Bitrix24 Review

Free Collaboration Software for Companies of All Sizes

Very few platforms can stand shoulder to shoulder with Bitrix24. The company offers a vast choice of products, currently counting over 35. The fact that the vendor has a free edition of the software makes Bitrix24 all the more impressive. 

The wide array of products is one of the core values of the software. The option to run your entire business on a single platform is what people like most about Bitrix24. 

Some reviews of Bitrix24 highlight lags and bugs as the platform’s downfalls, but there’s an explanation. First off, the company is continually adding new tools. During various development phases, these tools have issues occasionally. The Bitrix24 team, however, never stops working on fixing all existing issues.

Then, the vendor is gradually expanding its capacities. The number of data centers nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020 alone, having jumped from nine to 16, while the platform’s availability remains at 99.99%, all of which have helped Bitrix improve the quality of its services.

A Feature-Rich All-In-One Solution

One of the main strengths of Bitrix24 is (free) access to a multitude of tools from a single interface. The vendor divides its platform into five categories:

• Communication tools
• Project and task management
• CRM software
• Website builder
• Contact center.

Given the wealth of Bitrix24 features, as well as the time users need to get the hang of the software, Bitrix24 is not a short-term solution.

Bitrix24 Communication Tools Review

Bitrix24 is known for its outstanding collaboration tools. The platform supports all means of communication within a company, including crisp audio and high-quality video conferencing. The latter puts Bitrix24 ahead of some popular collaboration platforms.

The activity stream that resembles social networking sites helps everyone adapt to the software more easily, and stay up-to-date with all company activities. The platform supports video announcements, real-time chat messaging, and discussion threads, all of which, according to Bitrix24 reviews, facilitate user communication.

Users can also easily share and store documents with Bitrix24.Drive. This gives the vendor an edge over other platforms that rely on third-party integrations such as Google Drive and Dropbox. Features include document editing and changelogs. One of the users’ favorites is the platform’s robust dynamic search functionality. It helps them quickly sort through documents, and if they like a particular file, it’s displayed closer to the top of search results.

Bitrix24 integrations are truly impressive, especially for calendars. The platform integrates with iCal, Outlook, Google Calendar, Exchange, and CalDAV, allowing for simple calendar sharing and synchronization.

The HR suite is also part of the Bitrix24 communication platform, helping the product rank well compared to some of the best HR software. Feature-wise, Bitrix24 offers time and attendance tracking tools, request approvals, records management, and time-off management tools.

Setting flexible, fixed work hours and scheduling shifts is another essential and customizable feature. The same goes for the software’s outstanding self-service portal.

Looking at other Bitrix24 alternatives in the HR field, the vendor has a small advantage, as it further offers employee engagement software tools. On the downside, worktime tracking, absence management, and work reports are only available with the vendor’s most expensive plan. Then again, one of the primary strengths of Bitrix24 is that it delivers excellent value for money. So, if you plan on using the software regularly, it will pay itself off in the long run, delivering high ROI rates.

Bitrix24 Project Management Review

User opinions about the Bitrix24 project management software are divided. Some think that, because the vendor offers so many different products, none of them are comprehensive enough. Based on our research of Bitrix’s project management tools, however, we cannot agree with that.

On the most basic level, the software helps you manage your projects, create tasks, and assign them to your company’s teams or individuals. To ensure you never miss out on important updates, Bitrix24 has an impeccable notification system. Some Bitrix24 reviews suggest that users are not happy about getting too many notifications. The software, however, allows you to adjust their settings by selecting the type of notifications and delivery channels.

Another essential feature of project management software is time tracking. Bitrix24 has done a magnificent job of helping companies track time spent on tasks and projects. Many of its competitors haven’t yet implemented this feature.

The software further supports Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and classic calendar view. Bitrix24 also supports all available task dependencies.

In a comparison of Bitrix24 vs Zoho Projects, it’s really difficult to pick a winner. Both platforms include more than just project management features. For some users, Bitrix24 might be a better option, as it offers a generous free plan for up to 12 users, allowing them to not only try out the software but to fully operate their entire business for free. Zoho Projects, by contrast, supports two users and three projects with its free software.

Bitrix24 CRM Review

Unlimited contacts, opportunities, and leads are available with all Bitrix24 plans, which is a big plus for a CRM vendor. We’ve compared Bitrix24 vs Insightly, and discovered that the latter limits these resources based on the selected package.

The platform has built-in email tracking, allowing you to easily check open and click rates. One of the features that appeal to Bitrix24 CRM users is the option to view your CRM records in a Kanban board view. You can further add custom stages to your sales processes. Additionally, all activities related to a CRM record are displayed in chronological order.

What you won’t find in many reviews of Bitrix24 are the vendor’s recently-introduced improvements. The newest implementation relates to access rights. Users can now control who can access their clients’ records. Another cool Bitrix feature is CRM presets. These are adjusted to provide business owners with sales tools and CRM settings based on their industry.

Bitrix24 further added the Lookalike Audiences tool, allowing users to connect their Facebook Ad account with Bitrix24, and get new audiences similar to those they already have. Plus, Bitrix24 is the first CRM to allow users to bill their clients directly from the system.

In the Bitrix24 vs HubSpot vs. Zoho CRM battle, features are not the primary concern for users. All of these platforms offer a comprehensive list of tools, although Bitrix24 currently lacks territory management capabilities.

For some, both Bitrix24 and Zoho are the top picks due to the versatility of their product offering. For others, an intuitive product interface and easily reachable customer support are the deciding factors for choosing CRM software. Bitrix24 has a slight disadvantage here. The product’s interface is overwhelming and not very user-friendly. It takes some time getting used to it, but it’s well worth the try.

Bitrix24 Website Builder Review

Another excellent Bitrix24 tool is a free website builder. Using it, you can create a website quite easily with its simple point-and-click interface. Compared to the best website builder solutions, Bitrix24 is a tough opponent. The platform includes website templates, pre-built building blocks, a secure site with an SSL certificate, a free image library, and much more.

What makes Bitrix different from other website development tools is that the CRM system is incorporated into the site builder offering.

Another feature we want to highlight in our Bitrix24 review is the vendor's ecommerce functionality. Even with the free plan, users can create an online store. Meanwhile, the number of products ranges from 100 to 3,000, and the Professional plan users can even have an unlimited number of products. The company doesn’t charge any transaction fees and features powerful automation tools. Other features include product variants, stock and inventory management, and pretty much all the features that the top ecommerce platforms support.

Bitrix24 Contact Center Review

The company’s call center software ranks among the best. According to Bitrix24 reviews, here’s what the users like about the software: it supports an unlimited number of incoming and outcoming calls, call whispering, automatic call distribution, call queuing, and has an excellent intelligent call routing system. The downside of the Bitrix24 call center platform is that it doesn’t support skilled-based routing, but we hope this feature will become available soon.

What competing solutions don’t have is a powerful CRM system integrated with the call center software. Overall, it is a free product and ticks off a lot of boxes in this category.

ERP Software

Bitrix24’s ERP system has most of the features you’ll find in the leading software from this category. These include workflow automation, CRM, HR, and reporting tools. On the flip side, the platform lacks built-in accounting functionality, inventory, and order management tools. The platform bridges this gap with third-party integrations. 

Bitrix24 shines in communication, CRM, and project management tools, but according to Bitrix24 user reviews, the vendor still has more work to help its ERP software compete with the leaders in this category.

Appointment Scheduling Software

The extensive Bitrix24 software collection includes appointment scheduling tools. The product supports unlimited appointments. The client management functionality is superior compared to other appointment scheduling software, as, after all, Bitrix24 is primarily a robust CRM system. The platform further integrates with popular calendar tools, supports recurring appointments, and offers a wealth of customization options.

BPM Software

Another category the vendor’s tools cover is business process management software. Bitrix24 reviews show that the platform is an excellent choice for managing business processes. It is available on-premise and in the cloud, with its features ranging from creating tasks, to standard, and custom business processes. The platform further offers sales automation tools, a Bitrix24 app for using the BPM software on-the-go, and real-time updates.

What Other Tools Does Bitrix24 Support?

Our Bitrix24 review has covered a dozen products so far, but the list doesn’t end here.

So, what else can you do with Bitrix24? Here’s a brief rundown:

• Webmail management — you can connect and sync your email client with Bitrix24, and manage all your
• email communications for your Bitrix24 account.
• IP-based access limitation — set access permissions based on your employees’ IP addresses.
• Web forms — create surveys, service requests, and comment-based forms.
• e-Learning — create online courses and tests.
• Helpdesk — provide technical support to your customers.

Taking into account Bitrix24 user reviews and their overall satisfaction with the wealth of tools on offer, we cannot but notice that the vendor’s mission to become a one-stop-shop for businesses of all sizes is becoming more tangible than ever.

Bitrix24 Customer Support

Apart from a website revamp, we’d like to see an upgrade in the vendor’s customer support. While they have made some improvements and now have 85 customer support technicians, for a company boasting 7 million users, that is hardly enough.

Bitrix24 features an extensive knowledge base, and according to the vendor, users can find the answers to 95% of their questions.

Additionally, the different contact channels and response times are based on a user’s subscription. Free account holders have to rely on self-help materials, such as webinars, and the vendor’s knowledge base, whereas paying customers have access to live chat support. Users can also get technical support from Bitrix24 partners.

Is Bitrix24 Really Free?

Yes, Bitrix24 really is free. The company has one of the most generous free plans in the industry. For instance, features such as Kanban boards and Gantt charts are included in the free plan.

At the time of writing this Bitrix24 review, the company removed the limit on the number of users that can use the software for free to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Otherwise, the free plan supports up to 12 users.

The Free plan includes 5GB of online storage and a variety of tools and features. Some of them are basic CRM tools, a free website builder, contact center software with built-in telephony, live chat, and call tracking, project management software, video calls, online store builder, calendars, document management, and basic HR tools.

Bitrix24 Special Plans

The Bitrix24 pricing for the Special Plans ranges from $24/month (Start+) to $69 (CRM+ and Project+).

The Start+ plan supports two users, 10 GB of online storage, and advanced features for the following software: online store, contact center, CRM, task and project management, sales center, chat, video calls, and communication tools. The plan also supports basic administration tools.

The CRM + package is designed for up to six users and includes 50GB of online storage. Unlike the Start+ plan, it supports advanced communication tools and basic CRM marketing features.

Lastly, the Project + plan offers fewer online store, CRM, and contact center functionalities, but it supports up to 24 users.

Bitrix24 Pricing for Business Plans

The two Business plans available with Bitrix24 are Standard and Professional, priced at $99/month, and $199/month. The Standard plan includes 50 users and offers advanced features for all software solutions mentioned above, except for chat video calls, which includes pro features.

The Professional plan doesn’t limit the number of users and supports all features.

On-Premise Solutions

There are three editions of the Bitrix24 on-premise software — Bitrix24.CRM, Business, and Enterprise. Bitrix24.CRM supports up to 12 users and costs $1,490. The pricing starts at $2,990 for the Business plan and at $24,990 for the Enterprise package.

Bitrix24 Saving Opportunities

Bitrix24 promo code offers aren’t available, but there are other ways to get the software at a discounted price. The best way to save money on the Bitrix24 software is to choose a long-term subscription. The cloud-based software edition offers a 21% discount with a yearly subscription and 30% with the two-year subscription.

The promotion that includes a chance to win a free subscription for a Professional plan for free by sharing #Bitrix24 on social networks is no longer active.

Non-profits, educational, healthcare, government, labor organizations, churches, and charities are eligible for a 15% discount according to data available at the time of writing this Bitrix24 review. The discount applies to all editions of the on-premise software, but it is available only with the yearly and two-year subscriptions with the cloud edition.

Bitrix24 also offers a 30-day free trial and the demo that lets you use all software features.

Compared to its competitors, Bitrix24 is reasonably priced. Given the number of products, it surely delivers good value for money.

We put Bitrix side by side with Zoho, which has a similarly extensive product catalog. In our Bitrix24 vs Zoho comparison, the former comes out as the more affordable option. Both platforms offer numerous tools, but Zoho CRM bases its pricing on the number of users, which can turn out to be pricey for large organizations. In contrast, Bitrix24 supports an unlimited number of users for a fixed fee.

Is Bitrix24 Any Good?

In short — yes. The company has done a lot of things right. The option to run an entire business on a single platform is quite impressive, along with the vendor’s innovative, feature-rich CRM software, excellent communication tools, a robust project management software, and an easy-to-use website builder. Still, as our Bitrix24 review shows, there’s room for improvement, including a more intuitive interface, better customer support, and built-in accounting software.