CRM acts as a centralised hub for all your business and customer data giving you a complete picture. You can easily find customer preferences, past interactions, and internal communications which will help you draw and identify patterns in your business to anticipate business opportunities in the future and leverage them.

Other benefits of CRM integration include,

Customer Experience Improvement

By integrating CRM into your operations, you establish a unified customer view, empowering you to anticipate inquiries, engage with leads more efficiently, and tailor marketing efforts accordingly.

For instance, consider an IT consulting firm where a potential customer navigates their website, ultimately clicking the “Contact Us” button.

Once the potential customer fills out the contact form, providing details about their product interests and specific needs, this information is automatically stored in your CRM for easy access by your team.

Your sales team can leverage this data to personalize their initial outreach, offering tailored solutions proactively. Simultaneously, your email marketing system can trigger nurture streams aimed at promoting the prospect’s product of interest. Additionally, your social media manager can refine ad content based on insights gleaned from the CRM.

This comprehensive approach increases the likelihood of engaging potential customers throughout their buying journey, ultimately enhancing the chances of conversion.

Streamlined Internal Communication

CRM integrations facilitate internal collaboration by providing quick access to necessary information, saving time and reducing confusion.

For instance, Pipedrive’s Dealbot, a CRM integration for Slack, consolidates internal discussions related to sales status. Setting up Dealbot is straightforward: create a new Slack channel and add participants.

Once linked, the channel receives Slack notifications for any sales pipeline updates. This ensures that relevant team members are promptly notified and can respond accordingly, keeping everyone aligned and informed.

Increases Efficiency

CRM integration makes your workplace more efficient with real-time access to data. 

You know your customer’s needs right away, so you don’t have to ask the same questions repeatedly.

The Best CRM Integration Software

Once you decide to use a CRM integration software, you will want to choose the best one. Top CRM providers offer advanced tools such as document management, lead scoring, and quote estimates including basic features like managing sales pipelines and generating reports. Choosing the right CRM depends on your specific needs. Here’s a list of the top 11 CRM providers, outlining their features, benefits, pricing, and ideal use cases to help you decide.

1. Zoho CRM for AI features, ideal for companies of all sizes.
2. Pipedrive for ease of use, best for small businesses.
3. Salesforce Sales Cloud for extensibility, is ideal for enterprises as it can cater to companies of all sizes and industries.
4. Hubspot for versatility, ideal for small businesses.
5. Close for the inside sales team, ideal for growing teams.
6. NetHunt CRM for Gmail users, ideal for Google Workspace users.
7. Nimble for prospecting, ideal for small sales teams.
8. Nutshell for managing the sales team, ideal for B2B businesses.
9. Membrain for designing sales processes, ideal for B2B sales.
10. Ontraport for automating online transactions, better for businesses of all sizes.
11. Salesmate for customizability, better particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

1. Zoho CRM for AI features

Zoho CRM is a comprehensive and budget-friendly tool for managing sales and marketing tasks. It offers a free plan for up to three users and paid options ranging from ₹800 to ₹2600 per user, per month when billed annually. Alongside basic sales pipeline management, it provides advanced features like lead scoring, sales forecasting, and email templates. Although additional features like unlimited storage and price quotes may require extra payment, Zoho CRM integrates well with other Zoho platforms like help desk and accounting services.

Who should use it: If you’re searching for reliable CRM software with a lot of sales and marketing features at an affordable price, Zoho CRM could be the ideal choice for you.

Pros

• Free plan
• 15-30-day free trial based on the plan
• Workflow automations

Cons

• The free plan has limitations,
• Custom fields are restricted,
• Essential features may incur additional costs.

2. Pipedrive for Ease of Use

Pipedrive is a scalable and practical CRM solution with plans starting at $14 per seat per month and going up to $99 per seat per month, making it accessible for various business sizes. The entry-level plan includes essential CRM features like lead and pipeline management, while higher-tier plans add sophisticated capabilities such as automation builders, email tracking, AI-driven tools, and comprehensive project management features. Add-ons for website visitor tracking, lead generation, email marketing, document management, and project management can be included for an extra fee, allowing businesses to pay only for the features they need. Pipedrive also offers support in 22 languages, an online help center, chatbot support, and personalized assistance options based on seat requirements.

Who should use it: Pipedrive is ideal for businesses that need flexible, visual tools for managing sales processes and prefer a pricing model that allows them to scale features according to growth.

Pros

• The flexible add-on structure lets businesses pay solely for the features they need.
• The pricing model accommodates businesses of all sizes and growth stages.
• Combining project management with CRM functions helps maintain oversight of complex sales cycles.

Cons

• Add-ons can make the overall cost higher compared to all-inclusive CRMs.
• No free plan is available.
• Human support is not provided on Pipedrive’s lowest-priced plan.

3. Salesforces Sales Cloud for Extensibility

Salesforce CRM is one of the most robust customer management systems, known for its vast customization capabilities and advanced analytics and reporting. It is an ideal solution for established businesses looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one CRM and sales data platform to optimize the sales process and increase revenue. Key features include lead management, advanced workflows, customizable sales pipelines, forecast management, quotes, contracts, lead auto-assigning, bulk email sends, marketing campaign management, and advanced analytics and reporting. Salesforce stands out for its high degree of customization, ease of use, and integration with over 1,000 other platforms. However, some advanced analytics and reporting features come at an additional cost of $75 per user per month. Pricing starts at $25 per month, with higher tiers offering more advanced features. Salesforce provides support via phone and chat, with options for callback requests.

Who should use it: Larger sales teams or businesses needing advanced sales reporting, pipeline customizations, and collaboration features will find Salesforce particularly beneficial.

Pros

• Highly customizable features
• Quotes and contracts functionality
• Forecast management tools
• Auto-assign leads capability
• Advanced reporting dashboards
• Over 1,000 third-party integrations
• Commitment-free plans
• Free 30-day trial available

Cons

• No free plan available.
• Steep learning curve.
• Advanced analytics and reporting cost an extra $75 per user per month.

4. Hubspot for Versatility

HubSpot CRM is a versatile tool renowned for its robust sales and marketing features, making it a top choice for businesses of all sizes. Its ability to scale with a business through its free, low-cost, and comprehensive enterprise-level plans makes it ideal for various growth stages. Key features include form automation, list segmentation, live chat, and SEO recommendations, which help businesses efficiently generate leads, manage customer relationships, and market effectively. HubSpot’s unified dashboard integrates marketing, sales, customer service, operations, and commerce functionalities, reducing the cost and complexity of managing multiple stand-alone tools. The platform’s detailed list segmentation enables granular targeting for personalized marketing strategies. Pricing starts at $0 for the free plan (up to five users), with the Starter plan costing $15 per seat per month, offering essential marketing tools like landing pages, email marketing support, and live chat. HubSpot’s flexible pricing and feature options cater to a wide range of business needs.

Who should use it: Businesses that want to integrate their sales, marketing, and service teams on one platform will find HubSpot particularly beneficial.

Pros

• Free option available for up to two users.
• Integrates with its marketing and service tools.
• Supports multiple currencies.

Cons

• Paid tiers require a minimum of two users.
• Paid marketing and service tools incur extra costs.
• The free option is extremely limited.

5. Close for the Inside Sales Team

Close is a sales engagement CRM designed for SMBs to convert more leads into revenue, ideal for agile, remote teams needing scalable solutions without high costs. It combines email, call, and text communication into one inbox.

Packed with productivity tools like custom workflows, Call Assistant, Predictive Dialer, and cold email automation, Close helps teams reach more leads, follow up more often, and grow revenue quickly. Features include lead management, global calling management, 2-way email sync, reporting, built-in text messaging, sales pipeline view, and email marketing tools. Its bulk email automation and predictive dialing support high-volume sales, and it integrates with over 50 applications, including Zapier, Zendesk, and Wufoo.

Who should use it: Close is perfect for tech-enabled, remote-working teams that need a powerful, efficient sales tool to scale without the high costs of enterprise software.

Pros

• Filtering lists made it easy. Phone and text worked great.
• The calling through Close.io is great, call recording is excellent, and the ability to create custom lists for lead calling is also impressive.
• Perfect for high volume telesales. Reporting and lead management were outstanding.

Cons

• The UX/design of the website is starting to get a bit annoying.
• The setup made it challenging to manage Parent-Child organizations for our Enterprise department.
• My concern is about how well this tool scales due to its relative lack of discreteness. It would be difficult to manage a sales team using this technology.

6. NetHunt CRM for Gmail Users

NetHunt is a sales automation tool that integrates seamlessly with Gmail and Google Workspace apps, allowing companies to organize contacts and deals, build custom pipelines, automate sales processes, and monitor team effectiveness. Key features include lead capture, prioritization, drip campaigns, email linking, notifications, and custom pipelines, along with comprehensive reporting and integrations with popular tools like Google Contacts, Intercom, and LinkedIn.

Who should use it: NetHunt is perfect for businesses seeking to automate their sales processes within Gmail and Google Workspace, streamline lead management, and enhance team collaboration and efficiency.

Pros

• Easy to use, the mobile app is also very comfortable. It works directly within Gmail.
• The ease of integration with Gmail is an added advantage.
• Good value for money, outstanding customer support, smooth integration with Gmail/G Suite, highly customizable.

Cons

• Call logs and Google Chat integration are missing.
• To date, we haven’t encountered any challenges that I would consider a drawback.
• Pricing plans are confusing and seem a bit illogical to me (price per user increases when you add more).

7. Nimble for Prospecting

Nimble CRM distinguishes itself by seamlessly integrating social media into its core functionality. Unlike many other CRMs that treat social media as an afterthought or add-on, Nimble centralizes it, providing features like social profile matching and enrichment directly within the platform. By automatically fetching and integrating information from various social networks into contact records, Nimble offers businesses a comprehensive 360-degree view of their clients and prospects, enabling richer context and more meaningful engagement points.

Who should use it: Nimble CRM is perfect for those seeking a no-frills solution with straightforward pricing and robust prospecting features.

Pros

• Single-tier pricing structure.
• 14-day free trial granting access to all features.
• Includes sales prospecting tools.

Cons

• No multiple tiers available.
• There’s a limit on contact records.
• There’s also a limit on group messaging.

8. Nutshell for Managing the Sales Team

Nutshell is an all-in-one CRM and email marketing platform designed to empower B2B organisations to win more deals collaboratively. Simple enough for any user and sophisticated enough for any business, Nutshell streamlines the sales and marketing process for teams tired of managing separate tools. With Nutshell, businesses can avoid the need for a full-time admin to handle software management. Every Nutshell subscription includes unlimited CRM contacts and data storage, fully customizable reporting tools, free data migration assistance, and world-class live support, all at an extremely affordable price.

Who should use it: Nutshell is ideal for B2B organisations seeking an affordable, all-in-one solution to streamline sales and marketing processes. It is perfect for teams looking to eliminate the hassle of managing separate tools and avoid the need for a full-time admin. Additionally, businesses already using software like Google Workspace/Gmail, Microsoft Office/Outlook, QuickBooks Online, Intercom, and Slack will find Nutshell’s seamless integration beneficial.

Pros

• User-friendly interface and easy-to-use tools
• Excellent tracking and reporting features
• Tight integration with Google
• Helpful automation features
• Reasonable pricing compared to other CRM tools
• All features available in one plan
• No user limits, storage caps, or restrictions
• No advanced features locked behind different tiers

Cons

• Only supports English, limiting usability for multilingual businesses
• Some essential features are buried under menus, making them difficult to find
• Interface better suited for smaller teams, which may limit scalability

9. Membrain for Designing Sales Processes

Membrain is the leading sales effectiveness platform designed to drive the necessary behaviours in complex B2B sales to enhance sales effectiveness and achieve consistent performance. It equips your team with the tools needed to adopt these behaviours, ensuring they consistently reach their sales targets. Membrain is flexible enough to replace, run alongside, or integrate with your traditional CRM.

Who should use it:

Membrain is perfect for B2B organisations engaged in complex sales processes that need to drive effective sales behaviours and ensure consistent performance. It is ideal for teams looking to enhance their sales effectiveness and achieve their sales targets, whether they are looking to replace, complement, or integrate with their existing CRM system.

Pros

• Easy to buy, use, optimize, adapt, and extend – it’s FUN.
• Enhances alignment between marketing and sales teams for lead and demand generation.
• Delivers seamless integration of critical data, calendars, and processes with an excellent design.
• Automated reminders and “milestone management” help you stay on top of sales opportunities effortlessly.

Cons

• Cleaning data from a previously imported CRM can be tricky.
• Many sales systems often distract, consume time, or are difficult to use.

10. Ontraport for Automating Online Transactions

Ontraport is a robust platform designed to enhance online sales conversions through funnels and automation. It efficiently handles all the assets and pages needed to build a business that operates on autopilot. Ontraport enables businesses to capture new leads from various channels, guiding them through content that educates them about your products and services, ultimately leading to conversions or scheduled calls with prospects.

Who should use it: Ontraport is ideal for online businesses seeking to improve conversion rates through sophisticated funnel setups and automation. It is perfect for those who want to capture leads from multiple channels and guide them through personalized sales journeys. Businesses looking for a platform with robust CRM capabilities, extensive data tracking, and seamless integration with payment systems will benefit greatly from Ontraport.

Pros

• Award-winning customer support.
• Integrates marketing, emails, landing pages, e-commerce, and CRM.
• Offers enterprise-level custom objects.

Cons

• Extensive capabilities can result in a cluttered and confusing interface.
• Metrics and reports require numerous filters, making the interface complex.
• Users report issues, particularly with the automation feature.
• Costly and not very user-friendly, with initial campaign setup being time-consuming.
• Does not integrate well with many other platforms; tracking and dashboard features are inferior to some competitors.

11. Salesmate for Customizability

Salesmate is a highly customizable CRM designed for businesses with unique sales processes or niche markets. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows users to arrange information according to their preferences, placing critical data at the forefront and less important details out of view. This flexibility extends to forms and custom modules, enabling deep customization to suit various roles and data management needs.

Who should use it: Salesmate is perfect for businesses with unique sales processes or those operating in niche markets that require extensive customization. It suits teams looking for a CRM that can adapt to their specific workflow needs, providing flexibility in data management and user interface. Additionally, businesses needing integrated project management capabilities within their CRM will find Salesmate particularly beneficial.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface for seamless navigation.
• Comprehensive tracking and reporting features for insightful analytics.
• Flexible workflow and automation options tailored to specific needs.
• Mobile app and browser extensions enhance accessibility and usability.
• Budget-friendly pricing options for cost-effective solutions.

Cons

• Salesmate has limited compatibility with third-party platforms.
• The CRM lacks advanced functionalities compared to some competitors.