How it was ranked:10 SaaS products compared. Each verdict is below.
HubSpot CRM is the best CRM for most small businesses because its free plan covers contacts, deals and email tracking, and paid Starter seats stay low cost as the team grows. Pipedrive is best for sales teams that work from a visual deal pipeline, Zoho CRM offers deep customization with a free plan for up to three users, and Salesforce Starter Suite suits teams that expect to scale into Salesforce.
Top 10 CRM Software for Small Business, compared
RANK
ENTRY
BEST FOR
SCORE
FROM
1
HubSpot CRMHubSpot says more than 306,000 customers use its platform, and its free CRM supports up to 2 users with no credit card required.
Startups wanting a free, scalable foundation with built-in marketing
96.4
Free
2
PipedrivePipedrive was founded in Estonia in 2010 and is built around activity-based selling, where every deal has a next step.
Sales-focused teams wanting a visual, simple CRM with strong deal pipeline management
95.1
$14/month
3
Zoho CRMZoho says more than 250,000 businesses use Zoho CRM, and its free edition supports up to 3 users.
Budget-conscious startups and cost-sensitive teams
93.8
$14/user/month
4
Salesforce Starter SuiteSalesforce lists Starter Suite at $25 per user per month, billed monthly or annually, and Pro Suite at $100 per user per month billed annually.
Small teams that expect to scale into a larger Salesforce setup
92.5
$25 per user/month
5
FreshsalesFreshworks says more than 74,000 businesses use its CRM, with plans at $9, $39 and $59 per user per month billed annually.
Small sales teams that want calling and email inside the CRM
91.1
From $9 per user/month, billed annually
6
CloseClose lists its Solo plan at $9 per user per month billed annually or $19 monthly, with the Growth plan adding a power dialer and workflows.
B2B startups and outbound-heavy organisations
89.8
Monthly and annual payment options available
7
CopperCopper lists its Basic plan at $23 per seat per month billed annually, or $29 monthly.
Google Workspace users seeking frictionless CRM that integrates natively into Gmail and Google apps
88.4
$35/user/month
8
NutshellNutshell's plans start at $13 per user per month, and it says free live support is included on every plan.
Small sales teams and SMEs looking for an affordable all-in-one CRM with integrated proposal capabilities
87.0
$19/month
9
Less Annoying CRMLess Annoying CRM was started by two brothers in St. Louis in 2009 and has stayed family-owned and self-funded.
Solo founders and small teams wanting simplicity
85.7
$15/user/month (flat, all features)
10
Capsule CRMCapsule's free plan covers up to 2 users, 250 contacts and one sales pipeline.
100% free core CRM with unlimited users and deal tracking
HubSpot's free CRM tracks contacts, companies, deals and tasks, with email tracking, meeting scheduling and forms. Starter seats add automation and higher limits, and the Sales, Marketing and Service Hubs extend it as the business grows.
Free
PROS
Completely free with no user limits or feature restrictions in core CRM
Seamless integration with HubSpot's marketing and sales tools
CONS
Limited advanced customisation compared to paid tiers
Best for
Startups wanting a free, scalable foundation with built-in marketing
Where it falls short
It lacks advanced customization options available in higher tiers.
Sales CRM and lead management software built for sales teams
Pipedrive organizes deals in a drag-and-drop pipeline and prompts reps on the next activity for each deal, with email sync, workflow automation and reporting. It is built around selling rather than marketing, with campaigns and lead capture as add-ons.
From $14/month
PROS
Affordable entry price with intuitive visual pipeline interface
Excellent mobile app and user experience for sales teams
CONS
Marketing automation features are limited compared to HubSpot
Data enrichment and prospecting tools require third-party integrations
Best for
Sales-focused teams wanting a visual, simple CRM with strong deal pipeline management
Where it falls short
Marketing automation features are limited compared to HubSpot.
Comprehensive suite with pipeline tracking, analytics, and integrated marketing automation
Zoho CRM covers leads, deals, workflows, cadences, forecasting and reporting, with deeper customization and AI features on higher tiers. It connects to Zoho's wider suite of business apps, including Books, Desk and Campaigns.
From $14/user/month
PROS
Integrated marketing automation, analytics, and pipeline tracking at competitive pricing
Highly customisable with extensive third-party integrations and Zoho ecosystem
CONS
User interface can feel complex for first-time CRM users
Best for
Budget-conscious startups and cost-sensitive teams
Where it falls short
The user interface can feel complex for first-time CRM users.
Salesforce Starter Suite bundles sales, service and email marketing tools with guided setup, giving small teams a simpler entry point to Salesforce. Teams can move up to Pro Suite and higher editions without changing platforms.
From $25 per user/month
PROS
Clear upgrade path to the full Salesforce platform
Sales, service and email marketing in one plan
CONS
Costs climb quickly beyond Starter
More complex than CRMs built only for small teams
Best for
Small teams that expect to scale into a larger Salesforce setup
Freshsales, from Freshworks, includes contact and deal management, built-in phone and email, sales sequences and AI-assisted insights. Plans scale from small teams to larger sales organizations.
From From $9 per user/month, billed annually
PROS
Low entry price for a full sales CRM
Phone and email built in
CONS
Best features sit on the Pro and Enterprise plans
Smaller app marketplace than HubSpot or Salesforce
Best for
Small sales teams that want calling and email inside the CRM
Where it falls short
Best features sit on the Pro and Enterprise plans.
Built-in calling, email, and sales engagement tools without managing complex CRM ecosystem
Close builds calling, SMS, email sequences and a shared inbox into the CRM, with a power dialer and workflows on higher plans. It suits small, high-activity sales teams that spend their day on outreach.
From Monthly and annual payment options available
PROS
Integrated calling and email reduce tool stack complexity for outbound teams
Purpose-built sales engagement features accelerate outbound prospecting
CONS
Limited marketing automation capabilities compared to all-in-one platforms
Best for
B2B startups and outbound-heavy organisations
Where it falls short
The lowest tier excludes automated workflows and limits leads to ten thousand.
AI-powered CRM integrated deeply with Google Workspace
Copper runs inside Gmail and Google Workspace, logging emails and meetings to contacts and deals so reps spend less time on data entry. It adds pipelines, project tracking and automation for relationship-driven small businesses.
From $35/user/month
PROS
Seamless Gmail integration eliminates manual CRM data entry
AI-powered automation captures opportunities automatically within Google Workspace
CONS
Limited functionality compared to standalone CRM platforms
Best suited for organisations fully committed to Google Workspace ecosystem
Best for
Google Workspace users seeking frictionless CRM that integrates natively into Gmail and Google apps
Where it falls short
Limited functionality compared to standalone CRM platforms.
CRM with built-in proposal, email, and sales tools
Nutshell combines contact and pipeline management with sales automation, reporting and optional email marketing, with live support included on every plan. It is aimed at small B2B sales teams that want an easy setup.
From $19/month
PROS
Very affordable entry point with comprehensive CRM and sales features
Straightforward implementation and minimal onboarding time
CONS
Proposal and document features are less advanced than dedicated proposal tools
Limited customisation for enterprise-level requirements
Best for
Small sales teams and SMEs looking for an affordable all-in-one CRM with integrated proposal capabilities
Where it falls short
Proposal and document features are less advanced than dedicated proposal tools.
Deliberately stripped-back contact and pipeline CRM with one flat price
Less Annoying CRM covers contacts, a pipeline, tasks, calendar and notes in a deliberately simple interface, with every feature included in one price. It suits owners and very small teams that find larger CRMs too complex.
From $15/user/month (flat, all features)
PROS
Deliberately simple interface with no learning curve, all features at one flat price
Perfect transparency with no hidden features locked behind higher tiers
CONS
Limited advanced customisation and automation compared to more feature-rich competitors
Best for
Solo founders and small teams wanting simplicity
Where it falls short
Limited advanced customisation and automation compared to more feature-rich competitors.
Capsule tracks contacts, sales pipelines, tasks and projects, with workflow automation and reporting on paid plans and an optional marketing add-on. It suits small businesses that want something simpler than the large platforms.
PROS
The AI tool offers a visual Kanban pipeline for tracking opportunities.
Capsule CRM provides two-factor authentication for enhanced account security.
Best for
small business teams
84.3
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Several CRMs on this list have free plans: HubSpot for up to 2 users, Zoho CRM for up to 3 and Capsule for up to 2. Paid plans start at about $7 to $25 per user per month, such as HubSpot Starter, Freshsales and Close at $9, and Salesforce Starter Suite at $25.
What is the best CRM for a small business?
HubSpot CRM is the best choice for most small businesses because the free plan is useful on its own and paid seats are low cost. Pipedrive is better for teams focused purely on pipeline selling, and Less Annoying CRM suits owners who want the simplest possible tool.
HubSpot or Pipedrive: which is better for a small sales team?
HubSpot is better if you want marketing, forms and email tools alongside the CRM, with a free plan to start. Pipedrive is better for teams that live in their deal pipeline and want a fast, focused selling tool, though it has no free plan.
Is there a free CRM for small businesses?
Yes. HubSpot's free CRM covers up to 2 users, Zoho CRM's free edition covers up to 3 users and Capsule offers a free plan for 2 users with 250 contacts. Free plans limit automation and records, so expect to upgrade as the team grows.
What features matter most in a small business CRM?
Look for a clear deal pipeline, email and calendar sync, task reminders and simple reporting. Teams that sell by phone should look at Close or Freshsales for built-in calling, and Google Workspace users should consider Copper.
