Commence

What Commence does

Commence Corporation is a privately held Customer Relationship Management software provider founded in 1988 and headquartered in Manalapan, New Jersey. The company designs, develops, and distributes CRM software for small to mid-size businesses that require more functionality than basic contact managers but seek to avoid the cost and complexity of enterprise platforms such as Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics. Its product portfolio centers on Commence Cloud CRM (Commence OnDemand) hosted on Amazon Web Services EC2 infrastructure, alongside an on-premise desktop product (Commence RM, currently at version 9.0). The platform is sold in three subscription tiers — Essentials CRM at $12/user/month, Sales CRM at $19/user/month, and Enterprise CRM at $32/user/month — with modular add-ons for marketing automation, project management, and customer service ticketing. All editions are billed annually with a minimum of three users, and UK and EU pricing tiers are published in local currencies.

The company's technology stack includes native integrations with Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, SharePoint, QuoteWerks, and QuickBooks, a proprietary implementation methodology called STEP (Selling Tools Enablement Program), and a modular architecture that allows customers to purchase only the departmental applications they need. Commence markets AI-related features including AI CRM Integration and AI Field Service Management, and announced a dedicated Commence AI product in August 2025. Distribution combines self-serve free trials, an inside sales team, a U.S. channel program with Phoenix Fire, and a global network of business partners serving customers in more than 22 countries across 35 industries.

Revenue is generated through annual SaaS subscriptions, on-premise software licenses, professional services (implementation, training, customization, and data migration), and annual technical support plans. The company cites a customer base of "thousands of companies" with named references including Hewlett Packard, Novartis, USDA, Wells Fargo, YKK (USA), and SPL Inc. Commence is GDPR-compliant, holds no disclosed external institutional investors, and continues to be led by founder Larry Caretsky as CEO and President.

Name

Commence

Legal name

Commence Corporation

Website

https://commence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Commence Corporation is a privately held CRM software provider founded in 1988, offering cloud and on-premise solutions for small to mid-size businesses across 22+ countries with tiered SaaS pricing from $12 to $32 per user per month.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Success & Account Management CRM (HDAEAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketing Automation & Campaign Management CRM (HDAEAFAB), Customer Service, Support & Contact Center CRM (HDAEAFAC), CRM Implementation & Systems Integration (BPAFAFAB)

Keywords

• Customer relationship management
• CRM software
• Sales automation
• Marketing automation
• Small business CRM

Headquarters

HQ city

Eatontown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CRM Software Subscriptions: Annual subscription model with tiered pricing (Essentials, Sales, Enterprise CRM). Users pay per user per month, billed annually. Add-on modules for Marketing, Project Management, and Customer Service available at additional cost.
2. Professional Services: Implementation, data migration, customization, instructional training, consultation, and third-party system integration services. Provided from US, Europe, and global business partners.
3. Software Licenses (On-Premise): Desktop CRM software available as on-premise licensed software, complementing the SaaS offering.
4. Technical Support Plans: Annual software maintenance and technical support plans required for technical assistance. Support available via blocks of hours purchased for 12-month periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Commence Corporation develops and sells customer relationship management (CRM) software for small to mid-size businesses, offered as a cloud-based SaaS platform (Commence OnDemand) and as on-premise desktop software (Commence RM). The modular platform includes account and contact management, sales pipeline tracking, marketing automation, lead scoring, project management with Gantt charts, ticketing and customer service with a self-service Customer Portal, mobile CRM, and AI-powered capabilities introduced through Commence AI in 2025. The company also provides professional services for implementation, training, sales enablement, marketing enablement, lead generation, SEO, and account-based marketing.

Product overview

Commence Corporation offers a unified CRM platform designed for small to mid-size businesses, consisting of core Cloud CRM software available in three pricing tiers (Essentials CRM at $12/user/month, Sales CRM at $19/user/month, and Enterprise CRM at $32/user/month). The platform provides modular functionality including account/contact management, sales tracking, marketing automation, lead management, project management, and customer service with optional add-ons. Both cloud/SaaS (Commence OnDemand) and desktop/on-premise (Commence RM Desktop, currently at version 9.0) deployment options are available. The platform is complemented by professional services such as Lead Generation Services, Sales Enablement, Marketing Enablement, SEO Services, and Account Based Marketing as a Service. In August 2025, the company announced Commence AI, introducing artificial intelligence capabilities. Additional features include Commence Mobile CRM for mobile access, Customer Portal for self-service support, and iCommence mobile add-on for desktop users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commence Cloud CRM (Commence OnDemand) A cloud-based SaaS CRM solution for small to mid-size businesses that integrates sales, marketing, customer service, project management, and reporting into a single platform with real-time dashboards, customizable reporting, third-party integrations, and automatic updates.
• Commence RM Desktop Desktop/on-premise CRM software available as licensed software for customers who prefer on-premise deployment. Current version is RM 9.0 Designer Edition.
• Commence AI AI-powered product announced in August 2025 that brings artificial intelligence capabilities to the Commence CRM platform, including AI CRM Integration and AI Field Service Management features.
• Sales Enablement Services Professional services for sales execution and process optimization using CRM best practices, designed to help SMB sales teams maximize CRM ROI.
• Marketing Enablement Services Professional services helping businesses maximize CRM software ROI through marketing process optimization, campaign execution, and analytics.
• Lead Generation Services Lead generation service helping businesses capture, qualify, and nurture leads as part of sales enablement and CRM adoption.
• SEO Services Search engine optimization services bundled as part of the All-in-One CRM offering, expanded in June 2024.
• Account Based Marketing as a Service Strategic marketing service focusing on account-based targeting approaches, introduced May 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14% to 21% increase in sales in first 9 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability2 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GPC Tech TeamminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2019GPC Tech Team integrates Commence RM with QuickBooks accounting software, enabling seamless data flow between CRM and financial systems for customers.
• Phoenix FirecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 January 2014Phoenix Fire is a U.S. channel partner for Commence CRM. Launched U.S. Channel Program with Phoenix Fire to expand distribution through resellers.
• Amazon Web Services (EC2)coreTechnology or Integration · 13 October 2009Commence Cloud CRM initially deployed on Amazon Web Services Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) environment. Leverages AWS's scalability, high availability, reliability, and disaster recovery options. AWS's global cloud data centers enable Commence to extend services in Europe.
• QuoteWerkscoreTechnology or IntegrationQuoteWerks sales quotation software integrated with Commence CRM. QuoteWerks serves as repository for products and services sold while Commence manages contact information. Integration enables thousands of quotes to be generated with ~80% close rate.
• GoogleTechnology or IntegrationGoogle is mentioned as a service provider link through which inquiries about Commence products and services may be received. Commence integrates with Gmail for calendar synchronization and email logging.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationCommence integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Gmail for calendar synchronization and email correspondence logging. Also integrates with Microsoft SharePoint for document management. Full synchronization capability between Commence CRM and Outlook/Gmail.
• Salesforce.comminorOthersSalesforce is explicitly mentioned as a competitor in CRM market, not a partner. Included here for context on competitive positioning.
• Microsoft DynamicsminorOthersMicrosoft Dynamics is explicitly mentioned as a competitor in CRM market, not a partner. Included here for context on competitive positioning.
• SugarCRMminorOthersSugarCRM is explicitly mentioned as a competitor in CRM market, not a partner. Included here for context on competitive positioning.
• Zoho CRMminorOthersZoho CRM is explicitly mentioned as a competitor in CRM market, not a partner. Included here for context on competitive positioning.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bitrix24: All-in-one business management suite with CRM, project management, and collaboration tools targeting SMBs. Closely comparable to Commence's modular approach that combines sales, marketing, service, and project management at a low per-user price.
• SugarCRM: Named explicitly by Commence as a direct competitor. SugarCRM serves the mid-market with sales, marketing, and customer service automation, with a similar feature breadth and price-band positioning targeting companies outgrowing basic contact managers.
• Pipedrive: Sales-focused CRM designed for SMBs and small sales teams, with pipeline management, automation, and integrations. Closely comparable to Commence's Sales CRM tier ($19/user/month) in target buyer and core feature set.
• Act! (Swiftpage): Long-standing contact manager / CRM serving small businesses. Commence explicitly positions against ACT and Goldmine as the upgrade path, making Act! a directly comparable offering for the same replacement buyer.
• Apptivo: Cloud CRM suite for small businesses with modular apps spanning sales, marketing, project management, and invoicing. Comparable modular architecture and SMB target segment to Commence's offerings.
• Insightly: CRM and project management platform for small to mid-size businesses. Highly comparable to Commence given its combined CRM + project management offering, vertical solutions, and mid-market positioning.
• Zoho CRM: Named explicitly by Commence as a direct competitor. Zoho CRM targets SMBs and mid-market with broad sales/marketing/service functionality, modular add-ons, and aggressive per-user pricing closely aligned with Commence's tier structure.

Broad incumbents

• HubSpot: Dominant SMB-focused CRM and marketing automation platform with a free CRM tier. Competes with Commence for the same small business buyer with a much broader product portfolio (Marketing Hub, Service Hub, Sales Hub) and significantly larger sales/marketing engine.
• Freshsales (Freshworks): Part of the broader Freshworks suite, Freshsales offers sales CRM with built-in phone, email, AI (Freddy AI), and chat for SMB and mid-market — a similar product scope to Commence with greater scale and AI investment.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365: Named explicitly as a competitor. Dynamics 365 serves mid-market and enterprise with deep Microsoft 365 integration — the same ecosystem compatibility Commence offers via Outlook and SharePoint, but with vastly broader scale and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommenceCorp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CommenceCRMSoftware
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommenceCRM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commence-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/commencecrm
• Pinterestpinterest.com/Commence_CRM

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commence