If you don\u2019t have a Google or Microsoft inbox however, just keep reading below!<\/p>\n
Also, if you\u2019re using LinkedIn<\/strong> a lot, make sure to check out my dedicated breakdown of LinkedIn-CRM integrations<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are 10 core features you can expect from a CRM that is well integrated with your email inbox:<\/p>\n That\u2019s a lot of useful stuff to follow up your leads better and boost your productivity! \ud83d\ude04 I\u2019ve detailed below which of these features come with each CRM.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a CRM that integrates well with your email inbox, the above set of features can significantly boost your productivity.<\/p>\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 7 selected email CRMs first hand and researched which of them offer which features and detailed this for you below.<\/p>\n It is however important to keep the bigger picture in mind when comparing CRMs, because you need to make sure your team will actually use that CRM as well. Getting a CRM that nobody uses is pretty useless. \ud83d\ude0f<\/p>\n Because of that, I\u2019ve included the current scoring for each CRM on G2 so you get a better idea of how each CRM stacks up. It\u2019s broken down as follows:<\/p>\n And to top it off, I\u2019ve also incorporated the review score each CRM\u2019s mobile app gets on Google Play. That way it isn\u2019t only great for your email inbox, but handy on the phone too! \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/p>\n I then took the average of the email integration feature score, the average G2 review score, and the Google Play score for the mobile app, to calculate\u2026 the final score! \ud83e\udd47<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to read the whole comparison? \ud83e\udd13<\/p>\n The top 7 best CRMs with email integration in 2026 are:<\/p>\n Want to dig into the details? Read on!<\/p>\n It\u2019s no surprise that Salesflare stacks up so well against other CRMs with a strong email integration: it\u2019s built from the ground up to make following up leads more productive, starting from your email inbox.<\/p>\n Salesflare<\/a> (founded in 2014) is used by thousands of small and medium-sized businesses who sell to other businesses (incl. agencies<\/a>, consultancies<\/a>, development houses, tech companies, \u2026). It\u2019s top ranked across review platforms and is the #1 CRM on Product Hunt, the leading community for product enthusiasts.<\/p>\n Salesflare\u2019s plugins for Gmail and Outlook don\u2019t just offer a really tight integration (more on that below). What\u2019s absolutely unique about them is that they bring 100% of the CRM functionality<\/a> into your email inbox, so you never need to switch apps while selling (although if you want to use Salesflare separately and do all the same things from there, that is fully possible too \ud83d\udc4a).<\/p>\n Note that many CRMs are only focused on integrating on with Google Workspace \/ Gmail and Office 365 \/ Outlook. Salesflare however also integrates with most other types of email inboxes and synchronizes those perfectly (not through the email inbox plugin, but through a direct connection with the inbox).<\/p>\n \u201cI am a start-up and I needed a powerful CRM that I could set up quickly and easily, and Salesflare is perfect for me. Very powerful; great knowledge base to check whenever I have a question. I especially like the integration with my Outlook email. I can quickly add new contacts and accounts right from my email, and I can see who is opening my emails from the dashboard \u2013 very helpful.\u201d writes Steve N.<\/a>, founder of a consultancy, about Salesflare.<\/p>\n When you start using Salesflare, the integration with your email inbox is immediately apparent. As soon as you connect your email, Salesflare begins to pull in relevant data and automatically fills in details about your contacts and leads. You can update and manage your CRM directly from your inbox, without having to switch between apps, which makes it incredibly convenient. Every email, meeting, and interaction is logged automatically, and the CRM even enriches contact details by pulling in data from email signatures. The seamlessness of this integration ensures that you spend less time on manual data entry and more time engaging with your leads.<\/p>\n Without further ado, here\u2019s an analysis of how Salesflare stacks up:<\/p>\n Features Salesflare offers: 10\/10<\/p>\n Features Salesflare doesn\u2019t offer: none<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (10 of 10 features) on the Salesflare Pro plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually) Want to see it all in action? You can try Salesflare for free<\/a><\/u>. \ud83d\udc48<\/p>\n It only takes a few minutes to start a trial<\/a><\/u>, connect your email inbox (it\u2019ll be the first thing Salesflare asks you to do) and install the Gmail or Outlook plugin (you can find those in Settings > Applications & Integrations).<\/p>\n I guarantee you won\u2019t find an easier CRM that connects so well with your email inbox! \ud83d\udc4c Copper is a CRM software company founded in 2011 that fully focuses on serving Google Workspace clients and on closely integrating with Gmail, which is why it deserves its second place in this email CRM ranking.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not using Gmail, Copper is not for you. It doesn\u2019t even integrate with Microsoft Outlook \/ Office 365. So just scroll past it if you\u2019re not using Gmail! \ud83d\uddb1\ufe0f<\/p>\n Copper\u2019s target industries are relatively similar to Salesflare\u2019s, additionally serving real estate clients, as the software is not focused on B2B sales. This allows the company to reach a larger target audience, but inevitably also makes using it a little less straightforward for its B2B users.<\/p>\n When objectively comparing scores, the main differences are a more difficult set-up, lower quality support, and the absence of two email productivity features. Also, the pricing to get all below functionality (8 features) is more than double.<\/p>\n When I tested Copper, the first thing that stood out was its tight integration with Gmail. Setting it up was straightforward, and once connected, the CRM was fully embedded into my Gmail interface. Every time I sent or received an email, Copper automatically logged it and updated the corresponding contact or lead in the CRM. This feature was particularly helpful in keeping track of ongoing conversations without needing to jump between different platforms. However, I found that while the email integration was solid, Copper lacked some advanced features, like automatic contact enrichment from email signatures, which limited the overall efficiency slightly.<\/p>\n Features Copper offers: 8\/10<\/p>\n Features Copper doesn\u2019t offer:<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (8 of 10 features) on the Copper Business Plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n $99\/user\/month <\/strong>(billed annually) HubSpot is a marketing automation platform turned everything 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, 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 To get CRM functionality that is comparable to what you\u2019re getting with the other CRMs in this ranking, you need to get two HubSpot products: its CRM and its Sales Hub.<\/p>\n In terms of its email integration, HubSpot does a fair job, although the pricing to get all this handy functionality (7 features) is quite steep, starting at $90-100\/user\/month plus an extra required fee of $1470 for onboarding.<\/p>\n Using HubSpot CRM alongside the Sales Hub was a robust experience, albeit a bit overwhelming at first due to the platform\u2019s extensive features. The email integration was solid; every email I sent from Gmail or Outlook was automatically tracked, and I could view interactions directly within the CRM. However, I noticed that setting up automated email sequences and personalizing them required more steps than I anticipated. While HubSpot excels in providing a comprehensive view of customer interactions, it requires a bit more effort to unlock its full potential, especially for smaller teams.<\/p>\n Features HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub offers: 7\/10<\/p>\n Features HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub doesn\u2019t offer<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (7 of 10 features) on the HubSpot Sales Hub Professional plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n $90\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed annually) Freshworks CRM (formerly known as Freshsales) is a sales CRM<\/a> from Freshworks, the company behind \/ initially called Freshdesk. The company was founded in 2010 to provide a better, cheaper solution for customer service teams.<\/p>\n Freshworks\u2019 main selling point is its feature depth. It has also managed to offer this range of functionality through an easier to use interface than its competitor\/predecessor from the same city, Zoho.<\/p>\n While its email integration is not as deep as with better performing CRMs in this ranking, it still deserves a mention in this ranking due to its relatively popular Gmail add-on and integration.<\/p>\n \u201cFreshsales make it easy to monitor sales team activities. The best part is I can generate leads automatically from emails which will helps in minimizing manual errors. They provide a complete dashboard of all activities such as CRM, email tracking, call tracking, sales engagement, etc. Its very important for me and I\u2019m also happy with Freshsales\u2019 service. Mainly, I also like that Freshsales allows to keep monitoring or tracking all your clients. It has a very good interface.\u201d writes Sourav S.<\/a>, sales rep at a financial services company, about Freshsales.<\/p>\n Testing Freshworks CRM, I found that the email integration was decent but not as seamless as I had hoped. After connecting my Gmail account, emails were synced with the CRM, and I could track opens and clicks directly from the inbox. However, unlike some other CRMs, Freshworks didn\u2019t automatically create new contacts from email interactions, which meant I had to manually enter this information. The ability to send personalized email sequences was a nice touch, but overall, the email integration felt a bit basic compared to other tools I\u2019ve used.<\/p>\n Features Freshworks CRM offers: 5\/10<\/p>\n Features Freshworks CRM doesn\u2019t offer<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (5 of 10 features) on Freshsales Enterprise plan*:<\/span><\/p>\n $59\/user\/month <\/strong>(billed annually) * Sequences with stricter limits also available on Pro plan<\/span><\/p>\n When ranking CRMs with email integration, one can not ignore Streak. Streak was founded in 2011 to be the email integrated CRM for Gmail, and it has stayed true to this mission ever since.<\/p>\n Note that, like Copper, this again means that if you don\u2019t use Gmail, Streak is not for you.<\/p>\n Compared to the other CRMs in this list, Streak has historically focused very much on solo users, which is epitomized by its popular free plan without collaboration functionality (and its affordable \u201cSolo\u201d plan upgrade).<\/p>\n Streak runs entirely within the Gmail interface and that\u2019s where it\u2019s strongest. It has no dedicated web application and its mobile apps are a bit limited (getting 2.5 and 3 stars in the App Store and on Google Play).<\/p>\n Still, if you\u2019re a single user and don\u2019t use your CRM on your phone, Streak can be a simple and strong solution to start tracking your leads.<\/p>\n Do note that to get all the 6 below features, you need to get on its Pro plan for teams, which will set you back $59\/user\/month (billed monthly).<\/p>\n Using Streak felt like an extension of Gmail rather than a separate CRM. Since it\u2019s built entirely within Gmail, the integration is as seamless as it gets. Every email I sent was automatically added to my pipeline, and I could track deals right from my inbox. However, this tight integration also meant that if you don\u2019t use Gmail, Streak isn\u2019t an option. For single users or small teams who live in their inbox, Streak is an excellent choice, though its limited features outside of Gmail and basic mobile apps might be a drawback for some.<\/p>\n Features Streak offers: 6\/10<\/p>\n Features Streak doesn\u2019t offer:<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (6 of 10 features) on the Streak Pro plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually) Zoho is a true household name in the CRM industry, so I couldn\u2019t omit them from this ranking.<\/p>\n Zoho launched its small business CRM<\/a> product in 2005 and has historically been positioning itself as a cheaper alternative to Salesforce. That is immediately its main selling point.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a CRM solution, Zoho has many tiers (and products even: Zoho CRM, Zoho CRM Plus, Zoho One, \u2026). To get all three features below, you need to get on the Professional plan of its standard Zoho CRM product. Do note that its add-ons (like the comparable Gmail add-on) usually don\u2019t get the best review ratings.<\/p>\n Regarding the CRM itself, Kishore C.<\/a>, sales rep at a backoffice service provider, wrote about Zoho CRM: \u201cZoho CRM\u2019s pricing is very low when compared to other CRM tools. The best feature of Zoho CRM is its low cost with more features. Also, Zoho CRM is very user-friendly when compared to other CRMs. All the features are up-to-date and every feature is unique in its way. Zoho CRM can be integrated with other tools like marketing automation tools, or sales automation tools, which is useful for maintaining all the records in the tool.\u201d<\/p>\n When I tried Zoho CRM, the email integration experience was somewhat underwhelming. While it did sync emails and allowed me to manage CRM tasks from my inbox, the process felt a bit clunky compared to other CRMs. The setup took longer than expected, and it didn\u2019t automatically pull in new contacts from email interactions, which added extra steps to my workflow. The lack of advanced features like email signature enrichment also made it feel less efficient for managing high volumes of emails and leads.<\/p>\n Features Zoho CRM offers: 3\/10<\/p>\n Features Zoho CRM doesn\u2019t offer:<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (3 of 10 features) on Zoho CRM Professional plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n $23\/user\/month <\/strong>(billed annually) Pipedrive is an easy-to-use and easy-to-setup sales CRM for startups<\/a>, and is therefore compared to Salesflare very often.<\/p>\n The company was founded in 2011 to launch a counterreaction to enterprise CRMs like Salesforce, which are built more for enterprise needs than they are for sales teams. Pipedrive set out to change that.<\/p>\n While the company has been doing its best in recent years to build out a closer email integration, it still has some work to do on this front. Its relatively low depth of integration makes it land in last place for this Google CRM ranking.<\/p>\n When I tested Pipedrive, I found its email integration to be straightforward and effective. Connecting my email account was easy, and the automatic logging of emails to the corresponding contact or deal was helpful for keeping everything organized. However, while it tracks email opens and clicks, it lacks more advanced insights found in some other CRMs. The email templates are useful but offer less customization than I expected. Additionally, new contacts from incoming emails weren\u2019t automatically created, requiring manual entry. Overall, Pipedrive\u2019s email integration works well but could benefit from more advanced features.<\/p>\n Features Pipedrive offers: 2\/10<\/p>\n Features Pipedrive doesn\u2019t offer<\/p>\n G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n Final result:<\/p>\n Pricing to get all of the above (2 of 10 features) on the Pipedrive Premium plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually) Yes, many CRM systems like Salesflare, Hubspot, Copper, and Pipedrive offer email marketing capabilities. They allow you to manage contacts, create email campaigns, track interactions, and analyze email marketing performance, all within the CRM platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yes, most CRM systems have built-in email functionality that enables you to send emails directly from the CRM platform. This feature allows you to communicate with leads, prospects, and customers without switching between different applications.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There are several CRMs that integrate with Gmail, such as Salesflare, Copper, HubSpot, Streak, and Zoho CRM. These integrations enable you to access CRM features and data directly within Gmail, allowing you to manage contacts, track email interactions, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While Outlook itself is primarily an email client, you can use it for basic CRM functions such as managing contacts and scheduling emails. However, for more advanced CRM capabilities, it\u2019s recommended to use a dedicated CRM system like Salesflare that integrates with Outlook.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Integrating email with CRM offers several benefits. It allows you to centralize and organize all email communications related to your contacts and customers within the CRM system. This makes it easier to track interactions, view the history of email conversations, and access important email correspondence, leading to better customer management and improved productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Want to dig deeper into the differences? Just ask our team using the chat on salesflare.com<\/a>. We\u2019re here to help \ud83d\ude04<\/p>\n
\nCore features of an email integrated CRM<\/h2>\n
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\nRanking CRMs with email integration: methodology<\/h2>\n
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\nThe 7 Best CRMs with Email Integration ranked<\/h2>\n
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\n1. Salesflare [9.7\/10]<\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/h3>\n
![\"Salesflare's](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/salesflare-awards-transparent-2024-800.avif)
<\/picture>Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$64\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\nTry Salesflare<\/h4>\n
\n\n \n <\/picture>\n <\/a>\n
\n2. Copper [8.5\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Copper's](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/copper-gmail-crm_4a1f66bdb89a626a86798de1568b68c0_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nTesting it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$134\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\n
\n3. HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub [8.2\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"HubSpot's](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/hubspot-crm-gmail_0e23207c57abfc96cf45f2719653fbc7_800.jpeg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nTesting it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$100\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly, but with annual commitment)
\n+ an extra required fee of $1500 for onboarding<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n4. Freshworks CRM [7.2\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Freshworks](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/freshworks-crm-freshsales-gmail_e2b8ede3b32199fb6983877aa21af7fb_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nTesting it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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\n
\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$71\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\n
\n5. Streak [6.7\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Streak](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/streak-gmail-crm_fcfd0f4a9071598e4754cdbe6aa2741d_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nTesting it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$59\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\n
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\n6. Zoho CRM [6.4\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Zoho](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/zoho-crm-outlook_4cb8b93b9c69351a5de05c4e5676c622_800.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nTesting it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$35\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)
\n+20% if you want to get \u201cPremium support\u201d (i.e. comparable support to what you get in other places)<\/span><\/p>\n
\n7. Pipedrive [5.7\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Pipedrive](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/pipedrive-crm-gmail_23e7dac339c7603a6d4da24761b63f1f_800.jpeg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nTesting it out<\/h4>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
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Pricing<\/h4>\n
\n$79\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\n
\nFAQ<\/h2>\n
Can you use a CRM for email marketing?<\/h3>\n
Can CRM send email?<\/h3>\n
What CRM integrates into Gmail?<\/h3>\n
Can I use Outlook as a CRM?<\/h3>\n
Why integrate email with CRM?<\/h3>\n
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![\"Try](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/sf-blog-footer-transparent-800.avif)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/a>\n <\/figure>