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Best Sales Tools & Software in 2026

By Toolradar Team · Updated February 2026

CRM and sales enablement tools

Key Takeaways
  • Hippo Video is our #1 pick for sales in 2026.
  • We analyzed 5 sales tools to create this ranking.
  • 4 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.

How the Top Sales Tools Compare

The sales category is highly competitive in 2026, with Hippo Video and RocketReach both scoring 0/100 on Toolradar's editorial assessment, followed closely by Sendspark at N/A/100. The tight scores reflect how mature this market has become.

All top-ranked sales tools offer free or freemium plans, making this an accessible category for teams of any size. Hippo Video stands out by combining a top score of 0/100 with freemium (free tier available) pricing.

1
Hippo Video logo

Hippo Video

Video platform for sales and marketing

Freemium

Hippo Video is a video platform that helps sales and marketing teams create, share, and track video content. Features screen recording, video emails, and analytics.

2
RocketReach logo

RocketReach

Find email addresses and direct dials

Freemium

RocketReach is a contact information platform that helps find professional email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles. Used by sales and recruiting teams.

3
Sendspark logo

Sendspark

Video messaging for sales teams

Freemium

Sendspark is a video messaging platform designed for sales and customer success teams. Create personalized video messages at scale with recording, hosting, and analytics.

4
LeadIQ logo

LeadIQ

B2B prospecting and data platform

Freemium

LeadIQ is a B2B prospecting platform that helps sales teams find contact information, track job changes, and personalize outreach. Integrates with major CRMs and sales tools.

5
Demostack logo

Demostack

Empower GTM teams to create, customize, and deliver interactive product demos without engineering.

Paid

Demostack is an interactive product demo software designed to help Go-To-Market (GTM) teams, including sales, presales, and marketing, create and deliver highly customized product demonstrations. It allows users to clone existing product environments or build new ones, enabling them to tailor demos for specific buyers and use cases without requiring engineering resources. This platform aims to accelerate sales cycles by providing flawless, secure, and personalized demo experiences. The tool offers features like a 'Cloner' to replicate product environments, a 'Sandbox' for buyers to interact with the product, and an 'AI Data Editor' to customize data within demos. It supports both live, tailored demos and self-guided product tours. Demostack also provides analytics to track demo performance and integrates with CRMs to measure pipeline impact, helping teams understand what resonates with prospects and improve their sales strategy.

Best Sales For

Related Categories

What is CRM Software?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is the backbone of modern sales operations. It's where you track leads, manage deals, store customer data, and gain insights into your pipeline. A good CRM turns chaos into a repeatable sales process.

But CRMs have evolved far beyond simple contact databases. Today's platforms include email automation, call tracking, sales forecasting, territory management, and AI-powered insights. Some have grown into full 'revenue platforms' that span marketing, sales, and customer success.

The CRM you choose will shape how your sales team works every day. Pick wrong, and you'll fight adoption issues and data quality problems. Pick right, and you'll have a single source of truth that actually helps close deals.

Editor's Take

“After evaluating 5 crm software? tools, Hippo Video stands out. For budget-conscious teams, Hippo Video (null/100, free tier available) delivers strong value. The competition is fierce — the gap between top tools is narrower than ever, so the best choice comes down to your team's specific workflow and priorities.”

— Toolradar Editorial Team · February 2026

Key Data Points

5+
Tools analyzed on Toolradar
4
Offer free or freemium plans
N/A/100
Top editorial score

According to Toolradar's analysis across 5+ products, 80% offer free or freemium plans. The top-rated tools average a score of 0/100, with Hippo Video leading at /100.

Must-Have CRM Features

Pipeline Management

Visual deal stages, drag-and-drop interfaces, and pipeline health metrics. You need to see your entire sales process at a glance and spot stuck deals fast.

Contact & Company Records

Complete customer profiles with interaction history, deal associations, and custom fields. Every touchpoint should be automatically logged.

Email Integration

Two-way sync with Gmail/Outlook, email tracking, templates, and sequences. Your CRM should work where your reps already work—their inbox.

Automation & Workflows

Automate lead assignment, follow-up reminders, stage changes, and data entry. Reps should sell, not do admin work.

Reporting & Forecasting

Pipeline reports, win/loss analysis, rep performance dashboards, and revenue forecasting. Leadership needs data to make decisions.

Mobile CRM

Field sales teams need full CRM access on their phones. Look for mobile apps that don't feel like afterthoughts.

Who Needs CRM Software?

CRM software is essential for any business with a sales process:

B2B Sales Teams: Complex deals, multiple stakeholders, long sales cycles. B2B teams need robust pipeline management and account-based features.
SMB & Startups: Growing companies need to scale their sales process. A CRM prevents deals from falling through the cracks as volume increases.
Enterprise Sales Organizations: Large teams need territory management, forecasting, and compliance features. Enterprise CRMs integrate with entire tech stacks.
Real Estate & Financial Services: Relationship-driven industries need strong contact management and long-term nurturing capabilities.
E-commerce & D2C Brands: Customer data platforms and CRMs help personalize marketing and increase lifetime value.

How to Choose the Right CRM

Picking a CRM is a multi-year commitment. Here's how to get it right:

  1. 1Match complexity to your sales process. Simple transactional sales? Pipedrive or HubSpot's free CRM works great. Complex enterprise deals? Salesforce's power is worth its complexity. Don't overbuy—most teams don't need Salesforce.
  2. 2Prioritize rep adoption. The best CRM is the one your team actually uses. Evaluate UX carefully. HubSpot and Pipedrive consistently score highest on ease of use; Salesforce scores lowest.
  3. 3Consider your tech stack. Does it integrate with your email, calendar, marketing automation, and billing? Native integrations beat workarounds. HubSpot's ecosystem advantage is real.
  4. 4Plan for data quality. CRMs are only as good as their data. Look for features that encourage data entry: auto-enrichment, required fields, duplicate detection.
  5. 5Calculate true cost. CRM pricing is notoriously opaque. Salesforce can cost $150-300/user/month fully loaded. HubSpot starts free but scales to similar prices. Get real quotes for your team size.

CRM Market Trends in 2026

AI is reshaping CRM—expect automated data entry, deal scoring, next-best-action recommendations, and conversation intelligence. The line between CRM and sales engagement continues to blur. HubSpot's growth has pressured Salesforce to improve SMB offerings. Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) make data governance features increasingly important.

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Salesforce worth it for small businesses?

Usually not. Salesforce's power comes with significant complexity and cost ($75-300/user/month). For most SMBs with under 50 reps, HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Close offer better value and faster time-to-value. Consider Salesforce when you need enterprise-grade customization or have specific compliance requirements.

What's the best CRM for startups?

HubSpot's free CRM is the go-to for early-stage startups—it's genuinely free with no user limits and has a great growth path. Pipedrive is excellent if you want something simpler and sales-focused. Close is popular with inside sales teams for its built-in calling features.

How is CRM different from sales engagement tools?

CRM is your system of record for customer data and pipeline. Sales engagement tools (Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo) handle multi-channel outreach sequences. Most teams need both—the CRM stores data, engagement tools automate prospecting. HubSpot and Close blur this line with built-in sequences.

Can I switch CRMs without losing data?

Yes, but it's painful. Budget 4-8 weeks for a proper migration. Export everything (contacts, companies, deals, activities, notes). Clean your data during migration—it's the perfect opportunity. Most CRMs have import tools; complex migrations benefit from consultants.

What CRM integrates best with marketing tools?

HubSpot wins here—its CRM is built alongside marketing tools for seamless lead handoff. Salesforce + Pardot is the enterprise equivalent. For specific marketing tools, check native integration depth. Surface-level integrations that only sync contacts aren't enough.

Quick Facts About This Category

#1
Hippo Video
Top rated
4
Free Tools
With free or freemium plans
5
Tools Reviewed
In this category
2026
Last Updated
February

Related Categories

Explore specialized subcategories:

Our Ranking Methodology

At Toolradar, we combine editorial expertise with community insights:

40%
Editorial Analysis
Features, UX, innovation
30%
User Reviews
Real feedback from verified users
15%
Pricing Value
Cost vs. features offered
15%
Integrations
Ecosystem compatibility

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