A CRM keeps every customer and lead in one place, reminds you when to follow up, and lets a small team share the list without overwriting each other. For an owner-operated business there are three honest answers to whether you need one. Not yet, while a spreadsheet and your calendar keep up and nothing slips. A free plan, the day follow-ups start slipping: five free plans in this guide fit one person, and two still fit three. A paid plan, once your team is past the free caps or needs something they lack: three people pay $27 to $72 a month, depending on the tool.
Here is every CRM in this guide at a glance, with Zoho’s two products, Zoho CRM and Bigin, on separate rows. The links in the first column go to each tool’s own page.
| Tool | Free plan | Lowest paid plan, billed monthly | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Yes | $20 a month at the regular price ($10 a month for new customers, for a limited time) (Starter) | 14 days, card required: not confirmed |
| Zoho CRM | Yes | $20 a month (Zoho CRM Standard) | 15 days, card required: no |
| Bigin (by Zoho) | Yes | $9 a month (Bigin Express) | 15 days, card required: no |
| Pipedrive | No free plan | $24 a month (Lite) | 14 days, card required: no |
| Freshsales | Yes | $11 a month (Growth) | 21 days, card required: no |
| Capsule | Yes | $22 a month (Starter) | 14 days, card required: no |
| Less Annoying CRM | No free plan | $15 a month (Everything included) | 30 days, card required: no |
HubSpot Starter, billed monthly: Regular price listed: $20 a month. Lower price shown: $10 a month, for new customers, for a limited time. No end date is stated for the lower price.
Do you need a CRM yet?
Probably not, while one person owns the list and nothing has slipped in the last month. Do you need a CRM, or is a spreadsheet enough? gives you the signs, a thirty-day test, and the setup for a lead sheet that holds.
When is a free plan enough?
For most teams of one to three, a free plan covers the whole job for a long time, and what ends it is a cap, not a date. When a free CRM plan is enough shows which cap ends each free plan first, so you can pick the one you’ll outgrow last.
What will it cost?
Nothing at one or two people, and a per-seat bill once you pay, so the number of people who log in matters more than the brand. What a CRM costs for 1, 3, 5, and 10 people gives the budget at each size, and the first-year cost page adds promotions and one-time fees.
Which CRM fits your team?
There’s no single best one, so we pick by situation: on your own, one predictable price, a tight budget, or the fewest tools. Which CRM fits a 1 to 5 person business? makes the pick for each and says what it gives up.