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Best CRM for Startups With Lead Generation

Written by Paddy Stobbs

Co-Founder & CEO

Edited by Steph Leung

Product & Operations Lead

Updated onApr 2, 2025

Lead generation is vital, but without the right CRM, those leads go nowhere. In this guide, we break down the best CRMs for startups: tools that help you capture leads, automate follow-ups, and grow with limited resources. No fluff, just practical, tested insights to help you pick the right tool for your team and budget.

Best CRMs for different use cases

For Streamlining Lead Capture:

Attio product logo

Attio

Stackfix Rating:

8.1 / 10

Attio is a great fit for startups that want to streamline lead capture without getting bogged down in complexity. Its clean interface, smart data enrichment, and Chrome extension make it fast and easy to add new contacts from places like LinkedIn, X, or Gmail.

Attio’s one-click enrichment pulls in accurate company and contact data automatically, saving teams from tedious manual entry. You also get a useful ‘connect strength’ metric, which shows which leads your team has engaged with most. That makes it easier to prioritise follow-ups and focus on warm leads.

In our testing, Attio scored 8 out of 10 for customisability and a perfect 10 out of 10 for customer support. It’s clearly built with lean teams in mind, offering just enough flexibility without overwhelming you.

There are trade-offs. Attio doesn’t offer lead scoring or a built-in live chat widget, and its third-party integrations are still catching up. If you need a more advanced sales stack, you might find it limiting.

But if you’re early-stage and looking for a CRM that helps you move quickly, stay organised, and capture leads without fuss, Attio is a smart choice. It gives you a strong foundation for growth without the complexity of a full-blown enterprise CRM.

Jump to product

For Automating Personalized Sales Outreach:

Close product logo

Close

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

Close is a strong option for startups that want to automate personalized sales outreach at scale. It’s built for teams that need to reach a high volume of leads without losing the human touch, making it a solid fit for early-stage sales teams focused on lead generation.

The standout feature is Close’s calling functionality. It includes a power dialer, predictive dialer, call coaching, and automatic transcripts. If your startup relies on cold calling, these tools can save time and boost productivity. In our testing, Close scored 9 out of 10 for email automation and a perfect 10 out of 10 for calling and call tracking.

Close also brings email and SMS into one workflow, so your team can run multi-channel sequences without switching between tools. For lean teams, that kind of efficiency is key.

It’s worth noting that Close isn’t trying to be an all-in-one platform. It doesn’t offer built-in marketing tools, lead scoring, or visitor tracking. If you need those features, another CRM might be a better fit.

But if your focus is outbound sales, and you want a tool that helps you move fast while keeping outreach personal, Close is one of the best CRMs for the job.

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For Integrating with Marketing Tools:

HubSpot Sales Hub product logo

HubSpot Sales Hub

Stackfix Rating:

5.8 / 10

HubSpot Sales Hub is a solid option for startups that want to connect lead generation with marketing. It’s especially useful if you’re building a strategy that blends outreach, automation, and content. HubSpot brings sales and marketing together in one platform, helping teams nurture leads through personalised, multi-channel campaigns.

The marketing module is where HubSpot really shines. You get a drag-and-drop email builder, web visitor tracking, and tools to build websites, blogs, and landing pages. It also lets you customise forms and live chat widgets, so you can capture leads and engage with them in real time. In our testing, HubSpot scored 10 out of 10 for its marketing tools and 9 out of 10 for automation, reflecting its strength as an all-in-one platform for lead generation.

There are some trade-offs. Many of the more advanced features are locked behind expensive plans, which might be a stretch for early-stage startups. And while the platform is powerful, the interface can be overwhelming at first and takes some getting used to.

Still, if you’re looking to align your sales and marketing efforts from day one, HubSpot is a strong choice. It helps startups run personalised campaigns, track engagement, and move leads through the funnel, all in one place. For teams focused on building a unified lead generation engine, it’s a powerful tool worth considering.

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For Combining Lead Generation With a Built-In Prospecting Platform:

Zendesk Sell product logo

Zendesk Sell

Stackfix Rating:

5.6 / 10

Zendesk Sell is a smart choice for startups that want to generate leads without relying on extra tools. It comes with a built-in prospecting platform that gives you access to a database of over 20 million companies. You can filter by industry, size, tech stack, and more, making it easy to find and target the right prospects - without needing a separate enrichment tool.

What sets Zendesk Sell apart is how tightly it integrates prospecting with sales outreach. You can add leads directly into your pipeline, send bulk emails, or create call lists with just a few clicks. In our testing, it scored 10 out of 10 for lead management and prioritisation, thanks to how simple it is to go from list to action.

There are some drawbacks. Automation is limited, reports aren’t as customisable as more advanced CRMs, and contact management can feel messy, since companies and contacts sit in the same tab. These won’t be deal-breakers for every team, but they’re worth noting.

That said, Zendesk Sell is one of the few CRMs that combines lead discovery, enrichment, and outreach in one tool. For startups focused on efficient lead generation - especially those with smaller teams or tighter budgets—it offers a fast, focused way to build and engage your pipeline without extra overhead.

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For AI-Powered Sales Assistance:

Pipedrive product logo

Pipedrive

Stackfix Rating:

7.3 / 10

Pipedrive is a great fit for startups that want a simple, focused CRM with smart sales automation. Its AI Sales Assistant helps teams spot high-probability deals and suggests next steps, so you’re always focused on the leads that are most likely to convert.

Pulse, Pipedrive’s new AI-powered feature (currently in closed beta), takes this a step further. It ranks leads by conversion potential, gives clear summaries of each opportunity, and helps sales reps qualify and prioritise faster. For lean teams trying to move quickly, this kind of insight can be a game changer. In our testing, Pipedrive scored 8 out of 10 for ease of use and 9 out of 10 for customer support.

There are a few gaps. Pipedrive doesn’t include a marketing module or web visitor tracking, and it lacks built-in lead scoring. If you’re looking for a fully integrated sales and marketing platform, that might be limiting.

Still, if you’re focused on outbound sales and want a CRM that helps your team stay organised, move fast, and focus on the right leads, Pipedrive is a strong choice. It offers just enough automation to save time without adding complexity, making it a useful tool for startups looking to build momentum and close more deals.

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PS

Meet your expert: Paddy Stobbs

Stackfix Co-Founder & CEO

I've spent over a decade deep in the world of business software - personally managing more than $2M in purchases across companies I've built and led. From intimate 10-person teams to organizations of 150+, I've developed a particular obsession with Sales and HR tools – testing, implementing, and scaling them at every stage of growth. My journey started at Cambridge University, led me through Google, and most recently culminated in selling my previous venture to TikTok. Now, I'm channeling all of that hands-on experience into helping others navigate the complex landscape of business software.

Attio logo

Attio

Close logo

Close

HubSpot Sales Hub logo

HubSpot Sales Hub

Zendesk Sell logo

Zendesk Sell

Pipedrive logo

Pipedrive

Our rating
Functionality
7

Functionality

7/10

<p>Attio offers simple, intuitive CRM functionality that ticks the boxes for most SMBs. Beyond the essentials like contact and pipeline management, it stands out with some standout features: a slick Chrome extension for effortless one-click contact addition from LinkedIn/X, impressive data enrichment, and AI-powered workflow automation. They’ve even recently added email sequencing and phone calling (via an integration) into the mix.</p><p>That said, there are a few missing pieces that sales teams might notice - like native lead capture from website forms.</p>
8

Functionality

8/10

<p>Close offers most of the functionality that SMB sales team will need. Besides allowing you to manage contacts, leads and your sales pipeline, Close also allows you to create automated sales sequences (email, calls, SMS), and best-in-class call functionality.</p><p>However, it lacks some advanced features such as automated lead scoring, and being able to directly add contacts from LinkedIn.</p>
9

Functionality

9/10

<p>HubSpot offers all functionality that most companies will need, besides functionality required by the largest/ most sophisticated companies. For example, HubSpot's reporting functionality and ability to build highly customised workflows aren't on par with Salesforce's.</p>
6

Functionality

6/10

<p>Zendesk Sell offers a mix of advanced and basic features. On the plus side, it includes built-in prospecting and data enrichment, the ability to send texts and emails, make calls, and even create custom objects. However, its automation is extremely limited, with just one trigger available - you also can’t create custom reports, which feel like glaring omissions for a CRM.</p>
8

Functionality

8/10

<p>Pipedrive offers most of the functionality that SMBs will need. Besides allowing you to manage contacts, leads and your sales pipeline, Pipedrive also allows you to send email sequences, automate workflows, and layer on marketing functionality via add-ons (e.g. create marketing emails, chat bots, web forms, track website visitors).</p><p>However, it lacks some advanced features such as a dialer that allows you to make calls from your browser, adding contacts from LinkedIn and data enrichment. These will require 3rd party integrations.</p>
Ease of Use
8

Ease of Use

8/10

<p>Attio offers one of the best-in-class user experience for its core functionality. Key workflows such as creating pipelines, adding contacts to Attio via its extension and moving contacts to lists are highly intuitive, and available via keyboard shortcuts.</p><p>However, we found Attio's automation and reporting modules less intuitive and complex, since they're more powerful and flexible than the average CRM.</p>
7

Ease of Use

7/10

<p>Close is designed for power users, so you need to know what you're doing. Setting up filters to target the right leads can feel overwhelming due to the extensive options, and there are no templates for automation workflows. Once familiar, Close becomes user-friendly with standout features like smart views, which keep targeted lists accessible via one-click. You can easily create workflows, edit deal cards without extra clicks, and get AI summaries of all contact activity, which will all save a lot of time for sales reps.</p>
3

Ease of Use

3/10

<p>HubSpot is so packed with features and customisation options that it will take an average SMB employee at least a week to learn how to navigate the platform. Even if you're only using HubSpot CRM, you'll see irrelevant modules and fields form other products in its suites everywhere, which can get quite confusing. But once you're past the initial learning curve, most key processes can get quite intuitive.</p>
5

Ease of Use

5/10

<p>Zendesk Sell is generally easy to set up and navigate, but there are frustrations. On the top of our list is how contacts and companies are stored in the same database. This means that when associating a contact with a deal, you’ll have to scroll through a disorganized list of both individuals and companies. Pages lack color coding, making them cluttered and difficult to scan for key information.</p>
8

Ease of Use

8/10

<p>Pipedrive is built for sales team - we found it very easy to locate key information, and most sales workflows such as prioritising and routing leads were also highly intuitive. An average SMB employee should only require 1-2 hours to master key functionalities of the product.</p>
Look and feel
10

Look and feel

10/10

<p><span style="color: rgb(9, 9, 11);">Attio is one of the most visually appealing CRMs we've come across. We love the clean and blazingly fast UI, and page loads are +20% faster than the majority of other CRMs on the markets. Its pages are also beautifully colour-coded and accompanied by emojis, making it a joy to use.</span></p>
6

Look and feel

6/10

<p>We find Close visually acceptable, though the lack of colour-coding and labelling of icons can make it a bit plain at times. Page loads are acceptable (~2 seconds per page).</p>
4

Look and feel

4/10

<p>We find HubSpot's interface to be tired and overwhelming compared to the newer CRMs on the market. There is often an overwhelming amount of actions you can take on a single screen, which makes it difficult to locate key information at times.</p>
4

Look and feel

4/10

<p>Zendesk Sell gets the job done but looks dull and uninspired. Some pages, like the automation and reporting modules, feel like unfinished prototypes. Page loads are another issue, with delays of up to five seconds</p>
7

Look and feel

7/10

<p>We find Pipedrive's interface clean and modern, and acceptable to load <span style="color: rgb(9, 9, 11);">(~2 seconds per page).</span></p>
Customisability
9

Customisability

9/10

<p>Attio is a highly flexible CRM designed to meet the needs of any teams. It allows you to create custom data objects (on top of the standard "people" and "companies"), fully customisable pipelines, automation flows, highly customisable reports, and workspaces for any and all kinds of use cases (e.g. marketing, recruiting, project management).</p>
8

Customisability

8/10

<p>Close offers significant customization for fields, workflows, and pipeline stages. You can create custom data objects to track items beyond people and companies, such as partnerships. It also supports extremely granular custom filters to target contacts and leads. However, Close is squarely a CRM for sales teams, and we don't think you can adapt Close to other use cases.</p>
9

Customisability

9/10

<p>HubSpot offers the highest degree of customisability out of all CRMs besides Salesforce.&nbsp;You can create complex workflows via code, and fully customise fully customize the design of client-facing assets, such as emails and webpages.</p>
6

Customisability

6/10

<p>Customization is another mixed bag. You can create custom objects, multiple pipelines, and custom fields, which is helpful. However, automation tools are severely limited, with just one trigger available for workflows. You also can’t create custom reports, which restricts flexibility.</p>
5

Customisability

5/10

<p>Built for sales teams, this also makes Pipedrive less customisable compared to competitors. Although you can customizable most fields and pipeline stages, most of its modules and terminology are rather sales-oriented e.g. you must have a "leads inbox", pipeline cards must be "deals".</p><p>It also lacks the ability to add custom objects, which allows you to track items besides people and companies e.g. subscription types or vendors and track custom web events e.g. add to cart.</p>
Ease of Setup
8

Ease of Setup

8/10

<p>Attio offers a generous, self-serve free tier —up to 3 users and fully self-serve. Thanks to Attio's familiar spreadsheet-like layout, we found the initial setup to be extremely simple. It took less than 5 minutes to set up, and connecting our email was as simple as a few clicks, with all our contacts syncing automatically.&nbsp;That said, if you want to dive deeper and fully customize the platform, expect to spend 1-2 days exploring Attio’s incredibly flexible automation and reporting tools.</p>
6

Ease of Setup

6/10

<p>Close offers a free trial without need to speak to sales. Completing basic setup is simple, taking around 10 minutes to import contacts and set up pipelines. However, fully setting up the platform and upskilling your reps can take up to a week, given Close's powerful and rich outbound functionality.</p>
3

Ease of Setup

3/10

<p>HubSpot's free trial is available without having to speak to sales. Basic setup - importing contacts and creating pipelines - takes about 10 minutes. However, its extensive features and complex settings mean full customization can take weeks, especially for advanced settings like custom objects, chatbots, and automation. Many users we've talked to ended up hiring a HubSpot consultant for implementation. HubSpot's pricing structure adds another layer of complexity, with multiple plans and bundles to navigate during upgrades.</p>
7

Ease of Setup

7/10

<p>Close offers a free trial without need to speak to sales. Completing basic setup is simple, taking around 10 minutes to import contacts and set up pipelines. Due to Zendesk's limited customisability compared to more heavweight CRMs, fully setting up the platform is straightforward, and can be largely done within 1-2 business days. </p>
6

Ease of Setup

6/10

<p>Pipedrive offers a free trial without need to speak to sales. Completing basic setup is simple, taking about 10 minutes to import your contacts and set up pipelines. That said, getting the platform fully up and running, and getting your team up to speed, can take up to a week. This is especially true if you’re exploring Pipedrive’s add-ons for marketing, prospecting, and project management.</p>
Customer Support
10

Customer Support

10/10

<p>Attio offers in-app live chat with live, human agents who are very quick to respond (within a few minutes) and always goes above and beyond with personalised screenshots and explanations!</p>
7

Customer Support

7/10

<p>You can only contact Close's support team via email, however the team is often helpful and replies within 15 minutes. Close also offers a lot of helpful onboarding guidance and high quality self-help resources.</p>
6

Customer Support

6/10

<p><span style="color: rgb(9, 9, 11);">HubSpot's support team responds via live chat/ email in less than 3 minutes, 24/7. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(9, 9, 11);">That said, you don't get access to their phone/ video support, unless you pay for Professional/ Enterprise, and now if you're signed up to their discounted startup plan. We also find their support sometimes frustratingly bureaucratic - you can only speak with the assigned rep in your territory.</span></p>
3

Customer Support

3/10

<p>Customer support leaves a lot to be desired. The AI chatbot is often unhelpful or misleading, and attempts to connect with a human agent resulted in error messages on two separate occasions we were testing it. When connected to a human agent, the response is generic and forces you to go to a Help Centre article. Zendesk's Help Centre, while reasonably well-written, is not always easy to navigate.</p>
9

Customer Support

9/10

<p>Pipedrive offers 24/7, in-app chat with live human agents. Our team has always found the Pipedrive support team to be friendly, quick to respond, and very helpful.</p>
Integratability
4

Integratability

4/10

<p>Attio has a few pre-built integrations with a handful of the most common software tools (e.g. Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Mailchimp). But, in the main, Attio pushes you to build your own integrations using Zapier, Make or its API. ‍</p>
5

Integratability

5/10

<p>Close's library of pre-built integrations lacks a few key integrations. For example, Close has no pre-built integrations with Zendesk and Intercom for Customer Support, or Mailchimp for Email Marketing.</p>
10

Integratability

10/10

<p>HubSpot offers native integrations with the overwhelming majority of 3rd part products a company will want to connect their CRM with, plus an ever-growing marketplace of more than 350 free and paid-for apps.&nbsp;&nbsp;The chances are that if you need a particularly integration and HubSpot don't have it, it will unlikely be provided by a competitive product.</p>
8

Integratability

8/10

<p>Zendesk Sell offers a very comprehensive library of pre-built integrations with many relevant third-party apps. It also has an API for custom integrations.</p>
8

Integratability

8/10

<p>Pipedrive has pre-built integrations with most relevant 3rd party products and an API that allows buyer to build own integrations where necessary.</p>
Ease of Migration
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Attio allows users to export key data data via self-serve. Export of most other data are also available via API or on request.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Close allows users to export key data via self-serve. Export of most other data is also available via API or on request.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>HubSpot allows users to export key data data via self-serve. Export of most other data are also available via API or on request.</p>
9

Ease of Migration

9/10

<p>Exporting data is easy. Contacts, deals and reports can all be exported via one click. Its API also allows you export any other necessary data.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Pipedrive allows users to export key data (contacts, accounts, deals) via self-serve. Export of most other data are also available via API or on request.</p>

Best for Streamlining Lead Capture

Attio product logo
Attio

Stackfix Rating:

8.1 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 2, 2025

Attio is a great fit for startups that want to streamline lead capture without getting bogged down in complexity. Its clean interface, smart data enrichment, and Chrome extension make it fast and easy to add new contacts from places like LinkedIn, X, or Gmail.

Attio’s one-click enrichment pulls in accurate company and contact data automatically, saving teams from tedious manual entry. You also get a useful ‘connect strength’ metric, which shows which leads your team has engaged with most. That makes it easier to prioritise follow-ups and focus on warm leads.

In our testing, Attio scored 8 out of 10 for customisability and a perfect 10 out of 10 for customer support. It’s clearly built with lean teams in mind, offering just enough flexibility without overwhelming you.

There are trade-offs. Attio doesn’t offer lead scoring or a built-in live chat widget, and its third-party integrations are still catching up. If you need a more advanced sales stack, you might find it limiting.

But if you’re early-stage and looking for a CRM that helps you move quickly, stay organised, and capture leads without fuss, Attio is a smart choice. It gives you a strong foundation for growth without the complexity of a full-blown enterprise CRM.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Attio's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Fast pace of product iteration

  • Excellent Customer Support

  • Highly Customizable Platform

  • Efficient LinkedIn Integration

  • Powerful Contact Data Enrichment

  • Outstanding User Interface and Performance

Cons

  • Automation Limitations

  • Complex Reporting Interface

  • Basic Marketing Capabilities

  • Limited Core Sales Features

  • Limited Integration Capabilities

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

Best for Automating Personalized Sales Outreach

Close product logo
Close

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

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Starting at

$19

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Updated onApr 2, 2025

Close is a strong option for startups that want to automate personalized sales outreach at scale. It’s built for teams that need to reach a high volume of leads without losing the human touch, making it a solid fit for early-stage sales teams focused on lead generation.

The standout feature is Close’s calling functionality. It includes a power dialer, predictive dialer, call coaching, and automatic transcripts. If your startup relies on cold calling, these tools can save time and boost productivity. In our testing, Close scored 9 out of 10 for email automation and a perfect 10 out of 10 for calling and call tracking.

Close also brings email and SMS into one workflow, so your team can run multi-channel sequences without switching between tools. For lean teams, that kind of efficiency is key.

It’s worth noting that Close isn’t trying to be an all-in-one platform. It doesn’t offer built-in marketing tools, lead scoring, or visitor tracking. If you need those features, another CRM might be a better fit.

But if your focus is outbound sales, and you want a tool that helps you move fast while keeping outreach personal, Close is one of the best CRMs for the job.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Close's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Quick to get started

  • Best-in-class calling functionality

  • Powerful automated sales sequences

  • Advanced lead management and filtering

  • Highly customizable system

  • Strong data export capabilities

Cons

  • Weak Marketing Capabilities

  • Limited Workflow Automation

  • Poor Integration Ecosystem

  • No Lead Scoring

  • Limited Email Analytics

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

Best for Integrating with Marketing Tools

HubSpot Sales Hub product logo
HubSpot Sales Hub

Stackfix Rating:

5.8 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 2, 2025

HubSpot Sales Hub is a solid option for startups that want to connect lead generation with marketing. It’s especially useful if you’re building a strategy that blends outreach, automation, and content. HubSpot brings sales and marketing together in one platform, helping teams nurture leads through personalised, multi-channel campaigns.

The marketing module is where HubSpot really shines. You get a drag-and-drop email builder, web visitor tracking, and tools to build websites, blogs, and landing pages. It also lets you customise forms and live chat widgets, so you can capture leads and engage with them in real time. In our testing, HubSpot scored 10 out of 10 for its marketing tools and 9 out of 10 for automation, reflecting its strength as an all-in-one platform for lead generation.

There are some trade-offs. Many of the more advanced features are locked behind expensive plans, which might be a stretch for early-stage startups. And while the platform is powerful, the interface can be overwhelming at first and takes some getting used to.

Still, if you’re looking to align your sales and marketing efforts from day one, HubSpot is a strong choice. It helps startups run personalised campaigns, track engagement, and move leads through the funnel, all in one place. For teams focused on building a unified lead generation engine, it’s a powerful tool worth considering.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of HubSpot Sales Hub's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Integrated CRM suite for sales, marketing & support

  • Powerful customization

  • Robust Workflow Automation

  • Best-in-class marketing automation capabilities

  • Superior lead management functionality

  • Extensive integration capabilities

Cons

  • Complex Pricing with Steep Increases

  • Cluttered and Dated Interface

  • Difficult to Learn and Navigate

  • Bureaucratic Support System

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

Best for Combining Lead Generation With a Built-In Prospecting Platform

Zendesk Sell product logo
Zendesk Sell

Stackfix Rating:

5.6 / 10

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Starting at

$25

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Updated onApr 2, 2025

Zendesk Sell is a smart choice for startups that want to generate leads without relying on extra tools. It comes with a built-in prospecting platform that gives you access to a database of over 20 million companies. You can filter by industry, size, tech stack, and more, making it easy to find and target the right prospects - without needing a separate enrichment tool.

What sets Zendesk Sell apart is how tightly it integrates prospecting with sales outreach. You can add leads directly into your pipeline, send bulk emails, or create call lists with just a few clicks. In our testing, it scored 10 out of 10 for lead management and prioritisation, thanks to how simple it is to go from list to action.

There are some drawbacks. Automation is limited, reports aren’t as customisable as more advanced CRMs, and contact management can feel messy, since companies and contacts sit in the same tab. These won’t be deal-breakers for every team, but they’re worth noting.

That said, Zendesk Sell is one of the few CRMs that combines lead discovery, enrichment, and outreach in one tool. For startups focused on efficient lead generation - especially those with smaller teams or tighter budgets—it offers a fast, focused way to build and engage your pipeline without extra overhead.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Zendesk Sell's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Built-in prospecting capabilities

  • Strong Browser-Based Calling Features

  • Extensive Pre-Built Integrations

  • Seamless integration with Zendesk Support

Cons

  • Problematic Contact Management

  • Poor Customer Support

  • Uninspired User Interface

  • Limited Automation Capabilities

  • Poor Lead Assignment System

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

Best for AI-Powered Sales Assistance

Pipedrive product logo
Pipedrive

Stackfix Rating:

7.3 / 10

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Starting at

$24

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Updated onApr 2, 2025

Pipedrive is a great fit for startups that want a simple, focused CRM with smart sales automation. Its AI Sales Assistant helps teams spot high-probability deals and suggests next steps, so you’re always focused on the leads that are most likely to convert.

Pulse, Pipedrive’s new AI-powered feature (currently in closed beta), takes this a step further. It ranks leads by conversion potential, gives clear summaries of each opportunity, and helps sales reps qualify and prioritise faster. For lean teams trying to move quickly, this kind of insight can be a game changer. In our testing, Pipedrive scored 8 out of 10 for ease of use and 9 out of 10 for customer support.

There are a few gaps. Pipedrive doesn’t include a marketing module or web visitor tracking, and it lacks built-in lead scoring. If you’re looking for a fully integrated sales and marketing platform, that might be limiting.

Still, if you’re focused on outbound sales and want a CRM that helps your team stay organised, move fast, and focus on the right leads, Pipedrive is a strong choice. It offers just enough automation to save time without adding complexity, making it a useful tool for startups looking to build momentum and close more deals.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Pipedrive's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Robust Add-Ons for Marketing & Lead Generation

  • Exceptional Ease of Use

  • Outstanding Customer Support

  • Powerful Sales Pipeline Management

  • Effective Lead Management System

  • Comprehensive Integration Capabilities

Cons

  • Limited Customization Options

  • Poor Email Sequence Functionality

  • No Native Phone Integration

  • Limited LinkedIn Integration

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

How we test products

With so many CRM platforms on the market, we focus on identifying the best options for small and midsize businesses. Our evaluation process is built around real-world usage, prioritizing functionality, ease of use, and overall value. Here’s how we do it:

Functionality

A CRM should help businesses manage relationships, not complicate them. We start by identifying key use cases—contact management, pipeline tracking, automation, and reporting—then test how well each platform supports these needs. CRMs that offer essential features without unnecessary complexity score highest.

User Experience & Onboarding

A CRM should be intuitive enough for teams to adopt quickly. We test each platform’s interface by navigating core features without prior training and track onboarding time—from account setup to first data import. CRMs that require extensive customization or technical knowledge to function properly lose points.

Automation & AI Capabilities

Automation is key to scaling sales and customer management. We evaluate each CRM’s automation features, such as lead scoring, email sequencing, and workflow automation. We also assess AI-driven insights to determine whether they provide meaningful improvements or just add complexity.

Integrations & Compatibility

A CRM rarely works in isolation—it needs to sync with email, marketing tools, and Sales Engagement platforms. We test how well each CRM integrates with essential business tools, prioritizing native integrations over third-party connectors.

Pricing & Value

We compare pricing across competitors, analyzing what each plan includes and whether critical features are locked behind paywalls. Hidden costs—such as per-user fees, premium automation features, or required onboarding services—are factored into our assessment. CRMs that offer strong core functionality at a fair price perform best.

Stackfix’s Fit Score

All of these factors contribute to Stackfix’s Fit Score, a proprietary ranking system that measures how well each CRM aligns with a buyer’s needs. It combines two key elements:

  • Requirements Met – How many buyer requirements the CRM fulfills
  • Stackfix Rating – Our expert assessment of the software’s overall quality, usability, and value

The result? A clear, data-driven recommendation that helps businesses choose the right CRM—without hours of trial and error.

FAQs

What is a CRM?

Put simply, a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a platform that helps you manage and analyze your interactions with customers, both potential and current. It’s essentially a centralized place to store customer data, and help you forge and build stronger relationships with these customers. The key features of a CRM usually include:

  • Contact Management: Helping you store customer information, including their name, contact information, key information like whether they’ve bought from you in the past, and any communication history.
  • Sales Pipeline Tracking: This helps you track potential deals from the initial contact up until closing, which helps your sales team stay on top of opportunities and forecast revenue.
  • Analytics and reporting: Most CRMs also generate reports and insights based on your aggregated consumer behaviour, sales performance, and trends across the business.

What should I consider when buying a CRM?

Choosing the right CRM can make or break your sales and customer management process—so it’s essential to find one that fits your business needs, tech stack, and budget. Here are the key factors to consider before making your decision.

  1. Your requirements. It's important to first define what you need the CRM to accomplish. Consider your current sales needs and growth plans – a smaller startup focused on personal relationships may need different features than a larger startup managing thousands of leads at once.
  2. Ease of use. Look for an interface that your team will actually like and use. A cluttered or overly complex interface can overwhelm less experienced teams - meaning all those fancy features go to waste. That’s why Stackfix gives every CRM an ‘Ease of Use’ rating - so you can quickly see which ones are intuitive and user-friendly. Click into each product above to find the right fit for your team.
  3. Technical infrastructure. Take stock of your current tech stack. Do you need seamless integrations with your existing tools (e.g. Email, Scheduling and Customer Support software)? If you’re migrating from another CRM, can this new one handle your data volume and user count without breaking a sweat?
  4. Cost. When choosing a CRM, look beyond the headline price-per-user. Factor in setup costs, workflow limits, and how pricing scales as your team grows. The last thing you want is to lock into a “cheap” CRM that gets expensive fast when you actually start using it.
  5. Customer support. This is one of those things you don’t think about—until you really need it. If something goes wrong during setup or day-to-day use, will the vendor be there to help? Look at response times, availability (24/7 or just business hours?), and self-serve resources like help centers or community forums. To make this easier, Stackfix rates every CRM on customer support. Click into each product above to see how they stack up.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when buying CRM software?

Avoiding common pitfalls when choosing a CRM can save you time, money, and headaches down the line. Here are some of the biggest mistakes startups make—and how to avoid them.

  1. Buying based on features instead of quality. Many businesses buy comprehensive CRMs (often the big players like HubSpot and Salesforce), without considering whether all the features are crucial functionalities that they really need. Don’t be wowed by extensive features lists, if these features don’t align with your actual business processes.
  2. Not planning data migration. Many startups fall into the trap of buying a CRM without thinking about how they’ll move all customer data in the new system – keep in mind that this includes cleaning up old data, and ensuring all new fields are mapped correctly.
  3. Failing to think about scaling. Startups frequently select a CRM that fits their current needs, without thinking about their growth trajectories. Make sure to ask yourself: where do you want to be in 5 years? Does the CRM offer advanced features which you might need later, or will you have to make another switch? Consider the vendor’s frequency of updates, and ensure the CRM will continue to serve your needs as you grow.
  4. Not checking the adequacy of integrations. Integrations are particularly important for apps like email – make sure you verify that integrations are sufficient for your needs (e.g., if a CRM integrates with emails, does it sync custom fields for you? Make sure to test each integration before committing.)

How much does CRM Software typically cost?

Most CRM solutions range from $12-300 per user monthly, with entry-level options starting around $12-30 and premium solutions exceeding $150 monthly. Most vendors structure pricing in tiers based on features and scale, so be sure to enter your requirements as accurately as possible in our pricing calculator.

Many providers offer free plans with core functionality for very small teams but restrict users (typically 2-5), contacts, or available features. HubSpot, Zoho, and Freshsales all provide capable free tiers for businesses just getting started.

For enterprise plans and above, you can expect to speak to sales for a bespoke price. These custom quotes typically factor in implementation costs ($1,000-$60,000+), data migration, and specialized training. To skip the demo calls, be sure to check out our pricing calculator.

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