The most popular CRM systems in 2025

If you’re not using customer interaction tools in 2025, you should consider it for a variety of reasons. It’s not only a doorway into the world of better business opportunities but also a chance to solidify your customer relations, boost your outreach, and streamline in-house collaboration by sharing customer data.

With the best CRM software platforms, you can get an all-around tool tailored to suit the needs of your company. That’s why I’ve created this list of the top CRM system solutions applicable to all businesses, from startups to large enterprises.

Together with my team of experts at Cybernews, I’ve done extensive research on pipeline optimization tools with automated CRM functions and integrations for custom marketing campaigns. If that sounds like something you could use, stick around as I break down the key features, pricing plans, and customization possibilities of each.

Most popular CRM systems – shortlist

1. Salesforce – best all-around CRM system with AI features
2. Monday – most affordable custom CRM solution
3. Pipedrive – best option for hundreds of integrations and pipeline management
4. Insightly – great pick for lead tracking and marketing solution
5. Less Annoying – best all-in-one CRM tool for startups and small companies
6. Zoho CRM – best pick for sales automation
7. HubSpot CRM – best free CRM tool
8. Capsule – best for to-do lists and client contacts
9. Freshsales – fully automated AI-powered CRM tool

The most popular CRM systems compared

The selection of high-value CRM companies has become more competitive over the years, so now you can choose from all sorts of options. I’ve found some decently affordable or even free picks for startups and small businesses, as well as a few highly regarded enterprise options. To help you figure out which one works best for your company, I’ve compared their key features, pricing plans, and customization potential:

Tool	Best for	Pricing	Key features	Customization
Salesforce	Small and midsize businesses looking for a customer relations, sales management, and marketing solution	From $25/month per user to $100/month per user	Data cloud storage, email marketing management, fully automated AI assistants	Fully customized AI agents and marketing campaigns
Monday	Small businesses needing a multi-user platform for optimizing leads, client contacts, and deal conversion	From $12/month per seat to $28/month per seat (enterprise plans on request)	Web forms for lead capture, more than 200 tailored templates, weekly activity logs	Customizable automations with up to 25,000 interactions/month
Pipedrive	Suitable for all business types looking for a lead and pipeline management solution	From $14/month per seat to $99/month per seat (enterprise plans on request)	Fully AI-powered sales assistant, over 400 integrations, custom automation builder	Custom reports, project tracking, and dashboards
Insightly	Small and midsize businesses in need of a lead tracking and pipeline management solution	From $29/month per user to $99/month per user	Workflow automation tools, pipeline management features with visually appealing dashboards	Customizable objects, fields, and project management stages
Less Annoying	Small businesses in need of an intuitive and beginner-friendly tool with experienced customer support	From $15/month per user (single plan only)	Unlimited contacts and pipelines, 25 GB of file storage per user	Unlimited custom fields
Zoho CRM	Small businesses in need of complete sales automation	From $21/month per user to $70/month per user	AI-powered sales forecasting, outreach tools, augmented analytics	Advanced sales customization, custom modules
HubSpot CRM	Small businesses looking for a free CRM for organizing and tracking meetings, notes, and emails	Free version available, dedicated marketing plans start at $800/month	Free email template builder, live chat, AI meeting scheduler	Custom email template builder
Capsule	Midsize companies in need of an all-in-one CRM, workflow automation, and sales pipeline tool	From $22/month per user to $97/month per user	Social media integrations, pipeline value features, all-in-one client contact platform	Over 60 integrations with customizable automations
Freshsales	Midsize businesses and enterprises looking for an AI-powered CRM and marketing tool	From $11/month per user to $71/month per user	Auto-assignment rules, contact lifecycle stages, audit logs, AI-powered sales emails	Custom modules and sales activities

9 most popular CRM systems – our detailed list

My detailed comparison list of the most popular CRM tools is designed to give you an initial idea of which tool you might want to go with. Still, you need to take an in-depth look at each before making a final call, and that’s exactly what my detailed reviews will help you do.

I’ve ranked these tools according to user reviews, automation features, app integrations, and other key factors that make the best CRMs. Take a peek at my highlighted features of each.

1. Salesforce – top all-in-one CRM system with AI capabilities

Best for	Small and midsize businesses
Free trial	Available (30-day application trial)
Starting price	From $25/month per user
Top features	Data cloud storage, email marketing management, fully automated AI assistants

Visit Salesforce

Salesforce is a top CRM software for all sorts of businesses, but it’s a perfect fit for small and midsize companies. Its unique agentic AI makes it a great option, as it handles everything for you – from customer relations and client interactions to sales analytics and revenue tracking

Salesforce also features its own AI-powered customer service, as well as eCommerce and marketing tools for boosting your outreach. On top of that, it’s relatively affordable and uses a highly intuitive interface that is simple enough even for beginners to use.

It also has dedicated clouds for storing commerce and marketing information, ROI calculation forms, and AI-powered dashboards with visual representations of important functions. I could go on for days since it also has integrated lead and contract management, as well as custom dashboards for tracking your company’s performance.

2. Monday – most cost-effective custom CRM solution

Best for	Small businesses
Free trial	Available (14-day application trial)
Starting price	From $12/month per seat
Top features	Web forms for lead capture, more than 200 tailored templates, weekly activity logs

Visit Monday

Monday is the best relationship management software for small businesses looking to start fresh with an affordable all-around solution. It offers a free plan, which includes some basic CRM features like customizable templates, dedicated Android and iOS apps, and up to 3 boards for organizing projects and client communication channels.

However, if you wish to get the most out of it, I’d recommend going with one of the paid plans that have more boards, dozens of integrations, and AI-powered automation features. Monday includes a solid amount of integrations for an affordable solution, allowing you to use tools like Slack, Zoom, Outlook, Gmail, and Microsoft Teams.

It also allows you to customize visual dashboards to display leads, contracts, and proposals. Still, the segments where Monday.com excels include workload organizing, client messaging channels, and performance/sales tracking.

3. Pipedrive – top choice for numerous integrations and efficient pipeline management

Best for	Companies of all sizes and types
Free trial	Available (14-day application trial)
Starting price	From $14/month per seat
Top features	Fully AI-powered sales assistant, over 400 integrations, custom automation builder

Visit Pipedrive

While browsing the best customer relationship management, I noticed dozens of pipeline management and optimization tools. However, none of them come even close to Pipedrive, especially in terms of integrations, since it offers more than 400 of those.

Pipedrive has its own marketplace with integrations like Zapier, Google Meet, Pipechat, Microsoft Teams, DocuSign, and Apollo.io. Thanks to all these, you can customize the platform to meet all of your needs, from boosting outreach via social media channels to automated contract closing and workload management.

Most importantly, you can use the platform’s native AI-powered sales assistant with loads of useful insights. Also, it has unlimited data storage via a cloud solution, as well as native routing systems for the effortless distribution of leads to your company’s sales team.

4. Insightly – excellent choice for lead tracking and marketing solutions

Best for	Small and midsize businesses
Free trial	Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price	From $29/month per user
Top features	Workflow automation tools, pipeline management features with visually-appealing dashboards

Insightly is one of the best CRM tools for all-in-one service in different fields like sales management, customer relations, and marketing. I’ve grown to like its dedicated lead tracking and routing tool, which can be used without any integrations.

However, that doesn’t mean it falls behind in that sense. It’s quite the opposite – you’ll get dozens of useful integrations like ADP Workforce, WordPress, Slack, Jira, Shopify, and DocuSign at a fair price.

As you can probably guess by now, it’s a full solution that helps you track and manage leads, optimize funnels, and drive sales through automated client communication channels. You can also use it together with its integrations for closing deals and signing contracts without ever having to use a third-party platform.

5. Less Annoying – ultimate all-in-one CRM tool for startups and small businesses

Best for	Small businesses
Free trial	Available (30-day free trial)
Starting price	From $15/month per user
Top features	Unlimited contacts and pipelines, user 25 GB of file storage per user

Less Annoying is an interesting choice among CRM vendors due to its dedicated support and a team of highly-experienced experts running the show. It has been around since 2009, so it’s already a well-established brand. It also has a single plan, which is convenient for both small companies and enterprise-level businesses.

Among its features, I’d point out its complete start-to-finish lead tracking solution from the first contact with the client to making sales. It also has a custom dashboard for task automation, as well as a built-in calendar directly within the dashboard.

It can also be used as an email marketing solution when combined with Mailchimp or a complete sales automation option with Zapier integration. Of course, it also has Google’s complete suite of tools, as well as an optional Outlook calendar you can add. Plus, they often add new features such as automatic email logging and custom forms.

6. Zoho CRM – leading tool for startups and small companies

Best for	Small businesses
Free trial	Available (15-day free trial)
Starting price	From $21/month per user
Top features	AI-powered sales forecasting, outreach tools, and augmented analytics

Visit Zoho CRM

If I had to pick a single tool for complete customer interactions, analytics, and sales automation, it would be Zoho CRM. It’s run by a renowned company that also deals with other business solutions, and their CRM is among the best customer relationship management solutions I’ve seen.

It covers everything, from marketing segmentation to sales force automation, advanced analytics, and usage of predictive AI for insights and charting. On top of that, it also has a native CPQ solution for advanced quotes and managing sales details via subforms. You can invoice clients by list price, quantity, discounts, and other categories ,with tax included.

Zoho CRM is also a top choice for small businesses due to its mobile-friendly layout. It’s simple enough even for beginners to use, and I especially liked its pipeline automation settings with order details, outstanding balances, and business records and transactions.

7. HubSpot CRM – no.1 free CRM tool

Best for	Small businesses
Free trial	Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price	Free version available, dedicated marketing plans starting at $800/month
Top features	Free email template builder, live chat, AI meeting scheduler

HubSpot is a well-known brand in the business marketing world, but it also has a free CRM solution. Of course, you can’t expect it to beat some of the best CRM software in the world like Salesforce or Pipedrive, but it comes pretty close in some aspects.

For a free solution, I especially liked its tracking features with detailed records of client meetings, interactions, and custom notes. You can also use it for managing email campaigns, although it’s fairly limited in terms of integrations with tools that are used to run them, like Mailchimp.

On a side note, it does have some key customer relations integrations like Slack, Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, and a native calendar with a booking option. I was also surprised to see a full Office 365 integration, making it an absolute bargain in the free plan. It also has built-in live chat and email reports to make your life easier when it comes to messaging customers and prospective clients.

8. Capsule – ideal for managing to-do lists and client contacts

Best for	Midsize businesses
Free trial	Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price	From $22/month per user
Top features	Social media integrations, pipeline value features, all-in-one client contact platform

If you’re browsing top CRM programs looking for a solution for documenting meetings and client interactions, Capsule checks all the right boxes. It’s a tool suitable for midsize companies and enterprise-level businesses, especially considering its slightly higher price.

But it’s worth the extra buck due to a native document library tool with custom reminders. You can set them for specific clients and customers you haven’t reached out to in a while, and the tool will remind you to contact them.

Along with that, it has excellent business integrations such as Outlook, Looker Studio, Zendesk, Mailchimp, and Wufoo. So, you can also use it for customizing your own email marketing campaigns, booking meetings, offering help desk and support to clients, and boosting employee engagement.

9. Freshsales – fully automated, AI-driven CRM

Best for	Midsize businesses
Free trial	Available (21-day free trial)
Starting price	From $11/month per user
Top features	Auto-assignment rules, contact lifecycle stages, audit logs, AI-powered sales emails

Freshsales is among the most popular CRM platforms for sales automation and closing deals. It even has a dedicated dashboard for insights on growing your pipeline and boosting conversions. It’s especially convenient in tracking, capturing, and routing leads with dedicated AI-powered agent options.

I liked Freshsales due to its user-friendly design and lots of visual data representations, making it easier to interpret even if you’re running a startup. Still, I’d recommend it more to experienced officials running midsize businesses due to detailed audit logs, AI-powered sales emails, and complete sales force management features.

Another great feature is a client communication tool packed with useful options like call logs, custom notes, and phone and email integration. With event and lead tracking options, it’s a fully customizable CRM solution suitable for every business.

How did we select the most popular CRM systems

Despite the variety of picks I’ve listed in this guide, choosing the most popular CRM systems isn’t simple. I’ve listened to company owners raising their voices for certain platforms, but I didn’t want to let potentially biased opinions affect my judgment. So, I’ve come up with a unique evaluation methodology, and here’s an overview:

1. CRM features (35%). First and foremost, I’ve ranked CRM providers by their customer relations features, such as integrations with communication, email, marketing, and other tools. I’ve also looked at sales force metrics, AI-powered features, and dashboards suitable for both beginners and experienced users. One thing I’ve particularly paid attention to is the customization potential of each of these tools to help you pick an option that you can make your own.
2. Pricing plans (20%). Another important criterion I’ve used is the pricing. Simply put, startup managers and owners of small businesses aren’t looking for the same CRM features like teams of large corporations. So, I had to get crafty and add a few affordable or even free options (Monday, HubSpot CRM), as well as some high-end options like Pipedrive and Salesforce.
3. User feedback (30%). I’ve also looked at user feedback on platforms like Trustpilot and forums like Reddit to get valuable insights into the thoughts and opinions of business owners using these tools. I did my best to avoid bias, approach each feedback logically, and compare it with my firsthand experience of reviewing the tools.
4. Testing (15%). Finally, I’ve paid attention to tests conducted by real organizations and companies that have already used tools from my popular CRM list.

What is a CRM system?

In a nutshell, a CRM system helps you manage customer data and easily share it throughout your company branches. It provides customer insights, sales records, and support information, which can be used to further analyze the ROI, sales, and marketing efforts of a company.

Most of the top CRM platforms use cloud-based data storage, which leads to faster distribution of key information from one branch of the company to another. A perfect example of how effective CRM tools can be is customer support improvement. With the right pieces of information, your company’s customer support can be elevated and tailored to better understand the demand and inquiries of customers.

Of course, things are getting better and better with AI-powered tools that can even streamline customer support with AI bots recreating human approach and efficiency. Other examples of CRM applications in a company include marketing, commerce, and sales divisions. With useful information on customer behavior, these divisions can optimize the outreach, production, and marketing campaigns to better suit their audiences.

On the other hand, these tools also make it easier for company representatives to get in touch with customers and clients. The best CRM solutions include integrations with useful communication tools like Slack, Outlook, Gmail, and social media for closer customer interactions.

What makes the best CRM system?

Along with boosting customer interactions and making communication easier, the best online CRM systems also feature an array of other benefits. Some are suitable for specific businesses, while others are generally applicable to all types of companies, from startups to enterprise-level businesses.

• Ease of use. While there are some complex CRM tools like Pipedrive, I’ve also included a variety of intuitive and user-friendly options like Monday. But, the ease of use doesn’t only reflect on the difficulty of applying some of the features. It’s also in some common aspects like centralized data storage, which makes it easier for all branches of the company to share unified data instead of using independent storage for each.
• Customization. It’s also very important to find CRM software companies that allow you to customize dashboards and features. For instance, HubSpot’s free CRM allows you to create custom email templates, while Pipedrive has customizable dashboards and project tracking functions. On the other hand, Insightly offers fully custom objects, fields, and project management stages.
• Integrations. One of the most beneficial aspects of CRM tools is the number of integrations with third-party tools and apps. For instance, Pipedrive excels in that segment with over 400 optional integrations. It includes everything from communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams to electronic signature platforms like DocuSign or QuickBooks for accounting. Make sure to choose a tool by its integrations with tools that you’re frequently using.
• Automation. Another useful feature is automation, and many tools like Salesforce allow you to automate your marketing and commerce tasks by using AI-powered agents and features.\
• Scalability. If you ask me, I’d always select a scalable option for my own business if I had a choice, making it last for a long time and growing together with it. If you get used to a certain tool, it’s important that it can evolve with your company, and options like Pipedrive and Monday are among the most scalable ones.
• Data security. Finally, you’ll wish to go with platforms with cloud-based data storage features. Some of them include Salesforce and Pipedrive, with the utmost security of sensitive data.

Pricing of the most popular CRM systems

Some of the top CRM solutions on my list are very affordable for startups and small businesses, but others have rather hefty price tags. For instance, Salesforce starts at $25, but it quickly grows up to $85 or higher per month, depending on your selected plan. Naturally, more features lead to more expensive subscriptions, and that’s why I’ve also included a few affordable all-around solutions.

I have to raise my voice for Monday.com in that sense, considering it’s the only option with a free plan that covers all areas of CRM. Sure, you could go with HubSpot for its renowned marketing features, but their free plan is rather limited. Plus, it lacks sales force automation and other useful CRM features besides email templates and marketing.

That’s why Monday covers it all – from project tracking to client communications and integrations for closing deals and contracts. On the other hand, Pipedrive is the most versatile option for its price, giving you a plethora of integrations at rather convenient rates.

It also makes an all-in-one option with a focus on pipeline management and optimization. Finally, I’ve included some expensive options like Insightly, whose starter plan is more expensive than mid-tier plans of many of my other picks, starting at $29 per user/month.

How to choose the right CRM system for my needs?

As mentioned, having all the top customer relationship management software tools in the world doesn’t mean anything if you don’t optimize them to suit your company. That’s why my Cybernews team and I have come up with a detailed methodology to help you find a perfect fit:

• Identify your business needs. To choose the best CRM platform for your company, you should first consider your business needs. Think about getting an affordable solution if you need some basic features like lead tracking or email management. Or, go with the best-suited advanced solution if you’re looking for an all-around platform with features like integrations, sales force optimization, and AI-powered agents and support.
• Consider your budget. Naturally, you should also consider your budget when choosing the right tool. Going with a leading CRM software isn’t always the best choice if you have no use for its features. For instance, I would go with Pipedrive if I just needed a meetings’ scheduler and a task tracker. For that purpose, I’d rather select Monday’s free plan and avoid hefty subscriptions.
• Use free trials for testing. One of the most overlooked ways of finding a fitting CRM system is by using free trials. Some options on my list, like Salesforce and Less Annoying CRM, feature 30-day trials, which is more than enough time to get acquainted with all the functions.
• Look for scalable solutions. I have to point out the scalability filter again, so I’d recommend only going with options like Pipedrive and Salesforce if you’re hoping to still use the same platform when your company grows.
• Evaluate support and training options. Last but not least, you should evaluate live support and training options. Some tools, like Salesforce, even have video materials, helping you get started with more complex features.

---

Other sales & CRM tools you might be interested in:

---

Final word on the most popular CRM systems

Ultimately, it all comes down to knowing what you want when choosing top CRM tools. Sure, it comes in handy to know about the most popular CRM technologies, which is why I’ve provided you with my top picks.

However, the only way of getting the most out of a customer interaction platform is by choosing a custom fit for your company. As my final recommendation, I’d suggest Monday as the best affordable CRM option or Salesforce if you need a higher-end solution with versatile sales management features.

Pipedrive remains my top pick for integrations and pipeline management, while I’d warmly recommend HubSpot’s free CRM for those who just need an option for meeting records, client communication, and email marketing.

FAQs