BIGContacts vs EngageBay: A Feature-by-Feature Showdown

BIGContacts and EngageBay are popular names in the CRM industry. Congratulations if you have narrowed down your hunt for the best CRM to this point. From here, I’ll guide you through to address the ultimate question:

BIGContacts vs EngageBay - Which is the best among the two?

To be frank, I’ve been using BIGContacts for over a year and have also used EngageBay multiple times. My initial thoughts are that it won’t be a one-sided battle. Both offer decent value for their price.

Before we talk about which is the best software among the two, here’s a quick glance at the 2 tools -

Features

BIGContacts

EngageBay

Installation Type

Cloud-based

Cloud-based

Pricing

Freemium Plan available.

Paid plans start from $9.99/month/1000 contacts, billed annually.

Free Plan available.

Paid plans start from $11.95/month/500 contacts, billed annually.

Contact Organization

Centralizes contacts, tasks, and calendars. Offers custom data fields, tagging, and grouping for targeted contact management. Custom workflows and automated contact data updates.

Manages deals and tasks. Contact profiles store records of interactions, including calls, emails, meetings, notes, etc. Organizes all customer interactions into a visual timeline.

Contact Search & Filtering

Has a distinct search bar at the top. Allows switching to a list view that displays all contacts. Highly specific filters based on various contact details, including custom fields.

Has a basic search bar for contacts. Filters contacts based on broad categories like industry, lead source, etc.

Data Management & Security

Easy to import contacts from various sources (CSV, webforms, Gmail, etc.). Has Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Compliant with various data security regulations, including GDPR and CCPA.

Stores all customer data in a secure, centralized location. Compliant with GDPR, SOC 2, and HIPAA.

Integration & Automation Features

Integrates with various popular applications like Skype, ActiveCampaign, MailChimp, Intercom, etc. Email sequences, drip campaigns, and form builders to automate lead nurturing and marketing efforts.

Integrates with various popular applications like Zapier, Shopify, Mailgun, etc. Automates task creation, email follow-ups based on triggers, and deal pipeline management.

Reporting & Analytics

Pre-built reports into the sales pipeline, marketing campaigns, and overall team activity. Create highly customized reports based on various data points within contact records.

Pre-built reports for sales, marketing, and customer service. Tracks sales pipeline progress, conversion rates, etc.

BIGContacts vs EngageBay: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

To find out which is the best tool out of BIGContacts and EngageBay, I’ll be dissecting them based on these 6 crucial factors -

• Contact Organization
• Contact Search & Filtering
• Data Management & Security
• Integration & Automation Features
• Reporting & Analytics
• Pricing

Feature 1: Contact Organization

Both BIGContacts and EngageBay help you to manage and organize contacts. But who is the winner?

Well, BIGContacts’ customizable fields and tagging system allow users to segment contacts based on specific criteria, making it easier to execute targeted marketing campaigns and personalized follow-ups. 

The platform’s data import capabilities are robust, ensuring that transitioning from other systems doesn’t mean starting from scratch—historical data is preserved, and insights remain actionable. In my experience, this has proved to be a great time-saver.

EngageBay also centralizes all customer interactions into a single contact record.

(Image source: EngageBay Knowledge Base)

This consolidation is key for businesses looking for a 360-degree view of customer activity. It enables seamless customer journey tracking – from initial contact to post-sale support – all within one platform. 

EngageBay’s approach to contact organization is about creating a narrative for each customer, which can be incredibly powerful for sales and support teams.

Winner:

As a contact management software solution, I believe BIGContacts shines in the customization department. You can create custom fields to capture specific data points, which is great! Here’s the score after round 1 - and if you want to get a detailed comparison between many tools for their contact management feature, you must read this article to choose the best contact management software.

BIGContacts - 1, EngageBay - 0

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Feature 2: Contact Search & Filtering

Both BIGContacts and EngageBay offer basic search functionalities by name, email, or company. In my opinion, as long as you need the basics, you can choose any one of the two.

But, if you look a bit deeper, this is where BIGContacts takes the lead with its advanced search capabilities.

(Image source: BIGContacts)

This feature combines multiple criteria – location, industry, and custom field values. This laser-focused search functionality is helpful for creating targeted lists for marketing or customer service actions.

As for EngageBay, I expected it to have powerful filtering options, which the software doesn’t disappoint. And yes, you can segment the audience for more focused campaigns here.

(Image source: EngageBay Knowledge Base)

Winner:

Both platforms offer robust search and filtering tools. So, till that point, it was a tie. But, as someone who uses BIGContacts’ advanced search capabilities to locate specific contacts quickly, I know how handy it is. I think it gets a well-deserved point.

Here’s the score after round 2 -

BIGContacts - 2, EngageBay - 0

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Feature 3: Data Management & Security

When it comes to the best CRM for contact management, data management and security have to be flawless. With increasing cyber attacks and global privacy breaches, safeguarding customer information should be a top priority.

BIGContacts falls under ProProfs’ seal of trust for data security. The company addresses this with features like GDPR and CCPA compliance, single-sign-on, data encryption, and two-factor authentication (2FA) – ensuring a secure environment for customer data.

(Image source: ProProfs)

EngageBay leaves no stone unturned when it comes to data management and security. 

The platform offers GDPR compliance, which is crucial for businesses operating within or dealing with the European Union. EngageBay’s commitment to data security is evident in its encryption protocols that safeguard data, providing a secure environment for all customer interactions.

(Image source: EngageBay)

Winner:

Both platforms prioritize data security. They employ industry-standard encryption protocols and access controls to safeguard your valuable customer information. It's a tie in this round, and both tools get one point each.

BIGContacts - 3, EngageBay - 1

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Feature 4: Integration & Automation Features

BIGContacts offers a diverse range of integrations, including email marketing platforms like MailChimp and Campaign Monitor, productivity tools such as Google Contacts, and even accounting software like QuickBooks.

(Image source: BIGContacts)

EngageBay matches this with its array of integrations. From Shopify for eCommerce to Xero for accounting and automation options that streamline the sales process and personalize marketing efforts.

(Image source: EngageBay)

Now, let’s talk about automation. 

BIGContacts’ automation capabilities extend beyond basic tasks. The first thing I can remember is the drip campaign functionality. It lets me manage a series of automated emails that can be triggered by specific actions taken by contacts, such as opening an email or clicking a link.

(Image source: BIGContacts)

Apart from that, here are some other notable features I like -

• Automated tasks feature for sales teams: It can assign follow-up tasks based on the prospect’s stage in the sales cycle.
• Email read alerts: This provides real-time visibility into how engaged contacts are with the emails sent to them.
• Automated lead generation: It captures leads through various channels and automates follow-up processes.
• Lead scoring and nurturing: You can see scores given to leads based on their activities and nurture them with automated workflows.
• Sales manager report: This gives you an in-depth view of all current sales activities to help you stay on top of opportunities.

(Image source: BIGContacts)

So, where does EngageBay stand in comparison to all these features? Well, it also has an arsenal of automation capabilities, such as -

• Lead generation and scoring: Generates leads, captures them from various sources, and ranks them based on their likeliness of converting.
• Customer segmentation: Groups customers based on predefined criteria to target them with personalized campaigns.
• Automated email campaigns: This helps you automate email campaigns with personalized templates and sequences.
• Automated workflows: Sets up event-triggered workflows that execute a series of actions based on user interactions.

(Image source: EngageBay)

Winner:

Both tools have extensive pre-built integrations and robust automation capabilities. It’s a tie. 

BIGContacts - 4, EngageBay - 2

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Feature 5: Reporting & Analytics

Real-time data from CRM reporting offers better statistics for sales forecasts and makes it easier for you to adapt quickly to customer needs. Data analysis on key metrics enables your sales reps to make better decisions regarding campaign prioritization and sales initiatives.

So, where does BIGContacts vs EngageBay stand in this section?

As for BIGContacts, I liked how the reporting section is organized; you can find everything in one place. Various system reports are available to give you an overview of your current opportunities and team activities over a specific period.

(Image source: BIGContacts)

As discussed in one of the earlier points above, you get that advanced search and reporting feature, which allows you to perform detailed searches on any field within your contact database, helping you filter and find the exact list of contacts you need. You can also export these reports in PDF or Excel format.

On the other hand, I like how EngageBay lets you create customized dashboards for various parameters. You can analyze and generate reports concerning the parameters you choose. 

(Image source: EngageBay)

The software also lets you schedule the delivery of reports automatically to your mailbox to avoid manually generating reports. You can also export reports in multiple formats, such as Excel, CSV, or PDF files.

Winner:

Apparently, both tools have a robust set of reporting capabilities. But, EngageBay gets a point here as far as customization is concerned. In round five, each software scored one point.

BIGContacts - 4, EngageBay - 3

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Feature 6: The Pricing Factor

It’s no surprise that CRM features should be the first thing you should consider when picking a software solution. But it’s also important to ensure that the tool you get gives you maximum value for your money. 

So, from a user’s perspective, which software gets the crown for the best pricing? Let’s find out.

BIGContacts:

BIGContacts comes with two plans -

• The Free Plan - A freemium plan for up to 100 contacts. This one is perfect for micro-level businesses or even startups.
• The Business Plan - Starts at $9.99 per month for 1000 contacts. This plan is right for businesses with a huge contact list. It also offers dedicated onboarding support. 

(Image source: BIGContacts)

The best thing about the freemium plan is that you barely need to compromise with features. I’d suggest this to anyone who has less than 100 contacts. You can even request a free demo session.

Apart from these plans, you can also connect with the company’s sales team if you have more than 20K contacts.

EngageBay:

EngageBay’s CRM tool has 4 different plans -

• The Free Plan: This plan is available for up to 250 contacts and 1000 branded emails monthly. This should be good for startups who are ready to compromise some features.
• The Basic Plan: Starts at $11.95/user monthly for 500 contacts and 2,500 branded emails. (billed yearly).
• The Growth Plan: Starts at $45.99/user/month for 20K contacts and branded emails.
• The Pro Plan: Starts at $73.59/user/month for 30K contacts and branded emails.

(Image source: EngageBay)

Unlike BIGContacts, the free plan here cuts a lot of features like custom reports, automation, email sequences, and more. 

Unless you get the most expensive plan of EngageBay, you will always miss out on some features in the other three plans. 

Winner:

If you looking for CRM software that offers decent features at a better value, I’d recommend BIGContacts. It costs less and has a better free plan. That leads to our final score -

BIGContacts - 5, EngageBay - 3

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Which Is Better: BIGContacts or EngageBay?

Answering which platform is better is hard, especially after we saw a lot of rounds ending up in a tie. After comparing the CRM software features, I must say it was a tough fight from both platforms. 

That being said, I’ll help you in the decision-making process by listing down the pros and cons of each tool. Check them out -

BIGContacts

Pros:

1. Superior Contact Customization: Create custom fields to capture specific data points relevant to your business. This allows for in-depth segmentation and targeted communication strategies.
2. Robust Data Import: Seamlessly migrate existing contacts from spreadsheets or other CRMs, saving valuable time during setup.
3. Advanced Search Capabilities: Combine multiple search criteria like location, industry, and custom field values to pinpoint the exact contacts you need. This is a game-changer for businesses with large and diverse contact lists.
4. Powerful Automation Features: Automate repetitive tasks like sending follow-up emails, creating new deals upon form submissions, and assigning tasks based on specific criteria. This frees up your team to focus on more strategic initiatives.
5. Transparent Pricing Structure: Clear, straightforward pricing plans with varying features and user limits. You know exactly what you're getting for your money.

Cons:

1. Limited Email Templates: BIGContacts' email templates could have more variations for different use cases.
2. Less Customization for Reporting & Analytics: While BIGContacts offers reporting capabilities, they may not be the most customizable compared to some competitors.

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EngageBay

Pros:

1. 360-degree Customer View: Centralize all customer interactions into a single contact record to track the entire customer journey from initial contact to post-sale support.
2. Comprehensive Automation Features: Robust automation functionalities, including lead generation and scoring, customer segmentation, automated email campaigns with personalization options, and event-triggered workflows.
3. Customizable Dashboards: Create personalized dashboards with various parameters to analyze and generate reports relevant to their specific needs.
4. Freemium Plan with User-friendly Interface: EngageBay's free plan provides a suitable option for small businesses or startups looking for a user-friendly CRM solution to manage customer interactions.
5. Automated Report Delivery: Schedule automatic report delivery to your inbox, eliminating the need for manual generation and saving valuable time.

Cons:

1. Limited Contact Customization: While EngageBay offers contact segmentation, it may not provide the same level of customization for individual contacts as BIGContacts' custom fields feature.
2. Less Flexibility in Reporting & Analytics: While EngageBay offers customizable dashboards, BIGContacts' advanced search and reporting capabilities might allow for more granular data analysis.

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The Verdict:

If you have read this far, you probably have made up your mind. So, who won among BIGContacts vs EngageBay?

Well, if you ask me, I’d recommend BIGContacts if you have startups or SMBs. Why?

Firstly, BIGContacts merges contact management with email marketing, which is a great thing for small businesses. I mean, it saves your money while giving your sales and marketing teams a great platform. On top of that, BIGContacts’ pricing is also better than EngageBay.

EngageBay is also a decent platform with great CRM features. It’s especially good if you’re an enterprise with a larger budget. 

To conclude, I’d suggest you get a free demo or maybe try out their free plans. It’s always a good idea to test the software before purchasing it.

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