Customer engagement software gives marketing, sales, and support teams a shared view of customer activity across channels. Instead of piecing together email, call, chat, campaign, and service data, teams can see what has already happened, determine the next action, and maintain continuity as customers move between departments.
I reviewed dozens of customer engagement tools based on channel coverage, personalization, automation, AI capabilities, analytics, integrations, usability, and value. I narrowed the field to eight products, with HubSpot Smart CRM leading overall for its connected customer data and cross-team workflows. However, the right customer engagement platform depends on whether your priority is inbound marketing, AI-assisted insights, omnichannel service, sales follow-up, or enterprise support.
Provider | Best for | Starting price per month* |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Smart CRM | Inbound marketing | Free or $7/seat |
| Zoho CRM | AI-powered customer insights | Free or $14/user |
| Freshdesk | Multichannel customer engagement | $19/agent |
| monday CRM | No-code engagement automation | $12/ seat (3-seat minimum) |
| Pipedrive | Pipeline-driven customer engagement | $14/seat |
| Creatio | Automated customer service | $40/user (5-user minimum)** |
| Shape CRM | Industry-specific customer engagement | Custom quote |
| Vivantio | Enterprise customer support | $49/agent |
*All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless otherwise noted.
**Standard contract term is three years.
Overview of the best customer engagement software
| Provider | Omnichannel support | Native AI chatbot | Mobile app | My rating out of 5 |
| HubSpot CRM | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 4.61 |
| Zoho CRM | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | 4.58 |
| Freshdesk | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 4.52 |
| monday CRM | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | 4.36 |
| Pipedrive | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 4.33 |
| Creatio | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 4.09 |
| Shape CRM | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 4.04 |
| Vivantio | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | 4.01 |
Why you can trust TechnologyAdvice
To give readers reliable, practical recommendations, the TechnologyAdvice evaluation process follows strict standards for product research, assessment, and provider scoring.
For this guide, I evaluated customer engagement software based on communication channels, customer data management, personalization, automation, AI capabilities, analytics, integrations, usability, pricing, and customer support. My methodology also included reviewing product documentation and analyzing feedback from verified users.
Furthermore, I leverage the following work experiences when carrying out software reviews:
- Over 14 years of editorial research and writing
- Over eight years of writing expert reviews about sales and business technologies
- Over two years in insurance sales and team management
- Almost two years in sales territory management
Bianca Caballero
Sales and Customer Service Expert at TechnologyAdvice
Methodology: How I evaluated the top customer engagement software
To identify the best customer engagement software, I assessed a curated list of leading providers based on pricing, engagement features, usability, support, integrations, and verified user feedback. I scored each provider using the following criteria:
- Key features (30%): I evaluated each platform’s omnichannel communication, customer data management, and personalization capabilities. I also considered automation, AI, reporting and analytics, self-service tools, third-party integrations, and mobile access.
- Pricing (25%): I compared entry costs, billing flexibility, annual or volume discounts, scalability, and overall value. Providers with free plans or free trials received higher scores.
- Ease of use (20%): I assessed setup requirements, interface design, navigation, built-in templates, learning resources, and the expected learning curve. I also reviewed verified user feedback about implementation and everyday usability.
- Customer support (13%): I considered support hours and available channels, including phone, email, and live chat. I also evaluated onboarding assistance and free resources such as demos, webinars, tutorials, and knowledge bases.
- Expert score (12%): I assessed each provider’s feature quality, value, product transparency, and fit for its recommended use case. I also considered the availability of reliable product information and average ratings across reputable review platforms, including G2, Capterra, the Apple App Store, and Google Play.
How do the best customer engagement software compare?
HubSpot Smart CRM: Best for inbound marketing
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Customizable email templates with drag-and-drop email builder
- Offers an AI content generator
Cons
- Huge price jump from Starter to Professional tier
- Limited workflow customization
- Conversation intelligence is locked in with higher tiers
Why I chose HubSpot Smart CRM
HubSpot Smart CRM (via HubSpot Customer Platform) connects lead generation, nurturing, sales follow-up, and customer service around one customer record. When a prospect submits a form, engages with an email, speaks with sales, or contacts support, each team can see that history and continue the conversation without losing context. This connected approach also makes HubSpot Smart CRM one of the best CRM apps for engaging customers throughout their lifecycle.
The main tradeoff is that the Customer Platform’s advanced automation, reporting, AI, and service capabilities are spread across paid products and higher tiers. Costs can rise as businesses add functionality, users, and marketing contacts. A small team focused on one engagement channel may find a specialized tool more economical, but growing organizations can benefit from keeping marketing, sales, and service workflows connected instead of maintaining separate systems and customer records.
About
HubSpot Smart CRM is the shared customer data layer within the HubSpot Customer Platform. It connects HubSpot’s marketing, sales, service, content, data, and revenue products, giving customer-facing teams access to consistent contact records, communication histories, behavioral data, and pipeline activity.
Core capabilities include data enrichment, duplicate management, automated workflows, customizable records, reporting, AI-assisted research, and integrations with more than 2,000 applications. Businesses can start with the CRM and add other HubSpot products as their marketing, sales, and customer service needs expand.
Key features
- Email marketing: Design personalized emails using HubSpot’s customizable templates and drag-and-drop email builder. Automate email sends with simple workflows.
- Conversational bots: Improve live chat efficiency by using bots that create tickets and send visitors to the right knowledge base articles or service reps.
- Content Hub: Deliver value to your customers through relevant and engaging blogs, ebooks, webinars, and videos. Distribute your content via email, landing pages, and social media.
Gallery
HubSpot CRM’s drag-and-drop email builder (Source: HubSpot) 
HubSpot CRM’s chatbot builder for lead qualification (Source: HubSpot) 
HubSpot CRM’s embeddable personalized content (Source: HubSpot)
Pricing
HubSpot Customer Platform plans | Free | Starter | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, billed annually | $0 for 2 users | $7/seat | $1,300 for 6 seats | $4,700 for 8 seats |
| Monthly price, billed monthly | $0 for 2 users | $20/seat | $1,450 for 6 seats | N/A |
Zoho CRM: Best AI-powered customer insights
Pros
- Cost-scalable plans
- Advanced AI insights into email and call intent, sentiment, and emotion
- Dedicated Social Tab for social media engagement
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to advanced and robust features
- AI tools are locked in with higher tiers
- Tier-based limitations for third-party app integrations
Why I chose Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM stands out for AI-powered customer insights because its Zia AI assistant converts customer histories and behavioral data into practical recommendations. Sales teams can identify high-conversion prospects, contact them at a predicted time through the suggested channel, and flag accounts showing signs of churn. This reduces the need to manually review interaction histories before deciding whom to contact and what action to take next.
Zoho CRM becomes less straightforward when teams need its most advanced AI and omnichannel capabilities. Many AI features sit in higher tiers, while broader cross-channel engagement may require Zoho CRM Plus or additional Zoho applications. That can complicate product selection and setup, but the platform’s predictive intelligence, automation, broad ecosystem, and competitive pricing provide growing teams with considerable flexibility.
About
Zoho CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform for managing sales pipelines, customer data, communications, and engagement workflows. It combines contact and deal management with automation, analytics, AI, and connections for email, phone, social media, messaging, and other communication channels.
Its Zia AI assistant supports lead scoring, forecasting, anomaly detection, sentiment analysis, churn prediction, and product recommendations. Zoho CRM also integrates with Zoho’s broader software ecosystem, while Zoho CRM Plus bundles additional marketing, customer service, survey, social media, and engagement tools.
Key features
- Zia AI: Leverage predictive analytics to forecast customer behavior and engagement trends, gauge customer moods from messages, and receive smart suggestions for the best time to reach out.
- Social tab: Engage customers on Facebook and X directly from Zoho CRM’s Social Tab.
- Marketing and sales automation: Automate follow-ups, lead nurturing, and drip campaigns, and use custom workflows to trigger personalized responses to customer interactions.
Gallery
Zoho CRM’s Zia AI contact churn prediction. (Source: Zoho CRM) 
Zoho CRM’s Social Tab keyword tracking stream. (Source: Zoho CRM) 
Zoho CRM sample email workflow for lead nurturing. (Source: Zoho CRM)
Pricing
Zoho CRM plans | Free | Standard | Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, billed annually | $0 for 3 users | $14/user | $23/user | $40/user | $52/user |
| Monthly price, billed monthly | $0 for 3 users | $20/user | $35/user | $50/user | $65/user |
Free trial: 15 days
Freshdesk: Best for multichannel customer engagement
Pros
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Cost-scalable plans with option to include AI tools
- Omnichannel engagement supports multilingual translations
Cons
- Limited customization for workflows and reports
- AI features are not as advanced as competitors like Zoho CRM
- Self-service in lower tiers is limited to the knowledge base
Why I chose Freshdesk
Freshdesk brings digital conversations into one agent workspace via Freshdesk Omni. With this feature, support teams can route inquiries to the right agents while retaining the customer’s previous interactions, reducing inbox switching and the need for customers to repeat information. Ticket automation and self-service resources also help teams manage growing support volumes without handling every request manually.
Freshdesk’s product structure requires careful budgeting because its lowest-priced plans focus primarily on email ticketing. A complete omnichannel setup and advanced Freddy AI capabilities may require Freshdesk Omni, higher tiers, or paid add-ons. For teams prepared for those costs, the platform provides a practical way to consolidate service channels, automate ticket distribution, and give agents clearer customer context.
Also read: Best Customer Service Software
About
Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer service platform for managing support requests, agent workflows, and self-service resources. Its help desk converts incoming inquiries into trackable tickets that teams can categorize, prioritize, assign, and resolve from a shared workspace.
Freshdesk Omni expands that experience across channels such as email, live chat, social messaging, and WhatsApp while preserving customer histories between conversations. The platform also offers workflow automation, knowledge bases, customer portals, community forums, reporting, and Freddy AI capabilities for automated resolutions and agent assistance.
Key features
- Unified inbox: Freshdesk’s unified agent workspace puts all customer history, ticketing, and teams together in a single view, making it easy to prioritize tickets and auto-assign tasks.
- Freddy AI: Leverage intelligent email bots that engage customers 24/7 and deflect the majority of customer requests. Supercharge your support team with smart suggestions, summarizations, automation, insights, and relevant trends.
- Self-service: Empower your customers to find answers to their queries independently through knowledge base articles, branded customer portals, and community forums.
Gallery
Freshdesk’s unified agent workspace for ticket prioritization and task assignment. (Source: Freshdesk) 
Freshdesk’s Freddy AI Agent delivers human-like interactions. (Source: Freshdesk) 
Freshdesk’s knowledge base has metrics like the number of views and helpful or not helpful ratings. (Source: Freshdesk)
Pricing
Freshdesk plans | Growth | Pro | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, billed annually | $19/agent | $55/agent | $89/agent |
| Monthly price, billed monthly | $23/agent | $66/agent | $107/agent |
Free trial: 14 days
monday CRM: Best for no-code engagement automation
Pros
- No built-in ticketing and phone system
- Lacks AI-powered chatbots
- Limited email and marketing automation capabilities
Cons
- User-friendly, no-code, drag-and-drop automation builder
- Multichannel communication log and tracking
- Seamless integration with popular email, CRM, and communication tools
Why I chose monday CRM
With monday CRM, teams can convert customer activity into repeatable actions without writing code. A deal-stage change can trigger a follow-up email, assign the next task, notify a sales representative, or move a new customer into onboarding. This reduces manual coordination, while real-time dashboards help managers spot stalled deals, overdue follow-ups, and gaps in customer engagement.
That flexibility, however, creates some upfront design work. Teams must determine how to structure boards, assign ownership, and configure triggers before automation can produce consistent results. Automation and integration limits also vary by plan, and the three-seat minimum reduces its appeal for solo users. Still, this platform provides substantial control over sales and post-sale engagement workflows for collaborative teams willing to shape the system around their processes.
About
monday CRM is a visual, customizable CRM for managing leads, deals, accounts, communications, and post-sale activities. Teams can configure boards, fields, views, pipelines, and dashboards around their processes without custom development.
The platform includes email synchronization, lead capture, activity tracking, forecasting, workflow automation, reporting, and integrations with more than 200 applications. Automations can send emails and notifications, assign owners, create tasks, update records, and initiate handoffs when predefined conditions are met.
Key features
- No-code workflow automation: Use monday CRM’s no-code automation builder to trigger follow-ups, lead assignments, and status updates based on customer actions.
- Multichannel communication tracking: Log emails, calls, and meetings to get a complete customer interaction history. Integrate monday CRM with popular tools like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and WhatsApp for seamless customer communication.
- Customizable pipelines and dashboards: monday CRM’s drag-and-drop interface lets you design custom pipelines for different customer journeys. It also has real-time dashboards for customer behavior insights, engagement tracking, and response performance.
Gallery
monday CRM’s sample email automation. (Source: monday.com) 
monday CRM client activity tracking. (Source: monday.com) 
monday CRM’s customizable sales pipeline. (Source: monday.com)
Pricing*
| monday CRM plans | Basic | Standard | Pro | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, billed annually | $12/user | $17/user | $28/user | Custom |
| Monthly price, billed monthly | $15/user | $20/user | $33/user | Custom |
*All monday CRM plans have a three-user minimum.
Free trial: 14 days
Pipedrive: Best for sales pipeline-driven customer engagement
Pros
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Customizable chatbots and web forms for automatic lead capture and routing
- AI Sales Assistant identifies engagement patterns and suggests next best actions
Cons
- No built-in marketing automation tools
- Lacks native customer support tools
- Does not have deep customer engagement and sentiment analysis
Why I chose Pipedrive
Pipedrive ties each sales conversation to a visible deal stage and next activity. Reps can see which opportunities need attention, review previous emails and calls, and advance deals as engagement progresses. Automated reminders, email sequences, and stage-based workflows also reduce the likelihood that deals will stall because a follow-up or task was overlooked.
Its sales-first design is less suitable for businesses that need extensive customer service, cross-channel marketing journeys, or broader post-sale engagement in the same system. Lead generation, email campaigns, project delivery, and other capabilities may also require paid add-ons. That said, it’s a great fit for sales-led teams primarily concerned with consistent follow-up and pipeline momentum but don’t want the administrative weight of a broader customer engagement suite.
About
Pipedrive is a cloud-based sales CRM built around visual pipeline management. Its Kanban-style interface organizes deals by stage, allowing representatives to track deal values, activities, communication histories, and next steps from one view.
The platform includes contact and lead management, email synchronization and tracking, workflow automation, sales forecasting, reporting, mobile access, and more than 500 integrations. Its AI Sales Assistant analyzes CRM data to identify priority deals, estimate win probability, summarize deal context, and recommend next actions.
Key features
- Visual sales pipelines: Use the Kanban-style pipeline to track customer interactions and deal progress.
- Email and communication tracking: Pipedrive’s two-way email sync with Gmail and Outlook allows you to automatically log conversations and track email opens for engagement insights.
- AI Sales Assistant: Pipedrive’s AI Sales Assistant analyzes customer interactions, suggests next best actions, identifies engagement patterns, and prioritizes high-value leads.
Gallery
Pipedrive’s visual sales pipeline. (Source: Pipedrive) 
Pipedrive tracks email opens and clicks. (Source: Pipedrive) 
Pipedrive AI Sales Assistant’s performance-based recommendation. (Source: Pipedrive)
Gallery
-
Pipedrive’s visual sales pipeline. (Source: Pipedrive) -
Pipedrive tracks email opens and clicks. (Source: Pipedrive) -
Pipedrive AI Sales Assistant’s performance-based recommendation. (Source: Pipedrive)
Pricing
Pipedrive plans | Lite | Growth | Premium | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, billed annually | $14/user | $39/user | $59/user | $79/user |
| Monthly price, billed monthly | $24/user | $49/user | $79/user | $99/user |
Free trial: 14 days
Creatio: Best for automated customer service
Pros
- Robust sales, marketing, and service features
- Highly customizable interface
- Offers AI-powered customer engagement
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to advanced features and customizations
- Base platform fee is separate from sales, marketing, and service module subscriptions
- Limited third-party app integrations
Why I chose Creatio
Creatio earned its place for automated customer service through its ability to coordinate the entire case lifecycle without custom coding. Teams can classify and route incoming requests, apply SLA targets, trigger escalations, notify customers, and guide agents through each resolution stage. This level of process control is particularly valuable for organizations handling high case volumes or workflows that vary by product, customer segment, or issue type.
Creatio is not a lightweight, plug-and-play help desk. Its composable product structure and extensive configuration options can demand more implementation planning, administrative oversight, and budget than smaller support teams can justify. This is why I recommend it for midsize and enterprise organizations with complex operations. Its no-code customization, AI-assisted workflows, omnichannel case management, and self-service capabilities can replace fragmented tools with a more coordinated process.
About
Creatio is a CRM and workflow automation platform with embedded AI and no-code development tools. Its product suite covers marketing, sales, and customer service. Service Creatio provides case management, omnichannel communication, service-level tracking, knowledge management, contact center workflows, and customer self-service.
With this platform, organizations can configure case lifecycles, routing rules, approval paths, escalations, and customer notifications around their service requirements. Creatio’s AI capabilities also help analyze service data, support agent decisions, recommend actions, and automate repetitive processes.
Key features
- AI-powered ticketing: Creatio’s intelligent case and service management system automates case categorization, routing, and resolution. It also features a self-service portal and knowledge base for faster issue resolution.
- Studio Creatio: Non-technical users can design, build, and develop enterprise-grade apps with no code. You can also create branded user interfaces and customize workflows, integrations, reports, and dashboards.
- Creatio.ai: Creatio’s base platform is powered by a unified AI architecture for sales, marketing, and service. You can view and manage all AI skills from the AI Command Center.
Gallery
Creatio’s AI-native case management system. (Source: Creatio) 
Creatio’s customizable template for UI interface design. (Source: Creatio) 
Creatio’s AI Command Center. (Source: Creatio)
Pricing*
Base Platform
- Growth: $40/user/month (5-user minimum)
- Enterprise: $75/user/month (5-user minimum)
- Unlimited: Custom pricing
Products (included in the Unlimited plan at no extra cost)
- Sales: $15/user/month
- Marketing: $15/user/month
- Service: $15/user/month
*The minimum purchase for new customers is $10,000 per year. The standard contract term is 3 years.
Shape CRM: Best for industry-specific customer engagement
Pros
- Offers industry-specific customization options
- AI-powered lead automation and engagement
- Integrated sales and marketing tools
Cons
- Pricing is not transparent
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Limited third-party integrations
Why I chose Shape CRM
What drew me to Shape CRM was its focus on industry-specific customer engagement. Its configurable workflows, prebuilt marketing resources, communication tools, and customer portals help businesses adapt lead intake, follow-up, document collection, and customer updates to specialized sales cycles. Keeping phone, text, email, marketing, and pipeline activity in one system also reduces the need to connect several separate engagement tools.
Pricing transparency remains a concern. Shape provides tailored quotes, and the final cost can depend on the number of users, selected capabilities, add-ons, and communication usage. This makes it difficult to estimate total expenses before speaking with sales, while its broad functionality may exceed the needs of businesses with simple engagement processes. However, its specialized workflows, integrated communications, and AI-assisted automation can outweigh those drawbacks for teams in Shape’s target industries.
About
Shape CRM is an all-in-one AI CRM for managing sales, marketing, customer communication, and workflow automation. It offers specialized configurations for industries such as mortgage, insurance, solar, debt, and education, along with tools for small businesses.
The platform combines lead management, automated routing, visual pipelines, marketing campaigns, reporting, customer portals, and built-in calling, texting, and email. Its AI capabilities include lead scoring, AI-driven calling and texting, conversation analysis, summaries, and recommended follow-up actions.
Key features
- Industry-specific customizations: Shape CRM offers pre-built workflows, templates, automation, and compliance tools for industries like mortgage, insurance, and debt.
- Shape AI: Leverage AI insights and automation to optimize lead follow-ups, task reminders, and drip campaigns for personalized customer journeys.
- Marketing tools: Shape CRM allows you to run email marketing and drip campaigns, and automate lead scoring and nurturing to prioritize high-value prospects.
Gallery
Shape CRM’s mortgage marketing suite. (Source: Shape) 
Shape CRM’s AI-led call log, summaries, and analysis. (Source: Shape) 
Shape CRM automated email sequences. (Source: Shape)
Pricing
Shape CRM offers three quote-based plans:
- Core: Per-user CRM with lead management, workflow automation, lead routing, integrations, mobile access, drip campaigns, and reporting
- Complete: Includes five users and adds AI calling, AI insights, landing pages, social media tools, CustomUI, a customer portal, and a recruiting database
- Enterprise: Adds volume pricing, advanced permissions, multi-location branching, dedicated onboarding, priority support, and custom integrations
Contact Shape CRM for a custom quote based on your team size and required capabilities.
Vivantio: Best enterprise customer support
Pros
- Advanced service management tools
- Customizable workflows and service level agreement (SLA) management
- Scalable for enterprises
Cons
- Pricing scheme has higher licensing fees for smaller teams
- Complex setup for beginners
- Lacks native sales and marketing automation features
Why I chose Vivantio
Vivantio gives mature service teams more operational control than a basic help desk. Teams can route requests based on the customer, issue, or service entitlement; monitor SLA targets; trigger escalations; and give agents access to account histories and relevant assets during resolution. These controls help larger support operations maintain consistent service as ticket volumes and process complexity increase.
Its depth may be unnecessary for small teams handling straightforward email or chat inquiries. Configuration also requires careful process planning, although dedicated onboarding and no-code administration help reduce the implementation burden. For B2B support teams, MSPs, and organizations managing complex service commitments, Vivantio’s automation, SLA controls, self-service, and reporting provide the structure needed to scale without losing accountability.
Also read: Best Employee Engagement Software
About
Vivantio is a service management platform for IT departments and B2B customer support teams. It combines ITIL-aligned ticketing, incident and request management, workflow automation, SLA tracking, customer records, asset management, reporting, and AI in one configurable system.
The platform also includes self-service portals, knowledge management, service catalogs, no-code routing and approval workflows, and more than 600 integrations. Its AI tools support self-service, summarize tickets, improve routing, detect escalation risks and sentiment, and identify broader service trends.
Key features
- Advanced ITSM: Provide efficient case management with Vivantio’s advanced customer support, enterprise-grade ticketing system, automated case routing, and self-service tools.
- SLA management: Track SLAs and build custom workflows to meet service-level commitments. Leverage AI-based monitoring for proactive issue detection.
- Multi-department service management: Handle diverse customer needs through Vivantio’s multi-department support and ensure secure data management with role-based access controls.
Gallery
Vivantio’s ITSM system. (Source: Vivantio) 
Vivantio’s sample service workflow automation. (Source: Vivantio) 
Vivantio’s enterprise service management solution. (Source: Vivantio)
Pricing
Vivantio costs $49–$99 per agent, per month, billed annually. Every price point includes the complete platform:
- ITSM for incidents, problems, changes, and service requests
- AI tools and no-code workflow automation
- CRM, asset management, and CMDB capabilities
- Self-service portals and knowledge management
- Reporting, dashboards, and live service analytics
- More than 600 integrations and full API access
- Dedicated onboarding and customer success support
The final rate depends on team size and the mix of named, concurrent, or pooled licenses. End users, requesters, and customers using the self-service portal do not require paid licenses. Volume discounts begin at 15 agents, while education and nonprofit discounts may also apply.
Contact Vivantio for an exact quote.
What are the benefits of customer engagement tools?
Good customer engagement can yield several benefits for your business, such as improved customer loyalty and higher retention rates. Leverage your customer engagement platform to its fullest potential to enjoy the following benefits:
Centralized customer interactions
A customer engagement platform streamlines communication by consolidating all customer interactions across multiple channels into a single view. With real-time access to past conversations, support agents and sales teams can respond more efficiently, reducing friction and enhancing the overall customer experience.
This ensures that every interaction is productive and personalized, ultimately strengthening customer relationships.
Improved customer loyalty
A seamless, consistent customer journey leads to increased customer loyalty. Engagement platforms provide businesses with the tools to deliver personalized experiences that keep customers engaged throughout their lifecycle.
Higher customer retention
Companies that excel in customer engagement retain more customers by offering personalized experiences across all touchpoints. By leveraging data from customer interactions, businesses can proactively address concerns and anticipate needs, increasing the likelihood of repeat business.
Competitive advantage
While many companies aim to be customer-centric, only a fraction truly prioritize customer engagement at the core of their business strategy. Implementing an omnichannel engagement platform gives businesses an edge by enhancing responsiveness, streamlining interactions, and delivering consistent value.
Companies that successfully integrate engagement tools into their operations differentiate themselves from competitors and position themselves as industry leaders.
Higher profit margins
Customer engagement isn’t just about communication — it’s a revenue driver. Omnichannel engagement strategies enable smoother customer transitions between platforms. Whether a customer starts browsing on a mobile app, continues on a desktop, or engages through social media, an integrated engagement approach ensures a frictionless experience that fosters loyalty and maximizes revenue opportunities.
How to choose the best customer engagement software
Choosing the best customer engagement software starts with identifying the workflow you need to improve. Many customer engagement tools already exist within CRM, marketing, and service platforms, so review your current technology stack before adding another system.
- Define your primary engagement goal. Decide whether you need to nurture leads, maintain sales follow-ups, coordinate support, improve retention, or manage the entire customer lifecycle. This prevents you from buying a broad customer engagement platform when a focused solution would suffice.
- Match the software to your team and business model. HubSpot Smart CRM suits inbound and cross-functional engagement, while Zoho CRM emphasizes AI-powered insights and Pipedrive focuses on sales pipeline activity. Freshdesk supports multichannel service teams, and Vivantio provides greater control for complex B2B support operations. monday CRM and Creatio emphasize workflow automation, while Shape CRM accommodates specialized industry processes.
- Prioritize the channels your customers use. Confirm support for the channels that matter to your audience, such as email, phone, live chat, social media, messaging, and self-service. Check whether the software preserves conversation history as customers move between marketing, sales, and support.
- Specify your automation, AI, and integration requirements. List the processes you want to automate, such as lead routing, follow-up messages, ticket assignments, escalations, and churn alerts. Confirm that the platform connects with your existing email, productivity, ecommerce, analytics, and communication tools without frequent manual syncing.
- Calculate the total cost of ownership. Look beyond the advertised starting price. Include user or agent licenses, marketing-contact limits, communication charges, AI credits, add-ons, onboarding, implementation, and required upgrades. The lowest-priced plan may not support the use case for which the provider is recommended.
- Validate an end-to-end workflow. During a trial or guided demonstration, follow a customer interaction from the initial inquiry through assignment, response, follow-up, and reporting. Verify that the selected plan supports every step, then assess migration requirements, administrative effort, security, support, and room for growth before committing.
Looking for the latest in CRM solutions? Check out our CRM Software Buyer’s Guide.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between CRM and customer engagement?
CRM software primarily stores customer data and manages sales, marketing, and service processes. Customer engagement software uses that data to coordinate interactions across channels such as email, phone, chat, messaging, and social media. The categories often overlap because many CRM platforms include customer engagement tools.
Do I need customer engagement software if I already have a CRM?
Not necessarily. Your CRM may be sufficient if it supports the channels, automation, personalization, and reporting your teams require. Consider another platform when teams rely on disconnected tools, lose customer context during handoffs, or need capabilities that the CRM cannot provide cost-effectively.
How much does customer engagement software cost?
Customer engagement software ranges from free plans to custom-priced enterprise platforms. Costs typically depend on the number of users or agents, marketing contacts, communication volume, AI usage, integrations, and required add-ons. Compare the cost of the complete workflow you need rather than relying only on the advertised starting price.
What is the best customer engagement software?
HubSpot Smart CRM is my top overall choice because the HubSpot Customer Platform connects marketing, sales, and service interactions around shared customer data. Zoho CRM is better for AI-powered insights, Freshdesk suits multichannel customer service, and Vivantio provides more structure for complex B2B support operations. The best option depends on your primary workflow, existing technology stack, team size, and budget.