Running an agency means mastering a unique juggling act of clients, projects, and new business leads. While this dynamic environment is thrilling, it can also lead to scattered information, missed deadlines, and disconnected teams—all of which hinder growth. This is precisely why finding the best CRM for agencies is so critical.
A powerful customer relationship management platform acts as the central hub for a modern agency, transforming potential chaos into streamlined clarity. For any customer relationship management agency, the right tool connects your sales pipeline to your project delivery, ensuring a seamless client experience from the first call to the final report.
Whether you're looking for a marketing agency CRM or a solution for your creative or digital firm, this guide is for you. We’ll explore what sets a true agency CRM apart and help you find the system that will empower your team to succeed.
What is CRM for agencies?
When we talk about a CRM, many people picture a tool built exclusively for traditional sales teams. But an agency CRM system is a different breed altogether. Unlike businesses that sell products, agencies sell services, expertise, and ongoing relationships. The customer journey is not a simple linear path but a continuous cycle of prospecting, pitching, onboarding, project execution, reporting, and retention.
A standard CRM might be great at tracking deals, but it often falls short when it comes to managing the intricate, project-based work that defines agency life. The best CRM for a marketing agency or creative agency CRM must be able to handle both the sales process and the complex delivery that follows. It needs to track not just leads and opportunities, but also project pipelines, team collaboration on creative assets, client feedback, and billable hours.
For example, a CRM for a digital marketing agency must connect a new client win to the subsequent campaign kickoff, content calendar, and performance reports. The best CRM for advertising agencies needs to link a client’s brief to creative development, media buying, and final campaign analysis. It’s this seamless connection between winning the business and doing the work that sets a true agency CRM software apart.
Ultimately, an agency that employs a CRM program effectively has a single source of truth. It breaks down the silos between your sales, account, and project management teams, ensuring everyone is working with the same up-to-date information.
Unlike standard CRMs, a platform like Lark integrates project management and client collaboration directly into your workflow, creating a single source of truth for your entire agency’s operations.
Key features to look for in best CRMs for agencies
As you begin your search for the perfect agency CRM, it’s essential to focus on capabilities that address the unique challenges of agency life. Rather than getting lost in a long list of features, prioritize these core functionalities that the best CRM for agencies must deliver:
Holistic client and pipeline management: This is the heart of any agency CRM. You need a unified view of the entire client lifecycle, from a new lead to a long-term partner. This includes a visual sales pipeline for tracking opportunities and a comprehensive client database that logs every interaction, project, and key contact. The system should empower you to manage customer data and nurture relationships seamlessly.
Integrated project management and collaboration: An ad agency CRM that can't manage projects is incomplete. The best solutions weave project management directly into the client record. Look for features like project pipelines, task management, and resource allocation. This ensures your delivery team can collaborate effectively on campaigns and projects, with all communication and files stored in one central place, promoting strong team collaboration.
Seamless integration and automation: Your CRM should make your life easier, not more complicated. This means it must integrate smoothly with the tools your agency already relies on, like email, calendars, and accounting software. Furthermore, workflow automation is key for handling repetitive tasks such as lead assignments, follow-up reminders, and client onboarding sequences, freeing your team to focus on strategic work.
Actionable reporting and customization: Every agency is different, so your CRM should adapt to you. A customizable CRM allows you to tailor fields, workflows, and dashboards to match your specific processes. This flexibility extends to reporting, where you need to be able to generate real-time reports on sales forecasts, project profitability, and team performance to make informed, data-driven decisions.
With Lark, you can use Lark Base to build a fully customized agency CRM software with tailored workflows and dashboards, ensuring the platform works exactly the way your agency does.
Top CRM systems for agencies at a glance
To help you quickly compare some of the leading options, here’s a look at the best CRM for agencies, highlighting what makes each one stand out.
10 best free CRM solutions for agencies in 2025
1. Lark: The best customizable collaborative platform for agencies
Overview:
For agencies drowning in a sea of apps, Lark offers a single, unified workspace to streamline everything. It’s more than just an agency CRM software; it’s where you can build a completely bespoke agency CRM system with its powerful no-code database, Lark Base. This integrated approach connects client data, project progress, and team communication, allowing your sales, creative, and account teams to collaborate seamlessly from a single source of truth.
Top features:
Fully customizable agency CRM: Forget rigid, off-the-shelf solutions. Using Lark Base, you can build your ideal CRM from the ground up without any coding. Create custom pipelines with Kanban views, track client details in a grid, and visualize project timelines with Gantt charts. The flexibility is perfect for any CRM for creative agencies.
Powerful automation and dashboards: Automate repetitive agency workflows, like assigning new leads or sending follow-up reminders. Create real-time dashboards in Base to monitor your sales pipeline, project profitability, and other key agency metrics, enabling you to make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Built-in AI native integration: Leverage the power of AI to work smarter, not harder. Within Lark Base, its AI agent can instantly generate customized client profiles, activity summaries, and call scripts. For agencies with a global reach, the AI-powered translation in Lark Messenger and Docs eliminates language barriers in real-time, allowing your team to communicate effortlessly with international clients.
Integrated project and task management: Connect your CRM directly to your projects. Convert messages into actionable tasks, create shared documents in Docs for creative briefs, and track every deliverable within the client’s profile. Notifications for any updates are sent directly to your chat feed, keeping everyone in sync.
Unified team collaboration: Lark’s powerful Messenger is the connective tissue for your agency. You can start a video call, share and co-edit a document, and get approvals all from within a chat. This keeps conversations contextual and ensures that project collaboration is fluid and efficient.
A cost-effective alternative to a scattered tech stack: Consolidate your tools and reduce software spending with Lark's all-in-one platform. Instead of paying for separate subscriptions for chat, project management, and databases, you get a single, powerful solution which can also lead to significant savings, freeing up your agency's budget for growth, creativity, and client success.
💰Try Savings Calculator to estimate the potential cost reduction
Pricing:
Starter: Free for up to 20 users, including 100GB of storage and 1,000 automated workflow executions per month, making it a great no-cost option for small or new agencies.
Pro: $12 per user/month, with expanded storage, unlimited message history, and more automation.
Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger agencies needing advanced security and support.
👉Learn more about Lark pricing
User review:
Lark is well-regarded across multiple platforms, with ratings of 4.5/5 on G2, 4.4/5 on Capterra, 4.9/5 on the Apple App Store, and 4.3/5 on the Google Play Store. Users often praise Lark for consolidating their tech stack. One user notes, "Having our chat, documents, and CRM in one place has been transformative. Our team is more aligned, and we've saved a ton of software subscriptions."
2. HubSpot CRM: A marketing-focused agency powerhouse
Image source: hubspot.com
Overview:
HubSpot is a leading name in the CRM space, especially for any marketing agency CRM needs. Its platform is built around the inbound marketing methodology, offering a suite of powerful tools for lead generation, email marketing, and sales management. The free version is incredibly robust, making it one of the best CRM for digital marketing agency startups.
Top features:
Contact and lead management with detailed activity tracking.
Email marketing tools and templates.
Live chat and chatbot builders for your website.
Visual sales pipeline dashboard.
Pricing:
Free tools: Up to 2 users.
Marketing hub starter: Starts from $9/seat/month.
Starter customer platform: Starts from $9/seat/month.
Marketing hub professional: Starts from $800/month, includes 3 core seats.
Marketing hub enterprise: Starts from $3600/month, includes 5 core seats.
User review:
HubSpot is widely praised for its user-friendly interface. A common sentiment is that it's "incredibly easy to get started and provides immense value, even on the free plan, for managing our marketing and sales efforts."
3. Zoho CRM: The highly customizable agency toolkit
Image source: zoho.com
Overview:
Zoho CRM is part of a massive ecosystem of business apps, making it an excellent choice for agencies that want a highly customizable and scalable solution. If you need a CRM for advertising agency operations that can be tailored to very specific workflows, Zoho provides the tools to build it. Its AI-powered assistant, Zia, also helps with predictions and suggestions.
Top features:
Advanced sales and marketing automation.
Customizable dashboards and in-depth analytics.
AI-powered sales assistant for lead and deal predictions.
Integration with the extensive Zoho software suite.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial.
Standard: Starts from $14/user/month.
Professional: Starts from $23/user/month.
Enterprise: Starts from $40/user/month.
Ultimate: Starts from $52/user/month.
User review:
Users appreciate Zoho's value for money, with one reviewer stating, "The level of customization you get for the price is unmatched. It allows us to run our entire agency on one platform."
4. Pipedrive: A visual sales CRM for deal-driven agencies
Image source: pipedrive.com
Overview:
Pipedrive is laser-focused on one thing: helping you sell. Its intuitive, drag-and-drop visual pipeline makes it a favorite for sales-driven creative and ad agency CRM users. It’s designed to be simple yet powerful, ensuring that your team focuses on activities that close deals rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks.
Top features:
Highly visual and customizable sales pipelines.
Activity reminders and goal tracking.
Email integration and tracking.
Sales reporting and forecasting tools.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial for 14 days.
Essential: Starts from $14/seat/month.
Advanced: Starts from $39/seat/month.
Professional: Starts from $49/seat/month.
Power: Starts from $64/seat/month.
Enterprise: Starts from $99/seat/month.
User review:
Simplicity is Pipedrive's most lauded quality. One agency owner mentioned, "It’s the most straightforward CRM we’ve ever used. Our sales team adopted it instantly and loves the visual pipeline."
5. Freshsales: An ai-powered CRM for smarter sales
Image source: freshworks.com
Overview:
Freshsales, from the Freshworks suite, is designed for agencies that want to leverage artificial intelligence to improve their sales process. It offers AI-powered lead scoring, predictive insights, and a clean interface. This makes it one of the best CRM for web agency teams looking to prioritize their efforts effectively and close deals faster.
Top features:
AI-based lead scoring to identify the hottest prospects.
Built-in phone, email, and chat functionalities.
Visual sales pipeline with drag-and-drop navigation.
Workflow automation for sales and marketing tasks.
Pricing:
Free: For up to 3 users.
Growth: From $9 per user/month.
User review:
Users often highlight the AI features, with one review noting, "The AI lead scoring is surprisingly accurate and helps our team focus on the right opportunities. It's a huge time-saver."
6. ClickUp: A project management tool with a CRM brain
Image source: clickup.com
Overview:
While primarily known as a project management platform, ClickUp has evolved to become a powerful contender for the best CRM for design agency needs. Its extreme customizability allows you to build a CRM system directly within your project workspace. This is ideal for agencies where the line between sales and project delivery is blurred.
Top features:
Fully customizable views, including lists, boards, and Gantt charts.
CRM templates to get started quickly.
Automation for tasks and workflows.
Seamlessly connects tasks, docs, and client communication.
Pricing:
Free: Best for personal use
Unlimited: Starts from $7/user/month
Business: Starts from $12/user/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
User review:
ClickUp's flexibility is its biggest draw. "We love that we can manage our client projects and our sales pipeline in the same tool," said one agency manager. "It's the ultimate all-in-one platform for us."
7. Teamwork: A platform built for client work
Image source: teamwork.com
Overview:
Teamwork is designed from the ground up for agencies and other businesses that deliver client-based work. It combines project management with CRM functionalities, allowing you to manage the entire client lifecycle in one place. Its focus on profitability and resource management makes it a strong best CRM for digital agency option.
Top features:
Project and task management with Gantt charts and boards.
Time tracking and invoicing capabilities.
Sales pipeline visualization and deal tracking.
Integrated helpdesk for client support.
Pricing:
Free: Up to 5 users and 5 projects.
Deliver: Starts from $10.99/user/month.
Grow: Starts from $19.99/user/month.
Scale: Custom pricing.
User review:
Agencies appreciate its focus on client work. A reviewer commented, "Teamwork understands what agencies need. Being able to track time and profitability on a project right from the CRM is invaluable."
8. Insightly: A unified CRM for growing agencies
Image source: insightly.com
Overview:
Insightly offers a unified platform that combines sales, marketing, and project management. It’s a great fit for small to mid-sized agencies looking for an easy-to-use solution that can grow with them. The "linking" feature, which connects projects, contacts, and emails, provides a clear view of your client relationships.
Top features:
Contact and lead management.
Project management linked to client records.
Marketing automation for sending bulk emails.
Customizable dashboards and reporting.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial for 14 days.
Plus: Starts from $29/user/month.
Professional: Starts from $49/user/month.
Enterprise: Starts from $99/user/month.
User review:
Users often praise its dual focus on sales and projects. One review states, "Insightly strikes the perfect balance between a CRM and a project management tool, which is exactly what our agency needed."
9. Bitrix24: A comprehensive suite with a free plan for all
Image source: bitrix24.com
Overview:
Bitrix24 is a sprawling platform that offers a massive suite of tools, including CRM, project management, communication, and even website building. Its biggest draw is the free plan, which supports unlimited users, making it a tempting option for agencies on a tight budget that need a wide range of functionalities.
Top features:
CRM with sales funnel and pipeline management.
Project management with tasks, Gantt charts, and Kanban boards.
Built-in communication tools like chat and video calls.
Contact center for managing customer inquiries.
Pricing:
Free: For unlimited users with core features.
Standard: Starts from $99 per month for 50 users.
Professional: Starts from $199 per month for 100 users.
Enterprise: Starts from $399 per month for 250 users, with options to scale.
User review:
The sheer breadth of features is often mentioned. A user commented, "It's amazing how much you get for free. It’s a bit complex to set up, but once you do, it can run your whole business."
10. Copper: The agency CRM for google workspace lovers
Image source: copper.com
Overview:
Copper is the CRM of choice for agencies that live and breathe Google Workspace. It integrates so deeply with Gmail, Calendar, and Drive that it feels like a natural extension of those tools. It automatically scrapes data from your emails, reducing manual data entry and keeping your client records effortlessly up-to-date.
Top features:
Seamless integration with Google Workspace.
Automated data entry and contact enrichment.
Simple and intuitive pipeline management.
Activity and task tracking within Gmail.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial.
Starter: Starts from $9/seat/month.
Basic: Starts from $23/seat/month.
Professional: Starts from $59/seat/month.
Business: Starts from $99/seat/month.
User review:
Its Google integration is its killer feature. A reviewer wrote, "If your agency runs on Google, there's no better CRM. It works right inside Gmail, which means our team actually uses it."
Get started with free Lark templates for CRM
Starting your agency CRM from a blank slate can be intimidating. That’s why using a pre-built template is one of the smartest ways to get up and running quickly. Lark offers a range of free, fully customizable CRM templates designed specifically for the kind of dynamic work that agencies do. You can use them as-is or tweak them to perfectly match your unique processes.
Basic CRM template
This template provides a clean and straightforward way to manage your customer relationships and sales opportunities. It features a customer list, a Kanban board for tracking progress, and clear views of deal value and assigned sales reps. It’s the perfect starting point for smaller agencies or teams that need a simple yet effective system to ensure no lead or opportunity falls through the cracks, improving overall organization and efficiency.
Sales & CRM template
Designed for more customer-facing and sales-focused agencies, this template offers a comprehensive system for managing the entire sales lifecycle. It includes detailed client information tracking, robust opportunity management, and a client visit log to ensure timely follow-ups. The integrated dashboards provide key metrics, helping you gain deep insights into your sales performance and make data-driven decisions to streamline your process from start to finish.
Light CRM System template
This template is ideal for agencies that need a structured yet lightweight system to streamline their customer management. It provides a framework to organize client information, track sales opportunities, and manage contracts. With features like a Kanban view for customer segmentation and a "sales cockpit" for real-time updates, it helps ensure your client data is accurate and actionable, enhancing productivity without overwhelming your team with unnecessary complexity.
Base CRM template
For agencies that want a comprehensive, data-rich overview of their sales operations, this template is a powerhouse. It features a detailed sales dashboard with insights into active deals, forecasted revenue, and won deal values. With charts for deal status distribution and pipeline conversion rates, it allows sales managers to monitor team performance, track revenue trends, and identify areas for improvement, all from one shareable, full-screen dashboard.
These templates offer a powerful starting point, but their real value comes from the ability to easily customize them within Lark Base to fit your agency's specific workflows and needs. 🌟Learn more templates here
Choosing the best CRM for agencies: A step-by-step guide
Selecting the right agency CRM is a strategic decision that will impact your team’s productivity and your business’s growth for years to come. To move from confusion to clarity, follow this proven, step-by-step process to find the perfect fit for your agency.
Step 1: Define your agency's needs and goals
Before you even look at a single piece of software, look inward. What are the biggest pain points in your current workflow? Are you struggling with messy client data, inefficient project handoffs, or a lack of visibility into your sales pipeline? Define specific, measurable goals. For example, "Reduce the time spent on manual data entry by 30%" or "Improve lead-to-client conversion rate by 15%."
Step 2: Involve your entire team
The best CRM is one that your team will actually use. Gather input from everyone who will be touching the system—your sales reps, account managers, project managers, and creatives. They are on the front lines and know what they need to succeed. Their early buy-in is the single most important factor for successful adoption.
Step 3: Create a checklist of must-have features
Based on your goals and team feedback, create a feature checklist. Separate your "must-haves" from your "nice-to-haves." For most agencies, must-haves will include integrated project management, a visual sales pipeline, automation capabilities, and robust reporting. This checklist will be your north star during your research.
Step 4: Research and shortlist your top contenders
Now it's time to start exploring your options. Use this guide, read independent reviews on sites like G2 and Capterra, and ask for recommendations from other agency owners. Based on your feature checklist and budget, create a shortlist of three to five CRM systems that seem like a strong fit.
Step 5: Take them for a test drive
Never buy a CRM based on a sales demo alone. The most crucial step is to sign up for free trials and get your hands dirty. Assign key team members to test specific workflows. Have your sales team track a real opportunity, and ask your project managers to map out a client project. This is where you’ll discover the system’s true strengths and weaknesses.
Step 6: Evaluate, compare, and make your decision
After the trial period, bring your team together to compare notes. Use a simple scorecard to rate each CRM on factors like ease of use, feature set, integration capabilities, and customer support. Make a decision that is backed by your team's real-world testing and a clear understanding of the long-term value it will bring to your agency.
Final thoughts on best CRMs for agencies
Choosing the right CRM is one of the most impactful decisions an agency can make. In a world defined by managing complex client relationships, intricate projects, and a constant flow of new business opportunities, the right platform is what separates organized growth from chaotic stagnation. It’s the central nervous system that ensures your sales, creative, and account management teams are all speaking the same language and working toward the same goals.
As we've explored, the "best" CRM is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It depends entirely on your agency’s size, workflows, budget, and culture. The ideal choice for a small, sales-focused creative shop will differ from that of a large, project-heavy digital marketing firm. By following a structured evaluation process and involving your team, you can confidently select a system that not only solves today's challenges but also scales with you for future success.
For agencies looking to break free from siloed apps and unify their operations, a collaborative platform is the answer. If you want a single space where your sales pipeline flows directly into project execution and team communication, start with Lark.
FAQs
Do consulting firms use CRM?
Yes, absolutely. Consulting firms rely heavily on CRMs to manage intricate client relationships, track their sales pipeline of potential engagements, and log all communications. It’s an essential tool for maintaining a high level of personalized service and ensuring every consultant has a 360-degree view of the client’s history.
What are the top 3 CRM systems?
While "top" is subjective, three prominent players include Salesforce, for its enterprise-level power and customization; HubSpot, which excels in inbound marketing for SMBs; and Lark, which stands out with its all-in-one platform that integrates CRM with projects and team communication in a single workspace.
What are the 4 types of CRM?
The four primary types are Operational, which automates core business processes like sales and marketing; Analytical, which focuses on analyzing customer data to provide insights; Collaborative, which aims to break down silos between teams to improve the customer experience; and Strategic, which is a broader, customer-centric business philosophy.
What is an enterprise CRM?
An enterprise CRM is a highly scalable and powerful platform designed for large organizations. It offers advanced features like deep customization, robust security protocols, complex workflow automation, and the ability to handle massive volumes of data across multiple global departments. Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are leading examples.
Can a CRM be used for project management?
Yes, and for agencies, this is a critical function. Many modern CRMs integrate project management features, allowing teams to create tasks, set deadlines, and track progress directly within a client's record. This ensures a seamless transition from a "won deal" in the sales pipeline to project execution.
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