactly that: you can get everything (and it\u2019s a lot of functionality) in one place.<\/p>\n
The free CRM itself of course does not come with a lot of functionality, so if you want something comparable to other CRMs in this list, you\u2019ll quickly find yourself upgrading<\/strong> to the paid plans. In that respect, the pricing also becomes quite comparable to most other products in this list (except of course for the significantly higher priced HubSpot and Salesforce products).<\/p>\n
The flip side of the coin here is that the interface is not the prettiest nor the smoothest and that some things do feel a little buggy<\/strong>, but it\u2019s a young and relatively cheap product that has built a lot of features, so this is definitely not abnormal or surprising.<\/p>\n
All in all, EngageBay\u2019s ratings on G2 and Google Play make it land in third place in this ranking. (It does not have an email plugin<\/strong> available in the Google Workspace marketplace, so I counted an average 3.9 rating into the score to avoid throwing off the ratings.)<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When I tried out EngageBay, I was impressed by the range of features available at such an affordable price point. The platform aimed to offer a comprehensive solution, combining CRM, marketing, and sales functionalities. Setting up the system was relatively easy, but as I dug deeper, I noticed some rough edges in the user interface. The experience wasn\u2019t as polished as I would have liked, with occasional bugs and slower performance. Still, for a small business on a tight budget, EngageBay provided a solid array of tools without breaking the bank, even if it wasn\u2019t the smoothest ride.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
EngageBay\u2019s review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 9.2<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 9.3<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.5<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 9.2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
EngageBay\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Product (G2): 9.2\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.3\/5 \u2192 8.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): none \u2192 average rating of 3.9\/5 \u2192 7.8\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (Engagebay CRM & Sales Bay Pro):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $79.99\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n
- $73.59\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $67.99\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed bi-annually!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n5. ActiveCampaign [8.5\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"ActiveCampaign\"](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/activecampaign-homepage_75ef1dfa11f57a21c56bd6f9bfc80b0e_800.PNG\")
<\/figure>\nActiveCampaign is an email marketing\/automation platform, founded in 2003. It now brands itself as a customer experience automation (CXA)<\/strong> platform, to cover its expanding range of functionality.<\/p>\n
ActiveCampaign added a small business CRM to its offering in 2014, as a sales focused add-on to the rest of the platform. This integration<\/strong> between email automation and CRM is probably its main forte.<\/p>\n
Setting up ActiveCampaign is not a light task and its software may become overwhelming<\/strong>, while the CRM aspect itself on the other hand will not be as feature rich<\/strong> compared to the other CRMs in this list.<\/p>\n
When people compare ActiveCampaign to Salesflare, which also offers automated emails and email sequences, my advice is usually simple: if you\u2019re an ecommerce company or B2C company, or you need very complex or very high volume email automation, ActiveCampaign is probably what you\u2019re looking for. If you\u2019re a B2B company with an active sales team and the need to automate more personal emails, then go with Salesflare<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Testing ActiveCampaign was a bit of a mixed bag. The platform excelled in email marketing automation, with powerful tools for segmenting contacts and setting up complex sequences. However, as I shifted focus to the CRM side of things, I noticed it wasn\u2019t as fully developed as I had hoped. The CRM felt like an add-on rather than a core feature, and setting up the system required a significant investment of time. While it worked well for automating high-volume email campaigns, I found the CRM functionalities lacking in depth compared to dedicated CRM platforms, making it a better fit for companies prioritizing email over sales management.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
ActiveCampaign\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.2<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.7<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
ActiveCampaign\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Product (G2): 8.9\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.3\/5 \u2192 8.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.0\/5 \u2192 8.0\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (ActiveCampaign Pro plan with the \u201cEnhanced CRM\u201d add-in that includes \u201cPipelines & sales engagement\u201d)<\/span>:<\/p>\n
- \n
- $260\/month<\/strong> (billed annually, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n
- $294\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n6. Freshworks CRM [8.3\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Freshworks](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/freshworks-homepage_fcc2ceaf13c45c06deb99caa93f0fb14_800.PNG\")
<\/figure>\n - $294\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $260\/month<\/strong> (billed annually, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n
- $73.59\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $79.99\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n
- $100\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly, but with annual commitment)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $90\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/span><\/li>\n
- $100\/user\/month<\/strong> (only billed annually)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $64\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- Salesforce: 8.7\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Salesflare: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/li>\n
- For Gmail<\/a> \/ For Google Workspace<\/a><\/li>\n
- Are you in real estate instead? Check out our review of Propertybase in this article<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Are you a small or medium-sized business (SMB) actively selling B2B<\/a>? Salesflare<\/a> will be best for you.<\/li>\n
- The 8 best CRMs for small businesses ranked<\/a><\/li>\n
![\"Salesflare's](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/salesflare-awards-transparent-2024-800.avif)
<\/picture><\/figure>\n