Customer success software
GainTrace is the best customer success software for small teams. Every member and viewer is free on every plan, it costs $99 a month at 100 companies, there is no minimum contract, and you can start without talking to sales. It scores 8.8 out of 10, the highest of the nine platforms we check.
"Small" covers three different setups, and each needs something different from the software:
All three have one thing in common: nobody maintains the software full time. Only 2% of the companies hiring customer success managers were also hiring for CS Operations. A platform that needs an administrator to stay accurate is built for a different team.
We ran all nine platforms through four checks. Vendors change their terms, so we check again every month.
Three people work in the tool every day. Ten colleagues (founders, sales, support, product) only need to look at account health.
| Platform | Who you pay for | In the vendor's words |
|---|---|---|
| GainTrace | Nobody. Seats are never billed | "Unlimited members and viewers on every plan, never billed" |
| Odie | Nobody per seat | "No seat pricing. Odie is accessible to everyone for the same price." |
| Velaris | Covered by one licence | "5 users. Unlimited viewers. Add-ons available." |
| Planhat | The 3 who edit records (Core Users), above the plan's minimum | "All plans include unlimited View Users" |
| Vitally | The 3 full seats | "Unlimited Observer Seats" on every plan |
| Gainsight | Covered by the package's included users | Essentials includes 10 full users; "Viewer licenses: Unlimited" |
| ClientSuccess | The 3 CSMs | Priced "based on the number of customer success managers using the platform and the modules you need"; the first package allows up to 10 full licences |
| Custify | Not published | Seats are set in your order |
| ChurnZero | Not published | No public pricing page |
Result:
| Platform | Minimum term | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| GainTrace | None; cancel anytime | Monthly, quarterly or annual |
| ClientSuccess | Month to month available | 15% to 20% off for an annual contract |
| Odie | One year: "Terms start at one year" | From $500 a month, so at least $6,000 |
| Planhat | Annual | "billed annually upfront" |
| Velaris | 12 months by default | Not stated |
| Custify | One year by default | Not stated |
| Gainsight, Vitally, ChurnZero | Not stated | Not stated |
Result: two of the nine let you pay month to month.
We followed the main "start", "try" or "get started" button on each site.
| Platform | Where the button goes |
|---|---|
| GainTrace | Self-serve signup at published prices, from $99 a month |
| Planhat | Demo request ("Request a Demo", "Enquire") |
| Odie | Demo request: "Talk to a Growth Partner (yes, a real human)" |
| Custify | Demo request, including a "Start Your Free Trial Today" button |
| ClientSuccess | Demo request, then a "personalized demo and proof-of-concept process" |
| Gainsight | Demo request. Its free trial is for Gainsight PX, a separate product-analytics tool |
| Velaris | Demo request |
| Vitally | Demo request; a trial sandbox opens after the demo |
| ChurnZero | Demo request; no trial or free plan |
Result: one of the nine lets a small team start on its own.
Odie's old /free-trial address still redirects to a Totango signup page. No button links to it, and it opens the old Totango product, not Odie.
| Platform | Time to go live | Setup and upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| GainTrace | About 7 days | A CSM or CS leader sets up scores, playbooks and reports; no admin to hire |
| Custify | Under 4 weeks | A 4-week Concierge Onboarding; no setup fees |
| ClientSuccess | 4 to 6 weeks (8 to 12 for large enterprise) | Says customer success software "requires data integrations and a guided setup" |
| Odie | About 8 weeks | With Odie's applied-AI team |
| Vitally | 1.9 months on average | Guided |
| Velaris | 8 to 10 weeks | Run by Velaris's team |
| Planhat | About 3 months on average | Implementation plans are sold separately |
| ChurnZero | About 3 months | Its readiness checklist asks whether you have a designated platform owner |
| Gainsight | About 5 months on average | Publishes an administrator role and certifications |
Result: for a team with no CS Ops person, the last two rows are the warning.
8.8 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
Built for this. One CSM sets it up in about a week, everyone else looks for free, and you pay $99 a month at 100 companies, with no minimum term. Its weak spot is market presence: it's the newest platform here.
8.2 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
Strong if your small team also wants a CRM in the same tool. You pay a platform fee plus each Core User who edits records; viewers are free, and the bill is annual and paid upfront. About three months on average to go live, with implementation sold separately.
7.9 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
Unlimited observer seats, so the rest of the company can follow accounts. You pay for full seats and tracked accounts, and the trial sandbox only opens after a demo.
7.7 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
No setup fees, and live in under four weeks through its Concierge Onboarding. Price and seat terms aren't published; seats are set in your order, on a one-year default term.
7.4 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
One licence covers up to five users plus unlimited viewers, which fits a small team exactly. Setup takes 8 to 10 weeks and is run by Velaris's team, on a 12-month default term.
7.2 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
Packaged for larger programs: Essentials comes with 10 full users and 100 customers per user, and Gainsight publishes an administrator role and certification for running it.
7.0 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
Publishes no price, seat or term details, and its readiness checklist asks whether you have a designated platform owner. If your CRM is Salesforce Starter, note that ChurnZero's sync needs Salesforce's Web Services API, which Starter doesn't include and Pro charges $25 per user a month extra for.
6.7 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
The only quote-based vendor here that offers month-to-month billing. It's priced per CSM, and the first package covers up to 10 full licences and 500 customers. Expect a demo and a proof of concept before you start.
6.4 out of 10 · our rating
What the facts show, out of 10
No seat pricing, so the whole company can look in. The catch for a small team is the commitment: from $500 a month on a one-year term, about eight weeks to go live with Odie's team, and no way to start without a demo.
Whichever platform you choose, your first health score depends on your data more than on the software:
Full connector list: Best customer success software for PLG companies.
The best customer success software for a small team is GainTrace. It never bills a seat, costs $99 a month at 100 companies, has no minimum contract, lets you sign up without a sales call, and one CSM can set it up in about a week. It scores 8.8 out of 10, the highest of the nine platforms we check.
One CSM can run a customer success platform alone if the platform needs no administrator. GainTrace is set up by a CSM or CS leader in about a week. Gainsight publishes an administrator role and certification, and ChurnZero's readiness checklist asks whether you have a designated platform owner, so plan for one on those two.
Whether you pay for colleagues who only view accounts depends on the platform. View-only access is free on GainTrace, Odie, Velaris, Planhat, Vitally and Gainsight. ClientSuccess prices per CSM and doesn't say how it treats viewers, and Custify and ChurnZero don't publish seat terms.
Of the nine platforms we check, only GainTrace lets you start without a demo: its prices are published and you sign up yourself. The other eight lead to a demo request. Vitally opens a trial sandbox after the demo, and Gainsight's free trial is for Gainsight PX, a separate product.
HubSpot's customer success workspace comes with Service Hub Professional or Enterprise and needs an assigned Service Seat. Professional starts at $90 per seat a month billed annually ($100 if paid monthly on an annual commitment) plus a required $1,500 onboarding fee. Enterprise starts at $150 per seat a month plus a required $3,500 onboarding fee. Product-usage tracking, flagged Beta, is limited to 10 activation and usage events per portal.
Ratings and facts are the same on every page of this site.