CRM for accountants: 10 leading solutions for your firm

If you’re only reaching out to your clients during tax season, you’re likely not doing enough to nurture client relationships. For accounting firms, maintaining solid client relationships is key, which means engaging clients throughout the year.

CRM software helps accounting and bookkeeping professionals maintain ongoing relationships with their clients by tracking interactions, communications, important documents, deadlines, and more. This way, no client feels forgotten. With AI-powered CRMs, it has become easier than ever to engage new leads and nurture existing clients with regular, personalized communications.

That said, choosing the right CRM for your team can be tricky if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for. In this article, we’ll cover what you should look for in a CRM for accountants, the top ten options on the market, and why monday CRM’s AI-first solution is a reliable choice for accounting firms of any size.

What is a CRM for accountants?

Customer relationship management software, shortened as CRM, for accountants refers to a software product that allows accountants to sort and store client information in one unified place. A CRM can also help them organize their client communications, files, additional data, and more.

These CRMs allow accounting professionals, like accounting firms, tax professionals, and bookkeepers, to work more efficiently by preventing siloed data. With one single platform to sync all your work apps, client accounts, and incoming leads, it’s a lot easier for accountants to engage the right customer at the right time.

Overall, an accounting CRM’s purpose is to make work easier for accounting teams. These CRMs enable professionals to stay on top of clients’ needs, their own tasks, and communications.

Why do accountants need CRM software?

Alongside producing financial reports and filing taxes, accountants need to juggle multiple clients, appointment scheduling, and handle various requests. Turning to a CRM can help keep tasks organized and clear. As an accountant, fostering relationships with your clients is essential, and a CRM helps you do just that.

Additionally, as new leads come in, CRM platforms can help firms sort through them and reach out to prospects in a timely and organized way. This helps accounting firms maintain a steady flow of new clients, allowing them to grow sustainably.

Another reason accounting firms need CRM software is to collaborate efficiently with their team. For larger accounts, there may be multiple accountants involved, and keeping all relevant client data and documents on one platform helps firms work in sync.

The benefits of using a CRM for bookkeepers and accountants

Adopting a CRM for bookkeepers and accountants can change the way firms operate, offering significant improvements in efficiency, client satisfaction, and business growth. From optimizing daily operations to improving client relationships, there are several advantages to using the right accounting CRM. Let’s take a look at the most impactful advantages of CRMs in accounting.

• Client data management: Manage client information efficiently and ensure all data is easily accessible, eliminating the need to search through multiple systems.
• Centralized communication: Centralize all client communication channels to make interactions and follow-ups easier to track, creating a complete history of every touchpoint with each client.
• Task automation: Automate repetitive tasks like sending payment reminders, appointment confirmations, tax deadline notifications, and follow-up emails to save time and reduce manual errors.
• Enhanced collaboration: Facilitate seamless teamwork by sharing client data, project updates, and task assignments in one unified platform.
• Stronger client relationships: Build deeper client relationships through personalized service, timely communication, and proactive outreach based on client preferences and history.
• Business intelligence: Generate comprehensive reports and gain actionable insights into client behavior, service profitability, and business trends to improve your strategic decision-making.
• Increased customer retention: Improve client retention rates by tracking satisfaction levels, identifying at-risk accounts, and implementing targeted retention strategies.
• Stronger lead management: Strengthen your lead management process by tracking prospects through the entire sales funnel, from initial inquiry to signed contract.
• Increased revenue growth: Identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities by analyzing client needs and service usage patterns, helping you expand relationships with existing clients and increase average client value.

Important features to look for in a CRM for accountants

Before settling on an accounting CRM for your firm, make a shortlist of the important features you need depending on your goals. Then, look for a CRM that ticks as many of your boxes as possible. Here are a few main features you should consider:

• Document management: Store customer files and share documents for easier collaboration and to securely keep everything in one place.
• Communication tools: Look for features like email automation and inbox integrations that will feed communications from multiple channels into your CRM
• Contact management: Ensure you can store and access all your contacts and their relevant information and files.
• AI-powered tools: Seek CRMs with AI features that can analyze client data, predict trends, generate insights, and even assist with drafting communications or reports.
• Time tracking and billing: For more accurate invoicing, look for a CRM that allows you to track the hours you worked on client accounts.
• Automation: Look for a CRM that allows you to automate manual tasks like communications, status updates, and reminders.
• Third-party app integrations: Ensure seamless connectivity with popular accounting platforms like QuickBooks to synchronize data without manual data entry.
• Security and compliance: Prioritize CRMs security, data encryption, and compliance features that meet industry standards to protect sensitive financial and client data.
• Analytics and reporting: Look for analytics, including AI-driven insights, revenue forecasting, and insights to optimize performance and profitability.

10 best CRM software for accountants

Below, we’ll examine five of the best CRM software solutions on the market for accountants. Whether you’re an independent accountant or looking for an expert solution for your firm to manage hundreds of client accounts, there’s something for everyone on our list. In the table below, we’ll give you a quick side-by-side view of each CRM, and you can keep reading for a more detailed overview of each platform.

1. monday CRM

Best for: AI-powered automation and customization for firms of any size

Accountants can easily keep track of clients with monday CRM’s AI-powered solution. Packed with tons of intelligent features for automations, lead management, and workflow optimization, monday CRM gives accountants a clear view of their customer portfolios without being overwhelming. The platform is entirely customizable and fits a range of business needs and accounting team sizes.

Key features

• Time-tracking and invoicing tools to make sure you’re accurately billing each client
• Customizable AI automations for customer engagement and lead management
• AI-generated personalized emails to keep leads and clients engaged and automate email follow-ups

Pricing

• Plans start from $12/seat/month
• Plans: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise
• Free trial available
• Learn more about monday CRM pricing and plans here
  

What users are saying

G2 score: 4.6/5

“What I love most about monday CRM is how incredibly easy it is to use, and how quickly they roll out new features based on user feedback. The platform keeps getting better and better, and the tools make it so much easier to stay organized and fully on top of every customer relationship and interaction. It’s been a real game-changer for my workflow!” – Holland B.

2. HubSpot Smart CRM

Best for: Firms seeking a CRM solution that integrates with existing HubSpot platforms

HubSpot is known for its suite of tools, including platforms for sales, service, and marketing. Unsurprisingly, HubSpot Smart CRM integrates seamlessly with these platforms, making it a versatile choice for accountants. The software offers intelligent AI tools like AI email writing, smart insights, and automations, and is simple to use to make managing client relationships quick and efficient.

Key features

• Build a library of content to better track and store client documents
• AI email writer feature helps you quickly generate email copy for all your clients
• Easily create contact phone records, log client activities, and view historical interactions at a glance

Pricing

• Free forever plan with basic features
• Paid plans starting at $9/seat/month
• Multiple plans available for individuals, small businesses, and enterprises

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.4/5

“The platform is incredibly intuitive, making it easy to manage campaigns, track leads, and automate workflows. The CRM is top-notch—it keeps all of our customer interactions in one place, making follow-ups seamless. The automation tools have saved us so much time, and the analytics provide deep insights into what’s working and what’s not.” – Margaret J.

3. Zoho CRM

Best for: Small-to-medium accounting teams looking for a cost-effective solution

Zoho CRM is a powerful yet simple solution for accountants, making it ideal for smaller teams that want to be able to scale their businesses as they grow. Zoho CRM offers plenty of integrations and customization options that make managing client interactions, automating tasks, and gaining insights and analytics straightforward.

Key features

• Over 800 app integrations with platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, and more
• Detailed insights, reports, and analytics on team performance, revenue, billed hours, and more
• Zia AI assistant helps nurture leads and contacts by crafting emails, optimizing sent times, and more

Pricing

• Free forever plan with basic features
• Starting from $14/user/month
• Plans: Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate
• 15-day free trial

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.1/5

“I love Zoho CRM’s robust automation features, which streamline repetitive tasks like lead follow-ups and workflow management, saving me tons of time. The AI assistant, Zia, is a standout, offering predictive insights and anomaly detection that help me prioritize high-potential leads.” – Mohit N.

4. TaxDome

Best for: Accounting firms that focus on tax preparation and bookkeeping

Designed for accountants and tax professionals, TaxDome is an all-in-one platform that helps teams manage accounting processes and clients. With TaxDome, accounting teams can streamline client communication, easily manage documents, create automations, and track tax-related tasks in one place.

Key features

• Workflow management with ready-made templates or custom configurations that fit your business processes
• Track time for billing purposes, send invoices, and receive payments in one platform
• AI-powered reporting and analytics with data visualization to optimize profitability

Pricing

• From $700/user/year
• Plans: Essentials, Pro, and Business
• Free demo available

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.7/5

“We’ve been using TaxDome for over a year now to manage our growing tax and accounting practice. Overall, it’s become an essential part of our workflow, helping us streamline client communications, document management, e-signatures, billing, and more all under one roof.” – Gloria L.

5. Pipedrive

Best for: Sales-focused CRM with visual pipeline management

Pipedrive, known for its intuitive pipeline management platform, is a great choice for accountants who want to track client acquisition and retention. With visual tools to manage leads, Pipedrive makes it easy to follow up with clients and leads in the pipeline at the best moment.

Key features

• Easily nurture leads with automations to build relationships with potential new clients
• Generate custom reports and gain insights on a custom dashboard to keep track of performance
• Pipedrive AI helps you streamline client communications, gather data, and reduce manual processes

Pricing

• Starting at $14/user/month
• Plans: Essential, Advanced, Professional, Power, and Enterprise
• 14-day free trial

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.3/5

“Pipedrive is incredibly easy to use — which also makes it easy to train new team members quickly and confidently. I also really appreciate how customizable it is. Being able to create our own pipeline stages and add custom fields has made all the difference in tailoring it to fit our workflow. It’s become the core of how we manage and grow our business.” – Melinda G.

6. Karbon

Best for: Accounting firms focused on practice management and workflow automation

Karbon is specifically designed for accounting practices, combining CRM functionality with comprehensive practice management features. Built for modern accounting firms, Karbon streamlines client communication, project management, and team collaboration in one integrated platform. The platform offers automation tools and integrations to increase efficiency for mid-sized firms.

Key features

• Email management with Karbon AI to summarize email threads and generate quick replies
• Workflow automations send reminders to clients and help standardize recurring tasks
• Time and budget tracking tools help set estimates and manage workforce capacity

Pricing

• Starting from $59/user/month
• Plans: Team, Business, and Enterprise
• Free demo with trial available post-demo

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.8/5

“What stands out most about Karbon is its seamless integration of communication and workflow management. The ability to manage emails, tasks, and client work all in one place is a game-changer. Another standout feature is the workflow automation. Recurring tasks, client reminders, and status updates can all be automated, which saves time and reduces the risk of things slipping through the cracks.” – Marc Antoine S.

7. Insightly

Best for: Small to mid-sized firms seeking project management integration

Insightly offers affordable CRM software that combines customer relationship management with project management capabilities, making it ideal for service-based businesses like accounting firms. With Insightly, firms can manage multiple client engagements while visually tracking relationships and communications.

Key features

• AI email summaries and replies make it easier to quickly manage and personalize messaging
• Smart process automation to trigger follow-ups, reminders, and cut out errors
• Real-time reporting dashboard with customizable fields helps track financial metrics and client profitability

Pricing

• Starting at $29/user/month
• Plans: Plus, Professional, and Enterprise
• 14-day free trial

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.2/5

“Insightly is very responsive. The search feature is amazing. I find the interface simple to navigate and when it’s time to automate, insightly has powerful automation features. The CRM is user friendly enough to use daily.” – Bismark D.

8. Salesforce Sales Cloud

Best for: Large accounting firms requiring enterprise-level customization

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a leading CRM platform that offers extensive customization options that can be tailored specifically for accounting practices. With its robust ecosystem of third-party integrations and advanced analytics capabilities, Salesforce Sales Cloud provides enterprise-grade solutions for firms managing complex client portfolios.

Key features

• Einstein AI provides predictive analytics, automated data entry, and intelligent lead scoring
• AppExchange marketplace with accounting-specific add-ons and integrations, including QuickBooks, Xero, and specialized tax software
• Workflow automation and approval processes that can be customized for different services and compliance requirements

Pricing

• Starting at $25/user/month
• Multiple plans and add-ons for different business sizes
• 30-day free trial

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.4/5

“What I like most is how centralized and customizable everything is. I can easily track customer cases, view interaction history, and log updates across multiple channels in one place. The ability to automate follow-ups, use quick text, and customize reports makes it very efficient for managing customer service workflows. It also integrates well with other tools we use, streamlining my daily tasks.” – Lemuel P.

9. Freshsales 

Best for: Growing firms seeking a simple CRM solution

Featuring a user-friendly interface, Freshsales is a simple CRM platform that uses AI to help accounting firms nurture leads and prioritize client relationships. As a part of the Freshworks ecosystem, Freshsales simplifies revenue growth and deal optimization while also providing seamless integration with customer service and marketing tools.

Key features

• Freddy AI assistant offers deal insights, email optimization, and automated data capture
• Visual sales pipeline with customizable stages for different service workflows, like tax prep or audit cycles
• AI-powered lead management with intent scores and a 360° view of client preferences and interactions

Pricing

• Free forever plan for 3 users
• Starting from $9/user/month
• Plans: Free, Growth, Pro, and Enterprise
• 21-day free trial

What users are saying

G2 score: 4.5/5

“I’ve enjoyed using Freshsales. It has an intuitive interface and essential features that make it easy to use. The platform’s pipeline and contact management have improved the way we manage our client relationships. Most of all, I like that Freshsales gives me the tools I need without overwhelming me with too much.” – Chris F.

10. Keap

Best for: Solo practitioners and small firms focused on client nurturing and retention

Keap combines CRM functionality with marketing automation specifically designed for small businesses and solo practitioners. The platform excels at automating client follow-ups and nurturing relationships through personalized communication sequences, helping accountants maintain close client relationships while growing their practice.

Key features

• Integrated appointment scheduling streamlines the client experience
• Automate follow-ups to leads and clients with reminders for payroll and deadlines to maximize billable hours
• Create custom forms that integrate with contact data to make gathering essential information easier

Pricing

• Starting at $249/month
• Pricing based on users and contacts
• 14-day free trial

What users are saying

G2 rating: 4.2/5

“Keap makes it easy for a professional services business to nurture and close. Additionally, it serves as my business line and aligns with what distinguishes me from my competition: quality and high touch.” – Anthony H.

Keep track of all your client accounts with monday CRM

When selecting the best accounting CRM to use, it’s important to consider different factors, like features, ease of use, and price. While certain platforms may seem perfect for accounting firms at first glance, they may not be as flexible or affordable once you do some research and crunch the numbers. A versatile, customizable, and scalable solution like monday CRM delivers all the usability without sacrificing simplicity, all at an affordable price.

Powered by AI, monday CRM helps accountants streamline client management through intelligent automation that handles routine tasks like follow-up reminders, project status updates, and deadline tracking. The platform’s AI capabilities automatically prioritize client needs, generate personalized communications, and provide predictive insights. With data and insights provided by monday CRM, accountants can focus on high-value advisory work while AI manages the administrative overhead.

Let’s take a more detailed look at some of the core features that make monday CRM a great choice for accountants and bookkeepers.

Free up billable hours with intelligent automations

Accounting firms run on billable hours, but with tons of manual behind-the-scenes tasks to handle alongside client accounts, it can eat into those valuable hours. With monday CRM’s AI automations, you can instantly send follow-ups and reminders for deadlines, automatically update client project statuses, and trigger workflows when specific milestones are reached.

Integrate with the accounting tools you already use

Sync data, workflows, and automations between your existing work tools with integrations for over 200 of the most popular apps. In the mondaymarketplace, teams can sync accounting apps like QuickBooks, DocuSign, Excel, Google apps, and hundreds more.

Engage prospects with smart lead management

Keep prospects nurtured and engaged with monday CRM’s AI-powered lead management tools. When a new lead comes in, AI can instantly qualify it, assign a score, and route it to the right agent or accountant based on priority levels and availability. This way, you can always make sure your leads are moving through a pipeline even without manual intervention.

Get actionable insights with dashboards and analytics

Keep a close eye on your team’s performance, billable hours, and customer satisfaction with AI-powered reporting and analytics. You can create custom dashboards to get a bird’s-eye view of performance, and access predictive analytics tools like sales forecasting so you can see if your team is reaching quotas and better manage resources.

CRM for accountants: An essential tool

Whichever CRM you end up choosing, it’s essential that you have a platform that allows you to track all client data and communication. With monday CRM, you never need to worry that a client has fallen through the cracks, as the platform uses AI automations to constantly engage leads and clients and send you notifications to check in with them and stay on top of important payments, meetings, or deadlines.