How to Choose a Sales CRM in India: Per-Seat SaaS vs Owned Software
· 6 min read · Krusam Team
Choose a CRM that captures leads automatically from your website, WhatsApp and ads, scores them, reminds reps to follow up, and handles quotes and invoices in the same place. For teams above 10 users, an owned CRM with no per-seat fees is usually cheaper than SaaS within two years.
Why leads get lost
Most Indian SMEs receive enquiries through four or five channels — website forms, WhatsApp, phone calls, Meta and Google lead ads. When each lands in a different inbox, slow responses quietly cost deals.
Your CRM checklist
Look for these features before you sign up:
- Automatic lead capture from website, WhatsApp, Meta and Google Lead Ads
- Duplicate detection so one customer is not chased by two reps
- AI lead scoring and stalled-deal alerts
- Drag-and-drop pipeline with custom stages
- Quotations, invoices and payment tracking
- Mobile access for field sales
The hidden cost of per-seat pricing
A CRM that costs a modest amount per user per month looks cheap for three users. At 25 users over three years, the bill often exceeds the one-time cost of owning the software outright — and you still don’t own your data or the code.
Frequently asked questions
Can a CRM capture WhatsApp leads?+
Yes. Krusam AI Sales CRM integrates with the WhatsApp Business API so enquiries become leads automatically.
Is there a limit on users?+
No. Because you own the software, you can add as many users as your server can handle.