Ever watched a high-potential customer slip away without warning? I have—and even from the outside looking in, it’s frustrating. What’s worse is knowing it was probably avoidable.
Churn rarely shows up with flashing lights. It’s often a slow fade: a drop in usage, unanswered emails, and quiet complaints. And from everything I’ve learned researching this space, spotting those signs early is nearly impossible without the best customer success software.
I don’t work in customer success, nor do I send quarterly business review (QBR) decks or manage renewals. But I spend my days analyzing the tools that help SaaS companies grow. Customer success software consistently stands out as one of the most valuable investments a team can make.
I’ve spoken to CS leaders, read through countless reviews, and analyzed how teams are using software to turn those “at-risk” moments into retention wins. The more I dig into this space, the clearer it becomes: great customer success software isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a lifeline for retention, expansion, and long-term customer loyalty.
Still, with so many tools claiming to solve the same problems, choosing the right one isn’t easy. That’s why I’ve pulled together 9 best customer success software worth your attention based on user feedback, key features, and how well they actually help teams stay ahead of churn.
*These are the top-rated customer success software in their category, according to G2 Grid Reports. Pricing for most of these products is available upon request, except for the ones for which I've already included the details.
From what I’ve seen, customer success software isn’t just about stopping churn. It’s about delivering a better customer experience, strengthening relationships, and driving long-term retention. It helps teams stay proactive, not reactive, and that shift alone can make a huge difference.
I’ve seen how the right platform can give CS teams the visibility they need to scale personalized support, track product adoption, and uncover opportunities to add value. These tools make it much easier to manage a growing list of accounts without missing a beat. You can track usage trends, automate check-ins, and spot red flags before they become real issues.
It’s not just about reacting when things go wrong; it’s about being one step ahead and making sure customers see success every step of the way.
And if you’re in the middle of evaluating tools, I know how overwhelming it can get. That’s why I put this list together—to spotlight platforms that consistently stand out for their usability, retention-driven features, and the real impact they’re making for customer success teams.
I started with a shortlist of top-rated customer success tools on G2 and dug into each platform’s features, pricing, and usability. I focused on how well they handled key functions like onboarding, customer health scoring, playbooks, automation, account tracking, and collaboration between CS and other teams.
To go deeper, I used AI to analyze G2 reviews and surface recurring themes, whether it was pain points users kept mentioning, features they couldn’t live without, or areas where certain tools consistently outperformed others.
Please note: While some platforms offer free trials, demos, or guided tours, there were a few I wasn’t able to try firsthand. In those cases, I connected with professionals who’ve used the tools directly and compared their insights with verified G2 reviews and my own independent research. The screenshots in this article include a mix of those captured during my research and testing, as well as images sourced from the vendors’ G2 profiles.
When I set out to evaluate these tools, I focused on what actually helps CS teams do their jobs better. Here’s what I prioritized while reviewing each platform.
Using these factors, I compared over 20 tools and narrowed them down to 9 best customer success software. While they aren't perfect, checking every single box in my checklist, they each excel in key areas that make them worth considering.
The list below contains genuine user reviews from G2's customer success software category page. To be included in the list, a tool must:
*This data was pulled from G2 in 2025. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.
Salesforce is one of the most well-known and widely used CRM and customer success platforms out there. It’s pretty much the gold standard for large enterprises and support-heavy teams that need deep case management, omnichannel service, and cross-functional alignment at scale.
If I had to describe Salesforce Service Cloud in one sentence, it would be: incredibly powerful, but not without its quirks. It leans more towards support and customer service workflows.
What stood out to me right away was how robust the platform is for case management. From what I’ve seen and what users consistently mention, it handles support at scale like a pro. The omnichannel capabilities, including web, chat, and email case routing, are a huge win for support teams juggling multiple channels.
In the screenshots I captured during my trial (before setting up the channels), you can see just how centralized and clean the case view is. You can assign labels, change owners, merge cases, and track everything with customizable filters. Everything, from setting up a new case and updating them to adding knowledge base articles, felt neat once you understood the flow.
Where Salesforce Service Cloud really shines, according to users, is in customizability. You can tailor workflows, automate actions, and build dashboards that actually reflect your customer lifecycle. During my research, I saw this mentioned again and again: it's a centralized system that makes collaboration easier, not harder.
Another thing that jumped out to me was the way AI is subtly integrated throughout the platform. From generating answers to summarizing customer conversations to using Einstein AI for predicting trends, Salesforce seems to be taking a thoughtful approach to automation.
That said, there are a few trade-offs to keep in mind. One thing that came up in several reviews was the pricing, which can become a consideration for growing teams.
A few users also mentioned that while the platform is highly customizable (which is a strength), making the most of that flexibility sometimes requires admin or developer support. From my own trial, I’d agree there’s a bit of a learning curve. It’s not difficult to get started, but configuring more advanced workflows or settings can take some time if you’re not already familiar with the Salesforce ecosystem.
That said, if your team has the resources to get it up and running properly, it can absolutely become the backbone of your customer success operation, especially if you already have Salesforce in your stack for CRM.
"Salesforce Service Cloud excels in Omni-Channel routing, AI-powered automation, and seamless integrations with tools like Intercom and WhatsApp. Its case management, knowledge base, and real-time analytics enhance efficiency, while customization and scalability make it ideal for growing support teams."
- Salesforce Service Cloud Review, Ian H.
"Salesforce Service Cloud is a very good platform, but requires a lot of add-ons for what I would have considered basic functionality, such as quote formatting. All of these add-ons are often all priced per user, so costs quickly rise depending on the number of users that you have on the Salesforce Platform."
- Salesforce Service Cloud Review, Jon S.
Gainsight Customer Success is exactly what its name suggests in my opinion. It gives customer success teams the insight they need to drive real gains in retention, engagement, and growth. Based on what I've found till now, Gainsight’s a favorite among mature CS orgs with dedicated ops or admin support.
I only had access to a demo of Gainsight, but even without getting hands-on, I can see why so many CS teams swear by it. From what I gathered during my demo and confirmed by dozens of user reviews, it’s clearly built for teams that need full visibility into customer health, relationships, and outcomes.
What stood out to me first is how many users rave about the Timeline and 360-degree views. It sounds like Timeline has become the go-to spot for staying on top of every interaction, touchpoint, and update tied to a customer. A lot of CS professionals described it as their single source of truth, especially when juggling a large book of business. That’s the kind of structure I know a lot of teams wish they had—less hunting across tools, more time actually helping customers.
I also saw a ton of love for Gainsight’s dashboards and automation features. Users mention how easy it is to track account health, set up alerts, and even forecast risk. The ability to customize playbooks and trigger workflows based on behavior or product usage seems like a huge plus, especially for CS teams trying to scale without losing that personal touch.
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind. A few users that the platform can feel a bit click-heavy at times based on what I heard. Accessing certain features often takes more steps than you'd expect, and that can add friction to your day if you're working through a high volume of accounts.
Another theme that I saw often was the complexity that came with its feature-rich nature. Gainsight is incredibly powerful, but that power comes with a learning curve. It’s not exactly plug-and-play.
These aren't dealbreakers, but more like things to plan for, in my opinion. If your team has the right resources (or is willing to invest in them), the long-term payoff seems to be there.
Still, it’s clear that Gainsight isn’t just another CRM add-on—it’s a purpose-built customer success platform with real depth. Whether it’s surfacing product adoption trends or supporting interdepartmental collaboration, the tool seems to deliver value across the board.
I may not have gotten to try it fully myself, but if I were part of a CS team looking to level up our operations, I’d absolutely want this on the shortlist.
"Some of the things I like most about Gainsight is the breadth of functionality. It helps us centralize our customer data for our Customer Success Management teams. In addition, there is an ability to highly customize the set up of your environment.
We can write rules based on specific actions unique to our organization; we can create connected actions from rules to JO programs, to reports and dashboards, and back again. Similar to many other organizations, our data does not just live in one source, so we take advantage of its ability to connect to other sources, primarily through API calls but Amazon S3 and even CSV when needed."
- Gainsight Customer Success Review, Carol K.
"Gainsight has come a long way with their user interface but there are still some admin features that are click heavy and some error messages that aren't informative enough, requiring an admin to contact Gainsight support."
- Gainsight Customer Success Review, Dan A.
Keeping track of dozens of accounts, health scores, and touchpoints isn’t easy. But from everything I’ve read, ChurnZero helps make it manageable. Full disclosure: I didn’t get the chance to demo or test ChurnZero myself with a free trial, but after digging into recent G2 reviews and doing a deep dive into what the platform offers, I can see why it’s gaining traction with customer success teams. It’s especially popular with fast-growing mid-sized CS teams.
What stood out to me immediately, from both research and user feedback, is how well ChurnZero brings everything together. It’s designed to be a true command center for CS teams: account overviews, task tracking, playbooks, health scores, customer journeys are all in one place.
Many users mentioned how helpful it is to have visibility across the customer lifecycle without jumping between tools, and that definitely came through in the way people described their daily workflows.
Customization also seems to be a big win. Users consistently mentioned how easy it is to tailor dashboards, automate processes, and segment accounts based on whatever metrics matter most to them. It sounds like ChurnZero gives teams a lot of flexibility without complexity. There’s also a strong emphasis on proactivity. Things like reminders, alerts, and playbooks seem to help teams take action before problems snowball into churn.
That said, it’s not without its friction points. One thing I noticed in several reviews, and something I’d keep in mind if I were evaluating ChurnZero for my team, is that it takes a little time to get fully comfortable with the platform. There’s a lot under the hood, and while that depth is definitely a strength, it takes some time.
I saw a few reviewers also mention that the interface, while functional, could feel a little dated or click-heavy in places. It sounds like once you’re familiar with the system, the navigation becomes second nature, but there may be a bit of an adjustment period upfront.
For most teams, these are manageable trade-offs. On the whole, ChurnZero is definitely a strong contender in the customer success space.
"ChurnZero covers all aspects of Customer Success and has the total circle of the client journey covered. It is specifically dedicated to Customer Success processes and that is what makes it unique. It is very easy to use and it's customer support is also amazing. I have reached out a couple of times and they were always helpful.
ChurnZero is included in our daily tasks and we use it very often, for the most of our processes. I have managed to succesfully integrate it with my Microsoft accounts (Calendar and Email) and I am able to see all messages in the account profile and the meetings as well, which makes my day organised."
- ChurnZero Review, Ivana S.
"The interface can feel a little outdated - there could be some improvements made to the UX."
- ChurnZero Review, Orla M.
From what I saw in the product tour and backed by tons of G2 feedback, Vitally feels like it’s built to give customer success teams their time back. Everything about it seems designed for clarity, speed, and customization, especially for teams that want data front and center without drowning in it.
The UI was one of the first things that stood out to me. It looks clean, modern, and actually enjoyable to navigate. Multiple reviewers echoed that—it’s customizable, constantly improving, and gives you control over how you see customer data. You can tell it’s designed with day-to-day usability in mind.
I also liked how clearly tasks and account renewals surfaced. Just from the screenshot alone, it’s easy to imagine a CSM jumping in each morning and knowing exactly what needs attention.
What really impressed me is how Vitally balances being powerful without being overwhelming. It pulls data from multiple tools like CRMs, support systems, product analytics and makes it usable, not just visible. Users seem to love how easy it is to centralize insights and take action.
Another bonus: the playbooks and automation workflows look genuinely useful for repetitive tasks like onboarding and lifecycle management. They’re visual, editable, and don’t seem to require a technical background to tweak.
Of course, no tool is perfect. Based on what I’ve seen in the reviews, getting Vitally fully set up and making sure all your integrations are working the way you want definitely takes some time. It can be a little difficult to create and put your playbooks in place as they require careful consideration.
A few users also pointed out that while the UI is clean and modern overall, some parts of it could be a bit more intuitive or robust, especially when it comes to accessing certain features. That said, once everything’s in place, most users seem to agree that the flexibility pays off.
Overall, Vitally looks like one of the more modern, CS-first platforms out there. It doesn’t just help you manage customer data, it helps you act on it. If your team wants something powerful but still approachable, this one's worth a serious look.
"If your integrations are set up correctly, it is the perfect tool to bring together all relevant infomation for your CS team. We integrate our product, amplitude, and Hubspot - which means I can evaluate any relevant cilent data in once place.
I also like that you can use it as acommuncation tool between teams/ indivduals where things are less likely to get buried like it would in something like Slack."
- Vitally Review, Patricia S.
"I do think that learning Vitally takes a bit of time and investment, since it is so customizable. You really need to have people on your team who are invested in "figuring out" the best ways to make Vitally work for your company and team. In addition, it's hard for somebody who is outside of your processes and org to log in and instantly understand the value that the org is getting, since each Vitally view is so customizable to the person using it. It's not necessarily "intuitive", especially if somebody new just logs in without the proper set up (or understanding that they need to do a set up)."
- Vitally Review, Melissa S.
.From renewals and QBRs to portfolio health and account insights, Planhat built to give CS orgs the clarity and structure they need to stay on top of their pipeline and customers. It’s especially popular with mid-market and enterprise teams that need visibility into what’s happening across segments without losing speed.
After watching the platform demo and digging into recent G2 reviews, it’s clear that Planhat puts real thought into the CS workflow. The dashboard design is sharp. It's simple, but packed with context.
You can quickly see account health, task status, renewal risk, and open expansion opportunities all in one view. I found the way it visualizes customer portfolios genuinely helpful. Several reviewers called out the time they save by having everything, from NPS scores to overdue QBRs. in one place.
What stood out the most was the balance of flexibility and structure. You’re not forced into a rigid playbook, but you still have the tools to keep things consistent: playbooks, lifecycle tracking, alerts, and integrations that actually plug into your day-to-day tools.
That said, it’s not a tool you master overnight. Some users mentioned the learning curve, especially when trying to configure dashboards or navigate advanced workflows. Others noted that while the interface looks clean, it can take a bit of exploring to get comfortable with how everything fits together.
I also saw few reviewers mentioning that integration options could be more extensive or easier to configure, especially when trying to connect tools beyond the core ecosystem.
But overall, people seem to genuinely enjoy working in Planhat—mostly because it helps them stay organized, align better with internal teams, and prioritize the right customer actions without guessing. So, I'd say it's definitely worth trying out.
"The product is made for Customer Success Teams, and it’s clear it has the people behind the product with the same mindset. Any lack of clarity in a help center article is more than resolved by reaching out to their superior level Support Team. Do I have questions? Chat. Needing to feel inspired or have someone to brainstorm with? Chat. It’s a level-up above anyone else in the industry."
- Planhat Review, Hannah D.
"Difficult to get the hang of initially. Filtering can be difficult on the data view, particulary saving your preferred view. The calendar/ task planning feature is not the most intuitive."
- Planhat Review, Joash G.
Totango definitely caught my attention as a platform that tries to keep things simple without stripping away functionality. From the walkthrough I saw, it feels like it’s built to support CS teams that want visibility, structure, and flexibility—without having to rely on a CS ops expert just to get started.
The thing I noticed most, and that shows up often in G2 reviews, is how helpful Totango’s segmenting and filtering capabilities are. Users really seem to love how they can quickly slice their customer base by key metrics, track lifecycle stages, and monitor behavior with custom views.
It gives you that high-level dashboard feel while still letting you drill down into what matters. The visual dashboards, task organization, and health score visibility stood out as big wins. You get at-a-glance clarity on renewals, risk, and engagement, which makes it easier for teams to stay on top of what needs attention.
A lot of users also mention that it’s pretty easy to learn. For me, that was refreshing to see. The UI is clean and intuitive, and reviewers often mention that the initial setup doesn’t feel overwhelming, especially compared to some heavier CS platforms.
That said, a few things came up in reviews I analyzed that are worth calling out. Some users mentioned that certain parts of the platform feel limited or rigid, like task creation, and management.
There were also some comments around integrations—not that they don’t exist, but that some could be improved or feel incomplete depending on the rest of your tech stack.
Overall, Totango seems like a strong choice for CS teams that want to scale their processes, keep tasks organized, and get a unified view of their customers without drowning in complexity.
"Totango does a fantastic job of taking the data fed into the platform and using it to create a Health Score based on the parameters that I need. By using the data, campaigns and SuccessBlocs can be easily utilized allowing for plenty of customization. The workflows are easy to set up and implement across the whole team. When I have needed support, the team has been quick to respond with the right solution."
- Totango Review, Christopher B
"Needs to be integrated a bit better to our internal systems like SalesForce, there is a lot of inconsistency in team structures and account ownershipm, as well as matching opportunities with accounts."
- Totango Review, Andrea C.
Explore G2 guide on top held desk software, all reviewed and rated by my colleague, Sudipto Paul.
Even though it's now officially part of Totango, it’s clear Catalyst earned a strong reputation on its own for being fast, clean, and refreshingly easy to use compared to some of the more bloated CS tools.
What stood out to me immediately was how many users talked about the interface. Nearly everyone mentioned that it’s intuitive, visually appealing, and just makes sense for a CSM’s daily workflow. It wasn’t trying to be everything at once, which meant less noise and more actual work getting done. I saw repeated mentions of how easy it was to track customer goals, monitor health, manage tasks, and see everything you need in one place.
I could also see a lot of love for how non-technical teams could get value from the platform without needing heavy admin support. Custom views, centralized customer data, and a clean dashboard experience made it ideal for CS teams who want something powerful but not overwhelming. For folks dealing with customer chaos across tools or lacking a single source of truth, Catalyst seemed to provide much-needed clarity.
That said, a few themes came up in the "could-be-better" department. I could see mentions of occasional bugs and minor UI confusion. Nothing major, but enough that people noted it. And while Catalyst focused on simplicity, a couple of reviewers acknowledged that came with fewer advanced features compared to more mature platforms like Gainsight.
But all in all, most users seemed genuinely happy with how Catalyst supported their workflow and made CS more manageable. If you’re a team looking for speed, clarity, and a no-nonsense approach to customer success, Catalyst definitely earned its rep.
"Catalyst pulls real time triggers and data for our sales org that allow us to bring in revenue every month. It saves us a bunch of time, streamlines our process, and gives us ammo to use every day. I look forward to every catalyst task I get because it means I have more prospects to reach out to, and potentially more revenue to bring in."
- Catalyst Review, Tyler G.
"The platform can be a bit buggy at times and I have had my integration with other tools not sync properly in the past."
- Catalyst Review, Lex H.
Staircase AI stood out to me as one of the more focused tools in the customer intelligence space. It’s built specifically to help CS teams understand engagement and sentiment across accounts, using real-time communication signals.
From the product overview I saw, I can tell it leans heavily on automation and AI to surface insights that might otherwise get lost in the noise, like who’s slipping into risk, which stakeholders are going dark, or where sentiment is trending.
What stood out to me, and clearly to a lot of users, is how easy it is to navigate. Multiple reviewers praised the simplicity of the UI and how intuitive the platform feels day to day. You don’t need a big learning curve to start seeing value. It really helps teams spot early warning signs in customer relationships and flag areas for deeper engagement.
Users also seem to love the clarity Staircase AI brings. Whether it’s surfacing sentiment signals, flagging risks, or showing who’s engaged at what level, the platform gives you a much more complete picture of each account.
Of course, there are a few minor limitations worth noting. I saw a few users pointing out that the amount of data can feel like a lot at first but with the right setup and learning, it becomes much more manageable. There were also a few light mentions of integration gaps, mostly from teams looking for deeper or more seamless connections with their existing tools.
That said, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Most users seem genuinely excited about how Staircase AI helps them act earlier, communicate smarter, and manage accounts more holistically. Now that it’s part of Gainsight, I’m curious to see how it evolves, but even on its own, it already seems like a solid tool for teams who want deeper insight without extra busy work.
"The AI features are great. They recently launched meeting notes and it has saved me a lot of time post-client calls. The reports are pretty insightful as well and help me quickly see when certain accounts need more attention. I like that we also have a CSM who helps us learn more about the platform."
- Staircase AI by Gainsight Review, Amanda M.
"It's not a dislike, more of an ask. Staircase has many native integrations, but there's always room for more. Additional Call Intelligence integrations and SFDC object syncing would be good additions."
- Staircase AI by Gainsight Review, Stephanie H.
ZapScale seems to be carving out a solid niche for itself in the B2B SaaS world, and from what people are saying, it’s easy to understand the appeal. It positions itself as a customer success automation platform, and from what I saw, most users seem to agree that it actually delivers on that promise.
Many folks mentioned getting a unified view of the customer. Everything from health scores and product usage to CS metrics and lifecycle stages is pulled into one place. A few reviewers even mentioned using it as their central system of record for CS, which says a lot.
I also got a sense that ZapScale is pretty data-driven. There’s a heavy emphasis on tracking KPIs and surfacing alerts that help CSMs act before things go south.
That said, there is still some improvement scope. Reporting came up as a recurring theme as I analyzed reviews. While the data is there, a few reviewers felt there could be more customized reports. There were also a handful of mentions around page load time and performance in heavier dashboards, though it didn’t sound like a dealbreaker. Overall, these seemed like areas where a little polish could go a long way.
If you're a growing B2B SaaS company looking for a CS tool that balances automation with usability, I'd say ZapScale is worth checking out.
"ZapScale is great for Customer Success automation, Also the Customer success team is very prompt & supportive. Campaign & survey feature is game changer.ZapScale gives the view of our customer health & likely to churn account which is helpful for us to plan our course of action."
- ZapScale Review, Blair J, Director of Operations.
"ZapScale doesn't yet provide us with an NPS survey, although plans exist to implement one soon. In the meantime, we manage NPS using another tool and incorporate its results into ZapScale for analysis."
- ZapScale Review, Aarti P.
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Customer success software helps businesses proactively manage relationships with their customers by monitoring usage data, automating outreach, and tracking key success metrics like health scores and renewals. It ensures customers achieve their desired outcomes, which boosts retention and satisfaction.
CRM software is typically used for managing sales pipelines, while customer support tools address specific user issues. Customer success platforms, on the other hand, take a proactive approach—identifying churn risks and opportunities to drive product adoption and upsells before problems arise.
Customer success is essential for reducing churn and maximizing customer lifetime value. When your customers consistently get value from your product, they’re more likely to stay, renew, and recommend it. That’s why businesses are increasingly investing in customer success software to scale these outcomes.
The best customer success software offers features like health score monitoring, customer segmentation, usage analytics, onboarding playbooks, and integrations with CRMs or support tools. Advanced platforms may also include workflow automation, predictive alerts, and customizable dashboards.
Customer experience is the overall perception a customer has of your brand across all touchpoints. Customer success focuses more narrowly on ensuring users achieve their goals with your product. While they overlap, many businesses use both customer experience software and customer success tools to cover the full journey.
Absolutely. Customer support software is reactive—handling issues as they arise. Customer success platforms are proactive—tracking engagement, triggering alerts for low usage, and enabling strategic outreach. For optimal results, many teams integrate both systems.
Some popular solutions include Gainsight, ChurnZero, Totango, Catalyst, and ClientSuccess. The best choice depends on your company size, industry, and whether you prioritize automation, integrations, or reporting depth.
After spending some time exploring different customer success software platforms, one thing became clear to me: the “best” software isn’t just about features. It’s about fit.
What works beautifully for a SaaS company with a high-touch model might feel clunky or excessive for a product-led growth team. I learned that understanding your internal workflows, customer lifecycle stages, and the real pain points your CS team faces is more important than chasing shiny dashboards or the most expensive solution.
Here’s another thing I picked up during this process: pay close attention to how well the platform enables proactive engagement. Tools that offer deep integrations and usage-based triggers (like when a customer hasn’t logged in for 7 days or drops below a certain health score) will help your team move from reactive firefighting to strategic relationship building. That shift is where the real ROI of customer success software starts to show.
If you’re still unsure, don’t just rely on vendor demos. Talk to teams similar to yours and run short pilots when possible. The right tool won’t just help your customers succeed; it’ll also make your CS team feel empowered, efficient, and aligned with growth.
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