“Cheap is good, free is better,” as the old saying goes, but not when it comes to your CRM. With many customer relationship management platforms offering free versions, it can be tempting to sign up for a way to track and nurture leads that does not impact your budget.

What you may not know, however, is that these CRMs often come with their own costs. And they usually lack critical features that your business needs to really understand and manage your marketing campaign, sales workflows, and customer behavior.

Here are 5 reasons to avoid a free CRM in favor of a high-quality and customizable paid platform.

1. “Free” CRMs are rarely free

Most ‘free’ CRMs are stripped-down versions of more feature-rich paid platforms. You can enjoy basic functionality, such as contact management and some integrations. In order to enjoy additional features, however, you need to upgrade to a paid version of the platform or buy additional products offered through the company. A paid CRM, on the other hand, offers all the customization, versatility, integration, and reporting you want, with no need to keep upgrading.

2. Paid CRMs allow for more users

Most “free” CRMs limit the number of users on the platform to fewer than 10, and often to just 1. To add users to the CRM you have to upgrade to a paid version. For most businesses that utilize a team of marketing and sales professionals, these “free” versions will not be enough.

A paid platform, on the other hand, allows businesses to add as many users as they need, often through a flat monthly fee per user. With the option to customize the pricing to fit their needs and team size, these paid versions add value that is worth the cost. Plus, it won’t be necessary to retrain users in order to get them to learn new features from an upgrade or new CRM.

3. Paid CRMs come with a full set of features

“Free” versions that remove essential features rarely deliver the functionality required by robust marketing and sales departments. Paid CRMs stand out because they deliver a full set of features that allows businesses to perform all of the tasks they need to generate, nurture, and convert leads throughout every stage of the sales funnel. With no need to continue upgrading, many businesses prefer to choose a paid CRM over a “free” version that limits what they can achieve and adds costs every time they add functionality.

4. Paid CRMs are customizable

No two businesses are alike, and a cookie cutter CRM or a “free” CRM with limited features is unlikely to satisfactorily meet the needs of every business. When companies request additional functionality from a “free” platform, they also often find that they can only get what they need by upgrading to a paid account.

Instead, the best CRMs are paid ones that allow businesses to choose the features they want upfront. Being able to get all of the features you want, with no excess features and no hidden costs, is peace of mind that is worth paying for.

5. Paid CRMs integrate with everything

Businesses utilize many tools to generate, track, and nurture leads. Everything from email to phone numbers, databases, and cloud programs work together to keep sales and marketing departments running.

A CRM needs to integrate all of these tools into one easy-to-use platform. That way, users can see all of the relevant information about every lead in one place and easily complete tasks from within the platform.

“Free” CRMs rarely offer widespread integration. That means that businesses will either need to continue using some tools apart from the platform or pay for an upgrade.

Paid CRMs, on the other hand, integrate with every possible application and tool your business uses, with no additional costs or hidden fees. That type of functionality makes it easier to use the CRM and ensures that no lead ever falls through the cracks.

💡Takeaways

“Free” CRMs may look good upfront. However, in the end the vast majority of businesses will benefit from choosing a paid option instead. Paid alternatives allow for more users, deliver a full suite of customizable features, and offer total integration for one transparent cost. And, you never need to worry about paying for constant upgrades to your system.

Right now, with GoCRM, you can get the best of both worlds: A free trial when you purchase a subscription. As the only CRM that offers a full-funnel approach, you can enjoy everything we have to offer with no risk to you.

Request your free trial today!