10 Best CRM Tools for Startups in 2024

Customers are the lifeblood of your startup—without them, there’s no business. Every company (startups included) needs a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to manage clients, store contacts, and streamline processes.

With the CRM software industry growing rapidly, there are more options than ever. However, not every CRM solution will be the right fit for your startup; some might even be a detriment to your budget, workflows, and scalability.

Migrating to another CRM down the road can be a significant headache. We want to help you avoid that problem by setting you up with a CRM solution you can trust to grow your startup. In this article, we explore the best CRM tools of 2024 and highlight their key features to help you make an informed decision for your business.

What to look for in a CRM tool

Before we get into the list of startup CRM tools, here are the key criteria you need to look for. It’s easy to get lost chasing certain features, but this list will narrow down your options and keep your search more focused:

• Cost: Establish a budget early on to avoid overspending. Ensure the CRM provides value within your financial constraints.

• Essential features: Differentiate between must-have and nice-to-have features. Prioritize tools that offer functionality that supports your business operations.

• Automation: Opt for a CRM that automates routine tasks, including marketing automation features.

• Scalability: Choose a CRM that can grow with your business, accommodating increased data, users, and complex workflows as your company expands.

• Integrations: Ensure the CRM integrates with the other tools and software your business uses or plans to implement.

• User experience: Consider the ease of use and the learning curve. A user-friendly interface can reduce training time and increase team adoption.

• Customer support: Look for a CRM provider with solid customer support to assist with setup and troubleshooting.

Top 10 CRM tools

CRM tools help businesses streamline operations, improve customer engagement, and drive growth. In 2024, the CRM landscape offers a variety of solutions tailored to different business needs. Below are 10 CRM tools to help you efficiently manage customer interactions and business processes.

1. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is a comprehensive platform designed to manage various aspects of business operations, including marketing, sales, customer service, and operations. It integrates with other HubSpot tools, making it a powerful option for businesses looking to consolidate their processes. The platform’s interface is user-friendly, making it accessible for teams of all sizes.

Key features:

• Lead tracking: Monitor and manage leads effectively through the sales pipeline.

• Workflow automation: Automate repetitive tasks, freeing time for more strategic activities.

• Analytics: Gain insights into your marketing campaigns, sales performance, and customer interactions with detailed reports enabled by marketing automation features.

• Team collaboration: Streamline team communication and collaboration through integrated tools.

• Social media and content management: Manage and publish social media content and blog posts directly from the platform.

2. Salesforce Lightning

Salesforce Lightning, part of Salesforce Sales Cloud, is a CRM solution that caters primarily to medium-sized businesses but can also support startups aiming for rapid growth. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to help businesses close deals, boost user retention and monitor development. While its extensive features may seem overwhelming initially, they become valuable assets as a business scales.

Key features:

• Advanced analytics: Use AI-driven analytics to forecast sales and monitor business performance.

• Customizable dashboards: Tailor dashboards to display the most relevant data for your business.

• Lead management: Efficiently track and manage leads from generation to conversion.

• Integration capabilities: Seamlessly integrate with various third-party applications and tools to enhance functionality.

3. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a versatile tool that offers many features to support contact management, lead generation, and workflow automation. Its unified inbox allows teams to manage customer communications from various channels, such as email, social media, and live chat, all in one place. Zoho also stands out with its Canvas design studio, enabling businesses to customize their CRM interface according to their needs.

Key features:

• Unified inbox: Centralize customer communications across multiple channels for better management.

• Canvas design studio: Customize the CRM interface with a drag-and-drop editor, tailoring it to your business’s unique requirements.

• Reporting tools: Access detailed reports to track performance and identify areas for improvement.

4. Insightly

Insightly is a CRM that combines customer relationship management with robust project management capabilities. It allows businesses to turn CRM data into actionable tasks, streamlining processes from lead assignments to customer follow-ups. While Insightly’s extensive features may be daunting for startups looking for simplicity, its ability to scale makes it a valuable tool for growing businesses.

Key features:

• Project management integration: Manage projects and tasks within the CRM, ensuring seamless transitions from customer interactions to project execution.

• Task automation: Automatically assign tasks and send communications based on CRM data.

• Lead routing: Efficiently route leads to the appropriate team members for follow-up.

• Email tracking: Track email opens and clicks to gauge customer engagement and tailor follow-up actions.

5. Streak

Streak is a CRM that integrates directly with Google Workspace applications, making it a popular choice for teams that rely heavily on Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, Sheets, and Meet. It centralizes data and automates tasks within these familiar tools, offering a streamlined approach to CRM management. Streak’s free plan provides ample functionality, allowing businesses to test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Key features:

• Gmail integration: Manage customer interactions directly within Gmail without switching platforms.

• Pipeline management: Track deals and customer interactions using customizable pipelines.

• Collaboration: Share emails, notes, and tasks with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page.

6. Salesflare

Salesflare is a customer relationship management software focusing on essential features without overwhelming users with unnecessary complexity. This platform uses intelligent automation to gather and organize information, allowing your team to focus more on building relationships with potential customers rather than managing data. Its affordability and simplicity make it an ideal CRM software for small teams and startups.

Key features:

• Intelligent marketing automation: Improve customer research by automatically collecting and organizing customer data from emails, social media, and other sources.

• Email and web tracking: Monitor email opens, link clicks, and website visits to gauge customer interest and engagement.

• Seamless integrations: Easily integrate with tools like Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, and more to enhance your workflow.

7. Creatio CRM

Creatio CRM systems combine CRM solutions with Business Process Management (BPM) capabilities. This platform is ideal for businesses looking to automate complex workflows and streamline customer interactions. Creatio’s low-code platform lets users customize and build their applications without requiring extensive technical knowledge, making it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes.

Key features:

• Low-code platform: Design and customize workflows and applications with minimal coding required.

• Business Process Management: Automate complex business processes to improve efficiency and reduce manual work.

• 360-degree customer view: Gain a comprehensive view of customer interactions across various channels.

• AI-powered recommendations: Use AI to provide personalized recommendations and insights for better decision-making.

8. Freshsales CRM

Freshsales CRM is part of the Freshworks suite of business tools, offering a comprehensive solution for managing sales and customer relationships. The platform is known for its user-friendly interface and powerful automation features, which help teams manage leads, track customer interactions, and close deals more effectively. Freshsales is particularly well-suited for businesses looking to streamline their sales team processes and improve customer engagement.

Key features:

• AI-powered lead scoring: Automatically prioritize leads based on engagement and likelihood to convert, helping sales teams focus on high-potential opportunities.

• Visual sales pipeline: Track the progress of deals with an intuitive, drag-and-drop pipeline view.

• Built-in communication tools: Manage email, phone, and chat interactions directly within the CRM.

• Integration with Freshworks suite: Seamlessly integrates with other Freshworks products for a unified business management experience.

9. MS Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a CRM and ERP solution that provides businesses with marketing and service tools to manage customer relationships, sales, marketing, and operations. It’s particularly well-suited for large organizations that need a scalable, customizable platform. Dynamics 365 integrates with other Microsoft products like Office 365, Azure, and Power BI, offering a unified environment for managing all aspects of your business.

Key features:

• Unified interface: A consistent, user-friendly interface across all modules, reducing the learning curve for new users.

• Advanced analytics and reporting: Utilize Power BI for in-depth data analysis and reporting, gaining insights into customer behavior and business performance.

• Customizable solutions: Tailor the platform to your business needs with customizable modules and third-party integrations.

• Integration with Microsoft products: Integrate with Office 365, Azure, and other Microsoft tools for a cohesive business management experience.

10. Monday.com

Monday.com, known initially as a project management tool, has expanded its offerings to include a robust CRM solution. The platform is known for its flexibility, allowing businesses to customize their workflows and manage customer interactions according to their specific needs. Monday sales CRM mainly benefits teams that value visual project management and collaboration.

Key features:

• Visual dashboard: Manage projects, tasks, and customer interactions through an intuitive visual interface.

• Collaboration tools: Enhance team collaboration with shared boards, real-time updates, and communication tools.

• Integration with third-party tools: Easily connect with Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams to streamline operations.

Accelerate your growth with DigitalOcean

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• Flexible and scalable infrastructure. DigitalOcean provides services that can grow with your business, including Droplets, Kubernetes, and various storage and networking options.

• Transparent pricing and cost-efficient offerings. Unlike major cloud service providers, DigitalOcean offers a simplified pricing structure, helping you predict your expenses and manage your budget more effectively.

• User-friendly interface. Navigating your cloud infrastructure has never been easier with DigitalOcean’s intuitive interface. Manage your resources without a steep learning curve.

• Robust security. DigitalOcean implements advanced security features and protocols that can help protect your business from potential threats.

• 24/7 support and comprehensive documentation. DigitalOcean provides round-the-clock customer support to address your technical queries and concerns. For further learning and understanding, you can delve into our extensive library of documentation, tutorials, and community resources.

• Migration support. DigitalOcean partners with cloud migration experts like CTO.ai, Slower.ai, Crafty Penguins, Stack, Webbar, and GlobalDots to support startups who are considering cloud migration. These partners can provide you with the tools and expertise necessary to migrate your cloud infrastructure successfully.

Here’s what Clientify, a marketing and sales CRM platform focused on Latin American and Spanish-speaking markets, had to say about using DigitalOcean:

“As a CTO I value the simplicity of DigitalOcean. We’ve tried other things on AWS, but it’s hard for me to simply create a server, see what’s going on with it, and view the performance as easily as it is with DigitalOcean.” - Juan Pablo Seijo Carretero, CTO, Clientify

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