15 Best Customer Retention Software and Platforms (2025)

In today’s competitive business space, attracting new customers is only half the battle. The real challenge lies in keeping those customers loyal to your brand.

Studies show that it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one, making customer retention a crucial factor for long-term success.

Whether you’re running a small business or managing a large enterprise, having the right tools to nurture and sustain customer relationships is essential.

That’s where customer retention software comes into play. These tools help you engage with customers, reduce churn, and build lasting loyalty, ensuring your business thrives in the long run.

Why Do You Need Customer Retention Software?

Here are some of the key reasons why you need customer retention software:

1. Cost Efficiency

Acquiring new customers can be five to seven times more expensive than retaining existing ones. Retention software helps you focus on nurturing and re-engaging your current customer base, which can significantly lower marketing and sales costs.

2. Increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

By keeping customers engaged and satisfied, retention software can boost their lifetime value. Loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases, upgrade services, or recommend the brand to others, ultimately driving more revenue over time.

3. Reduced Churn

One of the primary goals of customer retention software is to reduce churn, the rate at which customers stop doing business with a company. Through proactive outreach, behavior tracking, and personalized interactions, you can address customer issues before they lead to cancellations or disengagement.

4. Personalized Customer Experience

Retention software allows you to analyze customer behavior and preferences. Tailored messaging, targeted offers, and relevant content keep customers engaged and satisfied, leading to higher retention rates.

5. Improved Customer Satisfaction

With tools like feedback surveys, real-time support, and automated follow-ups, retention software helps businesses address customer concerns promptly. Happy customers are more likely to remain loyal, share positive reviews, and become brand advocates.

6. Automation of Engagement

Retention software automates many tasks like sending follow-up emails, reminders, or rewards, allowing you to engage customers consistently without requiring manual intervention. This saves time and ensures continuous customer interaction.

7. Actionable Insights

These platforms provide detailed analytics on customer behavior, satisfaction, and interaction. With these insights, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your products, services, or communication strategies, further boosting retention efforts.

8. Loyalty and Referral Programs

Many retention tools come with loyalty or referral program features, encouraging repeat purchases and word-of-mouth marketing. Rewarding loyal customers with points, discounts, or special offers helps create lasting relationships.

Let’s take a look at 15 of the best customer retention software and platforms available today.

1. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a powerful email and SMS marketing platform designed primarily for e-commerce businesses. It integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce, enabling businesses to automate personalized marketing campaigns based on customer behavior and data insights.

Klaviyo’s detailed segmentation allows businesses to target the right customers at the right time, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

With features like data analytics, A/B testing, and multi-channel marketing, Klaviyo helps brands build strong relationships with their customers through tailored, automated communication.

Key Features:

Email & SMS Marketing Automation: Create personalized, data-driven campaigns.
Behavioral Targeting & Segmentation: Target specific customers based on browsing, purchase history, and more.
E-commerce Integrations: Seamlessly connects with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
A/B Testing & Analytics: Test different versions of campaigns and gain insights into performance.
Multi-channel Marketing: Supports both email and SMS outreach.

Pros:

Easy integration with e-commerce platforms
Powerful segmentation and automation tools
Great for personalized marketing

Cons:

Steeper learning curve for beginners
Pricing increases with larger contact lists

Pricing:

Free Plan
Email: $45/month
Email and SMS: $60/month

2. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is an all-in-one customer relationship management platform for streamlining sales, marketing, and customer service processes.

It offers tools for managing contacts, tracking sales pipelines, automating marketing campaigns, and delivering customer support, all on one centralized platform. With its easy-to-use interface, it allows teams to collaborate and keep track of customer interactions efficiently, from lead generation to customer retention.

It also offers marketing automation, email tracking, and analytics, empowering businesses to build stronger customer relationships through personalized communication and data-driven insights.

HubSpot’s free version includes essential features for small businesses, while its premium tiers offer advanced functionality for larger organizations.

Key Features :

Contact and Lead Management: Organizes contacts, tracks leads, and automates follow-ups.
Sales Pipeline Management: Visualizes sales stages and tracks deal progress.
Email Marketing & Automation: Sends personalized emails and automates workflows.
Analytics & Reporting: Provides detailed insights into sales, marketing, and customer service performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with tools like Gmail, Outlook, and other apps.

Pros:

User-friendly interface
Free version with robust features
Comprehensive integration options
Excellent customer support and resources

Cons:

Advanced features require paid plans
Limited customization in lower tiers
Can become complex as businesses scale

Pricing:

Marketing Hub Professional: $1,170/month
Marketing Hub Enterprise: $4,300/month

3. Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service and engagement platform that helps businesses streamline customer interactions through multiple channels, including email, chat, social media, and voice. It provides tools for support ticketing, live chat, and customer self-service through knowledge bases, all integrated within a unified platform.

Zendesk offers customizable features and AI-powered automation to enhance customer support efficiency. With its analytics and reporting tools, you can gain insights into customer behavior, improving both service quality and operational efficiency.

Key Features:

Multi-Channel Support: Manages customer interactions across email, chat, phone, and social media.
Ticketing System: Organizes and tracks customer issues for quick resolution.
Automation and AI: Automates workflows and uses AI for faster support.
Knowledge Base: Provides self-service tools for customers.
Analytics and Reporting: Offers detailed insights into customer interactions and supports team performance.

Pros:

Intuitive interface
Scalable for businesses of all sizes
Strong automation and AI tools

Cons:

Can become costly with advanced features
Steep learning curve for complex setups

Pricing:

Free Plan
Zen desk Suite Plan: $19-$89/month
Suite Professional: $115/month

4. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a large marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps you nurture customer relationships through email marketing, sales automation, and personalized messaging. It integrates with multiple tools and allows you to create targeted campaigns based on customer behavior, making it easy to convert leads into loyal customers.

Its automation workflows simplify communication, while advanced segmentation ensures that the right messages reach the right audience at the right time, boosting engagement and driving revenue growth. ActiveCampaign is ideal for businesses looking to scale personalized marketing efforts.

Key Features:

Email Marketing Automation: Automates email campaigns with personalized messaging.
CRM Integration: Tracks customer interactions and manages leads.
Segmentation & Targeting: Allows advanced audience segmentation based on behavior.
Sales Automation: Automates follow-ups and tracks deal progress.
Customer Experience Automation: Creates personalized journeys for customers.

Pros:

Powerful automation workflows
Easy integration with third-party tools
Advanced segmentation capabilities

Cons:

Steep learning curve for beginners
Pricing increases with more contacts and features

Pricing:

Free Plan
Starter Plan:$15/month
Plus Plan:$49/month
Pro Plan: $79/month
Enterprise Plan: $145/month

5. Intercom

Intercom is a customer messaging platform designed for you to engage with your customers through real-time chat, email, and in-app messaging. It offers a unified system for customer support, marketing, and sales, allowing companies to automate interactions and provide personalized experiences.

Intercom is popular among startups and SaaS companies for its ability to streamline communication with customers and manage relationships at scale.

Key Features:

Real-Time Messaging: Engage customers via live chat, in-app messaging, and email.
Automation & Chatbots: Automate interactions and resolve issues quickly with AI-driven chatbots.
Targeted Messaging: Send personalized messages based on customer behavior.
Knowledge Base: Offer self-service support via a help center.
CRM & Integration: Seamlessly integrates with third-party tools and CRM systems.

Pros:

Excellent for real-time customer engagement
Customizable automation workflows
Easy integration with multiple tools

Cons:

Pricing can be high for smaller businesses
Advanced features can be complex to set up

Pricing:

Essential Plan: $29/month
Advanced Plan: $85/month
Expert Plan: $132/month
Proactive Support Plus (add on): $99/month

6. LoyaltyLion

LoyaltyLion is a customer loyalty platform designed to help e-commerce businesses retain customers by creating customized loyalty programs. It rewards customers for various actions, such as making purchases, referring friends, or leaving reviews, helping to foster long-term customer relationships.

With its seamless integration with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, LoyaltyLion provides data-driven insights to create personalized loyalty experiences. Its features help increase customer lifetime value and boost brand loyalty by encouraging repeat purchases and engagement.

Key Features:

Customizable loyalty programs: Create tailored rewards for actions like purchases, referrals, and reviews.
E-commerce Integration: Seamlessly connects with platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce.
Data-driven insights: provides analytics to optimize customer loyalty strategies.
Referral Programs: Incentivizes customers to refer friends and family.
Loyalty Tiers: Encourages repeat business by offering exclusive rewards for top customers.

Pros:

Highly customizable for diverse businesses
Strong integration with popular e-commerce platforms
Detailed customer insights

Cons:

Pricing may be steep for small businesses
Learning curve for advanced features

Pricing:

Classic Price: $199/month
Advanced Plan: Custom Price
Plus Plan: Custom Price

7. Gainsight

Gainsight is a customer success platform designed to help businesses improve customer retention and drive revenue growth by offering insights into customer health and engagement. It provides tools for tracking customer interactions, automating workflows, and creating personalized customer success strategies.

The platform integrates with CRMs, product analytics, and customer support systems, giving businesses a 360-degree view of their customers. Gainsight also enables proactive management of customer relationships, helping businesses reduce churn and maximize the lifetime value of their clients.

Key Features:

Customer Health Scoring: Tracks customer engagement and satisfaction metrics.
Automation & Workflow Management: Automates tasks like customer outreach and follow-ups.
Customer Success Playbooks: Provides customizable strategies for reducing churn.
360-Degree Customer View: Integrates data from various systems like CRM and product analytics.
Advanced Analytics: Offers detailed insights for proactive customer success management.

Pros:

Comprehensive customer success tools
Strong integrations with CRMs and analytics platforms
Scalable for businesses of various sizes

Cons:

Expensive for smaller businesses
Complex to implement without expertise

8. Drip

Drip is an e-commerce marketing automation platform for helping online businesses build personalized customer experiences. It enables brands to create targeted email campaigns, automate workflows, and track customer behavior to drive engagement and conversions. Drip integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, offering advanced segmentation, A/B testing, and multi-channel marketing features.

Its intuitive interface allows you to customize and scale their campaigns, making it ideal for businesses looking to enhance customer relationships and boost revenue through personalized outreach.

Key Features:

Email & SMS Automation: Creates personalized campaigns with automated workflows.
Advanced Segmentation: Targets specific customer groups based on behavior.
E-commerce Integration: Works seamlessly with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
Multi-channel Marketing: Supports email, SMS, and social media.
A/B Testing: Optimizes campaigns through testing.

Pros:

Intuitive interface for easy setup
Strong e-commerce integrations
Powerful automation and segmentation tools

Cons:

Pricing can be high as your contact list grows
Lacks some advanced reporting features

Pricing:

14-days Free Trial
$39/month

9. Yotpo

Yotpo is an e-commerce marketing platform that helps you build customer loyalty and drive growth through user-generated content, reviews, and integrated solutions for SMS marketing, loyalty programs, and visual marketing.

Yotpo empowers businesses to collect and showcase customer reviews, ratings, and photos to enhance trust and credibility. Yotpo’s features also include referral programs, rewards, and AI-powered product recommendations, making it a comprehensive solution for enhancing customer engagement.

Key Features:

Customer Reviews & Ratings: Collects and showcases customer reviews to boost trust.
Loyalty & Referral Programs: Engages customers with rewards and referral incentives.
SMS & Visual Marketing: Uses SMS and visual content to increase brand engagement.
Product Recommendations: AI-powered recommendations to enhance the shopping experience.
E-commerce Integration: Connects with platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce.

Pros:

Comprehensive suite of marketing tools
Effective for building trust through user-generated content
Strong e-commerce integrations

Cons:

Can be expensive for small businesses
Advanced features require higher-tier plans

Pricing:

Starter Plan: $79/month
Pro Plan: $169/month
Premium: $699/month

10. ChurnZero

ChurnZero is a customer success platform designed to help subscription-based businesses reduce customer churn and increase retention. It provides real-time insights into customer usage, engagement, and satisfaction, allowing businesses to proactively manage at-risk customers and improve relationships through targeted actions.

With features like automated customer journeys, health scoring, and in-app messaging, ChurnZero enables teams to build tailored strategies for customer success.

By integrating with CRM systems, ChurnZero gives businesses a holistic view of their customers, facilitating better communication and improving overall customer retention.

Key Features:

Customer Health Scoring: Tracks customer satisfaction and engagement.
Automated Customer Journeys: Proactively engages customers based on their behavior.
In-App Messaging: Allows direct communication with customers within your product.
Usage Tracking: Provides real-time insights into how customers use your service.
Integration with CRMs: seamlessly works with existing customer data.

Pros:

Excellent for reducing churn and improving customer retention.
Real-time customer data and insights.
Customizable workflows and automation.

Cons:

Can be expensive for smaller businesses.
Learning curve for new users.

Pricing:

Free Plan

11. Qualtrics XM

Qualtrics XM (Experience Management) is a comprehensive tool designed for helping businesses measure, analyze, and improve experiences across various touchpoints, including customers, employees, products, and brands.

By collecting feedback and data through surveys, polls, and other methods, Qualtrics allows you to gain insights into key areas that affect customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and overall brand perception. This data is then used to identify pain points and implement strategies that improve loyalty, productivity, and experience outcomes.

Qualtrics integrates with existing systems like CRM platforms and offers advanced analytics powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver actionable insights. It’s widely used across industries, from retail to healthcare, to not only gather real-time feedback but also to help businesses proactively respond to issues, making it a critical tool for experience-driven growth.

Key Features:

Survey & Feedback Tools: Create and distribute surveys across multiple channels to gather feedback from customers, employees, or other stakeholders.
Data & Text Analytics: Leverages AI and machine learning to analyze responses, detect patterns, and provide actionable insights.
Experience Management Modules: Tailored solutions for customer, employee, brand, and product experience management.
Real-Time Alerts: Automatically notifies teams when specific trends or feedback require immediate attention.
Integrations: Seamlessly connects with platforms like CRM and ERP systems for streamlined data flow.

Pros:

Highly customizable and scalable for organizations of all sizes.
Advanced analytics and AI-driven insights.
Excellent for gathering real-time feedback across multiple experience areas (customer, employee, product, brand).

Cons:

The learning curve for some advanced features is steep.
Customization might require dedicated resources or expertise.

Pricing:

Based On Request from the Site.

12. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a leading email marketing platform that helps businesses of all sizes create, send, and analyze email campaigns to grow their audience and improve engagement. With an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, users can design visually appealing email campaigns without the need for coding skills.

Mailchimp also offers advanced features like audience segmentation, automated workflows, and real-time analytics, allowing businesses to target specific customer groups with personalized messages based on their behavior or demographics.

Beyond email marketing, Mailchimp provides multi-channel marketing solutions, including social media advertising, landing pages, and CRM tools, giving businesses a full suite of tools to manage customer relationships and drive conversions.

Its integration with various platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, and WordPress makes it highly adaptable, enabling businesses to leverage their existing tools while enhancing customer engagement through streamlined marketing efforts.

Key Features:

Email Campaign Builder: An intuitive drag-and-drop editor that allows users to create custom email designs easily.
Audience Segmentation: Tools to segment audiences based on behavior, location, and demographics for targeted campaigns.
Automated marketing offers automation features to send personalized emails based on customer interactions and behaviors.
Analytics & Reporting: Real-time analytics to track campaign performance, including open rates, click-through rates, and engagement metrics.
Multi-Channel Marketing : Includes tools for social media advertising, landing pages, and e-commerce integrations.

Pros:

Ideal for beginners and non-technical users due to its intuitive design and features.
Offers a wide range of marketing tools beyond just email, making it a versatile choice for businesses .
Integrates seamlessly with many e-commerce platforms and third-party applications .

Cons:

Some people find that that the templates and designs have limited customization options compared to competitors .
Customer support can be inconsistent, especially on lower-tier plans .

Pricing:

Free Plan
Essential Plan: $6.50/month
Standard Plan: $10/month
Premium Plan: $175/month

13. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform designed to help businesses manage their sales, marketing, and customer support activities in an integrated manner. With a user-friendly interface, Zoho CRM allows you to automate your sales processes, track leads, and manage customer interactions effectively.

The tool provides features like workflow automation, sales forecasting, lead scoring, and reporting analytics, empowering teams to enhance their productivity and make informed decisions based on real-time data.

In addition to its core CRM functionalities, Zoho CRM offers advanced features such as artificial intelligence-driven insights with its Zia AI assistant, multi-channel communication (including email, social media, and chat), and extensive customization options to fit various business needs.

Integration capabilities with other Zoho applications and third-party services ensure that businesses can create a seamless workflow. Zoho CRM is suitable for business of all sizes, making it a flexible choice for companies looking to improve their customer relationships and overall operational efficiency.

Key Features:

Sales Automation: Automates repetitive tasks and workflows to streamline the sales process and improve efficiency.
Lead and Contact Management: Allows you to capture, track, and manage leads and contacts in a centralized database.
Analytics and Reporting: Provides detailed analytics and customizable reports to track performance and make data-driven decisions.
Multichannel Communication: Integrates communication through email, social media, and chat, allowing teams to engage with customers on various platforms.
Customization and Integration: Offers extensive customization options and integrations with other Zoho applications and third-party tools to suit unique business needs.

Pros:

Zoho CRM is highly customizable, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific requirements, and it offers a comprehensive set of features at a competitive price.
The platform is user-friendly, making it accessible for teams of all sizes and skill levels, and it provides excellent customer support options.

Cons:

Some people say that the user interface can be cluttered or overwhelming due to the extensive features available, and the mobile app may not be as robust as the web version.
Integration with certain third-party applications can be challenging, and some advanced features may require a higher-tier subscription to access.

Pricing:

Free Plan
Standard Plan:N5,760/month
Professional Plan: N9600/month
Enterprise Plan: N16,800/month
Ultimate Plan: N21,600/month

14. Recurly

Recurly is a subscription management tool that helps to streamline any billing processes and manage recurring revenue. It offers a suite of tools that enable organizations to automate billing, invoicing, and payment collection, allowing you to focus on growing your customer base.

With features such as flexible pricing models, customizable invoicing, and robust reporting analytics, Recurly caters to businesses across various industries, from SaaS companies to e-commerce platforms. Its integration capabilities with numerous payment gateways and other business systems further enhance its usability and efficiency.

One of Recurly’s standout features is its ability to handle complex billing scenarios, including multiple subscription plans, add-ons, and discounts, which allows companies to create tailored offerings for their customers.

Key Features:

Subscription Management: Offers tools to manage various subscription models, including recurring billing, usage-based billing, and one-time charges.
Customizable Invoicing: Allows businesses to create tailored invoices that reflect their branding and specific billing requirements.
Dunning Management: Features automated reminders and follow-ups to recover failed payments and reduce churn.
Analytics and Reporting: Provides in-depth analytics on customer behavior, revenue trends, and subscription metrics to help businesses make informed decisions.
Integrations: Easily integrates with multiple payment gateways, accounting software, and other business systems to streamline operations.

Pros:

Recurly is known for its robust feature set that accommodates complex billing scenarios, making it ideal for businesses with varying subscription needs.
Recurly offers excellent customer support and resources, ensuring users can effectively navigate its functionalities.

Cons:

Some people find the pricing structure to be on the higher side, especially for small businesses or startups.
The learning curve can be steep for you if you’re unfamiliar with subscription management software, which may require additional training.

Pricing:

Based on request from the site

15. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a customer support platform that enables businesses to manage and streamline their customer service operations efficiently. The platform provides a unified helpdesk solution that allows support teams to track, prioritize, and resolve customer inquiries across multiple channels, including email, chat, phone, and social media.

With its user-friendly interface and automation features, Freshdesk helps organizations improve response times and enhance customer satisfaction by ensuring that support tickets are managed effectively.

One of the standout features of Freshdesk is its multi-channel support capabilities, which allows you to reach out via their preferred channels, creating a seamless experience for both customers and support teams.

Additionally, Freshdesk includes tools for team collaboration, knowledge base creation, and reporting analytics to help organizations identify trends and areas for improvement in their customer service processes. Its scalability and flexibility make it suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, aiming to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Key Features:

Multi-Channel Support: Provides a centralized platform for managing customer interactions across email, chat, phone, and social media.
Ticketing System: Automates the ticketing process, allowing teams to prioritize and track customer inquiries efficiently.
Knowledge Base: Enables organizations to create a self-service knowledge base, helping customers find solutions without needing to contact support.
Automation and Workflow Management: offers automation tools for repetitive tasks and workflow customization to streamline support processes.
Reporting and Analytics: Includes reporting features that provide insights into team performance and customer satisfaction metrics.

Pros:

Freshdesk is user-friendly and easy to set up, making it accessible for teams with varying technical expertise.
It offers a robust set of features at competitive pricing, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Cons:

There might be limitations in customization options for the interface and workflows.
Advanced features require higher-tier subscriptions, which could be a drawback for smaller businesses on a budget.

Pricing:

Free Plan
Growth Plan: $15/month
Pro Plan: $49/month
Enterprise Plan: $79/month

Final Thought

Customer retention software offers a diverse range of solutions to meet various business needs, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Platforms like Zoho CRM and Recurly provide comprehensive tools for managing customer relationships and subscriptions, while Freshdesk and Zendesk excel in delivering exceptional support experiences.

The choice of software should align with your business specific goals, whether it’s improving customer engagement, automating processes, or gaining actionable insights through analytics.

Ultimately, investing in the right customer retention tools can significantly impact your company’s ability to foster loyalty, reduce churn, and drive growth. By evaluating the features, pricing, and user experiences of these platforms, businesses can make informed decisions that enhance their customer service capabilities and contribute to long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.