For any small or medium-sized business (SME) in Malaysia, picking the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a big deal. A good CRM lets you keep track of customer interactions, manage sales leads, and automate tasks. This saves you time and helps your business grow. It can be hard to find the right fit, that’s for sure.
We have tested and looked at more than 15 CRM platforms to help you make a choice. We looked at features that are important to Malaysian businesses, such as how easy it is to use, how much it costs, how good the customer service is, and, most importantly, how ready it is for local rules like the Sales and Service Tax (SST) and the upcoming E-Invoicing by IRBM mandate.
These are the five best CRM software programs for your business.
1. Multiable CRM
Best for: small and medium-sized businesses that need a strong, all-in-one solution for sales and operations.
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5
We like Multiable CRM the best. Because it focuses so much on the most important needs of growing businesses. It gives you a strong way to handle the whole customer lifecycle, from the first contact to the last sale. In fact, its automated tools save busy sales teams a lot of time. The interface is simple and helps users stay focused on what matters.
It also lets you customize it to fit the way your business works. Companies that are growing will really benefit from this flexibility. The reporting tools are also great, giving you a clear picture of how well your sales are doing. The information you can get will blow your mind!
Important Parts
- Managing leads and opportunities in a more advanced way
- Analytics and predictions for sales
- Automating workflows
- Dashboards and reports that can be changed
Pros
- Great tools for keeping track of complicated sales pipelines.
- Can easily work with other business tools.
- Made with Malaysian businesses requirements, like SST and E-Invoicing by IRBM.
- A lot of value for the strong features it has.
Cons
- It does have full development frameworks for third-party developers, but it doesn’t compare to OSS competitors.
Cost
Multiable CRM has quote-based pricing that is customized to meet the needs of your business.
2. HubSpot’s CRM
Best For: Small and medium-sized businesses and startups that want to do inbound marketing.
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
The free CRM platform from HubSpot is very well-known. There’s no doubt that this is a great way for small businesses to get started with CRM. The best thing about it is that it can automate marketing and give you a full picture of the customer journey. In fact, a lot of businesses like how easy it is to use.
The platform is one of many HubSpot tools that work together. You can start for free and add more “Hubs” (like Marketing, Sales, or Service) as your business grows. It’s really surprising how many free tools there are.
Important Features
- Managing contacts and leads
- Email templates and tracking
- Chatbots and live chat
- Workflows for marketing automation
Pros
- A very generous free plan with useful tools.
- Very simple to use and learn.
- Great for getting sales and marketing teams on the same page.
Cons
- As you add more contacts or features, paid plans can get very expensive very quickly.
3. Zoho CRM
Best For: Small and medium-sized businesses that want the best overall value.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Zoho CRM is a powerful tool that has a lot of features for a very low price. It is one of the many business apps that Zoho makes, so it works perfectly with other Zoho products like Books (for accounting) and Desk (for customer support). This integration makes it possible for many businesses to use it as a central hub.
Also, you can change Zoho CRM a lot. One of the best things about it is that you can use it for almost any business process. At first, the number of features can seem overwhelming, but it’s worth it to learn them.
Main Features
- Communication through many channels (phone, email, social media)
- Zia is an AI-powered sales assistant.
- Advanced analytics and reporting
- Features that make games to motivate sales teams
Pros
- Plans with low prices that give you a lot of value.
- A lot of features that cover almost all needs.
- Works perfectly with a lot of other Zoho apps.
Cons
- For new users, the user interface can seem a little messy and too much.
4. Freshsales
Best For: Sales teams that need a CRM that is simple and easy to use.
Overall Score: 4.4 out of 5
Freshsales is made for salespeople by the same people who made Freshdesk. The interface is clean, up-to-date, and easy to use. Most users can actually get started with very little training. This is definitely a big plus for small teams that can’t afford to spend a lot of time onboarding.
It stands out because it has a built-in phone and email. It also uses AI to rate leads, which helps your team focus on the deals that are most likely to close. It’s so easy to use.
Important Features
- Phone, SMS, and email built in
- AI-powered lead scoring
- Sales pipelines that you can see
- A mobile app with a lot of useful features
Pros
- Very easy to use and find your way around.
- Great tools for communicating all in one place.
- AI features give you useful information.
Cons
- The free plan doesn’t offer much, so you’ll probably have to pay for a better one.
5. Salesforce Sales Cloud
Best For: Small and medium-sized businesses that are growing and need a platform that can be easily changed and grown.
Rating: 4.3 out of 5
There is a reason why Salesforce is the most well-known name in CRM. It is, in fact, the most powerful and adaptable platform available. You can change it to do almost anything you can think of. It is a great choice for companies that want to grow a lot because it is so powerful. The amount of customization is crazy!
Its AppExchange marketplace also has thousands of apps that can make it even more useful. There’s no doubt that all this power comes with a higher price and a harder learning curve. If you have the right business, it’s worth the money.
Important Features
- Advanced management of opportunities and pipelines
- Tools for making detailed forecasts
- A lot of ways to customize
- Access to the huge AppExchange marketplace
Pros
- Very scalable; it can grow with you from a small business to a big one.
- Customization and integration options that are second to none.
- Strong reporting and analytics tools.
Cons
- It can be hard for small teams to handle because it’s so complicated, and it needs a full-time administrator.
- It costs a lot more than most other choices.
A Quick Look at the Comparison
| Software | Best For | Key Feature | Pricing Model | SST/E-invoicing Ready |
| Multiable CRM | All-in-one sales & operations | Automated workflows | Quote-based | Yes |
| HubSpot CRM | Inbound Marketing | Great Free Plan | Freemium | Through integrations |
| Zoho CRM | Best Overall Value | AI Assistant (Zia) | Per User/Month | Yes |
| Freshsales | Ease of Use | Built-in phone & email | Per User/Month | Through integrations |
| Salesforce | Scalability | Extreme customization | Per User/Month | Yes (through integrations) |
Questions and Answers (FAQ)
What is the most important thing to look for in a CRM?
The most important thing is how well the CRM works with your sales process. A CRM should help your team do their jobs, not make them harder. Find a solution that your team can easily use and that has the features you really need. A simple CRM that everyone uses is definitely better than a powerful one that no one uses.
Why is it important for my CRM to support E-Invoicing by IRBM?
The Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (IRBM) says that all Malaysian businesses must use E-Invoicing. A CRM that supports this will help you automate your billing process and make sure you follow government rules without any extra work. Because of this new rule, it’s very important to have a system that works.
How can a CRM help you manage SST?
A good CRM made for the Malaysian market can help you keep track of sales and services that are subject to SST. It can also make reports that help you file your taxes more easily and accurately, which will save you from problems later on. It makes things so much easier!
Who we are
We are a team of independent experts with comprehensive experience and deep understanding of the Malaysia business and regulatory environment.
Our mission
To provide neutral, unbiased, and thorough insights that can help businesses in Malaysia develop. We are committed to delivering objective analyses based on rigorous evaluation of market solutions.
