9 Best Accounting CRM Software for Bookkeepers and CPA Firms in 2024

What is an Accounting CRM?

Imagine: in the accounting department there is a business assistant who keeps everything under control. She/he makes sure that clients are not forgotten, reports are sent on time, contracts are concluded in two clicks, and services are paid on time. This is CRM. 

By the way, in past articles we considered the best CRMs for small businesses, so we advise you to pay attention to the following options:

• Capsule
• Salesforce
• Pipedrive
• Zoho
• monday sales CRM

The Accounting Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform is software that helps accountants and finance professionals manage customer data and relationships, increase productivity, reduce workload, and streamline processes. The Internet program solves a huge number of tasks for both small and medium-sized businesses, makes it possible to simplify the work of employees and the process of reporting.

CRM VS CMS

CRM and CMS are software tools for online business. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software keeps track of all your leads and clients by recording and reporting their interactions with your website. A content management system (CMS) is used to create and manage a website.

In other words, CMS helps you create visitor experiences and CRM helps you track visitor experiences. There is no competition here - these tools should work in close cooperation with each other. Because your customers interact with your site, your customer tracking system must interact with your site's management system.

A good CMS-CRM integration will route all activity on your website straight into CRM for instant analysis, reporting and actionable insights. You'll also be able to see how your site is performing alongside your other online channels, which better informs your marketing and content strategy.

Incorporating a healthy CMS-CRM relationship into the core of your strategy will ultimately save you time, money, and lost leads. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will understand your audience and use your knowledge to earn their trust.

[Related Article: CRM Dashboard: How It Works & How to Create]

The Benefits of a CRM for Accountants

With the configuration of accounting software, you can maintain databases of customers, goods, orders, and transactions with suppliers. All transactions and settlements are connected with the accounting module. Therefore, the date, amount, and details of the transaction will be automatically recorded on the client's card. When you apply again, you can prepare the necessary documents in one click.

Using standard document templates created by you or available in the system, company employees will be able to generate a package of documents quickly.

Numerous calculations in the program for accounting are made automatically. And accordingly, the program for accounting allows you to reduce the time for paying bills and processing client applications. Thus, the work of employees becomes less, and efficiency increases.

Core Features of a CRM

CRM for finance and accounting opens up even more new opportunities for companies:

LEAD MANAGEMENT

• Receive via online and offline channels
• Qualification of leads based on company size, industry, location, interest in accounting services, engagement with the firm's website, etc.
• Automated lead distribution and prioritization based on predicted conversion probability

SELF-SERVICE FOR CUSTOMERS

• Customer Portal
• Base with information for clients (with a description of accounting services and prices for them, guides and tips on effective accounting processes, etc.)
• Chatbots to handle customer frequently asked questions

STORAGE OF DATA AND DOCUMENTS OF CLIENTS

• Client segmentation is based on the type of accounting services they are interested in, size/type of business, etc.
• Document storage
• Detection and consolidation of duplicate customer data.

SECURITY

• User activity logs
• Data backup
• Compliance with key regulatory requirements related to GDPR, etc.

ANALYTICS AND REPORTING

• Customizable dashboards and reports
• Tracking and analysis of KPIs (customer satisfaction rate, customer churn rate, average revenue per customer)
• Analysis of profitability and customer value
• AI-driven accounting cross-sell recommendations (based on customer's purchase history)

9 Best CRM for Accountants & Bookkeepers

Accounting is a very responsible department in the company. The accountant conducts financial and economic management, prepares and submits numerous reports, communicates with the tax office, funds, and counterparties. The specificity of the work of specific accounting departments depends on the direction of the company's activities. At the same time, a lot of routine work takes a lot of time.

CRM systems are used to automate business processes, work with clients, prepare reports, conduct analytics.

The ability to store all reporting in one system will provide you with a convenient service and help keep everything under control. Spend less time on bookkeeping for the company.

We have compiled a list of the top 10 best CRMs for accounting. Let's go over all the pros and cons right now.

[Related Article: Data Migration Testing Strategy: Checklist to Make it Success]

Soffront CRM

Soffront CRM is a customer relationship management (CRM) solution for small and medium businesses that helps them streamline and manage customer-related activities across the enterprise: sales force automation, sales force automation, customer service, help desk, field service, and much more.

Pros

• Softfront CRM provides businesses with the tools to manage customer service and the performance of their sales team and the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.
• The solution includes self-service portals, forums and chat. It can also manage sales orders and support requests.
• The solution can also be customized for unique workflows, number of users, and processes. Users can customize the solution using built-in drag and drop functionality.

Cons

Duplicate creation, need option in multiple fields or user can select based on his fields. Edit option should be given.

Pricing

• Starter $38 per month
• Professional $57 per month
• Full Service $200 per month
• VIP $500 per month

Deskera CRM

Deskera is a privately held Singapore-based provider of cloud-based business integration software. In particular, the main areas of the company's software services are: enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), product management (PM) and personnel management (HRM).

Pros

• Good pricing system.
• Very powerful technical support and its own community.
• it is also bundled with great Bookeeping and HRM saoos.

Cons

There is no free version. Missing feature is inbuilt Proposals. 

Pricing

• All in one $200 per month
• MRP $300 per month
• Enterprise details can be obtained from the vendor

Commence CRM

Commence CRM is a platform for managing client interactions that handles automation, integrated project management, sales and marketing lead generation, and service ticket management. With sales automation and customer relationship management, it helps increase sales.

Project management, contact management, customer service, lead management, campaign management, sales opportunity management, marketing, activity management, and more are all available with Commence CRM.

Pros

• The connected ecosystem provides you with visibility into every client and fosters collaboration across your entire company thanks to its numerous analytics and reporting capabilities.
• It monitors sales activities and provides management with useful and important sales information.
• Additionally, you can automatically create client segments from a variety of data sources and communicate with each type of customer in a way that specifically addresses their problems.

Cons

• There is no free version. 
• There does not seem to be duplicate check feature. Users have to do it manually our selves.

Pricing

• Sales CRM - $29 per user per month
• Marketing CRM - $39 per user per month
• Project Management CRM - $50 per user per month
• Customer Service CRM - $65 per user per month

Capsule CRM

Capsule CRM is a cloud-based CRM system designed for individual entrepreneurs, small businesses and sales teams in medium to large companies. The main module of the system is dedicated to sales management, it allows you to monitor current sales performance, measure conversion rates and receive forecasts through a single interface. The service supports multi-currency, helps to visualize data using kanban boards and filter indicators by a number of criteria. Another important Capsule CRM module is task management, where you can create tasks for meetings, events, deadlines, and other business activities.

Pros

• It is possible to set up email reminders, build a chain of tasks, view them in a calendar view, and create recurring tasks.
• With it, you can find and process information about counterparties: notes, e-mail, social networks, etc.
• An important advantage of Capsule CRM is advanced security options. The service allows you to assign access levels to users, restrict access to data, restore deleted information, log in through G Suite.
• There is also GDPR support, two-factor authentication, data export, and more.

Cons

• The system doesn't have a document generation tool (so you need to generate invoices and quotes in a separate system).
• It also is comparatively underpowered in the reports you can generate (even when you upgrade to the higher tiers that have additional reporting functionality). 

Pricing

• Free version for up to 2 users 
• Starter: £14 per user per month, billed annually
• Growth: £27 per user per month, billed annually
• Advanced: £42 per user per month, billed annually
• Ultimate: £60 per user per month, billed annually

[Related Article: Capsule alternatives: 10 robust CRM platforms]

Method CRM

Method is a fully customizable CRM for small businesses using QuickBooks. It simplifies lead management, workflow automation, sales funnel management, and sales tracking to help improve productivity. Real-time synchronization automatically updates customer information, invoices, payments. CRM automates sales workflows and generates a flow of leads so a business can close more deals. The system helps you improve your customer experience and, most importantly, grow your business.

Pros

• This is a great CRM that integrates well with QuickBooks.
• You can use your in-house developers or support team to customize the CRM to your specific needs.
• They have an excellent support team to help you with any minor issues that arise during the customization process.
• They offer a wide range of features and excellent navigation.

Cons

• If you don't have a coding or computer science background, customization can be difficult.
• Unless you want very basic looking emails, this product requires you to know more than the average small business owner in order to customize your reports and emails.

Pricing

• Contact Management - $25 per user per month
• CRM Pro - $44 per user per month
• Enterprise - $74 per user per month

Zendesk

Zendesk CRM is a customer support management service from Zendesk. Delivered on a SaaS model. The service helps manage customer requests received by mail, phone or via Twitter and has functionality typical of Service Desk technical support systems.

The system offers internal corporate support for employees and external customer support. Zendesk provides enterprise-class data encryption and hosting flexibility. You can work with all modes of displaying support requests, viewing tickets and notifications, notifications of new requests.

Pros

• One-stop solution for managing all incoming leads or leads.
• Zendesk Support offers instant topic suggestions to build a smart and valuable knowledge base.
• Detailed logs and history of all customer interactions and interactions
• Wide range of integrations and APIs available through Zendesk Marketplace.
• You can set triggers for specific incoming events to auto track, auto assign, or close tickets.

Cons

• The cost is set per agent, so the more agents you have, the more you pay.
• You cannot export data directly to a CSV file
• Due to the sheer number of options, new users can be overwhelmed.

Pricing

• Suite team - $45 per user per month billed annually
• Suite Growth - $79 per user per month billed annually
• Suite Professional - $99 per user per month billed annually
• Suite Enterprise - $150 per user per month billed annually

EspoCRM

EspoCRM is an open source system that aims to develop and maintain long-term relationships with clients. It includes the functions of planning tasks, analyzing the company's work, and recording all interactions with clients. Here you can plan tasks, analyze the work of the company, store information about each contact with the client, and so on.

Pros

• EspoCRM offers various types of CRM: for freelancers, developers, marketing agencies, law firms.
• The application can be hosted on your own server or in the cloud. The system supports 26 languages.
• The first 30 days can be used for free.

Cons

• It can be difficult at first for newcomers or beginners because it is quite complex under the hood. 
• Documentation in multiple languages would be extremely beneficial in this situation.
• However, it is limited and you must purchase each extension or develop it; it also requires many upgrades to be more user friendly and easier to develop modules.

Pricing

• Free trial - yes
• Basic - $15 per user per month billed annually
• Enterprise - $25 per user per month billed annually
• Ultimate - $150 per user per month billed annually

Less Annoying CRM

Less Annoying CRM is a simple CRM built from the ground up for small businesses. Manage contacts, leads, notes, calendar, to-dos and more from one simple web app. This product is based on three main principles: simplicity, affordability and excellent customer service.

The system is suitable for individuals or small businesses that need a low-cost, easy-to-use customer relationship management tool that is easy to install and easy to use.

Pros

• A free trial of Less Annoying CRM is available for 30 days, including your own dedicated CRM trainer to help you set up and answer any questions you may have (including assistance with importing existing data).
• Its installation takes only a few minutes, and the video instruction will help you understand the functionality.
• Contact management
• Calendar and tasks
• Lead generation
• Moving deals through the funnel

Cons

• Not currently automatically integrated with email, but emails can still be saved to the CRM by using Bcc. 
• One tariff plan.

Pricing

US$15.00/month

Pipeline CRM

Pipeline CRM functions similarly to a supercharged spreadsheet. Sales teams benefit from a familiar format that includes powerful features like 360-degree customer profiles, deal management, sales automation, and reports. Every subscription tier also includes unlimited data and live support. Utilization Ease Pipeline CRM has created a clever interface that looks and functions similarly to a spreadsheet. If you were previously tracking sales with Excel or Google Sheets, Pipeline CRM should feel right at home.

Pros

• Pipeline eliminates the need to enter complex formulas by providing dozens of built-in reports and filters for sales data.
• Every plan includes unlimited storage, allowing you to store as much information about clients and deals as you need.
• Members of the team can also easily access and add information to the record.
• It also includes a fully functional mobile app.
• Pipeline CRM makes it simple to sort deals based on the most important criteria.

Cons

• There is no free version.
• Not enough management tools.
• The multiple email only works with Gmail accounts, no online payments.

Pricing

• Free trial - yes
• Start Plan - $25 per user per month billed annually
• Develop Plan - $33 per user per month billed annually
• Grow Plan - $49 per user per month billed annually

[Related Article: 6 Best CRM for Financial Advisors (Wealth Management) in 2022-2023]

Conclusion

It's hard to imagine what business would not need CRM for Accountants. A competently built system collects all information about each interaction of our company with the client, which allows for a very accurate analysis and segmentation of the client base, making personalized offers and sales for each segment of clients. The CRM system is a must-have tool for any salesperson, accountant, or bookkeeper. We talked about the best systems in 2024. Now you know all the pros and cons, so the choice is yours. Let's choose an Accounting CRM right now!

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