What is a customer database?

A customer database is an organized collection of information about your customers, including their names, contact details, purchase history, and preferences. Customer database software is a tool, often part of a CRM, that facilitates this process.

It acts as the foundation for managing and understanding your customer relationships. Businesses use a customer database to store, track, and analyze data to more effectively engage with their customers, deliver personalized experiences, and make the best decisions about marketing and sales strategies based on those data points.

Customer information database software, often referred to as customer relationship management (CRM) software, is a specialized tool designed to manage this information in a more efficient and accessible way. CRM software like Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and HubSpot allows you to automate the process of capturing and updating customer data. It centralizes your customer interactions, making it easier for different teams—such as marketing, sales, and customer service—to access relevant data in real-time. As well as simply storing customer data, many CRMs offer features like segmentation, lead scoring, and reporting.

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Types of customer data

Customer data can be divided into four key categories: identity data, engagement data, behavioral data, and attitudinal data. Each type provides unique insights into who your customers are, how they interact with your business, and what drives their decisions.

Identity data

Identity data, also known as personally identifiable information (PII), includes basic details that help distinguish an individual customer. This includes their name, email, phone number, address, and demographic information such as age or gender. It’s the foundation of a customer profile. This type of data helps businesses personalize communications and match other data types to specific customers​. 

Engagement data

Engagement data tracks how customers interact with your business across various channels. This includes actions like website visits, social media activity, email opens, and customer support interactions. It provides insights into how customers engage with your marketing campaigns and customer service, helping you refine these touchpoints. 

Behavioral data

Behavioral data captures what customers do rather than just how they engage. This type of data includes browsing patterns, purchase history, and subscription details. It helps businesses understand customer habits and preferences, which can be critical for improving product offerings and optimizing the user experience​.

Attitudinal data

Attitudinal data reflects customer opinions, feelings, and motivations. Collected through surveys, reviews, and feedback forms, this data type helps businesses gauge customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. While more subjective, attitudinal data offers valuable insights into why customers make certain decisions, which can guide product development and marketing strategies​.

Top customer database software

Software

Score (Out of 5)

Best for

Key Features

HubSpot logo.

HubSpot Sales Hub

4.51

Overall

Contact management, sales automation, reporting

Monday CRM logo.

monday CRM

4.48

Project management integration

Project tracking, task automation, CRM tools

Pipedrive logo.

Pipedrive

4.45

Sales pipeline management

Sales pipeline, email integration, reporting

Zoho CRM logo.

Zoho CRM

4.37

Affordability

Sales automation, reporting, AI

Bitrix24 logo.

Bitrix24

4.25

Free plan

Sales automation, social media integration

Zendesk Sell logo.

Zendesk Sell

4.21

Sales and customer support integration

Sales pipeline, customer support, call tracking

Apptivo logo.

Apptivo

4.2

Small businesses

Sales tracking, invoicing, project management

Salesforce logo.

Salesforce Sales Cloud

4.16

Enterprises

Customization, analytics, AI features

4.1

Marketing automation

Campaign management, invoicing, payments

Freshsales logo.

Freshsales

4.46

Ease of use

AI-driven insights, pipeline tracking, automation

HubSpot logo.

HubSpot Sales Hub: Best overall

Overall Score

4.51/5

Pricing

4.79/5

General features & interface

3.91/5

Core features

4.38/5

Advanced features

4.25/5

Integration & compatibility

5/5

UX & usability

4.75/5

Pros

  • Free plan
  • Easy to use and navigate
  • Strong email and task automation
  • Combines CRM marketing and sales
  • Detailed reports

Cons

  • Higher tiers are expensive
  • No 24/7 support on lower tiers
  • Free plan limits email sends, contact storage

Why we chose HubSpot Sales Hub

HubSpot takes the top spot because of its pricing, user experience, and integration capabilities, all while offering plenty of advanced features. HubSpot’s free plan is one of the most generous in the market, including tools like contact management, email tracking, and automation, features that go beyond what Bitrix24 offers in its free version.

HubSpot scores a remarkable 95.83/100 for pricing—no easy feat. It achieves this by offering a transparent, value-for-money approach, and offering both a 30-day free trial and a free tier, unlike competitors like Salesforce, one of HubSpot’s closest competitors, which becomes expensive quickly for small businesses​.

With a score of 95/100 in user experience, HubSpot boasts a truly intuitive design, accessibility, and mild learning curve. This makes it a better fit than platforms like Salesforce, which are often too complex for smaller teams. HubSpot is also highly scalable, scoring high on customizability and mobile accessibility, so you can start small and grow without switching platforms. And it delivers many of the tools you need right out of the box.

In September 2024, the platform added 95 new apps and 35 app updates, including major integrations with Adobe Express for content creation and Amplitude for advanced customer insights, making it a much more flexible and integrated solution than Zoho or Keap, which offer fewer integrations. HubSpot’s App Marketplace now has over 1,700 apps, further enhancing its ability to connect seamlessly with your existing tools​.

Further bolstering HubSpot’s Advanced Features score of 85/100 is its other recent updates, including advanced AI tools like Fathom AI Notetaker, which automatically syncs meeting summaries with contacts and deals, and expanded CPQ functionalities through the PandaDoc integration. 

While HubSpot’s advanced features can become costly, especially as your business scales, it still offers better value compared to Salesforce, which, though powerful, can overwhelm small teams with its complexity and higher costs. For smaller businesses, Zoho and Apptivo may be more affordable, but they lack the depth of automation and integrations that HubSpot provides​.

Sales activity tracking: Offers a real-time view and analysis of sales pipeline activities on a visual dashboard.

Contact management: Automatically enriches and manages contact records with integrated data from various sources.

Deal pipeline management: Provides tools for organizing, tracking, and customizing sales deals within a visual pipeline.

Email integration and tracking: Seamlessly integrates with email platforms for tracking and managing sales-related communications.

Automation and reporting: Features automated workflows for sales processes and a dashboard for tracking sales performance metrics.

Lead generation tools: Includes tools for creating forms, managing ads, and email marketing to capture and nurture leads.

14-day free trial available

Free plan available

Paid plan starting at $45/user/month

Monday CRM logo.

monday CRM: Best for project management integration

Overall Score

4.48/5

Pricing

4.17/5

General features & interface

3.75/5

Core features

5/5

Advanced features

4.75/5

Integration & compatibility

4.58/5

UX & usability

4.5/5

Pros

  • Highly customizable dashboards
  • Strong automation
  • Visual pipeline management
  • Internal communication, project management, CRM in one platform
  • Extensive integrations

Cons

  • Lacks advanced CRM features compared to competitors
  • Many features only available as add-ons

Why we chose monday CRM

A key design choice is its highly visual and intuitive interface, which significantly reduces the learning curve for new users and increases adoption rates. The platform’s use of a customizable and color-coded Kanban-style board for managing sales pipelines allows users to easily track progress and prioritize tasks, improving overall productivity. 

The integration of drag-and-drop functionality in these boards simplifies task management and adds a level of engagement and interactivity, which users find appealing and easy to navigate. monday CRM’s emphasis on customization enables users to tailor the platform to their specific needs, a feature that resonates well with businesses looking for flexibility in their CRM solutions.

In terms of adoption and market share, monday.com, the platform that includes monday CRM, has seen rapid growth, with millions of users globally, showcasing its increasing popularity and trust among businesses. Feature-wise, monday CRM offers a broad range of functionalities, often exceeding those of its competitors, particularly in customization and integration capabilities. The platform’s user interface is frequently praised for its intuitiveness and ease of use, a critical factor in user adoption and satisfaction. 

Additionally, monday CRM boasts a high retention rate, suggesting that once businesses adopt the platform, they are likely to continue using it, which is a testament to its effectiveness and reliability.

Customizable workflows: Tailor workflows to fit specific business processes, enhancing customer interaction management.

Visual timeline view: Offers a clear visual representation of project deadlines and customer journeys for better task management.

Integrative forms: Create custom forms for websites to collect leads and customer information directly into the CRM.

Advanced automation recipes: Streamline repetitive tasks with automation recipes for notifications and follow-ups.

Time tracking: Monitor time spent on tasks and projects for improved resource allocation.

Analytics and reporting: Access customizable reports and dashboards to gain insights into sales performance and productivity.

Free trial available

Basic CRM: $12/user/month

Standard CRM: $14/user/month

Pro CRM $24/user/month

Enterprise CRM: Custom

Pipedrive logo.

Pipedrive: Best for sales pipeline management

Overall Score

4.45/5

Pricing

3.33/5

General features & interface

3.91/5

Core features

5/5

Advanced features

4.75/5

Integration & compatibility

5/5

UX & usability

4.75/5

Pros

  • Customizable visual sales pipelines
  • LeadBooster add-on for AI-driven lead generation available
  • Comprehensive mobile app
  • Detailed reporting and analytics

Cons

  • Add-ons are costly
  • No native social media integration

Why we chose Pipedrive

Pipedrive is the best solution if you’re looking for a customer database tool tailored to sales pipeline management.

The platform’s drag-and-drop sales pipeline makes it easy for you to manage deals at every stage, offering a level of customization and simplicity unmatched by competitors like even HubSpot Sales Hub, which is known for its ease of use. Pipedrive earned a perfect 100/100 in core features such as contact and deal management, automation, and reporting, so you know your sales process will be efficient at every price tier.

One of the recent enhancements that makes Pipedrive even more powerful is its automation updates

Now, you can set up date triggers to automatically execute tasks before, on, or after specific dates, such as sending follow-up emails or scheduling calls after a demo. The introduction of webhook actions allows for seamless integration with external apps, letting you automate the flow of data across platforms​. 

In contrast, Freshsales, while strong in basic automation, focuses more on AI-powered insights (via Freddy AI) for deal predictions and lead scoring, which helps in lead management but lacks the flexibility in workflow automation that Pipedrive offers. Freshsales also limits certain automation capabilities to higher-priced plans, making it less accessible for users on lower-tier plans. 

Additionally, Pipedrive introduced a Business Card Scanner for Android, allowing you to instantly convert physical business cards into digital contacts. This tool is particularly useful for sales teams that regularly interact with leads in person, providing a level of convenience not found in many other platforms​.

Pipedrive’s data security measures are another key reason for its top ranking. With the launch of its Trust Center, Pipedrive now offers enhanced data security measures, including ISO/IEC 27001 certification, SOC 3 compliance, and tools like single sign-on (SSO) and two-factor authentication (2FA) to ensure your data remains protected​.

Finally, Pipedrive provides solid value starting at $14 per user per month. It scored 75/100 for value for money, making it a strong option for businesses seeking sales management tools without breaking the bank. However, some advanced features, like LeadBooster and Smart Docs, are available only as paid add-ons, which could increase the cost for smaller teams​. 

App integration: Pipedrive allows salespeople to easily integrate useful applications into the CRM platform in a very cohesive and straightforward way. This feature offers full app support and makes it simple to grow your CRM and customize it with apps that add to the functionality that PipeDrive already offers.  

Advanced sales reporting: Pipedrive provides updatable analytics that team members can easily track over time. This data can help inform them on prospect activity and forecast future activity that will make it easier to deliver on the needs of these potential customers.

Visual sales pipeline: Provides a clear, drag-and-drop interface for tracking and managing sales processes and deals.

Customizable pipeline: Allows for the creation of custom stages and fields to match specific sales cycles and business needs.

Team collaboration: Facilitates collaboration among team members on deals and activities, with shared updates on sales operations.

Automated alerts and follow-ups: Enhances productivity by automating routine tasks and providing reminders for important sales actions.

14-day free trial available

Essential: $24/user/month

Advanced: $44/user/month

Professional: $64/user/month

Power: $79/user/month

Enterprise: $129/user/month

Zoho CRM logo.

Zoho CRM: Best for affordability

Overall Score

4.37/5

Pricing

3.33/5

General features & interface

3.75/5

Core features

4.79/5

Advanced features

5/5

Integration & compatibility

5/5

UX & usability

4.5/5

Pros

  • Flexible customization for SMBs
  • Zia AI assistance
  • In-house suite integration
  • Blueprint tool for mapping and automating

Cons

  • Advanced features hidden behind paywalls
  • Limited phone support at lower plans

Why we chose Zoho

Zoho offers unique advantages over its closest competitors like Salesforce and HubSpot. One of the first things that stands out is Zoho’s pricing model. Unlike Salesforce, which ties businesses into long-term contracts and adds expenses through costly upgrades, Zoho provides flexibility, including a free plan and affordable pricing tiers with bulk discounts. This makes Zoho a better fit for budget-conscious needs while also allowing room for future scaling without heavy financial commitments.

Beyond pricing, the general features and interface of Zoho feels more user-friendly compared to competitors. Zoho is fully cloud-based, with a mobile app that makes it easy to manage customer relationships on the go. Many users report that Salesforce can feel overwhelming with its complex interface. Zoho strikes a balance by offering strong customization without sacrificing ease of use. It also provides extensive training resources to ensure users get the most out of its features, which helps ease transition to the platform.

Automation capabilities like lead scoring, which are simple to set up and manage, help streamline workflows. Salesforce and HubSpot offer similar tools, but Zoho’s integration of real-time data enrichment at no extra cost gives it an edge.

The advanced features Zoho offers, especially its AI assistant Zia, offer predictive analytics and customizable automation. While other platforms like Salesforce also boast AI capabilities, Zoho provides similar, if not superior, tools at a more accessible price point. The platform’s flexibility in automating workflows, managing follow-ups, and supporting internal collaboration allows you to optimize team efficiency across the board.

Integration is another significant advantage. Zoho’s ecosystem is tightly integrated, not only with its own suite of apps like Zoho Books and Zoho Desk but also with other popular business tools such as Mailchimp and QuickBooks. The platform’s API is highly customizable, which allows you to tailor it precisely to our existing workflows. In contrast, competitors like Salesforce require more investment and sometimes additional third-party tools to achieve the same level of seamless integration.

Zoho’s design also makes it easy to get started. Its learning curve is mild compared to more complex platforms like Salesforce, and it provides plenty of customization options so you can adapt the system to your business needs. Though its mobile app isn’t as feature-rich as the desktop version, the platform’s overall accessibility and responsiveness still made daily tasks much easier to manage.

Recent updates like the ability to add multiple records to subforms and perform root-cause analysis in the VoC module are exactly the kinds of time-saving tools many businesses are looking for in a modern CRM. Features like these, along with its new document storage powered by WorkDrive, have continued to enhance the platform, keeping it flexible and relevant as you grow.

Customizable data management: Offers tailored fields and workflows to fit unique business needs.

Advanced workflow automation: Blueprint automates processes like lead assignments, streamlining operations.

AI-powered insights: Zia provides predictive analytics and lead scoring for smarter decision-making.

Multi-channel communication: Integrates email, social media, and chat for a unified customer interaction view.

Seamless integration ecosystem: Connects easily with zoho apps and third-party tools.

Comprehensive analytics: Customizable dashboards and reports improve data visibility and performance tracking.

Free trial available

Free plans available for Mail and Projects

Standard: $14/user/month

Professional: $23/user/month

Enterprise: $40/user/month

Ultimate: $52/user/month

Bitrix24 logo.

Bitrix24: Best free plan

Overall Score

4.25/5

Pricing

4.38/5

General features & interface

2.97/5

Core features

4.58/5

Advanced features

5/5

Integration & compatibility

4.17/5

UX & usability

4.5/5

Pros

  • Built-in chat, email, video capabilities
  • Comprehensive free plan
  • Social collaboration features
  • Advanced project management
  • Strong lead management automation

Cons

  • Limited mobile app
  • Not intuitive

Why we chose Bitrix24

We chose Bitrix24 for its extensive, user-friendly free plan that’s perfect for small teams needing a powerful yet approachable customer database solution. With Bitrix24, you get nearly all the essential CRM features right out of the box—lead and contact management, task automation, and workflow organization—without needing a paid plan. 

Bitrix24’s all-in-one platform makes it easy to keep everything in one place, from project management to collaboration tools, meaning you and your team can handle customer relationships, projects, and internal communication seamlessly within a single dashboard. Key sections, like the Activity Stream and the CRM tab, provide an intuitive experience, helping you quickly manage contacts, add notes, and collaborate without needing extensive training or technical expertise.

Compared to alternatives like Zoho and Salesforce, Bitrix24 offers an integrated approach that’s particularly appealing for non-technical users or teams looking for an efficient, user-friendly experience. 

Unlike other free CRMs, Bitrix24’s latest updates, such as task automation with sequential assignments and enhanced BI tools for visualizing key data on deals and leads, bring capabilities often found only in paid plans of competitors. For small businesses or teams that prioritize cost-effective solutions with robust capabilities, Bitrix24’s free plan provides advanced functionality and flexibility unmatched by most 

Drawbacks include a lag in customer support responsiveness and scalability for some advanced business needs.

Sales process visualization: Bitrix24 uses a Kanban-style board for visualizing the sales process, allowing users to track deal stages and responsible personnel.

Comprehensive deal cards: Each deal in Bitrix24 includes a detailed card containing messages, emails, call records, and specific details about each stage of customer interaction.

Duplicate deal analysis: The system analyzes cases and deals, offering options to merge duplicates or handle them manually for better deal management.

Integrated communication channels: Bitrix24 supports integration with website chats, ensuring all customer messages are centralized within the CRM system.

Sales process automation: The platform automates sales-related tasks like email sending and advertisement display, using customizable templates and settings.

Advanced reporting and analytics: Bitrix24 provides reports and analytics tools to improve sales department performance and identify areas for improvement.

Free trial available 

Free plan available

Free Plan: Supports unlimited users

Basic: $49 per month/5 users 

Standard: $99 per month/50 users

Professional: $199/ month/100 users

Enterprise: $399/month (supporting 250 users) and $499 per month for larger enterprises

Zendesk Sell logo.

Zendesk Sell: Best for sales and customer support integration

Overall Score

4.21/5

Pricing

2.92/5

General features & interface

3.28/5

Core features

4.79/5

Advanced features

5/5

Integration & compatibility

4.58/5

UX & usability

4.5/5

Pros

  • Seamless integration with Zendesk Support
  • Full-featured mobile app
  • Highly customizable sales pipelines
  • Stores all emails, texts, and calls within each deal

Cons

  • Does not auto-fill prospect details based on emails or domains
  • Limited conversation history access

Why we chose Zendesk Sell

If your business relies heavily on both sales and customer support, Zendesk Sell offers a unique advantage by integrating these functions into one seamless experience. It combines ease of use, strong automation, and mobile functionality, making it an ideal choice for teams that want to improve both sales processes and customer support efficiency.

This integration is perfect for businesses that want their sales teams to have full visibility into support issues, enabling better collaboration and smoother transitions between departments. While HubSpot Sales Hub is an all-in-one CRM, Zendesk Sell focuses on giving your sales reps access to detailed support information, allowing for more informed sales strategies and better customer relationships​.

Zendesk Sell centralizes communication by storing all emails, calls, and texts related to a deal in one place. This is something Pipedrive doesn’t offer to the same extent in terms of integrating multi-channel support directly with sales functions. Additionally, Zendesk Sell’s automation features let you set up tasks and reminders automatically, and recent updates such as omnichannel routing with custom queues and round robin assignment further improve efficiency for teams managing both sales and support inquiries​.

Zendesk Sell also boasts a strong mobile app. This is a key feature for teams needing to stay connected, a feature that competitors like Zoho and monday CRM offer but not with the same depth of integration with customer support tools​.

In October 2024, Zendesk rolled out automated redaction of sensitive information and ticket merging suggestions improve operational security and reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity for agents.

While Salesforce Sales Cloud is more customizable for large enterprises, Zendesk Sell is better suited for teams that require affordability and strong integration between sales and customer service. At $19 per user per month, Zendesk Sell offers good value, although it scored 50/100 for value for money because some of its more advanced features, like lead scoring and AI analytics, are locked behind higher-tier plans​. 

If affordability is your main concern in choosing a customer information database software, Bitrix24 or HubSpot Sales Hub offer feature-rich free plans. However, remember they lack the advanced support integration of Zendesk Sell.

Contact database management: Zendesk Sell provides a centralized system to store and manage contact details including names, emails, phone numbers, and social media profiles.

Data analysis and segmentation: The software allows for tagging and categorizing contacts based on demographics, enabling targeted customer interactions.

Lead management: It captures, tracks, and scores leads as they enter the sales pipeline, reducing the chances of missed opportunities.

Prospecting tools: Zendesk Sell automates repetitive tasks associated with prospecting, such as qualifying prospects and scheduling meetings.

Integration capabilities: The platform offers seamless integration with various business and sales applications, enhancing its utility.

Automated customer profile generation: Leveraging AI, the software automates the creation of customer profiles and data analysis, saving time for sales teams.

14-day free trial available

Team: $19 per agent/month (annual subscription), $25 per agent/month (monthly subscription)

Growth: $55 per agent/month (annual subscription), $69 per agent/month (monthly subscription)

Professional: $115 per agent/month (annual subscription), $149 per agent/month (monthly subscription)

Enterprise: Starting at $169 per user/month (annual subscription), $219 per user/month (monthly subscription)

Apptivo logo.

Apptivo: Best for small businesses

Overall Score

4.2/5

Pricing

3.72/5

General features & interface

4.1/5

Core features

4.75/5

Advanced features

3.5/5

Integration & compatibility

4/5

UX & usability

4.4/5

Pros

  • Custom modules and fields
  • Integrated email campaigns
  • Multi-business management
  • Low-cost, comprehensive platform

Cons

  • Limited advanced automation
  • Basic reporting tools

Why we chose Apptivo

Apptivo was an obvious pick because of its advanced lead tracking and management capabilities. Most of these features are quite simple and function intuitively to keep your team moving instead of spending hours a day working through a clunky, outdated user interface.

Apptivo’s product design and user experience (UX) are strategically crafted to cater to the diverse needs of its users, particularly small to medium-sized businesses. One of the key design choices is the highly customizable dashboard, which allows users to tailor the interface according to their specific business processes and priorities.

This flexibility in customization has been reported by users to significantly enhance productivity, as it enables them to access the most relevant information quickly. Another notable aspect is the intuitive navigation and coherent layout of the platform, which reduces the learning curve for new users, a feature often appreciated in user feedback.

Apptivo also integrates a consistent color scheme and visual elements across its various modules, contributing to a seamless user experience and reducing visual clutter, which can be overwhelming in complex CRM systems. The mobile responsiveness of Apptivo is another design choice that positively impacts users, offering them the convenience of managing their customer relationships on the go.

While not the largest player, the software shows a steady growth trajectory, particularly in the small to medium business segment, suggesting increasing adoption and trust among this crucial demographic. Feature-wise, Apptivo offers over 50 integrated business apps, which is significantly higher than some competitors who offer around 30-40 apps, providing a more comprehensive solution. Its customization capabilities also score high, offering more flexibility compared to some rivals that have more rigid systems.

Customizable CRM apps: Fully customizable modules to adapt workflows and data fields for unique business needs.

Multi-business functionality: Manage multiple entities from a single platform, ideal for companies with multiple brands.

Integrated email marketing: Built-in tools for launching and tracking email campaigns directly within the CRM.

Granular permissions: Detailed role-based access for fine-tuned user permissions across various modules.

Advanced invoicing: Combines CRM with invoicing and payment tracking for streamlined financial management.

Flexible API integrations: Seamlessly integrates with third-party apps like PayPal, Slack, and G Suite.

30-day free trial available

Lite: $10/month

Premium: $15/month

Ultimate: $25/month

Enterprise: Custom

Salesforce logo.

Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best for enterprises

Overall Score

4.16/5

Pricing

2.71/5

General features & interface

3.44/5

Core features

5/5

Advanced features

4.5/5

Integration & compatibility

4.58/5

UX & usability

4.5/5

Pros

  • Strong community and support
  • Highly customizable
  • Einstein AI for predictive analytics
  • Large app marketplace (AppExchange)
  • Integration with other Salesforce clouds

Cons

  • Cost prohibitive for smaller businesses
  • Customization requires expertise

Why we chose Salesforce Sales Cloud

We chose Salesforce Sales Cloud as the best customer database solution for enterprises due to its unmatched scalability, advanced AI tools, and customization options. Salesforce’s Einstein AI provides predictive lead scoring and analytics, giving sales teams real-time insights into customer behavior and opportunities—features that competitors like HubSpot Sales Hub and Pipedrive lack at this level. While HubSpot offers AI capabilities, its depth in predictive analytics falls short compared to Einstein, which can forecast trends and automate next steps for enterprise teams​.

Another key strength of Salesforce is its customizability. You can tailor every aspect of the system— from custom objects to workflow automations— to match your business needs. Freshsales, by contrast, offers fewer customization options and primarily focuses on lead management and basic sales automation, making it better suited for small to mid-sized teams. Pipedrive, although excelling in pipeline management, lacks Salesforce’s ability to handle more complex workflows, multi-channel communication, and AI-powered automation, which are critical for large enterprises​.

When compared to Zendesk Sell, which integrates well with customer support, Salesforce’s strength lies in its multi-department integration across sales, marketing, and service through tools like Service Cloud and Marketing Cloud. This provides a seamless experience across the entire customer journey, whereas Zendesk Sell is more specialized in support-focused workflows​.

Recent updates to Salesforce further solidify its enterprise readiness, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement and enhanced data security features like content sniffing protection and session ID flow protection, ensuring top-tier security for large organizations handling sensitive customer data​. Salesforce’s extensive AppExchange also provides access to thousands of third-party tools, far outpacing Zoho and Bitrix24, which offer fewer integrations​. This makes Salesforce the go-to choice for enterprises needing a highly customizable, scalable, and secure CRM solution.

Although Salesforce Sales Cloud scored 100/100 for features like contact and account management, reporting, and AI analytics, its complex pricing structure (scoring 54.17 for pricing) and steep learning curve might make it challenging for smaller teams without dedicated admin support​. 

However, for enterprises looking for a solution that can scale and evolve with their growth, Salesforce is the top choice. Additionally, recent updates such as enhanced multi-factor authentication (MFA) and content sniffing protection reinforce Salesforce’s commitment to enterprise-level security.

Einstein AI predictive analytics: Automatically captures data and offers lead conversion insights based on predictive analytics.

AppExchange ecosystem: Access thousands of third-party apps to enhance CRM functionality.

Custom objects and fields: Fully customizable CRM with custom objects, workflows, and fields tailored to specific business needs.

Salesforce cloud integration: Integrates with Marketing and Service Clouds for a unified view of customer interactions.

Einstein lead scoring: Automatically scores leads to help prioritize those most likely to convert.

Process builder and flow: Automates complex sales workflows using custom triggers for advanced processes.

Free trial available

Essentials: $25/user/month

Professional: $75/user/month

Enterprise: $150/user/month

Unlimited: $300/user/month

*All plans billed annually

Keap logo.

Keap: Best for marketing automation

Overall Score

4.1/5

Pricing

3.13/5

General features & interface

3.13/5

Core features

4.58/5

Advanced features

5/5

Integration & compatibility

5/5

UX & usability

3.75/5

Pros

  • Combines CRM, email marketing, e-commerce
  • Customizable automation for lead nurturing, follow-ups, email campaigns
  • Built-in appointment scheduling
  • Landing page builder

Cons

  • Higher price point
  • Limited integrations compared to competitors

Why we chose Keap

Keap is included in our list due its ability to function as an interdepartmental collaboration tool. Multiple people can access accounts simultaneously cutting back on locked pages that keep your staff from being as productive as possible. For example, if your sales and marketing team both work out of the same database solution, Keap might be the right choice for you.

Keap CRM’s product design and user experience (UX) are thoughtfully engineered to streamline and simplify the complexities of customer relationship management, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs. A standout feature in Keap’s design is its clean and intuitive interface, which significantly reduces the learning curve for new users, a benefit frequently highlighted in user testimonials. The dashboard is meticulously organized, presenting a clear overview of sales pipelines, upcoming tasks, and client communications, which effectively aids users in managing their day-to-day operations more efficiently.

Keap’s decision to integrate email marketing and automation tools directly within the CRM platform is another critical design choice, enabling users to execute marketing campaigns without the need for additional software. This integration has been reported to save time and enhance productivity, as users can manage contacts and campaigns in one place. Additionally, Keap’s mobile app design mirrors the simplicity and functionality of its desktop version, offering users the flexibility to manage customer relationships on the go.

In customer satisfaction scores, Keap often achieves ratings above 4 out of 5, reflecting strong user approval, particularly for its user-friendly interface and robust automation features. Market penetration data shows Keap as a favored choice among small businesses and entrepreneurs, attributed to its targeted features and pricing structure, which is competitively lower or on par with similar-tier competitors.

The software offers a comprehensive range of functionalities including advanced automation, email marketing, and e-commerce integration, which, in user reviews, often surpasses the offerings of some competitors who may lack in one or more of these areas. The software’s email deliverability rates are also commendable, frequently outperforming industry averages, a critical factor for businesses relying on email marketing. Additionally, Keap’s reported uptime exceeds 99%, ensuring reliable access for users, a crucial aspect where it often matches or exceeds competitor standards.

Unified CRM and sales pipeline: Integrates CRM, sales, and task management to track customer interactions and deals in one place.

Automated marketing: Provides customizable workflows for lead nurturing and client follow-ups.

Invoicing and payment tracking: Manages client payments and invoices directly within the platform.

SMS marketing: Sends automated SMS messages for campaigns and reminders, enhancing engagement.

Advanced segmentation: Allows detailed customer segmentation with custom fields and tags.

Lead source tracking: Tracks lead origins for better marketing channel optimization.

14-day free trial available

Basic: $10/month

Standard: $14/month

Pro: $27/month

Enterprise: Custom

Freshsales logo.

Freshsales: Best for ease of use

Overall Score

4.46/5

Pricing

4.58/5

General features & interface

3.75/5

Core features

5/5

Advanced features

5/5

Integration & compatibility

4.17/5

UX & usability

4.25/5

Pros

  • AI-driven insights
  • Multi-channel communication
  • Native phone system
  • Customizable sales pipeline
  • Affordable pricing

Cons

  • Limited integrations
  • Lack of advanced reporting

Why we chose Freshsales

Frehsales offers an intuitive interface and streamlined onboarding process compared to competitors like HubSpot and Zoho CRM. Freshsales consistently excels in interface design and usability, offering an easily navigable, visually clean dashboard, scoring 100 for both ease of use and interface design. This lowers the learning curve significantly for new users, while @mentions in notes and AI-driven sales battle cards streamline collaboration, which is a step ahead of Zoho CRM’s more complex customization tools.

In contrast to Salesforce’s often overwhelming setup, Freshsales offers more customizability (scoring 100) with simplified automation and a user-friendly customization process for sales pipelines, contacts, and reports. For businesses prioritizing smooth integration and ease of management, Freshsales’ recent LinkedIn Marketing Forms integration and upgraded contact data import functionality enhance lead management without overwhelming technicalities.

Additionally, Freshsales leads in affordability (with a score of 100 in value for money) and support for small teams by offering flexible pricing plans and an accessible free trial—an area where HubSpot lags with more restrictive pricing for full-feature access. Freshsales also benefits from API improvements for faster access and responsiveness, setting it apart from competitors who may face slower response times for API requests, particularly under high data loads. These updates, combined with Freshsales’ superior speed and responsiveness (100), make it a clear choice for businesses that value both performance and simplicity.

Freddy AI: Offers real-time insights, predictive analytics, and contextual battle cards to optimize sales efforts.

360° customer view: Integrates communication data from multiple channels into a single, comprehensive profile for better customer management.

Multi-channel communication: Centralizes email, phone, WhatsApp, and social media communication, streamlining customer interactions.

LinkedIn integration: Automatically imports leads from LinkedIn Marketing Forms, simplifying lead management.

Advanced workflow automation: Automates key tasks such as email campaigns and lead assignment, enhancing productivity.

Customizable pipelines: Provides flexible sales pipelines that can be tailored to fit unique business processes.

21-day free trial available

Growth $15/user/month – billed annually ; $18/user/month billed monthly

Pro $39/user/month – billed annually ; $47/user/month – billed monthly

Enterprise $69/user/month – billed annually ; $83/user/month – billed monthly

Choosing the best customer database software solution

Methodology

At TechnologyAdvice, we use a rigorous process to evaluate customer database solutions. This includes in-depth research, product analysis, competitor reviews, and hands-on testing. Our goal is to prioritize software that delivers high value in terms of features, ease of use, and customer satisfaction. Below are the key categories we use to assess client database software:

We look at the cost structure, including any setup fees, subscription tiers, and extra costs for advanced features. Solutions that offer transparent, scalable pricing models that suit businesses of all sizes score higher. We also assess how well the features align with the price, emphasizing cost-effectiveness. For customer database software, affordable options with essential features for small businesses often rank well, while premium platforms offering advanced tools for larger organizations are evaluated for value relative to cost.

This category focuses on the overall usability and design of the software. We examine how easily users can navigate the interface, set up tools, and access essential customer data. Customer database software with an intuitive interface that caters to all user levels—whether novice or experienced—scores higher. Simplicity in contact management, lead tracking, and data entry are important aspects. A well-designed user interface that minimizes the learning curve for new users and provides quick access to critical features is a key consideration in this evaluation.

Core features include contact management, data entry, and the ability to organize and analyze customer information. We assess how well the customer database software helps businesses store and retrieve customer data, track interactions, and generate reports. Effective tools for managing contact information, maintaining purchase histories, and storing customer preferences are vital for scoring. The stronger the software’s ability to handle essential customer management tasks with minimal effort, the better it performs in this category.

Advanced features include analytics, automation, and customization options. We evaluate software that offers AI-powered insights, advanced segmentation, and automation tools for customer outreach and data management. Software that enables businesses to create customized workflows, analyze customer behavior trends, and integrate advanced reporting options ranks higher. These specialized tools provide businesses with deeper insights into their customer data, improving decision-making and enhancing customer engagement strategies.

We evaluate how easy the software is to use, focusing on navigation, task completion, and data retrieval. Software that delivers a smooth and efficient experience for users across different roles—whether sales teams, marketers, or managers—earns higher marks. The less friction users encounter when accessing or managing data, the better the overall experience, which influences long-term satisfaction and productivity.

We assess how easily the software connects with marketing automation systems, email platforms, accounting software, and other critical business tools. Strong integration capabilities with minimal data synchronization issues lead to higher scores. Compatibility with a range of third-party applications and seamless data sharing across platforms is vital for businesses looking to streamline their operations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The best customer database software varies by need, but top options include HubSpot CRM, monday CRM, and Pipedrive, which score highly in various categories such as pricing, advanced features, and user experience.

You can create a customer database by using tools like Excel for manual entry or CRM software like Zoho CRM or HubSpot to automatically capture, organize, and store customer information​.

Yes, free CRM options like HubSpot, Zoho’s Bigin, and Bitrix24 are popular choices for small businesses, offering essential features like contact management and sales tracking at no cost​.

CRM refers to the software used to manage customer relationships, while customer data is the information collected about individuals, such as their contact details and behaviors, which the CRM organizes and uses​.