An accounting customer relationship management (CRM) platform is software that helps accountants, tax professionals, and bookkeepers manage both client data and relationships.
While around 62% of accounting firms use a CRM system, fewer than 5% use one regularly. While many CRM platforms are great for data organization, they lack the "R," better known as the relationship-building aspect.
CPAs need a multifunctional CRM system to nurture and monitor client relations. However, too many CRMs are built for product businesses rather than service businesses. Therefore, it's important to choose a CRM that makes sense for accountants.
Below are 7 options that will allow you to keep track of contacts and build strong, lasting connections with your clients.
Accelo is a platform designed for professional service businesses to boost productivity and profitability. It offers a cloud-based CRM that helps accountants and bookkeepers streamline operations, automate workflows, and manage client relationships from a single platform.
It centralizes sales, project management, tickets, retainers, billing, and reporting – helping accounting practices improve efficiency and profitability.
Accelo is more than just a customer management database. It allows you to streamline your processes and client interactions — all in one place.
The CRM platform has six core modules built in for seamless quote-to-cash account management:
With Accelo, you'll be able to maintain long-term client relationships while nurturing prospective customers. This will allow you to stay competitive in your market and spend less time working on the back-end admin of the business.
The biggest benefit of Accelo is being able to run your entire company from quote to cash with greater efficiency and profitability.
Susie Schade, CEO of Vector Business Solutions, uses Accelo for all her accounting business's needs. She says it "covers a broad set of features that are 100% tightly integrated. I can see what’s going on with a client, their prospective work, and what’s actually been done all in one place." Accelo has saved her business over 200 hours per year.
Sign up for an Accelo demo to discover the time-saving potential for your accounting firm.
Read Next: What Accounting Firms Are Saying About Accelo
Insightly is CRM software used by over 25,000 companies worldwide in industries such as consulting, professional services, and nonprofits. It focuses on connecting businesses with customers and aligning teams through a comprehensive CRM platform.
While Insightly offers strong automation, Accelo surpasses it with a broader scope that extends beyond CRM into project management, resource planning, and financials.
However, while Insightly integrates with popular platforms and provides automation, Accelo offers a more comprehensive solution. It can manage not just CRM but also projects, client interactions, financials, and team performance—all from one platform.
A pipeline management tool, HubSpot CRM is a well-known platform that offers a free, entry-level CRM service, ideal for small teams to start scaling. HubSpot provides features like lead tracking, email marketing, and reporting dashboards, but its lack of project management and financial tools limits its value for larger teams and complex workflows.
Accelo, on the other hand, combines CRM functionality with in-depth project management, billing, and reporting.
Though HubSpot’s CRM is effective for lead management and sales tracking, Accelo surpasses it by offering integrated solutions that provide a complete view of the customer journey, including billing, resource management, and project collaboration.
Salesforce is a robust CRM that boasts advanced features like AI-powered analytics, territory management, and highly customizable options. This makes it a strong contender for large enterprises.
However, Salesforce’s complexity and cost make it overkill for smaller teams. It also doesn’t fully integrate operational workflows across projects, finances, and resources.
In contrast, Accelo is a more user-friendly solution that balances customization and ease of use, enabling small to medium-sized businesses to scale without breaking the bank.
While Salesforce excels in AI and reporting, Accelo stands out by offering all-in-one project management, CRM, and financial tools that are easy to use and accessible to teams of any size. This makes it a more efficient solution for both client work and internal operations.
Liscio is designed for client-facing communication and document management, specifically for accounting firms. Its simplicity and focus on client interactions make it useful for accountants, but its scope is narrow.
Accelo, however, provides an end-to-end solution that includes project management, billing, resource planning, and client management, making it fantastic for firms that need a more holistic approach.
While Liscio is great for communication and document management, Accelo extends this functionality into an all-in-one platform, providing deeper project management, resource scheduling, and invoicing capabilities. This makes Accelo the better solution for firms needing to manage all aspects of client work.
This software is a practice management platform to manage customer data, workflows, invoices, and important documents. TaxDome specializes in client management, document handling, and workflow automation for accountants, offering tools like client onboarding, secure e-signatures, and document reminders.
While TaxDome does excel at tax-specific features, Accelo provides broader functionalities that not only manage client data but also integrate project management, time tracking, and financials.
TaxDome is an excellent tool for accountants, but Accelo offers a more comprehensive platform that includes not only client management but also project, resource, and financial planning capabilities. Thus, Accelo is a true end-to-end workflow integration.
Zoho Books is an online accounting platform with a CRM feature that helps businesses manage their finances and client interactions.
However, Zoho Books is primarily focused on accounting. While it offers some CRM features, it lacks the depth of project and resource management Accelo provides.
Though Zoho provides useful tools for small businesses, Accelo goes beyond just CRM by offering complete resource management, project planning, and financial tracking. We provide users with a 360-degree view of their business operations.
Every CRM is a little different.
When choosing accounting CRM software, opt for one that’s user-friendly to ensure easy onboarding for your team members. A CRM should not only be easy to navigate, but also empower your team to work more efficiently and deliver exceptional service.
Additionally, look for a CRM that offers the following key features:
By focusing on these essential CRM features, you can ensure that your team has the tools to stay organized, improve efficiency, and build stronger client relationships. A CRM that offers these capabilities will help you deliver high-quality service while enabling your business to grow.
When you have a well-integrated CRM solution, your team can stay aligned and proactive, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. It also lets you track every step of your business operations — from internal workflows to team progress — with complete transparency.
Having a unified view allows you to make smarter decisions faster, ensuring your business operates at its most efficient.
Experience the power of an all-in-one CRM that keeps your business organized and agile: Schedule a demo of Accelo today.
