The best CRM software 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

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Customer relationship management (CRM) software can manage and track customer relationships, trends, marketing efforts, and communication, bringing everything into one centralized platform or system to optimize interactions. These tools have become crucial for modern businesses to grow and scale while providing strong customer support. They also have value in managing and analyzing customer data and trends, identifying new business opportunities, and developing sales pipelines.

Depending on the type of solution you opt for, you may also be able to harness AI, analytics, collaborative tools, and advanced features that streamline your business operations. Software ranges from enterprise-ready Salesforce solutions to HubSpot's packages for small and medium-sized businesses.

In ZDNET's January update, we revised our 2026 guide by including more information on our favorite CRM products, additional insights into the CRM industry, answering more of your most common questions, and providing more alternative CRM solutions to consider.

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What is the best CRM software right now?

My top recommendation for CRM software is Salesforce Starter CRM. Salesforce Starter CRM is well-suited for businesses just entering the CRM world, as well as larger, experienced organizations that require advanced automation, AI, and platform customization. Payment options are simple for small and large businesses alike, with packages starting at $25 per user per month.

Alternatively, if you're looking for a sales-focused platform, consider Pipedrive, beginning at only $14 per seat per month.

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ZDNET has monitored the CRM software market for decades, and we keep an eye on business trends, CRM development, and changing customer requirements to provide you with the best CRM solutions to consider today. Read on to explore all our recommendations for the best CRM software of 2026.

The best CRM software of 2026

Salesforce Starter CRM is my top choice for businesses looking to adopt a CRM platform in 2026.

Why we like it: It's an excellent solution for those starting in the CRM space or for experienced users looking to transition to an advanced CRM.

The Salesforce Starter CRM package comes with almost everything you could want to kick-start your journey with the software. Features available from the outset include account, contact, task, and lead management. It also includes Salesforce Meetings, marketing and email templates, campaign assistance, automation, data analytics, e-commerce website design, onboarding, and payment facilitation.

So, whether you want a CRM for handling customer accounts or driving new sales growth, you'll find the features you need.

Who it's for: Businesses of any size, large or small. I like Salesforce's simple plans: One option for small and midsize businesses and another for enterprises, priced at $25 and $100 per user per month, respectively. There's also a free plan to get started, which comes with two seats.

Who should look elsewhere: Many Salesforce Starter CRM customers are impressed with the services offered, though some note the high price for enterprise users.

Some features, including advanced automation and access to AppExchange -- the Salesforce app marketplace -- are limited to premium subscribers. There also isn't a middle ground plan between the Starter and Pro Suites, and this might deter some people. Microsoft Dynamics CRM could be a great alternative.

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More than 200,000 businesses worldwide use Apptivo CRM, a top choice for prioritizing customization, but that's not only why this made my top CRMs list.

Why we like it: Apptivo emphasizes customization and third-party integrations, providing organizations with an extensive feature catalog. This includes sales cycle management tools, contact and lead management, workflow automation, sales dashboards, report generation, e-signatures, and payment gateways -- suiting everyone from remote firms to companies with large teams in the field.

Apptivo's platform integrates with popular enterprise software suites including QuickBooks, PayPal, Stripe, Google tools, Microsoft Office 365, and Sign.co, Slack, and RingCentral. This enables users to create a productivity pipeline on a single platform.

With over 50 apps, 350 custom fields, and 50 custom dashboards, this option is designed for productivity and suitable for enterprise use.

Who it's for: Apptivo CRM plans start at $20 per seat per month, making it a great option for a sales-focused CRM platform with high customization levels tailored to your business needs. For more advanced functions, large teams will need the Ultimate plan at $50 per user per month.

Who should look elsewhere: Many Apptivo CRM customers say this CRM provides value for money and is very flexible and customizable, although some users report that the user interface could be streamlined and made more efficient. So, if you're looking for a solution that simply works out of the box without tweaks, consider Pipedrive.

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Pipedrive is my top CRM option for businesses focused on sales management and lead generation.

Why we like it: The name gives it away, as the Pipedrive CRM platform has been developed to streamline and improve sales processes.

To name but a few features available to help organizations reach their sales goals, you can manage sales leads, contacts, pipelines, and email marketing yourself, and you can also automate sales-related tasks such as follow-up emails and call scheduling.

There's also an AI-based sales assistant worth exploring, as well as report generation and task scheduling. Another interesting feature is a system that rates how "hot" a lead is, based on publicly available data. Pipedrive also offers Pulse, a sales prospecting toolkit for small businesses looking to automate and streamline pipelines.

Who it's for: Business users who want to revitalize their existing customer relationship management processes with a fresh approach to sales and retention. Pipedrive customers also report that there is no steep learning curve and that the service is backed by solid customer support.

You can take advantage of a 14-day trial. Paid plans start at $14 per seat per month for the Lite package. To experience the full benefit of this CRM for sales, I'd recommend the professional, Premium plan at $59 per seat per month.

Who should look elsewhere: Interested parties who aren't heavily focused on sales. If you want, for instance, more advanced employee task management, online meeting capabilities, or to explore AI, consider Salesforce.

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HubSpot is an excellent option for small businesses and projects because you can start learning for free and scale up as you require.

Why we like it: HubSpot is a great way to learn how CRM software can benefit your business. You can take advantage of the HubSpot free plan, which requires only an email address sign-up and a short verification process.

While testing out this CRM, I found the walk-through and guides to different parts of the platform handy. If you're unsure how to use a CRM platform, HubSpot will point you in the right direction, and its tutorials will help you learn about each section without too much stress.

You can use HubSpot for a variety of tasks including organizing and managing marketing, customer contact records, website development, and customer support. HubSpot also launched a deep research connector with ChatGPT for business predictions and analytics, alongside a connector for Anthropic's Claude.

Paid plans usually begin at $15 per seat per month for starter plans, which I consider affordable and a good value for money. There's also a current promotion that reduced the price to $9 per user per month. However, keep in mind that subscriptions to advanced plans quickly escalate in price.

Who it's for: This is a fair solution with a free tier if you're new to the CRM world, with many smaller outfits reporting that they're happy with the system. However, some also note that the costs can quickly escalate if you want advanced features.

Who should look elsewhere: Though you'll find that the basic, free CRM can be used for tasks such as contact management and email marketing, some things are limited to paid plans, including features like automation, sales lead generation, and helpdesk functions, as well as some reporting options. So, if you later feel like you need these options, you'll either need to upgrade or look elsewhere.

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Fans of the Microsoft ecosystem may prefer to adopt a CRM solution directly from the Microsoft marketplace.

Why we like it: It isn't a typical CRM in the sense of its structure, unlike other options on this list. It's worth noting that the Microsoft Dynamics 365 application portfolio includes a range of CRM and sales apps worth exploring.

For example, you could sign up for Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights to drive forward leads, implement sales automation, unify customer data, and manage customer journeys. You could also use the Dynamics 365 Customer Service platform for customer case management and to launch an AI-backed customer support center.

Who it's for: If flexibility and the option to pick and choose various services from a range of CRM and software experts appeal to you -- whether as standalone products or those deliberately selected to fit existing infrastructure -- the Microsoft Dynamics CRM marketplace is worth exploring.

Customers like the flexibility of the Microsoft Dynamics platform with its range of add-ons and services. Pricing varies based on the software licenses you choose, and you can take advantage of the available trials before committing.

Who should look elsewhere: This might not be suitable if you need a full, off-the-shelf CRM solution. Instead, consider one of my other top recommendations.

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To help decide which CRM solution is right for you, consider the following options:

CRM provider	Cost	Customizable?	Third-party integration?	AI?
Salesforce	Free, $25 and up per seat per month	Yes	Yes	Yes
Apptivo CRM	$20 and up per seat per month	Yes	Yes	No
Pipedrive	$14 and up per seat per month	Yes	Yes	Yes, limited by plan
HubSpot	Free; $9 and up per seat per month	Yes, limited	Yes	Yes, limited by plan
Microsoft Dynamics 365	Licensing varies	N/A	Yes	Yes, modules

Choose this CRM provider...	If you want or need...
Salesforce	The best CRM software overall. Salesforce boasts the features required by small businesses as well as the enterprise. It also utilizes AI, and it's highly customizable.
Apptivo CRM	A customizable CRM. Apptivo is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses looking for a feature-rich CRM with a solid third-party extension library.
Pipedrive	A sales-focused CRM. Pipedrive can help jump-start sales, and it's also a great option for managing multiple pipelines.
HubSpot	A CRM software package suitable for small businesses. HubSpot offers a free, basic plan and more for sales-lead generation.
Microsoft Dynamics 365	CRM-related modules in the Microsoft environment. It's not a traditional, central CRM, but this flexibility might work for some users.

When I selected our top recommendations for the best CRM software providers of 2026, I considered the following factors:

Scalability: Today's CRM platforms must be able to scale up to meet the changing demands and needs of their clients. Each of the top recommendations listed offers scalable plans and subscriptions.
Customization: Many organizations today want to be able to customize their CRM platforms, depending on their industry and use cases. It's important that our top recommendations offer a range of customization features.
Features: Businesses expect a wide portfolio of features in their CRM suites. These may include automation, deal and sales management, support channel setups, AI, predictive analytics, and team collaboration tools.
Automation: CRM software providers must offer automation tools to appeal to small and medium-sized businesses and the enterprise. Automation offerings I like to see include workflow management and support functions.
Support: It's important that CRM providers offer a range of support channels that business customers can use, regardless of size. I've included solutions that provide customer support over email, chat, live help, and the phone.
Customer experiences: I've extensively reviewed experiences from new and long-term customers of the CRM software providers I've recommended, and I monitor any changes in product quality and user feedback.
Cost: CRM software can be a valuable tool for growth, analytics, and managing customer and client relationships, but it must also offer a good return on investment. With this in mind, I've included a range of solutions suitable for different budgets.

Though the overall classifications of different types of CRM software vary from vendor to vendor, the same themes appear. You may want to research the major types of CRM before you make a purchase decision, as that may influence how your business grows.

Operational: Most modern CRM platforms offer some kind of operational mechanism or module. Operational CRMs tend to focus on optimizing business operations, including sales processes, logistics, and customer communications. Operational CRMs may be particularly useful for startups and small and midsize businesses looking to scale.

Analytical/data-driven: Other CRMs focus on the intrinsic value of data. Businesses able to handle, securely store, and analyze customer data -- always useful if held in a centralized, organized platform -- can draw insights and see patterns that may influence their future sales activities or reveal new revenue streams. Furthermore, data-driven CRMs may reveal ways to improve customer relationships and retention.

Collaborative: Collaborative CRMs provide organizations with a way to enhance collaboration and productivity. CRM suites can be used to create department channels and data repositories, allowing different teams to work together and to share information. For instance, a sales team could collaborate with marketing and finance to create new customer promotions and campaigns. Customer service teams, too, can access important records to track customer journeys and resolve issues.

Every business has unique CRM requirements, and the solution you select will depend on the needs of your organization. Below are some basic recommendations for integrating your new CRM software effectively:

Plan and assess: Research and assess the needs of your business and whether the CRM solution you're considering will provide a return on your investment. Consider the type of CRM you need, your primary reason for using a CRM, how many seats you'll need, and whether you need collaborative functions to integrate the CRM with different departments, such as marketing or customer service.
Existing systems: Consider whether there are existing, legacy systems that the CRM will replace. If there are apps you want the CRM to integrate with, you may also need to check compatibility requirements and support. It may also be important to create new policies, especially around data and security.
Integrations and downtime: There are various tactics you can use for integrating a new CRM with existing systems, apps, and data silos. Though quick-and-dirty code changes and bridges are an option, as well as standalone CRM integration software, we recommend that you also explore the use of robust APIs that won't cause interoperability issues down the line.
Testing: Testing adds yet another step to integration processes, but it's imperative that comprehensive testing take place during the CRM integration timeline.
Training: Set aside time and contact the CRM vendor's support team if necessary to ensure your staff is trained in how the new CRM operates. If your employees aren't aware of the collaborative benefits of a CRM, this may affect productivity.
Ongoing assessments: Once your CRM is integrated into your ecosystem, ongoing assessments of its value, security, and use should take place to ensure there's a demonstrable return on investment.

Latest news on CRM software

Salesforce CRM stock is on a downturn, and one of the main reasons cited by analysts is concern over near-term prospects.
Anthropic's Claude AI ran a small shop for a month. Want to find out what happened? Things became strange.
Some experts consider Generative AI to be the catalyst for radical change in the CRM industry.
New research suggests that the open source CRM market will be worth $8.07 billion by 2032.

There are a handful of free CRM solutions available such as those offered by Zoho, HubSpot, and Monday.com. These are typically suited for smaller businesses and projects, but you should expect some limits if you aren't a paid subscriber.

Investing in a CRM is a significant decision. How the platform operates and how you decide to use it will influence your business' growth, future development, and potentially customer relations. As a result, if you're just starting out, it might be worth trying a free CRM solution or a free trial before you commit, especially if monthly plans aren't available.

However, there are caveats. Some of the disadvantages of free CRMs include functional limits, especially regarding business operations, AI, and analytics, as well as limited data collection and analysis, basic supportm and a restricted number of seats.

Yes, Salesforce offers a CRM -- and it's one of the most popular CRM platforms out there. Salesforce provides a cloud-based SaaS, or software as a service, CRM platform with an extensive range of business and customer relationship management functions.

CRM suites are usually provided as SaaS, or software as a service. Though you don't necessarily need to pay for a CRM, depending on the scale and needs of your business, a SaaS-based option -- which is usually a subscription model -- could be the right fit for you. This is especially important for enterprise companies that need to manage an extensive customer base and large sales network.

In general, the answer is yes. CRM software can help kick-start business growth by centralizing and organizing sales leads, marketing, analytics, and customer communications. However, if you're just starting out and you're new to CRM software, you might want to opt for a free or budget-friendly option to begin with, and then scale up over time.

It depends on the solution that you are considering adopting. The free and basic tiers of most CRMs are often easy to use and may include interactive tutorials to help users explore the platform, but if you've opted for a more comprehensive solution, training will be required.

It may also be necessary to train your staff on security and data protection requirements, especially in the enterprise.

Latest updates

January 2026: In ZDNET's January update, we revised our 2026 guide by including more information on our favorite CRM products, additional insights into the CRM industry, answering more of your most common questions, and providing more alternative CRM solutions.
July 2025: In ZDNET's latest July update, we performed editorial and structural changes. We have also provided more information on alternative CRM platforms to consider.
May 2025: In ZDNET's May update, we made substantial changes to the article's content and organization.

Other CRM software providers worth considering

Monday.com is an excellent CRM, especially for small businesses that want to focus on team workflow management. It does have a limited free version, but if you want to get started with an easy-to-understand workflow and board platform that can later be adopted as a full CRM, check it out.

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If you want a CRM already stocked with marketing templates, Insightly could be the right choice for you. This CRM could be a way to boost your sales and customer base, rather than a standout CRM for advanced data analytics or collaboration. Plans start at $29 per user per month.

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Agile CRM has a generous free plan for up to 10 seats and an affordable starter kit with an email focus. This makes it a good option for small businesses that need to handle email campaigns, web engagement, and web-to-lead marketing.

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Capsule CRM is a CRM system that can help startups and small organizations manage team workflows. Capsule is focused on simplicity and can provide a valuable starting point for new business owners who are new to the world of CRM, but want to explore how these software suites can improve customer relations and sales pipelines.

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Salesmate provides its customers with intuitive automation tools and campaign tracking and management functionality. However, its core focus and benefit to businesses is a focus on revenue generation, analytics, and customer support -- all backed by powerful AI tools.

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If you're looking for a guide on the best free CRM software, look no further. Or, looking for something with an email focus? Check out our tried and tested CRM recommendations.

Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

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