CRM Software Reviews: Sugar vs HubSpot

Choosing?Solutions from?CRM Software?Reviews

The CRM industry is growing fast, with several competitors vying for your business. With so many players, it?s important that you do your research when selecting a CRM tool. Looking at CRM software reviews is a good place to start.

SugarCRM is one contender that was built just for customer management. Having their focus on CRM gives it advantages that others might not have. Similarly, HubSpot was created as a tool for small businesses needing to reach customers in the most important marketplace of our time ? the internet. The HubSpot CRM is a natural extension of what HubSpot already provides ? a connection to your customers.

Read below for some of the CRM software reviews comparison of Sugar versus HubSpot CRM.

SugarCRM

PRO

• The SugarCRM platform comes with campaign and report wizards that walk you through setting up marketing strategies. The drag and drop feature also helps with creating reports easily.
• The updated interface that SugarCRM uses has combined three navigation bars into one; dropdown menus on the main screen get you to a specific workscreen more quickly.
• SugarCRM can integrate with processing platforms including Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Excel. Most email platforms can be setup to be accessed from within SugarCRM.
• SugarCRM can integrate with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

CON

• The biggest drawback with SugarCRM for the average small business is the cost and commitment to start out. Like the competition, SugarCRM requires an annual contract but they also require a minimum five-user agreement. Because you pay per user, this can be a deterrent to smaller businesses.
• Another disappointment with SugarCRM is the different versions of support based on price that you get. With the basic edition you get online and email support, with an average four hour turn-around for technical issues. With the Enterprise or Ultimate edition you get one hour tech support AND phone support, not available to lower-end users.

HubSpot?

PRO

• The new HubSpot CRM automatically adapts to your already existing marketing process and lets you start using the tool in minutes. Your marketing team won?t have the added burden of having to learn a new tool.
• The HubSpot CRM user interface gets you started with a ?360 degree view? that pulls from your customer database and provides key details right up front. Each customer dashboard updates automatically to show all interactions with that customer in chronological order.
• HubSpot CRM works from behind the scenes to link with your other tools for information on your customers. No extra work is needed to log customer interactions.
• Because HubSpot was created as an internet tool, the new HubSpot CRM is designed to connect with all of your online tools including websites, email, social media, and phones. HubSpot CRM fully integrates into your current marketing setup.
• HubSpot CRM works seamlessly with the HubSpot Marketing Platform and the Sidekick chrome extension. If you?re already a HubSpot user, the new CRM app is an easy addition.
• And the best PRO of HubSpot CRM ? it?s free.

CON

The biggest disappointment with HubSpot CRM – it?s still in Beta and only available to current HubSpot users. But, a full version is to be launched to everyone in 2015.

SUMMARY

Both companies developed during the internet marketing explosion and both understand and take advantage of what the internet offers. SugarCRM has an edge in that the company was created to address CRM. Hubspot has the edge because all of their tools were created to use the internet for growing and servicing customers. Based on CRM software reviews, the decision comes down to preference and cost. With cost, HubSpot has the edge.

Marketing Matters Inbound?is an inbound marketing firm specializing in online conversions, content?strategy, PPC campaigns and traditional media placement. Our experience in?B2B digital?marketing?and?traditional media?allows us to deliver results through a strategic media mix. We believe in?aligning and merging marketing and sales/operations for optimal return on your marketing investment.