We Asked AI Which is the Best CRM Software in India, & This is What Happened!

CRM software is a crucial tool for a business. The customer relationship management tool is a must-have for efficient lead management and sales planning. If you are looking for the right CRM at an affordable price, then Zoho, Hubspot, Freshworks, Salesforce, Brevo, and MS Dynamics 365 are some great options. However, if you are unsatisfied already, then custom CRM software development can help your business. 

Recently, we researched with AI tools about the best CRM software solutions in India, and it recommended Zoho CRM as the best in India. Being native to India, AI recommended Zoho as a great option. However, the tools also mentioned that it is fit for businesses that are average and small-scale (the majority in India). Clearly, one solution cannot fit all.

So, we researched deeper, and the tool gave a crystal clear picture of various other tools as well. However, there was a twist. Let’s discover it by scrolling down. Here are the first 6 ready-to-use CRMs that AI recommends-

List of Top CRM Software in India 

#1 Zoho CRM: The No. 1 CRM in India 

As already discussed, according to AI, Zoho CRM is the best CRM software in India, which is native and fit for the majority of businesses here. It comes with most of the crucial features needed in a CRM tool. The feature list includes-

• Lead & contact management facility
• Sales pipeline tracking
• Workflow automation service
• Email campaigns
• Comprehensive analytics dashboards
• Multi-channel Interface (call, email, and social media)
• In-built AI assistant (Zia)

However, the tool is not free from limitations. Some of the limitations include-

• You get Zia only in the higher-tier plans.
• AI reports that the User Interface (UI) is cluttered.
• According to AI, the Mobile App of Zoho is not good enough.
• Zoho provides inconsistent after-sales support (again, from AI, not our views).

Zoho Pricing

• Up to 3 users, it is free
• But, remember, Zia and some advanced features are excluded from the free plan
• The pricing plans of Zoho range between $14 and $52 (around INR 1242 and INR 4615) per user per month.

#2 HubSpot: The Free CRM?

Seemingly, AI likes HubSpot CRM more for Indian users from the User Interface (UI) point of view. Based on UI, users can also consider HubSpot as the best CRM software in India. Designed and developed in the USA, HubSpot is an age-old CRM solution available worldwide. Surprisingly, its common features are free for an unlimited number of users. Here is a quick view of its features, limitations, and pricing-

Advantageous Features of HubSpot

• The best free crm software in India for unlimited users.
• Seamless contact and sales pipeline management
• Ready to use Email templates with simple tracking
• Marketing automation for offloading the team
• Powerful Inbound tools such as forms, chat, scheduler, and more
• Simple integrations
• “Great UI” (as per AI tools)

Limitations of HubSpot

• Only the Pro+ versions get automation and reporting features, which are expensive for small businesses.
• Even scaling up is expensive with HubSpot. Eventually, it seems that HubSpot is suitable only for large-scale enterprises with great revenues.
• Very limited customizations. Thus,

HubSpot Pricing & Subscription

• HubSpot is really highly expensive for the Indian audience.
• The pricing plan starts at $18 (around INR 1597), and the pro suites can cost more than $1600 (INR 142,000) per month.

Certainly, the affordability is not good enough for the Indian startups. Especially, we cannot see HubSpot as the best crm software for small business in India.

#3 Freshworks CRM: Free CRM Software in India with 24×5 Support

Next on the list, we have Freshworks (Freshsales) CRM, with unlimited free users and 24-hour customer support for 5 working days (Monday-Friday). Freshworks also comes with advanced AI features and is a great tool for the Indian audience. Let’s check out the CRM features in detail-

Advantageous Features of Freshworks CRM

• Another leading free CRM software in India for unlimited users.
• Complete Deal Management. That is, it not only leads management but also provides tracking and management of the lead throughout various stages of the sales pipeline, until the deal closes.
• Contact management and pipeline visualization for quick understanding.
• In-built multi-channel contact options- call, emails, and social media platforms.
• Freshworks CRM also provides AI-driven lead scoring.

Limitations of Freshworks & Pricing

• Features like deal management, visualized analytics, and AI-driven lead scoring are super amazing. But you know what? Nothing for free!
• You will need to upgrade to expensive paid versions.
• The pricing begins from $15 (about INR 1330) per user per month.

#4 Salesforce

Salesforce is another renowned name in the world of ready-to-use CRM solutions all across the world. Another product designed and developed in the US, Salesforce specializes in deep automation and advanced AI features. Its trendy features and functions give it a place among the top CRM software in India. A more comprehensive overview is as follows-

Advantageous Features of Salesforce

• Salesforce is a highly customizable CRM in spite of being ready-made. It gives it an edge over its competitors.
• Moreover, the product is completely cloud-based.
• Salesforce comes with ‘Einstein’, its super-intelligent AI assistant.
• Deep automation is the core feature of Salesforce
• The product offers enterprise-level analytics for better decision-making.

Limitations & Subscription of Salesforce

• Super Expensive! No doubt, Salesforce might be the dream CRM for many of us, but it is highly expensive. The entry-level subscriptions start from $25 per user per month (INR 2219).
• Furthermore, the higher versions can cost $75–$300 per user per month or even more.
• Includes Hidden Costs. Salesforce charges not only for the subscriptions, but you will also end up paying additional charges sometimes.
• You will need consultants and admins for setting up, customizing, and maintaining the Salesforce CRM.

#5 Brevo

Not originally a CRM, but Brevo came into the market as a marketing automation tool. Initially, it offered email and SMS campaign management. But, later on, with the passage of time, Brevo also launched CRM features. Let’s dive deeper into Brevo’s key features-

Advantageous Brevo CRM Features

• Brevo is not a full-fledged CRM, but it offers a lightweight CRM system for its users.
• However, its CRM is absolutely free with 300 free emails a day.
• The product can manage Email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns.
• It offers a basic sales pipeline tracking feature (not an advanced one).
• Automation is by the drag-and-drop method. Thus, the UI is easy to handle.
• It offers contact segmentation so that the user can group their customers into different segments and design personalised strategies and message content for different groups.
• Brevo also comes with transactional emails, that is, it sends automatic emails to confirm users’ actions. Like order confirmation emails, bill payment emails, etc.

Limitations & Subscription of Brevo

• The biggest limitation of Brevo is that it is not a full-fledged CRM. It is more of a marketing automation tool.
• Also, Brevo is slow to scale.
• It lacks AI-driven analytics and advanced features.

What Do You Get in the Paid Version?

• In the paid version of Brevo CRM, which costs around $22 to $57 (INR 1952 to INR 5058), you will get-
  • Higher email sending limits,
  • Contact automation,
  • Brevo logo removal,
  • A/B Testing
  • Reporting and analytics.

However, we will see Brevo as the best CRM software for small business in India, since it offers light CRM options absolutely free. So, clearly, it is highly user-centric and budget-friendly.  

#6 Microsoft Dynamics 365

The final name on our list of top CRMs in India for businesses is Microsoft Dynamics 365. It comes with CRM and ERP integrations, which can be a great option for large enterprises. The other features include-

Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Features

• CRM + ERP Integrations available.
• It automates multiple business processes, including sales processes, marketing, and customer service-all three functions.
• Has advanced AI insights for better analytics
• Offers Power BI dashboards
• Seamlessly become a part of the MS ecosystem

Limitations of MS Dynamics 365

• MS Dynamics 365 is an expensive CRM tool for SMBs.
• The setup process of MS Dynamics 365 is complex, and it will need professional help.
• Also, the pricing is confusing. You need to pay add-on fees for different roles, features, and functions.

The Subscriptions

• In general, the Microsoft Dynamics 365 costs between $46 and $98 per user per month (INR 4,160 to INR 8,735).

Certainly, the subscription is very high. And if you try add-ons, then the business operation cost will rise really high. In the long run, MS Dynamics 365 does not seem sustainable. 

Now, Let’s Compare in A Nutshell

Based on the pricing, now let’s compare all these CRMs in a nutshell. The minimum subscription comes from Zoho, which is $14 per user per month. Likewise, the highest subscription is from HubSpot, which is around $1600+ per month. 

If we compare the average of all CRMs listed above, we find that the average cost of a basic CRM with normal features costs around $189 per month

This way, annually, you will need to pay a minimum of $168 or a maximum $19,200. On average, you will pay a sum of $2268 anyhow (around INR 201,200).

Isn’t that sum too much? Clearly, these recurring subscriptions skyrocket your total cost of operations (TCO) on one hand, and on the other hand, these paid tools do not even offer a tailored user experience. 

Isn’t There A Better Alternative?

If you are unsatisfied with an off-the-shelf CRM software solution, then you need to hear this! You have a much better alternative, which provides a 100% tailored experience and is free from subscription. We’re talking about custom CRM software development. 

A customised CRM solution is a one-time investment that eliminates recurring subscriptions and optimises the TCO of a business. You can approach a reliable custom software development company in India and get a CRM with customised features. 

Features You Can Get in a Custom CRM

Whether it’s AI assistance or a 360-degree sales pipeline automation, you can pay once for any advanced feature and use it for life. Furthermore, you can add basic to high-level features such as-

• Customised branding
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Secure Login with Various Options
• Lead Management & Deal Closure
• Sales Pipeline Management
• On-board unlimited members
• Customise lead status
• Integrate push-notifications
• Send real-time reminders to the sales team for follow-ups
• Live Chat integration
• AI-driven analytics, and many more.

Advantages of Custom CRM Software Development

With custom CRM software, you unlock various advantages. Let’s have a brief look at them-

1. One-Time Payment: A customised CRM frees you from hefty recurring subscriptions. With a one-time payment, you can make the CRM platform all yours. No subscriptions, 100% ownership.
2. Cost-Effective in the Long Run: This way, a customised CRM is a great solution for the long run. If you are looking for a long-term solution in an optimal budget, then a custom CRM is the best option. You can eliminate recurring subscriptions by paying a valid cost of crm software in India.
3. User Friendly Experience: With a customised CRM, you take hold of all the features and functions. Thus, you can get a tailored user experience with a customised CRM in all business industries.
4. Flexibly Scalable: While you need to pay hefty subscriptions to scale up when using off-the-shelf solutions, with custom CRM, you can scale flexibly without spending a penny. Make sure that during development, you let the developers make room for scaling. Embracing microservices-based CRM will offer a glitch-free performance and seamless scaling.
5. Higher Data Security: As the business and customer data remains unshared with any third-party, with a customised CRM system, you get higher data security.
6. Multi-Lingual Assistance: Additionally, you can also choose the language your team understands better. You can get a multi-lingual or a native-language CRM with a custom software development process.

Eventually, the benefits of custom CRM software are profound for a business. They are cost-effective, personalised, and highly cybersecure. 

Disadvantages of Custom CRM Software Development

However, CRM solutions are tailored solutions; they have some limitations as well. These limitations include-

• Expensive: At the initial level, a custom CRM needs a higher investment, which may or may not be suitable for a business.
• Time-Taking Development: If developing from scratch, it takes a minimum of 3 months to get a basic CRM software. However, the advanced version can take between 6 to 12 months.
• Need for a Reliable Team of Developers: Moreover, not all custom software development companies in India are reliable. Rather, you will need robust market research to find a reliable team of software developers with a track record of proven experience.

How Much Does CRM Software Development Cost in India?

Coming to the cost of crm software in India, it can start from $7000 (around INR 600,000/-). However, it will be a one-time payment, and it will free you from subscriptions. 

As we have already discussed that on average, annually, a business will need to spend $2268 for a basic off-the-shelf CRM. However, for just $7000, you can become the owner of a CRM solution customised to your needs. 

However, you pay the subscription of $2268 for 3 years, then it becomes equivalent to $7000. So, 3 years of subscription = the cost of a customised CRM. But even after paying the amount, you will neither own the off-the-shelf CRM nor will you get a tailored experience. Clearly, a customised CRM is a great deal for businesses planning for long term. 

Final Thoughts

In India, there are multiple CRM options available in a wide range of monthly budgets. From $14 to $1600 per month, businesses have various options. Most of the CRM software in India serves the basic to advanced requirements of a business. However, none of the CRMs offer a 100% tailored solution. So, businesses seeking a personalized user interface and user experience can choose custom CRM development services. Both, ready-to-use and customised CRMs have their own pros and cons. Aspirants may choose an option that fits their business requirements.

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