Top 6 CRMs for Customer Success

Are you a Customer Success Manager (CSM) tired of manually tracking customer interactions, juggling multiple spreadsheets, and struggling to get a clear view of customer health? If you're finding it hard to stay on top of renewals, manage churn, and keep up with every customer’s evolving needs, a CRM may be what you’re looking for. 

While CRMs (Customer Relationship Management systems) are typically associated with sales, the right CRM for Customer Success can help you go beyond tracking sales and gain the visibility, automation, and actionable insights you need to thrive. Additionally, you may want to consider Customer Success Platforms which offer CRM capabilities that are tailored to your needs.

Here’s a breakdown of the Top 6 CRMs for Customer Success, each offering unique strengths tailored to different needs within the CS realm.

1. Velaris

Velaris is a Customer Success management platform designed to help teams track and optimize the post-sales customer journey. Unlike traditional CRMs, which primarily focus on sales and marketing, Velaris is built specifically for Customer Success teams. 

It uses AI-driven insights, such as customer health scores and predictive analytics, to proactively monitor and manage customer relationships. This makes Velaris particularly powerful for SaaS and B2B companies that deal with complex customer interactions and need to reduce churn while maximizing expansion opportunities.

What sets Velaris apart from other CRMs is its focus on customer lifecycle management. Velaris tracks everything from onboarding to renewals, providing CSMs with detailed insights that allow them to act quickly when a customer shows signs of churn or an opportunity for expansion. 

It also automates many of the tedious, administrative tasks associated with customer success, like follow-up emails, reminders, and task assignments. The platform’s centralized dashboard brings all customer data into one place, providing clear visibility into customer health, usage patterns, sentiment, and other critical metrics.

Velaris not only integrates well with other CRMs, including Salesforce and HubSpot, but Velaris Bridge allows for low-code integrations to virtually any tool. This makes it easier for CS teams to collaborate cross-functionally, without the need for multiple disconnected platforms.

Best for:

• B2B SaaS companies and teams looking for AI-powered, post-sales management with proactive, data-driven insights.

Pros:

• AI-driven customer health scoring and predictive insights
• Task automation for managing customer workflows
• Centralized dashboard for all customer success data
• In-depth analytics and reporting tailored for CS teams
  Seamless integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other tools

Cons:

• Initial Learning Curve with Velaris’s powerful features, though there is support to help customers quickly overcome this learning curve.
• Best suited for mid-to-large teams with complex needs, since Velaris is designed with advanced AI and automation features

2. HubSpot

HubSpot is one of the most popular and user-friendly CRM platforms available, offering a comprehensive suite of tools for sales, marketing, and customer success. Its easy-to-use interface and affordable pricing have made it a go-to for small-to-medium-sized businesses and startups. 

HubSpot’s Service Hub provides CS teams with everything they need to track customer interactions, manage customer feedback, and ensure smooth handoffs between teams. The platform allows you to build detailed customer profiles, automate workflows, and gain visibility into the entire customer lifecycle, making it easier to stay proactive and engaged with customers.

Unlike more advanced CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot shines with its simplicity and affordability. It doesn’t have the same depth of customization or analytics, but it’s an excellent choice for teams that are just getting started with a CRM system and need a user-friendly, scalable solution that works across sales, marketing, and customer success. 

HubSpot’s Service Hub also provides essential tools like ticketing systems, help desk, and knowledge base management, all of which support CS teams in delivering timely customer support and fostering customer satisfaction.

Best for:

• SMBs or teams just starting with a CRM looking for an easy-to-use, all-in-one platform to manage customer relationships.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface with a quick learning curve
• Affordable pricing, including a robust free tier
• Comprehensive customer lifecycle tracking
• Automation tools for customer success workflows
• HubSpot Service Hub for support and customer feedback management

Cons:

• Limited advanced analytics compared to other tools. 
• Less flexibility for teams needing highly customizable workflows
• No deep AI-powered insights for proactive customer success management

3. Salesforce

Salesforce is one of the most well-known and powerful CRM platforms, offering a robust, fully integrated solution for managing every aspect of the customer journey. For enterprise-level CS teams, Salesforce provides an excellent level of customization and flexibility. 

Whether you're managing sales, marketing, or customer success, Salesforce’s 360-degree view of customers helps your team track every interaction and engage with customers at the right moment.

What sets Salesforce apart is its Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud, which work together to provide a complete view of the customer lifecycle. Its Einstein AI delivers predictive insights, helping CS teams identify churn risks, opportunities for upselling, and potential service issues before they escalate. 

The platform also integrates with many third-party apps, from email marketing platforms to analytics tools, offering deep integrations and automation options for large, complex organizations.

However, Salesforce’s power comes at a cost: it’s highly customizable, but the learning curve is steep, and it can be quite expensive. Smaller teams may find it difficult to justify the investment if they don’t require the level of customization that Salesforce can provide.

Best for:

• Large enterprises or teams with complex workflows that require deep customization, robust analytics, and enterprise-level integration capabilities.

Pros:

• Highly customizable with robust reporting and analytics tools
• AI-powered predictive insights with Salesforce Einstein
• Comprehensive suite covering sales, marketing, and customer success
• Extensive integrations with third-party apps and tools
• Advanced task automation for managing customer workflows

Cons:

• Steep learning curve and complex setup
• Expensive, particularly for small teams or businesses
• Can be overwhelming for teams that don’t require all the features Salesforce offers

4. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a powerful, affordable tool for businesses seeking a full-featured CRM system without the hefty price tag of larger platforms like Salesforce. 

With a focus on automation, AI-driven insights, and multi-channel communication, Zoho CRM is designed to help Customer Success teams optimize their interactions and maintain a consistent view of customer data.

What makes Zoho CRM unique is its AI-powered sales assistant, Zia, which helps Customer Success teams track customer sentiment, predict the best time for follow-ups, and automate routine tasks. 

Zoho also provides robust customization options, allowing you to adapt the platform to your specific needs without requiring technical expertise.

Multi-channel support (including email, chat, and social media) is also something Zoho offers. This allows CS teams to interact with customers across various touchpoints, streamlining communication and providing a unified experience.

Best for:

• Small-to-medium-sized teams looking for an affordable, flexible CRM with a strong balance between features and customization.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing with strong feature sets for small and medium businesses
• AI-powered insights with Zia, the virtual assistant
• Highly customizable workflows and dashboards
• Multi-channel communication support (email, chat, social)
• Task automation to save time and improve efficiency

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for users who aren’t familiar with CRM platforms
  
  
• Limited advanced reporting features compared to Velaris or Salesforce  
• Requires additional integrations for more advanced customer success features
  
  

5. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a sales-centric CRM that also works well for Customer Success teams looking for a simple, visual tool to manage customer pipelines. 

What sets Pipedrive apart is its intuitive sales pipeline, which offers a visual overview of customer interactions. This makes it easier for CS teams to manage customer relationships and prioritize outreach, based on current pipeline stages or renewal timelines. 

Its automation tools also help manage customer workflows by setting reminders, automating follow-ups, and sending out customer surveys.

Compared to other tools like Velaris or Salesforce, Pipedrive lacks deeper customer health tracking and AI-driven insights. However, its visual interface and task automation features make it a great entry-level CRM for teams that need an affordable and easy-to-use tool without overwhelming complexity.

Best for:

• Small-to-medium-sized CS teams looking for a visual, sales-oriented CRM with strong tracking and pipeline management features.

Pros:

• User-friendly visual pipeline for tracking customer relationships
• Affordable pricing for smaller businesses
• Customizable workflows and automation tools for CS teams
• Straightforward setup, ideal for smaller teams or those just getting started with a CRM

Cons:

• Lacks advanced customer health scoring and AI-driven insights
• Limited reporting and analytics features for larger teams
• Not as customizable or comprehensive as other tools
  
  

6. Freshsales

Freshsales is a CRM platform designed to combine sales and customer success management in one solution. It offers an intuitive interface and a strong suite of automation tools, making it an excellent choice for growing teams who need a cost-effective solution without sacrificing important features.

The standout feature of Freshsales is its AI-powered lead scoring, which helps CS teams prioritize customer accounts based on their engagement and likelihood to convert or renew. 

The integrated phone system within Freshsales also allows teams to engage customers directly from the platform, while email tracking and customizable dashboards help monitor customer health and engagement across various stages of the customer lifecycle.

Freshsales provides a lightweight, affordable CRM with a solid set of tools for growing teams. It’s ideal for SMBs or startups looking for simple yet powerful customer success features, without the complexity of larger CRMs.

Best for:

• Growing teams that need an affordable CRM with both sales and customer success features, offering a balance between simplicity and power.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing with a user-friendly interface
• AI-powered lead scoring for better customer prioritization
• Integrated communication tools (email, phone, chat)
• Task automation to streamline customer workflows
• Customizable dashboards and reporting

Cons:

• Limited advanced features compared to other tools
• Basic customer health tracking that is not as in-depth as other CRMs
• Reporting features could be more robust for large teams or enterprises

Conclusion

Choosing the right CRM is crucial to managing customer relationships and driving success. Velaris, HubSpot, and Salesforce each have their strengths, from Velaris’ AI-driven post-sales management to HubSpot’s simplicity and Salesforce’s deep customization. 

Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, and Freshsales round out the list as great options for growing teams or businesses looking for specific capabilities, such as automation, easy pipeline management, and affordability.

Each CRM has its unique approach, whether you prioritize AI insights, ease of use, or powerful integrations. The best CRM for your Customer Success team will depend on your team's size, budget, and the level of complexity needed to meet your goals.

But in this age where data and AI are becoming the most transformative aspects of CS, Velaris can be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Book a demo today to see how Velaris can help your team drive better customer outcomes and streamline success operations.