As accountants, you’ve got a lot on your plate. So, finding tools to keep your accounting firm running efficiently is vital.
I spent over a decade in the accounting industry and found that great CRM software is one of the most important tools you can have.
It’s crucial to pick the right CRM platform because the wrong one could cost you time and money.
So, to save you the hassle, the Small Business Bonfire team and I developed the top-ranked CRM for accountants through these qualifications.
- Side by Side features comparison
- Third-party industry experts review
- Competitive pricing plans
- Personal experience with the software
What is a CRM for Accounting Firms?
A CRM, or a Customer Relationship Management system, is a platform used to organize customer information and data.
It helps manage customer relationships by providing visibility into customers’ needs, expectations, preferences, and activities.
CRMs for accounting firms can be used to store client contact information, organize leads, and track interactions with clients.
In addition, a good CRM for accountants should have features such as invoicing capabilities, analytics, and reporting tools.
Using the right CRM will help you communicate more effectively with your clients and streamline many daily tasks associated with running an accounting firm. That’s why selecting the best software is essential!
What Should Accounting Firms Look for in a CRM Software?
Accounting Specific Needs
For accounting firms, the right CRM should provide features tailored to their specific needs. Look for software with invoicing capabilities, analytics tools, reporting functions, automated reminders, and task management.
Better Lead Management
A good CRM should have functions and features that will help you manage your leads better. This includes tracking user engagement and storing customer data in one place, making it easier to access.
Marketing Automation
CRMs for accounting firms should also provide marketing automation tools and features. This allows you to manage your campaigns better, target customers with relevant content, and personalize messages for a more personalized approach.
Better Customer Data
Next, a good CRM for accountants should give you access to better customer data. This includes information on customers’ preferences, buying behavior, and purchase history allowing you to make more informed decisions about your marketing strategies.
Central Location for All Customer Info
An efficient CRM should also provide a centralized location for all customer information. This includes contact details, notes, conversations, appointment scheduling, and invoicing capabilities.
Being able to find that valuable client information in one location is a crucial CRM tool.
Customer Journey Flow
Another key feature is having a customer journey flow. A good CRM for accountants should allow you to track and manage your customer journey from start to finish.
This includes measuring customer engagement and satisfaction, identifying potential opportunities, and making better decisions about future marketing campaigns.
Automated Customer Reminders
Finally, a quality CRM for accounting firms should be able to automate customer reminders. This includes sending automated emails and text messages, or allowing you to remind clients of upcoming appointments or deadlines quickly.
These automated features can help you save time and reduce the manual labor associated with managing customer relationships, making your job easier and more efficient.
What is the Best CRM for Accountants?
The best CRM for accountants is one that meets all of their specific needs and provides the features and functions they need to manage customer relationships more effectively.
We’ve done extensive research and created a list of the top six CRMs for accounting firms. Each software was carefully chosen based on features comparison, third-party reviews, and customer feedback.
By carefully evaluating each CRM and its features, we are confident you will find the right one to fit your needs.
Here is our list of the top CRM for accountants on the current market:
- Monday
- Keap
- Zoho CRM
- HubSpot CRM
- Capsule CRM
- Freshsales
Why We Picked It
Monday is a powerful and intuitive CRM that provides features and functions specifically tailored to the needs of accountants.
The software boasts invoicing capabilities, analytics tools, reporting functions, automated reminders, and task management, all designed to help you manage customer relationships more effectively.
Plus, thanks to its comprehensive suite of marketing automation tools, Monday makes it easy to target customers with relevant content and track their engagement across the customer journey.
If you are looking for a CRM specifically designed for accountants’ needs, then Monday is worth considering. It has all the features you need to manage client relationships more efficiently and effectively.
Key Features
- Webinars
- Help Center
- 24/7 Support
- App Development
- Builder Certifications
Pricing
Monday offers users a free subscription plan and four different pricing plan options.
These plans include the following:
- Individual Plan: This free plan comes with up to two team members, 1,000 leads, and web forms to capture leads.
- Basic Plan: This plan costs $10 monthly per seat and includes iOS & Android apps, unlimited free viewers, unlimited contacts, and customizable pipelines.
- Standard Plan: This plan costs $14 monthly per seat and will help automate sales processes and streamline communication. It also includes activity management, quotes & invoices, and custom CRM integrations.
- Pro Plan: This plan costs $24 a month per seat and is targeted toward gaining insight into your entire sales cycle and forecasting. It includes sales analytics, Google calendar, email tracking, and automation.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan includes customized pricing for users who want a more personalized experience and access to more advanced features. Contact Monday for more information.
Pros
- A free forever plan
- Automated workflows are one of the core features
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- The free basic plan has a few key features
- All paid plans have a three-seat minimum
- Can have integration issues
Why We Picked It
Keap is an intuitive cloud-based CRM for accounting firms that helps track the customer journey and measure customer engagement. It has various features like automated reminders, invoice management, contact profiles, and marketing analytics.
Plus, thanks to its drag-and-drop functionality and customizable pipelines, Keap allows you to manage customer relationships in one place easily.
With these features, Keap makes tracking customer interactions easier and develops more effective strategies for engaging with customers.
Key Features
- Sales Pipeline
- Text Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Report & Analytics
- Lead Management
Pricing
Keap offers a 14-day free trial and a couple of pricing plans available at annual and monthly rates. However, an annual subscription is cheaper than a monthly subscription.
Here are the annual subscriptions Keap provides to users:
- Pro Plan: This plan is $149 monthly. It includes sales & marketing automation, lead and client management, and sales pipeline and analysis.
- Max Plan: This plan is $199 a month and includes marketing analytics, landing pages & online sales, and automatic lead capture & follow-up.
Pros
- Strong segmentation and automation
- Easy onboarding
- Fully functional automation tools
Cons
- Extremely expensive compared to other CRM
- No inbound marketing
- The learning curve can be overwhelming
Why We Picked It
Zoho CRM is an easy-to-use and comprehensive CRM software for accountants. It helps you acquire more customers, increase customer retention, and manage customer relationships easily.
With its automated workflows, customizable dashboards, powerful analytics tools, and mobile app integrations, Zoho makes tracking customer interactions, monitoring performance metrics, and personalizing customer experiences easy.
In addition, thanks to its integration with third-party applications such as QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Salesforce, Zoho makes it easier to manage customer data across multiple systems.
Key Features
- Analytics
- Team Collaboration
- Process Management
- Marketing Automation
- Sales Force Automation
- Performance Management
Pricing
Zoho CRM has a free plan and several affordable pricing plans at both monthly and annual rates.
These are the annual plans Zoho CRM offers users:
- Free Plan: This plan is available for three users and comes with standard reports and task-only reminders.
- Standard Plan: This plan is $14 monthly for each user and comes with 100 custom reports, 10 custom dashboards, and 20 schedulers per user.
- Professional Plan: This plan is $23 monthly for each user and comes with standard reports, unlimited custom reports, charts, and KPIs.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan is $40 a month for each user and comes with unlimited custom dashboards, 10 trends for the anomaly detector, and zia notification.
- Ultimate Plan: This plan is $52 a month for each user and has the same features as the previous plans plus more advanced features.
Pros
- It makes it easy for users to create invoices, sales, and purchase orders
- Simple and easy interface
- Seamless integration for centralized management
Cons
- The free plan is capped at 3 users
- Not much storage capacity
- No 24/7 customer support
Why We Picked It
HubSpot is one of the best CRM for accountants. It helps you automate customer interaction and streamline your sales process, making tracking and managing customer relationships easier.
It also offers powerful analytics tools that allow you to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitor performance metrics.
Plus, HubSpot CRM integration with other applications makes it easy to manage customer data across multiple systems.
Finally, thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly interface, HubSpot is incredibly easy to use and navigate.
Key Features
- Live Chat
- Email Marketing
- SEO Optimization
- Custom Reporting
- Email Automation
- Campaign Reporting
Pricing
HubSpot CRM has three pricing plans at monthly and annual rates and a free plan with tools like live chat, conversational bots, and team email for small teams and enterprises.
Here are the monthly plans for small teams and individuals:
- Free Tools: This free plan allows you to email new leads and help you measure your business’s success.
- Starter Plan: This plan costs $20 a month and includes up to 1,000 marketing contacts and the essential marketing tools to engage and convert leads.
- Professional Plan: This plan is $890 monthly, with 2,000 marketing contacts and comprehensive marketing tools for automation, reporting, and campaigns.
These are the annual plans HubSpot CRM offers businesses and enterprises:
- Starter Plan: This plan is $18 monthly for two paid users and includes email and in-app chat support, multiple currencies, and a meeting schedule.
- Professional Plan: This plan is $800 a month, but you receive five paid users, standard CRM integration, forecasting, and advanced phone support.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan costs $3,600 a month, includes up to 10,000 marketing contacts, and has the same features as previous plans.
Pros
- Sales tools recognize multiple currencies
- Option for unlimited users
- Certain free CRM tools
Cons
- Some integrations require additional fees
- Pricing plans get expensive
- Lack of flexibility in pricing plans
Why We Picked It
Capsule CRM is a powerful CRM software for accountants. It offers various features to help you acquire more customers, increase customer retention, and manage customer relationships easily.
It also provides advanced analytics tools that make measuring KPIs, monitoring performance metrics, and optimizing customer engagement easy. Additionally, Capsule CRM integrates easily with third-party applications such as Zendesk and Salesforce for centralized customer data management.
Furthermore, its intuitive user interface makes it easy to understand and navigate, making it one of the best CRM for accountants.
Key Features
- Sales Pipeline
- Sales Analytics
- Contact Management
- Workflow Automation
- Email Marketing & Tools
Pricing
Capsule CRM has several different pricing plans and includes a 14-day free trial with the option to cancel anytime.
These are the subscriptions this platform provides users:
- Professional Plan: This plan costs $18 a month per user and is suitable for a small business looking for more sales. This plan includes project management, sales pipeline management, and business activity reporting.
- Teams Plan: This plan costs $36 a month per user and is great for businesses of all sizes. It includes multiple sales pipelines, 50 email templates, workflow automation, and more.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan costs $54 a month per user and includes dedicated account management, import assistance, and 200,000 contacts.
Pros
- Strict user permissions to protect client data
- The free plan has strong features
- Paid plans include accounting integrations
Cons
- The free plan is limited to 2 users
- User restrictions with the basic paid plan
- No in-app invoicing is available
Why We Picked It
Freshsales is one of the best CRM for accountants, thanks to its powerful features and user-friendly interface. It helps you track customer relationships, automate customer interaction, and increase sales efficiency.
It also has advanced analytics tools that allow you to measure email marketing, monitor performance metrics, and create custom reports.
Freshsales integrates with third-party applications like Slack and G Suite to better manage customer data.
Finally, it has an intuitive user interface makes it easy to navigate and use without much hassle.
Key Features
- Sales Reports
- Chat Campaigns
- Email Integration
- Deal Management
- Contact Management
Pricing
Freshsales has a free option and three pricing plans, so you can choose which suits your business’s needs and budget.
Here are the three monthly plans Freshsales offers:
- Growth Plan: This plan costs $15 monthly per user, including sales sequences, a visual sales pipeline, and AI-Powered contact scoring.
- Pro Plan: This plan costs $39 a month per user and includes sales team & territory management, and time-based workflows.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan costs $69 a month per user and includes custom modules, up to 5,000 bot sessions monthly, and a dedicated account manager.
Pros
- Unlimited users with the free plan
- Sales activities and revenue forecasting
- Feature-rich cloud-based all-in-one CRM
Cons
- No offline data access
- The free trial has limited CRM tools
- Per user limit on document storage
Accounting CRM Platform Conclusion
Choosing the right CRM platform for your accounting business can be daunting. That’s why it’s essential to research and compare different CRMs before deciding.
We reviewed six of the best accounting CRM software on the market and showed you what makes them different and which might be the perfect fit for your small businesses.
Now it’s your turn to let us know what you think of our list. Is there an accounting CRM system that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, accountants use CRM software to better manage customer relationships, sales activities, and other important business operations.
Accounting firms use CRM to manage customer data, automate sales processes, and track performance metrics. It also helps them organize client portfolios and generate reports for better decision-making.
Yes, QuickBooks is capable of being used as a CRM. It offers features like contact management, sales tracking, and custom reports to help you manage your customer relationships more effectively.
The three types of CRM systems are operational CRM, analytical CRM, and collaborative CRM.
Operational CRMs help manage customer data, analytic CRMs provide insights into customer behavior, and collaborative CRMs enable teams to collaborate better.
Yes, Excel can be used as a basic CRM system. It’s simple to use and requires no additional software installations or setup. However, it may lack certain features that more advanced CRMs provide.
The right accounting CRM platform will help you better manage customer relationships, automate sales activities, and increase overall efficiency in your business.