Customer relationship management (CRM) call center software offers tools for contact and lead management. It typically has strong telephonic features that allow you to manage and track calls, as well as generate call-centric analytics reports. The best CRM call center tools offer these features at an affordable price. We compared dozens of call center CRM systems and narrowed them to our top eight recommendations.
- Best overall and easy-to-use call center CRM: Freshsales
- Best for project management: Bitrix24
- Best for PBX integration to gain analytics: Zoho CRM
- Best all-in-one CRM with call prioritization tools: EngageBay
- Best for workflow automation and call routing: Pipedrive
- Best for conversational intelligence: HubSpot Service Hub
- Best for voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) with collaboration tools: Nextiva
- Best for enterprise-level all-in-one CRM tool: Salesforce Service Cloud
What Is CRM Call Center Software?
A call center CRM system helps manage and track customer interactions across various channels, primarily through the phone. Other channels include email and live chat. It provides agents with customer data and call history, allowing them to deliver personalized assistance. It also lets managers monitor team performance. Its features typically include call recording, routing, scripting, automatic call distribution, and reporting.
Best CRM Call Center Software Compared
Free Plan | Starting Price for Paid Plans | Our CRM Rating out of 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Growth plan is free for up to 3 users | $15 per user/month | 4.80 |
 | ✓, for unlimited users | $39 per month for 5 users | 4.61 |
 | For up to 3 users | $14 per user/month | 4.43 |
 | For up to 15 users | $13.79 | 4.43 |
 | ✕ | $14.90 per user/month | 4.33 |
 | ✓, for unlimited users | $450 per month for 5 users | 4.29 |
 | ✕ | $28.95 per user/month | 4.20 |
 | ✕ | $25 per user/month | 3.84 |
Freshsales: Best Overall & Easy-to-use Call Center CRM
Pros
- Powerful calling features, queue transfer, call masking, recording, and buying of toll-free and international numbers in its cheapest plan
- Analytics feature measures sales of individual performance based on outbound calls made, pipeline process, and customer interactions
Cons
- Can get expensive if you want sophisticated features like warm transfer, conference calling, and holiday routing
- Free usage of the Growth Plan is limited to three users
Freshsales Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Each plan offers a 14-day free trial.
Freshsales in-app caller lets users make and record calls from the CRM. (Source: Freshsales)
Our Expert Opinion
Freshsales is our top pick CRM call center software because its powerful in-app cloud phone lets you easily communicate with your contacts through its desktop or mobile app. It also has essential CRM functionalities like account and contact management to help you manage customer communications. If you want feature-packed and sophisticated call center CRM software with all the necessary features to record and manage calls, then Freshsales is the best choice for you.
Learn more in our Freshsales review for detailed information on features, pricing, and overall usability.
Bitrix24: Best for Project Management
Pros
- Phone features work anywhere in the world
- Relatively inexpensive when evaluated per user
- Call center software includes collaboration options that integrate well with the project management tools
Cons
- Does not offer any customer phone support
- User interface can be difficult to navigate
- No in-app calling features in the free plan
Bitrix24 Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Each plan offers a 30-day free trial.
Bitrix24 CRM telephone has an in-app caller that helps users track phone calls with their customers. (Source: Bitrix24)
Our Expert Opinion
Bitrix24 is a feature-rich CRM with robust call center features ideal for users running an ecommerce store. The free version is enough if you have an existing voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) you want to connect to the CRM with solid project management tools. However, if you wish to have in-app calling features in your CRM account, you must subscribe to its paid plans.
Read our Bitrix24 review and subscribe to the free plan to experience how this platform’s capabilities can help grow your business.
Zoho CRM: Best for PBX Integration & Analytics
Pros
- Integration with Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems provides precise analytics on sales calls-to-deals made, allowing call strategies to be adjusted for better performance
- Call reporting analytics are displayed in an easy-to-understand format
- Call center software included in Zoho Desk, and customer service software within the Zoho ecosystem
Cons
- Free plan has few features and is limited to three users
- Limited customer support; premium support requires separate purchase
- Most of the CRM customization is only available in the highest-priced plan
Zoho CRM Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Each plan offers a 14-day free trial.
Zoho CRM’s integration with Ring.io allows users to generate data-driven insights. (Source: Ring.io)
Our Expert Opinion
Zoho CRM offers essential features like lead and contact management, reporting, email marketing, and conversational artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. If you want to have a CRM that you can integrate with your existing PBX system to generate data insights and analytics, then consider the paid plans of Zoho CRM. The free version is sufficient if you only need a CRM to record call notes with your contacts.
Our in-depth Zoho CRM review tells you everything you need to know and whether it’s best for your business.
EngageBay: Best Call Center CRM Software for Call Prioritization
Pros
- Has lead prioritization features so agents can focus on leads more likely to convert
- Free help desk tools
- All-in-one CRM that offers tools for marketing, sales, and service teams
Cons
- User interface needs to be improved
- Calling function not available in the free plan
EngageBay Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available at a slightly higher rate.
EngageBay’s contact page with a direct link to the caller feature. (Source: EngageBay)
Our Expert Opinion
EngageBay’s call center feature is only available on its paid plans that start at $13.79, which give 15 call credits to users. Compared to other providers like Freshsales, which provides access to its in-app caller even on its free plan, this may not be ideal. However, if you need a free CRM with an allocation for a high number of users (up to 15), EngageBay is an excellent option for a call CRM as it provides fundamental features for sales, marketing, and service.
Pipedrive: Best Contact Center CRM for Workflow Automation
Pros
- Workflow automation for calls
- Automatic call routing features
- Extensive third-party software integrations
Cons
- Lead generation and marketing features cost extra
- Does not offer a free plan
- Calling features are available only in Professional and Enterprise plans
Pipedrive Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Each plan offers a 14-day free trial.
Pipedrive displays all pertinent information about the contact, so it’s easier for agents to make productive calls. (Source: Pipedrive)
Our Expert Opinion
Pipedrive is a popular CRM with a robust in-app caller that makes it easy for agents to follow up and call their contacts. However, you can only access its in-app dialer if you subscribed to its Professional or Enterprise plan before October 2022, as this feature is now only available to legacy users. If you’re a new user, you can integrate a third-party VoIP tool and still use Pipedrive as your call center CRM.
Read our in-depth Pipedrive review to learn more about its features and see if this provider suits your business needs.
HubSpot Service Hub: Best for Conversational Intelligence
Pros
- Free plan for unlimited users
- Conversation intelligence helps sales team managers in coaching reps
- Includes a shared inbox, live chat software, and self-service tools
Cons
- Built-in caller is available only in paid plans
- Requires subscription to premium plans for analytics
- Expensive to scale
HubSpot Service Hub Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Each plan offers a 14-day free trial.
HubSpot’s contact management page (Source: HubSpot)
Our Expert Opinion
HubSpot Service Hub is a powerful CRM with an in-app phone that comes with conversation intelligence tools to provide data-driven insights to businesses. It’s only ideal if you are willing to subscribe to its paid plans to access its in-app phone—however, be willing to pay at least $450 per month. The free plan doesn’t provide users access to calling features.
Read our HubSpot Service Hub review and get insights about subscription plan comparisons and information on the features of the product.
Nextiva: Best for VoIP Tools & Collaboration Features
Pros
- Advanced VoIP calling features
- Built-in collaboration tools
Cons
- No traditional CRM features
- Not ideal for non-enterprise businesses
Nextiva Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost.
Nextiva call dashboard displays overall visibility on the activities using the system. (Source: Software Advice)
Our Expert Opinion
Nextiva, a powerful internet phone that provides users with advanced data, is one of our top picks for the best small business VoIP service providers. However, some of its features might be too sophisticated and unnecessary for smaller businesses that don’t need enterprise-grade phone features.
To learn more about Nextiva’s VoIP features, read our in-depth Nextiva review. It will give you insights into features, plans, ease of use, and information on customer support.
Salesforce: Best Enterprise-level All-in-one CRM Tool
Pros
- Boosts telephone integration’s ability through its analytics features
- Extensive third-party integrations
- Excellent artificial intelligence (AI) features
Cons
- Needs integration with third-party phone system
- Requires technical experience or previous CRM knowledge
- No free plan and pricing plans are expensive
Salesforce Service Cloud Pricing Plan & Overview*
*Pricing is based on annual billing on a per-month breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. You can sign up for its 30-day free trial.
Salesforce integration with RingCentral (Source: Salesforce Ben)
Our Expert Opinion
Salesforce is a powerful, highly customizable call center CRM. However, to use it for your call center, you must integrate it with a separate VoIP or internet phone such as RingCentral. We recommend Salesforce for enterprise-level businesses as it could be expensive since users must allocate a different budget for the CRM and VoIP systems.
If you want to learn more about this provider’s enterprise-grade features, read our extensive review on Salesforce.
How We Evaluated the Best CRM Call Center Software
Excellent contact center CRM software provides state-of-the-art features specific to phone calling activities within the platform or through a third-party app integration. The software should also offer users reporting functionality to track call logs and call center activity. Additionally, great call center CRM providers deliver solid customer support, are easy to use, and offer attractive pricing options—which are some of the core CRM features that small businesses need.
Bottom Line
Customer communication is an essential aspect of customer relationship management. While most CRM providers offer a range of communication channels like email or live chat, one of the key features a call center CRM should have is the ability to provide an in-app phone or integrate with a powerful VoIP system. Freshsales is our top pick because it offers a robust in-app caller while at the same time providing all the fundamental CRM features small businesses need to manage their customers.