Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as start-ups in Germany need cloud-based CRM systems that can scale functionally on one hand and are GDPR-compliant on the other. Particularly important is where the data is hosted – ideally on servers in Germany or at least within the EU.
Below you will find an overview of the Top 10 CRM systems with cloud focus that are suitable for German SMEs and start-ups. Each system is GDPR-compliant and offers European (partly German) server locations. We examine target group, main functions, advantages, disadvantages, entry prices and the GDPR status of each provider.
HubSpot CRM
Target Group: Small businesses, start-ups (scalable to mid-market)
Key Functions: Sales pipeline management, modules for marketing, sales, service (Hubs), lead capture (forms), email & social media integration, live chat, reporting dashboards
Advantages: Intuitive user interface, many automated processes (saves time), freemium model (free CRM core functionality), comprehensive ecosystem (templates, integrations with Outlook/Gmail etc.)
Disadvantages: Advanced features expensive in higher Hubs (costs increase with number of contacts/users), some features only available in expensive packages, US provider (with EU server option; support partly in English)
Entry Price: Freemium (free CRM for unlimited users/contacts; marketing/sales modules from ~€41 monthly)
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; EU hosting selectable (including data center available in Germany)
Salesforce Sales/Service Cloud
Target Group: SMEs to Enterprise (All-in-One CRM, scalable with growth)
Key Functions: Comprehensive sales, marketing and service functions: contact & lead management, sales pipeline, quote creation, marketing automation (Journey Builder, email/mobile campaigns), customer service (tickets, live chat)
Advantages: Extremely customizable and scalable (modular structure, grows with company), huge range of functions (360° customer view, analytics, forecasts), many integrations and app ecosystem (AppExchange)
Disadvantages: High complexity – training intensive, often experts/consultants needed; cost-intensive (no free plan; upgrades for advanced functions expensive); potentially oversized for very small companies
Entry Price: from approx. €25 per user/month (Essentials, up to 10 users); more comprehensive clouds significantly more expensive, no freemium
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; cloud data centers in the EU (also in Germany) available (certified according to EU-Cloud-Code of Conduct)
CentralStationCRM
Target Group: Small to medium enterprises (focus on simple CRM needs)
Key Functions: Simple contact management (customer history, individual filters), task & appointment management, quote and sales opportunity management, team activity overview (notes, to-dos with notifications), email integration (Outlook, Gmail etc.)
Advantages: Clear & intuitive (reduced functionality scope, quick onboarding), specifically developed for sales/marketing of small teams, German support, freemium start (3 users free)
Disadvantages: Limited functionality scope (no complex modules for large companies), no native mobile app (web access only), storage capacity and contacts in free plan heavily limited
Entry Price: Freemium: 3 users free (up to 200 contacts); Team package €18/month (3 users, 3,000 contacts), Small Office €49/month (10 users, 10,000 contacts)
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; servers in Germany (redundant storage in high-security data center)
Pipedrive
Target Group: Small and medium enterprises (sales teams, start-ups)
Key Functions: Sales pipeline tool (visual pipeline with deals by value/probability), lead inbox & qualification (import from web forms, tables etc.), contact and activity management (schedule calls, emails, calendar), automatic document generation & eSignature, chatbot & live chat integration, web forms for lead generation, AI sales assistant (sales tips, workflow automation), reporting dashboards, mobile apps (iOS/Android)
Advantages: Sales-optimized and user-friendly (focused pipeline design), many automations and AI aids relieve the sales team, unlimited contacts in all plans, over 200 integrations available (marketplace), 14-day trial version free
Disadvantages: Focus on sales – fewer native functions for marketing/support (additional tools may be needed), no permanent free tier, some functions only available in higher plans (e.g. automations from Advanced), costs increase with plan upgrades and number of users
Entry Price: Essential: from €14 per user/month (annually); Advanced: €34 user/month (advanced features); higher plans (Professional, Enterprise) correspondingly more expensive; no permanent free plan (trial only)
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; provider from EU (Estonia), server location in Germany for EU customers (AWS-Frankfurt)
weclapp
Target Group: Small and medium enterprises (Cloud ERP/CRM for mid-market, also start-ups)
Key Functions: All-in-One ERP+CRM: customer management (contacts, leads, campaigns), sales opportunities & quote management, order and invoice management (quotes, orders, deliveries, invoices), inventory & warehouse management, project management (projects, tasks, progress), accounting integration, open API for further integrations
Advantages: Comprehensive range of functions (ERP and CRM on one platform – no isolated solutions needed), specifically targeted at German SMEs (e.g. possible interfaces to DATEV), intuitive interface despite functional breadth, scalable (modules bookable with growth), German support
Disadvantages: More complex for pure CRM applications due to ERP scope (training may be necessary), limited customization options for very specific requirements, no permanent free plan (test phase only), cost-intensive with many users
Entry Price: 30 days free trial; then CRM module from €15 per user/month (pure CRM), complete ERP+CRM packages from ~€29 user/month; (price varies depending on module scope, from €39 user/month)
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; German provider, server location: Germany (Frankfurt am Main)
TecArt CRM
Target Group: Mid-market (flexible for 10+ users; cross-industry)
Key Functions: Modular CRM system: modules for contact/customer management, project management, groupware (emails, calendar), tickets/IT support; customizable toolkit (customer-specific add-ons, definable workflows); multi-stage lead and opportunity management; vacation and deployment planning with approval workflows; virtual assistant "Anna" for setup & training
Advantages: Individually customizable (modules & add-ons combinable as needed), scalable with company size (from 10 to many users), free entry version for small teams to start, on-premises option available (own server) for full data control
Disadvantages: Potentially too comprehensive for micro-enterprises (full functionality targets ≥10 users), initial configuration requires some effort (despite assistant), no known mobile app (use via web browser), tariffs and modules partially complex to understand
Entry Price: Free: free entry version for small teams; CRM PRO (Cloud) from €29 per user/month (min. 10 users); purchase license (On-Prem) from €5,490 one-time possible
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; German provider, all data stored in data center in Germany
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Sales & Service)
Target Group: SMEs (with Microsoft affinity) to large enterprises – modular for sales & customer service
Key Functions: Sales: manage customer interactions (timeline of all contacts), prioritize leads, quote management, automated tasks & workflows, sales pipeline with real-time data (dashboards, reports), mobile use also offline possible. Customer service: tickets & cases, personalized self-service portals, omnichannel support (messenger, social media). Close integration with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, Excel etc.) for seamless collaboration.
Advantages: Seamless Microsoft integration (familiar interface, quick team acceptance), very powerful (AI-supported evaluations, surveys, forecasting), usable offline (e.g. in field service), high scalability and Microsoft security standards
Disadvantages: High price even for basic module, complex setup (often partner support needed), no free plan for small teams, possible feature overload, Microsoft account required; cloud services from US provider (with EU data option)
Entry Price: Sales from ~€54.80 per user/month; Customer Service additional ~€42.20 user/month (second module discounted for €16.90); no freemium, trial versions only
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; German cloud available (Azure data centers Frankfurt & Berlin), new EU Data Boundary announced – data exclusively in EU servers on request
Bitrix24
Target Group: Start-ups, small companies (team collaboration & CRM)
Key Functions: All-in-One platform (CRM + Collaboration): contact and lead management, sales pipeline, web forms for leads, integrated project management (tasks, Kanban boards), team communication (chat, HD video calls, shared calendar), document storage, sales planner for appointments, automations, website builder (basic)
Advantages: Free plan for unlimited users (up to 5 GB storage), very broad feature set (CRM + social intranet functions), suitable as central collaboration platform for small teams, many extensions and app integrations available
Disadvantages: Feature variety can seem overwhelming (UI partly complex), advanced functions partly only in higher plans, occasionally reported bug problems/errors in software, support in free plan limited (self-help forum)
Entry Price: Freemium: free with 5 GB and basic functions; Basic package from €49 per month (flat rate for team), Standard/Professional packages with more storage/functions correspondingly more expensive
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; European hosting (servers in EU, AWS-Frankfurt for bitrix24.de/.eu), DPA contract and SCCs available
SuperOffice CRM
Target Group: B2B companies in mid-market, also modular for specific teams (sales, marketing, service)
Key Functions: Sales: lead and contact management, opportunity tracking, quote/forecast module. Marketing: campaign and newsletter management, landing pages, lead tracking. Service: ticketing system for customer inquiries (case management). All modules available integrated (Sales, Marketing, Service) or usable individually; ERP integration possible (interfaces).
Advantages: Over 30 years of market experience in CRM (since 1990) – specifically focused on European B2B, cloud-based and digitally connects all customer processes, comprehensive GDPR functions (document consents, data protection cockpit), high integration capability (many apps/interfaces)
Disadvantages: Relatively expensive per user (separate modules ~€45–57 monthly), no free entry; possibly oversized for very small companies, lower awareness than global providers (smaller community ecosystem)
Entry Price: Sales from €57.50 /user/month, Service from €45, Marketing from €280 (each individually); combo package of all modules approx. €67.80/user/month (monthly, with annual payment)
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; European cloud (provider from Norway), ISO 27001-certified security management. Data hosting within EU; server location e.g. Norway/Germany
Zoho CRM
Target Group: Start-ups, small and medium enterprises (globally widespread)
Key Functions: Comprehensive CRM: contact, lead and deal management, sales opportunity pipeline, task tools, quotation system, marketing automation via additional Zoho apps (Campaigns, Social for email/social marketing), integrated email and phone tracking, workflow automation, AI assistant (Zia) for predictions and recommendations, comprehensive reporting/dashboard
Advantages: Affordable entry and freemium for 3 users, very broad range of functions (many extension apps in Zoho ecosystem), simple user interface for core CRM, high customizability (workflows, modules, integrations) and many interfaces (including to Microsoft/Google, 500+ via Zoho Marketplace)
Disadvantages: Some advanced functions only with additional apps (e.g. separate tools for email marketing, support etc.), support and documentation often in English, complex requirements require multiple Zoho modules (integration required), data transfer to non-EU headquarters based on standard contractual clauses (compliance disadvantage for some)
Entry Price: Freemium: free for 3 users; Standard approx. €12 user/month, Professional ~€18, Enterprise ~€35, Ultimate ~€42 (monthly, with monthly payment). Zoho One Suite (all apps) for €37 user/month (annually) available.
GDPR Status: GDPR-compliant; data hosting in EU (Zoho servers including in Netherlands), functions for consent and data deletion management available. Data processing agreement (DPA) available.
Conclusion
For German SMEs and start-ups, there are numerous cloud-based CRM solutions that are both functionally convincing and meet German data protection requirements. Local providers like CentralStationCRM or weclapp score with server location Germany and ease of use, while HubSpot or Pipedrive attract with international experience and intuitive sales functions.
It is important to know your own objective: Do you need a lean sales tool or a comprehensive ERP/CRM suite? The scalability of costs (freemium vs. premium plans) should also be considered.
All systems presented here support GDPR compliance and offer hosting within Europe. This allows even smaller companies to use modern CRM technology without compromising on data protection – a solid foundation for professionally managing customer relationships and developing them sustainably.
