• With a no-code CRM, you can develop a CRM system online, quickly and without programming knowledge.
  • Traditional CRM systems, on the other hand, are often expensive, require IT knowledge and offer an unnecessarily large number of functions.
  • No-code is not only suitable for CRM systems and small companies, but also for use cases in large companies.
  • A flexible, GDPR-compliant and free CRM system that performs very well in comparison is SeaTable .

This novel term is made up of two parts: No-Code and CRM. No-code is a development approach that makes it possible to develop your own applications with ready-made modules without having to program. CRM means customer relationship management, i.e. the systematic organization of customer relationships .

Accordingly, a no-code CRM is a software solution that allows you to create workflows, data structures and apps for your customer relationship management yourself – without having to write a single line of code. In contrast, with a low-code CRM you can still make certain additions by adding individually programmed code.

sales talk planned with no-code CRM to strengthen customer relationships

Traditional CRM systems (such as SAP CRM or Microsoft Dynamics CRM) are often expensive, complex to set up and require IT expertise for customizations. This is exactly where no-code solutions come into play: they make it possible to create a customized, sometimes even free CRM system quickly, flexibly and without programming knowledge.

Aspect Classic CRM No-code CRM
Development time weeks or months days or hours
Hosting mostly locally on own servers mostly in the cloud
Scalability slow and cumbersome fast and convenient
Costs high low or free
Integration difficult easy
Customizability unlimited, but complex flexible and simple
IT dependency very high low

Take a look at the advantages of no-code for CRM systems in detail:

Up and running quickly

Thanks to ready-made software modules, you can reduce the development time for your no-code CRM to a minimum. Getting started is also smooth: in most cases, you can get started right away without paying and put the first version of your CRM system online in no time at all.

Flexibly customizable

No-code tools are user-friendly and easy to use, so your employees can make the desired customizations themselves and don’t have to wait for developers to program the relevant functions. In addition, you can easily evaluate and visualize data without SQL queries.

Independent of IT resources

Traditional CRM systems are often complex custom-made products that consume a lot of IT resources for development and operation. No-Code makes your CRM independent of the availability of scarce IT specialists . Instead, your employees put their ideas into practice themselves – by means of Citizen Development .

Scalable Cloud

As a rule, you can use a no-code CRM system in a cloud for which you do not need to purchase your own servers. In contrast to an on-premises CRM system, you can scale a cloud solution quickly and easily, i.e. add more functions, storage space or user accounts if your requirements, data volumes or number of employees increase.

Cost-efficient

Many no-code providers rely on a pay-as-you-go model; this means that you start with your CRM system for free and only pay for the resources (e.g. storage space) that you actually use. No-code solutions significantly reduce the development costs for your CRM and make CRM software affordable for small businesses. In addition, you do not need your own infrastructure for a CRM system in the cloud, which saves you high expenses.

Integrative

Most no-code solutions are highly compatible and open to the connection of other systems. With a wide range of integrations, you can bring together all customer data, sales processes, documents, appointments and support requests in a central tool, making it easier for you to carry out well-founded analyses and decisions.

You may have heard somewhere that a no-code solution is only suitable as a CRM for small companies. But that’s not true. It is a myth that no-code CRM systems are only suitable for small companies and projects. The solutions are also used by SMEs and large, international companies. This is because they often struggle with traditional CRM systems, fragmented solutions and inefficient processes.

Small and medium-sized companies often have a limited budget and do not have their own IT department. Nevertheless, they face similar challenges to large companies: Contacts, quotes, orders and support requests need to be managed professionally. Thanks to No-Code, they can build a free CRM system without IT experts that grows with their requirements.

However, no-code tools also help large companies to react quickly and flexibly to changes – with the difference that they generally have even higher requirements in terms of security, governance and compliance, which is why cloud CRM is not always an option. Instead, large companies often rely on their own IT infrastructure and an on-premises CRM system in favor of digital sovereignty .

Skyscraper as a symbol for cloud CRM in large companies

Below we present six CRM tools, which we classify according to the criteria functional scope, flexibility, costs and data protection.

Functionality and flexibility: Pipedrive is a cloud CRM system that is completely specialized in sales. It plays to its strengths in visualizing sales processes and is known for its Kanban-based sales pipeline. While you can customize Pipedrive to your needs, it is functionally limited and not as flexible as a true no-code CRM. Fortunately, the platform offers modern automation and AI features (e.g. for composing emails) as well as native integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Slack and other widely used business applications.

Costs and data protection: If you want to build a free CRM system with Pipedrive, you will be disappointed: the basic version already costs 14 euros per user per month. Furthermore, as a pure cloud CRM, Pipedrive makes an on-premises installation impossible. This is questionable for reasons of data sovereignty, as the cloud is hosted in Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers. Although Pipedrive was founded in Estonia, its headquarters are now located in New York. The data storage for European companies is supposedly GDPR-compliant, but a data outflow to the USA cannot be ruled out.

Functionality and flexibility: Salesforce is the global market leader for cloud CRM systems and is broadly positioned: The solutions cover not only CRM and sales, but also e-commerce, marketing, data analytics and customer service. The platform is characterized by high scalability and integration capability, for example via AppExchange, user-defined objects and APIs. However, it is more of a low-code CRM, as not everything can be customized without IT experts. With Agentforce, Salesforce offers the futuristic option of creating your own AI agents and processing customer inquiries fully automatically.

Costs and data protection: Salesforce offers a free CRM for small businesses that allows up to two users. After that, the cheapest paid version costs 25 euros per user per month. Attention, cost trap: Depending on the range of functions, prices quickly rise to several hundred euros per user and month. Salesforce is based in the USA and hosts its cloud solutions in data centers around the world. For European customers, the locations in the EU are an option, although even there US authorities can access the cloud data. Salesforce does not have an on-premises CRM system.

Functionality and flexibility: Zoho CRM offers the usual features of a CRM system for free: customer, lead, quote, contract and email management. Integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack and other business solutions are easily possible. From the Enterprise version upwards, you are provided with an AI assistant that can provide analyses and forecasts based on your data. Zoho CRM is part of the larger Zoho One Suite, which also includes solutions for marketing, HR, finance, projects and operations. The modular CRM system in the cloud is therefore individually customizable and expandable, but limited in its flexibility compared to a true no-code CRM.

Costs and data protection: The free version of Zoho CRM only supports 3 users. Larger teams have to shell out at least 14 euros per user per month; the enterprise version costs 40 euros. Zoho is an Indian cloud provider that primarily stores and processes the data of European customers within the EU. Access from India is still possible. If you opt for Zoho, you must use your CRM system online. An on-premises CRM system is not available. As a customer, you are also responsible for configuring your cloud CRM in compliance with the GDPR.

Functionality and flexibility: Softr is a no-code platform that allows you to build a customized CRM system app yourself by tapping into data sources such as Google Sheets or SQL databases or by creating your own databases in Softr. You can then create individual apps and frontends to visualize the data, e.g. contact lists, sales pipelines, forms, workflows and dashboards. Softr offers a very high degree of flexibility: on the one hand, you can customize your CRM system app exactly to your needs without code; on the other hand, countless other use cases can be covered beyond no-code CRM.

Costs and data protection: The very limited free version includes an app with up to 10 users and 5,000 data records. For extended functions (e.g. Kanban, calendar), which should be available free of charge in a normal no-code CRM system, you pay between 49 and 139 US dollars per month, for the connection of SQL databases even 269 US dollars per month. Softr is headquartered in Berlin and is therefore bound by German/European data protection standards. However, it hosts its cloud mainly in AWS data centers, which does not rule out access from the USA. An on-premises version for full data security is not available.

Functionality and flexibility: Similar to Softr, Stacker allows you to create your own apps from data sources such as Google Sheets without any programming knowledge. Stacker is suitable for quickly building a CRM system app, but is somewhat less spectacular in terms of functions compared to other app builders. Dashboards, sales pipelines and customer profiles are also familiar from other solutions. In principle, Stacker offers a high degree of flexibility, but it is more specialized in basic processes and CRM systems for small companies.

Costs and data protection Unfortunately, you cannot build a free CRM system with Stacker. The starter version costs 29 US dollars per month for an app with 5 users and 10,000 data records. Three apps with higher limits and more functions already cost 149 US dollars, the unlimited Pro version 299 US dollars per month. Depending on team size and requirements, Stacker can therefore quickly add up. The cloud platform, which is headquartered in London, primarily uses data centers outside the EU. This makes it difficult for customers to comply with the GDPR, especially when it comes to data transfer to third countries. Stacker does not offer an on-premises CRM system.

Functionality and flexibility: SeaTable is a no-code CRM solution that combines data management, app building and AI automations. This allows you to create a free CRM system including a CRM system app quickly and without programming knowledge. SeaTable not only covers customer management, but also sales, support, quotation and product management. SeaTable is also predestined for use cases in other areas such as marketing , HR , finance and project management . The flexibility is almost limitless. You can also use numerous integrations and connect external tools via the SeaTable API.

Costs and data protection: If you want to build a free CRM system, you can use SeaTable Free . This basic version, which is already sufficient as CRM software for small businesses, allows up to 25 users and 10,000 rows. If you need more functions, storage space or user accounts, you can upgrade your cloud CRM for 7 to 14 euros per user and month. This makes SeaTable the most affordable CRM system in the cloud. Incidentally, the SeaTable Cloud is hosted exclusively in secure German data centers to meet the highest standards of GDPR compliance. SeaTable also has a unique selling point in terms of data sovereignty: an on-premises CRM system. Only you decide whether you prefer the convenience and scalability of the cloud or would rather install SeaTable Server on your own servers to retain full data sovereignty.

With SeaTable you can create a no-code CRM in 5 steps:

  1. Define data structure: Which processes do you want to map (e.g. acquisition, sales, support) and how many tables do you need for your data (e.g. contacts, products, deals, activities)?
  2. Create links: Which tables, data and processes are related to each other? For example, link companies with contacts and deals.
  3. Set up automations: Automate recurring routine tasks such as quote generation, follow-up e-mails and appointment reminders.
  4. Create apps: Use the App Builder to visualize your key figures on dashboards, your deals in a Kanban pipeline and create forms for systematic data collection.
  5. Test and optimize: Provide your employees with the prototype of your no-code CRM and customize the system as you wish.

Would you like a more detailed tutorial for beginners? Here you will find a YouTube video on how to set up a simple CRM in SeaTable in under 10 minutes.

So that you don’t have to start from scratch, we have built a practical template in SeaTable that already covers the usual requirements for a CRM.

The most important functions of the no-code CRM template at a glance:

  • Lead and customer management: Capture, segment and prioritize new contacts and existing customers in a clear database.
  • Define sales pipeline: Track your deals in a structured way and visualize the progress e.g. in a Kanban view .
  • Appointment overview: Keep an eye on all sales activities and be reminded of the expiry of certain deadlines.
  • Generate documents: Use templates to create quotations , order confirmations and invoices at the touch of a button.
  • Automate e-mails: Design standardized e-mails for recurring communication steps and send them to customers in a personalized way.
  • Create dashboards: Create graphs and statistics for real-time analysis, sales forecasts and reporting.

What is a no-code CRM?

A no-code CRM is a CRM system that you can design yourself without any programming knowledge. You use ready-made modules with which you can develop applications for customer relationship management (CRM).

What are the advantages of a no-code CRM?

A significantly shorter development time, fast implementation, high cost efficiency and scalability, flexible adaptability and low dependency on (unavailable) IT specialists: These advantages make no-code CRM systems equally attractive for small businesses, SMEs and large corporations.

What is the best no-code CRM?

The no-code CRM with the best price-performance ratio and the greatest flexibility is SeaTable. For companies with high security requirements, SeaTable is also recommended due to its GDPR compliance and on-premises option. In terms of functionality, Salesforce is one step ahead of the other solutions, but this also makes the CRM software complex and expensive.

What does a CRM system cost?

Depending on the size of your team and which provider you choose, a CRM system can be free or really expensive. Several hundred euros per month is not uncommon. You can create a free CRM system with SeaTable, for example.

What is the difference between cloud CRM and on-premises CRM system?

With a cloud CRM, you use the data centers of a third-party provider (e.g. AWS), whereas you install and operate an on-premises CRM system on your own servers. This gives you independence and data sovereignty, but you lose scalability and bear high costs for your own infrastructure.

TAGS: No Code & Low Code Customer Relationship Management Sales Planning