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Our team spent more than 100 hours testing customer relationship management (CRM) vendors, including Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and HubSpot. Every business owner is looking for something unique to support their business needs and growth trajectory. Additionally, each CRM has a different set of features, which makes comparing them like comparing apples and oranges. Some CRM products focus on data collection and reporting, while others drive project and task management for teams.
Our CRM software rating system
To create our CRM rating methodology, we reviewed each company’s website, marketing materials, and platform demos/free trials (if applicable) to better understand their solutions. We also conducted a survey in 2024 of 200 professionals who currently use a CRM at work or have used a CRM within the past year. We analyzed the results of this survey to determine how to measure the value of the five scoring criteria.
Important elements of CRM software include pipeline management, customizable dashboards, integration features, and file sharing and storage. We also read thousands of reviews and evaluated customer support features, including live chat, phone support, and user forums.
Overall, our top picks for CRM software score highest on the following criteria:
- User experience
- value
- feature
- customer support
- reputation and credibility
But the CRM software that’s best for you may just be one of them. Take a closer look at our testing criteria, then dive into all the CRM providers we’ve reviewed.
Factors we use to rate CRM software companies
Throughout the study, we rated providers out of 100 based on their experience in the following areas, which we then converted into a five-star rating.
User experience (25%)
User experience is crucial for enterprises to choose CRM because it directly affects team efficiency and productivity. We measure how users interact with each provider’s tools by evaluating instructional courses, explanatory videos, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to immediately launch a sales campaign. Additionally, our auditors have first-hand experience using CRM software.
Value(25%)
Costs impact a company’s budget and return on investment, and may determine a company’s ability to invest in other important areas to drive growth. To rank value, we measure the number of features available to users at the lowest price tier, how long the provider offers a free trial, and whether the provider offers a money-back guarantee.
Features(25%)
Streamlining tasks, effectively organizing workloads and increasing productivity are critical to ensuring timely and effective customer interactions and service delivery. We analyze multiple functions, including file and shared storage, pipeline management, consolidation, and analytics.
Customer Support (15%)
Business owners must ensure quick problem resolution and uninterrupted service, which is critical to maintaining optimal business operations and customer relationships. We evaluate live chat functionality, phone support, and user forums.
Reputation and credibility (10%)
Trust and reliability are critical for businesses to rely on consistent performance and security to maintain seamless customer relationships and business operations. We conduct a comprehensive review of App Store ratings, taking into account how long each provider has been in business and how many people they employ.
This rating system is designed to give readers a comprehensive understanding of each CRM provider. However, our top providers may not be suitable for every business. Learn more by reading each provider’s CRM reviews.
The MarketWatch Guides team provides reviews of technology products and services to help readers make informed purchasing decisions. Our editorial team consists of experienced editors, researchers, and writers who are experts in the topics they cover. Additionally, while we may earn commissions from our articles, our research, featured brands, and recommendations are independent of and distinct from any financial compensation.
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