The Very Best CRM Software for Manufacturing in 2025

Nutshell - Streamlined CRM for Manufacturing Teams

Nutshell brings together CRM and email marketing tools in one platform, making it particularly useful for manufacturing sales teams who need to track lengthy sales cycles. Born in Michigan in 2010, this user-friendly system helps B2B organizations simplify their sales processes without complicated setup requirements.

What makes Nutshell stand out for manufacturers is its ability to handle complex relationship tracking. Sales teams can document every interaction with distributors, suppliers, and customers, creating a reliable database that helps nurture long-term business relationships. The platform works smoothly on both desktop and mobile, keeping your team connected whether they're on the factory floor or meeting clients offsite.

With team members across five continents serving thousands of businesses worldwide, Nutshell has developed features that specifically benefit manufacturing sales workflows, including territory mapping and opportunity tracking that align with how manufacturers typically organize their sales operations.

Industry Reviews

Most reviews highlight Nutshell's user-friendly interface and affordable pricing structure as major advantages for small to medium manufacturing businesses. Users frequently mention how quickly they can implement the system compared to more complex CRM solutions, with minimal training required for sales teams to become proficient.

The 2021 addition of Nutshell Marketing receives particular praise, as it allows manufacturing sales teams to coordinate marketing efforts directly within their CRM environment—a valuable feature for companies looking to streamline their operations without juggling multiple platforms.

Key Features

• Territory mapping tools that help manufacturing sales teams organize regional accounts and optimize travel routes
• Visual pipeline management that shows exactly where each manufacturing deal stands in your sales process
• Custom lead scoring system to prioritize high-potential manufacturing clients based on your specific criteria
• Seamless integration with common manufacturing business tools like QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace
• Robust mobile capabilities that keep field sales representatives connected to customer data while visiting manufacturing facilities
• Customizable reporting that tracks sales metrics specific to manufacturing sales cycles
• Built-in email marketing tools that help nurture relationships throughout long manufacturing sales processes
• VisitorIQ feature that identifies potential manufacturing clients browsing your website

Simplified Pricing Information

• Free 14-day trial available to test all CRM features
• Sales Foundation plan starts at $13 per user monthly for basic manufacturing CRM needs
• Sales Growth plan at $25 per user monthly adds enhanced reporting capabilities
• Sales Pro plan at $42-$49 per user monthly includes sales automation and advanced reporting
• Sales Business plan at $59 per user monthly offers AI features and deeper customization
• Sales Enterprise plan at $79 per user monthly provides complete custom reporting
• Marketing add-ons range from $5-$37 monthly depending on contact volume
• Annual billing options provide modest discounts compared to monthly payments

Overall Opinion

For manufacturing companies seeking a straightforward yet capable CRM, Nutshell presents a compelling option. Its balanced approach offers enough depth to handle complex manufacturing sales cycles without overwhelming users with unnecessary complexity. The platform shines in its ability to organize customer relationships, track opportunities, and provide useful sales territory mapping—all crucial elements for manufacturing sales teams.

While some users note limitations in the mobile app and email customization features, these drawbacks are generally outweighed by the platform's overall value, especially for small to mid-sized manufacturing operations. Nutshell's affordable pricing structure makes it particularly attractive for growing manufacturing companies that need professional CRM capabilities without enterprise-level costs.

Manufacturing businesses with modest IT resources will appreciate Nutshell's ease of implementation and intuitive interface, though companies requiring highly specialized features or extensive integration with manufacturing-specific software might find some limitations. For most manufacturing sales teams, however, Nutshell strikes a practical balance between functionality and usability.

Zoho People - HR Management for Modern Manufacturing

Zoho People stands out as a comprehensive HR management system that helps manufacturing companies handle their workforce data efficiently. While not a traditional CRM, it complements CRM systems by managing the human resources that power your manufacturing operations.

For manufacturers, Zoho People offers valuable tools to track employee attendance, manage shifts for production teams, and streamline HR processes. The platform's ability to centralize employee information creates a single source of truth for workforce management, which is crucial in manufacturing environments where staff often work across multiple shifts and departments.

What makes Zoho People particularly useful for manufacturers is its integration capabilities with other Zoho products, allowing for a connected ecosystem between your HR department and other business functions. This connectivity helps maintain alignment between production goals and workforce availability.

Internet Reviews

Manufacturing HR professionals using Zoho People often praise its ability to consolidate previously scattered HR functions into one platform. Users particularly appreciate the attendance tracking features, which help monitor production floor staffing levels and manage shift rotations effectively.

The mobile accessibility gets positive mentions from plant managers who need to approve requests while moving around the factory floor. However, some users note that the interface can feel overwhelming at first, with the wealth of features sometimes making navigation challenging for new users.

Manufacturers with multiple locations appreciate the centralized document management, which helps maintain consistent HR policies across different production facilities.

Features

• Employee Self-Service Portal: Provides a comprehensive personal profile where staff can manage their details, request time off, and access company policies directly.
• Advanced Leave Management: Enables custom leave policy creation, quick leave submissions, and provides managers with a consolidated view of employee leave balances and holiday schedules.
• Intelligent Timesheet Tracking: Allows precise project time tracking, job allocation, and workload monitoring to help teams optimize productivity and billing accuracy.
• Flexible Attendance Management: Supports IP-based tracking, biometric integrations, and shift management with real-time attendance capture capabilities.
• Automated Performance Appraisal: Streamlines performance review processes with automatic reminders, notifications, and a structured evaluation framework.
• HR Process Automation: Automates routine tasks like birthday wishes, work anniversary emails, and workflow approvals to reduce administrative burden.
• Comprehensive HR Analytics: Provides detailed insights into employee performance, attendance trends, and demographic data to support strategic decision-making.
• Seamless Software Integration: Connects easily with other Zoho applications and third-party tools to create a unified business management system.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Free version supports up to 5 users with basic features like employee database and time off management.
• Essential Plan costs $1.50 per employee per month ($1.25 annually), offering core HR management functionalities.
• Professional Plan priced at $2.50 per employee per month ($2 annually), providing expanded HR tools and tracking capabilities.
• Premium Plan at $3.50 per employee per month ($3 annually), including advanced performance and reporting features.
• Enterprise Plan costs $5 per employee per month ($4.50 annually), delivering comprehensive HR management with full system access.
• People Plus Plan offers advanced integration at $10 per employee per month ($9.50 annually), including Zoho Vault and Zoho Recruit.

Overall Opinion

For manufacturing companies, Zoho People offers solid value as an HR management solution that can work alongside your primary CRM system. Its strengths in attendance tracking, shift management, and employee self-service align well with the needs of production environments.

The tiered pricing structure makes it accessible for manufacturers of various sizes, from small operations to large multi-site facilities. While the interface learning curve might require some initial patience, the system ultimately delivers reliable HR functionality that can help streamline workforce management in manufacturing settings.

Consider Zoho People if your manufacturing operation needs to better organize employee data, track attendance for shift work, and improve HR processes while maintaining integration with other business systems. The platform isn't a traditional CRM, but it can be a valuable companion tool for managing the human resources that power your manufacturing operations.

Zendesk Sell - Streamlined CRM for Manufacturing Sales Teams

Zendesk Sell offers manufacturing companies a unified approach to sales management through its comprehensive CRM platform. This solution brings together all your sales activities into one dashboard, making it easier for manufacturing sales teams to track customer relationships from initial interest through close.

What makes Zendesk Sell particularly useful for manufacturing is how it bridges the gap between sales and support teams. When your production team needs to understand a customer's specific requirements, they can access the full history of interactions without switching between systems. This creates smoother handoffs between departments and ensures everyone has the context they need.

The software's mobile capabilities also benefit field sales representatives who often meet with manufacturing clients at their facilities. Reps can update deals, access client information, and schedule follow-ups while on location, keeping your pipeline data current even when your team is on the move.

Internet Reviews

Zendesk Sell maintains a surprisingly quiet presence in online discussions. Despite Zendesk's strong reputation in customer service software, their sales platform hasn't generated much buzz in user forums and review sites. This lack of widespread conversation makes it harder to gauge real-world satisfaction levels outside official channels.

Most online mentions come from official Zendesk marketing or established review sites rather than organic user discussions. This relative silence could suggest either that the platform serves a niche market effectively or that it hasn't yet inspired passionate user advocacy. Potential buyers might need to rely more heavily on demos and trials to evaluate its fit for their manufacturing processes.

Features

• Custom Dashboards: Create tailored views showing your manufacturing sales pipeline, with specific widgets for tracking high-value equipment deals versus consumable product sales.
• Task Player: Automate routine follow-ups with manufacturing clients through sequential task management that keeps your team on track with complex, long-cycle sales.
• Pipeline Analysis: Visualize your entire sales pipeline with manufacturing-specific stages and identify where industrial deals commonly stall.
• Power Dialer: Connect with purchasing managers and executives quickly through automated calling that logs conversations directly in your customer records.
• Sales Force Automation: Streamline repetitive tasks like quote generation and follow-up scheduling to free up time for relationship building with key manufacturing accounts.
• Marketing Integration: Connect marketing campaigns for specific product lines directly to your sales pipeline to see which promotions drive the most qualified leads.
• Mobile App: Access customer specs, product details, and account histories from the factory floor or client sites through the full-featured mobile application.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Team Plan: $19 per agent monthly (annual billing) includes basic pipeline management and dashboard tools suitable for small manufacturing sales teams.
• Growth Plan: $55 per agent monthly adds forecasting and appointment scheduling features beneficial for growing manufacturers.
• Professional Plan: $115 per agent monthly includes advanced analytics and lead scoring to help prioritize high-value manufacturing opportunities.
• Enterprise Plan: Starting at $169 per user monthly for large manufacturing operations needing customized workflow solutions.
• Cost savings available with annual billing compared to monthly payment options.

Overall Opinion

Zendesk Sell presents a solid option for manufacturing companies that value straightforward CRM functionality without unnecessary complexity. Its greatest strength lies in how seamlessly it connects with Zendesk's customer support platform, creating a unified view of client relationships that's particularly valuable when managing complex manufacturing accounts.

The software hits a sweet spot for mid-sized manufacturers that need more than basic contact management but don't require the extensive customization of enterprise-level platforms. The pricing structure is transparent and scalable, allowing companies to start with essential features and add capabilities as they grow.

While it may not generate the online buzz of some competitors, Zendesk Sell delivers reliable performance for manufacturing sales teams focused on efficiency and cross-departmental collaboration. Companies already using other Zendesk products will find particular value in this integration-friendly solution.

Thryv - All-in-One Manufacturing Business Management

Thryv stands out as a comprehensive business management platform designed to help manufacturing businesses streamline their daily operations. By combining customer relationship management, scheduling, and marketing tools in one unified interface, it eliminates the need for multiple disconnected systems.

Manufacturing companies particularly benefit from Thryv's ability to centralize customer communications, track interactions, and manage appointments. The platform's focus on integrating essential functions like payment processing, estimate creation, and invoice management helps manufacturing teams stay organized while focusing on production.

What sets Thryv apart for manufacturers is its adaptability across operations of different sizes. Whether you're running a small custom fabrication shop or managing a larger manufacturing facility, the platform scales to accommodate your specific workflow needs.

Internet Reviews

Thryv receives mixed feedback from its manufacturing users. Many praise the comprehensive nature of the platform and highlight the exceptional customer training and operational support. The responsive support team frequently receives positive mentions for going above and beyond to help businesses maximize the platform's capabilities.

However, some manufacturers report frustrations with technical limitations, particularly around integration capabilities that can sometimes hinder smooth operations. Billing complexities and cancellation processes have drawn criticism from some users who experienced unexpected charges or difficulties when trying to terminate services.

Features

• Comprehensive Platform: All-in-one solution that helps manufacturing businesses streamline operations and customer relationships through integrated tools.
• Advanced CRM: Organize manufacturing clients with detailed contact management, custom tagging, and comprehensive history tracking.
• Marketing Automation: Send targeted campaigns to potential clients, use text-enabled business communications, and create custom renewal opportunities.
• Online Scheduling: Enable appointment booking for consultations and client meetings while reducing scheduling conflicts.
• Payment Processing: Create professional invoices, process payments securely, and manage financial transactions through ThryvPay.
• Online Presence Management: Build websites, manage social profiles, and monitor business reputation to enhance visibility.
• Data Analytics: Access reporting tools that help manufacturing businesses track performance and make informed decisions.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Free Basic tier available with limited functionality including centralized inbox for 3 channels and TeamChat with 30-day history.
• Business Center plans start at $199 per location/month, including essential CRM, scheduling, payment processing, and marketing tools.
• Three main pricing tiers: Plus ($199/month), Professional ($349/month), and Unlimited ($499/month) with progressively more features.
• ThryvPay processing rates begin at 2.60% + $0.30 per transaction, with lower rates for higher volume businesses.

Overall Opinion

Thryv offers manufacturing businesses a solid option for centralizing their customer management and operational needs. Its strength lies in bringing together essential business functions that would otherwise require multiple software solutions. The platform shines in customer support and training, helping manufacturing teams adapt to the system quickly.

However, potential users should carefully assess their integration requirements and thoroughly understand the contract terms before committing. The higher price point starting at $199/month means it's best suited for established manufacturing operations rather than startups. For manufacturers seeking an all-in-one solution with robust CRM capabilities, Thryv provides substantial value despite some limitations.

Insightly - Manufacturing CRM With Built-in Project Management

Insightly stands out in the CRM landscape by combining robust customer relationship tools with project management capabilities. This dual functionality creates a seamless workflow for manufacturing businesses that need to track customer interactions and manage production projects in one place.

What makes Insightly particularly useful for manufacturers is how it handles the transition from sales opportunity to project execution. When a deal closes, all relevant information transfers automatically to the project management module, keeping customer details, specifications, and requirements organized throughout the entire process.

The platform also offers customizable dashboards that give manufacturing teams real-time visibility into both sales pipelines and production workflows. This unified approach helps bridge the gap between sales and operations that often challenges manufacturing companies.

Internet Reviews

Users consistently highlight Insightly's intuitive interface and comprehensive contact management capabilities. Manufacturing professionals appreciate how the platform tracks customer interactions across multiple channels and easily converts sales opportunities into structured projects. The automation features receive particular praise for reducing manual data entry and streamlining repetitive tasks.

However, some reviews mention that customer support can be slow to respond, and smaller manufacturing operations note that the free version's limitations pushed them toward paid plans sooner than expected. A few users also reported a learning curve when configuring more advanced features and integrations.

Features

• Contact and Lead Management: Track all customer interactions in one place with automatic data capture from emails and web forms, perfect for monitoring distributor and client relationships.
• Integrated Project Management: Convert manufacturing opportunities directly into production projects while maintaining all specifications, quotes, and customer requirements.
• Customizable Dashboards: Monitor sales pipeline, production schedules, and team performance with real-time metrics tailored to manufacturing workflows.
• Email Management: Use templates and scheduling tools to nurture leads and manage customer communications throughout long manufacturing sales cycles.
• Workflow Automation: Create smart automation rules that trigger notifications, task assignments, and follow-ups based on manufacturing milestones.
• AppConnect Integration: Connect with ERP systems, CAD software, and production management tools through the no-code integration platform.
• AI-Powered Insights: Leverage artificial intelligence to analyze deals and identify which manufacturing prospects are most likely to convert.

Simplified Pricing Information

• No free version available, though you can test the platform with a free trial.
• CRM plans start at $29/month (annual billing) for Plus, with Professional at $49/month and Enterprise at $99/month.
• Additional marketing automation is available starting at $99/month for the Plus tier.
• Plans scale from small teams with limited records to unlimited users and records at the Enterprise level.

Overall Opinion

Insightly offers a solid solution for manufacturing businesses that need both CRM and project management capabilities. Its strength lies in connecting sales processes to production workflows, which addresses a common pain point for manufacturers. The customizable dashboards and automation features help teams stay organized and focused on high-value tasks.

While not the cheapest option available, the value becomes apparent for mid-sized manufacturers who need to coordinate between sales teams and production floors. The lack of a true free version might deter smaller operations, but the platform's integration capabilities and project management tools make it worth considering for growing manufacturing businesses looking to streamline their customer-to-production pipeline.

MarketingCloudFX - by WebFX

MarketingCloudFX stands out in the manufacturing CRM space by connecting marketing efforts directly to revenue outcomes. This platform brings together sales, marketing, and advertising data in one central location, making it easier for manufacturing teams to see the complete picture of their customer interactions.

What makes this platform interesting for manufacturers is its ability to track customer journeys across multiple touchpoints. The system shows which marketing activities actually generate leads and sales—information that's particularly valuable in longer manufacturing sales cycles. By unifying this data, teams can make better decisions about where to focus their resources.

The platform was built by WebFX, a digital marketing agency, and incorporates their insights from working with various industries. For manufacturers looking to strengthen their digital presence while measuring real business impact, this tool offers an interesting blend of marketing automation and analytics capabilities.

Internet Reviews

MarketingCloudFX appears to have a limited online presence in terms of user reviews and discussions. This lack of widespread feedback makes it difficult to gauge how well the platform performs in real-world manufacturing environments. The quiet online footprint could indicate that the platform is either relatively new to the market or hasn't yet built a substantial user community willing to share their experiences publicly.

Features

• Revenue Tracking and ROI Analysis: Connect marketing efforts directly to revenue by integrating with CRM systems and providing transparent performance insights across all marketing channels.
• Data Unification and Management: Centralize sales, marketing, and advertising data to create comprehensive customer profiles and enable strategic decision-making.
• Content Optimization Tools: Research, plan, and personalize website content to boost rankings, increase conversions, and enhance audience engagement using advanced analytics.
• Lead Management System: Track and attribute leads to specific marketing efforts, optimize sales cycles, and generate detailed closed-loop ROI reports.
• SEO and Engagement Enhancement: Boost website visibility, improve search rankings, and engage users with intelligent content and conversion tools.
• Advanced Content Intelligence: Leverage AI-powered tools like ContentGeniusFX and ContentAnalyticsFX to create high-performing SEO content and gain competitive insights.
• Comprehensive Marketing Automation: Seamlessly integrate email marketing, social media management, landing page creation, and reputation management into one powerful platform.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Basic plan starts at $875 per month, ideal for small manufacturers seeking marketing automation and comprehensive data tracking.
• Mid-tier plan ranges from $1,975 to $3,975 per month, offering advanced features like ContentGeniusFX, SEO tools, and detailed ROI reporting.
• Enterprise plan reaches up to $5,975 per month, providing full-scale marketing automation, competitor analysis, and complete data unification across marketing channels.
• Custom pricing available for manufacturers with unique requirements, allowing tailored solutions and scalable marketing technology integration.

Overall Opinion

MarketingCloudFX offers manufacturing companies a comprehensive marketing automation solution with a focus on revenue tracking and ROI analysis. The platform's strength appears to be in connecting marketing activities to actual business outcomes—a critical factor for manufacturers with complex sales cycles.

The pricing structure puts this tool in the mid-to-high range compared to other CRM options, which may make it more suitable for established manufacturers rather than smaller operations. The lack of widespread user reviews suggests potential buyers should request a thorough demonstration and possibly seek references before committing.

For manufacturers looking to enhance their digital marketing performance while maintaining clear visibility into how marketing affects the bottom line, MarketingCloudFX offers an interesting option—particularly for those who value the integration of multiple marketing functions in one platform.