ZDNET names Salesforce Starter CRM top pick in January 2026 CRM guide

ZDNET updated its 2026 guide to CRM software in January 2026 and selected Salesforce Starter CRM as its top recommendation for businesses adopting a CRM platform. The guide highlights Salesforce Starter CRM's core features — account, contact, task and lead management, Salesforce Meetings, marketing and email templates, campaign assistance, automation, data analytics, e-commerce design, onboarding and payment facilitation — and notes pricing tiers that include a free plan with two seats and paid plans at $25 and $100 per user per month.

ZDNET also notes some features, such as advanced automation and AppExchange access, are limited to premium subscriptions and that there is no middle plan between Starter and Pro. ZDNET's roundup also recommends other options: Apptivo for customization and integrations (plans from $20 per seat, with an Ultimate plan at $50), Pipedrive for sales-focused teams (14-day trial; plans from $14 per seat, with a recommended professional/Premium tier at $59), HubSpot for small teams with a free entry tier and paid plans (typically $15 per seat, with a current promotion to $9), and Microsoft Dynamics 365 for modular, flexible CRM modules with varying licensing and trials.

The guide says its recommendations were based on factors such as scalability, customization, feature sets, automation, support, customer experience and cost.

Key Topics

Tech, Salesforce Starter Crm, Apptivo Crm, Pipedrive, Hubspot, Crm Software