Your business has moved beyond the initial startup phase, and you now have a solid client base. As you look to scale your operations, you must have realized that using a simple spreadsheet to track touchpoints with your contacts is no longer sufficient.

So, you may have started hunting for software to better manage your customer relationships and streamline your sales and marketing efforts.

The good news is, you don’t need to put in much effort now.

In this post, we are going to look at the best low-cost CRM software for small businesses.

But before that let’s understand what factors you need to look for while selecting a small business CRM software.

Factors to consider in a small business CRM software

While looking for the cheapest CRM for small business, you need to strike the right balance between being too basic and too focused solely on CRM functionalities.

You need a tool that grows with your business and at the same time is affordable enough to fit your current budget.

Keeping this in mind, here is a list of factors that a small business CRM software should have:

Budget-friendly

Presently your business might not need all the features that expensive platforms provide. So, why pay for something that you are not going to utilize? Hence, as a small business owner, it’s important to choose a CRM that fits within your budget.

Additionally, you also need to consider the cost that you will incur in the future as your business grows. So, make sure to consider the long-term costs, including any additional fees for extra users, storage, or advanced features.

This will help you ensure that the CRM remains cost-effective for your business.

Customizable

Your small business may have unique needs and workflows, so a CRM that offers customization options can be beneficial.

Look for CRM options that allow you to customize fields, workflows, templates, and reports to match your business processes. This will enable you to tailor the CRM to your specific requirements and ensure that it aligns with your business goals.

Easy to use

Time is of the essence for any business, especially when it comes to implementing a new CRM system.

You want your employees to be able to start using the CRM platform quickly and efficiently, without spending months on extensive training or struggling with complex processes.

Therefore, look for CRM options that have an intuitive interface, and simple navigation, and require minimal training for your team. Avoid overly complex CRM systems that may have a steeper learning curve or unnecessary features that can overwhelm small businesses.

Lightweight

Complex, full-featured CRMs can be too overwhelming for small businesses. Hence, you need a lightweight CRM for your business.

The key characteristics of a lightweight CRM include simplicity, ease of use, affordability, and quick setup.

It allows businesses to efficiently manage their sales, marketing, and customer service activities without the need for extensive training or complex setup processes.

Automation

You might not have too many employees presently to handle multiple tasks. Automating the workflow can help you here.

Automation can significantly improve your sales and marketing efforts, saving you time and resources.

Look for CRM options that offer automation capabilities, such as automated email campaigns, lead scoring and task automation.

This can help streamline your processes, reduce manual work, and improve efficiency, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

5 best low-cost CRM software

1. SalesWise

SalesWise is a lightweight CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform that is designed specifically for small businesses. It is the cheapest CRM for small business available in the market.

The platform provides a range of features that are tailored to the needs of small businesses, including lead management, sales pipeline customization, to-do list, and analytics.

Thus, making it a great option for small businesses to increase efficiency, improve customer relationships, and ultimately drive revenue growth.

Pricing: SalesWise offers a forever free plan for small businesses with limited features. However, you can get the platform altered as per your requirements by contacting the SaleWise Team at the lowest prices possible.

Key features:

• Lead management: SalesWise CRM allows you to monitor and track their leads from a central dashboard. You can easily manage your leads using customizable Kanban boards or forms that align with specific business needs and sales processes.
• Customized document templates: With SalesWise CRM’s document templates, you can easily generate engaging and professional-looking documents such as quotations, proposals, and invoices that reflect their unique brand identity and style.
• Todo list: Many businesses experience challenges with their sales processes, including missed follow-ups with clients and important meetings. As a result, it’s crucial to track the status of leads and opportunities to ensure that no potential sales are lost. SalesWise CRM comes with a to-do list and daily reminder feature which will help you avoid any leakages in your sales process.
• Reporting: SalesWise CRM offers comprehensive reporting features, providing users with detailed and valuable insights to help them stay ahead of the competition. In addition to default reports, you can request custom reports tailored to their specific requirements by contacting the Support team.
• Customized sales process: SalesWise CRM offers businesses the flexibility to customize their sales process by adding multiple stages to their CRM. These stages can be tailored to fit specific business needs, such as meetings, demos, commercials, and more. This feature allows you to organize your sales process in a way that makes sense for their unique requirements, improving efficiency and productivity.

Pros:

• Ease of use: The platform is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, with a simple and streamlined interface that makes it easy to get started and navigate. This can be particularly helpful for small businesses that may not have dedicated IT or sales teams to manage complex CRM systems.
• Affordability: It is the cheapest CRM for small business owners available in the market. The platform offers a range of pricing plans to suit different business needs and budgets. Additionally, SalesWise offers a free forever plan with limited features allowing small businesses to get started immediately.
• 100% customizable: SalesWise provides small businesses with a high degree of customization and flexibility. The platform offers 100% customizable forms, documents, and sales processes, allowing businesses to tailor the system to their specific needs and requirements.
• 100% flexible: Every business has different needs. Hence, a generic CRM will not be a solution for your small business. You need a platform that you can alter according to your business requirements and SalesWise allows you to do. All you have to do is contact the SaleWise team and communicate the requirements. You will get your platform ready at the lowest price possible.

Cons:

• It might be slightly limited in terms of a number of features. However, as a small business, you may not require those features at this stage.

2. Zoho CRM

Zoho is an all-in-one business management software suite that includes a range of applications such as CRM, accounting, HR, and project management. It is also counted as a cheapest CRM for small business.

Its CRM platform provides tools for lead and contact management, deal tracking, email marketing, and reporting.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $12/user/month.

Features:

• Lead and contact management
• Sales forecasting
• Email marketing
• Reports and analytics
• Customizable dashboard

Pros:

• A comprehensive suite of business management applications
• Customizable and flexible CRM platform
• Robust reporting and analytics capabilities

Cons:

• Not easy to use for beginners.
• Advanced customizations may not be possible
• Some features require additional paid subscriptions

3. Insightly

Insightly is a low-cost CRM platform for small business focused on relationship management for small businesses. Its features include lead and contact management, project management, and advanced reporting capabilities.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $29/user/month.

Features:

• Lead and contact management
• Project management
• Email marketing
• Reports and analytics
• Customizable dashboard

Pros:

• Robust project management features
• User-friendly interface
• Good reporting and analytics capabilities

Cons:

• Limited customization options
• Limited automation capabilities

4. Nimble

Nimble is a social CRM platform designed to help small businesses manage their customer relationships across multiple channels.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $25/user/month.

Features:

• Contact management
• Social listening
• Email marketing
• Task management
• Customizable dashboard

Pros:

• Excellent social media integration
• User-friendly interface
• Affordable pricing

Cons:

• Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
• Limited customization options

5. Pipedrive CRM

Pipedrive is a CRM platform focused on sales pipeline management. It helps you prioritize crucial sales activities, synchronize data between different channels, and bring together your work process into a single platform.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $15/user/month.

Features:

• Lead and contact management
• Deal tracking
• Sales pipeline management
• Reports and analytics
• Customizable dashboard

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Excellent sales pipeline management features
• Good reporting and analytics capabilities

Cons:

• Limited customization options
• Limited project management features

Picking the best low-cost CRM for your small bussiness

Finding the cheapest CRM for small business doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Remember to consider the features and functionality that are most important to your business when selecting a CRM, and think about the scalability of the platform.

With the right CRM in place, you can improve customer relationships, increase sales and revenue, and take your small business to the next level.