Compare Our Best Sales CRM Software Picks
Here are our top picks for the best sales CRM providers:
Read our full CRM methodology and see how we test and review products.
What To Look for in CRM for Sales
We interviewed sales professionals to determine some of the most important features they use within their CRM systems. Many cited the ability to create and visualize a sales flow or pipeline. Communication and document integrations were also mentioned.
Aside from these interviews, we also conducted a survey with 200 CRM users. We learned that customization, unique features (e.g., AI tools), integrations and customer support were the top factors they considered for a CRM.


Below, we take a look at some of the features the above sales professionals and CRM users mentioned.
Sales Flow
Aside from contact management, creating a sales pipeline can be one of the most game-changing uses for a CRM. Defining the typical steps or stages of your sales process can tell you where customers fall in the process and how quickly they move through the pipeline. This can help you close deals faster so that you have more time to nurture other leads.
In addition to creating your pipeline, you should also be able to visualize it. Some CRMs offer more visualization options than others. Consider which options are important to you as you review the available ones for the providers in our review.
CRM Provider | List View | Table View | Kanban View |
monday.com | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Zoho CRM | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Pipedrive | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Freshsales | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Salesforce | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
HubSpot | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Insightly | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Zendesk Sell | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Less Annoying CRM | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Communication Integrations
If they don’t have native communication features, many CRMs have integrations for email, call and text services to contact customers in the sales pipeline. In our survey of CRM users, 57% of respondents said email was their main method of contacting prospects, while 32% said phone calls and 10% said texts. Regardless of how you contact customers, ensure easy integration, as it is key to a smooth implementation process for a CRM.
Integrations that work for your team are the No. 1 most important feature to consider when looking for a CRM. The whole purpose of a CRM is to streamline efficiencies, so if you’re still having to go to multiple different platforms just to execute one task, you’re defeating the purpose.
Tap Haley, Director of Business Development in IT Consulting
We took a look at each provider’s integration marketplace to see what they offer. While this table is by no means exhaustive, it breaks down some of what you can expect for email, voice and SMS integrations among the best sales CRMs.
CRM Provider | Phone/SMS | |
monday.com |
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Zoho CRM |
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Pipedrive |
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Freshsales |
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Salesforce |
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HubSpot |
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Insightly |
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Zendesk |
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Less Annoying CRM |
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It’s always best to check a provider’s current integrations to see if you can connect your go-to apps. They might still be available even if they didn’t make this list.
Document Integrations
In our recent survey, the majority of respondents said that the average sale requires between five and nine documents. That range, multiplied by hundreds or thousands of customers, makes it easy to see why document storage is important for sales CRM systems.
All of the providers on our list integrate with Google Workspace, but it’s important to look out for native features, such as e-signatures, document storage space and customizable document templates. Many CRMs also have the ability to attribute documents to specific customers within the database. Here is a breakdown of some document-related features that providers offers:
CRM Provider | Native DocuSign Integration* | Document Storage Space |
monday.com | ✅ | 5 GB to 1,000 GB |
Zoho CRM | ✅ | 1 GB to 5+ GB per user |
Pipedrive | ✅ | Unlimited |
Freshsales | ❌ (Upcoming) | 0 GB to 1,000 GB |
Salesforce | ✅ | 1 GB to 10 GB |
HubSpot | ✅ | Unlimited |
Insightly | ✅ | 200 MB to 250 GB |
Zendesk Sell | ❌ | 10 GB plus 2 to 10 GB per user |
Less Annoying CRM | ❌ | 25 GB per user |
The Bottom Line
Using a sales CRM system can make all the difference in your day-to-day workflow. The benefits of CRM software go beyond just saving you time. The right software can help you nurture leads, close deals, increase customer lifetime value and more.
All of the providers on our list offer contact management and sales-focused features, but monday.com stood out for its added task management tools and customizable interface. Zoho CRM and Pipedrive also feature customizable and easy-to-use sales tools. Freshsales, Insightly and Zendesk Sell stood out for their reporting and analytics features.
Larger businesses may find more robust CRMs, such as Salesforce and HubSpot, to best fit their needs, while small businesses that only need the essentials should consider Less Annoying CRM.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sales CRM
CRM stands for customer relationship management. A CRM is software that helps teams manage those customer relationships with tools to organize contact information, visualize the sales pipeline and communicate with contacts.
Sales CRM software can be useful if you want to keep track of important customer data in one place rather than relying on a mix of spreadsheets and calendars. CRM platforms can also help you visualize your sales flow and track your customer interactions.
Sales CRMs have their uses for virtually any sales team. Large companies and small businesses in every industry use CRM tools to manage their customer database and monitor their ongoing sales.
CRM software pricing can vary widely. Depending on the plan you choose, sales CRM software can cost anywhere from $15 to $500 a month per user. Some providers also have free forever plans with basic features and limited users if you’re on a tight budget.
How We Test the Best CRM Software for Sales
Customer relationship management (CRM) tools help businesses bring in new customers and nurture current ones. With different businesses come different business goals and CRM needs. So, the MarketWatch Guides team spent over 100 hours evaluating 13 providers to determine who each CRM is best for. We looked at big names, such as Salesforce and monday.com, as well as small providers, including Liondesk and Less Annoying CRM.
We conducted a survey in 2024 of 200 professionals who were currently using CRM or had used CRM within the past year. We analyzed the results of this survey to determine the following rating criteria:
- User Experience (15%)
- Features (30%)
- Pricing (30%)
- Customer Support (15%)
- Reputation and Credibility (10%)
Visit the full CRM methodology page for more details on our rating system.
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