That matters because most sales teams do not struggle with a lack of data. They struggle when CRM activity, buyer intent, sales conversations, forecasting inputs, marketing engagement, and account data all live in different places. Revenue intelligence software helps connect those signals so teams can prioritize the right accounts, identify deal risk, coach reps, and forecast more accurately.

In this guide, I explain what revenue intelligence is, how it works, which teams use it, and how to evaluate revenue intelligence software for your sales process.

What is revenue intelligence?

Revenue intelligence is a data-driven approach to understanding and improving the activities that generate revenue. It combines information from your CRM, sales calls, email activity, meetings, buyer intent signals, marketing engagement, and pipeline history to help teams make better sales and forecasting decisions.

At a basic level, revenue intelligence helps answer questions like:

• Which deals are most likely to close?
• Which opportunities are at risk?
• Which accounts are showing buying intent?
• Which reps need coaching?
• Which sales activities lead to revenue?
• Where is pipeline slowing down?
• How accurate is the current forecast?
• What should the team do next?

The goal is not just to create more dashboards it’s to turn sales and buyer data into useful guidance for reps, managers, RevOps teams, and revenue leaders.

In my analysis, the most useful revenue intelligence platforms do three things well: they connect data from multiple systems, explain what the data means, and help teams take action before deals slip or opportunities are missed.

Revenue intelligence vs sales intelligence vs business intelligence

Revenue intelligence is often confused with sales intelligence and business intelligence. These categories can overlap, but they are not the same.

Sales intelligence usually helps teams understand who to sell to. Business intelligence helps teams understand what happened across the business. Revenue intelligence helps teams understand what is happening in the revenue process and what actions can improve outcomes.

For example, a sales intelligence tool might help a rep find contacts at a target account. A business intelligence dashboard might show quarterly revenue by region. A revenue intelligence platform might show that a high-value opportunity has gone quiet, the buying committee is incomplete, and similar deals usually require executive engagement before the next stage.

How revenue intelligence works

Revenue intelligence works by collecting data from revenue-generating systems, analyzing patterns, and surfacing insights that help teams act. The process usually includes data capture, enrichment, analysis, recommendations, and reporting.

1. Data is collected from revenue systems

Revenue intelligence software typically connects with the systems your sales and marketing teams already use, such as:

• CRM software
• Sales engagement platforms
• Email and calendar tools
• Call recording and conversation intelligence tools
• Marketing automation platforms
• Buyer intent data providers
• Data enrichment tools
• Customer success platforms
• Business intelligence tools

The more complete the data foundation, the more useful the insights can be. If a platform only sees CRM fields but not buyer engagement, activity history, or conversation data, it may miss important signals.

2. Sales and buyer activity is analyzed

After collecting data, revenue intelligence software analyzes activity across accounts, contacts, opportunities, and reps. This can include:

• Email engagement
• Meeting activity
• Call transcripts
• Deal stage changes
• Close date movement
• Website or content engagement
• Buyer intent signals
• CRM updates
• Historical win/loss patterns
• Forecast changes

This analysis helps teams identify patterns that would be hard to spot manually.

3. The platform identifies risks and opportunities

Revenue intelligence tools can surface insights such as:

• Deals with no recent engagement
• Opportunities with weak next steps
• Accounts showing increased buying intent
• Reps with inconsistent follow-up
• Forecast categories that may be overcommitted
• Deals that resemble past closed-lost opportunities
• Accounts that match high-value customer profiles
• Marketing engagement that should trigger sales action

The value is in timing. A risk alert after a deal is lost is just reporting. A risk alert, while there is still time to intervene, is revenue intelligence.

4. Teams act on the insights

The strongest revenue intelligence software does not stop at analysis. It helps teams decide what to do next.

That might mean:

• Recommending the next best account to contact
• Flagging a deal for manager review
• Suggesting a follow-up task
• Updating a forecast category
• Prioritizing accounts with buying intent
• Highlighting coaching opportunities
• Sending alerts to reps or managers
• Creating dashboards for revenue leaders

In this sense, revenue intelligence is most valuable when it fits into the team’s daily workflow instead of becoming another reporting tool that only leaders review.

Key components of revenue intelligence software

Revenue intelligence software can include a wide range of capabilities. Some platforms focus heavily on forecasting and pipeline inspection, while others emphasize buyer intent, conversation intelligence, sales coaching, or account prioritization.

The table below summarizes the most common components.

Why revenue intelligence matters

Revenue intelligence matters because revenue teams need more than activity tracking. They need a reliable way to understand buyer behavior, pipeline quality, and sales execution.

Traditional sales reporting often depends on manually entered CRM data. That creates three problems.

First, CRM data may be incomplete. Reps may forget to log activity, update next steps, or change close dates. Second, CRM data may not reflect buyer behavior. A deal can look healthy in the pipeline while the buyer has stopped engaging. Third, CRM reports may show what happened after the fact, but not what should happen next.

Revenue intelligence helps close those gaps.

It improves pipeline visibility

Revenue intelligence gives managers a clearer view of deal health. Instead of relying only on rep confidence, managers can review engagement history, meeting activity, buyer involvement, close-date movement, and deal-stage progression.

This makes pipeline reviews more objective and more useful. The conversation shifts from “How do you feel about this deal?” to “What evidence do we have that this deal is moving forward?”

It supports better forecasting

Forecasting is one of the most common use cases for revenue intelligence. A revenue intelligence platform can compare current opportunities with historical patterns, activity data, engagement signals, and stage movement.

This helps leaders identify deals that may be overcommitted, underreported, or at risk of slipping. It also helps RevOps teams understand whether the forecast is based on real buyer engagement or optimistic CRM updates.

It helps reps prioritize the right accounts

Revenue intelligence can help reps decide where to spend time. Instead of treating every account the same, teams can prioritize accounts based on fit, engagement, buying signals, pipeline stage, and deal risk.

This is especially useful for outbound sales teams, account-based marketing programs, and revenue teams managing large account lists.

It improves sales coaching

Sales managers can use revenue intelligence to coach reps based on actual activity and conversation data. For example, a manager might review call patterns, objection handling, follow-up speed, or deal progression.

This creates more specific coaching moments than simply reviewing quota attainment or activity volume.

It connects sales and marketing activity

Revenue intelligence can also help align sales and marketing. Marketing may see account engagement, campaign activity, or content consumption that sales does not act on. Sales may see deal-level objections that marketing can address with better messaging or enablement.

When those signals are connected, teams can coordinate on shared revenue opportunities rather than working from separate reports.

Who uses revenue intelligence?

Revenue intelligence is most often used by sales, RevOps, marketing, and executive teams. Each group uses the data differently.

Sales reps

Sales reps use revenue intelligence to prioritize accounts, prepare for calls, follow up more effectively, and understand what actions may help move deals forward.

For reps, the most useful insights are usually practical and immediate. Which account should I call next? What changed in this deal? What does the buyer care about? What should I do before the next meeting?

Sales managers

Sales managers use revenue intelligence for pipeline reviews, deal coaching, rep performance analysis, and forecast inspection.

For managers, the value is visibility. Instead of waiting for rep updates, managers can see where deals are stuck and where coaching may help.

Revenue operations

RevOps teams use revenue intelligence to improve data quality, forecasting processes, reporting, routing, and system alignment.

For RevOps, the value is consistency. A strong revenue intelligence process can reduce manual reporting, surface data gaps, and create a more reliable operating rhythm.

Marketing teams

Marketing teams use revenue intelligence to understand which accounts are engaging, which campaigns influence the pipeline, and which messages resonate with buyers.

For marketing, the value is better connection to sales action and revenue outcomes.

Executives

Executives use revenue intelligence to understand forecast health, pipeline coverage, market demand, and revenue risk.

For executives, the value is confidence. They need to know whether pipeline and forecast numbers reflect real opportunity quality.

Benefits and challenges of revenue intelligence

Revenue intelligence software can help teams make better revenue decisions, but it works best when the underlying sales process and data foundation are strong. The same capabilities that make revenue intelligence valuable, such as automation, AI scoring, and connected reporting, can also create problems if teams do not manage data quality, adoption, and workflow ownership.

In my view, the biggest mistake is treating revenue intelligence as a plug-and-play fix for pipeline problems. The software can surface better insights, but teams still need clean CRM data, clear sales stages, consistent adoption, and a shared process for acting on the information.

Revenue intelligence creates the most value when it becomes part of the revenue team’s operating rhythm, not just another dashboard executives check at the end of the quarter.

How to choose revenue intelligence software

The right revenue intelligence software depends on your sales motion, team size, data maturity, and biggest revenue bottleneck. Before comparing vendors, define what problem you need the platform to solve.

1. Start with your revenue workflow

Map the workflow you want to improve. Are you trying to improve forecasting, prioritize accounts, coach reps, identify deal risk, connect marketing engagement to sales, or reduce manual CRM work?

A clear workflow will help you avoid buying a platform based only on feature volume.

2. Evaluate CRM and sales tool integrations

Revenue intelligence software should integrate seamlessly with your CRM and related sales tools. Look at whether the platform can sync data, capture activity, update fields, trigger workflows, and preserve permission controls.

The question is not just whether an integration exists. It is whether the integration improves the team’s actual workflow.

3. Review data sources and signal coverage

Different platforms use different data sources. Some focus on CRM and activity data. Others include buyer intent, conversation data, contact data, firmographics, technographics, or marketing engagement.

Make sure the platform has access to the signals that matter for your sales motion.

4. Look for explainable insights

Revenue intelligence software should make insights easy to trust. If the platform says a deal is at risk, it should explain why. If it prioritizes an account, it should show the signals behind the recommendation.

5. Consider ease of use

A platform will not create value if reps and managers do not use it. Evaluate how easy it is to review accounts, inspect deals, find recommendations, access call insights, and act on alerts.

6. Compare reporting and forecasting capabilities

If forecasting is a priority, review how the platform handles commit categories, deal risk, historical patterns, rep accuracy, pipeline coverage, and forecast rollups.

If account prioritization is the priority, focus more on buyer intent, fit scoring, contact data, and workflow activation.

When revenue intelligence software makes sense

Revenue intelligence software is a strong fit when your team has sufficient pipeline complexity for manual tracking to no longer work well.

It may make sense if:

• Your forecast is often inaccurate.
• Sales managers lack visibility into deal health.
• Reps spend too much time updating CRM records.
• Marketing engagement is not connected to sales action.
• Buyer intent signals are difficult to prioritize.
• RevOps spends too much time building manual reports.
• Leadership lacks confidence in pipeline quality.
• Sales coaching is inconsistent.
• High-value deals slip without warning.
• Teams use too many disconnected revenue tools.

Smaller teams may not need a full revenue intelligence platform right away. If your biggest problem is basic CRM adoption or missing sales process definitions, start there first. Revenue intelligence works best when it builds on a reasonably clear sales process and a usable data foundation.

Bottom line

Revenue intelligence helps modern sales teams understand what is happening across the pipeline, why it is happening, and what action should happen next. It combines CRM data, buyer signals, sales activity, conversation insights, forecasting, and reporting into a more complete view of revenue performance.

For teams with complex sales cycles, disconnected tools, or unreliable forecasts, revenue intelligence software can help improve pipeline visibility, account prioritization, sales coaching, and revenue decision-making.

The key is to choose a platform based on the workflow you need to improve first. If your goal is better forecasting, prioritize deal-risk analysis and forecast management. But if your goal is better account targeting, prioritize buyer intent and data quality. And, finally, if your goal is better sales execution, prioritize activity capture, coaching insights, and CRM integration.

Compare options: Explore ZoomInfo’s revenue intelligence platform to see how sales and revenue teams can use buyer signals, company data, and pipeline insights to prioritize accounts and act on revenue opportunities.

The post What Is Revenue Intelligence? A Complete Guide for Modern Sales Teams appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

I reviewed top customer information database software options based on contact management, data organization, automation, integrations, reporting, ease of use, and overall value. For most businesses, these tools function as CRM systems, helping teams centralize customer records, improve follow-ups, and make better decisions using accurate customer data. The current article already positions customer database software as a CRM-adjacent tool that centralizes customer interactions for marketing, sales, and service teams.

Top customer database software compared

HubSpot Sales Hub: Best overall

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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 and contact storage

Why I like 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. 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 a 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.

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​.

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HubSpot Sales Hub Enterprise.

HubSpot visual refresh App-by-app progress report.

How to send new user data to HubSpot; The HubSpot community offers extensive support for new users.

Key features

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.

Pricing

• 14-day free trial available
• Free plan available

	Starter	Professional	Enterprise
Monthly price, billed annually	$9/seat	$90/seat	$150/seat
Monthly price, billed monthly	$15/seat	$100/seat	$150/seat

Read our full review

monday CRM: Best for project management integration

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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, and CRM in one platform
• Extensive integrations

Cons

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

Why I like monday CRM

I like monday CRM because it’s one of the most flexible and visually intuitive customer database platforms I’ve tested. In my experience, it works especially well for businesses that want to organize customer information, sales activity, and workflows without having to deal with the complexity of traditional enterprise CRM systems.

What stands out most is the platform’s highly customizable interface. The drag-and-drop Kanban boards make it easy to track leads, customer relationships, tasks, and pipeline stages at a glance, while color-coded workflows help teams stay organized and prioritize work faster. I’ve also found that the interface reduces the learning curve significantly compared with more complex CRM platforms.

Another major advantage is flexibility. monday CRM lets businesses customize pipelines, dashboards, automations, and customer records to match their exact workflow instead of forcing teams into rigid CRM structures. That makes it a strong fit for growing businesses managing sales, operations, and customer communication across multiple teams.

The platform also continues to gain traction because of its usability and broad integration options. In my testing, monday CRM balances customization and ease of use better than many competitors, making it one of the easiest customer database platforms to adopt and scale over time.

Gallery

monday CRM status report template.

monday CRM sales dashboard.

monday CRM basic reporting.

Key features

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.

Pricing

Free trial available

	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 requirement.

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Pipedrive: Best for sales pipeline management

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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 I like Pipedrive

I like Pipedrive because it’s one of the most sales-focused customer database platforms I’ve tested. In my experience, it works especially well for businesses that want a simple way to organize contacts, manage deals, and track every stage of the sales pipeline without getting buried in unnecessary features.

The standout feature is Pipedrive’s visual drag-and-drop pipeline. It makes it easy to see where every deal stands, update opportunities quickly, and prioritize follow-ups from one screen. Compared with many CRM platforms that feel overloaded with menus and modules, Pipedrive keeps sales management straightforward and highly actionable.

I also found its automation and reporting tools practical for small and midsize businesses. Even at lower pricing tiers, Pipedrive includes strong contact management, workflow automation, activity tracking, and sales reporting features that help teams stay organized and move deals forward efficiently.

Another area where Pipedrive stands out is data security. The platform includes enterprise-grade protections such as two-factor authentication (2FA), single sign-on (SSO), and compliance certifications to help businesses manage customer data more securely.

For businesses focused primarily on pipeline visibility, sales organization, and ease of use, Pipedrive remains one of the strongest customer database software options available.

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SendPulse App integration on the Pipedrive Marketplace.

Piperive’s visual sales pipeline.

Key features

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.

Pricing

14-day free trial available

	Lite	Growth	Premium	Ultimate
Monthly price, billed annually	$14/user	$24/user	$49/user	$69/user
Monthly price, billed monthly	$19/user	$34/user	$64/user	$89/user

Read our full review

Zoho CRM: Best for affordability

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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 I like Zoho

I like Zoho CRM because it delivers one of the best balances of affordability, customization, and automation I’ve seen in customer database software. In my experience, it’s a strong fit for businesses that want advanced CRM functionality without paying enterprise-level prices.

What stands out most is the value. Compared with platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot, Zoho CRM offers flexible pricing, a free plan, and lower upgrade costs while still including automation, reporting, AI tools, and workflow customization that many competitors reserve for higher tiers.

I also found Zoho CRM easier to navigate than many enterprise-focused CRM systems. The interface is customizable without feeling overly complicated, making it easier for small businesses to manage customer records, pipelines, follow-ups, and automations without a lengthy onboarding process.

Another major advantage is Zoho’s built-in automation and AI functionality. Features like lead scoring, workflow automation, predictive analytics, and the Zia AI assistant help teams organize customer data and automate repetitive sales tasks efficiently. In my testing, Zoho offers many of the same capabilities as higher-priced CRM platforms while remaining far more accessible for growing businesses.

Zoho’s ecosystem is another reason it stands out. The platform integrates tightly with Zoho’s broader business suite, including accounting, support, and marketing tools, while also supporting integrations with popular platforms like QuickBooks and Mailchimp. For businesses that want scalable customer database software with strong automation and flexibility, Zoho CRM remains one of the strongest overall options.

Gallery

Updating a record in Zoho CRM.

Zoho Analytics integration.

Updating an invoice in Zoho CRM.

Key features

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.

Pricing

• 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

Read our full review

Bitrix24: Best free plan

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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 I like Bitrix24

I 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 features, 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.

Gallery

Bitrix24’s free plan offers unlimited users and 5GB of cloud storage.

Configure sections in the Bitrix24 main menu.

Key features

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.

Pricing

• Free trial 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

Read our full review

Zendesk Sell: Best for sales and customer support integration

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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 I like 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.

Gallery

Zendesk recently consolidated the settings for account owner and billing admins on a single page.

Omnichannel routing now supports re-assigning email and messaging tickets through custom queues.

Zendesk has new add-ons for workforce engagement management (WEM).

Key features

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.

Pricing

• 14-day free trial available
• Team: $19 per agent/month (annual subscription), $25 per agent/month (monthly subscription)
• Growth: $49 per agent/month (annual subscription), $69 per agent/month (monthly subscription)
• Professional: $99 per agent/month (annual subscription), $149 per agent/month (monthly subscription)
• Enterprise: Starting at $199 per user/month (annual subscription), $219 per user/month (monthly subscription)

Read our full review

Apptivo: Best for small businesses

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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 I like 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 maintains a consistent color scheme and visual elements across its modules, contributing to a seamless user experience and reducing visual clutter that can be overwhelming in complex CRM systems. Apptivo’s mobile responsiveness is another design choice that benefits users, allowing them to manage 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, significantly more than some competitors, which offer around 30-40 apps, providing a more comprehensive solution. Its customization capabilities also score highly, offering greater flexibility than some rivals with more rigid systems.

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Key features

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.

Pricing

• 30-day free trial available
• Lite: $15/user/month (annual)
• Premium: $25/user/month (annual)
• Ultimate: $40/user/month (annual)
• Enterprise: Custom (annual)

Read our full review

Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best for enterprises

Visit Website

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 I like Salesforce Sales Cloud

I 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​.

Although Salesforce Sales Cloud scored 100/100 for features such as contact and account management, reporting, and AI analytics, its complex pricing structure (scoring 2.71 out of 5 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.

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Salesforce Trailhead AI training.

Salesforce AI-driven CRM analytics.

Salesforce AI Copilot builder.

Key features

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.

Pricing

• Free trial available
• Free for the Free Suite; includes lead, contact, account, and opportunity management for up to two users
• $25/user per month for Starter Suite; includes basic CRM tools, email integration, mobile app access, sales flows, AI email sync, and dynamic email marketing for small teams
• $100/user per month for Pro Suite; includes advanced customization, sales quoting, forecasting, customizable dashboards, and AppExchange access
• $165/user per month for Enterprise; includes advanced pipeline management, API access, conversation intelligence, workflow automation, and custom app support
• $330/user per month for Unlimited; includes predictive AI, unlimited customization, premier support, and full sandbox environments
• $500/user per month for Einstein 1 Sales; includes generative AI tools, Data Cloud, Einstein Copilot, Slack integration, and advanced AI-powered sales workflows

Read our full review

Keap: Best for marketing automation

Visit Website

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 I like Keap

I like Keap because it combines customer database management, sales automation, and email marketing in one platform that’s built specifically for small businesses. In my experience, it works especially well for teams that want to manage customer relationships, follow-ups, and marketing campaigns without juggling multiple disconnected tools.

One of Keap’s biggest strengths is automation. The platform makes it easy to build automated follow-up sequences, appointment reminders, lead nurturing campaigns, and customer communication workflows from one dashboard. I also found its email marketing integration especially useful because it allows businesses to manage contacts and campaigns together instead of relying on separate systems.

Another reason Keap stands out is usability. The interface is clean and organized, making it easier to manage pipelines, tasks, customer records, and communications without a steep learning curve. I also like that multiple teams can work from the same customer database simultaneously, which helps sales and marketing stay aligned.

Keap also performs well for businesses focused heavily on email-driven customer engagement. Features like automation, ecommerce integrations, and strong email deliverability make it a practical option for businesses that rely on lead nurturing and repeat customer communication to drive sales.

For small businesses that want customer database software with strong automation and built-in marketing tools, Keap remains one of the more well-rounded options available.

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Key features

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.

Pricing

Starting Price: $299 per month (two users included; 1,500 contacts)

Read our full review

Freshsales: Best for ease of use

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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 I like 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 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 also benefits from API improvements that enable faster access and responsiveness, setting it apart from competitors that may experience slower response times for API requests, particularly under high data loads. These updates, combined with Freshsales’ superior speed and responsiveness, make it a clear choice for businesses that value both performance and simplicity.

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Freshsales offers a streamlined sales CRM solution.

Freshsales lead management.

Key features

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.

Pricing

• 21-day free trial available
• Free for up to 3 users; includes contact management, account management, deal pipelines, built-in email, chat, and calling tools
• $9/user per month for Growth; includes visual sales pipelines, workflow automation, AI-powered contact scoring, email sequences, and customizable deal stages
• $39/user per month for Pro; includes multiple sales pipelines, advanced workflows, AI deal insights, forecasting, and time-based automations
• $69/user per month for Enterprise; includes custom modules, AI forecasting, audit logs, advanced permissions, and enterprise-grade customization tools
• All paid plans include Freddy AI capabilities, workflow automation, integrations, mobile apps, and multichannel communication tools, with additional AI features available through paid Freddy AI add-ons

Read our full review

How to choose the right customer database software for your business

Choosing the right customer database software starts with understanding what customer information you need to store, who needs access to it, and how your team will use that data day to day.

1. Define what customer data you need to manage. Start with the basics: names, emails, phone numbers, companies, purchase history, preferences, notes, and communication history. Then identify any industry-specific fields your team needs.
2. Decide which teams will use the database. Sales teams may need pipeline tracking, marketing teams may need segmentation, and service teams may need support history. Choose software that fits all core users, not just one department.
3. Map your current customer data sources. List where customer information currently lives, such as spreadsheets, email inboxes, ecommerce platforms, CRMs, accounting tools, or support systems. This will help you choose software with the right import and integration options.
4. Prioritize clean contact management. Look for easy data entry, duplicate detection, tags, custom fields, filters, and searchable customer records. A customer database is only useful if your team can trust and find the information inside it.
5. Check automation and workflow tools. Basic automations like lead assignment, follow-up reminders, email triggers, and task creation can help teams act on customer data instead of just storing it.
6. Review reporting and segmentation. Strong customer information database software should help you analyze customer activity, segment audiences, track sales opportunities, and identify engagement or purchase trends.
7. Confirm integrations with your existing tools. Make sure the software connects with your email, marketing, ecommerce, accounting, sales, and customer support platforms. This keeps customer records current and reduces manual updates.
8. Test usability before committing. Use a trial or demo to import sample data, create customer records, run a search, build a report, and test common workflows. If those steps feel clunky, adoption will likely suffer.
9. Compare pricing against long-term growth. Review user limits, contact limits, automation caps, storage, support access, and upgrade costs. The best customer database software should fit your current budget and still support your business as customer data grows.

For reviews and comparisons of CRM software, check out our comprehensive CRM Software Buyer’s Guide. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The post 10 Best Customer Database Software Solutions in 2026 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Strong sales engagement is not just about contacting more people. It is about reaching the right buyers with the right message, through the right channel, at the right time. When sales engagement is done well, reps can build better relationships, improve follow-up consistency, personalize outreach, and move opportunities through the pipeline more effectively.

Sales engagement tools can support this process by automating outreach, tracking buyer interactions, managing sales sequences, analyzing engagement, and coordinating next steps. But the tool is only part of the strategy. To improve sales engagement, teams need a clear process for who they contact, how they communicate, what they track, and when they follow up.

What is sales engagement?

Sales engagement is the process of communicating with prospects and customers in a structured, measurable, and personalized way. It covers every interaction a sales rep has with a buyer, from the first outbound email to the final contract discussion.

Common sales engagement activities include:

• Sending cold emails
• Making outbound calls
• Following up after demos
• Sharing sales content
• Connecting on LinkedIn
• Sending meeting reminders
• Responding to inbound interest
• Scheduling discovery calls
• Running product demos
• Sending proposals
• Re-engaging stalled opportunities
• Coordinating handoffs between sales and customer success

The goal of sales engagement is to create meaningful interactions that help buyers make decisions. That means sales engagement should support the buyer’s journey, not just the seller’s activity goals.

For example, a rep may send a prospect a personalized email, follow up with a phone call, share a relevant case study, connect on LinkedIn, and schedule a demo. Those touchpoints are part of a sales engagement process if they are coordinated, tracked, and tied to a clear sales outcome.

Sales engagement vs sales enablement

Sales engagement and sales enablement are related but not the same.

Sales engagement focuses on the interactions between sales reps and buyers. It is about outreach, follow-up, communication, timing, and buyer response. Sales engagement answers questions like:

Who should we contact? What should we say? When should we follow up? Which touchpoints are working?

Sales enablement focuses on giving reps the resources, training, content, and support they need to sell effectively. It answers questions like:

Do reps have the right messaging? Do they know how to handle objections? Do they have the right case studies, templates, and talk tracks?

In practice, the two work together. Sales enablement gives reps the materials and knowledge they need, while sales engagement helps them use those resources in real buyer conversations.

Related: Sales Enablement Strategies

Common sales engagement channels

Sales engagement usually happens across multiple channels. The best channel depends on the buyer, sales motion, industry, urgency, and the deal stage.

A strong engagement strategy does not rely on only one channel. Instead, it coordinates touchpoints so buyers receive timely, relevant communication without feeling overwhelmed.

Email

Email is one of the most common sales engagement channels because it is scalable, trackable, and easy to personalize. Reps use email for cold outreach, follow-ups, meeting confirmations, content sharing, proposal delivery, and re-engagement.

Effective sales emails are specific and relevant. They should explain why the rep is reaching out, connect to a buyer pain point, and make the next step clear.

Phone calls

Calls are useful when a deal requires faster clarification, stronger relationship-building, or more direct qualification. Outbound calls can help reps reach prospects who do not respond to email, while scheduled calls and demos create opportunities for deeper discovery.

Phone engagement works best when reps have context. A call based on a recent form fill, content download, meeting request, or buying signal is usually stronger than a completely cold call.

LinkedIn and social selling

LinkedIn can support sales engagement by helping reps research prospects, connect with decision-makers, comment on relevant posts, and share useful content. Social engagement is often most effective when it builds familiarity before or alongside direct outreach.

The goal is not to spam prospects with generic connection requests. It is to use social channels to understand buyer context and build more credible relationships.

Live chat and website engagement

Website chat, chatbots, and real-time routing tools can help teams engage inbound visitors when interest is high. This is especially useful for buyers who are already researching product pages, pricing pages, or demo options.

Live chat can also help qualify buyers, answer questions, book meetings, and route prospects to the right rep.

Meetings and demos

Meetings and demos are high-value engagement points because they allow reps to understand buyer needs, answer objections, and connect product value to specific problems.

Good meeting engagement extends beyond the meeting itself. It also includes preparation, agenda setting, follow-up notes, next-step confirmation, and post-demo content.

Sales content

Sales content can support engagement when it helps buyers make progress. This may include case studies, comparison guides, ROI calculators, product one-pagers, implementation resources, or industry-specific examples.

The best content is tied to the buyer’s stage. A top-of-funnel prospect may need educational content, while a late-stage buyer may need pricing, security documentation, or stakeholder-specific proof points.

Sales engagement strategies that work

Improving sales engagement requires more than adding another outreach channel. Teams need a repeatable strategy for targeting, personalization, timing, measurement, and follow-up.

The strategies below can help sales teams build stronger buyer relationships while keeping rep activity focused and measurable.

Define your ideal customer profile

Sales engagement starts with knowing who should be contacted. Without a clear ideal customer profile, reps may spend time engaging prospects who are unlikely to convert.

An ICP should define the types of accounts and buyers your team wants to prioritize. This may include company size, industry, revenue, geography, technology stack, job title, seniority, pain points, and buying triggers.

A clear ICP helps reps focus their outreach and helps managers evaluate whether engagement is happening with the right accounts.

Segment your audience

Not every prospect should receive the same message. Segmentation helps teams group buyers by shared traits, making outreach feel more relevant.

Common segments include:

• Industry
• Company size
• Persona
• Job function
• Funnel stage
• Product interest
• Lead source
• Region
• Technology used
• Engagement level

For example, a sales leader and a RevOps manager may both care about pipeline growth, but they may respond to different messages. The sales leader may focus on quota attainment, while RevOps may focus on automation, data quality, and routing.

Use multichannel sequences

A sales sequence is a planned series of touchpoints across one or more channels. It may include emails, calls, LinkedIn steps, reminders, and content shares.

A multichannel sequence helps reps stay consistent without relying on memory. It also gives prospects multiple ways to respond.

A simple sequence might include:

1. Personalized email
2. Follow-up call
3. LinkedIn profile view or connection request
4. Value-add email with a relevant resource
5. Second call attempt
6. Breakup or re-engagement email

The key is to space touchpoints thoughtfully and adjust based on buyer behavior. A prospect who opens several emails or visits a pricing page may deserve a different follow-up than someone who never engages.

Personalize beyond the first name

Personalization should go deeper than inserting a name or company into a template. Strong sales engagement uses relevant context to show why the outreach matters.

Useful personalization points include:

• Job role
• Industry
• Company growth
• Recent funding
• Hiring activity
• Technology stack
• Recent content engagement
• Known pain point
• Prior conversation
• Mutual connection
• Competitor or market change

The goal is not to write a completely custom email every time. It is to include enough relevant context that the message feels intentional.

Align outreach with buyer intent

Buyer intent signals can help reps understand when a prospect may be more open to engagement. These signals may include website visits, demo requests, content downloads, event attendance, comparison-page views, or third-party topic research.

Intent data should not be treated as a guaranteed buying signal, but it can help reps prioritize timing. A high-fit account showing recent interest in a relevant topic may deserve faster outreach than an account with no recent activity.

Create clear next steps

Every engagement should make the next step easy to understand. If a prospect responds positively, the rep should know what to do next. If a meeting ends, both sides should understand the follow-up action.

Clear next steps may include:

• Scheduling a discovery call
• Sending a case study
• Confirming stakeholders
• Sharing pricing information
• Booking a technical review
• Sending a proposal
• Following up on a specific date
• Introducing a solutions consultant

This prevents deals from stalling after a good conversation.

Track engagement metrics

Sales engagement should be measurable. Tracking engagement helps teams understand which messages, channels, and sequences are working.

Common sales engagement metrics include:

• Email open rate
• Email reply rate
• Call connect rate
• Meeting booked rate
• Sequence completion rate
• Content engagement
• Demo show rate
• Opportunity creation rate
• Time to first touch
• Follow-up completion rate
• Pipeline generated
• Conversion rate by channel

Metrics should be used to improve the process, not simply monitor rep activity. A high activity count does not always mean strong engagement. The real question is whether those activities are creating quality conversations and a pipeline.

Benefits of sales engagement tools

Sales engagement becomes harder to manage as teams add more prospects, channels, sequences, and follow-up steps. A small team may be able to manage outreach manually, but as volume grows, it becomes easier for reps to miss follow-ups, duplicate work, or lose track of which messages are actually moving buyers forward.

However, sales engagement tools can help teams bring structure to that process. They support the strategy behind buyer outreach by helping reps stay consistent, automate routine tasks, personalize communication, and give managers better visibility into engagement quality and pipeline impact.

More consistent follow-up

Sales engagement tools can automate reminders, create tasks, and enroll prospects in sequences. This reduces the chance that reps forget to follow up after a form fill, meeting, demo, or proposal.

Better rep productivity

Automation can reduce repetitive work such as sending manual follow-ups, logging emails, scheduling tasks, and updating records. This gives reps more time to focus on conversations that require judgment and relationship-building.

Stronger personalization at scale

Templates, snippets, dynamic fields, and account context can help reps personalize outreach faster. The goal is to scale relevant messaging without sending the same generic message to every buyer.

Improved visibility for managers

Sales managers can use engagement data to see which reps are completing follow-ups, which sequences are working, and where buyers are responding. This helps with coaching, forecasting, and process improvement.

Cleaner CRM activity data

When engagement tools sync with a CRM, teams can automatically log emails, calls, meetings, and activity history. This helps reduce manual data entry and creates a more complete view of each account.

Better sales and marketing alignment

Sales engagement tools can help sales and marketing teams understand which campaigns, content, and messages are producing conversations. This feedback loop can improve lead nurturing, sales content, and campaign strategy.

What to look for in a sales engagement solution

A sales engagement solution should support your team’s actual outreach process, not force reps into a workflow that does not fit how they sell. The best tool will depend on your sales motion, team size, channels, CRM setup, and reporting needs.

When comparing sales engagement tools, focus on the capabilities that help reps engage buyers more effectively and help managers understand what is working.

Multichannel engagement

Look for tools that support the channels your team actually uses, such as email, phone, LinkedIn, SMS, live chat, or meetings. A platform should help reps coordinate touchpoints across channels rather than treat each one as a separate activity.

Sales sequences and automation

Sequences help reps follow a planned outreach process. Look for tools that allow users to build, test, pause, and adjust sequences based on buyer behavior.

Automation should reduce repetitive tasks while still allowing reps to personalize important moments.

CRM integration

A sales engagement platform should integrate with your CRM so activity data, contact records, opportunity details, and ownership information stay consistent. Poor integration can lead to duplicate records, missing activity history, and unreliable reporting.

Email and call tracking

Engagement tracking helps reps understand how prospects respond to outreach. Features may include email opens, link clicks, call outcomes, voicemail drops, meeting notes, and call recordings.

These insights can help reps time follow-up and help managers coach more effectively.

Templates and content management

Templates, snippets, and content libraries help reps deliver consistent messaging. Look for tools that make it easy to manage approved messaging while still giving reps room to tailor communication.

Analytics and reporting

Reporting should show more than activity volume. Strong sales engagement reporting connects outreach activity to meetings booked, opportunities created, pipeline generated, and conversion rates.

AI and conversation intelligence

Some sales engagement tools include AI-assisted email writing, call summaries, next-step recommendations, conversation analysis, and coaching insights. These features can be useful when they help reps move faster or managers identify patterns in buyer conversations.

Compliance and governance

Sales engagement tools should support responsible outreach. Look for features such as opt-out management, permission controls, data privacy support, email sending limits, and approved templates.

Bottom line

Sales engagement is the process of creating meaningful, measurable interactions with prospects and customers across the buying journey. It includes the messages, calls, meetings, follow-ups, and content that help buyers understand their options and move toward a decision.

A strong sales engagement strategy helps teams improve consistency, personalize outreach, prioritize interested buyers, and track which activities produce real pipeline. Sales engagement tools can support that process by automating repetitive tasks, organizing multichannel sequences, syncing activity with the CRM, and providing managers with better visibility into outreach performance.

If your team needs a more structured way to manage outreach, improve follow-up, and understand buyer engagement, ZoomInfo can help you compare sales engagement platforms and find a solution that fits your sales process. Compare sales engagement platforms with ZoomInfo.

Frequently asked questions

The post What Is Sales Engagement? Tools, Strategies, and Benefits appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Key takeaways

• Smartsheet combines the structure of a spreadsheet with the capabilities of a project management platform.
• Smartsheet’s enterprise-grade security and scalability features allow organizations to manage large portfolios and governance structures while protecting sensitive data.
• Dashboards are one of Smartsheet’s core features that summarize and share real-time data and project status with stakeholders for clear alignment between strategy and execution.

If you’ve outgrown Excel but aren’t ready to abandon the spreadsheet format, Smartsheet is worth a serious look. As a long time user, I can say Smartsheet builds on the familiarity of spreadsheets while adding project tracking, real-time reporting, and workflow automation in one place. However, it’s not always intuitive at first, especially if you’re moving into a full-featured work management platform like Smartsheet. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to set up, use, and optimize Smartsheet for different project uses.

Why use Smartsheet for project management

With so many project management tools available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. If you decide to go with Smartsheet, you’ll discover a platform that combines the spreadsheet layout with project management features. 

Here’s why Smartsheet stands out as a strong partner for your project management needs.

Getting started: Setup & initial configuration

A sheet serves as the central location for all your data, and how you set it up affects how you take advantage of Smartsheet. You can start with the default grid view, which you can customize by adding column types, labels, attachments. You can also select other views, such as table, board, or timeline, depending on your workflow. 

If you’re coming from Excel, the grid view is the easiest starting point since it lets you organize tasks quickly before layering in more advanced features like automation or reporting.

In my experience, starting with a template from the Solution Center significantly speeds up setup, especially for common use cases like project plans or task trackers, where much of the structure is already built in.

If you prefer to build from scratch, you can choose a different Smartsheet view that fits your project needs. The table below lists available Smartsheet project views.

Building a project plan

With Smartsheet, you build project plans that organize every task, resource, and deadline in one place. You can use its project plan template to define who is responsible for each task, set dates, and monitor risks or delays using color-coded status indicators. Once the plan is complete, you can switch views to visualize progress and scheduling in the way that best suits your workflow.

What stood out to me here is how easy it is to switch between views. Once your data is in place, moving from grid to Gantt or calendar view gives you completely different perspectives without rebuilding your plan.

Beyond task tracking, Smartsheet makes it easy to connect your plan with dashboards and automation tools. Dashboards offers a widget-based display consisting of real-time data from Google Docs, YouTube, and Tabelau, allowing you to view progress, monitor priorities, and share updates at a glance. 

Here are additional project management features available in Smartsheet.

• Formulas and functions: Perform calculations, link data across sheets, and automate updates.
• Forms: Collect client data for requests, events, or feedback through branded, mobile-ready forms with conditional logic.
• Workload Tracking: Monitor resource capacity and availability to balance team workloads.
• Text and Summaries: Use generative AI to create or refine sheet content and store results directly within the sheet.
• Critical Path: Identify the sequence of tasks that determine your project’s completion date.
• Dependencies: Manage task relationships so when one task’s schedule changes, connected timelines update automatically.

Collaboration & workflow automation

Smartsheet simplifies collaboration by bringing communication, files, and feedback into one shared workspace. You can use the Conversations feature to tie discussions to specific rows or tasks, so it’s easier to trace decisions and maintain context throughout a project. 

The File Library supports asynchronous teamwork by storing project documents in one place, so every stakeholder can access updated files without switching between tools. This ensures faster turnaround times for approvals, especially when multiple contributors are working toward shared deadlines.

Sharing in Smartsheet helps teams maintain control while promoting transparency. You can give collaborators inside or outside your organization access and set permissions that match their role, from view-only to full ownership. 

Smartsheet users can share sheets with anyone, including non-licensed users, with no limit on the number of collaborators. Published sheets can be accessed without signing in, giving clients or partners visibility into progress.

Automation takes collaboration further by sending alerts, reminders, or approvals directly through email, Slack, or Teams. Teams can collaborate on documents in real time and sign PDFs directly within the platform.

One thing I noticed when using Smartsheet is how quickly you can set up basic automation workflows, like alerts or approval requests, which can immediately reduce manual follow-ups for project managers.

Formulas & functions

Formulas in Smartsheet work similarly to Excel: click a cell, type an equal sign, and enter your calculation or function. Smartsheet supports standard operators like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, along with comparison operators for building conditional logic.

Column formulas are worth setting up early. Build a formula once in a single cell, convert it to a column formula, and Smartsheet applies it automatically to every row, including new ones added later.

To use a function like SUM, AVG, or IF, type the equal sign followed by the function name and its required syntax, then press Enter to return the result. If you’re unsure which function to use, the toolbar’s dropdown arrow lists all available functions with brief descriptions.

For multi-cell use, drag-fill copies a formula to adjacent cells by dragging from the lower-right corner of the selected cell. To keep a reference fixed as you copy, add a dollar sign in front of the column name or row number.

One thing to note: formulas can’t be entered directly in forms, reports, or dashboards, but the results of formulas built in sheets will still display in those views.

Reporting & managing progress

Smartsheet gives you a real-time portfolio view that surfaces at-risk projects and top issues so you can address them early. Dashboards are where Smartsheet really stands out. They make it much easier to communicate project status to stakeholders without having to compile updates manually.

The Control Center, Smartsheet’s niche feature, standardizes project assets, including task plans, dashboard, budget, RAID log, and status report, then automates how new projects are created and managed. This automatically compiles portfolio data so leaders can view project status, budget performance, and risk levels in one consolidated report.

As your organization adds more projects, the real-time portfolio view displays project status, budget data, and goal alignment in one dashboard. When new projects are approved, the Control Center adds them to the portfolio automatically so teams can track results and ensure delivery is on schedule.

Here are reporting and progress-tracking features available in Smartsheet:

• Automated project creation and standardized assets for consistent metrics. 
• Centralized demand intake that ties investments to strategy. 
• Real-time portfolio dashboards that auto-add new projects. 
• Change management at scale from a single console. 
• WorkApps and Resource Management for guided execution and capacity planning.  

When Smartsheet is the right fit (and when it’s not)

Smartsheet is a powerful platform, but it works best in specific scenarios. Based on how it’s designed, here’s where it tends to shine and where it may fall short.

When Smartsheet works best

• You’re scaling operations across teams or departments: Smartsheet’s portfolio and governance features support larger organizations with more complex needs.
• You’re moving beyond Excel but want a familiar structure: Smartsheet’s grid view makes it easy for spreadsheet users to transition without a steep learning curve.
• You need structured project tracking and reporting: It’s especially effective for PMOs or teams managing multiple projects that require standardized processes and consistent reporting.
• Stakeholder visibility is a priority: Dashboards and automated reports make it easier to share real-time updates with leadership or clients without manual effort.
• Your workflows involve approvals or repeatable processes: Automation features help streamline task assignments, approvals, and status updates across teams.

When Smartsheet may not be the best choice

• You want a simple, plug-and-play tool: Smartsheet’s flexibility can come with a learning curve, especially for smaller teams that just need basic task tracking.
• You prefer highly visual, drag-and-drop interfaces: Tools like Trello or ClickUp may feel more intuitive if your team prioritizes visual workflows over structured data.
• You’re looking for a free solution: Smartsheet doesn’t offer a free plan, which may be a barrier for individuals or budget-conscious teams.
• Your projects require frequent, rapid changes: While Smartsheet supports flexibility, it’s better suited for structured workflows than highly iterative environments.

Best practices for using Smartsheet

Smartsheet offers powerful tools for project management, but maximizing its value depends on how you utilize it. Follow these Smartsheet tips to manage projects efficiently.

1. Centralize key project details: Build a project summary page to consolidate invoices, budgeting, and project lists into one view.
2. Visualize timelines effectively: Use the Gantt chart view when you need oversight of task durations and relationships to finish dates.
3. Maintain accurate schedules: Enable Dependencies so task dates adjust automatically when prior activities change, improving schedule accuracy.
4. Test workflows before launch: Begin with a test workflow when setting up automation so you can validate triggers and notifications before they go live.
5. Automate status updates: Set up update-request workflows that prompt task owners for progress details and remove the need for manual follow-ups.
6. Standardize project structure: Standardize sheet structure and processes so new projects feed data into dashboards and reduce redundant work.  
7. Link data between sheets: Use cell links to reference specific values from one sheet in another, ensuring data remains synchronized across workflows.
8. Automate cross-sheet calculations: Apply cross-sheet formulas (e.g., LOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH) to automate lookups and calculations that span multiple sheets to eliminate manual entry.
9. Scale data connections efficiently: Use column links to map information across sheets by referencing entire columns with a unique identifier instead of using formulas.

Bottom line

Smartsheet is a strong choice for teams that want the familiarity of spreadsheets combined with the structure of a project management platform. It’s particularly effective for organizations that need standardized workflows, detailed reporting, and scalable project oversight.

However, teams looking for a more visual or lightweight tool may find alternatives like Asana or monday.com easier to adopt. Ultimately, Smartsheet is best suited for users who value structure, automation, and data-driven project management.

FAQs

The post How to Use Smartsheet for Project Management in 2026 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

That matters because pipeline problems are rarely caused by a single bad deal. More often, they come from poor visibility, inconsistent sales stages, weak follow-up habits, inaccurate data, or forecasts based on guesswork instead of real deal movement.

When I evaluate sales pipeline management tools, I look for features that help sales reps take better next steps and for tools that help managers understand whether the team has enough healthy pipeline to hit revenue goals. Here are the most important capabilities to compare before choosing a platform.

Key features to look for in sales pipeline management software

Once you understand the pipeline problems you need to solve, the next step is comparing how different platforms support your sales process. The features below can help you evaluate whether a tool will improve visibility, rep productivity, forecasting accuracy, and overall pipeline health.

Use this list as a practical checklist during demos and vendor comparisons. A small team may not need every feature right away, but the right sales pipeline management software should support your team’s approach to qualifying, tracking, prioritizing, and closing opportunities.

1. Customizable pipeline stages

Every sales team has a process, but not every process fits neatly into a default CRM template. Good sales pipeline management software should let you customize stages to reflect how your team actually sells.

At a minimum, you should be able to create, rename, reorder, and remove deal stages. You should also be able to define what needs to happen before a deal moves forward. For example, a team might require a discovery call before moving a deal to “qualified,” or a signed proposal before moving it to “contract sent.”

Look for tools that support:

• Custom deal stages
• Multiple pipelines for different products or teams
• Stage-specific required fields
• Deal probability by stage
• Stage-based automation
• Pipeline views by team, owner, region, or product line

This is especially useful for businesses with multiple sales motions. A transactional SMB sale may have only a few stages, while an enterprise sale may require technical review, procurement, legal approval, and executive sign-off.

What to ask vendors: Can we create separate pipelines for different teams, products, or deal types without creating duplicate records or messy reporting?

2. Visual pipeline views

A visual pipeline view helps sales reps and managers quickly understand what is happening across active opportunities. Most sales pipeline management tools include a board or Kanban-style view, but their usefulness depends on how much context they provide.

A strong pipeline view should show:

• Deal value
• Deal owner
• Current stage
• Expected close date
• Last activity
• Next scheduled activity
• Deal age
• Stalled or at-risk status

The goal is not just to make the pipeline look organized. The goal is to help reps see what needs attention and help managers spot bottlenecks before they affect revenue.

For example, if several deals are stuck in the proposal stage, that may indicate pricing friction, slow legal review, or weak follow-up. If many new opportunities enter the pipeline but few become qualified, the issue may be poor lead quality or overly strict qualification criteria.

What to ask vendors: Can users filter the pipeline by deal age, next activity, close date, value, and owner?

3. Lead and deal scoring

Lead and deal scoring help teams prioritize opportunities based on fit, engagement, and likelihood of closing. This is especially valuable when reps have more prospects than they can realistically work at once.

A basic scoring model may assign points based on actions like email opens, form fills, demo requests, or website visits. A more advanced model may include firmographic fit, buying intent, sales activity, historical win patterns, and CRM data.

Look for scoring capabilities that account for:

• Company size
• Industry
• Buyer role
• Engagement activity
• Email and call history
• Website behavior
• Deal stage
• Opportunity value
• Historical conversion patterns
• Time since last activity

Scoring should make prioritization easier, not more confusing. If reps cannot understand why a deal is ranked highly, they are less likely to trust the score.

What to ask vendors: Can we customize the scoring model, and does the platform explain why a lead or deal received a certain score?

4. Activity tracking and next-step management

A healthy pipeline depends on consistent activity. Sales pipeline management software should make it easy to track calls, emails, meetings, notes, tasks, and next steps without forcing reps to spend too much time on manual data entry.

Look for activity tracking features such as:

• Call logging
• Email sync
• Meeting scheduling
• Task reminders
• Follow-up sequences
• Notes and call outcomes
• Activity history by deal or account
• Alerts for deals with no recent activity

The most useful systems make the next steps visible directly inside the pipeline. A rep should be able to look at a deal and immediately know what happened last, what needs to happen next, and when the next action is due.

This also helps managers coach more effectively. Instead of asking vague questions like “What’s going on with this deal?” they can review the actual activity history and focus on whether the next step is strong enough to move the opportunity forward.

What to ask vendors: Can the system flag deals without a scheduled next step?

5. Automation for repetitive sales tasks

Automation is one of the main reasons to invest in dedicated sales pipeline management software instead of relying on spreadsheets. The right automations reduce manual work and help keep deals from slipping through the cracks.

Useful automation features may include:

• Follow-up reminders
• Task creation when deals move stages
• Email sequences
• Deal assignment rules
• Lead routing
• Stage movement triggers
• Stale deal alerts
• Renewal reminders
• Proposal or contract workflow triggers

Automation should support the sales process without removing human judgment. For example, automatically creating a follow-up task after a demo is helpful. Automatically moving every deal to the next stage after an email reply may create data quality issues if the reply does not indicate real buying interest.

What to ask vendors: Which automations are included in the base plan, and which require a higher-tier package?

6. Forecasting and revenue visibility

Pipeline software should help leaders understand whether the team is likely to hit its number. This requires more than adding up every open deal in the CRM.

Look for forecasting features that show:

• Weighted pipeline value
• Forecast by stage
• Forecast by rep or team
• Expected close dates
• Commit, best-case, and pipeline categories
• Historical forecast accuracy
• Deal slippage
• Pipeline coverage ratios

Forecasting is only useful if the underlying data is trustworthy. If reps do not update close dates, probabilities, or deal stages, the forecast becomes unreliable. That is why forecasting tools should work alongside data quality checks, required fields, and deal health indicators.

What to ask vendors: Can managers see which deals changed since the last forecast review?

7. Pipeline analytics and reporting

Sales pipeline management tools should make it easy to understand where deals are being created, where they are slowing down, and where revenue is being lost.

Strong reporting should include:

• Pipeline value
• Win rate
• Average deal size
• Sales cycle length
• Stage conversion rates
• Deal velocity
• Source performance
• Rep activity
• Lost deal reasons
• Forecast accuracy
• Pipeline created vs pipeline closed

These metrics help sales leaders move from anecdotal coaching to evidence-based decisions. For example, if one rep has a strong close rate but few qualified opportunities, they may need more support with prospecting. If another rep creates many opportunities but loses most after discovery, they may need help with qualification.

What to ask vendors: Can we build custom dashboards for reps, managers, executives, and RevOps?

8. CRM and sales tool integrations

Sales pipeline management software often overlaps with CRM software, and many teams use pipeline features inside their CRM. Whether you choose a full CRM or a specialized sales pipeline tool, integrations matter.

Common integrations include:

• Email platforms
• Calendar tools
• Calling software
• Marketing automation platforms
• Sales engagement tools
• Proposal and e-signature tools
• Billing or invoicing software
• Business intelligence tools
• Customer support platforms

A disconnected tool can create more work than it saves. If reps have to update deal data in multiple systems, adoption will suffer, and reporting will become less reliable.

What to ask vendors: Does the platform sync activity, contact, account, and deal data bi-directionally with our current CRM and sales tools?

9. Data quality and pipeline hygiene features

Pipeline visibility depends on clean data. If the system is full of duplicate accounts, outdated contacts, missing close dates, and abandoned deals, managers cannot trust the pipeline.

Look for hygiene features such as:

• Required fields by stage
• Duplicate detection
• Data enrichment
• Inactive deal alerts
• Close date warnings
• Missing next-step alerts
• Standardized loss reasons
• Permission controls
• Audit history

Data quality features are especially important for teams with longer sales cycles or multiple stakeholders. A deal may be worked by an SDR, account executive, solutions consultant, sales manager, and customer success team before it closes. Without clean records, handoffs become harder and customer context gets lost.

What to ask vendors: Can the platform automatically identify stale deals, missing fields, or inconsistent stage movement?

10. Contact and account intelligence

Pipeline management is not only about deals. It is also about understanding the people and companies behind those deals.

Sales teams need easy access to account and contact intelligence, including:

• Company size
• Industry
• Revenue range
• Location
• Technology stack
• Contact role
• Buying committee relationships
• Recent engagement
• Past conversations
• Intent or interest signals

This is where sales pipeline management software can overlap with sales intelligence tools. Better account data helps reps personalize outreach, qualify opportunities more accurately, and focus on prospects that are more likely to buy.

What to ask vendors: Can reps access account and contact insights inside the pipeline view, or do they need to switch to another tool?

11. Collaboration and handoff support

Sales pipelines often involve more than one person. SDRs qualify leads, account executives run demos, sales engineers support technical reviews, managers coach deals, and customer success teams prepare for onboarding.

Good sales pipeline management software should support collaboration through:

• Shared notes
• Deal mentions or comments
• Task assignments
• Internal notifications
• Approval workflows
• Handoff fields
• File attachments
• Team-based pipeline views

This is especially important for teams with complex sales cycles. If critical context lives in private notes, email threads, or Slack messages, the pipeline will not show the full story.

What to ask vendors: Can multiple team members collaborate on a deal without losing ownership, accountability, or history?

12. Ease of use and adoption

The best sales pipeline management software is the one your team will actually use. A feature-rich system will not improve pipeline performance if reps avoid updating it.

During evaluation, pay close attention to:

• Interface simplicity
• Mobile access
• Number of clicks to update a deal
• Email and calendar sync
• Search functionality
• Dashboard clarity
• Training requirements
• Admin complexity

Ask vendors to show the rep experience, not just the manager dashboard. Reps should be able to update deals, log activity, schedule next steps, and quickly find customer context.

What to ask vendors: How long does it typically take a new sales rep to become productive in the platform?

13. AI-assisted pipeline management

Many modern sales pipeline management tools now include AI features. These can be useful, but they should be evaluated carefully.

Helpful AI features may include:

• Deal risk alerts
• Recommended next steps
• Forecasting support
• Lead scoring
• Email drafting
• Call summaries
• Activity capture
• Opportunity insights
• Pipeline trend detection

AI should help reps and managers make better decisions, not simply add another layer of noise. The best AI features and prospecting tools are tied to specific workflows, such as identifying at-risk deals, summarizing recent activity, or recommending which accounts to prioritize.

What to ask vendors: What data does the AI use, and can users verify or override its recommendations?

14. Scalability and permissions

A small sales team may only need a simple visual pipeline, task reminders, and basic reporting. A larger organization may need multiple pipelines, territory management, complex permissions, advanced reporting, integrations, and governance controls.

Before choosing a platform, consider whether the software can support:

• More users
• Multiple sales teams
• Multiple products
• Regional pipelines
• Role-based permissions
• Custom objects or fields
• Advanced reporting
• Enterprise security requirements
• API access

Switching pipeline systems can be disruptive, so it is worth considering where your sales process may be in 12 to 24 months.

What to ask vendors: What limitations should we expect as our team, pipeline volume, or reporting needs grow?

Sales pipeline management software checklist

Use this checklist when comparing sales pipeline management tools:

How to choose the right sales pipeline management tool

Start by analyzing the biggest pipeline problem you need to solve.

If reps are missing follow-ups, prioritize activity tracking, reminders, and automation. If managers do not trust the forecast, prioritize reporting, close date tracking, and pipeline hygiene. If reps are spending too much time on poor-fit opportunities, prioritize lead scoring, account intelligence, and qualification workflows.

A good evaluation process should include these steps:

1. Map your current sales process. Identify your actual stages, required activities, handoffs, and exit criteria.
2. Audit your current pipeline data. Look for missing fields, stale deals, duplicate accounts, and inconsistent close dates.
3. Define must-have features. Separate essential needs from nice-to-have features.
4. Test rep workflows. Make sure the software is easy for reps to update during real sales activity.
5. Review reporting needs. Confirm managers and executives can get the visibility they need.
6. Check integrations. Make sure the platform works with your CRM, email, calendar, and sales engagement tools.
7. Compare total cost. Include users, add-ons, implementation, training, and support.

Sales pipeline management software should make the sales process easier to follow, not harder to maintain. The right tool gives reps clarity, gives managers visibility, and gives leadership a more reliable view of future revenue.

Bottom line

The best sales pipeline management software gives reps a clear view of which deals need attention, what should happen next, and where opportunities are getting stuck. For managers and revenue leaders, it should also make forecasting more reliable by connecting deal activity, pipeline movement, and revenue visibility in one place.

Before choosing a platform, focus on the problems your team needs to solve first, whether that is inconsistent follow-up, poor pipeline hygiene, weak forecasting, or limited account visibility. If your team needs better account data, cleaner pipeline insights, and stronger prioritization, ZoomInfo can help sales teams identify better-fit prospects and manage opportunities with more context.

Compare sales pipeline management options with ZoomInfo.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The post What to Look for in Sales Pipeline Management Software appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Both teams matter, but neither can reliably own pay accuracy on its own.

Instead of looking only at departments, I think the better question is: why not give employees a bigger role in the payroll process?

Too often, they’re excluded until payday, when errors are already visible. That’s backward. Many pay issues start with details employees can verify before payroll closes, such as overtime hours, reimbursements, and benefit deductions.

Giving workers straightforward ways to review the pay-impacting details that belong to them helps reduce errors and catch problems closer to where they start.

HR and accounting can’t own it alone

Most organizations run payroll like a relay. Employees submit hours or pay-related updates, managers approve time off and overtime, HR reviews the data and processes payroll, and finance reconciles the numbers.

That standard setup puts most of the control at the end of the process. It works when every handoff is clean. It becomes risky when:

• Time approvals come in late
• Bonuses, rate changes, or reimbursements are approved outside the payroll cutoff
• Paid time off (PTO), leave, or schedule updates don’t sync with payroll
• Benefits deduction changes aren’t captured correctly
• Employee-entered updates, like direct deposit or tax status changes, sit in another system

HR and accounting can’t fully control or prevent these issues on their own. Many of them happen before HR reviews the pay data or before accounting sees the totals. The team running payroll can only work with the information that reaches the process in time.

This is where payroll ownership often breaks down. Companies organize accountability by department, but payroll accuracy depends on decision points: who entered the data, who approved it, who reviewed it, who funded it, and who caught the exception before the pay run closed.

For the business, this may look like a process gap. For employees, it can feel much bigger. Payroll errors affect their livelihood, and over time, they can damage trust, retention, and productivity. 

Also read: 5 Costly Payroll Errors and How to Avoid Them

Is the standard setup failing?

Not really, and not always. The traditional payroll workflow still works when pay processing is relatively simple: one location, mostly salaried employees, limited bonuses or reimbursements, few schedule changes, and minimal employee-entered updates.

The cracks usually show when payroll gets more variable. Multiple locations, mixed worker types, overtime, employee benefits updates, and direct deposit or tax status changes all add more places for information to arrive late, get reentered, or miss the pay run.

That is the real risk. Traditional payroll does not fail simply because HR or accounting dropped the ball. It fails when payroll variability outpaces the controls around it.

If you still depend on manual inputs, disconnected systems, or rekeying employee-owned data, the standard setup becomes harder to trust at scale. HR automation and integration are what keep it from turning into a correction cycle.

Many companies still aren’t there. According to an IRIS-sponsored HR.com 2025 research, only 39% of organizations said they had automated payroll to a high or very high level, while 43% cited the lack of technology integration as their top payroll management challenge. 

Employee-involved payroll: What it looks like

Employees don’t need to own compliance, calculate wages and taxes, or sign off on the final payroll run. But they’re often the most qualified people to verify the inputs that drive their own pay, such as:

• Regular and/or overtime hours logged
• PTO or leave taken
• Expense or reimbursement claims
• Direct deposit details
• Tax status or withholding
• Benefits deductions
• Benefit election changes after a life event 

Most of these are details employees either entered, requested, or generated themselves. Usually, they can tell when something looks off in any of these areas. The problem is that many payroll workflows don’t give employees one clear place to review those details before the pay run. 

This is the core idea behind payroll tools like Paycom’s Beti. It gives employees a guided way to review and approve their pay before the submission window closes, while surfacing items that need attention, such as missing punches or unapproved requests.

It’s a natural extension of what employees already do. They manage their own timesheets, submit expense claims, and update their own direct deposit and personal information. Beti connects those inputs to the paycheck, so employees can see how it all comes together before payroll runs—not after.

Beti also automatically starts the payroll each pay period, pulling together the work hours, expense claims, and compensation/deduction details it needs. It also doesn’t leave employees guessing how to fix errors or you wondering what’s left to resolve. Beti walks employees through the process, while giving you a dashboard to monitor the progress in real-time.

How payroll delivery affects ownership

Companies handle payroll in different ways. Many run it entirely in-house via software, while some outsource it to a third-party provider. Others use a combination of both: partnering with an external processor to handle tax filings while an in-house HR team manages the data inputs. 

While these setups change who processes payroll, they shouldn’t make the employee’s role confusing. Their responsibility should stay simple: review what belongs to them, quickly and securely. The same goes for people managers who are tasked with approving time or pay-related requests.

Done well, the service model becomes invisible to the employee, and the ownership model becomes obvious.

What this means for the employee experience

This is where payroll becomes part of the employee value proposition (EVP). Employees may not use that phrase, but they know what it feels like when pay is easy to understand and released on time. 

Payroll visibility is becoming part of employee experience because employees increasingly expect workplace systems to give them the same clarity they get from banking apps, benefits portals, and expense tools. When they can see the details that shape their paycheck before payroll is finalized, they’re not left guessing about changes to their take-home pay. They’re also not waiting on HR to explain what happened after payday.

So, what does this mean for you? 

Payroll improvements shouldn’t focus only on faster processing or cleaner back-office reporting. While those matter, employees also need simpler ways to check pay information and resolve questions without being routed through three people. 

In fact, ADP’s 2026 global payroll survey found that employee experience is becoming a bigger payroll priority as leaders focus on better visibility, accuracy, and responsiveness to improve employee trust and engagement.

This is where payroll software can help. Paycom’s Employee Self-Service, for example, puts that visibility directly into employees’ hands, giving them access to their pay history, personal information, benefits elections, documents, and other HR tools in one place.

Paycom adds another layer with IWant, its command-driven AI tool that pulls employee data from Paycom’s single database. Instead of going to HR for basic answers, employees can ask IWant about time off balances, pay, taxes, or how to update their information. This frees HR to focus on other higher-value work, such as improving process controls.

Getting pay right is the foundation

Every payroll ownership debate comes back to the same basic expectation: employees should be paid correctly, clearly, and on time.

That sounds simple, but it requires more than one team running the pay cycle. Payroll still needs an operational owner to manage deadlines, compliance, exceptions, and final processing. The details behind each paycheck, however, come from several places.

I believe payroll ownership should be designed around who controls the data at each step, not around which department historically ran the process.

The cleanest ownership model is practical:

• Employees own the accuracy of their own inputs, such as hours, expenses, and personal data. Give them a pre-submission window and the tools to verify it.
• Managers own timely approvals for time, PTO, overtime, and schedule changes.
• HR owns the process, compliance oversight, training, and escalations. With a cleaner system, HR shifts from manual error-chasing to monitoring and exception handling.
• Finance owns the ledger, funding, reconciliation, and controls. That work gets easier when the underlying data has already been verified by the people closest to it.
• The platform connects the workflow so inputs, approvals, and reviews don’t depend on manual handoffs.

This is payroll governance, not just administration. It turns payroll from a processor-led function into an exception-based workflow where the right people verify the right information at the right control points.

When payroll is designed this way, it becomes less reactive and easier to trust. Everyone knows what they own before payday, instead of sorting it out after something goes wrong.

Also read: 14 Must-Have HR System Features

Frequently asked questions

The post Who Should Own Payroll in 2026? Hint: It’s Not HR or Accounting appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

To help you find the right fit, I reviewed the top call center CRM platforms and narrowed the list to five providers based on features, pricing, ease of use, integrations, and best-fit use cases.

Our top call center CRM picks for 2026:

Top 5 call center CRM software comparison

What is a call center CRM, and why is it important?

A call center CRM is customer relationship management software that helps teams manage customer calls, contact records, communication history, and follow-up tasks from one centralized platform. It gives agents quick access to the context they need during inbound and outbound calls, including previous conversations, open deals or tickets, customer preferences, and next steps.

Using a call center CRM can help sales and support teams reduce manual work, respond to customers faster, and deliver more consistent service. It also gives managers better visibility into call activity, agent performance, customer trends, and operational bottlenecks.

Also read: 

• Best Call Center Software & Tools
• Best Customer Service Software

Zoho CRM: Best for customization and affordability

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Overall Score

4.64/5

Pricing

4.38/5

General features and interface

4.43/5

Core features

5/5

Call center-specific features

4.64/5

Integration and compatibility

5/5

UX

4.75/5

User scores

4.3/5

Pros

• Mobile app includes call logging, sales tracking, and business card scanning
• Omnichannel communication
• Automates call center tasks and customizes workflows
• Powerful lead management with Zia AI
• Affordable pricing and a free plan

Cons

• Add-ons increase costs significantly
• Limitations in the free version

Why I chose Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a strong choice for call centers that need a flexible, affordable platform they can customize as they grow. Its paid plans start at $14 per user per month (on the annual plan) and include core tools like call logging, lead scoring, sales forecasting, and basic automation, making it a practical option for small and growing teams.

Higher-tier plans add more advanced capabilities, including real-time SalesSignals notifications, workflow blueprints, Zia AI insights, customizable dashboards, and CommandCenter for automating complex customer journeys. Zoho also supports omnichannel customer management and integrates with a wide range of third-party apps, helping teams manage phone, email, social, and other interactions from one system.

Gallery

Key features

• Telephony integration: Supports one-click dialing, call logging, and recording, fully integrated with major telephony systems​.
• Call analytics: Tracks key metrics like call duration and response rates to monitor performance​.
• Automatic call routing: Distributes incoming calls to the right agent using predefined rules​.
• IVR system integration: Works with IVR to automate call routing and provide self-service options​.
• Omnichannel contact management: Manages interactions across phone, email, live chat, and social media in one platform​.
• Real-time monitoring: Allows managers to listen to live calls and provide coaching without disrupting the interaction​.

Pricing

• Free plan
  • Up to 3 users
  • Leads, deals, workflows, reports, and a mobile app
• Standard: $20/user/month
  • Workflows & assignment rules
  • AI agents
  • Cadences
  • Reports & dashboards
  • Sales forecasting
  • Self-service kiosks
• Professional: $35/user/month
  •  CPQ
  • Email intelligence
  • Process automation
  • Widgets
  • Inventory management
  • Google Ads integration
• Enterprise: $50/user/month
  • AI sales assistant
  • Journey orchestration
  • Territory management
  • Custom functions
  • Wizards
  • Customer portals
• Ultimate: $65/user/month
  • Enhanced feature limits
  • Consulting
  • Migration assistance
  • Custom AI/ML
  • Data preparation

Read our full review

Bitrix24: Best for comprehensive free features

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Overall Score

4.51/5

Pricing

4.58/5

General features and interface

4.55/5

Core features

4.82/5

Call center-specific features

4.46/5

Integration and compatibility

5/5

UX

4/5

User scores

4.17/5

Pros

• Free plan with call center features
• Omnichannel communication
• Strong customization options
• Task management tools like Kanban boards and Gantt charts
• Built-in telephony

Cons

• Complex interface
• Add-ons for full functionality

Why I chose Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a strong option for budget-conscious teams that need CRM, communication, and collaboration tools in one platform. Its free plan includes useful features for call center workflows, such as lead capture, deal management, task management, and basic automation.

Bitrix24 also stands out for its built-in telephony and CRM-linked call activity, which can help smaller teams manage calls without immediately adding separate phone or project management tools. Its combination of contact management, multichannel communication, workflows, and team collaboration makes it a practical choice for businesses seeking broad functionality at a low upfront cost.

Gallery

Key features

• Integrated telephony: Manage calls with built-in one-click calling, call recording, and routing from the CRM​.
• Omnichannel support: Handle interactions across phone, email, live chat, and social media within a unified platform​
• Lead management: Capture and track leads automatically, with tools for segmentation and prioritization​.
• Customizable pipelines: Create multiple, fully customizable pipelines to manage and track deals​.
• Real-time reporting: Get real-time call data and performance metrics to improve operations​.
• Automated call routing: Automatically route incoming calls to the appropriate agents based on predefined rules.

Pricing

• Free plan
  • Up to 2 users
  • 5 GB storage
  • Basic CRM (deals, contacts)
  • Tasks (Kanban, Gantt)
  • Shared calendars
  • Chat & video calls
• Basic: $69/month
  • Up to 5 users
  • 24 GB storage
  • Sales pipelines
  • Recurring deals
  • Email integration
  • Telephony
  • Web form designer
  • Website builder
• Standard: $144/month
  • Up to 50 users
  • 100 GB storage
  • Sales automation
  • Unlimited leads
  • Invoices & estimates
  • Online payments
  • WhatsApp marketing
  • E-commerce
  • Recurring tasks
  • Unlimited projects
• Professional: $289/user/month
  • Up to 100 users
  • 1024 GB storage
  • AI-powered sales
  • Call tracking
  • Email marketing
  • Workflow automation
  • Ad automation
  • Analytics & reporting tools
  • Task automation
  • RPA
  • E-signature
  • Unlimited boards
  • Booking
  • HR management tools
  • Employee hours tracking
• Enterprise: $579/user/month
  • Up to 250 users
  • 3 TB storage
  • Unlimited branch accounts
  • Centralized management
  • Distributed servers
  • SOC-compliant AWS hosting
  • High-performance cluster
  • API boost
  • Encryption at rest
  • Dynamic load balancing
  • 99.95% SLA guarantee
  • Active Directory integration
  • Login history
  • 30-day backup period
  • Multi-level permissions
  • Custom branding
  • Priority customer support

Read our full review

HubSpot Sales Hub: Best for sales and marketing integration

Visit Website

Overall Score

4.41/5

Pricing

4.58/5

General features and interface

4.43/5

Core features

3.75/5

Call center-specific features

4.64/5

Integration and compatibility

5/5

UX

5/5

User scores

4.38/5

Pros

• Call tracking, VoIP integration, and automatic call logging
• Advanced automation for email follow-ups, lead rotation, and deal updates
• Customizable pipelines
• Over 150 pre-built reports with customizable options

Cons

• No built-in social media management in Sales Hub
• Limited pipelines in lower plans

Why I chose HubSpot Sales Hub

HubSpot Sales Hub is a strong option for call centers that want sales, marketing, and customer data in one connected platform. It helps teams manage calls, emails, website activity, lead engagement, and deal tracking without relying heavily on separate tools.

Its CRM includes calling, email tracking, pipeline management, automation, reporting, and lead scoring, with more advanced features available on higher-tier plans. For teams already using HubSpot’s marketing or service tools, Sales Hub offers a unified view of customer activity, making lead follow-up and customer conversations easier to manage.

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Key features

• Call tracking and logging: HubSpot tracks and logs all calls automatically for later review​.
• VoIP integration: Allows agents to make calls directly from their browser via integrated VoIP​.
• Automated call queue: Prioritizes calls based on engagement data, helping agents focus on key interactions​.
• Click-to-call: Enables agents to initiate calls directly from contact records​
• Call recording: Records calls for training and quality assurance, stored in the CRM for easy retrieval​.
• Customizable dashboards: Offers customizable dashboards and reports to track key metrics​

Pricing

• Free
  • Up to 2 users
  • Free Marketing tools
  • Free Sales tools
  • Free Service tools
  • Free Content tools
  • Free Data tools
  • Free Commerce tools
• Starter: $10/seat/month
  • 500 HubSpot credits
  • Breeze Assistant
  • Calling
  • Data Agent
  • Intent signals
  • Repeating tasks and task queues
• Professional: $100/seat/month
  • 3,000 HubSpot credits
  • Conversation intelligence
  • Forecasting
  • Sales analytics
  • Sales workspace
  • Smart Deal Progression
• Enterprise: $150/user/month
  • AI transcript enrichment
  • Custom Channels API
  • Deal splits
  • Deal journey analytics
  • Lead Form Routing
  • Pipeline approvals for Deals

Read our full review

Nextiva: Best for VoIP integration

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Overall Score

4.37/5

Pricing

3.13/5

General features and interface

3.98/5

Core features

4.82/5

Call center-specific features

4.82/5

Integration and compatibility

4.79/5

UX

4.5/5

User scores

4.57/5

Pros

• “Call Pop” feature
• Highly reliable call quality and uptime
• Gamification features
• Built-in VoIP system

Cons

• Call recording is only available at higher tiers
• High starting cost for call center features

Why I chose Nextiva

Nextiva is a strong choice for teams that prioritize VoIP, call management, and scalable customer communication. It supports omnichannel interactions across voice, email, chat, and social media, giving agents a unified view of customer conversations.

Its contact center features include skills-based routing, real-time monitoring, call recording, toll-free numbers, inbound call center tools, AI-powered IVR, and advanced routing. Nextiva also integrates with CRM platforms like Salesforce and Zoho, making it a good fit for businesses that need robust communication tools alongside their existing customer management systems.

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Key features

• Call pop: Displays customer details before agents answer, improving personalized service.
• Skills-based routing: Routes calls to the most qualified agents, speeding up resolutions​.
• Advanced IVR: Automates call flows with speech recognition, guiding customers through menus​.
• Real-time analytics: Tracks call center metrics like call volume and agent activity for optimization​.
• Omnichannel integration: Manages voice, email, chat, SMS, and social media interactions from one platform​.
• Call recording and monitoring: Records and monitors calls for quality assurance and agent coaching.

Pricing

• Core: $15/user/month
  • Inbound & Outbound Voice
  • Business SMS
  • Video Meetings
  • Screen & File Sharing
  • Call Routing
  • Team Chat
  • Mobile App
• Engage: $50/user/month
  • Customer-to-Team SMS
  • Toll-Free Number & Minutes
  • Advanced Reporting
  • Inbound Call Center
  • Live Chat & Chatbot
• Scale: $75/user/month
  • Voice & Web Chat
  • Blended Inbound & Outbound
  • AI Transcription & Summary
  • Skills-Based Routing
  • Journey Orchestration

Read our full review

Pipedrive: Best for sales-focused teams

Visit Website

Overall Score

4.29/5

Pricing

3.54/5

General features and interface

4.2/5

Core features

4.46/5

Call center-specific features

4.46/5

Integration and compatibility

4.79/5

UX

5/5

User scores

4.46/5

Pros

• Real-time data access
• Easy to use
• Integrates smoothly with telephony systems
• Customizable pipelines

Cons

• Limited email features on lower plans
• Add-ons can increase costs significantly

Why I chose Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a strong choice for sales-focused call centers that need a simple way to manage leads, deals, and follow-ups. Its visual pipelines help teams track opportunities in real time, while workflow automation supports tasks like follow-up scheduling and activity reminders.

Pipedrive also connects with telephony tools like Aircall for one-click calling, automatic call logging, and call activity tracking. Combined with sales reporting and customer interaction history, these features help agents prioritize leads, personalize outreach, and move deals through the pipeline more efficiently.

Also read: 6 Best VoIP Software & Providers

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Key features

• Call logging and recording: Automatically logs and records calls for better tracking and training​.
• Telephony integrations: Integrates with tools like Aircall for one-click calling and automatic call logging​.
• Workflow automation: Automates tasks like call routing and scheduling to improve efficiency​.
• Customizable pipelines: Allows for fully customizable sales pipelines tailored to your specific workflows​.
• Real-time analytics: Provides detailed analytics on call center performance, including call durations and conversion rates​.
• Smart contact data: Enriches customer profiles with data from past interactions for personalized service.

Pricing

• Lite: $19/seat/month
  • Lead, calendar, and pipeline management
  • AI-powered report creation
  • Real-time sales feed
  • 500+ integrations
  • Personalized onboarding
• Growth: $34/seat/month
  • Full email sync with tracking
  • Automations and nurturing sequences
  • Subscriptions and forecast reports
  • Meeting scheduler and contacts timeline
  • Live chat support
• Premium: $64/seat/month
  • Lead generation and routing
  • Custom scoring and company data enrichment
  • AI-powered multi-email tools
  • Contracts and e-signatures
  • Enhanced customization for teams, reports, and data fields
• Ultimate: $89/seat/month
  • Fortified account security with rules and alerts
  • Phone and email data enrichment
  • Sandbox testing account
  • Extended phone support
  • Partnership discounts

Read our full review

How to choose the best call center CRM software

The best call center CRM depends on how your team handles customer conversations, what tools you already use, and whether your priority is sales, support, or all-in-one communication. Use these factors to narrow your options:

1. Start with your main use case

Identify whether your team needs a CRM primarily for sales calls, customer support, inbound call routing, outbound outreach, or multichannel communication. This will help you focus on platforms with the right mix of calling, contact management, automation, and reporting tools instead of comparing features you may not actually use.

2. Check your call center requirements

Before comparing pricing, make sure the platform supports your must-have call center workflows. Look for features such as:

• Call logging and recording
• Click-to-call or built-in calling
• IVR and call routing
• Call queues and agent assignment
• Real-time reporting and performance dashboards
• Integrations with your phone system or contact center software

For example, Nextiva is a stronger fit if voice calling is central to your operation, while HubSpot, Zoho CRM, and Pipedrive may be better if you want call activity tied closely to sales or customer records.

3. Match the CRM to your team size and budget

Small teams may prefer platforms with free plans, low starting costs, or simple setup. Bitrix24, HubSpot, and Zoho CRM are good options to evaluate if affordability is a priority.

Growing teams should also consider whether the CRM can scale with more users, advanced automation, analytics, and integrations. A low-cost plan may work at first, but costs can increase as you add users, calling features, storage, or automation tools.

4. Prioritize ease of use

Call center agents need to find customer details quickly while handling live conversations. A CRM with too many clicks, confusing dashboards, or limited search tools can slow down response times.

Look for a platform with:

• Clean contact records
• Easy call notes and follow-up task creation
• Fast access to call history
• Simple reporting dashboards
• Minimal setup and training requirements

5. Review integrations before you commit

Your CRM should work with the tools your team already uses, especially your phone system, help desk, email, calendar, marketing platform, and reporting tools.

HubSpot Sales Hub is a strong option for teams already using HubSpot’s marketing or service tools. Pipedrive works well for sales teams that rely on integrations to connect calling, lead generation, and workflow automation. Zoho CRM is a good fit for businesses that want flexibility across a broader software ecosystem.

6. Test the platform when possible

Use free plans, trials, or demos to test the daily agent experience before choosing a provider. During the trial, check how easy it is to:

• Import contacts
• Place or log calls
• Create follow-up tasks
• View customer history
• Build reports
• Connect your phone or communication tools

A call center CRM should make customer conversations easier to manage, not add extra work for your team.

Also read: CRM Types: Which CRM Software is Right for You?

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The post 5 Best Call Center CRM Software for 2026 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

For most businesses, Vonage is the best cloud phone system for customization because it combines core calling, messaging, video meetings, app integrations, and add-on flexibility. However, the right provider depends on your needs:

Best cloud phone systems compared

Vonage: Best for customizable phone system

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Pros

• Offers mobile and desktop apps across plans
• Includes team messaging and video meetings on higher-tier plans
• Supports add-on features and integrations for greater customization
• Provides desk phone support on Premium and Advanced plans
• Good fit for businesses that want flexible communication features

Cons

• Some call management features may require add-ons
• Pricing can be harder to compare because of promotions, fees, and contract terms
• No public free trial is listed

Our Rating: 4.79/5

Visit Vonage

Why I chose Vonage

Vonage ranked highest in my evaluation for its comprehensive phone capabilities and customization. Its mobile and desktop apps, team messaging, video meetings, desk phone support, and add-on options make it useful for teams that want to shape their phone system around their workflows.

However, Vonage is not always the most affordable provider, especially when taxes, fees, promotions, and add-ons are factored in. However, I like it for businesses that want a cloud phone system they can build on over time, rather than a rigid, one-size-fits-all phone platform.

Also read: Vonage vs RingCentral: Which VoIP is Best?

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Key features

• Mobile and desktop apps: Let users make and receive business calls from computers, smartphones, and tablets.
• Team messaging: Gives employees a shared workspace for internal conversations and collaboration.
• Video meetings: Supports virtual meetings for teams that want calling, messaging, and video in one communications platform.
• Multi-level auto attendant: Routes callers through custom menus to reach the right department, extension, or team member.
• Add-on customization: Lets businesses expand the platform with optional features, integrations, and communication tools as needs change.

Pricing

Vonage lists three main business communications plans:

• Mobile: $19.99/line/month, or $13.99/line/month with annual promotional pricing
• Premium: $29.99/line/month, or $20.99/line/month with annual promotional pricing
• Advanced: $39.99/line/month, or $27.99/line/month with annual promotional pricing

Zoom Phone: Best for unpredictable call volumes

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Pros

• Offers metered and unlimited calling plans
• Integrates naturally with Zoom Meetings
• Users can elevate calls to video meetings
• Includes auto attendants, IVR, voicemail transcription, and call recording
• Good fit for teams already using Zoom

Cons

• Not as integration-heavy as some broader UCaaS competitors
• Global calling needs may require a higher-tier plan
• Best value is strongest for teams already invested in Zoom

Our Rating: 4.73/5

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Why I chose Zoom Phone

Zoom Phone is a web-based phone system that offers metered and unmetered call plans, making it easier to manage unpredictable call volumes. Teams can choose a metered plan if they make occasional calls, an unlimited regional plan for higher domestic call volume, or Global Select for international users who need calling in a designated country.

Zoom Phone is also useful for teams already using Zoom Meetings. I like that users can move from a phone call into a video meeting without forcing everyone into a separate workflow. While it may not be the most advanced phone system for complex analytics or integrations, it is a practical option for teams that want phone service tied to familiar video collaboration tools.

Also read: Zoom vs Google Meet: Full Feature, Pricing & AI Comparison

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Key features

• Metered and unlimited calling plans: Let businesses choose a plan based on actual call volume instead of overpaying for unlimited calling.
• Elevate to Zoom Meeting: Turns an active phone call into a Zoom Meeting when the conversation needs video, screen sharing, or collaboration.
• Auto attendants and IVR: Route callers through menus to reach the right person, department, or queue.
• Voicemail transcription: Converts voicemail messages into text so users can review messages quickly.
• Call recording: Let teams record calls for training, documentation, or quality assurance.

Pricing

• US & Canada Metered: Starts at $10.50/user/month 
• US & Canada Unlimited: Starts at $16/user/month 
• Pro Plus: Starts at $20.50/user/month 
• Business Plus: Starts at $24.50/user/month 

RingCentral: Best for advanced phone system

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Pros

• Strong call management and routing features
• Includes AI Assistant capabilities
• Offers 500+ integrations
• Supports call queues, multi-level IVR, analytics, and admin tools
• 14-day free trial available

Cons

• Can be complex for smaller teams to configure
• Costs more than simpler cloud phone systems
• Some advanced features and add-ons may increase total cost
• SMS and storage limits vary by plan

Our Rating: 4.58/5

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Why I chose RingCentral

RingCentral is one the best advanced cloud phone system because it offers much more than basic business calling. Its call routing, multi-level IVR, call queues, analytics, AI Assistant features, integrations, and administrative controls make it a strong fit for teams that need a scalable communications platform.

But, user reviews often describe RingCentral as too much for small business needs, especially if the team only wants a business number and simple call forwarding. However, I often recommend it for growing companies that need advanced phone features, collaboration tools, and integrations in one system.

Also read: RingCentral Review: Features, Pricing & More

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Key features

• Multi-level IVR: Routes callers through layered menus so businesses can direct calls by department, location, or need.
• Call queues: Places callers in a queue until the right agent or team member becomes available.
• AI Assistant: Helps summarize conversations, generate meeting notes, identify action items, and support productivity.
• Analytics and reporting: Gives managers visibility into call activity, usage, team performance, and service trends.
• App integrations: Connects RingCentral with CRM, productivity, customer support, and collaboration tools.

Pricing

• Core: $30/user/month, or $20/user/month billed annually
• Advanced: $35/user/month, or $25/user/month billed annually
• Ultra: $45/user/month, or $35/user/month billed annually
• Customer engagement bundle: Contact sales for pricing 
• Free trial: 14 days

Nextiva: Best for unified employee and customer communications

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Pros

• Combines voice, messaging, customer communication, and collaboration tools
• Offers business SMS and team chat
• Includes call routing and analytics features
• Strong fit for sales and support teams
• Useful for businesses that want communication tied to customer engagement

Cons

• Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
• Pricing and packaging can vary by product line
• Integrations and advanced IVR may require add-ons
• Trial availability should be verified before publishing

Our Rating: 4.52/5

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Why I chose Nextiva

Nextiva is often my top choice for unified employee and customer communications because it connects business phone service with broader customer conversation tools. Instead of treating calls as a standalone function, Nextiva is useful for teams that want voice, messaging, routing, analytics, and customer engagement features in one platform.

This makes Nextiva a strong option for sales and support teams that need to manage internal collaboration and customer communication together. Although it’s not be the cheapest cloud phone system, it works well for businesses that want phone service to support the full customer experience.

Also read: Top 6 Nextiva Alternatives & Competitors

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Key features

• Unified inbox: Brings customer conversations from multiple channels into one workspace so teams can respond faster.
• Business SMS: Lets users send and receive text messages from a business number.
• Team chat: Gives employees a place to collaborate internally while managing customer communication.
• Call routing: Sends inbound calls to the right person, department, or queue based on business rules.
• Voice analytics: Tracks call activity, performance trends, and customer communication insights.

Pricing

• Core: $23/user billed monthly; $15/user/month billed annually
• Engage: $50/user billed monthly; $25/user/month billed annually
• Scale: $75/user/month 

Google Voice: Best for Google Workspace users

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Pros

• Affordable paid business plans
• Works well inside Google Workspace
• Includes voicemail transcription and spam filtering
• Higher tiers add auto attendants and ring groups

Cons

• Business plans require Google Workspace
• No toll-free or vanity number support
• Not ideal for complex call center workflows

Our Rating: 3.81/5

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Why I chose Google Voice

Google Voice is my go-to option for Google Workspace users because it is one of the simplest ways to add business calling to an existing Google environment. Teams that already use Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and Chat can manage calls, voicemail, and basic phone settings without adopting a separate communications platform.

At the same time, Google Voice is not the strongest option for companies that need deep call analytics, advanced routing, or contact center features. However, I like it for small teams and Google-first businesses that want an affordable, easy-to-use cloud phone system with familiar admin tools.

Also read:Top 8 Google Voice Alternatives

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Key features

• Voicemail transcription: Converts voicemail messages into text so users can read messages quickly.
• Google Workspace integration: Connects calling with Google’s productivity ecosystem, including Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and Admin Console.
• Spam filtering: Screens suspected spam calls to reduce interruptions.
• Multi-level auto attendant: Available on higher tiers to help businesses route callers through menu options.
• Ring groups: Distributes incoming calls across multiple users so teams can answer more efficiently.

Pricing

Google Voice offers three business phone plans:

• Starter: $10/user/month
• Standard: $20/user/month
• Premier: $30/user/month

Starter supports up to 10 users. Standard adds unlimited users, ring groups, multi-level auto attendants, desk phone, and ATA support, and ad hoc call recording. Premier adds unlimited international locations, BigQuery reporting, and automatic call recording.

Grasshopper: Best for entry-level phone service

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Pros

• Simple setup for entrepreneurs and small teams
• Flat-rate pricing instead of per-user pricing
• Includes business texting and voicemail transcription
• 7-day free trial available
• Good fit for virtual phone numbers and basic call handling

Cons

• No built-in video conferencing or team chat
• Limited integrations compared with larger UCaaS platforms
• Not built for complex routing, analytics, or contact center workflows

Our Rating: 3.60/5

Visit Grasshopper

Why I chose Grasshopper

When it comes to small teams, Grasshopper is the best entry-level cloud phone system because it gives you a professional phone presence without requiring a full UCaaS rollout. I recommend it for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and local businesses that need a business number, call forwarding, voicemail, texting, and extensions.

However, Grasshopper is not the right choice for companies that need advanced collaboration, analytics, integrations, or video meetings. Instead, you should consider Grasshopper only if you want a simple phone system that you can set up quickly and understand without IT support.

Also read: How to Get A Free Business Phone Number in 2026? (& Why It’s Important)

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Key features

• Virtual receptionist: Greets callers and routes them to the right extension or team member.
• Business texting: Lets users send and receive SMS messages from a business number.
• Instant response: Automatically texts missed callers so businesses can acknowledge leads or customers quickly.
• Voicemail transcription: Converts voicemail messages into readable text.
• Extensions: Let businesses route calls to individuals, departments, or devices from a single main business number.

Pricing

• True Solo: $18/month, or $14/month billed annually
• Solo Plus: $32/month, or $25/month billed annually
• Small Business: $70/month, or $55/month billed annually
• Free trial: 7 days

Methodology: How I evaluated the best cloud phone systems

To evaluate the best cloud phone systems, I compared each provider based on the features that matter most to small and midsize businesses moving phone service to the cloud. I focused on call management, pricing, ease of use, mobility, integrations, reliability, support, and scalability.

I also considered each provider’s best-fit use case. For example, Vonage ranked highly for customization because of its add-on flexibility and communication features, while Zoom Phone stood out for teams with variable call volume and existing Zoom usage. 

Specifically, I evaluated providers across these categories:

• Pricing and value: Monthly starting cost, annual discounts, free trial availability, included features, and whether important capabilities require add-ons or higher-tier plans.
• Core phone features: Business calling, voicemail, call forwarding, call transfer, call recording, auto attendants, IVR, and number management.
• Advanced call management: Call queues, analytics, call monitoring, multi-site support, routing rules, AI tools, and admin controls.
• Mobility and usability: Mobile and desktop apps, setup complexity, interface quality, ease of adoption, and support for remote or hybrid teams.
• Integrations and scalability: CRM integrations, productivity app connections, API access, third-party marketplaces, and the ability to grow with the business.
• Support and reliability: Customer support availability, uptime guarantees, onboarding resources, security controls, and overall service dependability.

My recommendations prioritize provider fit over feature volume. The best cloud phone system is not always the platform with the longest feature list; it is the one that matches your team’s call volume, collaboration needs, budget, and growth plans.

Cloud phone system features

A cloud phone system consists of key components that contribute to its overall functionality and performance. These components are essential to what makes a cloud phone service flexible, cost-effective, and reliable. Below, I list the key elements we typically find in most cloud phone providers.  

• Virtual phone numbers: Cloud phone services offer a phone number upon subscription. Since it is independent of a location, a virtual phone number allows you to pick your desired area code. Most providers offer toll-free, vanity, and international number options for a small monthly fee.  
• Call management: Call features vary across cloud phone providers, but they typically include routing, forwarding, and scheduling of incoming calls. Call management in a cloud phone system typically includes an auto-attendant, ring groups, conference calling, voicemail, and business hours.  
• Third-party integrations: Integrations streamline processes by allowing users to connect their third-party application to their business phone system. This makes it easy to pull up information without switching between different platforms. For example, CRM integration lets you quickly access customer data directly from the phone interface. 
• Softphone: Compared to traditional desk phones, cloud phone systems enable users to use their preferred devices and take calls from anywhere. A VoIP provider offers a softphone that you can install on your desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Regardless of the device used, logging in on your softphone lets you access the same set of phone features and communication history.  

Benefits of cloud phone systems

Cloud phone systems are a worthwhile investment, regardless of your business size. When implemented effectively, they offer a significant impact on team communication, customer experience, and the company’s bottom line. Let’s take a look at these advantages.

• Cost-effective: A cloud-based telephone system eliminates the costs associated with installing and maintaining on-premise phone systems. Instead, you’ll only pay a minimal monthly subscription fee to access your business phone service, while the provider will handle the upgrades, configuration, and security measures. 
• Mobility: With cloud-based telephone systems, all you need is an internet-connected device to send and receive calls. This benefits remote teams wanting to stay connected while working from home. You can also apply changes to your call flow directly from your browser and keep the same phone number regardless of your location. 
• Better customer service: Professional phone features like auto-attendant and call queues ensure a smooth caller experience by reducing wait times and routing calls to the right department. Call analytics generate valuable insights into the customer journey, while integrations provide in-call access to customer data. 
• Efficient team communication: Most cloud phone services integrate voice with other communication channels, such as chat and video conferencing. They also offer collaboration tools, such as file attachments, calendar sharing, and a whiteboard. This creates a unified workspace, where teams can access the same files and communication tools on one platform.  

Choosing the best cloud phone system

Cloud phone systems are critical communication tools for businesses of any size, as they provide a range of features that enable efficient communication, collaboration, and an improved customer experience. While choosing the right provider can be a tough call, knowing your specific needs and budget can help you make an informed decision that aligns with your business objectives.

Vonage is my overall best cloud phone system for its customizable features, making it a great fit for businesses with unique communication needs. Teams with unpredictable call volumes year-round should consider Zoom Phone, as it allows mixing and matching metered and unlimited call plans. 

RingCentral works best for enterprise-level businesses with sophisticated communication needs, such as advanced analytics, robust integrations, and extensive call routing capabilities. Its close competitor, Nextiva, integrates its phone system with customer experience tools, helping sales and support teams streamline customer interactions. 

Cash-strapped teams with an existing Google Workspace subscription are better off with Google Voice’s budget-friendly phone system. However, if you’re new to VoIP and value simplicity, I strongly recommend Grasshopper’s virtual phone system. 

If you’re looking for more options, check out our guide for the best PBX phone systems for small businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The post 6 Best Cloud Phone Systems for 2026 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

For this guide, I evaluated POS apps available on the App Store and Google Play, focusing on features, scalability, cost-effectiveness, security, and support. Shopify is best for businesses selling online and in person, Square is best for businesses that want a free all-in-one POS app, Clover is best for customizable setups, Helcim is best for interchange-plus pricing, and PayPal Point of Sale is best for simple mobile payments.

Best POS apps compared

Shopify: Best for online and in-person sales

Visit Website

Overall Reviewer Score

4.59/5

POS features

5/5

Scalability & integration

4.69/5

Ease of use & accessibility

4.06/5

Pricing & cost-effectiveness

4.06/5

Security & compliance

5/5

Customer support & training

3.95/5

Pros

• Seamless integration of in-person, online, and social media sales channels
• Scalable tools designed for business growth
• 24/7 customer support
• Highly reviewed

Cons

• Limited offline features
• Customizations may require coding knowledge

Why I chose Shopify POS

I chose Shopify because it offers a seamless way to manage both online and in-person sales, which is essential for businesses with multiple sales channels. The platform is highly scalable, meaning it can easily grow with your business as your needs evolve. 

With powerful features like customizable storefronts, detailed reporting, and an extensive app marketplace, Shopify allows you to tailor the system to fit your business perfectly. Compared to Square, Shopify excels in ecommerce-specific tools, making it a better fit for businesses with a heavy online focus or complex online store requirements.

The user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage daily operations. While there are costs for hardware, Shopify has a Tap to Pay feature that allows you to accept payments with compatible iPhones or Android mobile phones, eliminating the need to purchase card readers. Shopify’s flexibility and robust tools make it an excellent choice for businesses aiming to streamline operations and scale efficiently.

Shopify POS pricing

• POS monthly software fees: $5-$89 per location
• In-person transactions: 2.4% + 10 cents to 2.6% + 10 cents
• Online transactions: 2.5% to 2.9% + 30 cents

Features

• Omnichannel selling
• Inventory management
• Customer profiles
• Customizable checkout
• Employee management
• Sales analytics and reporting
• App integrations
• Loyalty programs and discounts
• Offline mode
• Multi-location support
• Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android

App feedback & ratings

Play Store

App Store

Rating

4.0 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

What users like

• Easy to set up and use
• Real-time inventory update
• Works well at pop-ups, trade shows, events

• Contactless payment doesn’t work at times
• Easy to process payments
• Easy to use

What users don’t like

• App keeps disconnecting hardware
• App can be slow and buggy at times
• Other features are only available for US users

• Contactless payment doesn’t work at times
• Disconnects from the reader
• Lacks some essential features

Square: Best free, all-in-one POS app

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Overall Reviewer Score

4.55/5

POS features

4.58/5

Scalability & integration

4.38/5

Ease of use & accessibility

4.69/5

Pricing & cost-effectiveness

4.69/5

Security & compliance

4.58/5

Customer support & training

4.28/5

Pros

• Free baseline POS software
• Zero upfront costs
• Highly-rate POS app

Cons

• Advanced features require add-on fees
• Limited customer support hours

Why I chose Square

I chose Square because of its simplicity and accessibility, which also helped it make our list of the best Android POS systems and the best mobile POS systems. It is highly suitable for businesses looking for a cost-effective, highly functional POS app. Its baseline POS software includes essential tools for managing sales, inventory, and customer engagement all in one place. Its seamless integration between online and in-person sales ensures you can handle multiple channels without missing a beat.

Compared to competitors like Shopify, Square stands out for offering a free baseline POS system that doesn’t require monthly subscription fees, making it ideal for budget-conscious businesses. The intuitive interface minimizes training time, while features like Square’s loyalty programs and marketing add-ons allow you to enhance customer relationships. 

Plus, Square’s no-contract, flat-rate pricing provides transparency and allows new businesses to use a POS system with no upfront costs. For businesses that prioritize affordability without sacrificing essential features, Square offers an edge over many other providers.

Pricing

• Monthly fee: $0
• Payment processing fees: 
  • In-person: 2.6% + 15 cents
  • Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
  • Keyed-in: 3.5% + 15 cents
  • Custom rates available for businesses processing over $250,000 annually.

Features

• Streamlined sales and checkout
• Inventory management
• Customer directory
• Omnichannel selling
• Ecommerce integration
• Tap to Pay on iPhone
• Sales reporting
• Employee management
• Marketing tools
• Loyalty programs
• App marketplace
• Customizable interface
• Offline mode

App feedback & ratings

Play Store

App Store

Rating

3.9 out of 5

4.8 out of 5

What users like

• Can take payments anywhere even with just mobile phones
• Lots of good tools are included in the free baseline POS
• Easy to use

• Keeps transactions organized
• Customers can see the price details
• Always able to accept a payment

What users don’t like

• Readers get disconnected at times
• Constantly asks user to log in
• Can be buggy on some devices

• Account freezes
• Payment transfers take time

Clover: Best for customizations

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Overall Reviewer Score

4.41/5

POS features

3.75/5

Scalability & integration

4.69/5

Ease of use & accessibility

4.69/5

Pricing & cost-effectiveness

4.69/5

Security & compliance

5/5

Customer support & training

4.08/5

Pros

• Extensive app marketplace
• Simple and easy set up
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Higher-priced hardware
• Add-on fees for more advanced features

Why I chose Clover

I think Clover’s highly customizable POS application makes it a suitable solution for a variety of business needs. Its extensive app marketplace allows you to expand functionality beyond basic POS operations, allowing it to fit unique workflows. Clover’s robust hardware options also make it ideal for businesses needing flexible setups.

Compared to other providers, Clover’s app marketplace and hardware options provide more room for scalability. While pricing can be higher, the combination of flexibility, reliability, and features makes Clover an excellent choice for growing businesses seeking a versatile POS solution.

Pricing

Payments plan

Essentials plan

Retail/Services Growth

Monthly fee

$0

$14.95

$84.95

Card present rate

2.6% + $0.10

2.6% + $0.10

2.5% + $0.10

Keyed-in rate

3.5% + $0.10

3.5% + $0.10

3.5% + $0.10

Features

• Sales management
• Inventory management
• Customer management
• Employee management
• Reporting and analytics
• App marketplace integration
• Scalable software
• Offline mode
• Customizable payment options

App feedback & ratings

Play Store

App Store

Rating

4.7 out of 5

4.8 out of 5

What users like

• Quick and easy to set up
• Works great for multi-location
• Different hardware options

• Real-time sales view
• Sales view on Apple Watch
• Hardware is good

What users don’t like

• Pricing can be expensive
• Slow and unresponsive at times
• Interface is not very visually appealing

• Quirky and can be unreliable
• Glitchy inventory tools
• Some features disappear with updates

Helcim: Best for interchange pricing and automatic volume discounts

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Overall Reviewer Score

4.24/5

POS features

4.17/5

Scalability & integration

4.38/5

Ease of use & accessibility

3.75/5

Pricing & cost-effectiveness

5/5

Security & compliance

4.58/5

Customer support & training

3.83/5

Pros

• Interchange-plus pricing
• Automatic volume discounts
• Simple POS with basic inventory tools

Cons

• No built-in customer loyalty program
• Limited hardware options

Why I chose Helcim

Businesses with increasing or high-volume transactions and wanting to save on processing costs will find Helcim the most suitable option. Its transparent interchange-plus pricing ensures competitive rates without hidden fees, making it easy to predict and manage expenses. Compared to other POS apps on this list, Helcim is the only one that offers interchange-plus pricing and automatic volume discounts. This also makes Helcim the best credit card payment app for growing businesses.

Helcim also stands out for its free features, including invoicing, recurring billing, and an integrated virtual terminal, which cater to both in-person and online sales. The platform’s scalability and flexibility allow it to grow with your business, while its intuitive interface ensures a smooth onboarding process for employees. With no long-term contracts and exceptional customer support, Helcim is an excellent choice for businesses that value cost savings, transparency, and operational efficiency.

Pricing

• Monthly fee: $0
• Payment processing fees:

Processing volume

Card present rate

Card not present rate

$0 to $50k

Interchange + 0.40% + $0.08

Interchange + 0.50% + $0.25

$50k to $100k

Interchange + 0.35% + $0.07

Interchange + 0.45% + $0.20

$100k to $500k

Interchange + 0.25% + $0.07

Interchange + 0.35% + $0.20

$500k to $1M

Interchange + 0.20% + $0.06

Interchange + 0.25% + $0.15

$1M+

Interchange + 0.15% + $0.06

Interchange + 0.15% + $0.15

Features

• Interchange-plus pricing
• Automatic volume discount
• Omnichannel selling
• Inventory management
• Customer management
• Multi-location support
• Tap to Pay on iPhone
• Gross payouts

App feedback & ratings

Play Store

App Store

Rating

3.1 out of 5

3.3 out of 5

What users like

• Great rates
• Clean interface and easy-to-use
• Responsive and works well for payment processing

• Card reader works smoothly with the app
• Easy to send invoices via the app
• Easy to use

What users don’t like

• Constantly needs to be updated
• Lags occasionally and is glitchy
• Disconnects from the card reader

• Unusable
• Crashes at times
• Buggy