BA (Hons) First Class International Event Management with Marketing, BCS Digital Marketing, BCS Marketing Principles and BCS Principles of Coding
For businesses running ads
Which CRM software shows where your sales come from?
Check whether your current CRM sends won deals back to Google and Meta. Takes 60 seconds.
Alex at OdalOnlineStep 1 of 9Free plan, built from your numbers
Most CRM software stores leads and tracks deals, but only a few tell the ad platforms which clicks turned into revenue. How much do you spend on ads each month?
BA (Hons) First Class International Event Management with Marketing, BCS Digital Marketing, BCS Marketing Principles and BCS Principles of Coding
I run The Bright Brand, where the same problem turned up on every account: campaigns that looked profitable in the ad platform and were not, because nothing followed a click past the form. Odal is the answer to it. It traces each enquiry through to the contract it becomes and sends that back to Google and Meta, so bidding optimises against revenue rather than against leads.
Share this article
odal.io/blog/best-crm-software
Was this article helpful?
Which campaign closed the deal?
Odal connects your ad spend to closed revenue, then sends the result back to Google and Meta.
The best CRM software stores your leads, tracks them through your pipeline and tells you which marketing campaigns bring in revenue. Most popular CRM platforms handle the first two well. The third is where they differ, and it matters if you run paid ads on Google, Meta or LinkedIn.
This roundup covers ten CRM tools, scored on ease of use, pipeline management, reporting and whether they send won deals back to the ad platforms as offline conversions. That last point is crucial: when your CRM tells Google Ads which clicks turned into sales, the algorithm optimises for revenue rather than form fills.
The comparison table shows what each platform tracks and where it sends conversion data. After that, a short verdict on each option and who it suits.
What each CRM tracks and reports
Most CRMs store leads and deals, but only a few send revenue back to the ad platforms.
Feature
HubSpot
Pipedrive
Zoho
Monday
Salesforce
Capsule
Attio
Odal
Pipeline board
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Custom fields
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Revenue reporting
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Captures click ID
Via code
Custom field
Custom field
Custom field
Custom field
Custom field
Custom field
✓
Sends sales to Google Ads
✕
✕
✕
✕
Via add-on
✕
✕
✓
Sends sales to Meta
✕
✕
✕
✕
Via add-on
✕
✕
✓
Current as of January 2025. Check each provider for latest features.
1. HubSpot
HubSpot is the most widely recognised name in CRM software. It combines contact management, pipeline tracking, email sequences and a large library of integrations. The free tier gives you a pipeline board, contact records and basic reporting. Paid plans add custom fields, automation and more detailed reports.
The interface is polished and the onboarding guides are thorough. You can build forms, track website visits and send marketing emails from the same platform. For businesses that want an all-in-one system and have the budget, HubSpot delivers a complete customer relationship management solution.
The main limitation for ad buyers is attribution. HubSpot does not send won deals back to Google Ads or Meta as offline conversions. You can see which campaigns brought in leads, but the ad platforms never learn which leads became customers. That means Google and Meta optimise for form fills rather than revenue. Our HubSpot reviewcovers this in detail.
Best for:Businesses that need marketing automation, email campaigns and a CRM in one place, and do not rely heavily on paid ads for lead generation.
2. Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM platform built around a visual pipeline. You drag deals from one stage to the next, set reminders and log activities. The interface is clean and the learning curve is gentle. Most teams are up and running within a day.
Pipedrive includes custom fields, so you can store UTM parameters or a click ID if you set up the form to capture them. Reporting shows deal value by stage and by custom field, which means you can see revenue by campaign if you tag each lead correctly. It does not send conversion data back to the ad platforms, so Google Ads and Meta never see which clicks turned into sales.
Pricing starts at under £15 per user per month on the Essential plan, rising to around £100 per user per month for the Enterprise tier. Check current plans for exact figures.
Best for:Sales teams that want a simple, visual pipeline and are comfortable tagging leads manually or via form fields.
3. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is part of the wider Zoho suite, which includes email, invoicing, project management and more. The CRM itself offers contact records, pipeline stages, custom fields and workflow automation. The Standard plan starts at around £14 per user per month, with higher tiers adding AI features and advanced analytics.
Zoho integrates with Google Ads and Meta for lead import, but it does not send won deals back as offline conversions. You can build reports that show revenue by lead source if you capture UTMs or a click ID in a custom field, but the ad platforms never receive the sales data they need to optimise for revenue.
The interface can feel busy, especially if you use multiple Zoho products. The breadth of features is an advantage if you want an ecosystem, but it adds complexity if you only need a CRM.
Best for:Businesses already using other Zoho products, or those that need a CRM with invoicing and project tools in one subscription.
4. Monday CRM
Monday CRM is the customer relationship management layer on top of Monday.com's work operating system. It uses the same board and column structure, so if your team already uses Monday for project management, the CRM feels familiar. You can customise columns, set automations and build dashboards.
The flexibility is a strength and a weakness. You can model almost any sales process, but that means you spend time configuring boards and columns before you start using it. Monday CRM does not send sales back to Google Ads or Meta, so attribution stops at the lead stage.
Pricing varies by plan and user count. The CRM-specific plans start at around £10 per user per month, with higher tiers adding more automation and integrations.
Best for:Teams that already use Monday.com for project management and want a CRM that matches the same interface and workflow style.
5. Salesforce
Salesforce is the largest CRM company by market share, used by enterprises and large sales teams. It offers deep customisation, a vast app marketplace and the ability to model complex sales processes. The platform includes pipeline management, forecasting, territory management and advanced reporting.
Salesforce can send offline conversions to Google Ads and Meta, but only through third-party apps on the AppExchange. That adds cost and setup time. The base CRM does not include attribution out of the box. Pricing starts at around £20 per user per month for the Essentials plan, rising to over £300 per user per month for Unlimited and higher tiers.
The learning curve is steep. Most businesses need a consultant or a dedicated admin to configure Salesforce and keep it running. If you have a large sales team and complex requirements, Salesforce can handle them. If you run a smaller business and need attribution without hiring a consultant, it is likely too much.
Best for:Large enterprises with dedicated Salesforce admins, complex sales processes and the budget for third-party attribution apps.
6. Capsule
Capsule is a straightforward CRM aimed at small businesses. It stores contacts, tracks deals through a pipeline and logs tasks and notes. The interface is simple, the pricing is transparent and you can be up and running in an hour.
Capsule includes custom fields, so you can store UTM parameters or a click ID if your form captures them. Reporting shows deal value by stage and by tag, which gives you a view of revenue by campaign if you tag each lead. It does not send sales back to Google Ads or Meta, so the ad platforms never learn which clicks became customers.
Pricing starts at around £18 per user per month for the Professional plan, with a Teams plan at around £36 per user per month. There is a free tier for up to two users.
Best for:Small businesses that need a simple, affordable CRM and do not require advanced automation or attribution to ad platforms.
7. Attio
Attio is a newer CRM platform built for flexibility. It uses a database model where you define objects, attributes and relationships. That means you can model your sales process exactly as it works, rather than fitting into a pre-built structure. The interface is modern and the collaboration features are strong.
Attio includes custom fields and can import leads from forms or integrations. It does not send won deals back to Google Ads or Meta, so attribution ends at the lead stage. Reporting is flexible, but you need to build the views yourself.
Pricing starts at around £20 per user per month, with higher tiers adding more records and features. Check current plans for exact limits.
Best for:Teams that want a highly customisable CRM and are comfortable building their own data model and reports.
8. Odal
Odal is a UK CRM with attribution built in. It captures the click ID and UTM parameters when a lead arrives, follows that lead through the sales pipeline and sends won deals back to Google Ads and Meta as offline conversions. That means the ad platforms optimise for revenue rather than form fills.
The pipeline board, custom fields and reporting are all included. Odal connects to Calendly and CallRail for lead import, and integrates with Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and LinkedIn ads for offline conversion tracking. The interface is straightforward and the setup takes under an hour.
Pricing is £3.50 for the first 14 days on Starter or £5.99 on Team, then the monthly price. The platform is built and run by a UK team who run paid ads for clients themselves, so the feature set reflects what media buyers actually need.
Best for:Businesses that run paid ads and need to prove which campaigns bring in revenue, without hiring a developer or buying third-party attribution tools.
9. Freshsales
Freshsales is part of the Freshworks suite, which includes support, marketing and IT service management. The CRM offers contact records, pipeline stages, email tracking and a built-in phone system. The interface is clean and the onboarding is guided.
Freshsales includes custom fields and workflow automation. It does not send won deals back to Google Ads or Meta, so attribution stops at the lead stage. Reporting shows deal value by stage and by custom field, which gives you a view of revenue by campaign if you capture the right data on the lead.
Pricing starts at around £9 per user per month for the Growth plan, rising to around £60 per user per month for the Enterprise tier. Check current plans for exact figures.
Best for:Businesses that want a CRM with a built-in phone system and are already using other Freshworks products.
10. Copper
Copper is a CRM designed to integrate deeply with Google Workspace. It pulls contacts from Gmail, logs emails automatically and sits inside your inbox. If your team lives in Gmail and Google Calendar, Copper feels native rather than bolted on.
The pipeline board and custom fields are included. Copper does not send sales back to Google Ads or Meta, so the ad platforms never see which clicks turned into revenue. Reporting shows deal value by stage and by custom field, which gives you a view of revenue by campaign if you tag each lead.
Pricing starts at around £25 per user per month for the Basic plan, with higher tiers adding automation and advanced reporting. Check current plans for exact limits.
Best for:Teams that use Google Workspace and want a CRM that integrates directly with Gmail and Google Calendar.
What to look for in CRM software
The best CRM software for your business depends on how you generate leads and what you need to prove. If you run paid ads, the ability to send won deals back to the ad platforms as offline conversions is the feature that changes your return on ad spend. Without it, Google Ads and Meta optimise for form fills, not revenue.
Pipeline management and custom fields are standard across most CRM platforms. The differences show up in reporting, integrations and whether the system connects your sales data back to your ad accounts. A good CRM should tell you which campaigns bring in revenue, not just which ones bring in leads.
Ease of use matters if you have a small team. A CRM that requires a consultant to configure or a week of training is a cost in time and money. Look for a platform that matches your team's technical comfort and the complexity of your sales process.
Pricing and trial periods
CRM pricing varies widely. Some platforms offer a free tier with limits on users or records. Paid plans range from under £10 per user per month to over £300 per user per month for enterprise features. Most popular CRM systems charge per user, so costs scale with your team size.
Check what each tier includes. The cheapest plan often lacks custom fields, automation or integrations, which means you pay more to get the features you need. Some platforms charge extra for add-ons such as phone systems, advanced reporting or API access.
Trial periods are common. Most CRM companies offer between seven and 14 days to test the platform. Use that time to import a few real leads, build a pipeline and run the reports you need. If the trial does not give you enough time to evaluate the system properly, ask for an extension.
Typical CRM pricing by tier
£10 per user
Entry tier
£30 per user
Mid tier
£60 per user
Professional tier
£100+ per user
Enterprise tier
Illustrative example, round numbers. Check each provider for current pricing.
Integrations and lead import
A CRM is only useful if leads reach it. Most platforms integrate with form builders, landing page tools and scheduling software. Check that the CRM you choose connects to the tools you already use. Common integrations include Calendly, Typeform, Zapier and native form embeds.
For businesses that take phone enquiries, integration with call tracking software is essential. CallRail, ResponseTap and similar tools can push call leads into your CRM automatically, along with the campaign data. If you rely on phone leads and your CRM does not integrate with your call tracker, you lose attribution on a significant portion of your pipeline.
Some CRM platforms offer a public API, which means you can build custom integrations if the pre-built options do not cover your needs. That requires developer time, so factor in the cost if you need custom work.
Reporting on revenue by campaign
The report that matters most for businesses running ads is revenue by campaign. That means seeing how much closed revenue came from each Google Ads campaign, each Meta ad set or each LinkedIn campaign. Most CRM tools can show you leads by source, but fewer can show you revenue by source.
To build that report, the CRM needs to capture the campaign data when the lead arrives and carry it through to the deal record. If your CRM stores UTM parameters or a click ID in a custom field, you can filter deals by that field and sum the revenue. If it does not, you are left guessing which campaigns work.
A handful of CRM platforms go further and send won deals back to the ad platforms as offline conversions. That closes the loop: Google Ads and Meta learn which clicks turned into sales, and they optimise for revenue rather than form fills. That is the feature that changes your return on ad spend over time.
If you run paid ads and your CRM does not send sales back to the platforms, you are optimising for the wrong metric. The ad algorithms think a form fill is success, even if that lead never buys. Odal solves this by sending won deals back to Google Ads, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and LinkedIn automatically, so the platforms optimise for revenue from the start. You can start a 14-day trialto see how it changes your campaign performance.
UK data compliance
Any CRM you use must comply with UK GDPR. That means storing customer data securely, providing a way for contacts to request their data or ask for deletion, and keeping records of consent where required. Most established CRM companies meet these requirements, but check their data processing agreement and privacy policy before you sign up.
If you store sensitive data such as health information or financial details, check whether the CRM offers additional security features such as encryption at rest, two-factor authentication and audit logs. The ICO guidance on UK GDPR sets out your responsibilities as a data controller.
For businesses that operate across borders, check where the CRM stores data. Some platforms offer data residency options, which means you can choose to keep data in the UK or EU. Others store data in the US or other regions, which may require additional safeguards under the UK GDPR.
Choosing the right CRM for your business
The right CRM depends on your team size, your sales process and how you generate leads. If you run paid ads and need to prove which campaigns bring in revenue, choose a platform that sends won deals back to the ad platforms as offline conversions. If you need marketing automation and email campaigns in the same tool, HubSpot or Zoho may suit you better. If you want a simple pipeline and are comfortable tagging leads manually, Pipedrive or Capsule are solid choices.
Test the CRM during the trial period with real leads and real reports. If the platform cannot deliver the data you need, or if the setup takes longer than you have time for, move on. The best CRM software is the one your team actually uses, and that means it needs to fit your workflow and deliver the reports that drive decisions.
For businesses that run paid ads, Odal gives you pipeline management, revenue reporting and attribution to Google Ads and Meta in one platform. No third-party tools, no manual tagging, no developer time. You can start a 14-day trial for £3.50 on Starter or £5.99 on Team, then the monthly price.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CRM for small businesses?
The best CRM for small businesses depends on your lead generation method. If you run paid ads, choose a CRM that sends won deals back to Google Ads and Meta as offline conversions, so the platforms optimise for revenue. If you need a simple pipeline and do not rely on paid ads, Pipedrive or Capsule offer straightforward contact management and deal tracking at a lower price point.
Do I need a CRM if I use spreadsheets?
Spreadsheets work for tracking leads, but they do not send sales data back to your ad platforms. That means Google Ads and Meta optimise for form fills rather than revenue. A CRM with attribution built in closes that loop, which improves your return on ad spend over time. Spreadsheets also lack pipeline stages, automation and the ability to share data across a team without version conflicts.
Can a CRM tell me which ads bring in revenue?
Most CRMs can tell you which ads bring in leads if you capture UTM parameters or a click ID on the lead record. Fewer CRMs can report revenue by campaign, and only a handful send won deals back to the ad platforms as offline conversions. Odal does all three: it captures the click ID when the lead arrives, tracks the deal through your pipeline and sends the sale back to Google Ads and Meta so they optimise for revenue.
How much does CRM software cost?
CRM software pricing ranges from under £10 per user per month for entry-level plans to over £100 per user per month for enterprise tiers. Some platforms offer a free tier with limits on users or records. Check what each tier includes, as the cheapest plan often lacks custom fields, automation or integrations. Factor in the cost of add-ons such as phone systems or third-party attribution tools if you need them.
What is offline conversion tracking?
Offline conversion tracking sends sales data from your CRM back to your ad platforms. When you mark a deal as won in your CRM, the system tells Google Ads or Meta that the original click turned into a sale. The ad platforms then optimise for revenue rather than form fills, which improves your return on ad spend. Only a few CRMs offer offline conversion tracking without third-party tools or custom development.
