Choosing how to run customer conversations.
Before you compare vendors, compare approaches. These pages explain the trade-offs between the main ways small teams handle messaging and sales, including when a conversation-first CRM is the wrong choice.
Conversation-first CRM vs traditional CRM
A traditional CRM is built around contacts and deals, with messages attached. A conversation-first CRM makes the thread the unit of work: owned, timed and tied to the deal. Which fits depends on where your selling actually happens.
Read the comparison Shared inboxvsCRMvsConversation-first CRMShared inbox vs CRM: what each does, and when you need both in one
A shared inbox is built for answering messages as a team. A CRM is built for tracking customers and deals over time. A conversation-first CRM combines the two around the thread, which matters most when your sales happen in messages.
Read the comparisonNamed comparisons come later.
We don’t publish side-by-side comparisons with named CRM vendors until we’ve tested their products hands-on and our own product is generally available. Public marketing pages aren’t enough to judge things like routing, response timers or real messaging costs, and we won’t guess.
Evaluating tools now?
Our buying guide gives you the questions to ask any vendor, including us.
How to choose a CRM when customers message you CRM migration checklistMake every conversation count.
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