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Best CRM for Startups in 2025

Written by Paddy Stobbs

Co-Founder & CEO

Edited by Steph Leung

Product & Operations Lead

Updated onApr 24, 2025

Finding the right CRM is tough. Most startups pick one that’s too complex or too limited - costing time, money, and sanity.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours testing CRMs to help you find one that actually fits your stage and sales motion. Whether you’re scaling inbound or doing founder-led sales, this guide’s for you.

Best CRMs for different use cases

For flexible workflows:

Attio product logo

Attio

Stackfix Rating:

8.1 / 10

Attio is one of the most exciting new CRMs. Launched in 2019, it’s built for startups and small teams that need a smart, flexible, and simple way to manage relationships - whether for sales, fundraising, recruiting, or anything else.

One of Attio’s biggest strengths is its flexibility. It is highly customizable, letting teams create custom data objects, fully tailored pipelines, and automation flows to match their needs. Combine that with a beautiful interface, powerful data enrichment, and excellent customer support, and you’ve got a CRM that feels both lightweight and powerful.

That said, if you’re looking for a sales-heavy, feature-packed CRM, Attio might not be the best fit. It lacks native calling and lead scoring, which could be limiting for more advanced sales teams.

But if you’re just starting out and want a flexible, highly customizable CRM with top-tier support, Attio is a great option.

Jump to product

For early-stage B2B Sales:

Relate product logo

Relate

Stackfix Rating:

7.1 / 10

Relate is a CRM built for early-stage B2B sales teams. It’s a no-frills, well-designed platform that covers the essentials, making it a great fit for startups looking to hit the ground running.

Its B2B sales features include prospecting tools for sales reps, seamless LinkedIn contact importing, data enrichment, and email sequencing. It also has a smart pipeline automation feature that helps with smooth handoffs - like automatically moving a ‘Closed Won’ deal into an onboarding pipeline.

Beyond that, Relate is refreshingly easy to use. With blazing-fast page loads, a clean interface, and startup-friendly workflows, teams can get set up quickly. Support is another plus, with live chat response times under an hour and a well-organized help center.

That said, Relate has some real limitations. Integrations are barebones - no API, just basic Google Calendar, Outlook, and Slack connections, forcing teams to rely on Zapier. Workflow automation is minimal, offering only simple built-in triggers. And if your team does high-volume outreach, email sequencing limits (6 emails/hour, 50/day) could be a dealbreaker.

If you’re a B2B startup looking for a lightweight, intuitive “day one CRM,” Relate is a solid choice - but scaling teams may outgrow it fast.

Jump to product

For social prospecting:

Folk product logo

Folk

Stackfix Rating:

7.4 / 10

Folk is a lightweight, flexible CRM built for modern relationship management. Designed for sales, fundraising, recruiting, and partnerships, it’s a great fit for teams that prioritize social prospecting and email outreach.

Its Chrome Extension is one of Folk’s biggest strengths. This makes it incredibly easy to add contacts from LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, and Gmail, even pulling engagement data from LinkedIn posts. For teams focused on social selling, this is a game-changer.

Beyond that, Folk is highly customizable. Teams can tailor pipelines and custom objects to fit their workflows, making it a flexible alternative to rigid sales CRMs. The email sequencing tool is another standout, offering AI-powered message crafting and engagement tracking to optimize outreach.

It’s also fast and easy to use—with a clean, spreadsheet-like interface, quick setup, and live chat support that responds within minutes.

That said, Folk isn’t built for heavy-duty sales teams. It lacks lead scoring, workflow automation, and advanced reporting, making it less suited for teams managing high volumes of customer interactions. Integrations are also weak, with no API and a heavy reliance on Zapier.

If you’re a startup or small team looking for a simple, social prospecting-friendly CRM, Folk is a strong choice.

Jump to product

For email & phone outreach:

Close product logo

Close

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

Close is a CRM built for sales teams focused on high-volume outreach. Excelling at email, phone, and SMS automation, it’s designed to help reps send more messages, make more calls, and close more deals - faster.

Its biggest strength? The calling functionality. You can dial contacts directly from the desktop or mobile app, and Close’s Power Dialer can automatically moves to the next number if there’s no reply - keeping the momentum going. Meanwhile the Predictive Dialer routes answered calls to available reps, making it perfect for teams running high-volume cold outreach.

Managers can even listen in or join live calls, and AI-powered transcription keeps track of conversations.

Beyond calls, Close offers strong email sequencing functionality. Teams can create multi-touch workflows that trigger personalized emails, SMS, and calls, with randomized timing that mimics human behavior. Granular lead filtering and Smart Views make it easy to target the right prospects at the right time.

Close is also fast and easy to use. The three-column layout keeps everything in one view, and the help docs include video and text walkthroughs for quick onboarding.

That said, Close isn’t for everyone. Marketing features are minimal, and workflow automation is limited to simple tasks like updating lead status or assigning owners. The lack of pre-built integrations with major tools like Mailchimp and Zendesk adds friction, and email analytics are basic, tracking only opens - not clicks, bounces, or replies.

If you’re a sales team that thrives on cold calls and high-volume outreach, Close is a powerhouse. But if you need marketing automation or advanced workflow customization, you might hit roadblocks.

Jump to product

For inbound sales:

HubSpot Sales Hub product logo

HubSpot Sales Hub

Stackfix Rating:

5.8 / 10

HubSpot is arguably the go-to CRM for businesses with an inbound sales motion. It’s built for teams that generate and convert leads through content, SEO, and multi-channel engagement, making it a powerhouse for businesses that rely on attracting customers rather than chasing them

One of HubSpot Sales Hub’s biggest strengths is its deep integration with HubSpot’s Marketing suite (”HubSpot Marketing Hub”). It makes capturing leads effortless - whether through forms, live chat, or social media. Add in website visitor tracking and automated, multi-touch marketing campaigns, and you’ve got a system that turns engagement into conversions - all from one platform.

Beyond that, HubSpot’s CRM, Marketing Hub, and Service Hub work together as an integrated suite. This means you can track prospects across every touchpoint, from their first website visit to post-sale support, without switching between tools.

HubSpot is also highly customizable, with advanced workflow automation, lead scoring, and an extensive integration ecosystem that connects with over 350 business apps.

That said, HubSpot isn’t for everyone. Pricing gets expensive fast, especially after initial discounts, and key sales features (like email sequences) are locked behind premium plans. The interface can feel cluttered, making it harder for new users to navigate. Support is also tiered, with limited access unless you’re on a high-end plan.

If you’re an inbound-focused business looking for a CRM that combines sales and marketing in one, HubSpot is a great option. But if you need a simple, low-maintenance CRM, the learning curve and cost may be a challenge.

Jump to product

For intuitive pipeline management :

Pipedrive product logo

Pipedrive

Stackfix Rating:

7.3 / 10

Pipedrive is designed with sales teams in mind, offering exceptionally intuitive pipeline management. Setting up your pipeline is straightforward, and startups can easily customize stages and switch between views, making the sales process visual and highly configurable. Features like viewing estimated deal value per stage, setting deal rotting periods, and a forecast view enhance pipeline visibility. For startups seeking advanced insights, Pipedrive's AI Sales Assistant (Pulse) offers deal prioritization and next-action suggestions, though it's currently in beta and available on higher-tier plans.

However, its sales-oriented structure and lack of custom objects might limit teams needing to track non-standard items, as its customizability isn't extensive. Despite this, for managing a core sales pipeline, its intuitiveness is hard to beat.

Jump to product

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

Relate logo

Relate

Folk logo

Folk

Close logo

Close

HubSpot Sales Hub logo

HubSpot Sales Hub

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>
6

Functionality

6/10

<p>Relate delivers the core functionality early-stage B2B startups need. It excels in prospecting, sales pipeline management, data enrichment, sequencing, LinkedIn contact imports, and customizable reporting.</p><p>However, it’s missing several features that larger teams rely on, such as workflow automation and robust third-party integrations.</p>
5

Functionality

5/10

<p>Folk focuses on delivering functionality that startups &amp; small teams will need. Besides the CRM basics like managing contacts and pipelines, Folk also offers email sequencing, data enrichment, and an excellent Chrome Extension that allows you to add contacts from anywhere.</p><p>However, its lack of any meaningful analytics and automation functionality prevents it from being a CRM that can be used by larger teams.</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>
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>
9

Ease of Use

9/10

<p>If you’re an early-stage B2B startup, you’ll likely find Relate intuitive and closely aligned with how your processes already work. Getting up to speed is quick and straightforward.</p><p>However, if you’re familiar with traditional CRMs, you might experience a learning curve. Relate introduces some unique concepts, like connecting pipelines through “processes,” which may take a little time to adjust to.</p>
8

Ease of Use

8/10

<p>Folk is quick and simple to use, like a spreadsheet. It takes no time to get started with Folk. With a few clicks, you can import all the contacts you've had interactions with by syncing your Gmail + Google Calendar. Folk also automatically suggests groups you can create based on your contacts.</p><p>However, there are some UX quirks that will take some time to get used to e.g. the list of all your people &amp; companies are tucked behind the "search" menu.</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>
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>
8

Look and feel

8/10

<p>Relate’s modern, minimalist design will appeal to tech startups, but it might come across as too plain for others. That said, the platform shines with its blazingly fast page loads—easily some of the fastest we’ve seen, which offers a seamless user experience.</p>
8

Look and feel

8/10

<p>Folk has a clean and modern interface that's visually appealing. It also has fast load times (1 second per page).</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>
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>
6

Customisability

6/10

<p>Relate offers strong customizability for early-stage B2B startups. You can tailor pipelines and reporting to match your workflows. However, it’s not as flexible as more general-purpose CRMs (like Folk and Attio). The platform is firmly sales-focused, with pipelines designed exclusively for tracking deals and reporting geared entirely toward sales metrics.</p>
8

Customisability

8/10

<p>Folk is a highly flexible CRM designed to be used with different use case, from tracking sales, recruitment, partnerships and more. To that end, you're able to fully customise your pipelines, and even create pipelines based on custom data objects e.g. a pipeline to track "products".</p><p>However, we did find some limitations with data types that can be stored e.g. you're unable to add data as percentages, checkboxes, ratings.</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>
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>
8

Ease of Setup

8/10

<p>Relate offers a self-serve free trial. Thanks to Relate's familiar spreadsheet-like layout, we found the initial setup to be extremely simple (taking &lt;10 mins). The only nit is that unlike other modern CRMs (e.g. Attio, Folk), connecting your email doesn't sync your contacts automatically. For B2B sales team, Relate's thoughtful set up out-of-the-box means it's easy to fully customise the platform, and should be largely done within 1-2 business days.</p>
10

Ease of Setup

10/10

<p>Folk offers a simple, self-serve free tier. Thanks to Folk's familiar spreadsheet-like layout, we found the initial setup to be extremely simple (taking &lt;5 mins). You can connect your email with a few clicks, and all your contacts sync automatically. Due to Folk's limited feature set, fully customising the platform is also a breeze <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">e.g. downloading Folk's extension, setting up sequences)</span>, and should be done within 1-2 hours.</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>
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>
8

Customer Support

8/10

<p>Relate provides in-app live chat support during US business hours with a friendly team that usually responds in around an hour. The help center is another strong point—it's well-written, thorough, and easy to follow.</p>
9

Customer Support

9/10

<p>Folk offers in-app live chat with live, human agents who are helpful and very quick to respond (within a few minutes).</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>
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>
1

Integratability

1/10

<p>Integrations are a major weak spot for Relate. It only connects with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Slack, and basically pushes you to build you own integrations entirely through Zapier. There’s no API for custom integrations.</p>
2

Integratability

2/10

<p>Folk offers limited pre-built integrations, covering only a few popular tools like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Mailchimp, and Calendly. Instead, it encourages users to build their own integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. Additionally, it lacks an API for custom integrations, which limits flexibility for more tailored solutions.</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>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>
6

Ease of Migration

6/10

<p>Relate allows you to export key contact, organization, and deal information through its reporting module. The process is self-serve, but limited to basic data.</p>
6

Ease of Migration

6/10

<p>Folk offers exports of key data available self-serve. However, it doesn't seem possible to export data via an API.</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>
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 flexible workflows

Attio product logo
Attio

Stackfix Rating:

8.1 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 24, 2025

Attio is one of the most exciting new CRMs. Launched in 2019, it’s built for startups and small teams that need a smart, flexible, and simple way to manage relationships - whether for sales, fundraising, recruiting, or anything else.

One of Attio’s biggest strengths is its flexibility. It is highly customizable, letting teams create custom data objects, fully tailored pipelines, and automation flows to match their needs. Combine that with a beautiful interface, powerful data enrichment, and excellent customer support, and you’ve got a CRM that feels both lightweight and powerful.

That said, if you’re looking for a sales-heavy, feature-packed CRM, Attio might not be the best fit. It lacks native calling and lead scoring, which could be limiting for more advanced sales teams.

But if you’re just starting out and want a flexible, highly customizable CRM with top-tier support, Attio is a great option.

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 early-stage B2B Sales

Relate product logo
Relate

Stackfix Rating:

7.1 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 24, 2025

Relate is a CRM built for early-stage B2B sales teams. It’s a no-frills, well-designed platform that covers the essentials, making it a great fit for startups looking to hit the ground running.

Its B2B sales features include prospecting tools for sales reps, seamless LinkedIn contact importing, data enrichment, and email sequencing. It also has a smart pipeline automation feature that helps with smooth handoffs - like automatically moving a ‘Closed Won’ deal into an onboarding pipeline.

Beyond that, Relate is refreshingly easy to use. With blazing-fast page loads, a clean interface, and startup-friendly workflows, teams can get set up quickly. Support is another plus, with live chat response times under an hour and a well-organized help center.

That said, Relate has some real limitations. Integrations are barebones - no API, just basic Google Calendar, Outlook, and Slack connections, forcing teams to rely on Zapier. Workflow automation is minimal, offering only simple built-in triggers. And if your team does high-volume outreach, email sequencing limits (6 emails/hour, 50/day) could be a dealbreaker.

If you’re a B2B startup looking for a lightweight, intuitive “day one CRM,” Relate is a solid choice - but scaling teams may outgrow it fast.

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

Pros

  • Powerful and intuitive pipeline automation

  • Excellent lead management for B2B sales

  • Exceptional ease of use for B2B startups

  • Responsive customer support

  • Efficient contact enrichment and LinkedIn integration

Cons

  • Severely Limited Integration Capabilities

  • Primitive Workflow Automation

  • Restrictive Email Sequencing Limits

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

Best for social prospecting

Folk product logo
Folk

Stackfix Rating:

7.4 / 10

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Starting at

$25

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Updated onApr 24, 2025

Folk is a lightweight, flexible CRM built for modern relationship management. Designed for sales, fundraising, recruiting, and partnerships, it’s a great fit for teams that prioritize social prospecting and email outreach.

Its Chrome Extension is one of Folk’s biggest strengths. This makes it incredibly easy to add contacts from LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, and Gmail, even pulling engagement data from LinkedIn posts. For teams focused on social selling, this is a game-changer.

Beyond that, Folk is highly customizable. Teams can tailor pipelines and custom objects to fit their workflows, making it a flexible alternative to rigid sales CRMs. The email sequencing tool is another standout, offering AI-powered message crafting and engagement tracking to optimize outreach.

It’s also fast and easy to use—with a clean, spreadsheet-like interface, quick setup, and live chat support that responds within minutes.

That said, Folk isn’t built for heavy-duty sales teams. It lacks lead scoring, workflow automation, and advanced reporting, making it less suited for teams managing high volumes of customer interactions. Integrations are also weak, with no API and a heavy reliance on Zapier.

If you’re a startup or small team looking for a simple, social prospecting-friendly CRM, Folk is a strong choice.

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

Pros

  • Exceptional LinkedIn Integration & Chrome Extension

  • Highly Customizable Platform

  • Responsive Customer Support

  • User-Friendly Interface

  • Effective Email Sequence Management

Cons

  • Missing Core Sales Features

  • Limited Reporting Capabilities

  • Weak Data Enrichment

  • Basic Pipeline Management

  • Poor Integration Capabilities

Compare all CRMsRead the full review

Best for email & phone outreach

Close product logo
Close

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

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Starting at

$19

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Updated onApr 24, 2025

Close is a CRM built for sales teams focused on high-volume outreach. Excelling at email, phone, and SMS automation, it’s designed to help reps send more messages, make more calls, and close more deals - faster.

Its biggest strength? The calling functionality. You can dial contacts directly from the desktop or mobile app, and Close’s Power Dialer can automatically moves to the next number if there’s no reply - keeping the momentum going. Meanwhile the Predictive Dialer routes answered calls to available reps, making it perfect for teams running high-volume cold outreach.

Managers can even listen in or join live calls, and AI-powered transcription keeps track of conversations.

Beyond calls, Close offers strong email sequencing functionality. Teams can create multi-touch workflows that trigger personalized emails, SMS, and calls, with randomized timing that mimics human behavior. Granular lead filtering and Smart Views make it easy to target the right prospects at the right time.

Close is also fast and easy to use. The three-column layout keeps everything in one view, and the help docs include video and text walkthroughs for quick onboarding.

That said, Close isn’t for everyone. Marketing features are minimal, and workflow automation is limited to simple tasks like updating lead status or assigning owners. The lack of pre-built integrations with major tools like Mailchimp and Zendesk adds friction, and email analytics are basic, tracking only opens - not clicks, bounces, or replies.

If you’re a sales team that thrives on cold calls and high-volume outreach, Close is a powerhouse. But if you need marketing automation or advanced workflow customization, you might hit roadblocks.

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

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Best for inbound sales

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HubSpot Sales Hub

Stackfix Rating:

5.8 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 24, 2025

HubSpot is arguably the go-to CRM for businesses with an inbound sales motion. It’s built for teams that generate and convert leads through content, SEO, and multi-channel engagement, making it a powerhouse for businesses that rely on attracting customers rather than chasing them

One of HubSpot Sales Hub’s biggest strengths is its deep integration with HubSpot’s Marketing suite (”HubSpot Marketing Hub”). It makes capturing leads effortless - whether through forms, live chat, or social media. Add in website visitor tracking and automated, multi-touch marketing campaigns, and you’ve got a system that turns engagement into conversions - all from one platform.

Beyond that, HubSpot’s CRM, Marketing Hub, and Service Hub work together as an integrated suite. This means you can track prospects across every touchpoint, from their first website visit to post-sale support, without switching between tools.

HubSpot is also highly customizable, with advanced workflow automation, lead scoring, and an extensive integration ecosystem that connects with over 350 business apps.

That said, HubSpot isn’t for everyone. Pricing gets expensive fast, especially after initial discounts, and key sales features (like email sequences) are locked behind premium plans. The interface can feel cluttered, making it harder for new users to navigate. Support is also tiered, with limited access unless you’re on a high-end plan.

If you’re an inbound-focused business looking for a CRM that combines sales and marketing in one, HubSpot is a great option. But if you need a simple, low-maintenance CRM, the learning curve and cost may be a challenge.

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

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Best for intuitive pipeline management

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Pipedrive

Stackfix Rating:

7.3 / 10

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Starting at

$24

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Updated onApr 24, 2025

Pipedrive is designed with sales teams in mind, offering exceptionally intuitive pipeline management. Setting up your pipeline is straightforward, and startups can easily customize stages and switch between views, making the sales process visual and highly configurable. Features like viewing estimated deal value per stage, setting deal rotting periods, and a forecast view enhance pipeline visibility. For startups seeking advanced insights, Pipedrive's AI Sales Assistant (Pulse) offers deal prioritization and next-action suggestions, though it's currently in beta and available on higher-tier plans.

However, its sales-oriented structure and lack of custom objects might limit teams needing to track non-standard items, as its customizability isn't extensive. Despite this, for managing a core sales pipeline, its intuitiveness is hard to beat.

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

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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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