5 Best CRM for Freelancers
So you want answers, and you want em’ fast. Here they are:
Quick links for the Best CRM Software
1) Best Overall 🏆
Monday.com
Customize your workflows to track all aspects of the sales cycle, from lead gen to post-sale support.
2) Good Plugins🥈
Hubspot
Hubspot is the undisputed king of full-stack marketing software. With solid CRM features.
3) Most Features 🥉
PipeDrive
A sales-focused CRM that uses AI to automate repetitive tasks and manage leads and sales.
So, you are in the market for a CRM that suits freelancers.
Ideal, because in this article we have our compilation list for our top picks, and we compare the features and pricing for you.
If you just want the best choice, we’ve added that right at the top of the article as this was what is most requested by our customers. So, that’ll be the “can’t go wrong” option.
Otherwise, feel free to explore all the options we’ve reviewed on the market to find something that might fit you a little better.
Enjoy the list!
What CRM would you recommend?
In short, It’s Monday.com CRM
It’s very well rounded, well priced, feature-rich with a large community of support and a very top-notch set of tutorials for every use case. You can’t go wrong with Monday.com. It’s the software we use with our clients at our ad agency.
“🚀Try Monday.com CRM For Free, It’s my favorite webinar software to use and recommend.” -Scott Max
Monday.com is a user-friendly CRM platform that provides advanced solutions with its robust marketing tools. It allows larger companies with complex workflows to perform efficiently and produce nifty results. Monday.com has you covered for your: Service, Sales, CMS, Operations, and Marketing needs.
For more details, read our Monday.com Review.
The best CRM specifically for Freelancers
Freelancers are not bound to an institution and provide services to several clients at the same time. They have to manage client requests, maintain transparency regarding the project advancement and respond to leads quickly. A CRM that allows you to integrate social media sources and gather leads will be the perfect match for this category. Have a look at the products below to choose the best CRM for Freelancers:
1. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a free CRM full of customer management tools, support and marketing automation features. Available in the cloud and locally, for mobile devices and desktops. Includes all essential tools: sales funnels, channel management, sales reporting, 360 degree customer view, repeat sales support and sales automation.
In addition, it comes with dozens of available integrations, and you can also create your own applications using its REST API.
Bitrix24 Features
In the corporate world, most of the marketing-related work is done collectively, and using different software for each task can be costly as well as inefficient. Bitrix24 offers all necessary tools for businesses within a single platform and makes it easier to collaborate with your team members. Bitrix24 has its virtual ecosystem where you can tackle every task with ease on an interface.
Here are some exclusive features of Bitrix24:
- Activity stream: It is the most happening place inside the Bitrix24 and is a perfect tool for communicating the project details with your employees. Think of it as a social media platform; where you can post project updates, create polls, follow relevant tags, and comment on posts.
- Virtual workspace: It is a great collaborative tool that helps you connect with the employees through video conferencing. Each call can have up to 48 members, and you can invite participants who don’t use Bitrix24. Moreover, you can track each employee’s work hours and progress through a Virtual workspace.
- Project Management: Bitrix24 offers the ability to create workgroups based on projects and assign tasks in several ways. You can approach each project differently, sort them according to the deadlines, and cumulate reports.
- Bitrix24.Drive: You can use the virtual drive inside the Bitrix24 to keep all your business-related files organized inside the system. Moreover, you can decide who gets access to each file and create new documents.
- CRM Space: It is your one-stop for all sales and marketing-related activities. You can customize the existing process templates or create a new one with the “Smart Process automation” without programming. CRM Space is designed: specifically to help you organize leads and lucidly automate processes.
- Sales Intelligence: Here, you can manage the traffic sources and see the ROI for each platform. It’s a perfect tool to assess your marketing strategy and see which sources generate more traffic. Users can connect their business website and get information on every lead through Sales Intelligence.
- Bitrix24.Sites: Bitrix24 has an inbuilt website creation tool that is easy to access and offers several templates to choose from. You can browse through the layouts according to your business niche or use an empty template to design a website from scratch.
- Marketing Campaigns: Bitrix24 allows you to target a specific audience through social media, Phone and E-mail. CRM marketing tool will identify genuine clients and help you connect with potential customers.
Bitrix24 Pricing
Bitrix24 currently offers 4 pricing options for users interested in getting the most out of CRM services.
The “Free” plan is best for the new users who want to get accustomed to CRM software and costs absolutely nothing.
The “Basic” plan is priced at €49/month and offers customer support service along with some simple collaboration tools.
The “Standard” plan offers advanced collaboration tools and an increase in user capacity. It is priced: at €99/month.
The “Professional” plan is worth €199/month and unlocks all features of Bitrix24. You can add unlimited users, which makes it suitable for established businesses.
2. Netsuite
NetSuite Customer Relationship Management software is a cloud-based CRM that offers a 360-degree view of your customers in real time. NetSuite CRM provides a continuous flow of information across the entire customer lifecycle, from leadership to opportunity, sales order, fulfillment, renewal, up-sell, cross-sell or support.
NetSuite Features
NetSuite has developed over the recent years and was one of the first cloud-based ERP+CRM systems. It is a multi-tenant SaaS solution that helps small and medium-sized organizations grow faster with customizable workflows. NetSuite provides unmatchable visibility and control over your entire business with its cloud-based applications that improve organizational productivity.
Here are some fascinating features that make NetSuite unique:
- Enterprise Resource Planning: NetSuite provides businesses with complete control over data and resource planning. From handling financial operations to processing order-related information, you can automate all manual workflows with NetSuite’s ERP. You can increase the productivity of an organization with ERP as it provides a clear vision of each business procedure.
- Global Business Management: NetSuite’s Global business management provides unrivaled visibility into operations in real-time. It allows multi-National businesses to manage complexities due to currency differences, tax policies, and legal conformity. Such organizations need to consolidate in regional areas while adhering to the company’s essence, and GBM makes that happen.
- Sales Force Automation: NetSuite allows users to automate administrative actions and sales operations, reducing the employees’ workload. You can identify potential issues, create financial projections and track employees’ performance to get a better outlook on your business activities.
- OpenAir: NetSuite’s OpenAir optimizes resources and employee allotment according to the skills required for a particular task. OpenAir creates various scenarios for every lead to maximize revenue and improve the chances of securing an opportunity. You can automate customer engagement and let OpenAir choose the right employee for each interaction based on past work and favorable conditions.
- SuiteCommerce: NetSuite helps e-commerce businesses automatically update online orders to the back-end to manage them centrally and reduce the processing time while increasing accuracy. SuiteCommerce allows B2B and B2C websites in unifying the front-end and back-end to remove manual operations and get higher client engagement.
- Timesheet Management: NetSuite assists Project managers to review time-based tasks and recording the working hours of employees. You can view relevant information like “Start Date”, “Work Done”, and “Estimated completion time” to get an overview of performance. Moreover, you can reassign tasks through Timesheet Management to finish projects urgently.
- Project Analysis: NetSuite offers analytical tools that provide concurrent updates for every service rendered by your organization. You can track each lead individually to get a better statistical understanding of the client’s requirements. Moreover, you can share reports with colleagues through NetSuite to ensure everyone is on board with project advancement.
NetSuite Pricing
NetSuite does not offer a general subscription plan, and users have to fill in a form mentioning their requirements, business size, and budget. Once done, you’ll be contacted: by the customer executive regarding the best customizable tools for your organizational needs.
3. SumaCRM
SumaCRM allows you to visualise at a click of a button complete user files of all the company’s contacts at the same point, with information on conversations, calls, negotiations, etc… It is a perfect tool for those companies whose activity consists of providing services, as the CRM allows you to save, in a simple way, information on negotiations and the management of pending activities. In addition, it has a free 30-day demo despite the fact that it is subsequently paid for.
SumaCRM Features
SumaCRM is a Madrid-based CRM service that was launched: in 2015. It gathers all of your client information in one place where you can access the entire team detail. SumaCRM avoids time wastage by automatically arranging emails and lead sources for your business while collecting every piece of information from integrated sources. It solves the problems related to the lack of internal communication in the company and makes sure that everyone is in touch with the ongoing operations.
Here are some features offered by SumaCRM that make it a perfect match for your CRM requirements:
- GDPR compliance: It is mandatory for every company in the EU to abide by the GDPR rules and disclose how the customer data is being stored, used, and shared. SumaCRM anonymizes your data to prevent it from being exploited by malicious entities. It ensures that the client data stored inside the system has a finite lifespan and stops the distribution if the client has been inactive for three years.
- Efficy integration: SumaCRM was recently acquired; by Efficy, one of the most efficient CRM service providers. It has made SumaCRM amenable to SaaS mode and On-Premise hosting. Users can decide which one to choose; based on their company’s infrastructure and data restoration requirements while being in complete control of assets.
- Calendar Synchronization: SumaCRM allows users to optimally manage time by creating tasks and making deadlines or pivotal events in the in-built calendar. You can set alerts and avoid missing out on promising business opportunities. Moreover, the administrator can create polls to determine the best time for a meeting by consulting all relevant members within the SumaCRM.
- Management of areas of Interest: SumaCRM can ease the tasks of your marketing department by categorizing the client database with domains of interest and providing a personalized communication experience. Your clients can choose which notifications they want to receive with an extranet account, or your marketing department can add areas of interest to the customer’s profile.
- Multi-Cargo Management: SumaCRM avoids sending a package to the same client holding positions in different organizations. It is done by identifying similar responses and eliminating the recurring contacts so that it is only counted once. Imagine a potential client fills up a web form multiple times by mistake; SumaCRM will bracket such instances and ensure that only the initial response is taken into context.
SumaCRM Pricing
SumaCRM offers 4 pricing options:
The “Starter” plan is priced at €20/month/user upon annual billing and offers simple email marketing along with task scheduling.
The “SMB” plan is priced at €40/month/user upon annual billing and offers high configuration ability, marketing campaign management alongside customer segmentation.
The “Enterprise” plan is priced at €60/month/user upon annual billing and offers Extranet integration, advanced tracking tools alongside gamification.
The “Corporate” plan is priced at €80/month/user upon annual billing and offers BPM automation, multi-channel marketing alongside form creation tools.
4. Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is perfect software for connecting clients, products, people and operations, all from a single tool that can be implemented through an infinite number of options. However, it is a payment tool that will require training time for you to be able to use it to its full potential. For this tool, programming knowledge is necessary. However, once you know how to use it, you will easily be able to simplify and connect business processes, improving customer interactions and facilitating growth.
Get Started with Microsoft Dynamics🔥
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Features
Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides ERP and CRM services on a single platform. It offers a clear view of how sales and marketing efforts are going with automated and intelligent data analysis. You can use tools powered by AI and machine learning to get better insights into your business.
Here are some unique features offered by Dynamics 365:
- Unified Communications: Dynamics 365 allows you to connect with clients through “Microsoft Teams” and simplify the sales process. You can call meetings, have a conversation and send any valued offer or detail in a minute.
- Advanced AI tools: You can predict sales based on the latest marketing strategy and conversion rate with Dynamics 365’s AI-powered tools. It allows you to generate revenue, set automated tasks, analyze data in a 360⁰ manner and much more according to your requirements.
- Finance and Operations management: Dynamics 365 has a financial analysis tool that can help you manage commercial operations and record every transaction. You can store credit card details, annotate tasks and accelerate training for new employees in the organization. Moreover, Dynamics 365 allows a smooth transition of complex workflows and management operations on the CRM.
- Asset Management: You can list your business assets on the supply chain within Dynamics 365 and efficiently manage all the related information, maintenance activities while reducing redundant costs.
- Power supply chain agility: Dynamics 365 can help your business’s profitability through quick lead conversion and high-quality analysis. You can engage better with clients, set priorities, create automated bots, so your sales team has a better chance of securing the opportunity.
- Smart Maintenance: Dynamics 365 suggests approaches to grow your business and increase product longevity with safety through smart maintenance. You can keep a catalog and add relevant notes to help the sales team with the pitch.
- Visual editor: Dynamics 365 lets you create charts, graphs and organizational workflows to simplify performance metrics. You can set the parameters and get different points of view regarding business development.
- Learning Paths: Dynamics 365 provides educational content to help you get familiar with CRM services and implement their use throughout the organization. You can access several how-to guides, watch videos and participate in interactive sessions to get a grip on Dynamics 365.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pricing
Dynamics 365 allows users to choose packages according to their business niche.
Customer Data Platform is available for $1452/month for a single user and $968/month as an add-on plan. You can get a customer voice function for an extra $194/user for a month.
The sales tools are available in 3 different plans. “Sales Professional” is priced at $63/month and $19/month as an add-on. “Sales Enterprise” is worth $92/month for an individual and $19/month as an add-on. “Sales Premium” is priced: at $131/month for a single user, and “Microsoft Relationship Sales” is available for $134/month.
“Finance” package is priced at $172.5/month/user and $29/user/month as an add-on. “Project Management” tools are worth $116.5/user/month and $29.14/user/month as an add-on subscription.
Dynamics 365 has particular subscription plans for small and medium businesses to fast-track their sales process. “Business Central Essentials” is priced at $68/user/month, “Business Central Premium” is available at $97.2/user/month, “Customer Service Professional” is worth $48.6/user/month and “Sales Professional” is priced: at $63.2/user/month.
5. Pipedrive
The Pipedrive CRM tool is intuitive and easy to use, providing a wealth of data of interest and future forecast for your customers and their interactions. It is a tool very focused on the sales area, not so much on marketing, and has a paid subscription. Currently, some of your customers are Amazon, Skyscanner or Vimeo. We have tested it to make an educational video on Youtube and have raised a special offer for readers of Marketing4eCommerce 1 month free trial (usually 14 days) and 25% discount on the first purchase. You can take advantage of it at this link.
Pipedrive Features
Pipedrive makes sales-related tasks easier by fetching leads 24/7 and emphasizes the right opportunity so you can convert it into a deal from the sales pipeline. Pipedrive has a flexible and user-friendly interface that simplifies the transition to the CRM tool for businesses, lessening the workload of the sales team.
Here are some features offered by Pipedrive:
- Lead Management: Pipedrive offers an unsophisticated sales pipeline with several functionalities that provide a fully visual sales experience to improve efficiency and close deals faster. Users can track opportunities through all stages of the sales funnel and customize the dashboard to move all leads at one place for smoother interaction and prioritization. Moreover, Pipedrive provides users with an AI-powered sales mentor for personalized insights.
- Communication Tracking: Pipedrive allows businesses to manage contacts and group them into “People” and “Organization” so the sales representative knows the clients’ role in the company and approaches them accordingly. Pipedrive provides a visual representation of call history and other modes of communication with the client giving a cutting edge to your business in negotiations. You can also make outbound phone calls within the Pipedrive and auto-link them with the relevant contacts.
- Sales Automation System: Pipedrive allows users to automate every sales process and take their business to the next level. You will be notified: at the earliest about any changes to the lead phases and account settings to prevent misuse of your CRM. Pipedrive’s Automation sends customized notifications to the clients at the right time to increase the chances of getting engagement and successfully closing a deal.
- Insights and Reports: You can create customizable fields for analytical reports regarding deals, leads, revenue, activities and add them to the dashboard for quick access. Pipedrive also offers employee management services to create goals for teams and individuals. It helps in evaluating the performances and assigning the tasks based on merit, which increases the chances of getting a positive outcome for every sales opportunity.
- Privacy and Security: Pipedrive offers a dedicated security dashboard to give users complete control and transparency over user permissions and privacy settings. You can see how many users are logged in to the Pipedrive account and prevent mischievous entities from getting hold of your data. Moreover, you can see how recently the password has been altered, devices using your account and whether there has been any attempt to change the admin settings.
Pipedrive Pricing
Pipedrive has 4 pricing options for users to choose between depending on their requirements.
The “Essential” plan is priced at $15/month, giving users access to pipeline management, customer support, and data importation.
The “Advanced” plan is priced at $29/month, providing all features of “Essential” plus email scheduling, click tracking, and workflow creation.
The “Professional” plan is priced at $59/month, providing all features of “Advanced” plus call tracking, document creation, and revenue forecasting.
The “Enterprise” plan is priced at $119/month and gives access to all features of Pipedrive.
You can get add-ons to get the most out of the Pipedrive CRM subscription.
LeadBooster add-on starts at $32.5/month upon annual billing and helps large businesses to engage with leads more frequently.
Web Visitors add-on starts at $41/month upon annual billing and helps you recognize how your clients found out about services that can improve your marketing strategy.
The Importance of CRM for Freelancers
In today’s competitive freelance landscape, efficient client management is crucial for sustaining growth and ensuring client satisfaction. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is not just an added tool; it’s an essential part of a freelancer’s toolkit that can transform the way you operate. Here are several reasons why implementing a CRM can significantly benefit freelancers:
Streamlined Client Communications
Effective communication is at the heart of successful freelance work. A CRM enables freelancers to centralize all client interactions, making it easier to keep track of conversations, follow-ups, and project updates. This not only enhances professionalism but also helps maintain strong client relationships, as you can recall past interactions and respond to inquiries more promptly.
Enhanced Organization and Productivity
Freelancers often juggle multiple projects simultaneously, and keeping everything organized can be a challenge. A CRM organizes client data, project timelines, and invoices in one place, reducing the time spent searching for information. This level of organization enhances productivity, allowing freelancers to focus on what they do best—delivering quality work to clients.
Efficient Lead Management
For freelancers, generating leads and converting them into clients is essential for growth. A CRM provides tools for tracking leads through the sales funnel.
Why use a CRM at all?
In today’s age, technology has revolutionized how we approach business tasks. Whether you’re an organization or a freelancer: it’s essential to connect with the clients and deliver impeccable services to build a loyal customer base. You cannot go ahead with the sales tasks without getting; a clear view of the client’s expectations.
A CRM provides a 360⁰ customer view in the sales pipeline and allows you to boost engagement with new prospects. So even if you are short-staffed or get an inquiry during off-hours, A CRM will engage with the lead through automated messages and record the interaction. It enables a sales representative; to convert more leads and provide a quick resolution to the problems.
Why should Freelancers use a CRM?
Freelancers have to maintain client engagement, store their past work for future reference and adhere to the deadlines to create a strong impression. You may not have the desired workforce to complete these tasks, and even if you do, it involves the risk of manual errors and redundancies.
CRM adoption enables you to handle more projects and share updates with clients regularly. Moreover, you can market your services through personalized emails or social media accounts. CRM aligns your marketing and sales operations so you can make changes accordingly and optimize your business activities.
Having the ability to collect leads, store contacts, interact with customers and track client communications is essential to running your successful freelance business. With a CRM, you can retrieve, upload or manually input your new prospects, gather useful information and questionnaires, message clients, schedule bookings and send invoices.
CRM becomes a central place for all your administrative needs and provides easy accessibility. You can take complex workflows and automate emails, eliminating the need for remembering.
CRM provides a single solution to your business problems by managing data and processing tasks. You can store files or past projects for future reference. Freelancers can benefit from a CRM as it frees them from unnecessary time-consuming tasks and allows them to focus on submitting projects within the deadline.
CRM for Freelancers, A Summary
As a freelancer, it can get difficult to manage all operations by yourself. Maintaining several spreadsheets can lead to errors and end up costing your revenue. A CRM provides more than just contact storage; you can manage your Pipeline to ensure that you hit every point in your sales funnel.
Bitrix24 provides a user-friendly interface with customizable features to help freelancers gain insight into the operation and attract more clients. It is our suggested pick for a CRM that suits freelancers. Visit the website to get started.