Best CRM software for small businesses From one salesperson to a small team, compared on what it costs over three years
HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, Close and 8 more CRMs for small businesses: free plans, seat minimums, email sync and what each costs over three years.
12 compared
On price, limits and platforms, plus 4 features side by side, from each maker's own pages.
Three-year costs
From $252 to $1,296 for one person; 7 can be used free, with limits.
No affiliate links
Nobody paid to be here, and we earn nothing if you sign up.
| Pick | From | 3 years | Free plan | Priced for one user | Email sync | Mobile app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1HubSpot CRMweb app | $20/moor a free plan | $720 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2Pipedriveweb app | $14/mo yearly | $504 | No | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| 3Zoho CRMweb app | $14/mo yearlyor a free plan | $504 | Yes | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| 4Bigin by Zoho CRMweb app | $7/mo yearlyor a free plan | $252 | Yes | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| 5Closeweb app | $9/mo yearly | $324 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6Attioweb app | $35/mo yearlyor a free plan | $1,260 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 7folkweb app | $24/mo yearly | $864 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 8Less Annoying CRMweb app | $15/mo | $540 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 9Capsule CRMweb app | $18/mo yearlyor a free plan | $648 | Yes | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| 10monday CRMweb app | $12/mo yearly × 3 seats | $1,296 | No | No | Partly | Partly |
| 11Twentyopen-source app | Free to self-host, or $9/mo yearly | Free | Partly | Yes | Yes | No |
| 12Salesforce Starter Suiteweb app | $25/moor a free plan | $900 | Yes | Yes | Partly | Yes |
Prices per person, from each maker's own pricing page unless the entry says otherwise. “3 years” is the device plus the cheapest paid plan that does the job. Costs, sorted.
What's the best CRM for a small business?
For one person, start free: HubSpot gives 2 users and 1,000 contacts, Bigin 1 user and 500 records. If you live on the phone and in email, Close Solo is $9 a month billed yearly. Small teams get the most per dollar from Zoho CRM at $14 a user yearly. Working alone? Skip monday CRM: it bills three seats.
- Best free
- HubSpot CRM: 2 users and 1,000 contacts free, with email sync and a mobile app.
- Cheapest paid
- Bigin by Zoho CRM: $7 a user a month billed yearly, and free for 1 user and 500 records.
- Calls and email, solo
- Close: the Solo plan is $9 a month billed yearly, with email sync and calling.
- Small teams
- Zoho CRM: free for 3 users; Standard is $14 a user billed yearly.
- One flat price
- Less Annoying CRM: $15 a user a month, with nothing locked behind upgrades.
- Own your data
- Twenty: open source and free to self-host.
12 picks
The picks, one by one
In the order we'd look at them for most people. Each with what it costs, who it suits, the one thing it does best, and its catch. Checked Oct 13, 2026.
- 01
HubSpot CRM
web app · by HubSpot
Best for: A solo seller or two-person team that wants a real CRM for $0 and may add marketing tools later
Stands out: The free plan has no time limit and includes email tracking and the mobile app.
The catch: The free plan stops at 1,000 contacts, and Sales Hub Professional jumps to $100 a seat a month.
- Free planYes2 users, 1,000 contacts, no time limit
- Priced for one userYesFree for one person; paid plans are per seat
- Email syncYesEmail tracking and inbox logging on the free plan
- Mobile appYesiPhone and Android
- Free plan2 users and 1,000 contacts
- Sales Hub Starter plan$20 a month
- Three years$720
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
Price from HubSpot's pricing page on 2026-10-12 ($20 a seat, billed monthly); its CRM product page now says Starter starts at $15 a seat without naming the billing period. Sources: hubspot.com, hubspot.com.
- 02
Pipedrive
web app
Best for: Salespeople who think in deal stages and want a visual pipeline from day one
Stands out: The drag-and-drop deal pipeline is the whole product, so there is little to set up.
The catch: No free plan, and two-way email sync and automations start on the pricier Growth tier.
- Free planNo14-day trial, no card
- Priced for one userYesPer seat, one seat is fine
- Email syncPartlyTwo-way email sync starts on Growth
- Mobile appYesiPhone and Android
- Lite plan$14 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$504
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
Price from Pipedrive's pricing page as indexed by search (US$14 a seat billed yearly); the page blocks automated reads and shows euros by location. Sources: pipedrive.com.
- 03
Zoho CRM
web app · by Zoho
Best for: Small teams that want a full CRM with room to grow, at a low per-user price
Stands out: Its free edition covers three users, more than HubSpot's or Salesforce's free plans.
The catch: The free edition has no email integration, and the many editions and add-ons take time to compare.
- Free planYesUp to 3 users, 5,000 records
- Priced for one userYesPer user, no minimum
- Email syncPartlyGmail, Microsoft 365 and BCC logging start on Standard
- Mobile appYesMobile app on every edition, including Free
- Free plan3 users, 5,000 records
- Standard plan$14 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$504
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, iPad, Android
Price from Zoho's own pricing data file that its pricing page loads (crm-pricing-val.json): Standard US$14 a user billed yearly, US$20 monthly. Sources: zoho.com, zohowebstatic.com, zoho.com.
- 04
Bigin by Zoho CRM
web app · by Zoho
Best for: One salesperson on a tight budget who just needs a simple pipeline
Stands out: At $7 a month billed yearly, Express is the cheapest paid plan here: $252 over three years.
The catch: The free plan stops at 500 records, and email integration needs paid Express.
- Free planYes1 user, 500 records, 1 pipeline
- Priced for one userYesFree plan is built for one user
- Email syncPartlyGmail and Outlook integration starts on Express
- Mobile appYesiPhone, iPad, Android and Mac apps, free plan included
- Free plan1 user, 500 records, 1 pipeline
- Express plan$7 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$252
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac
- 05
Close
web app
Best for: A one-person sales operation that makes a lot of calls and sends a lot of email
Stands out: Calling and two-way email sync are built in on a plan made for exactly one user.
The catch: No free plan, Solo is capped at one user and 10,000 leads, and calls are billed by usage on top.
- Free planNo14-day trial, no card
- Priced for one userYesSolo plan: 1 user, up to 10,000 leads
- Email syncYesTwo-way email sync on Solo
- Mobile appYesiPhone and Android
- Solo plan$9 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$324
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
- 06
Attio
web app
Best for: Founders who want a flexible CRM that builds itself from their email and calendar
Stands out: The free plan syncs email and calendar and holds 50,000 records for up to three people.
The catch: Plus costs $35 a seat billed yearly ($44 monthly), more than most simple CRMs, and the flexibility means setup work.
- Free planYesUp to 3 seats, 50,000 records
- Priced for one userYesPer seat, no minimum
- Email syncYes1 email and calendar account per user on Free
- Mobile appYesiPhone and Android
- Free planup to 3 seats and 50,000 records
- Plus plan$35 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$1,260
- Runs onWeb, Mac, iPhone, Android, Gmail extension
- 07
folk
web app
Best for: Founders and small teams whose selling is mostly relationships, intros and follow-ups
Stands out: It syncs WhatsApp alongside email and calendar on its cheapest plan.
The catch: No free plan, and $24 a member billed yearly ($30 monthly) is more than Zoho, Pipedrive or Close.
- Free planNo2-week trial, no card
- Priced for one userYesPer member, no minimum stated
- Email syncYesEmail, calendar and WhatsApp sync on Standard, 1 account per member
- Mobile appYesMobile app on every plan
- Standard plan$24 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$864
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
- 08
Less Annoying CRM
web app · by Less Annoying Software
Best for: Very small businesses that want one flat price with nothing locked behind upgrades
Stands out: One $15 plan includes every feature, unlimited contacts and free support, with no tiers and no contract.
The catch: No free plan and no annual discount, and its first native mobile app only arrived in June 2026.
- Free planNo30-day trial, no card
- Priced for one userYes$15 a user, one plan, no contract
- Email syncYesConnect a Google or Outlook inbox; emails log to contacts
- Mobile appYesNative iPhone and Android apps since June 2026
- Less Annoying CRM plan$15 a month
- Three years$540
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
Price from lessannoyingcrm.com. Sources: lessannoyingcrm.com, lessannoyingcrm.com, lessannoyingcrm.com.
- 09
Capsule CRM
web app · by Zestia
Best for: Service businesses and consultants who track contacts and projects more than high-volume deals
Stands out: Starter holds 30,000 contacts for one user and adds project boards next to the sales pipeline.
The catch: The free plan stops at 250 contacts, and automatic email logging needs Growth at $36 a user billed yearly.
- Free planYes2 users, 250 contacts
- Priced for one userYesStarter is aimed at 1-5 employees, per user
- Email syncPartlySend through Gmail or Outlook on all plans; automatic Email Sync starts on Growth
- Mobile appYesiPhone and Android
- Free plan2 users, 250 contacts, 1 pipeline
- Starter plan$18 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$648
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
Price from Capsule's pricing page showed pounds for our location (Starter £14 yearly); the US$ figure (18 yearly, 22 monthly) comes from the price table in the page's own script, whose GBP values match the page. Sources: capsulecrm.com.
- 10
monday CRM
web app · by monday.com
Best for: Teams of three or more already on monday.com who want sales on the same boards
Stands out: Pipelines are customizable boards, so sales can share a workspace with projects and ops.
The catch: The 3-seat minimum means a solo user pays for three: about $36 a month, $1,296 over three years, on Basic.
- Free planNo14-day trial
- Priced for one userNoPlans start at 3 seats
- Email syncPartlyEmail comms hub starts on Standard
- Mobile appPartlyiOS and Android apps listed from Standard
- Basic plan$12 a month, billed yearly
- Three years$1,296
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
Price from monday's pricing page showed euros for our location (€12 a seat yearly, €18 monthly, minimum 3 seats); the US$12 yearly figure is from monday.com's own pricing blog post (updated March 2025). Sources: monday.com, monday.com.
- 11
Twenty
open-source app · by Twenty.com PBC · open source
Best for: Technical founders who want to own their CRM data and can run a server
Stands out: It is open source: self-hosting costs nothing beyond your server, and cloud Pro is $9 a user billed yearly.
The catch: Self-hosting means running and updating your own server, and the cloud version has no free plan.
- Free planPartlyFree only if you self-host
- Priced for one userYesPer user, no minimum
- Email syncYesEmail and calendar sync on every cloud plan
- Mobile appNoNo mobile app listed; web only
- Free planfree to self-host; cloud is a 30-day trial
- Pro (cloud) plan$9 a month, billed yearly
- Three yearsFree
- Runs onWeb, self-hosted (Docker)
Price from twenty.com. Sources: twenty.com, github.com.
- 12
Salesforce Starter Suite
web app · by Salesforce
Best for: Small teams that expect to grow into Salesforce and want to start on the same platform
Stands out: Free Suite gives two users Salesforce's sales, service and email-marketing basics with no end date.
The catch: Starter is $25 a user, a team of three can't stay free, and Pro Suite jumps to $100 a user on an annual contract.
- Free planYesFree Suite, 2 users
- Priced for one userYesPer user, no minimum
- Email syncPartlyGmail and Outlook integration listed for Starter, not for Free Suite
- Mobile appYesSalesforce mobile app or mobile browser
- Free planFree Suite: 2 users, no expiry if you log in every 60 days
- Starter Suite plan$25 a month
- Three years$900
- Runs onWeb, iPhone, Android
Price from salesforce.com. Sources: salesforce.com, salesforce.com, salesforce.com.
Three years, one person
What each one costs over three years
The device, plus the cheapest paid plan that does the job, for 36 months. Optional subscriptions aren't counted, and many have a free plan with limits: see each entry. Bowerbird is shown at its planned price.
Add up the ones you pay for: subscription calculator.
Lately
What changed in this category
The facts behind a few of the picks, each with its source.
Salesforce now offers a free CRM, Free Suite, for up to 2 users with no expiry as long as you log in at least once every 60 days; teams of three or more must move to Starter Suite ($25 a user) or Pro Suite ($100).
Source: salesforce.comHubSpot's free CRM is limited to two users and 1,000 contacts.
Source: hubspot.comLess Annoying CRM launched its first native iOS and Android app, replacing its mobile-browser version.
Source: lessannoyingcrm.commonday CRM plans start at 3 seats, so a one-person business pays for three.
Source: monday.com
Method
How we picked
- What one person pays over three years, and whether a plan forces you to buy extra seats.
- How far the free plan goes: users, contacts and pipelines.
- Whether email sync and a mobile app come on the plan you'd actually buy.
- Room to grow from one seller to a small team without switching.
We compare what each maker publishes: plans, limits, platforms, privacy terms and documented features, from their own pages, dated. We haven't used every product here for months, and we don't pretend to. We earn nothing from these links.
The order is our judgement of fit for most people, not a score. How we research these pages. Seen a price change? Tell us.
Not a pick: on our waitlist
Bowerbird, a sales CRM for one for $99 once
A pipeline and a daily follow-up list for one salesperson. Runs in your browser, keeps your leads on your device, $99 once. It isn't built yet, so it isn't ranked above. We build the dupes people sign up for first; Close Solo costs $324 over three years.
Questions
Best CRM software for small businesses: FAQ
What is the best CRM software for a small business?
For most small teams, start with a free plan: HubSpot (2 users, 1,000 contacts), Zoho CRM (3 users) or Attio (3 seats, 50,000 records). If you'd rather pay a little for simplicity, Bigin Express ($7 a user billed yearly) and Close Solo ($9) are the cheapest paid plans we found.
Is there a free CRM?
Yes. HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Bigin, Attio, Capsule and Salesforce (Free Suite) all have free plans with no time limit, and Twenty is free if you host it yourself. Each free plan caps users or records: Bigin and Capsule stop at 500 and 250 records, HubSpot at 1,000 contacts.
What is the best free CRM software for small businesses?
It depends on team size and contact count. Attio's free plan is the most generous on records (50,000 for up to 3 seats), Zoho CRM covers 3 users, and HubSpot's free plan includes email tracking and its mobile app but stops at 2 users and 1,000 contacts.
What is the cheapest CRM software?
Leaving free plans aside, Bigin Express at $7 a user a month billed yearly is the cheapest paid plan here, about $252 for one person over three years. Close Solo and Twenty's cloud Pro plan follow at $9 a user billed yearly, about $324 over three years.
What is a good low-cost CRM software for a small business?
Zoho CRM Standard and Pipedrive Lite both cost $14 a user billed yearly, and Less Annoying CRM is a flat $15 a user a month with every feature included and no contract. Over three years one seat costs about $504 on Zoho or Pipedrive and $540 on Less Annoying CRM.
What is the best CRM for one person or a solopreneur?
Close has a Solo plan built for one user ($9 a month billed yearly) with calling and two-way email sync. Bigin's free plan is also made for one user, and HubSpot and Attio are free for one person. Avoid monday CRM if you work alone: its plans start at 3 seats.
Which CRMs have no free plan?
Pipedrive, Close, folk, Less Annoying CRM and monday CRM have no free plan, only trials of 14 to 30 days. Twenty's cloud version is a 30-day trial, though its open-source version is free to self-host.
More guides
Other buyer's guides
Keep comparing
Alternatives to the apps above
Every subscription app we've compared, by the job it does, with what three years of it costs against one payment.
Mockingbird
Catbird
Hermit
Cuttlefish