Top 10 CRMs for Software & SaaS Companies: Streamlining Software-as-a-Service with Integrated Customer Relationship Management Tools

Software and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies have more opportunities than ever before. The SaaS industry is projected to reach $908.21 billion by 2030 after stalling in 2021 and 2022. Today, more and more companies demand software tailored to their unique needs and an increasing number prefer to pay for the software they use as a service, rather than a product.

That massive growth is a net positive, but it leaves software and SaaS companies in something of a delicate position. How do you deal with the sudden influx of customers? It’s impossible to juggle that many balls without dropping several, and with more firms realizing the importance of customer retention and the fallacy of unlimited growth, each customer is more valuable than ever before.

Fortunately, CRM companies have stepped up to the challenge. Today, there is a growing number of dedicated CRMs specifically designed to meet the unique needs of software companies, as well as options that can be used for different industries, including SaaS and software in general. 

What makes these such must-have options? They deliver:

• Robust customer databases.

• Integrated analytics.

• Central dashboards to help surface critical insights.

• Tools and integrations to streamline the customer experience.

For all the differences, these platforms also have several similarities that are designed to improve your business in several ways. Plus, you can integrate many modern CRMs with the virtual receptionist and messaging services from Smith.ai to deliver even better customer service with dedicated agents available 24/7. 

Choosing the right CRM can be challenging. How do you separate the good from the bad? More importantly, how do you ensure that you’re considering platforms that really deliver the capabilities, tools, and features that your business needs?

We’ve taken the time to research the platforms available that can provide a solution for your software or SaaS company and chosen the top 10, based on the features they offer and their affordability for small- to medium-sized businesses. 

If you want, you can even talk to our team about scheduling and intake services to help improve your lead generation and ensure customers have no trouble getting ahold of someone when they’re ready to convert.

1. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM remains the leading free CRM tool and one of the most user-friendly solutions for customer relationship management, as well as integrated sales and marketing. HubSpot makes it easy to connect your business and streamline customer management, with robust segmentation tools, rich analytics, data integrations, and more. And if the free option isn’t enough, you can upgrade to a paid tier for even more features and capabilities.

HubSpot features a simple interface and design and can be customized and scaled to the needs of your business. Planned marketing templates, social media scanning, invoicing templates, drag-and-drop communication tools, and other resources make it easy for your business to get on board with virtual customer relationship management. Plus, users can connect anywhere, through phones, emails, websites, social media, and more. 

The key features of HubSpot include:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: Paid memberships start at $20 per month (for new customers only)
• Compatible with Google, Big Commerce, Dropbox, and other tools
• 99% user satisfaction rating
• Total business management from a single dashboard
• Unlimited users
• Up to one million companies or contacts

2. Salesforce

Salesforce is one of the most popular CRM platforms in the world, and it’s one of the best solutions for any business in the digital world. Software and SaaS companies will find this platform full of useful features. Salesforce includes opportunity management, partner management, sales forecasting, and other offerings. 

There is a detailed contact manager in the Salesforce platform that ensures customer information is streamlined and leads are assessed for the best chances of success. There is also a reporting tool and dashboard that allows you to get a real-time look at how things are doing. Salesforce can provide marketing and sales automation solutions, as well, or just provide the CRM tool that your SaaS team needs. 

Highlights of Salesforce include:

• Free option? No, but there is a trial for all tiers
• Price: Starts at $25 per month
• Competitor analysis
• Deal tracking module
• Social media and social status details
• Lead management
• Sales data management

3. Close

Close is a high-performance sales CRM built for teams of all sizes to better engage leads, close more deals, and manage all communication in one single platform. Close has built-in calling, email (2-way sync), SMS, sequences, and pipeline tracking to make your entire sales process runs smoothly from start to finish. 

Built by and for salespeople, Close is designed to double the performance of every sales rep, by keeping the majority of your sales activity in one tool and giving you an easy-to-navigate UI that doesn’t get in your way. Close is the perfect tool for startups and SMBs looking to take their sales efforts and productivity to the next level. 

Key highlights of the Close CRM include:

• Free option? No, but there is a free 14-day trial
• Price: Starts at $49/mo/user (per month, billed annually)
• Ideal for startups and SMBs 
• Power dialer
• Engage leads and close deals in one platform
• Out-of-the-box built-in global calling, emailing, SMS, sequences, and pipeline management
• Bulk email sending, call recording, and power dialer features
• In-depth activity analytics and sales funnel reporting
• Zapier integration

4. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a CRM tool that integrates with several Microsoft products and tools, making it easier for small businesses and startups to get going in the modern tech world. This integrated software is designed to help maintain customer relationships, track pipeline activities, and deliver actionable results for your SaaS brand. 

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, users enjoy seamless integration with other Microsoft 365 products and platforms, as well as other software solutions. Small businesses that are looking for growth and industry leaders who are looking for affordable solutions will all benefit from this program, which is flexible and can be customized to the exact needs of your business. 

The key highlights of Microsoft Dynamics 365 include:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: Starts at $70 per month for Business Central Essentials
• From Microsoft, a trusted name in software
• Dedicated customer insights and data
• Detailed customer database with easy import/export functions
• Cloud-based access
• Scalable, customizable platform

5. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is another popular digital CRM tool that is affordable and scalable, making it ideal for startups and small SaaS companies. Zoho features a robust suite of analytics and reporting tools to help you improve the customer experience overall. It also offers a CRM workflow management tool, sales pipeline management, and purchase control.

You can use the platform to manage customer leads and contacts, accounts, and even track customers throughout the buying cycle with the Opportunity Tracking module. You can get insights from emails, seminars, trade fairs, and more. There is also a module for routine task automation and social media branding. Zoho is one of the most affordable options on the market today and features aren’t lacking for the price, either. 

The highlights of this platform include:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: Starts at $14 per month 
• Opportunity tracking for better customer management
• Social media lead generation
• Omnichannel reporting and analytics
• Sales force automation

6. Zendesk Sell/Base CRM

Zendesk Sell is a platform that is designed to offer streamlined sales pipeline management specifically to integrate with various CRM platforms like Base CRM, offering a total view of your SaaS business, from the top down. You will be able to keep focused on the high-value leads and build a strong pipeline that ensures you can prioritize customers and prospects. 

Zendesk Sell and Base CRM are a great combination, or you can choose just to use the Zendesk platform on its own. For SaaS companies, organizing the sales process and tracking deals will be crucial to your success. With this affordable platform, upgradable options give you the chance to grow over time. Plus, afree trial is offered. 

The highlights of integrating these solutions include:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: Starts at $19 per month  per agent
• Dedicated automation and pipeline management
• Easy user interface
• Email and calendar integration
• Built-in mobile CRM access 
• Prebuilt apps and integrations
• Customizable sales pipelines

7. SAP Service Cloud

SAP Service Cloud offers a dedicated customer experience tool that provides valuable insights and information to help deliver personalized, consistent customer experiences. The platform offers omnichannel communication tools, gamification features, and next-generation self-service that leverages the power of AI. 

SAP Service Cloud is designed with a consumption-based pricing structure so that brands only pay for what they need. The CRM offers intelligent scaling and preconfigured bots for various uses, along with real-time feedback and reporting to ensure the latest insights are available. 

If you’re considering this platform, check out features like:

• Free option? No
• Price: Pricing is available on request only
• Service tickets and task automation
• Case management
• Automated fact-finding
• Gamification
• Omnichannel customer service
• AI and machine learning technology
• End-to-end execution of service 

8. Pipedrive

Pipedrive starts by offering support in 13 languages and a variety of currencies. It offers a great resource for those dealing with international business and is one of the easiest tools to implement into your business. This CRM tool makes it easy to import data, collect contact history, send emails, and get detailed sales reports. 

Pipedrive features a detailed lead generation and organization structure. It also integrates seamlessly with several other tools like Dropbox, Zapier, and others, to help streamline operations and improve customer relationships in every stage of the buying journey. Pipedrive has an open API and is one of the best SaaS solutions because it is so user-friendly. The intuitive platform offers:

• Free option? No, but all plans have a limited free trial
• Price: Starts at $14.90 per month
• Open API with the ability to switch modules on and off
• User-friendly interface
• 400+ integrations
• Customizable, scalable features
• Easy sales process management 
• Automations builder
• Call, meeting, and email scheduling

9. SugarCRM

SugarCRM is a platform that’s focused on startups and entrepreneurs who need a better business solution. The software is simple, the pricing is structured for a variety of needs, and it’s all about getting what you need without a lot of work. This platform offers tons of customization options, and it’s still great for those who don’t want to bother with all those features if they just want to use it as it comes. 

SugarCRM is simple to use and it offers straightforward integration with several different programs and software solutions out there. The dashboard features simple tabs that track contacts, opportunities, reports, documents, and campaigns. You’ll also find integrated support tools and a contact database that is robust and offers plenty of useful insights and resources. 

The features of SugarCRM that you should note include:

• Free option? No
• Price: $49 per month for Sell
• Rated best CRM for startups by Business News Daily
• Tools for leads, meetings, targets, and more
• Automate processes
• Project management
• Contract and other templates
• Campaign management tools
• SLA management
• Account management and segmentation features

10. Nimble

Nimble is a single-use platform that makes it easy for brands to manage contacts, find new ones, and develop leads for the best results. The platform offers productive communication tools and can import information from social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Nimble is designed specifically for startups and small SaaS brands that need a simple, yet effective tool for managing their customer relationships. They also have a live help desk and a dedicated team of developers to assist you along the way. 

If you’re looking for efficient workflows, seamless dashboard functionality, and detailed user reporting tools, look no further than Nimble. The highlights of this CRM include:

• Free option? No, but there is a free trial
• Price: $24.90 per month
• Customizable dashboard with sections for contacts, messages, activity, and social accounts
• Web forms and group messaging
• Workflows and automations
• Easy integration with other software and tools
• Collection and segmentation of contacts and communications
• Calendar integration
• High-level support available to users
• Ideal for G Suite and Office 365 teams

Bonus: Insightly

We couldn't stop at 10 so here is a bonus CRM we just had to mention. Insightly is a user-friendly, simple-looking CRM that is anything but basic. It's great for tech startups and SaaS companies that need a hassle-free solution with intuitive menus and easy-to-use features. The website offers a variety of forms for lead capture, email marketing, and reporting.

Insightly CRM also offers three versions: a free edition, a professional edition, and an enterprise edition. Paid customers have access to email support and advanced features, and users can sign up for the free platform and scale up at any time if they decide they need something bigger. 

Some of the highlights of InsightlyCRM include:

• Free option? No, but there is a free trial
• Price: Paid plans start at $29 per month
• Model and automate business processes
• Native iOS and Android apps
• Easy application integration
• Automated emails
• Lead management
• Total contact and organization management
• Web-to-lead capture

Smith.ai can level up your SaaS customer solutions 

When you partner with the team at Smith.ai, not only will you benefit from all the perks of CRM integration, but you’ll be able to improve several areas of your customer relationship management and your business as a whole. Deliver more reliable customer service with agents that are available 24 hours a day, and we can even integrate with your CRM to track every customer interaction and contact along the way. And, between our solutions and the custom CRM integration that you choose, you’ll enjoy:

• Easy lead management 
• Account management and customer segmentation
• Sales forecasting
• Automated workflows and AI solutions
• And more!

Schedule a consultation today and find out how we can help you emphasize the service for your Software-as-a-Service brand and give your customers the dedicated connection they demand from their partnerships. You can call us at (650) 727-6484 or send an email to hello@smith.ai.