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
\n
Ranking Outlook integrated CRMs: our methodology<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a CRM that integrates well with your Outlook and Microsoft Office 365 environment, the above set of features can significantly boost your productivity.<\/p>\n
To compile this ranking, I went through a list of around 800 possible CRMs to make a pre-selection. Then I tested every one of the 7 below Outlook CRM first hand and researched which of them offer which features and detailed this for you below.<\/p>\n
It is of course important to keep the bigger picture in mind as well 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 included the current scoring for each CRM on G2.com so you get a better idea of how each CRM stacks up. It\u2019s broken down as follows:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And to top it off, I also incorporated the review score each CRM\u2019s mobile app gets on Google Play. That way the CRM isn\u2019t only great for Outlook, but handy on the phone too! \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/p>\n
I then took the average of the Outlook 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
\nThe 7 best CRMs for Outlook ranked<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t want to read the whole comparison? \ud83e\udd13<\/p>\n
The top 7 best CRMs for Outlook in 2026 are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Salesflare: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/li>\n
- HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub: 8.2\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- ActiveCampaign: 7.2\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Freshworks CRM: 6.9\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Salesforce Sales Cloud: 6.5\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Zoho CRM: 6.4\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Pipedrive: 5.7\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Want to dig into the details? Read on!<\/p>\n
\n1. Salesflare [9.7\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/desktop-outlook-plugin_fbbe51692a1adfdf2730df5ac64f8c9b_800.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nUse your CRM from your Outlook inbox, track emails, send sequences\u2026 and much more. \u2728<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no surprise that Salesflare stacks up so well against other Outlook CRMs: it\u2019s built from the ground up to make following up leads more productive, starting from your Outlook inbox.<\/p>\n
Salesflare (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 Outlook plugin doesn\u2019t only offer a really tight integration (more on that below). What\u2019s absolutely unique about it is that it brings 100% of the CRM functionality into Outlook, so you never need to switch between Outlook and your browser while selling (although if you want to use Salesflare in the browser and do all the same things from there, that is fully possible too \ud83d\udc4a).<\/p>\n
Many CRMs are strongly focused on integrating with Google Workspace \/ Gmail. Salesflare offers virtually the exact same integration in Outlook as well, which makes it a great fit for many slightly larger companies who want to get in on all the modern functionality too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I like best about Salesflare is the integration with LinkedIn and with Microsoft Outlook\/365. Simply amazing in how in a few weeks it has simplified my tasks and integration in managing contacts and relationships.\u201d writes Michael R.<\/a>, CEO of a market research company, about Salesflare\u2019s Outlook integration.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When you test Salesflare, the integration with Outlook is immediately noticeable. You can access all CRM features<\/a> directly from your inbox, making managing leads and contacts incredibly convenient. The automated data entry feature is particularly impressive; as soon as you sync your email, Salesflare begins auto-populating customer profiles with relevant data, including contact details and social media information.<\/p>\n
The email tracking capabilities stand out as well. Every email you send is tracked, showing you when it is opened and which links are clicked. This level of insight helps you understand how engaged your prospects are, making planning follow-ups much more strategic. Additionally, meeting scheduling and logging are seamless, with all your appointments automatically synced and detailed notes added to each record. This ensures you are always prepared for your interactions.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Without further ado, here\u2019s an analysis of how Salesflare stacks up:<\/p>\n
Features Salesflare offers: 10\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features Salesflare doesn\u2019t offer: none<\/p>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Integrates with LinkedIn too<\/li>\n
- Available for Windows, Mac and on the Web<\/li>\n
- 100% accessible within Outlook<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Signing up is only possible with business email<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: 10\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 9.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 4.8\/5 \u2192 9.6\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (10 of 10 features) on the Salesflare Pro plan:<\/p>\n
$49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)
\n$64\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\nSalesflare offers a free trial of up to 30 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
Try Salesflare<\/h4>\n
Want to see it all in action? You can try Salesflare for free<\/a><\/u><\/strong>. \ud83d\udc48<\/p>\n
It only takes a few minutes to start a trial<\/a><\/u> and install the Outlook plugin (you can find it in Settings > Applications & Integrations).<\/p>\n
I guarantee you won\u2019t find an easier CRM that integrates so well with Outlook! \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. HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub [8.2\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/hubspot-outlook-crm_07078625139d5eb4ce162c99a7edca0a_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nHubSpot 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 Outlook \/ Microsoft 365 integration, HubSpot does a fair job. Stefano C., CRM Operations Manager of a marketing agency, writes in his review<\/a>: \u201cOn the sales side, the Outlook add-in allows us to make sure all sales activity by all team members is being tracked and logged in the CRM, so we are able to track performance and customer interactions quickly and easily.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, 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
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Testing HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub was a smooth experience, particularly because of its robust Outlook integration. The sidebar in Outlook provided instant access to contact details, recent activities, and deals, allowing me to update records and log interactions without leaving my inbox.<\/p>\n
The setup was straightforward, and the system did a good job of syncing my calendar and emails. However, I noticed that not all emails were synced, which required occasional manual updates. Despite this, the overall functionality and integration with other HubSpot tools provided a comprehensive solution for managing marketing, sales, and customer service activities in one place.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Features HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub offers: 7\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub doesn\u2019t offer<\/p>\n
- \n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- All-in-one business platform<\/li>\n
- Outlook sidebar is integrated everywhere<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Expensive pricing<\/li>\n
- Doesn\u2019t sync all emails<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: score: 7\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 8.5\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 4.6\/5 \u2192 9.2\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 8.2\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (7 of 10 features)\u00a0<\/span>on the HubSpot Sales Hub Professional plan<\/span>:<\/p>\n
$90\/seat\/month<\/strong>\u00a0(billed annually)<\/span>
\n$100\/seat\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly, but with annual commitment)<\/span>
\n+ an extra required fee of $1500 for onboarding<\/strong><\/p>\nHubSpot offers a free trial of 14 to 30 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n3. ActiveCampaign [7.2\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/activecampaign-outlook-crm_194552d381125ec35999f6470408a9c5_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nActiveCampaign is an email marketing\/automation platform, founded in 2003. It now brands itself as a customer experience automation (CXA) 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 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, while the CRM aspect itself on the other hand will not be as feature rich compared to the other CRMs in this list.<\/p>\n
This is reflected in its Outlook integration as well. In his review<\/a>, Corey W., a freelance writer, says: \u201cLike some other CRM systems it would be useful that with the Microsoft Outlook plug in, emails to and from the client are automatically uploaded to the customer record which ActiveCampaign doesn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n
When people compare ActiveCampaign to Salesflare, which also offers automated emails and email sequences, our 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
ActiveCampaign\u2019s integration with Outlook was decent but left some room for improvement. Setting up the integration required a bit of effort, but once done, I could manage CRM activities from my inbox. The automation workflows were powerful, allowing me to create complex sequences that saved time and ensured consistent follow-ups.<\/p>\n
However, I found that not all client communications were automatically logged, which sometimes required manual entry. The interface, while feature-rich, felt slightly overwhelming at times, especially for users primarily focused on CRM functionalities rather than extensive email marketing. Despite these challenges, the ability to track website visits and engagement from email links provided valuable insights into customer behavior.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Features ActiveCampaign offers: 4\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features ActiveCampaign doesn\u2019t offer:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Complex automation flows possible<\/li>\n
- Many integrations available<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Platform can be quite overwhelming<\/li>\n
- Expensive to add extra contacts on Marketing plans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: 4\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 8.9\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 4.3\/5 \u2192 8.6\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 7.2\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (4 of 10 features) on the ActiveCampaign Pro plan with the \u201cEnhanced CRM\u201d add-in that includes \u201cPipelines & sales engagement\u201d:<\/p>\n
$260\/month<\/strong> (billed annually, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)
\n$294\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly with annual commitment, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/p>\nActiveCampaign offers a free trial of 14 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n4. Freshworks CRM [6.9\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/freshworks-outlook-crm_03ec3b0125920e88ec0a0ec54e13cf4a_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nFreshworks CRM (formerly\/also known as Freshsales) is a sales CRM<\/a> from Freshworks, the company behind \/ initially called Freshdesk. Freshworks 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 Outlook 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 Outlook add-on.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Using Freshworks CRM with Outlook was a pleasant experience, thanks to its user-friendly interface and straightforward integration process. The CRM allowed me to update records and manage deals directly from my inbox, which was highly efficient. Syncing emails and calendar meetings worked well, ensuring that all my interactions were logged without much effort.<\/p>\n
One feature I appreciated was the email templates, which made it easy to send consistent messages to prospects. However, finding related contacts sometimes required manual searches, and the installation process was slightly complex compared to other CRMs. Overall, Freshworks provided a solid integration that streamlined many of my daily tasks.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Features Freshworks CRM offers: 4\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features Freshworks CRM doesn\u2019t offer<\/p>\n
- \n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Add-in available for Windows, Mac and on the Web<\/li>\n
- Possibility to add leads, activities, \u2026 from Outlook<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Finding a related contact may need a manual search<\/li>\n
- Installation process was a little complex in our testing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.9<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.9<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.0<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 9.0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: score: 4\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 9.0\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 3.8\/5 \u2192 7.6\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 6.9\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (4 of 10 features) on Freshsales Enterprise plan*:<\/p>\n
$59\/user\/month <\/strong>(billed annually)
\n$71\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/p>\n* Sequences with stricter limits also available on Pro plan<\/p>\n
Freshworks CRM offers a free trial of 21 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n5. Salesforce Sales Cloud [6.5\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/salesforce-outlook-crm_48905af7a8edf8e6e6d7da9c2bf56c7e_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nSalesforce is the biggest CRM company in the world, controlling about 20% of the market. Its stock ticker is even \u201cCRM\u201d, so we definitely can\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 and startups<\/a>, it has since shifted its focus on enterprises. 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 and is not really customized for sales teams.<\/p>\n
This frustration with Salesforce is actually one of the reasons why we started building Salesflare, 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
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Salesforce Sales Cloud\u2019s integration with Outlook was robust but required a significant setup effort. Once configured, the CRM allowed me to access and update records directly from my inbox. The live sync feature ensured that my emails and calendar events were accurately reflected in the CRM, which helped maintain consistency across all interactions.<\/p>\n
However, I found that the platform\u2019s extensive customization options could be both a blessing and a curse. While it allowed for tailored solutions, it also meant that navigating the system could be cumbersome without proper training. Despite its steep learning curve, Salesforce\u2019s depth of features and enterprise-level capabilities made it a powerful tool for managing customer relationships.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Features Salesforce Sales Cloud offers: 3\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features Salesforce Sales Cloud doesn\u2019t offer:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Extremely customizable CRM built for enterprises (needs expert consultants)<\/li>\n
- Both a web & COM add-in available for Outlook<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Salesforce pricing is one of the highest in the market<\/li>\n
- Not the most user friendly software<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.5<\/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
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: 3\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 8.2\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 4.2\/5 \u2192 8.4\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 6.5\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (3 of 10 features) on the Salesforce Sales Cloud Pro Suite plan:<\/p>\n
$100\/user\/month<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>(only billed annually)<\/p>\n
Salesforce offers a free trial of 30 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n6. Zoho CRM [6.4\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/zoho-crm-outlook_4cb8b93b9c69351a5de05c4e5676c622_800.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nZoho 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 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
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Zoho CRM\u2019s integration with Outlook provided a cost-effective solution for managing customer relationships. The setup was relatively easy, and I could update CRM records directly from my inbox. The live sync feature worked well for emails and calendar events, ensuring that all interactions were captured.<\/p>\n
However, I noticed that some advanced features, such as auto-creating contacts and enriching the database with email signatures, were missing. This required more manual input compared to other CRMs. Despite these limitations, Zoho CRM offered a solid, budget-friendly option for small businesses looking to integrate their CRM with Outlook.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Features Zoho CRM offers: 3\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features Zoho CRM doesn\u2019t offer:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- The cheapest CRM option in this list<\/li>\n
- Add-in available for Windows, Mac and on the Web<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Not the most user friendly or prettiest software<\/li>\n
- Reviewers & forum users complain about not being able to link emails to records<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 7.6<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.2<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 7.4<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 7.9<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 7.8<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: 3\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 7.8\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 4.2\/5 \u2192 8.4\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 6.4\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (3 of 10 features) on Zoho CRM Professional plan:<\/p>\n
$23\/user\/month <\/strong>(billed annually)
\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)<\/p>\nZoho CRM Plus offers a free trial of 30 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n7. Pipedrive [5.7\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/pipedrive-no-outlook-crm_55702f6b71c94fb49489dc33f7c8afb3_800.png\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nPipedrive is an easy-to-use and easy-to-setup sales CRM for small businesses, 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 Outlook and Microsoft 365 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 Outlook CRM ranking.<\/p>\n
When it comes to an actual Outlook add-in, Pipedrive has discontinued this in 2020 already. You now need to use an external add-in like Pipelook<\/a> or Saysync<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Retesting Pipedrive with Outlook has been a bit challenging since the native add-in doesn\u2019t exist anymore. Instead, I had to rely on third-party solutions for integration. Once set up, the CRM allowed me to sync emails and calendar events, but the process was not as seamless as I hoped.<\/p>\n
The email templates feature was useful, but the absence of direct integration with Outlook\u2019s inbox for updating CRM records and auto-creating contacts was a significant drawback. Despite its user-friendly design and ease of setup, the need for external tools to achieve full functionality made Pipedrive less appealing for those looking for a tight Outlook integration.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Features Pipedrive offers: 2\/10<\/p>\n
- \n
- Live sync your Outlook emails & Microsoft Office 365 calendar meetings to the CRM<\/li>\n
- Use (shared or private) email templates when sending emails through the CRM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Features Pipedrive doesn\u2019t offer<\/p>\n
- \n
- Update and use your CRM from within your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- Auto-create contacts for people you\u2019re emailing or meeting with<\/li>\n
- Automatically enrich your contact database by syncing your contacts\u2019 email signatures<\/li>\n
- Send automated, personalized email sequences from your Outlook inbox<\/li>\n
- See who your colleagues know and how well, with \u201crelationship strength scores\u201d based on their email traffic<\/li>\n
- Track whether people open your emails and click on the links in your emails sent from Outlook<\/li>\n
- See whether these people who clicked email links also visit your website, which pages and for how long<\/li>\n
- Be reminded of emails you haven\u2019t replied to or customer conversations that have gone quiet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pros:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Easy-to-use and easy-to-setup CRM<\/li>\n
- Focused on sales and lead follow up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons:<\/p>\n
- \n
- No native Outlook add-in available anymore<\/li>\n
- Automation features not highly developed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.9<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.7<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.4<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 8.4<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 8.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.6<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Final result<\/p>\n
- \n
- Outlook CRM feature score: score: 2\/10<\/li>\n
- Average G2 review score: 8.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Google Play review score: 3.3\/5 \u2192 6.6\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL SCORE: 5.7\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Pricing to get all of the above (2 of 10 features) on Pipedrive Growth plan:<\/p>\n
$39\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)
\n$49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)
\n+ $7-15\/user\/month for an external Outlook add-in<\/strong><\/p>\nPipedrive offers a free trial of 14 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\nFrequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
\nIs there a CRM for Outlook?<\/h3>\n
\nYes, there are multiple CRMs for Outlook, like Salesflare, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign and Freshsales. Those CRM platforms integrate both with the Outlook inbox and with the email program itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nDoes Microsoft Office 365 or Outlook have a CRM?<\/h3>\n
\n
- Signing up is only possible with business email<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub: 8.2\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Salesflare: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/li>\n
![\"Salesflare](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/salesflare-awards-transparent-2024-800.avif)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/a>\n