Running a successful Shopify store involves more than just listing products and processing orders.
To truly thrive, building strong customer relationships is essential.
This is where a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system comes in.
A CRM helps you organize customer data, track interactions, automate tasks, and gain valuable insights to personalize your marketing and improve customer satisfaction.
When choosing a CRM for your Shopify store, consider factors such as omnichannel communication capabilities, automation tools to streamline your workflow, and seamless data integration across internal teams.
Think of your ideal CRM as a virtual assistant that handles tasks like managing marketing campaigns and sending emails, allowing you to focus on higher-value work and improve the customer experience.
This article explores some of the best CRMs available for Shopify, considering factors such as features, pricing, user reviews, and ease of integration.
Whether you’re a small startup or a growing enterprise, you’ll find valuable information to help you choose the perfect CRM to boost your Shopify store’s success.
CRMs Designed for Shopify
While many CRMs cater to e-commerce businesses in general, some are specifically designed for Shopify, offering seamless integration and tailored features. Here are a few top contenders:
Nutshell
Nutshell is a user-friendly CRM that integrates seamlessly with Shopify.
Its contact management features allow you to store customer details, including purchase history, interaction patterns, and support tickets.
You can also automate email sequences, track sales performance, and segment customers for targeted campaigns.
Nutshell excels in contact and pipeline management, automating tedious tasks and giving teams the tools to close deals faster.
With sales automation, leads move through the pipeline automatically, so your team can focus on building relationships instead of managing data.
Insights
Nutshell is ideal for small businesses looking for an easy-to-use and affordable CRM with a strong focus on sales and marketing automation.
Its intuitive interface and powerful features make it a great choice for teams that want to streamline their sales process and improve customer engagement.
Pros:
- Flexible sales tracking
- Offers sales automation
- Integrated marketing features
- Easy to implement
- Great customer support
- User-friendly interface
- Extensive integration options
- Range of templates for different needs
Cons:
- Data uploads can be difficult if not done correctly
- Limited customization
- Time tracking and e-signing not included
Zendesk Sell
Zendesk Sell is another popular choice for Shopify users.
It offers omnichannel communication tools, allowing you to interact with customers through email, phone, and SMS.
Zendesk Sell also provides robust reporting features for sales forecasting, goal tracking, and performance analysis.
A dedicated Shopify app ensures smooth integration and data synchronization.
All Zendesk Sell plans include fundamental features such as sales pipeline management, call and email tracking, calendar integration, a fully-featured mobile CRM, pre-built sales dashboards, and onboarding resources.
Insights
Zendesk Sell is a good choice for businesses that prioritize omnichannel communication and need a CRM that can handle a high volume of customer interactions.
Its integration with Zendesk Support allows for seamless collaboration between sales and support teams.
Pros
- Clean layout and interface
- Integrates with Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and more
- Provides a framework that focuses on each of the most fundamental components of revenue development
- Easy to learn and use
- Mobile app
Cons:
- Integration with email doesn’t work as advertised
- Would like integration with QuickBooks
- No money refund when you pay for 7 years in a row prepaid and no access anymore for the period you paid for
- Dashboard can be confusing
Brevo
Formerly known as SendinBlue, Brevo is a CRM with a strong focus on marketing automation.
It integrates with Shopify and other essential tools, allowing you to create email campaigns, track conversions, and segment customers.
Brevo’s reporting features help you measure campaign success and optimize your strategies. Brevo offers a wide range of features, including email marketing, SMS marketing, WhatsApp marketing, landing pages, and marketing automation.
Insights
Brevo is a good option for businesses that want a comprehensive marketing platform with a strong focus on email marketing and automation.
Its multichannel capabilities allow you to reach customers through various channels, including email, SMS, and WhatsApp.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Easy to connect to your WordPress site with a plugin
- Responsive customer support
- Availability of SMTP service
- User-friendly, simple to make templates
- Great for WooCommerce stores
Cons:
- Limited features in lower-tier plans
- Pricing for paid plans can be high for small businesses
- Only 67 available integrations, fewer than other email marketing platforms
- Support response time can vary
- Too many suspensions
- Missing crucial features
Agile CRM
Agile CRM is an affordable option that combines CRM capabilities with marketing automation tools.
It helps Shopify stores learn more about their customers and engage with prospects to increase sales.
You can create marketing workflows, automate follow-up messages, and analyze customer data to generate activity reports.
Agile CRM offers a wide range of features, including contact management, deals, telephony, lead scoring, and project management.
Insights
Agile CRM is a good choice for small businesses and startups that need an all-in-one CRM with a wide range of features at an affordable price.
Its powerful automation capabilities can help you streamline your sales and marketing processes.
Pros:
- Truly all-in-one
- Very affordable pricing
- Powerful automation features
- Easy to learn and use
- Great for small businesses
- Mobile apps available
- Integrates with other tools
Cons:
- Not easy to learn at first
- Unresponsive support
- UX a bit old school
- “Horrible customer service” according to one online review.
HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the most popular CRMs for Shopify because users can create customized workflows based on how customers interact with your Shopify store.
The sales automation, seamless Shopify integration, customer service capabilities, and other robust marketing tools arguably make HubSpot a leading contender for the best Shopify CRM.
HubSpot offers a wide range of features, including marketing automation, sales pipeline management, customer service tools, and integrations with various e-commerce platforms.
Insights
HubSpot is a powerful and versatile CRM that’s well-suited for businesses of all sizes.
Its comprehensive set of features and integrations can help you streamline your sales, marketing, and customer service processes.
Pros
- Generous freemium plan
- Ease-of-use
- Excellent customer support
- Call feature
- Easy to use interface, and all-in-one solution
- Combines tools for marketing, sales, customer services and more
Cons:
- Expensive paid plans with hidden costs
- Basic templates
- Expensive migration services
- For the non-advanced/experienced users, some features can be confusing
- Problems with email delivery
- Pricing for Brazil is extremely high, due to currency exchange
Klaviyo
Klaviyo offers Shopify CRM functionality, giving business owners a comprehensive understanding of the preferences and behaviors of its customer base.
Klaviyo’s CRM allows you to see a customer’s email engagement, purchase history, and website activity all in one easy-to-navigate dashboard.
Klaviyo users automatically get a database that updates with customer behavior in real time.
Insights
Klaviyo is a good option for businesses that want a CRM with a strong focus on email marketing and customer segmentation.
Its real-time data updates and intuitive dashboard make it easy to track customer behavior and personalize your marketing efforts.
Pros:
- Straightforward sign-up
- Intuitive, easy-to-navigate user interface
- Dashboard that allows users to monitor a campaign’s performance
- Customizable forms
Cons:
- Live chat and direct email support only
- Long wait times for support
Salesforce
As one of the most proactive and intelligent Shopify CRMs, Salesforce offers a few different options for integration with Shopify stores.
Using an app or the Salesforce interface, Salesforce offers functionality and integration with other tools, such as Zendesk.
Insights
Salesforce is a good option for larger businesses that need a robust CRM with advanced features and integrations.
Its centralized customer information and robust reporting tools can help you gain a deeper understanding of your customer base.
Pros
- Easy creation and updating of objects
- Centralized customer information, including contact details, communication channels, and behaviors
- Robust reporting tools
- 1,000+ integrations with other tools
Cons:
Pricing increases significantly for customizations or help with additional functionality.
Read also: #6 Best CRMs for Service-Based Businesses
Top CRMs for E-commerce
In addition to CRMs designed specifically for Shopify, many other CRMs excel in serving e-commerce businesses in general. Here are a few popular choices:
Freshsales
Freshsales is a sales-focused CRM that offers a range of features for managing customer interactions and deals.
It provides tools for contact and account management, built-in email, chat, and phone capabilities, and 24/5 email customer support.
Insights
Freshsales is a good option for small businesses with limited budgets that need a CRM with strong customer support and communication features.
Pros
- Unlimited users
- Built-in email, chat, and phone
- 24/5 email customer support chat system
- 10,000 contact limit
- Contact management tools
Cons:
- Doesn’t offer customer service tools or marketing features
- Sales reporting not included
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors
Capsule
Capsule is a sales-focused CRM that includes analytics, reporting, email, and more extensive project management tools than many other sales-focused CRMs.
It is also known for its visual sales pipeline and for integrating with popular tools including Google Workspace.
Insights
Capsule is a good option for small to medium-sized businesses that need a CRM with strong project management capabilities and a user-friendly interface.
Pros
- Project management tools
- Mobile app
- User-friendly interface
- Third-party integrations include Google Workspace
Cons:
- Two-user limit
- 250 contact limit
- No sales reporting
- Account limited to one sales pipeline
- Customer support is not offered
Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a CRM that offers a free plan with a range of features for managing contacts, tasks, and projects.
It provides tools for collaboration, communication, and automation.
Insights
Bitrix24 is a good option for businesses that need a free CRM with a wide range of features and a strong focus on collaboration.
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is another popular choice for e-commerce businesses.
It offers a user-friendly interface, customizable workflows, and a range of features for managing customer relationships and sales data.
Zoho CRM integrates with various e-commerce platforms, including Shopify.
And you get a range of features, including a 360-degree customer view, omnichannel engagement, team collaboration, process management, and advanced AI.
Insights
Zoho CRM is a good option for businesses of all sizes that need a comprehensive CRM with a wide range of features and a strong focus on customer engagement.
Its advanced AI capabilities and customizable workflows can help you automate tasks and improve efficiency.
Pros
- Amazing product and a great experience
- Highly recommended and nice product for startups especially, who are looking for budget friendly and reliable product
- Provide great support, and you can’t beat the value-for-money equation
- Amazing and my go to CRM
- Easy to setup and easy to onboard team
- Ease to use interface
Cons:
- Problems with the email invitations often sent into the spam folder of our customers
- Misleading information during the trial phase
- Always upselling their useless apps through Zoho one
- You get different answers from different customer representatives and the lack of an account manager is painful
- App store is full of apps that barely work or aren’t maintained
- AI tools are still missing
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM that helps e-commerce businesses manage their sales pipelines.
Its visual pipeline management interface provides a clear overview of the sales process, making it easy to track progress and identify bottlenecks.
Pipedrive integrates with popular e-commerce platforms. Pipedrive offers a range of features, including sales software, email marketing software, project management software, and marketplace integrations.
Insights
Pipedrive is a good option for businesses that need a CRM with a strong focus on sales pipeline management and visual tracking.
Its activity-based selling approach helps sales teams stay organized and focused on the actions that drive deals to completion.
Pros
- Continually Improving Product
- Reliable
- Unique Features
- Efficient Service
- Easy to use
- Highly customizable
- Many effective and useful functions
Cons:
- Everyone was stepping on each other’s toes and had no idea who was called and what was discussed
- Some inquiries were never replied to (just lost)
- Merged my calendars and copied things from previous years causing me a lot of stress, headache, and confusion with my day to day tasks
- Bit costly
- Being a beginner it was bit difficult for creating filters and objects
- Enabling few functionalities for certain teams are missing
monday.com
monday.com is a visual CRM that offers flexibility and ease of use.
It allows users to create custom automations, track sales pipelines, and monitor team performance.
monday.com integrates with various e-commerce platforms. monday.com offers a range of features, including customizable dashboards, visual project tracking with boards, and automation.
Insights
monday.com is a good option for businesses that need a visual and customizable CRM with a strong focus on collaboration and project management.
Its intuitive interface and flexible workflows make it easy to adapt to the unique needs of different teams.
Pros
- Easy to assign projects to the staff with an easy followup of the progress
- The customer service is incredibly supportive and very responsive to us
- Easy to use, flexible, and functional, a product with excellent service
- Really easy for me to track the progress of every project I am working on
- Super happy with the (relative) ease of use and love the templates etc
- Easy to transition from e.g. Excel to Monday
Cons:
- The layout is confusing and hard to follow the chain of events in each task
- Their automations are a tease
- When you first set up a free account they let you use automations for a couple weeks, and then turn them off
- You have to have a paid account to use any automations
Free CRM Options for Shopify
Many CRM platforms offer completely free versions, including:
- HubSpot
- Freshsales
- Zoho CRM
- Capsule
- Bitrix 24
- Airtable
- InFlo solutions
- Agile CRM
These free CRMs for Shopify can be a good option for businesses with limited budgets or those that are just starting out and have basic CRM needs.
However, it’s important to note that free versions typically come with limitations, such as restrictions on the number of users, contacts, or features.
CRM Features for Shopify
When evaluating CRMs for your Shopify store, consider the following features that are particularly relevant to e-commerce:
- Shopify Integration: Seamless integration with Shopify is crucial for efficient data synchronization and workflow automation. Look for CRMs with dedicated Shopify apps or those that offer native integrations. This allows you to manage your customer data, orders, and marketing efforts from a single platform, saving you time and reducing the risk of errors.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Abandoned carts are a common challenge for e-commerce businesses. CRMs with abandoned cart recovery features can help you re-engage customers and recover lost sales through automated email sequences or targeted promotions. By sending timely reminders and incentives, you can encourage customers to complete their purchases and increase your revenue.
- Customer Segmentation: Segmenting your customer base allows you to personalize your marketing efforts and target specific customer groups with relevant messages and offers. CRMs with advanced segmentation capabilities can help you create dynamic customer segments based on purchase history, behavior, and other criteria. This allows you to tailor your marketing messages and increase the effectiveness of your campaigns.
- Omnichannel Communication: Customers expect to interact with businesses through various channels, including email, phone, and social media. CRMs with omnichannel communication tools can help you provide a consistent and personalized customer experience across all touchpoints. This helps you build stronger customer relationships and improve satisfaction.
- Reporting and Analytics: To measure the success of your marketing campaigns and sales efforts, you need robust reporting and analytics features. CRMs with customizable dashboards and detailed reports can provide valuable insights into customer behavior, sales trends, and campaign performance. This data can help you make informed decisions about your marketing and sales strategies.
CRM Feature Comparison
To make it easier to compare the features of different CRMs, here’s a table summarizing their key functionalities:
| Feature | Nutshell | Zendesk Sell | Brevo | Agile CRM | HubSpot | Klaviyo | Zendesk | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Customer Segmentation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Omnichannel Communication | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting and Analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CRM Pricing
CRM pricing varies widely depending on the features, number of users, and contract terms.
Some Shopify CRMs offer free plans with basic features, while others require paid subscriptions.
Consider your budget and specific needs when evaluating CRM pricing.
| CRM (Free options) | Pricing |
|---|---|
| Nutshell (14-day free trial) | Paid plans start at $16 per user per month |
| Zendesk Sell (14-day free trial) | Paid plans start at $19 per user per month |
| Brevo (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $25 per month |
| Agile CRM (Free plan for the first 10 users) | Paid plans start at $8.99 per user per month |
| HubSpot (Free CRM plan with basic features) | Paid plans start at $30 per month |
| Klaviyo (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $20 per month |
| Zendesk (No information available) | No information available |
| Salesforce (No free version) | Paid plans start at $25 per user per month |
| Freshsales (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $15 per user per month |
| Zoho Corporation (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $14 per user per month |
| Capsule (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $18 per user per month |
| Bitrix24 (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $19 per user per month |
| monday.com (Free plan with limited features) | Paid plans start at $8 per user per month |
How To Choose the Right CRM for Your Needs and Budget
When evaluating best CRMs for Shopify, it’s essential to consider your specific needs and budget.
If you’re a small business with limited resources, a free CRM or a low-cost option with basic features might be sufficient.
As your business grows, you can upgrade to a paid plan with more advanced features.
If you have specific requirements, such as abandoned cart recovery or omnichannel communication, prioritize CRMs that excel in those areas.
Consider the size of your team, the volume of customer interactions you handle, and your overall marketing and sales goals.
Read also: Best CRM for Google Workspace (#12 Options Reviewed)
Key Takeaways
Choosing the right CRM can significantly impact your Shopify store’s success.
You can find the perfect solution to help you build stronger customer relationships, streamline your operations, and boost your revenue.
Here are some key takeaways to help you make an informed decision:
- For small businesses with limited budgets: Consider free CRMs like HubSpot or Agile CRM, or low-cost options like Nutshell or Zoho CRM.
- For businesses that prioritize sales automation: Nutshell and Agile CRM offer powerful automation features to streamline your sales process.
- For businesses that prioritize omnichannel communication: Zendesk Sell and Brevo provide tools for interacting with customers across various channels.
- For businesses that need advanced features and integrations: Salesforce and HubSpot offer comprehensive CRM solutions with a wide range of capabilities.
- For businesses that want a visual and customizable CRM: monday.com provides a flexible platform with an intuitive interface.
Conclusion
A CRM is a valuable asset for any Shopify store looking to enhance customer relationships and streamline operations.
Select the right CRM based on your specific needs and budget, unlock valuable insights, automate tasks, and improve customer satisfaction.
Whether you choose a free option or invest in a premium solution, integrating a CRM with your Shopify store can be a game-changer for your e-commerce success.
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