Editor's note, November 1, 2026: Rebuilt from our 2020 list: 10 CRMs for small businesses re-ranked on fit, price, free plans and public reviews, with prices checked on 31 October 2026.
How we choose: we research each tool on its own site, check prices at the source and read what users say in public reviews. Our method
HubSpot is the best CRM for most small businesses. Its free plan covers 2 users with no time limit, and sales, marketing and service tools share one contact record when you are ready to pay. If your team mainly sells and wants a fast, visual pipeline, choose Pipedrive. If you want the most features for the money as you grow, choose Zoho CRM, which is free for up to 3 users.
Other needs point elsewhere. Freshsales and Close suit teams that call prospects all day, Less Annoying CRM is the simplest tool at one flat price, and folk fits founders and agencies who sell through LinkedIn and email.
When you compare CRMs, check three things before features. Will the whole team actually use it? Which plan includes the few features you need now, and what does that plan cost per user? Does it connect to the email, calendar and accounting tools you already run? Prices below were checked on 31 October 2026. For more options, browse our CRM category.
The list at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan | Team |
|---|
| 1 |  HubSpot CRM | Small teams that want a free CRM with marketing tools on the same record | Free; Starter starts at $7/mo/seat (limited-time new-customer price with an upfront annual payment; normally $20/month per seat) | Yes | Sales |
| 2 |  Pipedrive | Small sales teams that run their week from a deal pipeline | €14 per seat per month (Lite) | No | Sales |
| 3 |  Zoho CRM | Growing small businesses that want depth for a low price | $14 per user per month | Yes | Sales and marketing |
| 4 |  Freshsales | Small teams that call and email prospects from the CRM | $9 per user per month, billed annually | No | Sales |
| 5 |  monday CRM | Non-technical teams that want to shape their own CRM | €12 per seat per month | No | Sales |
| 6 |  Capsule CRM | Small businesses that want a clean, simple CRM with a free start | $18 per user per month | Yes | Sales |
| 7 |  Less Annoying CRM | Owner-led businesses moving off spreadsheets | $15 per user per month | No | Sales |
| 8 |  Salesforce Starter Suite | Small businesses that expect to grow into Salesforce | $25 per user per month | Yes | Sales |
| 9 |  Close | Small inside sales teams that sell by phone | $9 per user per month (Solo, annual) | No | Sales |
| 10 |  folk | Founders and agencies that sell through relationships | $24 per member per month | No | Sales |
How we chose
We ranked each CRM on the five points of our published method, in this order. First, fit for a small business: how quickly a small team can set it up and keep it updated. Second, the features small teams use most, such as a visual pipeline, email and calendar sync, reminders, calling and simple automation, taken from each vendor's own documentation. Third, price and how clearly it is stated, including free plans, trials, seat minimums and the cost of the plan you will really need. Fourth, what users report in public reviews on G2. Fifth, whether the product is actively developed.
Every CRM was researched on its own website, pricing page and help centre, and in public reviews on G2. Where two tools were close, the clearer and lower starting price won.
Best for small teams that want a free CRM with marketing tools on the same record
1. HubSpot CRM
Sales- Starting price
- Free; Starter starts at $7/mo/seat (limited-time new-customer price with an upfront annual payment; normally $20/month per seat)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The easiest place to start. The CRM is free for 2 users with no time limit, and sales, marketing and service tools sit on the same contact record when you are ready to pay.
Why it's on the list
HubSpot's free CRM covers 2 users and 1,000 contacts with no expiry and no credit card, so a small business can try it on real deals. It includes a deal pipeline, email tracking and templates, a meeting scheduler and shared dashboards, and connects to Gmail and Outlook. Starter normally costs $20 per seat per month, and on 31 October 2026 new customers were offered $7 per seat with an upfront annual payment. G2 reviewers praise its ease of use, while the most common complaint is that automation, forecasting and custom reporting sit on the pricier Professional and Enterprise tiers.
Pros
- Free plan for 2 users, with no time limit
- Contacts, deals, emails and activity on one record
- Email tracking, templates and a meeting scheduler included
- More than 2,000 apps in the HubSpot Marketplace
Cons
- The free plan stops at 2 users and 1,000 contacts
- Key automation and reporting need Professional or higher
- Starter's low price is a limited-time offer for new customers
Who it's for
Small businesses that want to start free and later add marketing or service tools from the same vendor.
Who should skip it
Teams that need advanced automation on a tight budget, where Zoho CRM is worth comparing plan by plan.
More about HubSpot CRM: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for small sales teams that run their week from a deal pipeline
2. Pipedrive
Sales- Starting price
- €14 per seat per month (Lite)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The best pure sales CRM for small teams. It is quick to learn, built around a visual pipeline, and every plan includes Nova meeting intelligence.
Why it's on the list
Pipedrive centres on a visual pipeline where deals move through stages, with activity tracking, goals and reports with forecasting. Nova, its meeting assistant, prepares a brief before calls and drafts CRM updates afterwards on every plan. There is no free plan, but every plan has a 14-day trial without a card, and Lite cost €14 per seat per month billed annually on 31 October 2026. G2 rates it 4.3 out of 5, with ease of use and customisation the top praise and add-on costs a common complaint.
Pros
- Visual pipeline that G2 reviewers call intuitive
- Nova meeting briefs and recaps on every plan
- More than 500 integrations
- 14-day trial on every plan, no card needed
Cons
- No free plan
- Lead capture, email campaigns and projects are paid add-ons
- Email and follow-up automation starts on Growth, €39 per seat billed annually
Who it's for
Owner-led and small sales teams that sell in clear stages and want reps to adopt the CRM quickly.
Who should skip it
Businesses that want marketing email and service tools in the same system. HubSpot or Zoho CRM cover more.
More about Pipedrive: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for growing small businesses that want depth for a low price
3. Zoho CRM
Sales and marketing- Starting price
- $14 per user per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best value as you grow. A free edition for 3 users, then low per-user prices for automation and customisation that compete with far pricier CRMs. Expect more setup than Pipedrive.
Why it's on the list
Zoho CRM's free edition covers up to 3 users with leads, deals, workflows, reports and the mobile app. Paid plans started at $14 per user per month billed annually on 1 November 2026 and add AI agents, cadences, dashboards and sales forecasts, with CPQ on Professional and the Zia AI sales assistant on Enterprise. A 15-day trial lets you test the paid editions. G2 rates it 4.1 out of 5 from almost 3,000 reviews, and the most common complaints are the learning curve and slow support.
Pros
- Free edition for up to 3 users
- Low prices for deep automation and customisation
- Other Zoho apps, such as Zoho Projects, connect when you need them
- Sales forecasts from the Standard plan
Cons
- Learning curve, the most common G2 complaint
- Slow or unhelpful support mentioned on G2
- More setup than simpler CRMs
Who it's for
Small businesses with a few users today that expect to need custom fields, automation and reports as they grow.
Who should skip it
Teams that want a CRM working in an afternoon with no admin. Pipedrive or Less Annoying CRM are simpler.
More about Zoho CRM: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for small teams that call and email prospects from the CRM
4. Freshsales
Sales- Starting price
- $9 per user per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The lowest-priced paid plan in this list with phone, email and chat built in. A good pick if your reps call prospects and you do not need a free plan.
Why it's on the list
Freshsales includes chat, email and phone on its cheapest plan, Growth, which cost $9 per user per month billed annually on 31 October 2026. Freddy AI highlights the best leads and deals and helps write emails, and Pro adds contact scoring and sales sequences. The plan cards show no free plan, but there is a 21-day trial without a card. G2 rates it 4.5 out of 5 from more than 1,200 reviews, with ease of use and built-in calling the most common praise.
Pros
- Built-in phone, email and chat from $9 per user
- 21-day trial without a card
- Freddy AI lead and deal insights
- 4.5 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- No free plan on the current plan cards
- Sequences and contact scoring need Pro at $39 per user billed annually
- Limited report customisation, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Small sales teams that live on the phone and want calling inside the CRM without a separate dialer.
Who should skip it
Businesses that need a free plan. HubSpot, Zoho CRM and Capsule CRM have one.
More about Freshsales: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for non-technical teams that want to shape their own CRM
5. monday CRM
Sales- Starting price
- €12 per seat per month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The most customisable CRM a small team can set up without an admin. It suits teams that already use monday.com, but the 3-seat minimum and tight Basic plan raise the real starting cost.
Why it's on the list
monday CRM turns leads, contacts, accounts and deals into boards you shape with dozens of column types, plus automations and dashboards. Standard adds a timeline of every email, call and meeting, and Pro adds email sequences. Plans start at 3 seats, from €12 per seat per month billed yearly on 31 October 2026, with a 14-day trial and no free plan. G2 rates it 4.5 out of 5 from 1,939 reviews. It ranks below Freshsales because the seat minimum and Basic limits make it cost more to start.
Pros
- No-code boards, automations and dashboards
- Quotes and invoices built in
- AI agents for lead sourcing and meeting prep on the AI plan versions
- 4.5 out of 5 on G2, praised for ease of use
Cons
- 3-seat minimum and no free plan
- Basic is limited to 5 columns per board and 1,000 contacts and deals
- Less reporting depth than larger CRMs, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Small teams that change their process often, or that already run projects in monday.com.
Who should skip it
Solo founders and two-person teams, who would pay for a third seat they do not use.
More about monday CRM: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for small businesses that want a clean, simple CRM with a free start
6. Capsule CRM
Sales- Starting price
- $18 per user per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
Simple, well reviewed and free for 2 users. Its built-in project boards are a bonus for service firms.
Why it's on the list
Capsule keeps one record per person or company with history, emails, tasks and custom fields, and tracks opportunities through custom milestones. The Free plan covers 2 users and 250 contacts, and Starter cost $18 per user per month billed annually on 1 November 2026, with a 14-day trial. Growth adds workflow automations, multiple pipelines, project boards and AI summaries. G2 rates Capsule 4.7 out of 5 from 529 reviews, with ease of use and customer support the most common praise.
Pros
- Free plan for 2 users and 250 contacts
- 4.7 out of 5 on G2, praised for support
- Project boards for client work after the sale
- Direct links to Xero, QuickBooks and Mailchimp
Cons
- The free plan's 250-contact cap is low
- Automations and multiple pipelines need Growth, $36 per user billed annually
- Limited customisation, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Service businesses and small B2B teams that want a tidy CRM the whole team will use.
Who should skip it
Sales teams that need calling, sequences or deep reporting.
More about Capsule CRM: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for owner-led businesses moving off spreadsheets
7. Less Annoying CRM
Sales- Starting price
- $15 per user per month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The simplest CRM here, at one flat price with every feature included, and the highest G2 rating in the list.
Why it's on the list
Less Annoying CRM has one plan at $15 per user per month with all features, no tiers and no contract, as listed on 31 October 2026. It covers contacts and companies, unlimited pipelines, tasks with a daily agenda email, calendar sync, lead capture forms and reports. Every user, including people on the 30-day trial, gets free email and phone coaching. G2 rates it 4.9 out of 5 from 670 reviews, and the trade-off reviewers name most is limited automation and reporting as a business grows.
Pros
- One plan at $15 per user, everything included
- 4.9 out of 5 on G2
- Free human coaching by email and phone
- 30-day trial without a card
Cons
- Limited automation, reporting and customisation
- No AI features mentioned on its product tour
- Integration gaps, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Small businesses and solo professionals who want contacts, follow-ups and a pipeline without learning a complex tool.
Who should skip it
Teams that need sales automation, sequences or detailed forecasting.
More about Less Annoying CRM: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for small businesses that expect to grow into Salesforce
8. Salesforce Starter Suite
Sales- Starting price
- $25 per user per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
Salesforce's small-business bundle, with sales, service and email marketing basics in one plan. The right start if you plan to move up to Salesforce later, with more setup than the tools above.
Why it's on the list
Starter Suite cost $25 per user per month on 31 October 2026, with no user maximum, and covers leads and opportunities, email and calendar sync, email marketing, case management and a conversational AI assistant. Free Suite covers 2 users for basic contact tracking, and Starter has a 30-day trial without a card. Forecasting, quotes, custom objects and Flow automation need Pro Suite at $100 per user. G2 has no separate listing for Starter Suite, and reviews of Salesforce's sales product as a whole mention a steep learning curve and cost.
Pros
- Sales, service and email marketing basics in one plan
- Free Suite for 2 users and a 30-day trial
- A clear path to the full Salesforce platform
- Connected Slack workspace included
Cons
- Forecasting, quotes and Flow automation need Pro Suite at $100 per user
- Steep learning curve, per G2 reviews of Salesforce's sales product
- Salesforce says transaction fees apply on Starter
Who it's for
Small businesses with growth plans that want to stay on one platform as they add sales, service and marketing staff.
Who should skip it
Owner-led businesses that want the simplest tool. Less Annoying CRM or Capsule CRM are easier.
More about Salesforce Starter Suite: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for small inside sales teams that sell by phone
9. Close
Sales- Starting price
- $9 per user per month (Solo, annual)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The best CRM here for calling-heavy sales, with calling, SMS and email built in. Solo founders can start cheaply, but team plans cost more than most.
Why it's on the list
Close lets reps call, text and email from inside the CRM, with call and SMS usage charged at cost, and Growth adds a power dialer and multi-step workflows. Solo cost $9 per month billed annually for one user on 31 October 2026, and team plans start with Essentials at $35 per user. There is a 14-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. G2 rates Close 4.7 out of 5 from more than 2,100 reviews, praising ease of use and support, though some reviewers report calling problems and unexpected charges.
Pros
- Calling, SMS and email inside the CRM
- Power dialer and workflows on Growth
- 4.7 out of 5 on G2, praised for support
- Chloe AI agent on every plan, paid with AI credits
Cons
- Team plans start at $35 per user, and workflows need Growth at $99
- Calls and texts are charged on top
- Some G2 reviewers report calling issues and unexpected charges
Who it's for
Small teams that make many outbound calls and want the dialer, email and pipeline in one place.
Who should skip it
Businesses that rarely call prospects. The pricing makes most sense for phone-led teams.
More about Close: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for founders and agencies that sell through relationships
10. folk
Sales- Starting price
- $24 per member per month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A light relationship CRM for people who work from LinkedIn and their inbox. Easy to start, but not built for a large sales team.
Why it's on the list
folk's Chrome extension adds people from LinkedIn and other sites, and folk syncs Gmail, Outlook, calendar and WhatsApp conversations into pipelines. Standard includes enrichment, email campaigns and AI assistants, and cost $24 per member per month billed yearly on 31 October 2026, or $30 billed monthly. There is a two-week trial and no free plan on the plan cards. G2 rates it 4.5 out of 5 from 346 reviews, and complaints centre on email tracking and sync.
Pros
- Adds contacts from LinkedIn through a Chrome extension
- Syncs email, calendar and WhatsApp conversations
- Email campaigns and enrichment on the entry plan
- 4.5 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- No free plan
- Deals as a custom object and email sequences need Premium at $48 per member
- Email tracking and sync issues mentioned on G2
Who it's for
Founders, consultants and agencies whose pipeline is built on relationships and referrals.
Who should skip it
Teams with a structured sales process, quotas and forecasting.
More about folk: pricing, features and alternatives
Also considered
- Attio: Free for up to 3 seats and very flexible, but its data model suits startups and data-minded revenue teams more than a typical small business.
- Insightly: Strong when every sale becomes a project, but there is no free plan and it starts at $29 per user.
- Nutshell: A CRM with basic marketing tools from $13 per user, rated 4.3 on G2. Close to the list, but no free plan and fewer standout features than the tools above.
- EngageBay: A low-cost all-in-one with a free plan for up to 15 users and 250 contacts. It was on our 2020 list; G2 reviewers mention shallow reporting.
- Streak: A CRM inside Gmail. It was on our 2020 list, but the free plan no longer includes CRM pipelines and Pro costs $49 per user.
- ActiveCampaign: It was on our 2020 list, but it is an email automation platform first, with the CRM as an add-on.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CRM system?
CRM stands for customer relationship management. A CRM system keeps your contacts, companies and deals in one place, logs emails, calls and meetings, and shows where each deal stands in your sales pipeline, so nobody has to rely on memory or a spreadsheet.
What is the best free CRM for a small business?
HubSpot is the most complete free option, for 2 users and 1,000 contacts. Zoho CRM is free for up to 3 users, Capsule CRM for 2 users and 250 contacts, and Salesforce's Free Suite for 2 users with basic contact tracking.
How much does a CRM cost for a small business?
On 31 October 2026, entry-level paid plans in this list started at $9 per user per month for Freshsales Growth billed annually, $15 for Less Annoying CRM and $25 for Salesforce Starter Suite. Automation and sequences usually sit on the next tier up, so budget for that if you need them.
How do I choose a CRM for my small business?
Start with ease of use, because a CRM only works if the whole team updates it. Then list the few features you need now, such as a pipeline, email sync or calling, and check which plan includes them. Finally, make sure it connects to the email, calendar and accounting tools you already use.
Is HubSpot or Pipedrive better for a small business?
HubSpot suits small businesses that want a free start and marketing and service tools on the same record. Pipedrive suits teams that mainly sell and want a fast, visual pipeline. Pipedrive has no free plan but offers a 14-day trial.
Missing a tool?
Software companies can submit their tool for review. Whether it's added is an editorial decision. Submit a tool
Sales Loves Marketing