If you’re a coach, then you’re probably more concerned about your clients than whether you’ve got the right tool to manage your entire coaching business. Which is all fine and good—clients do come first—but what happens if your practice grows? What happens when you’ve got all these clients coming in, with no way to keep track of all of them?
This is where customer relationship management (CRM) systems come in. They centralize all the data related to your business, so that you’ve got all your client information in one secure place. This can also help you plan out your coaching sessions, set up future appointments, and track your client’s overall progress. On top of that, CRMs also come with various automation features, meaning you can spend more time working on the client.
To help you figure out which CRM would be best for you, we’ve come up with a list of 6 CRMs that you can use for your coaching business.
Software | Best for | Main Features | Pricing |
Pipedrive | Small coaching practices |
| Starts at $19/user/month |
Hubspot | Growing coach practices |
| Starts with a free option |
Paperbell | Ease of use |
| Starts at $57/month |
Simply.Coach | All-in-one solution |
| Starts at $19/month |
ClickUp | Fitness trainers |
| Starts with a free option |
HoneyBook | Client relationship management |
| Starts at $36/month |
Pipedrive CRM is a popular platform used primarily by small teams and businesses due to its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing plans. However, Pipedrive is also scalable, meaning that it accommodates growing businesses instead of just small businesses. Add in features like automation for important tasks (scheduling, lead capture, etc.), and you’ve got a CRM that’s great for coaches who just want to focus more on their clients.
Standout Features
- Scheduling: Provides a built-in calendar and scheduling tool, allowing coaches to set up appointments through the platform
- SmartDocs: Allows users to create any document or web form, which can be useful for coaches who want to collect all the information they can
- Payment Integrations: Pipedrive integrates with many popular payment tools such as Stripe, QuickBooks, and Xero, which can help coaches easily receive payments and set up reminders
Pricing
Pipedrive offers four-tiered pricing plans:
- Lite - $19/user/month
- Growth - $34/user/month
- Premium - $64/user/month
- Ultimate - $89/user/month
The platform also offers a 14-day free trial.
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.
Pipedrive Pros And Cons
Pros
- Automations ensure that users never miss anything
- Offers several ways to document details for clients
- Integrates well with tools such as Gmail
Cons
- Lacks better reporting options, according to some users
- Lacks native email campaign tools
HubSpot CRM software is another popular option when it comes to affordability—in fact, it offers a free CRM, albeit only for two users. However, one thing that sets HubSpot apart from similar competitors is its scalability—it scales all the way from small, one-man startups to enterprise-sized businesses. It also offers a larger feature set that can be used by mid-sized to large businesses, such as custom reporting, AI customer agents, etc.
Standout Features
- CRM Import: Allows users to quickly import data into HubSpot from other tools
- Deals: Stores, tracks, and reports on any or all deals/opportunities
- Email Templates: Turns emails into AI-powered templates that others can customize and use for other purposes
Pricing
HubSpot provides a free tier alongside premium pricing plans. The free option is great for coaches who are just getting started. Meanwhile, the paid pricing plans, such as the Starter Customer Platform, are priced at $15/month/seat.
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.
Hubspot Pros And Cons
Pros
- Tracks customer data for personalized marketing
- Centralizes all communication in one place
- Manages deals across multiple locations effectively
Cons
- Set up and ongoing management can be complex
- Inaccurate data, if not regularly updated or automated
PaperBell is an online CRM that’s geared specifically towards coaching and consultants. Since it’s not a generic CRM, it provides features that are designed for coaches, such as free coaching websites, scheduling, and client management. It also functions as an online hub, allowing clients to schedule and pay easily.
Standout Features
- Online Website: Provides users with a free online website where coaches can sell their services
- Online Payments: Uses services like Stripe and PayPal to offer flexible payment plans
- Client Portal: Clients can buy packages and book appointments online from a portal specifically for them
Pricing
Paperbell offers two pricing plans alongside a 7-day free trial, where users can get a feel of the platform. The two pricing plans are based on duration: $57/month for a monthly payment schedule and $570/year for a yearly schedule (with the first two months being free).
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.
Paperbell Pros And Cons
Pros
- Integrates client signing contracts within the workflow
- Flexible scheduling features
- Highly responsive and friendly customer service
Cons
- Contracts may not be sent with gift packages
- Limited reporting flexibility
Simply.Coach is another digital platform that specializes in coaching, whether they be life coaches, business coaches, or anything related to one-on-one counselling, such as therapy. As such, it also provides tools that are handy for many coaches, such as action plans, coaching programs, etc., making it a great choice for coaches looking for an all-in-one solution.
Unique Simply.Coach Features
- Goal And Development Planning: Allows coaches to manage each client’s goal and progress in one place
- Nudges: Friendly reminders to make sure that clients stick to their plans
- Security: The platform is compliant with security certifications such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC2—making it a great choice for client confidentiality
Simply.Coach Pricing
Simply.Coach comes with two sets of pricing plans designed for solopreneurs and businesses. It also offers a 14-day free trial.
The pricing plans for Solopreneurs are:
- Starter - $19/month
- Essential - $39/month
- Growth - $59/month
- Leap - $89/month
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.
The pricing plans for businesses are:
- CoCreate - $99/month
- Surge - $199/month
- Optima - $349/month
- Enterprise - customized pricing
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change
Simply.Coach Pros And Cons
Pros
- Helps clients stay focused, structured, and organized
- Allows sharing attachments in session notes for easy access
- Integrated Google Calendar scheduling with helpful reminders
Cons
- Difference between forms and digital tools is unclear
- Form reports lack a professional appearance
ClickUp Software provides a CRM that can be used for a variety of purposes, including coaching and fitness training. While it’s mostly geared towards project management, it provides numerous features that can be beneficial for fitness trainers, such as client management, lead tracking, and progress monitoring.
Unique ClickUp Features
- Dashboards: With ClickUp’s dashboards, users can individually track how each client is doing and view monthly revenue—in other words, they can gain a clear overview of everything
- Workflow Automations: Helps coaches automate sales processes, such as lead generation
- Customized Workout Plans: ClickUp allows fitness coaches to create and share customized workout plans and nutrition guides directly from their CRM
Pricing
ClickUp offers four pricing plans:
- Free forever - $0
- Unlimited - $10/user/month
- Business - $19/user/month
- Enterprise - customized pricing
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.
ClickUp Pros And Cons
Pros
- Highly customizable with excellent UI and templates
- Comprehensive features covering all user needs
- Visually appealing layout with organized views and options
Cons
- Can cause confusion among new users due to feature depth
- Initial setup can be overly time-consuming and complex
HoneyBook is an extensive CRM system that helps independent businesses and freelancers manage every stage of the client relationship. To do so, it combines project tracking, client communication, invoicing, scheduling, and contracts into one easy-to-use system, helping users save time so that they can provide a better client experience.
Unique HoneyBook Features
- Online Proposals: Honeybook can create professional proposals that create a good impression and help close deals much faster
- Templates: Offers a large variety of customizable, interactive templates for invoices, contracts, and proposals
- HoneyBook AI: Provides an AI built on a blend of integrations and ML models, allowing users to automate lead follow-ups, monitor project progress, and summarize emails and meetings
Pricing
HoneyBook offers 3 pricing plans:
- Starter - $36/month
- Essentials - $59/month
- Premium - $129/month
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.
HoneyBook Pros And Cons
Pros
- Responsive customer support with ongoing improvements
- Easy customization and organization of client records
- Streamlined CRM interface for contracts, communication, and payments
Cons
- No direct integration to map questionnaire data to Google Sheets
- Automation lacks advanced conditional logic capabilities
By now, you have a good idea about some of the best coaching CRM software options available for coaches; each designed to address the specific challenge that coaches face. But like many things in life, there is no perfect choice—each CRM excels in certain areas and caters to different coaching styles and business needs.
The CRMs featured in this list were selected for their practical features, ease of use, and ability to enhance client experiences while reducing administrative work. This means you can choose the one that aligns best with your workflow, whether it’s CRMs geared towards coaching or CRMs that focus on providing a broad set of features for a wide audience.