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20 Best Tools to Improve Customer Success in SaaS (Buyer’s Guide)

Discover the top 20 customer success tools for SaaS companies in this complete buyer’s guide. Compare features, pricing, and use cases to find the best fit for your team.

20 Best Tools to Improve Customer Success in SaaS (Buyer’s Guide)
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    Home / Growth / 20 Best Tools to Improve Customer Success in SaaS (Buyer’s Guide)

    Imagine trying to manage every customer relationship with spreadsheets, scattered emails, and a dozen browser tabs open just to stay afloat. 🫣

    Without the right tools, customer success quickly turns into a patchwork of guesswork. 

    Manual tasks pile up, customer health scores get overlooked, and important moments in the customer journey slip through the cracks. 

    It’s exhausting, and it makes it hard to truly support your users the way they deserve.

    That’s where customer success tools come in.

    The right software doesn’t just make your day easier. It gives your customer success team the visibility and structure they need to reduce churn, improve customer satisfaction, and grow accounts more naturally. 

    Whether you’re managing onboarding, tracking customer data, or trying to scale your customer success strategy, investing in the right customer success software can be a game-changer.

    This guide is your go-to resource for finding that software.

    Inside, you’ll find:

    • Practical advice on selecting a platform that fits your unique needs,
    • Top-rated tools tailored for startups and small businesses,
    • Leading solutions designed for mid-size and enterprise-level teams,
    • Clear explanations of what customer success tools actually do, plus answers to the most common questions.

    TL;DR

    • Customer success tools make it easier to keep users happy, engaged, and sticking around.
    • Most come with features like onboarding checklists, product usage tracking, health scores, and automated workflows.
    • Picking the right one depends on team size, goals, and how detailed the insights need to be.
    • Metrics like NPS, retention, and activation become much easier to follow and improve.
    • Some tools are lightweight and startup-friendly, while others are built for larger teams.
    • Things like ease of use, integrations, and how well the tool grows with the company matter a lot.
    • UserGuiding helps create simple, code-free onboarding flows with useful data.
    • Other go-to options include Gainsight, Intercom, ChurnZero, Totango, and Custify and more 🚀

    What is a customer success tool?

    A customer success tool helps SaaS teams keep users happy and engaged by giving them a clear view of how customers are using the product. 

    It tracks customer behavior, monitors key customer success metrics, and brings together customer feedback in one place. 

    This helps teams spot issues early and take action before they turn into customer churn.

    These tools are essential for managing smooth customer journeys, improving customer retention, and boosting customer lifetime value

    Whether it's helping new users get onboarded or making sure existing ones stay loyal, the right customer success software keeps your team proactive instead of reactive.

    🚀As Irina Vatafu, Head of Customer Success at Custify, puts it:

    "Great customer success isn’t just about retention. It’s about creating undeniable value so customers can’t imagine their success without you." 

    The best customer success software helps you do exactly that by making your customer success program more efficient, thoughtful, and data-driven.

    Common features of customer success tools

    Most customer success tools share a core set of features that help teams onboard users, track engagement, and drive retention. 

    Below, you’ll find the key features that make these tools effective.👇🏻

    Customer onboarding

    Customer success tools help boost onboarding by offering interactive tours, in-app messages, and timely nudges that guide users to value faster.

    UserGuiding’s Interactive Product Tour

    Wyzowl found that 63% of customers say onboarding and post-sale support heavily influence their buying decisions.

    A great example of this in action comes from the podcast CSM Practice, where Raman Bindra shares how his team revamped their onboarding strategy. 

    The result? A 45% boost in product adoption and a 30% jump in customer retention. 

    Just by leaning on the right data and improving the user journey.💪🏼

    Journey mapping and management

    Customer Journey Map by UserGuiding
    Customer journey map by UserGuiding

    These tools provide visibility into the customer journey, making it easier to pinpoint key touchpoints, tailor support, and ensure a seamless experience throughout.

    Here’s a general look at a mock customer journey map by UserGuiding 👇🏻

    A mock Customer Journey Map made by UserGuiding
    A mock xustomer journey map made by UserGuiding

    Flow automation

    Salesforce's Automated Customer Support Ticket System
    Salesforce's automated customer support ticket system

    Customer success platforms often include automation features that handle repetitive tasks like ticket routing, prioritization, and data collection, freeing up your team’s time for more strategic work.

    So your team can focus on what really matters and take faster action when needed elsewhere.

    Health scoring

    Color Code Health Scoring Example
    Color code health scoring example

    Customer success tools usually come with personalized health scorecards that keep an eye on customer satisfaction, engagement, and other important metrics.

    You can choose between color codes, letter grades, or percentage scales to represent different customer outcomes, too. 

    Grade Scale Health Scoring
    Grade scale health scoring

    This helps you spot at-risk accounts early on, so you can step in with the right support before it’s too late. 

    In a webinar hosted by UserGuiding, Custify’s CEO Philipp Wolf put it nicely:

    “Customer health scores allow you to focus your efforts where they’re most needed, whether that’s preventing churn or driving upsells.” 

    In other words, health scores aren’t just for tracking, they’re your heads-up to take meaningful action.

    Analytics and reporting

    UserGuiding’s Analytics Dashboard
    UserGuiding’s analytics dashboard

    Customer success tools also include customized dashboards and reports designed to track customer behavior, identify trends, and help make smarter, data-driven decisions that enhance the experience.

    Reporting by UserGuiding

    And why bother?

    👉🏼 According to a study by Harvard Business Review, companies that use data-driven decision-making are 5% more productive and 6% more profitable than their competitors.

    Security & compliance

    Built-in security and compliance features—like support for GDPR and SOC—help customer success tools protect user data and foster trust.

    🎯 In fact, 83% of risk and compliance professionals say staying compliant with all relevant laws and regulations is a very important or essential factor in their decision-making.

    What sets CS tools apart from CRM or support software

    While customer success tools may overlap with CRMs and support platforms, their core focus and functionality set them apart in a few key ways:

    • Customer success tools:

    CS tools are built for proactive engagement and retention. 

    They help you monitor customer health, identify churn risks, and deliver in-app guidance or outreach before issues arise. 

    Features like health scoring, onboarding flows, and lifecycle segmentation are central.

    • CRM software:

    Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools focus primarily on storing customer data and managing sales pipelines. 

    They're designed to support lead tracking, deal flow, and communication history, more sales-focused than engagement-focused, I would say.

    • Customer support software:

    Support platforms (like Zendesk or Freshdesk) are reactive by nature. 

    Their main purpose is to help teams respond to customer queries through ticketing systems, live chat, and knowledge bases. 

    They’re excellent for issue resolution but don’t provide much visibility into long-term customer health or product engagement.

    How to choose the right customer success tool

    Choosing the right customer success tool is crucial. 

    As Arti Sogani, Customer Success Leader at Temenos, explains in this podcast interview, “Knowing when to implement it and how to choose the right tool is just as important as having the data and insights to take action.

    The right technology brings it all together and powers your workflows.” 

    That's why finding the tool that fits your needs is crucial to ensure that you can act on insights effectively and drive customer success at the same time.

    Step #1: Identify bottlenecks and manual time sinks

    Start by analyzing your current customer success processes to find where delays or repetitive tasks are happening. 

    For example, are your team members spending too much time manually assigning tickets or tracking engagement? 

    Recognizing these pain points helps you look for tools that automate these tasks, freeing up your team to focus on high-impact activities and improving overall efficiency.

    📊 According to ProductLed’s 2025 State of SaaS report, companies using tools with automated workflows and predictive health scores saw resolution times speed up by as much as 30%, and cut down on manual tasks by 20%. 

    That means customer success teams had more time to focus on what really matters: building stronger relationships and driving engagement 💪🏼

    Step #2: Define improvement Ggoals

    Clearly outline what you want to achieve with a new tool. 

    Are you aiming to reduce churn, speed up onboarding, or boost customer engagement? 

    🎙️ As Andrew Michael puts it in CHURN.FM’s “How AI Is Transforming Customer Success” episode:

    “You need to invest in customer success — it always comes down to retention and engagement.”

    Setting clear goals around these helps you build a solid foundation for long-term growth, especially in the subscription world.

    Step #3: Evaluate data quality and hygiene

    Good decisions depend on good data. 

    Review how accurate, complete, and organized your customer data currently is.

    📌 In one of his LinkedIn posts, Wes Bush highlights that:

    “Churn metrics tell you who left. Customer health scoring tells you who’s about to leave, and why.”

    This is just perfect to understand the importance of structured, reliable data for predictive insights that let your customer success team act before issues actually arise.

    If your data is messy or outdated, consider how the tool can support cleaning or syncing data for better results.

    Step #4: Prioritize feature fit

    Make a list of features essential for your success strategy, like health scoring to monitor account health, segmentation for targeted outreach, or in-app support for real-time help. 

    Let me just show you the numbers here. 

    After improving their onboarding flow, HubSpot’s Sidekick saw a 15% lift in Week 1 retention and a 50% increase by Week 10, according to Ramli John.

    🧠 Another study from InnerTrends found users who completed onboarding were 3× more likely to stay engaged after 12 weeks.

    These prove my point that prioritizing onboarding features directly impacts retention and customer success outcomes. Yay🤩

    (Source for both statistics)

    Step #5: Assess integration capabilities

    Your customer success tool should work well with the other software you use, such as your CRM, support desk, or analytics platforms. 

    ‍Check how easily it connects and syncs data across systems. 

    Strong integration reduces manual work, prevents data silos, and gives your team a unified view of each customer’s journey, improving decision-making and responsiveness.

    Step #6: Consider scalability and flexibility

    Think about your company’s future growth and evolving needs. 

    Choose a tool that can scale with your user base and adapt to changing workflows or new features. 

    A flexible platform protects your investment by avoiding costly switches later and ensures your customer success efforts can grow without disruption.

    Best customer success tools for mid-market and enterprise

    Retention and engagement aren’t just buzzwords. 

    They’re the foundation of sustainable growth in the subscription economy. 

    🎙️ As Louis Grenier, host of the Everyone Hates Marketers podcast, puts it in this episode with Ramli John, the fastest-growing companies are winning not just by acquiring new customers, but by keeping them.

    He continues:

    ‘’Week after week, we hear stories of teams crossing that magic threshold into negative churn, building habit-forming products, and scaling. All by making the right investments in customer success. 
    And a big part of that? Choosing the right tool to help you scale those efforts.’’

    Whether you're supporting thousands of users or navigating complex enterprise accounts, here are the best customer success tools built for serious growth.

    1- Salesforce (CS Cloud) 

    • G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Large teams looking for a fully customizable, all-in-one customer success and CRM solution

    Salesforce is the powerhouse platform that helps mid-market and enterprise teams stay on top of every customer touchpoint, without anything slipping through the cracks.

    Core Features:

    • A flexible and deeply customizable Customer 360 platform
    • Built-in automation for onboarding, renewals, and support workflows
    • Powerful reporting and dashboards for tracking CSAT, churn, and retention metrics
    • Integration-rich ecosystem (Slack, Zoom, HubSpot, and thousands more)
    • AI-powered insights via Salesforce Einstein to spot risks and upsell opportunities
    • Shared workspaces to align sales, support, and success teams

    Drawbacks:

    • It can get very complex, expect a learning curve and potentially high setup time
    • Pricing can escalate quickly depending on your feature and integration needs

    Pricing Summary:

    Salesforce’s Customer Success solutions are part of its broader Service Cloud and Customer 360 offerings. 

    Plans typically start at $25 per user/month and scale up from there.

    Free Trial: 

    30-day free trial available for most plans.

    Salesforce Customer 360 Platform Overview
    Salesforce customer 360 platform overview.

    2- Totango

    • G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: CS teams that want flexible, modular customer journeys and automation based on real-time usage data

    Totango makes it easy to create personalized, data-driven customer success programs with building blocks called "SuccessBLOCs", no heavy lifting required.

    Core Features:

    • Modular “SuccessBLOCs” to design and launch pre-built or custom journeys
    • Real-time health scores based on usage, NPS, product activity, and more
    • No-code automation for onboarding, renewal, and escalation workflows
    • Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Segment, Slack, and more
    • Dashboards that align customer outcomes with internal KPIs
    • Great for managing multiple products or customer segments under one roof

    Drawbacks:

    • Reporting can feel limited compared to more advanced platforms
    • Takes time to fully understand how to get the most out of SuccessBLOCs

    Pricing Summary:

    Totango offers a Free Community Edition for up to 100 accounts, which is great for trying it out. 

    Paid plans start with the Starter plan at $249/month, then scale with custom Enterprise pricing.

    Free Trial: 

    Yes. Free plan available, plus demos for advanced features.

    Totango Successflow Overview
    Totango successflow overview.

    3- Planhat

    • G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Data-focused CS teams that want clean dashboards, strong health tracking, and revenue insights

    Planhat brings together customer data, engagement metrics, and revenue tracking in one sleek, easy-to-use interface that both CSMs and execs can appreciate.

    Core Features:

    • Clean, intuitive UI that’s easy to navigate for both new and experienced users
    • Customizable customer health scores based on behavior, usage, and sentiment
    • Revenue tracking tools to monitor expansion, renewals, and churn risk
    • Built-in customer portals for shared goals, tasks, and updates
    • Timeline views for visualizing customer journeys across touchpoints
    • Deep segmentation to personalize success strategies at scale

    Drawbacks:

    • Limited in-app communication features
    • Pricing is not public and can vary significantly based on needs

    Pricing Summary:

    Planhat doesn’t publish pricing on its site, but it’s positioned for mid-market and enterprise teams. 

    You’ll need to contact sales for a custom quote.

    Free Trial: 

    No free trial, but you can schedule a demo.

    Customer Data Management by Planhat
    Customer data management by Planhat.

    4- ChurnZero 

    • G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Customer success teams looking for real-time customer visibility, automated onboarding, and in-app engagement

    ChurnZero helps you stay one step ahead of churn by giving you live insights into customer health, plus tools to engage users right inside your product.

    Core Features:

    • Real-time customer health scores based on usage, sentiment, and lifecycle stage
    • Customizable onboarding workflows to guide users from day one
    • In-app messaging to trigger helpful nudges, walkthroughs, or surveys at the right moment
    • Playbooks and automation to streamline customer success efforts
    • CRM and communication integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, etc.)
    • Built-in NPS and customer feedback tools for continuous improvement

    Drawbacks:

    • The learning curve can be a bit steep for smaller teams
    • Some features, like segments or advanced automation, may require extra setup time

    Pricing Summary:

    ChurnZero doesn’t list pricing publicly, but it’s typically aimed at mid-sized and enterprise SaaS companies. 

    You’ll need to request a demo for a custom quote.

    Free Trial: 

    No free trial, but you can book a personalized demo.

    Customer Success Journey Overview by ChurnZero
    Customer success journey overview by ChurnZero.

    5- Kommunicate

    • G2 Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: SaaS companies that want to blend customer support and success with live chat, bots, and automation

    Kommunicate focuses on proactive support and seamless messaging, making it easier to guide users, answer questions, and reduce friction across the customer journey.

    Core Features:

    • Live chat and chatbot combo for real-time customer engagement
    • Playbooks to automate onboarding, FAQs, and common support flows
    • Shared inbox for support and customer success teams to collaborate
    • Integration with tools like WhatsApp, Messenger, HubSpot, and more
    • AI-powered support bot to reduce repetitive queries and boost self-service

    Drawbacks:

    • More support-focused than traditional customer success platforms
    • Limited customer health or revenue tracking features

    Pricing Summary:

    Kommunicate starts at $100/month for the Team plan. Advanced features (like custom bots or WhatsApp integration) are available in higher tiers.

    Free Trial: 

    Yes, 30-day free trial available with all core features.

    Kompose - Bot Builder by Kommunicate.
    Kompose - Bot Builder by Kommunicate.

    6- Custify

    • G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Health scoring, task automation, and proactive account management

    Custify is built to take repetitive work off your plate, so your customer success team can focus on what really matters, building strong relationships and reducing churn.

    Core Features:

    • Customizable customer health scores based on usage, lifecycle stage, and more
    • Automated tasks and alerts to help customer success managers stay ahead
    • Email playbooks for onboarding, renewals, and check-ins
    • Integrations with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Intercom
    • Customer 360° dashboards that pull all customer data into one view
    • In-app and email messaging to drive engagement throughout customer journeys

    Drawbacks:

    • May take time to set up the health score logic and automation rules just right
    • Smaller teams might not need all the advanced features

    Pricing Summary:

    Custify offers custom pricing based on your number of users and CSMs.

    Free Trial: 

    No free trial, but you can request a free personalized demo.

    Custify Dashboard Overview
    Custify dashboard overview.

    7- HubSpot Service Hub 

    • G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Ticketing, customer communication, and health tracking in one place

    HubSpot Service Hub is a solid pick for SaaS companies already using HubSpot, it brings together support, success, and CRM data without juggling multiple tools.

    Core Features:

    • Ticketing system to manage and prioritize customer issues
    • Shared inbox for smooth collaboration between sales and success teams
    • Customer health scores based on support history, engagement, and behavior
    • Playbooks and workflows to automate onboarding and renewals
    • Built-in customer feedback tools (CSAT, NPS, surveys)
    • Reporting dashboards to monitor customer success metrics

    Drawbacks:

    • Best suited for teams already in the HubSpot ecosystem
    • Limited advanced success features compared to more specialized platforms

    Pricing Summary:

    Plans start at $20/month per seat for the Starter plan. 

    Professional Pan starts at $90/month per seat.

    Professional and Enterprise plans unlock automation, scoring, and advanced reporting.

    Free Trial: 

    Yes, 14-day free trial available for most tiers.

    HubSpot Service Hub Ticketing System
    HubSpot Service Hub's ticketing system.

    8- Gainsight

    • G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Enterprise health tracking, strategic playbooks, and CRM integration

    Gainsight is one of the most established names in the customer success space, offering a deep and powerful platform for large teams focused on reducing churn and scaling retention.

    Core Features:

    • Advanced customer health scoring using product usage, feedback, and account signals
    • Automated playbooks to guide onboarding, upsells, and renewals
    • Seamless CRM sync (especially with Salesforce)
    • Timeline feature for tracking every customer interaction across the journey
    • In-app and email engagements to keep users informed and active
    • Powerful segmentation and reporting for your customer success strategy

    Drawbacks:

    • Can be overwhelming for smaller teams or new CS programs
    • Longer onboarding and implementation time compared to lightweight tools

    Pricing Summary:

    Gainsight offers custom pricing tailored to enterprise needs and team size.

    Free Trial:

    No free trial, but you can schedule a live demo.

    Gainsight’s Customer 360 Platform Overview
    Gainsight’s customer 360 platform overview.

    9- ClientSuccess 

    • G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Renewal management, team accountability, and executive dashboards

    ClientSuccess is all about keeping customer relationships strong and steady, helping customer success managers stay proactive.

    Core Features:

    • Real-time customer health scores based on engagement and lifecycle stages
    • Renewal management tools with clear visibility into upcoming opportunities
    • Team performance dashboards to track CSM activities and outcomes
    • Customer success metrics at a glance, including churn risk and retention trends
    • Collaborative account management and notes for handoffs and strategy

    Drawbacks:

    • Doesn’t include native in-app messaging
    • Reporting features could feel limited for data-heavy teams

    Pricing Summary:

    Pricing is custom, based on company size and needs.

    Free Trial: 

    No free trial, but you can book a demo with their team.

    The Holistic Customer Health Score by ClientSuccess
    The holistic customer health score by ClientSuccess.

    10- Gong.io

    • G2 Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Revenue teams, conversation tracking, and CS insights from calls

    Gong.io isn’t a traditional customer success tool, but when paired with your CS platform, it gives you next-level visibility into what customers are saying (and what they actually mean).

    Core Features:

    • AI-driven conversation intelligence that analyzes calls, emails, and meetings
    • CS integrations to track renewals, risks, and upsell signals directly from customer conversations
    • Alerts on keywords or risk phrases like “budget,” “cancel,” or “switch”
    • Deal boards that show which accounts are healthy, stalling, or at risk
    • Coaching tools to help CSMs improve call quality and consistency

    Drawbacks:

    • Not a full customer success platform—meant to support your CS stack, not replace it
    • Higher price point, better suited for mid-size and larger teams

    Pricing Summary:

    Gong offers custom pricing depending on team size and use case.

    Free Trial: 

    No free trial, but you can request a personalized demo.

    Gong.io’s Dealboards
    Gong.io’s dealboards.

    You can see everything happening in your pipeline at a glance, spot which deals are moving forward and which ones might be losing momentum before it's too late. 👆🏼

    Best customer success tools for startups and small businesses

    11- Vitally

    • G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Startups focused on growth metrics, health tracking, and automation

    Vitally is built for startups, combining product data, customer interactions, and team workflows into one customizable, easy-to-set-up platform that doesn't require a full-time admin to manage.

    Core Features:

    • Clean, customizable dashboards that give you a full view of customer health
    • Customer health scores that combine product usage, engagement, and sentiment
    • Task automation for playbooks, renewals, and onboarding steps
    • Collaboration tools that let CS, sales, and product teams stay aligned
    • Powerful segmentation to group users by behavior or lifecycle

    Drawbacks:

    • Some features may feel too lightweight for large CS teams
    • Limited in-app messaging compared to more robust platforms

    Pricing Summary:

    Vitally offers usage-based pricing starting at lower tiers, great for growing startups.

    Free Trial: 

    No public free trial, but you can book a free demo.

    Vitally’s KPI Dashboard
    Vitally’s KPI dashboard.

    You can track your revenue and expansion trends by segment using Vitally’s sleek, data-rich KPI dashboards, as seen above 👆🏼

    12- ChurnZero 

    • G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Also small customer success teams needing real-time visibility and automation

    ChurnZero also gives smaller teams a powerful toolkit to stay proactive, combining in-app messaging, onboarding flows, and real-time customer insights without all the bloat.

    Core Features:

    • Real-time customer health scores and behavior tracking
    • In-app messaging to guide users and boost engagement
    • Onboarding playbooks that adapt to user milestones
    • Automation rules for renewals, alerts, and customer journeys
    • Salesforce and HubSpot integrations to stay synced across teams

    Drawbacks:

    • The interface can feel dense at first for new users
    • Some reports and workflows require setup help or onboarding support

    Pricing Summary:

    Pricing depends on your number of users and feature needs, typically suited for growing startups.
    Free Trial: 

    No public free trial, but you can book a personalized demo.

    ChurnZero’s in-app messaging, walkthroughs, and customer portals for personalized user engagement.
    ChurnZero’s in-app messaging, walkthroughs, and customer portals for personalized user engagement.

    13- ClientSuccess

    • G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Also smaller teams that want simple health tracking and account management

    ClientSuccess is ideal for smaller customer success teams, too. Especially if they don’t need heavy customization but still want visibility into customer health, renewals, and team performance. 

    Core Features:

    • Lightweight customer health scoring with clear visual indicators
    • Renewal tracking and automated reminders to reduce churn risks
    • Account dashboards that centralize notes, tasks, and interactions
    • Performance insights for customer success teams to track activity and outcomes
    • Seamless integration with CRMs like Salesforce

    Drawbacks:

    • Fewer automation options compared to more advanced platforms
    • Reporting can feel limited for teams with complex data needs

    Pricing Summary:

    Pricing is quote-based and generally fits mid-sized teams with straightforward customer success needs.

    Free Trial: 

    No free trial, but demo requests are available.

    Engagement Management by ClientSuccess
    Engagement management by ClientSuccess.

    14- Catalyst (by Totango) 

    • G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Teams that want journey-focused customer success without complexity

    Catalyst brings the power of Totango to smaller businesses, helping teams build structured customer journeys, track health, and manage touchpoints without needing a full ops department.

    Core Features:

    • Customer journey builder with templates and customizable stages
    • Health scoring based on usage, engagement, and lifecycle events
    • Task automation for follow-ups, renewals, and onboarding
    • Timeline view of all customer interactions for better context
    • Integrations with tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Slack

    Drawbacks:

    • Some users find the learning curve a bit steep at the beginning
    • May feel too light for enterprise-level complexity

    Pricing Summary:

    Catalyst’s pricing is tailored for growing businesses, available upon request.

    Free Trial: 

    No standard trial, but you can request a personalized demo.

    Catalyst’s Expansion Hub in action.
    Catalyst’s Expansion Hub in action.

    15- Zendesk Suite 

    • G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: SMBs needing multi-channel support and customer success fundamentals

    Zendesk Suite is a go-to for small and mid-sized teams that want to manage support, track customer health, and build better relationships without juggling multiple tools.

    Core Features:

    • Ticketing system to track and resolve issues across channels
    • Help center and knowledge base to support self-service
    • Customer interaction history for personalized support
    • CSAT and NPS surveys to gather customer feedback
    • Workflow automations and triggers to streamline CS processes
    • Integrates with CRMs, analytics tools, and other CS platforms

    Drawbacks:

    • More focused on support than full-scale CS management
    • Advanced automation and reporting may require higher tiers

    Pricing Summary:

    Starts at $55/month per agent (Suite Team) with higher tiers unlocking more features.

    Free Trial: 

    14-day free trial available.

    Organizing Tickets with Zendesk Suite
    Organizing tickets with Zendesk Suite.

    You can sort and manage your tickets effortlessly using the Views feature, set up default views, team-wide shared views, or personalized ones tailored to each agent’s workflow. 👆🏼

    16- Help Scout 

    • G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Support-led customer success teams that prioritize email and self-service

    Help Scout is a lightweight customer success tool designed for teams that want to stay personal and responsive without overloading on features. 

    It blends help desk functionality with customer success essentials in a clean, no-fuss package.

    Core Features:

    • Shared inbox for team-based email support
    • Embedded Beacon widget for live chat, help articles, and contact options
    • Docs knowledge base for proactive self-service
    • Customer profiles with past conversations and data in one view
    • Reporting on response time, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction

    Drawbacks:

    • Less suited for tracking complex customer journeys or health scores
    • Limited automation compared to broader customer success platforms

    Pricing Summary:

    Starts at $20/month per user (Standard plan), with Plus and Pro tiers offering more.

    Free Trial: 

    15-day free trial available.

    Help Scout’s Embedded Beacon Widget for Live Chat
    Help Scout’s embedded beacon widget for live Cchat.

    You can support your customers wherever they are, whether they need instant help content, a live chat with a real person, or a friendly nudge through proactive messages using Beacon. 👆🏼

    17- Freshdesk 

    • G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Budget-conscious teams looking for support-first customer success capabilities

    Freshdesk is a customer support platform with flexible features that can be extended to support customer success efforts, and that’s just great for startups or growing teams that want to centralize customer communication.

    Core Features:

    • Omnichannel ticketing (email, chat, social, phone)
    • Automation tools to route and prioritize customer issues
    • Shared inbox and collision detection for better team coordination
    • CSAT surveys to gather customer feedback
    • Freddy AI-powered suggestions for faster resolution
    • Integrates with CRMs and basic customer success tools

    Drawbacks:

    • Primarily a support platform, so CS tracking needs workarounds
    • Some advanced features are locked behind higher-tier plans

    Pricing Summary:

    Free plan available with core features; paid plans start at $15/month per agent (Growth plan).

    Free Trial: 

    14-day free trial included.

    Freshdesk’s Customer Health Metrics
    Freshdesk’s customer health metrics.

    You can get a clear picture of customer health and stay ahead with Freshdesk’s workflows that guide onboarding, manage renewals, and handle every key moment along the way. 👆🏼

    18- Velaris 

    • G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Data-focused customer success teams at early-stage or scaling startups

    Velaris is an all-in-one customer success platform designed to simplify how small teams handle retention, growth, and engagement, without juggling multiple tools.

    Core Features:

    • 360° customer profiles with unified data from CRM, product, and support
    • Health scoring engine with customizable metrics
    • Journey mapping and automation to guide customer onboarding and renewals
    • NPS, CSAT, and custom survey features built-in
    • Task management and alerts for customer success managers
    • Integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, and more

    Drawbacks:

    • Still growing, so fewer native integrations than older platforms
    • UI can feel busy at first for new users

    Pricing Summary:

    Custom pricing based on team size and usage.

    Free Trial: 

    Free demo and trial available on request.

    Velaris’ Activity Feed.
    Velaris’ activity feed.

    19- ZapScale 

    • G2 Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Startup teams wanting plug-and-play customer success

    ZapScale is a no-code customer success platform tailored for fast-paced startups looking to quickly implement a KPI-driven strategy without a complex setup.

    Core Features:

    • Auto-generated customer health scores using 36+ data signals
    • Customer 360 dashboard with account-level insights
    • Early churn warning alerts and renewal tracking
    • In-app engagement tools like NPS and feedback prompts
    • Onboarding tracking and customer journey timelines
    • Integrates with tools like Intercom, Salesforce, and HubSpot

    Drawbacks:

    • Limited customization compared to enterprise-grade tools
    • Some features (like advanced segmentation) are still evolving

    Pricing Summary:

    Startup-friendly pricing available upon request.

    Free Trial: 

    Free trial and live demo available.

    Customer 360 Dashboard by Zapscale.
    Customer 360 dashboard by Zapscale.

    20- UserGuiding 

    • G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
    • Best for: Customer success teams focused on better product onboarding and user adoption

    UserGuiding isn’t your typical customer success tool, it’s a product adoption platform that gives customer success teams a real edge when it comes to onboarding. 

    Instead of just tracking problems, it helps you prevent them by guiding users from day one with clear, interactive experiences.

    👉🏼 90% of users are likely to churn without strong onboarding, and teams using well-designed flows see up to 35% fewer support tickets in the first month and a 50% boost in feature adoption. 

    I mean, how about that?📈💪🏼

    Core Features:

    • No-code onboarding flows, checklists, and tooltips
    • Customizable welcome modals and in-app messages
    • Analytics that show which features users actually engage with
    • Segmentation to personalize onboarding by role or behavior
    • Smooth integrations with your product and favorite customer success tools

    Drawbacks:

    • Doesn’t include health scoring or ticketing, best when paired with a customer success platform

    Pricing Summary:

    Starts at $174/month for small teams.

    Free Trial: 

    14-day free trial available, no credit card needed.

    Automating Personalized Guides to Boost Engagement With UserGuiding.
    Automating personalized guides to boost Engagement with UserGuiding.
    Showing All Your Educational Material With UserGuiding.
    Showing all your educational material with UserGuiding👆🏼
    Tracking The Performance of Your User Onboarding With In-Depth Analytics.
    Tracking the performance of your user onboarding with in-depth analytics.

    Product comparison table:


    Tool 🧰

    Pricing 💰

    Best for 🎯

    Main feature ⭐

    Cons 🤔

    UserGuiding

    Starter: $174/month

    Growth: $349/month

    Enterprise: Custom pricing 

    CS teams focused on user onboarding and product adoption No-code onboarding flows, tooltips, in-app analytics No built-in CS health scores or ticketing
    Gong.io Only available upon request Revenue and CS teams needing conversation analysis AI call/email analysis and risk detection Not standalone CS, more analytics than CS platform
    ChurnZero $12,000/year estimated price Growing startups with the need for real-time CS tools Real-time health scoring, in-app messaging

    Dense interface, needs setup, pricey

    HubSpot

    Free; Starter $20/mo per seat; Professional $100/mo per seat; Enterprise $150/mo per seat

    Teams wanting support, health tracking, and feedback in one place

    Tickets, CSAT/NPS survey tools, shared inbox

    Advanced CS features need higher tiers and onboarding fees
    Salesforce $25/user/mo (Starter), $100/user/mo (Plus), others on request Teams needing powerful CRM and CS combo with deep automation Case management, knowledge base, automation, AI-powered bots Complex setup, can get pricey fast for full features
    ClientSuccess $15,000/year estimated price Teams wanting easy health tracking and renewal reminders Lightweight health scores and renewal capture Not strong on automation, reporting is basic
    Gainsight Only available upon request Data-driven teams using CS as a growth engine Advanced health scoring, AI insights, expansion/renewal playbooks

    Requires setup time and budget, limited integrations at scale

    ZapScale

    $500/mo (Startup), $2000/mo (Growth), Enterprise on request

    Early-stage startups wanting KPI-led CS with minimal setup Automatic health scores from 36+ signals Still expanding advanced features

    Velaris

    Only available upon request

    Lean teams craving all-in-one CS simplicity Unified customer 360 profiles and health scoring Fewer native integrations, busy UI at first
    Catalyst Only available upon request Small teams seeking journey-focused CS Journey mapping with templates and task automation Some learning curve, not enterprise-grade
    Custify From $899/mo for 3 users CS managers needing health scores and email playbooks Smart health scores with guided automation Setup health logic takes time, overkill for tiny teams
    Totango

    Custom pricing available upon request

    Modular journey builders and automated workflows SuccessBLOC modules for plug-and-play automation

    Reporting is basic, takes a minute to grasp fully

    Kommunicate Starts at $100/month for the Team plan

    Teams blending support and CS via chat

    Live chat and chatbot with CS playbooks More support than full CS, lacks health scoring
    Planhat Custom pricing available upon request Data-driven teams wanting clean UI, health and revenue Revenue insight tied to health scoring and engagements In-app communication is limited, pricing is opaque
    Zendesk Suite Starts at $55/month per agent (Suite Team) SMBs needing multi-channel support and feedback tools Omnichannel ticketing and CSAT/NPS surveys CS features secondary, automation needs higher tiers
    Freshdesk Paid plans start at $15/month per agent (Growth plan) Budget-conscious teams wanting full support stack Omnichannel tickets, AI suggestions, CSAT CS tracking requires workarounds, features gated by tiers
    Help Scout Starts at $20/month per user (Standard plan) Email-first, self-service focused CS teams Shared inbox, embedded chat widget, knowledge base No built-in health scores or journey tools
    Vitally Usage-based pricing Startups focused on health tracking and automation Customizable dashboards with health scoring Limited in-app messaging, simple for big teams

    Conclusion

    At the end of the day, the right customer success tool can make all the difference, helping you reduce churn, build stronger relationships, and keep users engaged for the long haul.

    But every team is different. That’s why it’s important to find a solution that fits your goals, whether you're a growing startup or a scaling enterprise.

    We built UserGuiding to make that easier. From onboarding to ongoing support, it’s designed to help teams like yours deliver real value, without relying on developers.

    If you're curious to see how it works, book a quick demo. 

    We'd love to show you around. 💙

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best customer success tools for SaaS companies with under 100 employees?

    Custify, ClientSuccess, and UserGuiding are great picks. Easy to implement, budget-friendly, and designed for lean teams.

    How does customer success software improve net revenue retention in B2B SaaS?

    By helping teams proactively engage customers, reduce churn, and identify upsell opportunities through real-time insights.

    What are the top customer success platforms with built-in health scoring and journey mapping features?

    Gainsight, Totango, and ChurnZero all support robust health scoring and visual journey mapping.

    How does Gainsight compare to ChurnZero for enterprise-level customer success management?

    Gainsight is more customizable and feature-rich for large-scale teams, while ChurnZero is easier to roll out and user-friendly.

    What are the affordable customer success tools included in CRM and onboarding automation?

    UserGuiding provides onboarding automation and CRM-friendly features without breaking the bank.

    What are the best customer success software to reduce churn for subscription-based products?

    Totango, Vitally, ChurnZero, and UserGuiding help reduce churn with onboarding flows, health scoring, and usage tracking.

    What KPIs should I track with customer success software in 2025?

    Track customer health, onboarding completion, retention rate, product adoption, NRR, and sentiment scores like NPS or CSAT.

    How do you choose customer success software based on team size and use case?

    For small teams, look for plug-and-play tools like UserGuiding or Custify; for enterprises, prioritize scalability and integrations.

    Which customer success tools integrate with HubSpot and Salesforce natively?

    ChurnZero, Totango, and Catalyst support native integrations with both Salesforce and HubSpot.

    How do the top customer success platforms for high-growth startups compare in terms of features?

    Vitally excels in team collaboration and reporting, Custify stands out with automation and ease of use, ZapScale focuses on actionable health scores and intuitive workflows, Velaris offers AI-powered insights and integrations, while UserGuiding simplifies onboarding with interactive tours and tooltips.

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