Customer database software is crucial for storing information about buyers. Every company needs something different from its chosen platform, from driving sales to scheduling appointments.
In this article, we’ll explore the best client database software for small businesses and offer nine top tools to help you save time, stay organized and scale.
What is client database software?
Customer database software is a broad category of tools for managing and organizing customer information. This data includes names, contact details, appointment history, communication records, billing data and more.
For small businesses, these tools keep everything in one place. They help you save time while supporting customer service, sales and marketing.
There are five typical types of client database tools, depending on what you need them for:
Customer relationship management (CRM) software to manage relationships, track interactions and support sales
Client scheduling software that lets customers book appointments with ease
Invoicing software that sends and tracks payments
Spreadsheets that offer a flexible, customizable way to store client data
Data warehouses that centralize and store large volumes of data for reporting
The right customer database software helps you stay organized, serve clients better and grow more efficiently.
Best customer database software for small businesses: 9 top tools
The right choice for your customer database software depends on the functionalities you want. Some tools focus on managing interactions and billing, while others help you organize client data at scale.
Here are nine of the best tools to help you pick – one top choice for each type of database software and four runners-up for even more options.
1. Best CRM and sales database software: Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a robust CRM that adapts to your sales team’s unique processes.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) use it to input and track all customer interactions within visual pipelines and reports.
Here’s what sales pipeline management looks like in Pipedrive:
Set up pipelines to your exact specifications and visualize contacts’ journeys as they move through your sales funnel – from lead generation to becoming customers.
The tool’s intuitive interface means there’s less of a learning curve to get up and running quickly.
For example, you can use drag-and-drop email templates to streamline cold email, follow-up or newsletter creation.
Here’s what the drag-and-drop editor looks like within Pipedrive’s Campaigns tool:
You can also use the contact management software to segment customers into targeted groups. Segmenting helps you create more relevant, personalized marketing campaigns and outreach emails.
Pipedrive’s user-friendly CRM features include:
Comprehensive task management to assign leads and customers to specific team members
Advanced AI CRM and workflow automation (e.g., AI-powered Sales Assistant and AI email writer)
Project management and marketing automation tools (e.g., social media messaging and email marketing capabilities)
A mobile app for iOS and Android for data entry on the go
Dedicated 24/7 customer support for help whenever you need it
Over 400 third-party tools and integrations (e.g., accounting, lead management and Kanban tools)
A CRM API (application programming interface) for developers to build public or private apps
What others think of Pipedrive
According to one Capterra reviewer:
Pipedrive pricing
After a free 14-day trial, Pipedrive has a range of paid plans for small businesses to enterprises.
2. Best client scheduling software: Square Appointments
Square Appointments is a versatile client database software for small businesses. It’s part of a suite of services offered by point-of-sale (POS) provider Square.
This tool is most suitable for those in service industries like health, fitness and beauty who need to book their time.
Here’s what a booking calendar looks like in Square Appointments:
Collect and store client contact information and appointment history. You can also add notes to record specific preferences or previous interactions.
For example, a hairstylist might add:
Insights like these help you tailor services to each client for a more enjoyable customer experience.
Square Appointments allows users to:
Schedule appointments via desktop or mobile app
Accept any type of payment within an integrated POS system
Build customer profiles and add details like birthdays and preferences
Add specific user permissions and allow employees to manage their own time
Create e-commerce websites with shoppable landing pages
Integrate with other Square products and apps like Wix or JotForm
What others think of Square Appointments
According to one GetApp reviewer:
Square Appointments pricing
Square Appointments offers multiple pricing plans paid monthly.
3. Client scheduling software runner-up: Calendly
Calendly offers automated scheduling for small businesses that don’t need full client management or payment tools.
If you’re a service-based business that just needs a simple way to let clients book time with you (without juggling emails), it’s a solid choice. It’s also useful for solo founders, coaches or consultants where your time is the product.
Calendly keeps your operations efficient by letting you create custom availability, buffer times and meeting types. Clients can book without back-and-forth emails or double-bookings:
Integrating with a CRM like Pipedrive lets you connect appointments directly to your client records, allowing you to track conversations and preferences in one place.
Calendly’s key features include:
Easy, link-based scheduling with automated reminders
Calendar syncing (Google, Outlook, iCloud)
Custom availability and buffer settings
Team routing and round-robin booking
CRM and payment integrations (including Pipedrive and Stripe)
Why it didn’t take the top spot: Unlike Square Appointments, Calendly doesn’t include client profiles, payment processing or POS features. While it’s great for booking, it falls short if you’re looking for an all-in-one client database software.
4. Best billing and invoicing software: Xero
Xero is cloud-based accounting software built for SMBs. Companies use its features to manage invoicing, expense tracking, payroll and more.
It’s primarily a bookkeeping platform, but also suitable for business owners who need customer database software to store financial information.
For example, you can use Xero to create detailed customer profiles:
Easily follow up with clients and ensure timely payment by tracking payments and outstanding balances.
Xero’s key features allow you to:
Track customer and supplier details of sales, invoices and payments
Plan projects, including budgeting and time-tracking
Send customized invoices from your desktop or mobile app
Set up automatic reminders for overdue payments
View bank balances, bills and more
Connect to over 21,000 global financial institutions
Note: Xero also integrates with CRM systems like Pipedrive to manage invoicing and customer interactions in one place.
Xero pricing
Xero offers a 30-day free trial and multiple paid plans.
Download your free sales invoice templates here
5. Billing and invoicing software runner-up: QuickBooks
QuickBooks offers simple, reliable invoicing with added financial features. It’s suitable for small businesses that want to handle billing, payments and bookkeeping in one place.
Whether you’re sending one-off or recurring invoices, QuickBooks helps you manage your cash flow.
Use it to take payments and oversee your finances without extra tools:
The software also lets you accept payments from within invoices to get paid faster and reduce manual follow-up.
QuickBooks’ key features include:
Customizable, professional-looking billing
Automatic payment reminders
Integration with accounting tools, bank feeds and payment processors
Simple reporting to track paid, overdue and outstanding invoices
Direct sync with platforms like Xero and Pipedrive via third-party tools
Why it didn’t take the top spot: QuickBooks works well for straightforward invoicing. However, it lacks the advanced customization and automations that make Xero more adaptable for small business needs.
6. Best spreadsheet software: Google Sheets
If you only have a small number of clients or prefer a more manual approach to database management, use a spreadsheet tool like Google Sheets.
The cloud-based platform stores and manages interactions while organizing business information.
Let’s say you run a startup marketing agency. You could manually enter client data into Google Sheets or import it from other files:
Create multiple pages for one sheet, adding columns for client details and project status.
As Google Sheets is cloud-based, your entire team can work from the same spreadsheet, updating cells as projects progress. You won’t get the advanced features of other customer database software. However, it’s a popular, no-frills solution.
Google Sheets’ key features allow you to:
Customize your spreadsheet to prioritize your most important data
Use an interface that many people are familiar with
Let multiple users edit and view changes instantly
Access pre-designed templates to use the tool for CRM, invoicing and other purposes
Integrate with other Google tools like Gmail, Google Drive and Google Forms
What others think of Google Sheets
One Capterra reviewer says:
Google Sheets pricing
Google Sheets is free to use.
7. Spreadsheet software runner-up: Airtable
Airtable is a collection of cloud-based databases. It’s a flexible tool for small businesses that need more structure than a basic spreadsheet but don’t want a complex system.
Centralize client information and workflows in one place, without needing advanced technical skills. Airtable combines the familiarity of a spreadsheet with powerful features like linked records, views and lightweight automation.
It’s a great fit for managing projects and organizing customer data when you want something visual and collaborative:
You can also build custom views for different team members, making it easy to keep everyone aligned.
Airtable’s key features include:
Spreadsheet-style interface with database functionality
Calendar, Kanban and gallery views for different workflows
Linking between tables to reduce duplicate data
Basic automations and form creation
Integration with tools like Pipedrive, Slack and Zapier
Why it didn’t take the top spot: While Airtable is great for structure and flexibility, it lacks some of the raw data handling and analytics power that make Google Sheets more accessible and scalable for everyday business use.
8. Best data warehouse: Amazon Redshift
Amazon Redshift is a huge, cloud-based data warehouse service. It’s suitable for businesses that handle vast datasets and perform complex queries.
As it’s a “petabyte-scale” warehouse (meaning it offers one million gigabytes of storage space), it can hold an equivalent of 500 billion pages of standard printed text.
Amazon Redshift lets you run detailed and fast searches to find important information and patterns. Use these insights to understand your customers’ buying habits and make better decisions.
Say you own an online retail store with thousands of transactions. Your database stores all these, including customer IDs, product IDs, purchase dates and amounts spent.
You can write a structured query language (SQL) query to learn which products are the most popular among your top 10% of customers by spending.
Here’s a simplified version of what that query could look like:
By pinpointing your top products and customers, you can promote best-selling products and reward top buyers with special deals to encourage loyalty.
Amazon Redshift allows you to:
Quickly scale storage as your company grows
Automate routine tasks like backups, patching and maintenance
Choose between pay-as-you-go pricing or longer set terms
Integrate with other AWS services for comprehensive data management and analysis
Perform complex SQL queries with machine learning capabilities for deeper data insights
What others think of Amazon Redshift
According to one G2 reviewer:
Amazon Redshift pricing
Amazon Redshift offers a flexible pricing model that depends on location, usage patterns and business needs.
9. Data warehouse runner-up: Google BigQuery
Google BigQuery is a cloud-based warehouse that easily handles large datasets and complex queries. It’s a strong option for small businesses that need fast, scalable analytics without managing infrastructure.
For example, BigQuery is worth considering if your company relies on detailed reporting or combines data from multiple sources.
Use it to analyze customer behavior, sales trends and marketing performance at speed. Access the insights you need without slowing down day-to-day operations.
Here’s how queries work:
The warehouse also integrates with Google Sheets and tools like Looker Studio, making it easier to visualize and share insights with your team.
BigQuery’s key features include:
Fast SQL-based analysis on massive datasets
Pay-as-you-go pricing with no server maintenance
Seamless integration with Google Workspace tools
Built-in machine learning and predictive capabilities
Connections to CRMs and apps like Pipedrive via third-party tools
Why it didn’t take the top spot: BigQuery is powerful, but it’s overkill for teams that don’t work with high data volumes. Amazon Redshift offers a more balanced mix of power and affordability for growing small businesses.
Types of client and customer database software
Each type of customer database software serves a unique purpose, from relationship management to client scheduling.
Understanding typical forms helps you choose the best fit for your specific use case.
Customer relationship management software
CRM systems store and organize lead and customer information. Managing all this data in one place prevents silos and helps your team work together more efficiently.
Small business owners and salespeople use CRM solutions to manage interactions with contacts, build relationships and drive sales.
By visualizing sales pipelines, these dashboards track potential buyers through each customer journey stage.
Robust sales CRM software offers the following features:
Centralized customer data storage
Automations for emails, follow-ups and reminders
Lead scoring and tracking that shows where customers are in the sales process
Integrations with other marketing tools across email and social media
Customizable processes to adapt to your business and team needs
Takeaway: Consider a CRM system if you want to track and improve relationships in your customer database.
Client scheduling software
Unlike software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, service-based businesses need client management tools focused on scheduling.
For example, a hair salon or spa may want a way to store contact information and manage appointment bookings.
An easy-to-use booking system improves operational efficiency, boosts customer engagement and makes people more likely to return.
Client scheduling software also lets team members manage their calendars while allowing customers to book free slots themselves.
Key features of scheduling assistants include:
A booking system to manage appointments with up-to-date availability
Calendar and email synchronization (including Gmail and Outlook)
Automated email or SMS notifications to reduce no-shows
Secure online payments and deposits during the booking process
Insights into appointment trends, client behavior and business performance
Takeaway: Consider client scheduling software if you want your database to focus on appointment management.
Invoicing software
Invoicing software streamlines the billing process for your database. It usually involves managing transactions and handling financial interactions.
Small businesses can bill more efficiently and encourage timely payments.
Invoicing tools are especially valuable for companies that need a more effective way to store customer financial data.
Key features of invoicing software include:
Professional, branded invoices with customizable fields and formats
Automated recurring payments and subscriptions for consistent cash flow
Detailed contact information, such as billing details and transaction history
Secure online payments through credit cards, debit cards and digital wallets (e.g., PayPal)
One place to analyze invoice statuses, payment histories and financial performance
Takeaway: Consider invoicing software if you want to track billing and payments through your customer database.
Spreadsheet software
Solo business owners or small companies with a handful of clients may be able to store details in a simple spreadsheet tool.
This practical approach is ideal for users who prefer a hands-on method of customer data management.
Spreadsheet tools offer a straightforward, cost-effective solution for managing limited details.
Key features of spreadsheet software include:
Custom columns to track details like names, phone numbers and purchase history
Data filtering (e.g., last contact date) to find specific client information or analyze trends
Basic calculations, such as summing up total sales or calculating average order value
Data linking across sheets to track details like appointment schedules or follow-up tasks
Access for multiple users to work on the same spreadsheet to share real-time ideas
Takeaway: Consider a spreadsheet tool if you want a no-frills way of storing customer data.
Data warehouse software
Data warehouses are advanced systems that handle vast volumes of customer data. Unlike simpler setups, warehouses manage and analyze extensive amounts of information.
For example, users can identify trends, behaviors and patterns and extract meaningful insights using “queries”. Queries are structured requests for information using SQL.
Data warehouses can also send data to other platforms (such as CRM or ERP systems) to give you a 360-degree view of business operations.
If you’re a growing company with expanding data needs, warehouses scale by adding more capacity or servers.
Data warehouse software should be able to do the following:
Handle large volumes of customer data efficiently
Respond quickly to user queries
Store extensive historical data to analyze trends and forecast sales
Provide advanced analytics with complex queries (e.g., highlighting customers who have spent more than $1,000)
Ensure data is secure to protect sensitive customer information
Takeaway: Consider warehouse management software to efficiently store, analyze and gain insights from large volumes of customer data.
What to look for in your customer or client database software
When selecting customer database software tools, choose one that aligns with your small business needs, team processes and budget.
Once you know which of the five types you need, look for software that speeds up repetitive business processes and enhances decision-making.
Your chosen customer database software should include the following features:
Ease-of-use. A user-friendly interface helps your team quickly adapt to using the software with less onboarding and training time.
Automated workflows. Automating repetitive tasks (e.g., follow-ups and data entry) can free up your team’s time to focus on activities that require human interaction.
Reporting capabilities. Robust, real-time reporting features allow you to track key metrics and analyze customer data more deeply with graphs and visuals.
Seamless integration with your favorite tools. Integrating your software with third-party tools can give you more power in fewer dashboards.
Data privacy compliance. Software should adhere to data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) to safeguard customer information and maintain trust.
To make your decision easier, try free versions or trials of products before signing up for paid plans.
Final thoughts
Different customer database software solutions help you achieve different goals, from enhanced relationship management to simplified invoicing.
By identifying your objectives, you can determine the type of software that best suits your requirements.
If you find that’s a CRM platform, consider trying Pipedrive’s intuitive, customizable software free CRM for 14 days to experience its powerful features firsthand.
