Blackbaud CRM vs Salesforce Essentials comparison

Blackbaud and Salesforce are both solutions in the CRM category. Blackbaud is ranked #39 with an average rating of 8.0, while Salesforce is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.9. Blackbaud holds a 0.4% mindshare in CRM, compared to Salesforce’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 66% of Blackbaud users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Salesforce users who would recommend it.

Blackbaud CRM

Read 1 Blackbaud CRM review

189 Views
135 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Salesforce Essentials

Read 13 Salesforce Essentials reviews

122 Views
63 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Blackbaud CRM

Salesforce Essentials

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Blackbaud CRM and Salesforce Essentials based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP and others in CRM.

To learn more, read our detailed CRM Report (Updated: May 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CRM

May 2025

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Helped 850,349 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Blackbaud CRM

Ranking in CRM

39th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Salesforce Essentials

Ranking in CRM

15th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of Blackbaud CRM is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Salesforce Essentials is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

CRM

Featured Reviews

reviewer2596560

IT Specialist at a educational organization with 1-10 employees

Integrated profiles increase centralization and streamline donor management

We were using it for managing our donor database The solution provided an integrated profile, which was helpful for having everything together available in one place. One area of improvement is the UI and UX, which could be more upgraded. It looks a little dated compared to modern UI and UX, and…

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Srini-Dhanaraj

Founder & CEO at imfine.club

Manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues

I work from home for a heater manufacturing company. They wanted to move away from their current SAP CRM system to Salesforce. There is a fulfillment process, which involves taking an order, delivering it, and providing service. Salesforce is used to manage the order-taking process. Once an order is taken, the backend system, SAP ERP, handles product manufacturing, delivery, and installation. After installation, the Service Cloud in Salesforce takes over for ongoing service management. Once your order is confirmed, integration with the SAP ERP backend will be seamless. The system takes the sales order from Salesforce and starts processing it for procurement, starting with creating a production order, manufacturing, and then delivery. Once the product is delivered, this information is passed back to Salesforce Service Cloud. In the Service Cloud, a service engineer receives a notification indicating that a product needs to be delivered to a specific location for installation. The engineer then inspects and installs the product at the designated site. SAP ERP manages the product manufacturing and delivery processes. After the product is delivered to the customer, Salesforce Service Cloud takes over. It manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues reported by customers. Service Cloud captures the information and creates an incident record when a customer reports a product fault. Engineers receive this information and promptly visit the client site to fix the issue. The solution is easy to implement. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It was stable."

"I can download the data to Excel, create tables, and do whatever I want. I am very comfortable with the tool's mobile application. Its main benefit is transparency because I can share it with representatives."

"The product is stable."

"Salesforce makes tracking every product and customer activity easy, enabling managers to monitor their products, such as key products and their peak performance."

"In terms of features, the cloud-based solution and easy deployment are standout elements that have made a difference."

"High availability is really important for us when getting our reports as a vendor."

"The solution is very scalable and flexible. It can be customized as per the business need."

"Salesforce Essentials is a reliable and powerful application."

"The combination of product and service are exceptional."

More Salesforce Essentials pros

Cons

"One area of improvement is the UI and UX, which could be more upgraded."

"The solution could be cheaper."

"Salesforce Essentials does not contain domain-specific solutions."

"The solution's UI is not user-friendly."

"Less integration would be better. It should work independently."

"The product's reporting area has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."

"The primary area for improvement in Salesforce Essentials is its pricing. There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM, that offer similar features at a lower cost."

"Salesforce should encourage new users by offering smaller license packages, such as packages for three or two users."

"The solution needs to be more user-friendly. It's difficult for a senior to track leads when a salesperson uploads leads. The solution should also improve its integration capabilities."

More Salesforce Essentials cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The tool is moderately priced."

"We chose quarterly payments."

"I rate Salesforce Essentials' pricing an eight out of ten."

"The pricing is on the higher side, especially with additional costs for professional services like consultants."

"The pricing is a bit on the expensive side."

"Salesforce Essentials is quite expensive, almost 10 out of 10. I don't have the exact cost, but we found it to be very expensive based on our budget constraints."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"It's a perpetual license, and the subscription can be expensive."

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Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Blackbaud CRM?

I don't have pricing to compare against.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Blackbaud CRM?

One area of improvement is the UI and UX, which could be more upgraded. It looks a little dated compared to modern UI and UX, and there's potential for it to be more intuitive. Also, the ability to...

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What is your primary use case for Blackbaud CRM?

We were using it for managing our donor database.

See all answers

What do you like most about Salesforce Essentials?

Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Essentials?

The costs associated with Salesforce Essentials are substantial, which is a drawback compared to competitors who offer similar services for less.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Salesforce Essentials?

The primary area for improvement in Salesforce Essentials is its pricing. There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM ( /products/zoho-crm-reviews ), that offer similar features at a lower cost. Sal...

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Comparisons

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CRM

May 2025

Download Blackbaud CRM product report

Buyer's Guide

Salesforce Essentials

April 2025

Download Salesforce Essentials product report

Overview

Blackbaud CRM helps organizations by providing a complete supporter view and an organization-wide toolset for managing your constituent base. Blackbaud CRM brings industry-leading fundraising, online applications, actionable prospect research and analytics, and multichannel direct marketing together in one platform to enable an integrated view of the constituent experience across your organization. Blackbaud CRM features prospect research tools that enable your organization to build in-depth prospect profiles, including analytics offerings that provide guidance around a prospect's propensity to give. These tools allow you to prioritize donors and successfully move them through their donor lifecycle to a major gift.

Blackbaud

Salesforce Essentials is a cloud-based CRM tool for businesses seeking flexible, scalable, and customizable solutions to enhance sales and customer support processes.

Designed for seamless integration across multiple channels, Salesforce Essentials includes Sales and Service Cloud to simplify sales tasks and customer management. It enhances finance, credit, and quality processes with user-friendly AI capabilities and predictive analytics. Despite its strengths, there is room for improvement in SAP integration, interface simplicity, and report generation. Cost-effectiveness and support for diverse languages are also potential upgrade areas. Businesses use this CRM solution for lead management, opportunity tracking, and automating sales workflows, transitioning from paper-based methods to digital efficiency.

What are the essential features of Salesforce Essentials?

Scalability and Flexibility: Accommodates growth and customization needs.
Multiple Channel Integration: Enhances finance and quality processes.
User-Friendly: Easy navigation with AI capabilities.
Cloud Deployment: Includes Sales and Service Cloud features.
Predictive Analytics: Improves productivity and tracking.
Mobile App Support: Facilitates on-the-go access and management.

What benefits or ROI can users expect from Salesforce Essentials?

Improved Productivity: Automation features save time and streamline tasks.
Enhanced Customer Management: Centralizes interaction and data handling.
Ease of Transition: From manual to automated workflows.
Performance Monitoring: Standardizes processes for better oversight.

In the retail industry, businesses employ Salesforce Essentials for customer data management and transparency in order processing. Healthcare providers use it for patient engagement and streamlined communication. Financial services utilize it for billing management and compliance, harnessing automation tools for efficient data handling.

Salesforce

Sample Customers

Charleston Battery, Virgin London Marathon, EdVenture Children's Museum

Information Not Available

Find out what your peers are saying about Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP and others in CRM. Updated: May 2025.

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