What Is SaaS CRM: Definition, Features & Top Vendors

CRM has become essential software for any business today, regardless of industry or size. Modern SaaS CRMs offer automated workflows that align customer service, sales, and marketing teams – while at the same time being easy to use via the cloud-based subscription model.

This article introduces the basics of SaaS (cloud) CRM, outlines its key advantages, and highlights how it compares to in-house CRM systems. To help you make an informed decision, we’ll also explore how to choose the right SaaS CRM and review leading platforms designed to boost customer engagement and drive long-term growth.

What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

SaaS, short for Software as a Service, is a software delivery model where applications are hosted and managed by an external provider. Instead of building and maintaining custom systems, businesses subscribe to ready-to-use software – accessing it via the Internet.

In the SaaS model, the SaaS provider handles infrastructure, security, feature updates, and performance optimization. This allows businesses to focus on using the software, not maintaining it.

What is SaaS CRM? 

SaaS CRM (Software as a Service Customer Relationship Management) is a cloud-based, out-of-the-box software solution that enables businesses to manage and improve customer relationships through a subscription model. SaaS CRM requires minimal setup and maintenance, allowing teams to quickly access the core CRM functionality through the cloud, without the need for complex implementation.

This typically includes contact and account management, lead and opportunity tracking, marketing optimization, customer support features and so much more.

Modern SaaS CRMs also offer an extensive list of AI-driven features that embrace customer service, marketing and sales performance. With AI functionality, businesses can get deeper insights into customer data, personalize customer interactions, and automate large parts of their operational workflows.

To ensure smooth CRM adoption and customization, SaaS companies provide various onboarding resources, such as training libraries, knowledge portals, and how-to guides. Most SaaS CRMs also support third-party integrations and popular business applications, allowing companies to consolidate operations and data.

In-House CRM vs. SaaS CRM: What’s the Difference?

Companies exploring CRM software often face a key decision: invest in a custom-built platform or adopt a SaaS-based CRM. In fact, choosing the right model depends on your business goals, resources, and the level of control or customization you require:

• An in-house CRM software is built and hosted on a company’s own infrastructure and managed by internal IT teams. This model offers full control over the system, but also requires significant time, technical expertise, and long-term investment.
• A SaaS CRM is delivered via a subscription model. The SaaS company (vendor) manages hosting, updates, security, and provides technical support – allowing teams to focus on using the software rather than maintaining it.

Here’s a quick comparison of each solution that will help guide your decision:

Key Differences Between SaaS and In-House CRMs

In-house CRM systems offer full control and deep customization, which makes them a solid choice for organizations with highly complex workflows, strict data governance requirements, or unique internal processes. These solutions are built to fit specific business needs, but also require substantial IT resources, long development cycles, and ongoing internal maintenance.

For most companies, SaaS CRM systems present a more practical and future-ready solution. They eliminate infrastructure overhead, reduce reliance on IT teams, and provide seamless access to updates and new functionality. With faster deployment and a predictable cost structure, SaaS CRM software helps businesses stay agile and focused on growth.

The leading SaaS CRM solutions, such as Creatio, go even further, integrating no-code tooling and AI capabilities to enable teams to easily customize their CRM workflows and user experience without writing a single line of code. These SaaS CRM platforms empower business users to drive daily innovation and combine the customizability of in-house systems with the speed, simplicity, and scalability of SaaS.

Main Benefits of Cloud-Based SaaS CRMs for Business

Businesses choose cloud-based CRMs to reduce IT dependency, simplify deployment, and keep their systems updated without heavy maintenance. These solutions offer cost savings, faster implementation, built-in security, and continuous innovation, helping companies scale efficiently and achieve a quicker ROI.

Below, we break down the key advantages of SaaS CRM platforms and explain why they are the preferred choice for modern businesses.

Faster Deployment

SaaS CRMs are ready to use almost immediately, requiring minimal setup compared to in-house systems, which may take months to develop and deploy. With cloud-based solutions, businesses can quickly onboard teams and start managing customer information without heavy IT involvement. Cloud-based CRM software can be fully operational in days or weeks, whereas in-house systems may take months to build and deploy due to extensive coding, testing, and infrastructure setup, as well as ongoing maintenance.

Lower Initial Investment

With a subscription-based model, CRM SaaS software eliminates the need for large upfront investments in software, servers, and IT personnel, making it a cost-efficient choice for businesses looking to optimize resources. In contrast, in-house CRM tools require significant financial and technical commitments, making them a heavier long-term investment.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

SaaS companies handle all updates, bug fixes, and security patches, minimizing IT overhead. In contrast, businesses managing in-house CRM systems must continuously invest in upkeep, troubleshooting, and system upgrades.

Automatic Updates & Maintenance

SaaS CRM providers are responsible for developing and deploying the latest features, performance enhancements, and workflow improvements. Updates are rolled out automatically, eliminating the need for internal IT teams to monitor and implement changes manually. This allows businesses to adopt new industry trends, AI-driven tools, and best practices seamlessly and without extra effort.

Built-in Security & Compliance

SaaS CRMs come with enterprise-grade out-of-the-box security, encryption, and compliance certifications, ensuring data protection without additional effort. On the other hand, businesses using in-house CRMs must develop and maintain their own security infrastructure, conduct audits, and stay compliant with regulations.

Ongoing Vendor Support

SaaS CRM providers offer continuous customer support, helping businesses troubleshoot issues, optimize system performance, and access training resources. This external support reduces the burden on internal IT teams, ensuring faster issue resolution and expert guidance when needed. With in-house CRMs, businesses must rely on their own technical staff.

Wider Integration Capabilities

CRM SaaS software usually offers a broader set of out-of-the-box integrations tailored to various industries and business needs. With a seamless integration process, companies can quickly connect their CRM to existing and new tools—such as document management solutions, ERP systems, or customer support platforms—and generate measurable value much faster than with in-house solutions.

Faster Return on Investment (ROI)

SaaS CRMs deliver a quicker return on investment by reducing upfront costs and accelerating deployment. With minimal setup time, businesses can start using the system immediately, leading to faster adoption and efficiency gains.

7 Best SaaS CRM Solutions for Businesses

Creatio

Creatio CRM is a full-fledged modern CRM suite of products for marketing, sales, and service automation, that are seamlessly integrated on a unified no-code platform and powered by modern AI capabilities. Thanks to its composable architecture and high-level customization, Creatio’s products can be deployed as a single CRM bundle or as standalone solutions to match your business needs.

Creatio’s CRM (SaaS) products empower businesses with a 360-degree customer view, enabling deeper insights into customer data and highly personalized experiences. The platform’s AI-native capabilities and various collaboration tools allow companies to enhance cross-team workflows, driving efficiency and consistent business growth.

Creatio’s Unified CRM Suite includes:

• Marketing Creatio – An AI-native marketing automation platform designed to streamline lead management and accelerate revenue growth. It enables businesses to segment audiences, track website behavior, personalize campaigns, and optimize performance with AI-powered analytics.
• Sales Creatio – An AI-powered sales automation platform that enhances sales performance with opportunity scoring, sales forecasting, contract management, and intelligent data analytics.
• Service Creatio – A unified service management platform that elevates customer experience through AI-driven case management, problem resolution, sentiment analysis, and seamless employee collaboration.

Creatio is an ideal choice for medium to large organizations seeking an adaptable, efficient, cost-effective CRM software with a unified architecture. The company is recognized as a Leader and Strong Performer by key industry analysts, such as Gartner and Forrester, which again underlines its quality and performance.

Creatio key features:

• Prebuilt CRM and automation solutions for Marketing, Sales, and Service teams to streamline operations
• Unlimited customization and flexibility to adapt the platform to unique business needs
• AI-native capabilities included in every base license for enhanced automation and decision-making
• Composable no-code architecture enabling effortless scalability and process automation
• Transparent, straightforward pricing with no hidden costs
• Industry-specific CRM solutions tailored for 20+ sectors, ensuring an optimal fit for diverse business needs
• Over 400 third-party add-ons and applications available at Creatio Marketplace

Creatio limitations:

• Creatio may have a learning curve for users unfamiliar with no-code development

Creatio pricing options:

Creatio’s composable pricing model allows businesses to pay only for the products they use. The core platform has three plans: Growth ($25), Enterprise ($55), and Unlimited ($85) per user per month, with the AI capabilities (Predictive AI, Generative AI and Agentic AI) automatically added to each plan at no cost. Each of its SaaS CRM products, Sales, Marketing, and Service, are priced at $15 per user per month and can be purchased separately or as a complete suite.

To help businesses explore its full functionality, Creatio also provides a 14-day free trial with customization options to tailor the platform to specific team needs.

Creatio customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.7/5

Gartner: 4.9/5

G2: 4.7/5

Drive efficiency with Creatio’s SaaS CRM—cloud-based, intuitive, and ready to scale with you

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Salesforce Sales Cloud

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a widely used CRM platform designed to enhance sales processes through lead tracking and workflow optimization. It provides tools for managing sales, customer service, marketing, and commerce, with extensive customization options. AI-driven automation features are also available, though primarily in higher-tier pricing plans.

By delivering deep insights into customer behavior and lead interactions, the platform helps teams refine sales strategies and improve overall business performance. Companies can identify high-value prospects, personalize outreach based on buying patterns, and monitor deal progress through intuitive dashboards. Additionally, Sales Cloud offers a robust suite of workflow automation tools, minimizing repetitive tasks such as data entry and follow-ups, allowing sales teams to focus on closing deals and building stronger customer relationships​.

Salesforce key features:

• Audience segmentation and 360-degree customer view
• Sales dashboard for pipeline management
• Lead management and customer retention tracking
• On-demand customization and scalability
• Predictive and generative AI tools to extend CRM functionality

Salesforce limitations:

• High implementation costs
• Steep learning curve
• Dependence on professional developers

Salesforce pricing options:

The enterprise pricing plans for Salesforce Sales Cloud start at $165 per user per month. However, for AI-powered functionality, businesses need to consider Unlimited plans at $330 per user/month (predictive AI only) or $500 per user/month (Predictive AI + Generative AI).

Salesforce customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.4/5

Gartner: 4.5/5

G2: 4.4/5

See also: Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors and Salesforce Marketing Cloud Alternatives & Competitors 

HubSpot

HubSpot CRM is a popular solution for businesses aiming to manage customer interactions and data seamlessly. It offers extensive functionalities to support marketing, sales, customer service, website, and content management operations. The platform's user-friendliness and adaptability allow users to access consistent and up-to-date data, generate reports, and track leads within a single interface. Its modular approach also enables businesses to scale their CRM capabilities as their needs evolve, making it a flexible choice for growing organizations.

HubSpot key features:

• Centralized CRM for managing customer experience
• Sales pipeline management with deal forecasting
• Marketing optimization tools for lead nurturing
• Customer support tools with help desk and ticketing

HubSpot CRM limitations:

• High subscription fees
• Limited integrations with other platforms
• More suitable for large companies with larger CRM budgets
• Premium features require higher-tier subscriptions

HubSpot pricing options:

Hubspot’s pricing directly depends on your business needs, ranging from $20 per user monthly, a Starter plan with basic functionality, to $4,200 for 7 users per month for Enterprise Customer Platform. Also, depending on the selected plan, the platform offers additional seats, starting at $45 per month.

HubSpot CRM’s customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.5/5

Gartner: 4.4/5

G2: 4.4/5

OnePageCRM

​OnePageCRM is a cloud-based solution designed to streamline sales performance, particularly for small to mid-sized businesses. Its core features include contact management, task prioritization, and workflow automation, helping teams stay organized and focused. With support for multiple integrations, the platform provides a structured approach to handling client interactions and managing the sales funnel efficiently.​

While its straightforward design makes it easy to use, customization options are limited, making it less suitable for businesses with complex workflows. However, for teams seeking a simple, action-oriented CRM focused on efficient sales management, OnePageCRM remains a practical and accessible choice.

​OnePageCRM key features:

• All-in-one contact management dashboards
• Advanced lead generation and lead capture functionalities
• Email marketing automation tools
• Pipeline and deal management

OnePageCRM limitations:

• Suitable for sales teams only
• No option to import deals, only contacts
• Limited integration functionality

OnePageCRM pricing options:

OnePageCRM’s pricing starts at $15 per user per month with month-to-month billing. Also, the SaaS company offers a free 21-day trial to explore its core features for sales process optimization.

OnePageCRM customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.7/5

G2: 4.7/5

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based suite designed for enterprises seeking both Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) capabilities. It offers a unified ecosystem with five core modules: sales, marketing, customer service, field service, and project operations.

With Dynamics 365 CRM, businesses can efficiently track user interactions, automate sales processes, marketing workflows, and customer service. The platform helps teams monitor pipelines and personalize outreach, automate various campaigns and analyze user engagement. Thanks to its seamless integration with other Microsoft tools like Office 365, Teams, and Azure, Dynamics CRM facilitates cross-team collaboration, improves data management, and provides deeper reporting insights.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 key features:

• Customized Lead Qualification Process
• Advanced Routing and Case Management
• Finance & Supply Chain Management
• Email Engagement Heatmap Analytics
• Omnichannel Customer Service

Microsoft Dynamics 365 limitations:

• High implementation and subscription costs​
• Extremely steep learning curve​
• Customization challenges requiring expert developers

Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing options:

Dynamics 365 pricing starts at $65 per user/month, but the final cost may vary based on selected features, user roles, and additional customization or integration needs.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.4/5

Gartner: 4.4/5

G2: 3.8/5

Zoho

Zoho CRM is a viable option for small to midsize businesses looking for a flexible, user-friendly CRM tool with moderate process management capabilities. The platform includes a wide range of tools designed to streamline sales process, improve customer service, and boost marketing campaigns.

Users often highlight Zoho’s ease of implementation, which allows businesses to quickly streamline workflows and enhance productivity. The platform is commonly applied for lead tracking, sales process optimization, and customer retention management, helping businesses enhance customer retention and improve cross-team collaborations. While Zoho CRM offers extensive customization, adapting it to specific business needs may require time and effort as teams navigate its features and interface.

Zoho key features:

• Easy-to-customize interface
• 360 Customer View
• Omni-channel communication
• AI-powered conversational assistant “Zia”
• 20+ languages supported

Zoho limitations:

• Challenging interface navigation
• Certain features and customizations are not easy to implement
• Paid training may be required to get started
• Customer support response times can be slow

Zoho pricing options:

Zoho CRM's pricing starts at $15 for up to 3 users per month. For the extra pay, you can also purchase data backups and file storage on all plans.

Zoho customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.3/5

Gartner: 4.4/5

G2: 4.1/5

Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform designed to help businesses enhance their sales productivity. With a strong focus on efficiency, it automates follow-ups, analyzes sales forecasts, and provides AI-driven insights to identify potential opportunities. While Pipedrive integrates with marketing and customer service tools, its primary focus on the sales cycle makes it less adaptable for broader workflows like marketing optimization or customer support.

Pipedrive’s simplicity and affordability make this CRM software an attractive option for SMBs with dedicated SaaS sales teams or companies with structured sales processes. However, organizations requiring a more comprehensive CRM that facilitates cross-departmental collaboration may find its feature set somewhat limiting.

Pipedrive key features:

• Comprehensive sales team management
• End-to-end sales pipeline analysis
• Comprehensive contact management
• Lead tracking

Pipedrive limitations:

• Limited capabilities for marketing and services teams
• Lack of customization for reporting and advanced data visualizations
• Limited AI-driven automation

Pipedrive pricing options:

Pipedrive CRM's pricing starts at $14 per user per month, but the final cost can increase significantly depending on add-on service packages.

Pipedrive customer ratings:

Capterra: 4.5/5

Gartner: 4.2/5

G2: 4.3/5

How to Choose the Right SaaS CRM Software

To ensure a seamless transition and maximize the benefits of a SaaS CRM for your business, make sure to consider five key factors:

1. Business Goals & Needs – Identify your company’s pain points and determine how a cloud-based CRM can help. Common use cases include sales process management, customer experience improvement, and marketing automation. 
    
2. Essential Features – Focus on must-have functionalities that align with your business needs. Consider features like customer 360, campaign management, sales productivity and forecasting, order and contact management, and many more. 
    
3. Pricing – SaaS CRM costs vary based on features, scale, and complexity. Determine how much you can spend on the software and analyze pricing models to find the best-matching solution that won’t exceed your budget. 
    
4. Implementation & Ease of Use – Choose a platform that is easy to set up and intuitive for your team. A user-friendly CRM ensures smoother adoption, better productivity, and minimal disruptions to operations. 
    
5. Personalization & Scalability – Look for the right CRM software that can be tailored to your specific workflows and grow with your business. Scalable solutions allow you to add features, users, or integrations as your company expands.

From Reactive to Proactive: AI-driven Features of SaaS CRMs

Over the next few years, AI will continue to expand its impact on CRM software. Today, this technology already plays a crucial role in helping businesses optimize their workflows and build stronger customer relationships.

SaaS CRMs allow companies to quickly adopt innovative AI features, freeing up time and resources for maximizing customer satisfaction and business growth. AI-driven applications enhance multiple areas, including:

• Lead Scoring & Prioritization: AI analyzes customer data and engagement patterns to rank leads, helping sales and marketing teams focus on high-value prospects.
• Personalized Customer Experience: AI-driven insights tailor recommendations, emails, and engagement strategies, boosting retention.
• Automated Sales & Marketing: AI handles repetitive tasks like follow-ups, scheduling, and data entry, while chatbots engage leads 24/7.
• Predictive Analytics & Forecasting: AI analyzes sales data and behaviors to suggest the best next actions, turning insights into results.
• Sentiment Analysis: NLP-powered AI evaluates feedback and social media to help businesses refine products and services.
• Dynamic Pricing & Deal Optimization: AI suggests pricing strategies and identifies upsell opportunities based on customer behavior.

As CRM systems evolve, we’ll see even more AI applications across various industries. With SaaS-based CRMs, businesses from any industry will always stay ahead of the curve by instantly accessing the latest AI-driven features as soon as vendors roll them out.

SaaS CRM in Action: The Next Step for Your Business

SaaS CRM software is the ultimate solution for businesses that need immediate access to features that support their customer service, marketing, and sales process automation. Seamless adoption, lower initial investment, and faster ROI make these platforms an excellent option for many enterprises today.

While in-house CRMs are great for customization and flexibility, leading CRM SaaS can offer similar freedom with modern no-code and AI tools. This allows companies to leverage out-of-the-box functionality and cutting-edge features while maintaining the flexibility to tailor the system to their specific business needs.

Now is the time to unlock the power of SaaS CRM for your business. Take advantage of a scalable, AI-driven platform that adapts to your growth, streamlines operations, and enhances customer engagement today with AI-native SaaS CRM by Creatio.