If you want to improve how your business connects with customers and streamline daily operations, finding one of the best AI CRM systems is the key. AI CRMs are quickly becoming essential tools for businesses of all sizes, helping them personalize customer interactions, predict future trends, and clean up messy data without manual work. These tools don’t just save time — they make it easier for you to offer better customer experiences and make smarter business decisions.
I’ve tested and compared various AI CRMs, focusing on features like AI chatbots, predictive analytics, and data management capabilities to help you find the best AI CRM for your customer relationship strategy.
The Best AI CRM Software For Businesses Tested by Our Experts
Salesforce Einstein 1 – Best for AI-driven predictive analytics
monday.com - Popular Comprehensive Project Management Software
The Top 8 AI CRM Systems For Businesses Ranked
- Salesforce Einstein 1 – Best for AI-driven predictive analytics
- HubSpot – Best free CRM with AI features
- Pipedrive – Best AI-based CRM for sales teams
- Zoho Zia – Best for AI-enhanced data management
- monday.com – Best for AI-powered project management in CRM
- Zendesk – Best for AI-driven customer service
- Freshsales Freddy AI – Best for AI-powered lead scoring
- Nutshell – Best for AI-assisted CRM for email campaigns
- Show Full Guide
The Best AI-Powered CRM Software for Businesses Reviewed
This section explores the top AI-powered CRM systems to help you find the perfect match for boosting sales, improving customer service, or managing projects effectively. Our reviews highlight each of the best CRM software’s strengths and ideal users, helping you make a confident choice for your business needs.
As more market-leading CRMs are adopting AI functionality, you’re sure to notice a lot of cross-over between this article and my guide to the best CRM software for businesses in 2024.
1. Salesforce Einstein 1 – Best for AI-Driven Predictive Analytics
Starting Price | $25/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ✅ 30-day free trial |
Top 3 Features | Predictive analytics, lead scoring, conversational AI |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ✅ |
Pros
- Industry-leading predictive analytics
- Comprehensive AI features across all business functions
- Over 3,000 integrations available
Cons
- Users have reported a complex setup process
- Higher cost compared to some competitors
2. HubSpot – Best Free CRM with AI
Starting Price | $15/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ✅ Free forever plan |
Top 3 Features | AI Content Writer, Lead management, Social media automation, Free chatbot builder |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ❌ |
Pros
- Extensive free plan with AI features
- Intuitive interface, minimal learning curve
- Comprehensive toolset for marketing, sales, and service teams
Cons
- High costs for advanced features in paid plans
- Some AI capabilities are less advanced compared to premium competitors like Salesforce
3. Pipedrive – Best AI-Based CRM for Sales Teams
Starting Price | $14/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ✅ 14-day free trial |
Top 3 Features | AI sales assistant, Email summarization, Deal summarization |
Team Suitability | Sales Teams / Marketing Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ❌ |
Pros
- Budget-friendly plans with all essential features
- Interface designed specifically to streamline the sales process
- Strong focus on sales process automation and pipeline management
Cons
- Limited customization
- Advanced features are only accessible through higher-tier plans
4. Zoho Zia – Best for AI-Enhanced Data Management
Starting Price | $40/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ❌ |
Top 3 Features | AI-powered predictions, Data blending, Intelligent automation |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ✅ |
Pros
- Best-in-class data blending capabilities
- Advanced AI-driven predictive analytics (accurate forecasts)
- Exceptional flexibility in customization
Cons
- AI functionalities only available in the higher-cost Enterprise plan
- Users report that there’s a learning curve for Zia
5. monday.com – Best for AI-Powered Project Management in CRM
Starting Price | $9/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ❌ |
Top 3 Features | Lead evaluation, customer insights, task management |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Operations Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ✅ |
Pros
- Visually dynamic and highly customizable interface
- Advanced AI-driven project management tools
- Exceptional integration capabilities (200+ apps)
Cons
- Time tracking is only available on higher-tier plans
- The mobile app has fewer features than desktop
6. Zendesk – Best for AI-Driven Customer Service
Starting Price | $19/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | 14-day free trial |
Top 3 Features | AI-powered bots, Automated frontline management, AI-driven content generation |
Team Suitability | Customer Service Teams / Sales Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ✅ |
Pros
- Strong AI-driven features that enhance customer service
- Highly customizable reporting and analytics tools
- Customizable pipelines and workflows
Cons
- Can become expensive as your team scales
- Some limitations in third-party app integrations
7. Freshsales Freddy AI – Best for AI-Powered Lead Scoring
Starting Price | $9/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ✅ 21-day free trial |
Top 3 Features | AI-powered lead scoring, sales forecasting, deal insights |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ❌ |
Pros
- Advanced AI-powered lead scoring and sales forecasting
- Built-in VoIP capabilities for seamless communication
- Customizable deal pipelines
Cons
- Limits on sales pipelines, even in the highest-tier plan
- Mixed reviews on customer support availability
8. Nutshell – Best for AI-Assisted CRM for Email Campaigns
Starting Price | $16/month |
---|---|
Free Version (that includes AI features) | ✅ 14-day free trial |
Top 3 Features | Email writing assistant, Zoom transcription summarization, Voice-to-text transcriptions |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment analysis | ❌ |
Pros
- Strong AI tools for summarizing information and automating note-taking
- Affordable pricing plans with AI capabilities
- Native integration with popular tools like Zoom and Slack
Cons
- Lacks advanced features like lead scoring and customer sentiment analysis
- Some limitations on customization compared to higher-end CRMs
Comparing the Best CRMs with AI Functionality
Here’s a brief overview of the top AI-powered CRM systems, highlighting what each one is best for, their starting prices, and key features related to AI:
Providers | Salesforce Einstein 1 | HubSpot | Pipedrive | Zoho Zia | monday.com | Zendesk | Freshsales Freddy AI | Nutshell |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best For | AI-Driven Predictive Analytics | Best Free CRM with AI | Best AI-Based CRM for Sales Teams | AI-Enhanced Data Management | AI-Powered Project Management in CRM | AI-Driven Customer Service | AI-Powered Lead Scoring | AI-Assisted CRM for Email Campaigns |
Starting Price | $25/month | $15/month | $14/month | $14/month | $9/month | $19/month | $9/month | $16/month |
Free Version | ✅ Trial | ✅ Plan | ✅ Trial | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Trial | ✅ Trial | ✅ Trial |
Team Suitability | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams | Sales Teams / Marketing Teams | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Operations Teams | Customer Service Teams / Sales Teams | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams | Marketing Teams / Sales Teams / Customer Service Teams |
Generative AI | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Lead Scoring | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Sentiment Analysis | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
What are AI-Powered CRMs?
AI-powered CRMs are usually not entirely new CRM products but rather enhanced versions of existing customer relationship management (CRM) platforms which have released new AI tools and functionality. These CRMs integrate artificial intelligence to automate tasks, analyze data, and provide insights that help businesses improve customer interactions.
Instead of just managing contacts and tracking sales, AI-powered CRMs can predict customer behavior, help generate personalized content (such as targeted emails), automate responses to customers, and be used to create chatbots which offer 24/7 customer service, among other things. Essentially, they take the core functions of traditional CRMs and supercharge them with AI, making them smarter and more efficient.
How Does AI Enhance CRM Systems?
AI enhances CRM systems by automating repetitive tasks like data entry and follow-up reminders, allowing teams to focus on more strategic activities that require their talents. It is hugely beneficial to those using a CRM for marketing, sales, or customer service.
In short: AI CRMs are intelligent systems that enhance customer experiences and drive effective sales and marketing strategies.
What are Some Key Benefits of AI CRMs in Improving Customer Experience?
AI CRMs bring several tangible benefits that can dramatically enhance how businesses interact with their customers. By using AI, companies can create more personalized, efficient, and responsive customer experiences. Here are some key benefits on offer for you:
These benefits can help your businesses not just meet but exceed customer expectations, leading to stronger relationships and increased loyalty.
AI CRM Use Cases
AI-powered CRMs are invaluable tools that can streamline various aspects of business operations. Here’s how they can make a difference:
AI CRMs automate lead scoring and prioritization, analyzing data from multiple sources to identify the most promising leads. This saves time by focusing efforts on high-potential leads, increasing the likelihood of closing deals.
AI excels at managing, cleansing, and organizing large amounts of customer data. It automatically removes duplicates, corrects errors, and ensures data accuracy, leading to reliable reports and better business decisions.
AI CRMs enhance customer service by automating routine tasks and offering instant support via chatbots. These tools handle common inquiries, allowing your team to focus on complex issues, resulting in faster response times and improved customer satisfaction.
AI-driven sales forecasting analyzes historical data to predict future trends. By identifying hidden patterns, AI helps businesses make accurate sales predictions, enabling effective resource allocation and realistic target setting.
The Latest Updates and News for AI CRMs
Here are some of the most recent updates in the world of AI-powered CRMs that you should know about:
- August 1, 2024: Salesforce Introduces BYO LLM – Salesforce’s Summer ’24 release includes the “Bring Your Own Large Language Model” (BYO LLM) feature, allowing businesses to integrate their preferred AI models directly into the Salesforce platform. This offers greater flexibility and control over AI-powered customer interactions.
- July 29, 2024: CallRail Expands AI for CRM Integration – An interesting example of AI used to improve customer experience: Call tracking software CallRail has expanded its AI capabilities to enhance CRM lead intelligence. This update focuses on improving how AI analyzes customer interactions to provide deeper insights, helping businesses prioritize leads more effectively.
- July 15, 2024: Next-Gen AI Chatbots Unveiled – New advanced AI chatbots are being developed by Verint to better handle customer communications. These bots are expected to significantly enhance customer service by providing more natural and context-aware responses, improving overall customer satisfaction.
How to Measure the ROI of AI CRM
Measuring the ROI of an AI-powered CRM involves evaluating both tangible and intangible benefits.
- Start by assessing hard numbers: How much time and money does the AI CRM save by automating tasks like data entry or customer follow-ups? Compare these savings against the CRM’s cost.
- Next, evaluate revenue impact. Has the AI improved lead scoring or personalized interactions, leading to higher sales and customer retention? These are key indicators of ROI.
- Finally, consider intangible benefits like improved customer satisfaction and better decision-making. Though harder to quantify, these can drive long-term growth. Ultimately, if the AI CRM’s value exceeds its cost, it’s a solid investment.
How to Choose the Best X for Y
Choosing the right AI CRM for your business isn’t just about picking the most popular option; it’s about finding the one that aligns with your specific needs and goals. Here are some key factors to keep in mind when making your decision:
Start by considering what you need most from a CRM. Are you focused on improving lead management, enhancing customer service, or automating tasks? Your primary goals should guide your choice.
Not all AI is created equal. Look for CRMs that offer the specific AI features you need, such as predictive analytics, personalized customer interactions, or automated data cleansing.
A powerful AI CRM won’t be much help if it’s too complicated to use. Consider the learning curve for you and your team. Opt for a system with an intuitive interface and robust support resources.
As your business grows, your CRM needs might change. Choose a CRM that can scale with your business, offering more advanced features or higher capacity as needed.
Finally, weigh the cost of the CRM against the value it brings. Consider both immediate savings from automation and long-term gains from improved customer relationships.