Really Simple Systems Review 2024: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons

Have you ever searched online for a tool to handle your customer relations? You likely found good options, but maybe they’re a tad bit expensive and complicated. Well, I’ve got good news for you! 

Today, we’ll be doing a Really Simple Systems review and, like the name suggests, looking at a simpler CRM option.

While its name indicates that it’s simple, this doesn’t mean its capabilities are heavily handicapped. It has its limitations, as we’ll see subsequently. However, if you’re a small to mid-sized business, then this is definitely an option worth trying.

Really Simple Systems review 2024: Is Really Simple Systems any good?

Really Simple Systems is reliable for handling basic customer relationship management affairs. It has the necessary tools and features to get your small team ahead of issues that could arise with your customers. However, it comes with some limitations, which we’ll point out in this Really Simple Systems review. 

Regarding really simple solutions, Really Simple Systems is amongst the best small business CRM available. Really Simple Systems Cloud CRM is targeted at small and medium-sized businesses or departments of larger businesses that want a simple, convenient online CRM sales, support, and marketing system. 

The hosted CRM system is especially suitable for businesses that operate from various locations and team members who work remotely or from home. 

Really Simple Systems CRM, as we have mentioned, has some key features that facilitate the CRM system of a company. It offers some of these key features: contact management, sales pipeline management, task management, email marketing, reporting and analytics, and more. 

We'll go into full details on each of its key features subsequently, but first, let's look at this CRM's available pricing plans.

Really Simple Systems pricing plans

First of all, how much is Really Simple Systems? Let’s first review Really Simple Systems prices:

How much does Really Simple Systems cost for nonprofits?

We decided it would greatly benefit you if you had a non-profit organization, a church, or a community association that needs to manage its membership and potential donations, too, and if Really Simple Systems had a plan for you. 

While searching for this, we found that Really Simple Systems CRM did have a plan for nonprofits. In fact, they offer a customizable CRM system that allows your nonprofit to manage stakeholders' relationships while raising funds too easily. 

They further emphasize the benefits that they offer to their users, like automated marketing campaigns, multiple database segmentations, GDPR compliance, integration with accounting software systems like Xero, KashFlow, and Sage Business Cloud, and other key features.

Really Simple Systems doesn’t give us a simple price quote. You can test out the 14-day free trial, which automatically starts you off with the professional plan, but you might have to contact their team for a more exact price for nonprofits.
 

Are there any Really Simple Systems coupon codes or promo discount vouchers?

We did the research, and it seems there are no Really Simple Systems coupon codes or discount vouchers from Really Simple Systems at this time. Other third-party websites might have access to coupon codes to help you save money. 

Our advice is for you to make sure you do your extensive research before making use of any coupon code from any website that offers. 

Really Simple Systems free vs paid: what’s the difference?

When you get to the pricing plan page, you are greeted with four pricing plans: the free trial option for 14 days, the starter plan at $21 per user per month, the Professional plan at $43 per user per month, and the Enterprise plan $64 per user per month. 

So, in light of this, the main difference between Really Simple Systems' free trial vs. paid plans is that one is temporarily free for 14 days, which can be extended upon further inquiries, and the other isn't. The free trial gives you automatic access to the professional plan, after which you'll have to pay for the subsequent usage.

There’s a free forever plan available, too. When comparing the free forever plan with paid plans, one major difference that stands out is the number of users allowed. On the free forever plan, you are allowed just two users with the free forever plan. 

On the other hand, the other paid plans give you unlimited users. Beyond this, there are other differences. With the free plan, you can't access API capabilities and email integration, which are basic features available on even the starter plans. 

There are also available add-ons to improve the services you get with each paid plan. They are:

• Simple Marketing: This service costs an extra $30 per month; it includes email and newsletter creation tools, mass email personalization, contact list management, and email scheduling.

• Advanced marketing: This service costs an extra  $64 per month and includes email template storage, end-to-end lead management with lead scoring, campaign tracking across all platforms, online forms with web-to-lead capture, and automated drip campaigns.

• Service Desk: This service costs an extra $64 per month for case management solutions that include case prioritization, SLA monitoring, support performance reporting and dashboards, and email integration to create cases from emails.

As a free CRM system, the free forever plan of Really Simple Systems is a good way to get into the platform.

Really Simple Systems overview: what is Really Simple Systems & what is it used for?

If you're looking for a CRM system that lives true to its name, Really Simple Systems CRM may be worthwhile. This simple-to-use platform provides small businesses with an efficient method to manage their customer interactions while omitting the complications typically associated with CRM software.

Founded in 2004, Really Simple Systems has grown to a user base of over 18,000 users. Users of this CRM are mostly medium-sized and small businesses. Initially, Really Simple Systems did not feature email marketing; it only had campaign marketing, but the email marketing feature was added in 2006. 

In 2010, it launched its free forever package, which allows two users. One major goal of John Paterson, the maker of Really Simple Systems, was to make a software platform that would be easy for newbies to use. Small businesses with small teams that could not get technical staff could easily use Really Simple Systems to launch and manage marketing campaigns without difficulties. 

The CRM Really Simple Systems is one of your best options if you are just starting and need your CRM basics taken care of. The user-friendliness of Really Simple Systems CRM is one of the product's most notable qualities. You won't have any trouble figuring out how to use the platform's UI, regardless of whether you're a seasoned IT expert or a novice who's just beginning to explore customer relationship management (CRM). 

In other words, it’s easy to navigate the site because of its uncluttered design and intuitive menus. It will free you up to concentrate on what's important: developing and maintaining meaningful customer relationships.

Considering the importance of relationships, Really Simple Systems CRM provides powerful tools for managing contacts. If you gather all of your client information in one centralized location, you will have an easier time storing it, organizing it, and gaining access to it. 

In addition, the program offers convenient customization choices, allowing you to adapt your customer relationship management system to your company's specific requirements. This enables you to monitor the information most pertinent to your particular field or specialization of the market.

Really Simple Systems CRM recognizes the distinctive nature of each company. Because of this, it provides a variety of customization options, which enables you to adapt the system to meet the requirements of your particular business. You have the ability to mold this CRM to your specific needs, whether it's through custom fields, workflows, or email templates.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg regarding Really Simple Systems CRM. When we get to the features section, we'll go deeper into what you can do with Really Simple Systems, studying how it improves marketing efforts, streamlines sales procedures, and makes providing customer care easier. 

If you’re looking for a customer relationship management system (CRM) that strikes the ideal balance between ease of use and capability, you are in for a treat.

Really Simple Systems features list 

The main features of Really Simple Systems are:

• Contact Management

• Pipeline Management

• Email Marketing Campaigns

• Task Management

• Workflow Automation

• Quotations

• Reporting & Analytics

• Integration Capabilities

• Document Storage

• Case management
   

1. Contact Management

Really Simple Systems CRM is particularly effective at managing contacts. It provides a centralized hub to store and organize all client data. You can effortlessly add, modify, or remove contacts, ensuring your database is always accurate with the most recent information. 

This procedure is made much easier to complete because of this CRM system's intuitive user interface, making it suitable for usage by groups of varying sizes. In addition, it enables you to organize your contacts into groups or segments, which simplifies the process of doing targeted marketing.
 

2. Pipeline Management

Proper sales pipeline management is essential to your company's success. Really Simple Systems CRM offers a graphical depiction of your pipeline's status at any given time. Tracking possibilities, keeping an eye on how far they've come, and making more accurate income projections are all possible thanks to this tool. 

It distinguishes itself from other solutions because of its user-friendly pipeline display and flexible customization options, which let you adapt the pipeline stages to your sales process. This feature alone makes it an attractive alternative.
 

3. Email Marketing Campaigns

Campaigns for Email Marketing is a potent tool, and Really Simple Systems CRM combines it in a simple and effective way. Within the site itself, you have the ability to build and manage marketing campaigns through email. 

Although it has extensive email marketing capabilities, it may not have as many features as dedicated software for email marketing, such as Mailchimp. 

On the other hand, the combination of CRM with email marketing simplifies data synchronization and guarantees that your email marketing efforts are directed most effectively.

4. Task Management

The ability to effectively manage one's tasks is necessary to maintain one's organization, and Really Simple Systems CRM gives solutions for task management to assist you in accomplishing that goal. You can delegate responsibilities to other team members, specify due dates, and monitor progress. 

Although it provides adequate task management skills, it may be missing some of the more complex functions that are available in specialized project management software such as Zoho. 

For example, there is no task-tracking feature to allow you to log and track task progress across team activities. The lack of some of these advanced features poses a problem for users who are more into the task management process to the point of monitoring task activities.
 

5. Workflow Automation

Really Simple Systems CRM simplifies your business operations by including workflow automation into the platform. This allows you to effectively automate your workflows, taking the stress out of manually carrying out some tasks. 

You can design automated workflows to handle repetitive operations, such as the nurturing of leads or the sending of follow-up emails. Even if it has automation features, it is possible that its functionality is not as comprehensive as other, more specialized workflow automation solutions such as Zoho. 

Nevertheless, it has some competent workflow automation processes.
 

6. Quotations 

Creating and maintaining quotes is a piece of cake with Really Simple Systems CRM because of the intuitive interface. You have the ability to produce quotations, deliver them to customers, and follow the progress of those bids. Compared to certain specialized quotation software, it may lack more complex functionality, such as incorporating an e-signature. 

However, it is adequate for companies that only want the most fundamental quoting features.
 

7. Reporting & Analytics

Access to real-time insights is crucial, and Really Simple Systems CRM gives users access to powerful reporting and analysis capabilities. You can produce various reports, examine your sales data, and obtain insightful knowledge of your firm's performance. It has robust reporting capabilities but could not be as sophisticated as other specialist business intelligence products, such as Tableau.

8. Integration Capabilities

Really Simple Systems CRM provides options for integration with other vital business tools like email, accounting software, and marketing software. 

However, compared to some other CRM systems, it may have a more limited range of integrations. Consider third-party connectors if you require extensive integration options. 

Since Really  Simple Systems pairs well with Zapier, you have little to worry about regarding Integrations. Besides Zapier, Really Simple Systems integrates with the business accounting software Kashflow and Xero, two of the best platforms for large and small enterprises.
 

9. Document Storage

Document storage is an important feature of any CRM as you will definitely deal with documents one way or another. 

As a basic feature you can't do without when you use a CRM, Really Simple Systems provides a simple-to-use document management system that gives you features like uploading and downloading important contact documents, document sharing, and easy contact management.
 

10. Case Management

Really Simple Systems can assist in the collection of cases from incoming emails as well as web forms. It connects them to a tracker so you can keep an eye on everything from the initial ticket opening to the final resolution. 

The customer relationship management (CRM) profile of a contact is updated whenever a new action occurs in a support case. Because of these two features, none of the data will ever be lost. Instead, it is readily accessible to each team member for future reference purposes.

In addition to that, you have access to a service level agreement (SLA) tool. These add several levels of prioritization to each individual client or case. Not only that, it organizes various other elements, such as setting goal response times. 

Cases can also be broken down according to the case type. This enables comparisons to be made rapidly. For instance, when a representative wants to reference other similar situations to solve a problem.

Really Simple Systems pros and cons

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Really Simple Systems:
 

Really Simple Systems advantages

Now that we have done a comprehensive review of Really Simple Systems do all the bells and whistles translate into advantages that improve your experience with Really Simple Systems? Here are some benefits that come with using Really Simple Systems.

It is easy to use and lives up to its name of being a really simple system. You don't have navigation problems; from the onset, you already know what you need to do to get the desired result. You don’t need any technical skills of any sort to make use of its management features. Users often praise its ease of use, making it accessible even for those without extensive CRM experience.

It has superb contact management features. One thing this CRM gets right that takes it to the top amongst most simple CRMs is that despite its simplicity, it does not sacrifice its contact management features. You can access unlimited contacts and a CRM database to help manage these contact records.   

It has cloud-based accessibility. Really Simple Systems CRM is cloud-based, making it accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is especially valuable for businesses with remote teams or those that need to access customer data while on the go.

Centralized data management. By centralizing consumer data, businesses can make sure that every team member has access to the most recent data. By giving a complete picture of client interactions, enhances teamwork and customer service.
 

Really Simple Systems disadvantages

There is no mobile app available. If you tend to work on your mobile devices and are looking for an option that comes with a mobile app, this might be a little letdown. However, upon further research, a mobile application is on the way. If your focus is CRM on-the-go, you could wait a bit to see what its mobile app will look like.

Mass emails are unavailable. For those looking for mass email features, you might have to look to other options. 

Sales tools are limited and not suitable for sales-focused companies. If your business does a lot of sales-related activities or you have a sales team, Really Simple Systems might not be the best CRM to use for marketing and service if you want to be able to manage sales well.

Lacks core advanced features. As its name indicates, Really Simple Systems focuses on being simple, and this is advantageous in itself, but it also poses a disadvantage too. Really Simple Systems does not have features like advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools and advanced marketing and sales features.

Really Simple Systems complaints & praise (Really Simple Systems reviews from real customers)

We mentioned that there are over 18,000 users. In light of this, what are former and current users of this CRM saying about it? What do online reviews of Really Simple Systems reveal? Are there any complaints about the system's usability or performance? How bad are negative Really Simple Systems reviews?

One of the generally positive reviews that populate online reviews is that Really Simple Systems is a Cost-effective CRM for small businesses. A particular consultant mentioned how they have been able to grow their business from scratch using Really Simple Systems. To him, the platform has been worth every penny.

Another user, a Director who had used Really Simple System for about two years, mentioned how, generally, her company was satisfied with what they were able to achieve with Really Simple Systems. She mentioned that it met her basic CRM needs, but like every product at that price point, it was not entirely perfect, although it got the work done.

Another director who has been using the app for more than two years complemented the available help resources and the ease of use. He mentioned how it was easy to get started with the platform because of the available resources provided by Really Simple Systems.

So far, we have seen positive reviews, but there are also negative Really Simple Systems reviews from unsatisfied users. A major negative response was the fact that the service offered by Really Simple Systems did not perfectly fit with the B2C business model. Another issue some users had was setting up the system and the flexibility of its architecture. 

All-in-all, Really Simple Systems received more positive feedback from user reviews online who praised its ease of use and how it takes care of the basic CRM tasks. 
 

Review of Really Simple CRM support

Every good customer relationship management platform has to have a stable and reliable customer support system. Customer support remains one of the best ways to maintain customer retention.

Really Simple CRM has a customer support team that is quick to respond to issues. 

Besides customer support, Really Simple Systems provides self-service resources, including step-by-step guides, a support hub, short tutorial videos, and a Really Simple Systems blog. 

If you cannot get the information you need, you can now reach out to their customer support team, and you'll be sure to get quick responses.

Is Really Simple Systems CRM worth it? Our conclusion

When it comes down to it, the critical question to ask at this junction is, “Is Really Simple Systems worth it?” In our opinion, the answer would be determined by a couple of factors, including your business framework, your budget, your business size, and your specific needs. 

If you’re unsure if you want to settle for RSS, we have a couple of Really Simple Systems alternatives you can take a look at to make a proper comparison. 

Just keep in mind that Really Simple System is primarily designed for small business owners, so there really is a limit to what it can do when it comes to using advanced features. But if you have proper expectations, you will maximize the CRM to its fullest.
 

Our final Really Simple Systems rating

3.9/5