10 Best CRM for Coaches to Master Your Client Relationships

Taking notes on paper, opening Zoom to schedule a meeting, and bouncing to PayPal to get paid. All that process looks more like app management than Customer Relationship Management (CRM)!

But don't get me wrong. 

Those apps are probably amazing on their own. But don't you wish you could do all that CRM from one integrated tool?

Imagine if you could replace five apps with just one tool and have your business operations and information centralized. Well, that's the “magic” of using CRM software. In this article, we'll go over the best CRM for coaches —in case you're now invested in this.

You’ll learn the key features, pros, cons, and intended audience for these software to ensure you’re choosing the best CRM for your coaching business.

What Is a CRM for Coaches?

A CRM for coaches is a software or platform designed to help life coaches like you manage your client relationships. 

Managing your client relationships involves improving customer-related processes. For example, organizing client information, communicating with clients, and automating tasks. This helps you nurture the relationship with your client to ultimately achieve their satisfaction—and yours.

As a life coach, you’ll be scheduling meetings, creating invoices, sending emails, and taking notes from your engagements (just to mention a few things). So, you should choose a CRM that has:

> Contact management

> Communication tools

> Tracking of activities

> Reporting of insights

> Integrations with other tools

And here comes a list of the best CRM for life coaches that meet those features.

#1. CoachVantage

CoachVantage is the best CRM for coaches in the market. It has all the essential CRM features you need—and more. But its strength comes from the constant improvement of the platform. As CoachVantage is specifically tailored for life coaches, it takes feedback from its users very seriously.

As a result, CoachVantage has become an all-in-one CRM for life coaches that shines when it comes down to automating tasks. You don’t have to check whether you sent the correct hour for a meeting, if you have the right notes for a client, or keep track of your coaching hours for certification.

CoachVantage helps you keep everything you need to know about your client under one roof. Any contract, invoice, form, appointment, or file that you have shared or want to refer to about a particular contact is located on the Contact record. No more manual file sifting or scrolling through files in your PC or Google Drive to find what you need. 

CoachVantage releases all that mind space, while allowing you to market your services and take control of the administrative aspect of your business.  

Key features:

> Coaching programs

> Custom landing pages

> Smart scheduling (timezone conversion and cancellation policies)

> E-contracts

> Dashboard displays contacts by categories (current client, prospect, lead, etc)

> Forms

> Payment and invoicing 

> Contact management - full Client Profile page with ability to add custom fields

> Client portal 

> Resource library

> Coaching logs

> Branding

> Progress and goal tracking 

> Integrations (Zoom, Stripe, PayPal, Google, Apple, Outlook, and Office 365 calendars)

If you want to explore CoachVantage features further, you can sign up for a free trial or check out our demo videos.

Pros:

> All-in-one tool to manage clients, billing, contracts, and reports

> Ability to add custom information in the Client Profile page

> Ability to add custom labels and tags to categorize contacts

> Strong security measures for agreements (e-signatures and audit trail report)

> Fast onboarding of clients thanks to landing pages and coaching program features

> Offers a 14-day free trial to test the platform

> Affordable as it offers a great cost-benefit ratio. Starts at $29/month

Cons:

> No APIs for custom integrations

> No free plan

> No e-mail marketing capability

Who is this for? CoachVantage is for life coaches who want a simple CRM tool for coaches that helps automate their practice without the bells and whistles that could cost a small fortune.

#2. Bonsai CRM

Bonsai is a company that offers a suite of business tools for small businesses, agencies, and freelancers. They offer three main products for client, project, and financial management. It’s a generic small business CRM that lists coaches as their addressable market too..

The Bonsai CRM helps coaches enhance simplicity and organization while showing a professional side to their clients.  

Key features:

> Scheduling

> Contracts

> Invoicing and payments

> Project management

> Forms

> Contact management

> Time tracking

> Tasks management

> Proposals

> Collaboration (invite other contractors to work together)

> Bookkeeping

> Client portal

> Integrations (Stripe, Slack, Google calendar, Zapier, Calendly, etc)

Pros:

> Manages clients, billing, projects, and contracts

> Provides multiple integrations thanks to Zapier

> Has a collaboration tool to work with other coaches

> Budget-friendly plans. Starts at $24/month

> Offers a 7-day free trial

Cons:

> Generic CRM that’s not custom-built for coaches

> No free plan

> No marketing tools

Who is this for? The Bonsai CRM is for freelancers, agencies, and small businesses that want to manage their clients and other aspects of their business.

#3. HoneyBook

As they claim on their website, HoneyBook is a “clientflow” management platform widely used by entrepreneurs and small businesses. This makes it another one of the best CRM for coaches as it provides its users with various features to manage clients—and business. But keeping it easy enough so one person can handle it. 

Key features:

> Contact management

> Contract e-signature

> Project management

> Invoices and payment

> Proposals

> Scheduling

> Client portal

> Automation and sequences

> Reporting and analytics

> Integrations (Zapier, Calendly, QuickBooks, Zoom, Google Calendar, etc)

Pros:

> Automation and sequences to cut time on repetitive tasks

> User-friendly interface and quick learning curve

> Pocket-friendly plans. Starts at $15.20/month

> Offers a 7-day free trial

> Mobile app

Cons:

> Generic CRM that’s not custom-built for coaches

> No marketing tools

> No free plan  

Who is this for? HoneyBook is for entrepreneurs or small businesses who want to leverage the use of sequences to save more time managing clients. But still get business tools for invoicing, contracts, and reporting.

#4. Bitrix24

Britix24 is a remarkable CRM for coaching businesses to collaborate with other coaches and maximize their marketing efforts. This CRM software has a dashboard with a pipeline organized on funnel stages. So if your process looks anything like having a meeting first, sending a proposal, and invoicing, you can organize your leads at each stage. 

Key features:

> Project management

> Contact and lead management

> Marketing campaigns (ads and email)

> Landing pages

> Forms

> Automation and workflows

> Mobile CRM

> Contracts

> Reporting

> Communication

> 30+ integrations

Pros:

> All-in-one tool for billing, contracts, marketing, and client management

> Robust marketing features to launch email and ads campaigns

> Collaboration tools to invite team members

> Integration with multiple business tools

> Mobile app

> Free plan

Cons:

> User interface can look cluttered

> Demands time to learn its capabilities

> More expensive than other CRM for coaches. Starts at $61/month

Who is this for? Bitrix24 is for freelancers (who want to work in collaboration with other contractors) or small to medium size businesses that want an all-in-one business tool with strong marketing features.

#5. Dubsado 

Dubsado is another one of the best CRM for life coaches out there. It meets the needs of freelancers across multiple industries—one of them coaching. Dubsado offers the core features of CRM and it's big when it comes to project management. Plus, it offers workflows to automate your client's onboarding process. 

Key features:

> Invoicing and reporting

> E-signature contracts

> Scheduling

> Client portal

> Contact management

> Projects and task management

> Time tracking

> Proposals

> Branding

> Automation and workflows

> Customizable form templates

> Integrations (Quickbooks, Xero, Cloudspot, Stripe, Zapier, etc)

Pros:

> Strong workflows feature for fast onboarding

> Wallet-friendly plans. Starts at $20/month

> Clean and simplistic interface

> Templates for almost everything

> Free plan (Up to two clients)

Cons:

> Generic CRM that’s not custom-built for coaches

> No marketing features

> Steep learning curve

Who is this for? Dubsado is for entrepreneurs and small businesses that want a range of features that helps them manage and automate the essential administrative task of their business.

#6. Keap CRM

Keap CRM is the best CRM for coaches who want to stay in touch with potential leads and follow up professionally. This CRM has a pipeline in which you can overview what stage of the sales funnels your leads are. You can track the status of clients and leads while using automation features to nurture them. 

Key features:

> Invoicing and payments

> Scheduling

> Email marketing campaigns

> Text marketing

> Contact and lead management

> Reporting and analytics

> Landing pages

> Forms

> Automations

> Mobile app

> 2,000+ integrations

Pros:

> Offers a 14-day trial

> Automation features

> Powerful marketing features including email and text marketing

> Integration with several business tools 

> Mobile app to manage your business on the go

Cons:

> Costly plans. Starts at $199/month

> Limited customization

> No free plan 

Who is this for? The Keap CRM is designed for freelancers or small businesses that require a more complex tool to manage their business operations and clients. This tool is also beneficial for individuals or businesses needing reliable marketing features. 

#7. Coaching.com

Coaching.com is tailored for individuals, coaches, businesses, and organizational coaching.  They take advantage of their approach to serve various audiences to create a marketplace. In this marketplace, individuals or companies looking for coaching services can find the right coach for them. Coaches can list their services to be found easily. 

Key features:

> Contact and client management

> Client portal

> Scheduling

> Coaching programs

> Automation

> Branding

> Invoicing and payments

> Videoconferencing

> Reporting and analytics

> Forms

> Mobile app

> Coach matching

> Marketplace

> 20+ integrations

Pros:

> All-in-one tool for essential business activities

> Marketplace feature to better your chances of getting new clients 

> Integrated videoconferencing feature in the platform

> Free plan (Up to three clients)

> Mobile app 

Cons:

> Takes commission of sales generated from the marketplace

> Payment processing fees from Coaching.com according to your plan

> Pricey if you consider the subscription plus the processing fees. Starts at $47/month

> Complex tool, requires time to learn

> No marketing tools

Who is this for?

> Individuals looking for a coach that meets their budget, coaching type, specialty, and language

> Coaches or coaching businesses that need a tool to manage their engagements but also the tasks that come with running a business (billing, client management, contracts, etc)

> Companies that value coaching as a way to improve their overall resources and need a tool for managers to keep track of their employees coaching progress

#8. 17Hats

As its name suggests 17Hats is a business management software for solopreneurs or small business owners that have to wear multiple hats when it comes to running a business. This tool offers a wide range of tools to streamline your coaching practice. But 17Hats CRM puts a strong emphasis on managing leads by using workflow triggers and email automation. 

Key features:

> Invoicing and payments

> Branding

> E-signature contracts

> Time management

> Automation and workflows

> Client portal

> Scheduling

> Forms

> Contact and lead management

> Auto email responder

> Reporting

> Project management

> Document packages

> Mobile app

> 15+ integrations

Pros:

> Automation and workflow features

> Mobile app to manage your coaching business from anywhere

> Clean and user-friendly interface with tasks colored by priority 

> Offers a 7-day free trial

> Budget-friendly. Starts at $15/month

Cons:

> Generic CRM that’s not custom-built for coaches

> No free plan

> No marketing tools

Who is this for? Freelancers or small business owners that want an affordable solution to automate their lead management tasks and organize projects in one place. They’re also interested in a solution that helps them handle common business responsibilities like invoices, contracts, and scheduling.

#9. My Coach Office

My Coach Office is a straightforward and minimalistic CRM for coaches that helps you manage your business online. 

Key features:

> Scheduling

> Branding

> Invoicing and payments

> Reports and insights

> Coaching logs

> Resource library

> Coaching courses

> Collaboration with other coaches

> Integrates with websites

Pros:

> Grouped emails for a specific segment of your clients

> Offers a 14-day free trial

> Collaboration tool to work with other coaches

> Pocket-friendly. Starts at $29/month

Cons:

> No contracts feature

> No free plan

> No marketing tools

> Limited integrations

Who is this for? Coaches who need a simple solution to manage their online business while being able to work with other coaches. They want a solution packed with essential features as they don’t want to learn how to manage a complex platform.

#10. Simplero

Simplero is another one of the best CRM for coaching businesses, especially those who value the digital part of their practice. This CRM software focuses on giving you all the tools you need to manage your online business. 

Simplero provides you with ways to have your own website, newsletter, landing pages for coaching programs, a mobile app for your clients, and even the ability to set up an affiliate program.

Key features:

> Website builder

> Landing pages

> Branding

> Forms 

> Affiliate program management

> A/B test for subject lines

> Email tracking and sequences

> Email segments

> Automation

> Invoicing and payments

> Online courses

> Mobile app

> 120+ integrations

Pros:

> Website builder with hosting included

> Email marketing tools with high-converting templates

> Offers a 14-day free trial

> Mobile app for your clients to complete lessons

Cons:

> Generic CRM that’s not custom-built for coaches

> No free plan

> No contracts feature

> More expensive than other CRM for coaches. Starts at $70.80/month

Who is this for? Coaches who want to leverage the use of digital products and want robust email marketing tool to grow their audience or experiment with new ways to engage with them. Simplero would be highly effective for coaches who are constantly creating or updating content.  

Build Stronger Connections With the Perfect CRM

Choosing the right CRM for your coaching business depends on what you’re looking for or how you intend to run your business.

> Do you want to rely on marketing to get clients?

> Do you want to save more time by setting up systems?

> Do you prefer a simple platform with the essentials?

> Do you want a tool that’s custom-built for coaches so that it helps you manage both the business aspect and the coaching journey in one place?

Once you answer these questions—and check your budget—you can weed out the options that aren’t fit and start considering the ones left. 

Don’t get caught up on a CRM with a lot of features you’re not even going to use. It’s easy to think about all the potential things you could do with new tools. And you definitely could do that in the future. But it’s wiser to go with something more targeted to your actual practice. 

Remember that these CRMs are meant to take tasks off your plate, so you can concentrate on what’s important: your clients!

Ready to streamline your coaching business and focus on your clients? Sign up for a 14-day free trial with CoachVantage and experience the power of one of the best CRM for coaches.