15 Best Contact Management Software in 2024

The contact management software market is multiplying as businesses demand more efficient ways to manage customer data.

Contact data serves as the basis of your customer relationships. While every business collects and stores contact data in some form, the exercise remains futile if there is no way to manage this data. Using conventional methods like spreadsheets for maintaining contact records isn’t just cumbersome. It’s also highly inefficient and leaves significant room for error.

Therefore, contact management requires a powerful tool with advanced features to manage data seamlessly.

Most top-rated CRM tools offer robust contact management features that enable you to leverage data for stronger relationships. You need to find one such tool that aligns with your requirements and helps deliver satisfactory outcomes.

To help you out, we have evaluated the top-rated contact management software available on the market and come up with the 15 most reliable choices to organize your contact data and streamline operations. These tools can help you stay on top of interactions and gain actionable insights into customer behavior. Discover the pros and cons of these tools to make a well-informed decision for your business.

Here are our top 5 picks from the lot:

• BIGContacts: The best contact management and email marketing software

• HubSpot: Comprehensive CRM with robust marketing features

• Bigin: Powerful contact and pipeline management tool for small businesses

• Streak: Contact management solution working within your Gmail inbox

• Pipedrive: The best pipeline management CRM application

What Is Contact Management Software?

Contact management software refers to tools that help consolidate and manage the data related to your business contacts. This includes their contact details such as phone number and address, purchasing behavior, communication history, activity timelines, social media accounts, and other such information.

“If you don’t yet have a way to keep your professional contacts organized, figure out a system that works for you. It doesn’t have to be an old-school Rolodex (but hey, if that’s what works, use it!). It could be a spreadsheet, a type of contact management software, or whatever works for you. Make sure it lets you keep notes in case you need refreshers.”

– Christopher Taylor

While conventional spreadsheets may work for a limited number of contacts, you require a dedicated application for managing a large volume of data pertaining to your contacts as your business grows.

Take this contact dashboard from BIGContacts for example-

You can use it to track communication history, upcoming tasks, files, notes, social media profiles, etc., for all your contacts. Such seamless organization of contact data can prove to be highly beneficial for your relationships.

Let’s explore the benefits of a contact management solution in a bit more depth.

What are the Benefits of Contact Management Software

It doesn’t come as a surprise that 80% of buyers are willing to pay more if they are offered a personalized experience.

But how can you deliver such experiences?

Well, to begin with, you require an efficient client database management system, one that keeps your contact data clean and usable. Here are the most significant benefits of such a tool:

• Drive Personalized Interactions

With all contact information well-organized and updated at all times, you can deliver more personalized solutions to your prospects and customers. Use an efficient contact management software to understand needs and preferences in order to deliver more meaningful experiences. You can also sort and segment contacts into distinct lists for targeted engagement.

• Enhanced Accessibility

A key aspect of contact management is that it lets you recall relevant information at the right time. This enables you to avoid any delays and ensure that you deliver satisfactory solutions. Moreover, a powerful contact management solution offering remote access can help you find relevant information, even when you are out of the office.

• Reminders & Alerts

With so many contacts to manage, it is highly probable that you will miss a deadline or a high-value engagement opportunity from time to time. A contact management solution prevents this by delivering instant alerts or reminders. Whether you have a contact’s birthday coming up or an important meeting, trust a contact management solution to remind you at the right time.

• Automated Processes

A contact management tool with automation capabilities can help you enhance your overall productivity. You can use such a tool to automate redundant and tedious tasks, thereby freeing up more time for focusing on strengthening customer relationships. Moreover, you can set up automated email sequences to engage with contacts at the most appropriate time.

• Effortless Data Synchronization

A contact management system with multiple integration options enables you to keep contact data synchronized across platforms without having to update records manually. For instance, you can use a CRM tool that offers two-way synchronization with applications like QuickBooks for financial record management, Mailchimp for email marketing, or Google Analytics for business intelligence.

• Reporting & Analytics

Another fundamental advantage of contact management software is the ability to generate in-depth reports and visualize business performance. After all-

“That which is measured improves.”

– Karl Pearson.

With in-depth reports and powerful analytics offered by a contact management system, you can gauge the performance of every engagement campaign and individual team member.

Methodology for Choosing the Right Contact Management Software

Every business is unique and has different requirements from a CRM application. A tool that may be highly productive for one organization may fail to meet the basic needs of another.

In simple words, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for contact management.

Before looking into contact management tools, you must thoroughly understand your business needs, industry, and target market. Here are some questions to consider before searching for the best contact management system:

• What is the current size of your business?
• What problems does your team currently face with contact management?
• What is the level of automation that you require?
• What integrations are you looking for?
• What is the budget that you are working with?

Once you answer such questions, you can begin searching for the best contact manager software for your business. Here are some factors to consider when making the final decision:

• Business requirements

Keep in mind your specific business needs to find a tool that aligns with your vision and goals. Choose a flexible tool that can be adapted according to your team’s requirements.

• Pricing

Go for a tool that offers all the features you require without causing any budget overruns. You can easily find cost-effective contact management systems such as BIGContacts providing advanced features for affordable prices.

• Simplicity

Even the most advanced features are futile if your team encounters problems using them. The tool should have an easy-to-use interface since a complicated tool will only get in the way of your business operations, leading to a drop in productivity.

• Scalability

Keep the future needs of your business in mind when picking a contact management system. A tool that is capable of growing with your business can save you time and money in the long run.

Once you find tools that check these boxes, start looking into their user reviews posted on credible sources. You can also use the free trial period that most applications offer. This can help you ascertain if the tool is right for your business before you commit to it.

What are the 15 Best Contact Management Software?

Effective contact management can go a long way in ensuring an organization’s success. However, you need to find the best contact management software for your business needs that streamlines the process to accomplish this. Such a tool should keep the contact data organized, updated, and readily available.

With a myriad of options available, making this selection can be challenging.

To make things easier for you, we have collated a list of the 15 best contact management solutions that are worth considering. Compare the features, pricing, pros, and cons of each tool against your business needs to find the most appropriate software solution.

1. BIGContacts – Best Contact Management & Email Marketing Tool for SMBs & Startups [G2 Rating – 4.5]

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BIGContacts is an intuitive and easy-to-use CRM application offering robust automation capabilities. This contact management software lets you track the contact details, previous touches, upcoming appointments, and transaction history from the same platform. It helps create automated email campaigns to deliver the most appropriate messages to contacts based on their specific needs.

Here’s what one of our valued clients, Sennan Quigley, shared about his experience with BIGContacts –

Read Full Success Story

Key Features:

• Manage contact data, tasks, notes, & files from the same place
• Create automated drip email sequences to connect with contacts at the most effective time
• Assign tasks and track them using visual calendars and to-do lists
• Segment contacts into lists that can be static or dynamically updated
• Stay on top of essential business metrics with in-depth reports

Pros:

• Contact records are automatically populated with social media accounts
• Connect webforms to add leads and their associated information to the database automatically

Cons:

• Getting rid of redundant contact records needs to be easier
• The performance of the mobile version has room for improvement

Pricing:

• Forever free plan for startups with 100 contacts.
• Paid options start at $9.99/month with a 15-day free trial.

BIGContacts Plan Summary:

2. HubSpot CRM – Best for Centralizing Sales, Marketing & Support Operations [G2 Rating – 4.4]

Image Source: Hubspot CRM

HubSpot CRM automatically enriches the contacts added to the database, helping make interactions more personalized. The tool can also be used to schedule tasks, manage support tickets, and follow up with prospects at the right time. Besides being an excellent contact management tool, it offers valuable insights into your business processes with its powerful analytics capabilities.

Key Features:

• Keep track of all conversations with a universal inbox
• Allow prospects to schedule meetings that are synchronized with your calendar
• Nurture more leads with personalized bulk email campaigns
• The reporting dashboards allow you to track customer behavior and analyze trends
• Emails and calls are automatically logged against the respective contact records

Pros:

• View relevant contact data on the go using the mobile application
• Generate more leads for your business with customizable web forms

Cons:

• The overall cost of the tool increases rapidly as you expand its functionality
• Email templates are challenging to modify

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $45/month

HubSpot Plan Summary:

3. Bigin – Best Marketing CRM for Small Business [G2 Rating – 4.6]

Image Source: Bigin

Bigin CRM lets you collect and analyze customer behavior data, helping personalize upcoming interactions effectively. You can use this software to manage contact data and craft highly personalized campaigns that strengthen relationships. Bigin also enables contact segmentation, helping you deliver the most appropriate messages to the targeted audience.

Key Features:

• Automatically segment contacts based on their behavior
• Craft targeted engagement campaigns across multiple channels
• Analyze the source of incoming traffic and sort contacts accordingly
• Access insightful reports to enhance the effectiveness of your processes
• Set up custom interactions based on contact data and activity

Pros:

• Integrates with a range of applications, including Facebook, Slack, Stibee, and Sendgrid
• Create and manage ads to enhance your reach

Cons:

• It doesn’t let you add custom fields to contact records
• Requires advanced search and deduplication features

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $1,350/month

Bigin Plan Summary:

4. Streak – Best Contact Manager Software for Companies Using Gmail Suite [G2 Rating – 4.5]

Image Source: Streak

If you require a contact management tool that functions within Gmail, Streak CRM is a reliable option. This tool provides a complete context of who you’re engaging with, including relevant contact information and previous exchanges, so you can deliver highly personalized solutions. Moreover, Streak works within your inbox, so you never lose track of important conversations.

Key Features:

• View all emails, calls, files, notes, and tasks related to contacts in one place
• Sort and filter through contact data easily
• Get access to detailed activity timelines, including interactions across channels
• Create custom workflows to enhance organizational productivity
• Enrich contact records automatically with relevant company details

Pros:

• Get real-time notifications for contact activity
• Track tasks and access information on the go with the mobile application

Cons:

• Customer service can be unsatisfactory
• Limited native integrations are available

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $15/user/month

Streak Plan Summary:

5. Pipedrive – Best Contact Management System for Pipeline Management [G2 Rating – 4.2]

Image Source: Pipedrive

Pipedrive CRM works as an effective contact management tool that keeps all essential data accessible from one place. This software offers a visual sales pipeline with a drag & drop UI to track and manage available opportunities. You can store relevant data with custom fields, modify sales stages and keep better track of all prospects using Pipedrive.

Key Features:

• Track the calls, emails, meetings, tasks, and notes associated with contacts in one place
• Segment and sort leads into distinct lists for better targeting
• Build and track multiple custom sales pipelines to stay current with all deals
• Eliminate busy work and achieve more efficiency by automating repetitive tasks like data entry and sales follow-ups
• Get access to detailed reports and make accurate business forecasts

Pros:

• Set up automatic activity reminders to get things done at the right time
• Enable team collaboration with easy file sharing and instant alerts

Cons:

• Training resources are inadequate
• Lacks advanced reporting capabilities

Pricing:

• Starts from $9.90/user/month

Pipedrive Plan Summary:

6. Zendesk Sell – Best for Best for Zendesk Suite Users [G2 Rating – 4.2]

Image Source: Zendesk

Zendesk Sell keeps all your contact data updated and usable with its effective contact management services. You can use this contacts database software to track, manage and engage with your customers effectively. It reduces the manual data entry effort by capturing information automatically. Zendesk Sell’s built-in analytics and integrations further improve its effectiveness as a contact manager software.

Key Features:

• Create smart contact lists for effective segmentation and targeting
• Get complete visibility into prospects and customers with custom sales pipelines
• Get alerts for contact activity in real time
• Set up automatic email and task sequences with trigger-based actions
• Monitor key performance metrics by creating custom dashboards using a drag-and-drop interface

Pros:

• Integrate with your email accounts to stay on top of all conversations
• Stay connected with contacts from anywhere with the mobile app

Cons:

• Requires better functionality to filter and sort through data
• It does not offer advanced reporting options

Pricing:

• Starts from $19/user/month

Zendesk Sell Plan Summary:

7. monday.com – Best for Lead Management [G2 Rating – 4.6]

Image Source: Monday CRM

monday.com centralizes customer information, tasks, and communications. It can strengthen your relationships by making every interaction more targeted and relevant. With monday.com taking care of your contact data, you can rest assured about your customer experiences. This highly customizable software allows you to modify workflows, processes, pipelines, etc., according to your business needs.

Key Features:

• Access contact cards to view all related tasks, documents, last touches, and upcoming events in one place
• Automatically log all interactions against the respective contact records
• Get real-time insights into contacts with custom dashboards
• Find information anywhere, anytime with mobile app and offline access
• Automate repetitive tasks, reminders, and workflows

Pros:

• Enhance contact management with integration such as Facebook, Gmail, Shopify, LinkedIn, Excel, etc.
• Craft personalized email templates and reuse them to save time

Cons:

• The performance of the mobile app drops at times
• Creating automated flows should be more user-friendly

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $10/user/month

monday.com Plan Summary:

8. Covve – Best for those looking for a Personal CRM [G2 Rating – 4.7]

Image Source: Covve

Covve lets you build meaningful relationships by keeping contact data well-organized. It ensures that no vital communication opportunity is wasted by tracking engagement and providing actionable insights. This intelligent contact database software can boost your retention by providing personalized experiences to clients. Covve also allows you to set up automated reminders for important tasks and events.

Key Features:

• Keep data synchronized with your phone’s contacts
• Set up smart reminders for the right time to engage with contacts
• Add notes to contact records to store additional information
• Get access to networking analytics data to optimize your contact management efforts
• Add contacts to your system by simply scanning business cards

Pros:

• Keep business data encrypted, secure, and backed up
• View industry-related news for contacts to engage with them more effectively

Cons:

• Limited customization options are available for the home screen
• The setup process can be time-consuming

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $9.99/month

Covve Plan Summary:

9. Salesforce – Best for Enterprises With Complex Needs [G2 Rating – 4.3]

Image Source: Salesforce

Salesforce is a premier CRM tool that brings contact and sales management together to drive more conversions. Organizations prefer this cloud-based solution due to its enterprise-grade features. This software offers extensive customization, so you can adapt it however you like. Salesforce also has a robust reporting module that lets you get a better hold of your business data.

Key Features:

• Manage contact data across multiple channels from a single place
• Enrich customer profiles with data sourced from multiple platforms
• Automate workflows and repetitive activities to enhance productivity
• Get instant notifications for contact activity such as email opens or clicks
• Use AI-powered recommendations to optimize your processes

Pros:

• Analyze data and visualize results in real time
• Communicated with team members from within Salesforce using the Slack integration

Cons:

• It has a steep learning curve
• Customizing reports can be challenging

Pricing:

• Starts from $25/user/month

Salesforce Plan Summary:

10. Bitrix24 – Best for Online Team Workspace [G2 Rating – 4.1]

Image Source: Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a comprehensive platform that simplifies business contact management, customer engagement, and deal tracking. The tool makes it easy to acquire more leads and manage all interactions with these leads to close more deals. Bitrix24 offers powerful automation features that contribute to enhanced business productivity. The tool also acts as a collaborative space for your team to track and edit documents.

Key Features:

• Access all tasks, meetings, and documents related to contacts in one place
• Use the Contact Center dashboard to stay on top of all interactions
• Make data-backed decisions using comprehensive business intelligence dashboards
• Manage quotes, invoices, and payments from a single platform
• View relevant information remotely with the mobile application

Pros:

• Define automated rules and workflows with custom triggers
• Connect all your email inboxes to manage all emails from a single location

Cons:

• Technical support is ineffective
• Setup is time-consuming and complicated

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $49/month

Bitrix24 Plan Summary:

11. Insightly – Best for Project-Oriented Businesses [G2 Rating – 4.2]

Image Source: Insightly

Insightly empowers you to manage all sales, marketing, and customer service activities without leaving the platform. It works as an effective solution to optimize contact data management efforts. This contact management CRM tool can be utilized to craft consistent experiences that boost customer satisfaction levels. It also offers reliable reporting to help you track your performance.

Key Features:

• Understand the contact’s organizational structure with relationship linking
• Create automated workflows with multiple rules and steps
• Ensure the security of business data with user roles, sign-on verification, and authorization
• Use the drag-and-drop functionality to create custom real-time data dashboards
• Customize workflows and views as per your business needs

Pros:

• Manage client data on the go using the mobile application
• Keep data seamlessly synchronized with tools like Slack, QuickBooks, ZoomInfo, and Okta

Cons:

• Requires better functionality to notify internal team members
• Customization options are limited

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $29/user/month

Insightly Plan Summary:

12. Freshsales – Best for AI-Powered Contact Scoring [G2 Rating – 4.5]

Image Source: Freshsales

Freshsales automates contact management by enabling you to capture and log data intelligently. The tool helps track contact data and communication records from the same place. Moreover, the 360° view of contact data provided by Freshsales can help you personalize your interactions. You can also connect the application with your email inboxes to stay on top of every conversation.

Key Features:

• View detailed activity timelines to track touchpoints
• Automatically enrich contact records with publicly available data
• Use contact scoring to engage with high-value opportunities
• Track tasks, notes, and files related to contacts
• Connect with contacts at the right time using automated email sequences

Pros:

• Set alerts and reminders to perform appropriate actions at the right time
• Enhance real-time collaboration within your team with Slack integration

Cons:

• Customer support fails to meet expectations
• Speed of the tool drops at times

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from $15/user/month

Freshsales Plan Summary:

13. SugarCRM – Best All-in-One CRM for Marketing, Sales & Customer Service [G2 Rating – 3.8]

Image Source: SugarCRM

SugarCRM is one of the best software for contact management that can be tailored to suit your exact needs. It can be used to automate key business processes, allowing you to achieve your goals with greater efficiency. Capturing leads and qualifying them is simple with SugarCRM. The tool also enables you to comply with data storage and management security requirements.

Key Features:

• Create multi-step engagement campaigns to foster stronger relationships
• Get real-time alerts and valuable insights into contacts
• Automate processes to improve organizational productivity
• Enhance data management with user access permissions
• Predict customer needs and deliver reliable experiences accordingly

Pros:

• Customize data fields and views based on your needs
• Track key metrics and performance to forecast your revenue

Cons:

• The interface is clunky
• The mobile app offers limited features

Pricing:

• Starts from $49/user/month

SugarCRM Plan Summary:

14. Nimble – Best for Prospect Marketing & Outreach [G2 Rating – 4.5]

Image Source: Nimble CRM

Nimble offers a range of features that keep your contact data organized and well-updated. It brings contact details, social media accounts, previous interactions, and upcoming appointments to a single platform, enabling you to drive better engagement. By providing a 360° account of your prospects and customers, Nimble makes it easy to personalize outreach efforts.

Key Features:

• Contact records are enriched with essential information with AI-powered
• Track email open and click rates to identify your most engaged contacts
• Segment contacts into lists that enhance targeting
• Use reporting and analytics capabilities to track the performance of your email campaigns
• Get a visual representation of where every prospect stands with a sales pipeline

Pros:

• Use email templates to connect with contacts instantly
• Manage contact data remotely with the iOS and Android applications

Cons:

• The interface needs to be more uncomplicated and user friendly
• Customer service isn’t highly responsive

Pricing

• Starts from $19/user/month

Nimble Plan Summary:

15. Copper CRM – Best for Google Workspace Synchronization [G2 Rating – 4.5]

Image Source: Copper CRM

Copper CRM tool works effectively within the Google Workspace. This tool can be used for contact management for businesses that wish to keep their data synchronized across applications. It enables deals and email tracking from the same platform. Copper also makes it easy to add new prospects and manage tasks, contributing to improved efficiency.

Key Features:

• Find all emails, files, and notes related to contacts in one place
• Add new contact records directly from Gmail or Google Calendar
• Contact records are enriched with information such as phone numbers, email addresses, and social media automatically
• Tag and filter contacts based on your preferred criteria
• Access live activity feeds within contact profiles to stay updated with interactions in real time

Pros:

• Use the mobile app to stay connected with contacts even when you’re out of the office
• Receive reminders and alerts directly in your inbox

Cons:

• Functionality is restrictive for businesses not working within the Google ecosystem
• Creating workflow automation sequences is time-consuming and challenging

Pricing:

• Starts from $23/user/month

Copper CRM Plan Summary:

Key Takeaways

• Contact management tools keep relevant contact data such as phone numbers, addresses, emails, call logs, notes, social media accounts, transactions, etc., well-organized.
• Along with enhancing accessibility to contact information, these tools enable you to engage with contacts more effectively.
• In order to find the most appropriate contact management solution, you must keep your specific needs in mind.
• If you require a comprehensive contact management solution with advanced features such as automation, analytics, and multi-channel engagement, go for tools such as BIGContacts, HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.

Keeping Your Profitability Intact With Contact Management Software

The 15 best contact management software listed above are highly reliable solutions for managing prospect and customer data. These tools can streamline your contact management efforts, allowing you to build relationships that stand the test of time.

One thing you must remember here is that-

Every business has a different scope of implementation of its tech stack.

Therefore, you must communicate with your team members and identify areas they require help with. The next step is to look into certain key features that can add to the functionality of any contact management system. These include the integrations it offers, the extent of automation it provides, its features, and its ease of usage. All of these factors can help you find the most effective contact management solution for your business.

For instance, if you require features such as automatic profile enrichment, marketing automation, instant alerts, data synchronization, and comprehensive reports, you should go with tools like BIGContacts. This simple yet powerful tool offers a range of features that enhance contact management. It also offers features such as workflow automation that can empower your team to be more productive. All of these combine into increased revenue and accelerated business growth.

Make contact management effortless!
Manage your contacts & strengthen customer relationships with BIGContacts.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Why is Contact Management Important?

Contact management helps you:

• Track all previous interactions, contact information, social media or website activity, pending tasks, and any other additional notes related to prospects and customers from a single platform
• Modify interactions according to the target customer segment, thereby enhancing the probability of conversion
• Understand contact needs and preferences to optimize your offerings
• Enhance internal communication with shared access to updated information
• Streamline sales, marketing, and support processes
• Stay on top of your customer interactions and gain actionable insights into customer behavior

What are the features of a contact management system?

A contact management system essentially assists in tracking communication and managing relationships with your contacts. Core features include storing comprehensive contact information, logging interactions, setting reminders for follow-ups, and seamlessly integrating with email. Advanced tools might offer social media integration, automated data enrichment, and AI-powered insights to provide a more detailed view of your contacts and optimize your communication strategies.

What is the difference between contact management and CRM?

Contact management primarily focuses on storing and organizing contact details and keeping track of interactions. CRM, on the other hand, goes a step further to manage end-to-end customer relationships, including sales pipelines, marketing campaigns, and customer service. When it comes to striking a balance, tools like BIGContacts provide a comprehensive solution, effectively weaving contact management tools into a broader CRM framework.

Read More: CRM vs Contact Management Software [The Only Guide You’ll Need]

What does contact management software do?

Contact management software keeps contact data organized and accessible. These tools make it easy to store, manage and leverage contact data, including communication history, purchasing behavior, and other essential details.

Moreover, such tools offer detailed contact activity timelines which allow you to obtain deep insights into your contact engagement.

What is contact database management?

Contact database management enables you to store all contact information and communication history in one place. It involves leveraging the data for improved interactions and stronger relationships. Anyone from the organization can use the database to access updated contact information readily.

Contact database management also lets you segment contact data effectively, so you can drive more personalized conversations.