The best known CRM examples are Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Pipedrive. Each one stores customers, deals and support requests in one place. They differ in price, depth and who they are built for, and the list below explains what each is actually used for.
10 CRM examples at a glance
| # | CRM | Best known for | Usually chosen by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salesforce | Depth and customisation | Large companies and enterprises |
| 2 | Zoho CRM | Wide features at low cost | Small and mid-size businesses |
| 3 | HubSpot CRM | A usable free plan plus marketing tools | Startups and marketing-led teams |
| 4 | Zoho Bigin | Simplicity — a pipeline and little else | Very small teams and solo sellers |
| 5 | Pipedrive | A clean visual sales pipeline | Sales-first teams |
| 6 | Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Fitting neatly with Microsoft 365 | Companies already on Microsoft |
| 7 | Freshsales | Built-in phone and chat | Inside sales and call-heavy teams |
| 8 | monday CRM | Visual boards that non-sales staff understand | Teams already using monday.com |
| 9 | EngageBay | Sales, marketing and support in one budget tool | Very cost-conscious small businesses |
| 10 | Odoo CRM | Being one module of a full open-source suite | Businesses that also want ERP |
All ten are examples of the same idea. The CRM full form is Customer Relationship Management, and every product below is one way of doing it.
What each CRM is used for
1. Salesforce
The most widely recognised CRM platform. Almost anything can be configured or built on it, which is why banks, insurers and large manufacturers use it. That flexibility is also its cost: most serious Salesforce projects need an admin or a partner to set up and maintain.
2. Zoho CRM
An Indian product that gives small and mid-size businesses a very wide feature set for a modest per-user price. It connects to the rest of the Zoho suite — mail, books, desk, campaigns — which is often the deciding factor for a growing company.
3. HubSpot CRM
Known for a genuinely usable free plan. Contacts, deals and basic email tracking cost nothing, and the paid Sales, Marketing and Service hubs are added later. Startups often begin here because there is no purchase decision to justify on day one.
4. Zoho Bigin
A deliberately stripped-down CRM from Zoho for teams that found full CRM software overwhelming. It offers pipelines, contacts and follow-ups without the modules a two-person business will never open.
5. Pipedrive
Built around one screen: the deal pipeline. Sales people can see every open deal, its value and its next action at a glance. It is popular with agencies and consultancies that live and die by a handful of large deals.
6. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft’s CRM and ERP family. Its advantage is familiarity — Outlook, Teams, Excel and Power BI all connect without a third-party bridge. Companies that already standardised on Microsoft rarely need much convincing.
7. Freshsales
Part of the Freshworks family, another India-founded company. Its selling point is a built-in phone and chat, which suits inside sales teams that spend the day on calls rather than in meetings.
8. monday CRM
A CRM built on top of monday.com’s board interface. Teams that already run projects there get a sales pipeline that looks and behaves the same way, which shortens training considerably.
9. EngageBay
An all-in-one budget option that bundles CRM, email marketing and a helpdesk. It appeals to very small businesses that would otherwise pay three separate subscriptions.
10. Odoo CRM
One module inside an open-source business suite that also covers inventory, accounting and manufacturing. It suits businesses that want CRM and ERP from a single vendor and have someone technical to look after it.
CRM examples in real life
| Business | What the CRM does for them |
|---|---|
| Real estate office | Captures site-visit enquiries, assigns them in rotation, reminds agents to follow up, records why deals were lost |
| Coaching institute | Tracks admission enquiries from first call to fee payment, then sends batch and exam reminders |
| Bank branch | Gives the relationship manager a customer 360 view and a daily list of maturing deposits and pending documents |
| Online store | Stores order history, handles return tickets and segments customers for offers |
| B2B manufacturer | Manages long deal cycles, quotations, dealer networks and after-sales service contracts |
How to pick from these examples
Ignore feature lists for a moment and answer three questions. How many people will actually log in, since pricing is per user? Will your team update records on a phone? What must it connect to — email, WhatsApp, your website forms, your accounting software? The shortlist usually writes itself after that.
Then run a real trial. Import your own customer spreadsheet, put five live leads through the pipeline for a week, and see who still updates it on day five. For a fuller comparison with plans and pricing, see the best CRM software in India →
Frequently asked questions
What are some examples of CRM software?
Common CRM examples include Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot CRM, Zoho Bigin, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Freshsales, monday CRM, EngageBay and Odoo CRM.
Which is the most popular CRM?
Salesforce is the most widely recognised CRM platform worldwide, particularly among large enterprises. Among small and mid-size businesses in India, Zoho CRM and the free HubSpot plan are far more common because of cost.
Is there a free CRM?
Yes. HubSpot offers a free CRM plan with contacts, deals and basic email tracking, and several other vendors offer free tiers for very small teams. Free plans limit users, records or features, so check those limits before committing.
What is an example of CRM in real life?
A real estate office is a clear example. Every site-visit enquiry is captured in the CRM, assigned to an agent in rotation, followed up with automatic reminders, and marked won or lost with a reason — so the owner can see which channels and which agents actually produce sales.
What is the difference between CRM examples for B2B and B2C?
B2B CRMs centre on companies, long deal cycles and multiple decision makers, so they emphasise accounts, quotations and pipelines. B2C CRMs centre on individuals and high transaction volumes, so they emphasise segmentation, campaigns and support tickets.
Related pages
- CRM full form — the main meaning and every industry in one table.
- Best CRM software in India — plans and pricing compared.
- Types of CRM — operational, analytical and collaborative.
- Features of CRM — what to look for in any of these tools.