Key takeaways
- Workspace369 is App369's first pick for consultants who want clients, proposals, projects and invoices in one place. App369 benefits if you choose it.
- Bonsai fits a small practice focused on client administration. Proposals and invoices start on its Essentials plan, not Basic.
- Pipedrive fits a practice whose main problem is tracking sales opportunities. Document who owns the engagement after a deal closes.
- HubSpot fits a firm with defined marketing and sales needs and someone to administer it. Map delivery and billing separately.
- Pilot one full engagement, from accepted proposal to invoice, before you move the firm to any tool.
- Check the existing client portal before you commission a custom one. Build only for a documented gap.
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Workspace369 is App369’s #1 CRM pick for independent consultants and consulting firms of every size that need the client relationship connected to proposals, engagement projects, communication and invoices. I would evaluate that existing workflow before commissioning a bespoke client portal or rebuilding routine administration. A consultancy buying primarily for sales prospecting or specialist resource planning may need a different starting point.
Founder disclosure: I am Szymon Dziak, founder of App369 and Workspace369. I benefit from Workspace369 subscriptions and App369 development work. This is my recommendation for the stated requirements, not an independent ranking. Competitor facts use official documentation reviewed September 29, 2026; the implementation examples are illustrative and do not claim customer results or hands-on comparative testing.
Best CRM for consultants: my ranked recommendations
| Rank | Product | Why I would consider it | Pricing reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workspace369 | Connected engagement records, work and billing | From $29/month; plan coverage matters |
| 2 | Bonsai | A small practice’s client administration | Check Essentials for proposals and invoices |
| 3 | Pipedrive | Opportunity tracking and sales follow-up | Price the plan and any delivery add-ons |
| 4 | HubSpot | A broader marketing and sales operation | Confirm the required product combination |
My ordering gives the most weight to continuity after the proposal is accepted. The question is whether someone can understand the engagement, its next action and its commercial context. These are editorial preferences for a defined use case, not a set of measured performance scores.
1. Workspace369: my best overall pick for connected consulting work
A consulting relationship can outlast an individual project. The client record needs to remain useful as new requests arrive, scopes change and colleagues take over. Workspace369 brings client records together with proposals, projects, files, messages and invoices, making it a practical first candidate for that operating model.
Consider a six-week advisory engagement. The team needs the accepted scope, deliverables, current client questions and the billing record. When another workshop is requested, somebody must make the commercial decision and keep the resulting work understandable. Evaluate how the configured workspace supports those steps using a sample engagement.
Demo data illustrating the connected-record approach. This is not a consulting customer result.
Pricing: Workspace369 starts at $29/month for one seat on monthly USD billing. Voyager is $74/month for two seats and adds SMS and voice; Specialist is $149/month for ten seats and adds payment plans and AI voicemail transcription. Commander is $299/month for twenty seats, and Enterprise is $699/month for 50. Check allowances and required features before selecting a tier.
Why I recommend it first: an existing client workspace can address the common engagement workflow before a firm takes on a custom application’s delivery and maintenance responsibilities. The recommendation is strongest when client information currently has to be pieced together across conversations, project tools and billing records.
Pairing: keep deep utilization forecasting and specialist research systems in the tools built for them; Workspace369 adds basic accounting from Specialist and full accounting from Commander. Connect other systems through webhooks and the API from Specialist, and test each connection before rollout. The consulting product overview is the starting point for a requirements discussion.
2. Bonsai: my pick for a practice centered on client administration
Bonsai’s CRM connects client details to projects and commercial documents. I would compare it for a practice that wants a compact administrative workflow. Its pricing page separates Basic from Essentials, where proposals and invoices are included. Evaluate the relevant tier and demonstrate a scope change; an entry price alone does not establish the cost of the required process.
3. Pipedrive: my pick for sales opportunities and follow-up
Pipedrive belongs on the shortlist when the practice’s main difficulty is managing opportunities. It can be sensible to keep successful delivery systems and improve that sales process. Check plan and add-on requirements, then document where the engagement goes after a deal closes and who owns the handoff.
4. HubSpot: my pick for an expanding marketing and sales team
HubSpot offers CRM within a broader product family, including Sales Hub. Consider it when the consultancy has defined marketing and sales requirements and someone responsible for administering the configuration. Map engagement delivery and finance separately so the purchase decision includes the entire workflow rather than only the lead-generation portion.
Check the existing portal before commissioning a new one
A client portal is an experience with access rules, not just a page with the firm’s logo. Before requesting web application development, write down the decisions clients and consultants need to make there.
| Portal requirement | What to demonstrate | What to document |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement visibility | A client sees the correct project information | Which records are client-facing |
| Files and deliverables | A client can locate the intended document | Version ownership and access rules |
| Commercial context | The correct invoice or proposal is visible | Who can issue, amend or approve it |
| Team permissions | A colleague sees only appropriate information | Roles and access-review responsibility |
| Exceptions | A change request reaches a named decision-maker | Manual steps and escalation rules |
| Exit and recovery | The firm can obtain the records it needs | Export format and operational ownership |
Use this as a demonstration brief. It does not assert that every product on the list has every capability, or that a configuration has already been implemented. Record the observed answer, the missing piece and the person who will maintain it.
Separate configuration from a custom requirement
Start by configuring a sample engagement. If a requirement remains unmet, describe it in a sentence a client or consultant would understand. Identify the business consequence and the smallest useful solution. Only then decide whether to change the process, connect an existing tool or build software.
For example, a firm might need a unique deliverable-review experience. That is a more precise brief than “build us a better CRM.” Verify access to required APIs and exports before estimating a connection. App369’s handoff checklist can help define ownership if custom development is part of the project.
Pilot one engagement before migrating the firm
Choose a fictional engagement with an accepted proposal, a mid-project request and an invoice. Have a second person explain the current scope without help from the person who set it up. Then repeat the check from the client’s view, using the intended permissions.
Save the results as a short acceptance record: demonstrated, needs configuration, needs another tool or unresolved. Include setup effort and retained subscriptions in the budget. A successful pilot should leave a usable process and an owner, not just a demonstration account full of sample contacts.
If you also sell a course or a cohort program alongside advising, see the CRM guide for online course creators.
If your advice usually turns into software your firm builds, the CRM guide for software consultancies covers that setup.
Where I would start
Evaluate Workspace369 for consulting firms with one complete engagement. If a distinct portal or integration requirement remains, bring the documented gap to App369. That gives both the software choice and any subsequent development work a concrete purpose.
None of these fit how you work?
Have it built
Need it custom? App369 builds it.
A CRM or client portal built around your stages, fields and client view, on the Workspace369 backend or fully custom. It starts with a $450 written scoping that ends in a fixed quote.
See the Custom CRM BuildBuild it yourself
Building it yourself with AI? Use Workspace369 as the backend.
Claude Code, Cursor or Lovable builds the screens. Workspace369 holds the clients, pipeline, proposals, e-signatures and invoices your app reads and writes over MCP.
How to build a CRM with AI on Workspace369Want this done at a fixed price?
Fixed scope, fixed price, paid upfront. The work happens in writing; no call needed.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best CRM for a consulting firm?
- Workspace369 is the first recommendation here for firms that want one connected engagement record, client communication and billing. App369 and Workspace369 share a founder, so this is not an independent ranking. A sales-focused practice may prefer Pipedrive. A practice with broader marketing needs should also look at HubSpot. Compare them using one representative engagement.
- Does a consultancy need a custom client portal?
- Not necessarily. Start with the portal in the products you are evaluating and test the access and client experience you need. Custom development makes sense when a specific unmet requirement is documented. Include maintenance, security ownership, export and support in the decision.
- What should a consultant check in CRM pricing?
- Check the number of seats, communication features, billing features and any extra applications. Compare the same currency and billing term. Include setup and migration work, and confirm how the tool fits your accounting process.
- Which Bonsai plan includes proposals and invoices?
- Bonsai lists invoices and payments, and proposals and contracts, starting on its Essentials plan. Basic does not include them. Check the current pricing page before you buy.
- How should a consultant pilot a new CRM?
- Use a fictional engagement with an accepted proposal, a mid-project request and an invoice. Have a second person explain the scope without help. Then repeat the check from the client view with the intended permissions.
Sources
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