Building strong customer relationships is essential for any business and customer relationship management (CRM) systems play a key role in making that happen. These tools help businesses organize customer data, streamline communication, and build stronger connections. But as companies grow, handling these processes manually can become time-consuming and inefficient.
That’s where CRM automation makes all the difference. By automating repetitive and tedious tasks at various stages of the customer management process, you can save time, reduce errors, and focus on what really matters: nurturing relationships and driving growth. To help you find the best fit for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 CRM tools with automation tools for 2025. Let’s dive in!
CRM automation definition
CRM automation refers to the use of technology to automate repetitive, and often time-consuming, tasks in customer management processes, which spans marketing, sales, and customer service.
Manual tasks such as data entry, lead scoring, and email follow-ups to name a few, can be automated to free up your team to focus on building meaningful customer relationship instead of building spreadsheets.
CRM automation benefits
Leveraging automation CRM offers a wide range of benefits for businesses, big and small, including:
Time-saving: Less time spent on repetitive tasks like data entry, email follow-ups, and appointment scheduling. Reduces administrative workload, allowing teams to focus on strategic activities.
Better customer experience: Enables personalized communication through automated customer segmentation and tailored outreach. Automated reminders ensure timely follow-ups, renewals, and upselling opportunities.
Enhanced data accuracy: Minimizes human errors in data entry and record-keeping. Keeps customer information up to date and organized.
Increased productivity: Fewer task variety reduces drain on team members and allow them to put their energy into creating a superior customer experience. Improves cross-departmental collaboration by centralizing customer data.
Scalability: Supports business growth by handling an increasing volume of customers without additional manual effort.
Actionable insights: Automates reporting and analytics, providing real-time insights into customer behavior and sales performance. Helps identify trends and areas for improvement.
Cost savings: Reduces the need for extensive manual labor, lowering operational costs.
Key features of CRM automation
A robust CRM and marketing automation platform should include these essential features:
Contact management
Contact management is the backbone of any CRM tool. With automation, businesses can update, organize, and synchronize customer data across teams effortlessly. This ensures all departments—sales, marketing, and customer service—are aligned and working from the same information.
For example, automated contact management can help a customer service team instantly access a customer’s order history when responding to a query, improving the quality of support provided.
Lead management
Lead management automation streamlines the process of scoring, nurturing, and converting leads. Sales automation CRMs can prioritize high-potential leads, ensuring sales reps focus their efforts where it matters most.
Lead scoring algorithms automatically assign scores based on factors like customer behavior, demographics, and interactions, making it easier for sales teams to identify prospects ready to convert.
Task automation
From scheduling follow-ups to sending reminders and managing approvals, task automation eliminates the need for manual intervention. This allows teams to focus on high-value activities that require human creativity and decision-making.
For example, a sales rep can rely on CRM automation to remind them of key contract deadlines or schedule meetings without additional manual input.
Marketing automation
CRM marketing automation takes personalization to the next level. Automated workflows can trigger email campaigns, social media posts, or SMS alerts based on customer behavior or milestones.
For instance, when a customer’s subscription is about to expire, a CRM automation tool can automatically send a reminder email with a renewal link.
Analytics and reporting
A good CRM automation tool provides actionable insights into sales performance, campaign success, and customer behavior, empowering leaders to make data-driven decisions.
Visual dashboards and detailed reports make it easy to track metrics like customer lifetime value (CLV), conversion rates, and campaign ROI.
Alignment ensures a consistent customer journey, from first touch to post-purchase support.
Examples of CRM automation
To understand the real impact of CRM automation, let’s explore some practical use cases:
Automated lead data entry
Manually inputting lead data is time-consuming and error-prone. A CRM automation tool can capture information from web forms, emails, and social media, updating the database in real-time.
This is particularly beneficial for marketing teams running multi-channel campaigns—ensuring no leads fall through the cracks.
Marketing-to-Sales lead handoff
Marketing CRM automation ensures that qualified leads are automatically transferred to the sales team. This seamless handoff improves response times and conversion rates.
For instance, when a potential customer downloads an e-book or attends a webinar, their information is automatically passed to the sales team with relevant context for a personalized follow-up.
Personalized email campaigns
Using CRM marketing automation, businesses can send emails tailored to customer preferences, behaviors, or milestones. For instance, an e-commerce platform might trigger abandoned cart emails to encourage purchases.
Customer service automation
AI chatbots integrated with CRM systems can handle common customer queries, such as tracking orders or providing FAQs, leaving human agents to manage complex issues.
Chatbots powered by CRM data can provide personalized answers, enhancing the customer experience while reducing response times.
Sales pipeline automation
Sales automation CRMs can automatically assign tasks, send contract reminders, or update deal stages, ensuring the pipeline moves smoothly without manual intervention.
This keeps sales teams on track and ensures that no opportunity is overlooked.
Top 10 CRM with automation
1. Salesforce CRM: Best for large enterprises with complex needs
Image source: Salesforce
Salesforce is a highly customizable CRM designed for enterprises, offering advanced AI tools like Einstein for lead scoring, customer insights, and workflow automation. Its vast integration options and powerful reporting capabilities make it ideal for businesses managing complex processes across sales, marketing, and customer service teams.
Automation Capabilities:
Workflow automation using drag-and-drop tools.
Predictive lead scoring based on AI insights.
Automated follow-ups and customer journey management.
Why It Stands Out:
The Salesforce AppExchange offers integrations with over 5,000 apps.
Scalable for businesses of any size.
Pricing:
Starter Suite: $25 per user/month
Pro Suite: $100 per user/month
2. HubSpot CRM: Best for small to mid-sized businesses seeking a holistic solution
Image source: capterra.com
HubSpot CRM is a user-friendly platform combining marketing, sales, and service automation. It excels in email campaigns, lead nurturing, and inbound marketing strategies. Its automation capabilities include email sequences, lead nurturing, and campaign tracking, making it an excellent choice for businesses focused on inbound marketing.
Automation Capabilities:
Automated email sequences for lead nurturing.
Marketing campaign tracking with built-in analytics.
Chatbot automation for customer support.
Why It Stands Out:
Free tier with robust functionality for small teams.
Highly user-friendly interface.
Pricing:
Free tools: Free
Starter: $15 per user/month
Professional: $90 per user/month
3. Zoho CRM: Best for customization
Image source: capterra.com
Zoho CRM provides an affordable, customizable solution with AI-driven automation for lead prioritization, sales forecasting, and customer engagement. It offers Zia AI, which automates tasks like lead prioritization, sales forecasting, and sentiment analysis, making it a great tool for businesses across various industries.
Automation Capabilities:
Automated workflows for managing leads, deals, and tasks.
Multichannel communication automation (email, social media, phone).
AI-driven customer insights and predictions.
Why It Stands Out:
Customizable dashboards and modules.
Excellent pricing for small to medium-sized businesses.
Pricing:
Free for up to 3 users
Standard: $14 per user/month
Professional: $23 per user/month
Enterprise: $40 per user/month
Ultimate: $52 per user/month
4. Pipedrive: Best for sales teams focusing on pipeline management
Image source: capterra.com
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM designed for teams looking to simplify pipeline management. With visual workflows, automated deal tracking, and AI-powered activity suggestions, it ensures sales processes run smoothly. Pipedrive’s intuitive interface and focus on sales automation make it ideal for businesses aiming to close deals more efficiently.
Automation Capabilities:
Automated deal progression through the sales funnel.
AI-powered insights and activity suggestions.
Email automation with templates and tracking.
Why It Stands Out:
Easy to use with minimal setup required.
Focused on streamlining sales processes.
Pricing:
Essential: $14 per user/month
Advanced: $34 per user/month
Professional: $49 per user/month
Power: $64 per user/month
Enterprise: $99 per user/month
5. Freshsales: Best for businesses seeking a simple CRM solution
Image source: g2.com
Freshsales, part of the Freshworks suite, is a straightforward CRM with an AI called Freddy that can handle lead scoring, email automation, and pipeline management. It’s ideal for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a user-friendly interface and tools to enhance sales efficiency and improve lead-to-deal conversion rates without overwhelming complexity.
Automation Capabilities:
AI-powered lead scoring and prioritization.
Automated email sequences and tracking.
Visual pipeline management with drag-and-drop functionality.
Why It Stands Out:
Affordable and easy to use.
Excellent customer support.
Pricing:
Free for up to 3 users
Growth: $9 per user/month
Pro: $39 per user/month
Enterprise: $59 per user/month
6. ActiveCampaign: Best for email marketing and automation-driven businesses
Image source: capterra.com
ActiveCampaign is a hybrid CRM and marketing automation platform, ideal for businesses focusing on email marketing and customer engagement. Its advanced automation features include email personalization, lead scoring, and multichannel outreach via SMS and chat. ActiveCampaign helps streamline workflows, nurture leads, and drive better customer relationships with minimal manual effort.
Automation Capabilities:
Trigger-based email campaigns and lead nurturing.
Automated contact scoring based on engagement.
SMS and chat automation for multichannel outreach.
Why It Stands Out:
Strong email marketing features.
Affordable entry-level pricing.
Pricing:
Starter: $15 per month
Plus: $49 per month
Pro: $79 per month
Enterprise: $145 per month
7. Monday: Best for teams valuing visual workflows and collaboration
Image source: Monday.com
Monday.com combines visual task management with CRM functionality, providing customizable pipelines, task automation, and real-time collaboration tools. It’s particularly well-suited for teams of all sizes, offering seamless integration and adaptability for tracking and managing sales processes efficiently.
Automation capabilities:
Customizable sales pipelines with automated task tracking.
Integration with tools like Slack, Gmail, and Zoom.
Automation of team notifications and reminders.
Why It Stands Out:
Highly visual and collaborative interface.
Easy to adapt for different team needs.
Pricing:
Basic: $9 per user/month
Standard: $12 per user/month
Pro: $19 per user/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
EngageBay: Best for SMBs on a budget
Image source: g2.com
EngageBay offers a comprehensive CRM suite with marketing, sales, and service automation at an affordable price. It’s ideal for businesses looking for an integrated solution to manage customer interactions, nurture leads, and improve conversions.
Automation Capabilities:
Email marketing automation with templates and drip campaigns.
Lead scoring and task assignment based on predefined rules.
Workflow automation for sales processes, customer follow-ups, and marketing campaigns.
Why It Stands Out:
Combines CRM, marketing, and customer support tools in one platform.
Intuitive interface with a focus on SMBs.
Pricing:
Free plan available
Basic: $12.74 per user/month
Growth: $55.24 per user/month
Pro: $101.99 per user/month
9. Keap (formerly Infusionsoft): Best for businesses focusing on sales and email automation
Image source: Keap
Keap is a CRM offering automation for lead capture, email campaigns, and follow-up reminders. It simplifies appointment scheduling, invoicing, and payment tracking while helping businesses nurture leads and strengthen customer relationships. Keap’s user-friendly interface and templates make workflow automation seamless and efficient.
Automation Capabilities:
Automated lead capture and follow-up emails.
Appointment scheduling and reminders.
Payment tracking and invoicing automation.
Why It Stands Out:
Simple setup for small businesses.
Combines CRM, marketing, and financial tools.
Pricing: $249 for two users per month
10. Lark: Best for teams looking for an all-in-one automation solution
Image source: Lark
Lark is an all-in-one collaboration superapp, that combines messaging, meetings, calendars, documents, data management, emails and more onto one platform. This means that all aspects of CRM can be handled on a single app, from managing customer data, tracking sales pipelines to brainstorming marketing campaigns, scheduling follow-ups, and generating performance reports. A wide selection of templates are also available to help you get started quickly. What’s more, Lark empowers users at all technical levels to take advantage of automation. For the non-technical crowd or simpler projects, Lark Base, a zero-code data management app, has you covered. For more complex or specialized projects Meegle can handle the heavier lifting. With these tools, you can automate repetitive manual tasks, like scheduling follow-ups and sending reminders, so your team can focus on what they do best.
Automation Capabilities:
Automated notifications of updates or reminders of key dates.
Webhook triggers in automation for external data updates.
AnyCross, a no code integration platform designed to simplify API integrations.
Automated status updates, discussion group creations, and more.
Automation loops for more advanced workflows.
Automated sending of dashboards for reporting and analysis.
Why It Stands Out:
Lark’s suite of collaboration apps, from messaging to calendars, works seamlessly together
Advanced features are available in the free Starter plan, and supports up to 20 users
Different automation capabilities are available to suit users of different technical backgrounds
OpenAI integration for faster and smarter content generation
Pricing:
Starter plan: $0 for up to 20 users
Pro plan: $12 per user/month
Enterprise plan: Custom pricing.
For more details, see Lark pricing plan page.
Best practices for implementing CRM automation
Implementing CRM and marketing automation platforms requires a thoughtful approach to maximize ROI. Here are some best practices:
Define clear objectives
Before implementing automation, identify what you aim to achieve. Is it improving lead conversion rates? Enhancing customer engagement? Reducing manual workload? Clear objectives will guide your automation strategy.
Start small and scale gradually
It’s tempting to automate everything at once, but starting small ensures smoother adoption. Begin with simple workflows like email triggers and expand as your team becomes more comfortable.
Ensure data quality
Poor data quality undermines even the best CRM automation tools. Regularly audit your database to eliminate duplicates, update outdated information, and fill in missing details.
Train your team
Even the most sophisticated tools are only as effective as the people using them. Invest in training sessions to familiarize your team with the platform’s features and benefits.
Monitor and optimize
Automation is not a one-and-done solution. Regularly review your workflows, track performance metrics, and optimize processes to ensure continuous improvement.
Incorporate feedback
Listen to feedback from your team and customers to identify areas where automation could further improve processes or address pain points.
Final thoughts
It is clear that CRM automation achieves results, both in terms of work efficiency and data accuracy. The great news is that implementing automation doesn’t have to be a challenge, so it’s not only big businesses that can benefit, but small and medium enterprises as well. The right tool is needed of course, and Lark checks all the important boxes. In terms of cost, Lark’s Starter plan gives users access to advanced features like Lark Base or AnyCross, at no cost. When it comes to technical obstacles to implementation, Lark offers a range of automation capabilities suited for different users and use cases. In fact, Base is designed for people without technical backgrounds, and anyone can pick up with a quick visit to the Help Center. So get started with Lark today now to streamline processes for your team and deliver better experiences for your customers.
