# Conversational CRM with AI agents or traditional CRM | Shimli > 56% of customers repeat their case to different people. What changes when the conversation is the record, and how it works alongside Salesforce or HubSpot. [Comparisons](https://www.shimliapp.com/en/comparar) CRM ## In a traditional CRM, the team records the conversation. In Shimli, the conversation is the record. The short answer A traditional CRM stores what the team writes down after talking to the customer. Shimli's CRM is born from conversations: every message, call and email lands on the customer's case on its own, the pipeline moves with what happens in the conversation and AI agents act inside it. If you already use Salesforce or HubSpot, Shimli connects to them. 5 min read · Updated October 5, 2026 Why choosing well matters 56% of customers say they often have to repeat or re-explain information to different people at a company [Salesforce, State of the Connected Customer ↗](https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/customer-expectations/) 28% of their week is what sales reps spend selling; the rest goes to tasks like data entry and deal management [Salesforce, State of Sales · 2023 ↗](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/sales-research-2023/) 65% of online adults prefer contacting a business by chat rather than by email or phone [Kantar for Meta, 13 countries · March 2024 ↗](https://whatsappbusiness.com/blog/growth-business-messaging-holiday-shoppers/) ### Where the time goes The difference isn't having a CRM or not, but who keeps it up to date. In a traditional CRM, the team - Copies into the CRM what was said on WhatsApp or by phone - Moves each deal's stage by hand - Looks up the history in another tool - Asks the customer to explain their case again - Replies only during office hours What isn't written down doesn't exist for the next advisor. In Shimli, the platform Hi, I spoke with you yesterday about order 4821. Has it shipped? - The conversation lands on the customer's case on its own, whatever the channel - The agent recognizes the customer and checks the order in your system - The pipeline moves with what happens in the conversation - If a person is needed, they get the case with full context The customer repeats nothing and the advisor copies nothing. ### The comparison, point by point It isn't one against the other: many companies use both. The table shows what each one specializes in. | Criterion | Traditional CRM e.g. Salesforce or HubSpot | Shimli's conversational CRM with AI agents | | --- | --- | --- | | Where the data comes from | From what the team records and its integrations | From every conversation, which lands on the case on its own | | Customer channels | Added through modules or integrations | Eight channels in one inbox, with official WhatsApp | | Sales or case pipeline | Complete and highly configurable | A conversation pipeline that moves with what happens in the chat | | Agents that serve and act | Depending on each vendor's plan and setup | Included; created by conversation in under 10 minutes | | WhatsApp and SMS campaigns | With additional tools or integrations | From the same Flow Builder, with measurement | | If you already have one | It stays your system of record | Connects with Salesforce and HubSpot through integration | The CRM, omnichannel inbox, pipeline, campaigns and agents are in the same $139 monthly plan. [See pricing](https://www.shimliapp.com/en/precios) ### When each one fits It isn't a contest: they're tools for different problems. #### A traditional CRM fits if… - Your sale is long, with many meetings and few chat conversations. - You need a central record for many areas of the company. #### Shimli's CRM fits if… - Your customers write on WhatsApp, Instagram, web or call. - You handle high volume and want an agent to resolve the repetitive part. - You want the record kept automatically, with nothing copied by the team. ### Frequently asked questions What people ask when comparing. Do I have to leave Salesforce or HubSpot? – No. Shimli connects with Salesforce and HubSpot, so you can keep your CRM as the main record and use Shimli for conversations and agents. What does Shimli's CRM include? + An omnichannel inbox with one conversation per customer, assignment to people, a conversation pipeline, contacts, campaigns and dashboards. And AI agents work on the same cases as your team. Does the team have to record anything by hand? + What happens in the conversation is recorded on its own: messages, transcribed calls, emails and what the agent did. The team only adds what didn't happen in a channel. Sources - Salesforce, “State of the Connected Customer”, customer expectations - Salesforce, “State of Sales”, 2023 - Meta and Kantar, business messaging study in 13 countries, March 2024 ### Create your first agent in under 10 minutes. Describe what you need to the assistant and watch the agent work. Or we book 30 minutes and look at it on your operation. [Create account](https://shimli.app/user/auth/create-account) Book a demo