Best Free CRM Tools for Small Business 2026: 8 Top Picks Compared
Most "free" CRM tools are basically glorified demos with a free sticker slapped on them. But a handful of them? Genuinely, embarrassingly good — and I'll show you exactly which ones are worth your time.
Whether you're a solo consultant juggling 50 leads or a 10-person team trying to stop losing deals in a spreadsheet graveyard, a CRM is the thing that holds your sales process together. The problem is that "free" means wildly different things depending on the tool. Some give you a genuinely useful forever-free plan. Others use free tiers as a glorified demo — all carrot, no substance.
I've been obsessing over CRM comparison data for years, and honestly, the gap between a good free plan and a bad one is enormous. Let's break it all down.
What to Actually Look for in a Free CRM for Small Business
Before diving into the tools, here's what actually matters when you're evaluating free CRM options:
- Contact and deal limits — Some free plans cap you at 250 contacts. That's not a CRM; that's a fancy address book.
- Pipeline management — Can you visualize your deals? Drag-and-drop pipelines aren't a luxury; they're essential.
- Email integration — Gmail, Outlook, two-way sync. Non-negotiable for most teams.
- Automation — Even basic workflow automation on a free plan saves hours per week.
- User limits — A free plan for 1 user is useless for a team of 5.
- Reporting — If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.
- Upgrade path — How painful (and expensive) is it when you outgrow the free tier?
Who actually needs a free CRM? Honestly, most small businesses under 20 people. Startups pre-funding, freelancers, service businesses, e-commerce shops — if you're managing any kind of customer relationship, a CRM beats spreadsheets every single time. I've watched teams waste months trying to make Google Sheets work as a sales pipeline. Don't be that team.
How We Evaluated These Free CRM Tools
Here's the methodology behind this comparison. Each tool was assessed across five dimensions:
| Criteria | Weight |
|---|---|
| Feature depth on free plan | 30% |
| Ease of use / onboarding | 25% |
| Contact & deal limits | 20% |
| Integration ecosystem | 15% |
| Customer support quality | 10% |
Ratings are on a 1–5 scale. Pricing reflects published tiers as of early 2026 — always verify directly with the vendor since these change frequently.
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Quick Comparison Table: Best Free CRM Tools for Small Business 2026
| Tool | Best For | Free Plan Contacts | Free Users | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | All-in-one beginners | Unlimited | Unlimited | ⭐ 4.8/5 |
| Zoho CRM | Feature-hungry SMBs | Unlimited | Up to 3 | ⭐ 4.5/5 |
| Bitrix24 | Teams needing collaboration | Unlimited | Unlimited | ⭐ 4.3/5 |
| Freshsales | AI-assisted sales teams | Up to 3 users | Up to 3 | ⭐ 4.2/5 |
| Agile CRM | Solopreneurs & freelancers | 1,000 | 1 (free) | ⭐ 3.9/5 |
| Capsule CRM | Simple pipeline management | 250 | Up to 2 | ⭐ 3.8/5 |
| Insightly | Project-based businesses | 2,500 | 2 | ⭐ 3.7/5 |
| Nimble | Social-savvy teams | 25,000 contacts | Paid only (trial) | ⭐ 3.5/5 |
Detailed Reviews: Best Free CRM Tools for Small Business 2026
#1. HubSpot CRM — Best for All-Around Small Business Use
HubSpot's free CRM is, frankly, the benchmark everything else gets measured against. It's not just "free for now" — it's genuinely, permanently free with unlimited users and unlimited contacts. For a small business just getting started, this is an almost unfair advantage over paid alternatives. The interface is clean, onboarding takes under an hour, and the integration with HubSpot's marketing and service tools means you're building on a platform that can scale with you for years.
Hot take: HubSpot's free tier is more powerful than many tools' $50/month paid plans. The catch is that their paid upgrades get eye-wateringly expensive, so plan your exit strategy before you get too comfortable. The jump from free to Professional is the kind of thing that makes small business owners spit out their coffee.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Unlimited contacts and companies
- Deal pipeline with drag-and-drop interface
- Email tracking and notifications (200 notifications/month)
- Meeting scheduling tool
- Live chat and chatbot builder
- Integration with Gmail, Outlook, and 1,000+ apps via HubSpot's marketplace
- Basic reporting dashboard
- Contact and company insights (company enrichment)
Pricing:
| Plan | Price | Users |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited |
| Starter CRM Suite | ~$20/month | 2 seats included |
| Professional | ~$1,300/month | 5 seats included |
| Enterprise | ~$4,300/month | 10 seats included |
(Yes, the jump from Free to Professional is steep. Plan accordingly.)
Pros:
- Truly unlimited contacts and users on free plan
- Exceptional UI — it's the easiest CRM to onboard new team members onto
- Massive integration ecosystem
- Free email and landing page tools included
Cons:
- Paid tiers get very expensive very fast
- Reporting is limited on the free plan
- Some features feel like deliberate teases to push upgrades
- Automation is locked behind paid tiers
Verdict: The best starting point for almost every small business. Just go in knowing the upgrade path is pricey.
#2. Zoho CRM — Best for Feature-Rich Free Plans
Zoho CRM packs an almost suspicious amount of functionality into its free tier. Up to 3 users get access to leads, contacts, accounts, deals, tasks, events, and call logs — all without paying a cent. It's not as polished as HubSpot, and the UI takes some getting used to (it's dense, bordering on overwhelming), but if you care about raw features per dollar, Zoho wins on paper.
The broader Zoho ecosystem is worth mentioning too: Zoho Books, Zoho Mail, Zoho Projects — these all integrate natively, which is a real advantage for small businesses trying to consolidate their software stack instead of paying for five different tools that barely talk to each other.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Leads, contacts, accounts, deals modules
- Tasks, events, and call log tracking
- 5,000 API credits/day
- 10 email templates
- Social media integration (Twitter/X and Facebook)
- Workflow rules (limited)
- Mobile app access
Pricing:
| Plan | Price (per user/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 3 users |
| Standard | ~$14 | Per user/month |
| Professional | ~$23 | Per user/month |
| Enterprise | ~$40 | Per user/month |
| Ultimate | ~$52 | Per user/month |
Pros:
- Excellent feature depth on the free plan
- Affordable paid tiers compared to HubSpot
- Integrates with the entire Zoho suite (huge ecosystem)
- Strong mobile app
Cons:
- UI is cluttered and has a learning curve
- Free plan is hard-capped at 3 users
- Support on free plan is limited to documentation
- Workflow automation is minimal on free tier
Verdict: Ideal if you're a team of 1–3 that wants serious CRM features without paying. And honestly, when you need to scale past 3 users, the pricing stays way more reasonable than most competitors.
#3. Bitrix24 — Best for Team Collaboration + CRM
Bitrix24 is the Swiss Army knife of this list — and I mean that as both a compliment and a mild warning. It combines CRM with project management, team chat, video calls, HR tools, and a website builder. On the free plan, you get unlimited users (genuinely rare!) and unlimited contacts, which makes it one of the most generous free offerings in the entire market.
Look, the downside is real though: Bitrix24 is dense. Setting it up properly takes time, and the UI feels like it was designed by a committee that couldn't agree on what to cut. If your team needs a communication hub plus a CRM and doesn't mind a learning curve, it's hard to beat. If you want something you can get running in 20 minutes, look elsewhere.
(Quick sidebar: I've seen small businesses use Bitrix24 to replace Slack, Trello, AND their CRM simultaneously. It's chaotic at first, but the cost savings are real — we're talking potentially $200+/month for a 10-person team.)
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Unlimited users and contacts
- Deals and pipeline management
- Team chat and video calls built-in
- Task and project management
- 5GB cloud storage
- Email marketing (limited sends)
- Website builder included
- Basic reporting
Pricing:
| Plan | Price | Users |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited |
| Basic | ~$49/month | 5 users |
| Standard | ~$99/month | 50 users |
| Professional | ~$199/month | 100 users |
| Enterprise | ~$399/month | 250+ users |
Pros:
- Unlimited users on free plan — genuinely rare
- Combines CRM + project management + comms in one
- Unlimited contacts and deals on free tier
- On-premise option available for data-sensitive businesses
Cons:
- Overwhelming UI — steep learning curve
- Mobile app is clunky compared to competitors
- Customer support is inconsistent
- Some features feel half-baked across the board
Verdict: Best for small teams that want to replace multiple tools (Slack + Trello + CRM) with one free platform. Not for anyone who wants a simple, clean experience out of the box.
#4. Freshsales — Best Free CRM with AI Features
Freshsales (by Freshworks) has steadily improved its free tier, and the AI-powered lead scoring on paid plans has people talking. The free plan — called "Free Forever," which is the kind of branding I respect — supports up to 3 users with contact management, a built-in phone, live chat, and a solid mobile app. What makes Freshsales stand out is the interface: it's genuinely pleasant to use, which matters more than people admit.
Honestly, I think the UI quality of a CRM is criminally underrated as a buying factor. The best CRM in the world is useless if your team finds it annoying and stops logging stuff after two weeks.
The AI assistant (Freddy AI) is locked behind paid plans, but even the free version gives you solid pipeline visibility and built-in communication tools that most free CRMs charge extra for.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Contact and account management
- Built-in phone (make/receive calls — limited minutes)
- Live chat widget
- Deal pipeline (kanban view)
- Mobile app (iOS and Android)
- Email integration (Gmail, Outlook)
- Basic workflow automation (limited)
Pricing:
| Plan | Price (per user/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | $0 | Up to 3 users |
| Growth | ~$9 | Per user/month (billed annually) |
| Pro | ~$39 | Per user/month |
| Enterprise | ~$59 | Per user/month |
Pros:
- Clean, modern UI — easy to navigate
- Built-in phone is a unique free feature
- Affordable paid tiers
- Strong mobile app
Cons:
- Free plan limited to 3 users
- Freddy AI (the best feature) is paid-only
- Limited reporting on free plan
- Contact limits apply on some features
Verdict: Solid pick for small sales teams of 1–3 that make a lot of calls. The built-in phone alone makes it worth testing — most CRMs don't touch that on a free plan.
#5. Agile CRM — Best for Solopreneurs and Freelancers
Agile CRM takes a bold swing at combining sales, marketing, and service tools in one platform — and does it on a free plan that supports 1 user with up to 1,000 contacts. For a freelancer or solopreneur, that's often more than enough. What's interesting is that Agile includes email marketing (up to 5,000 emails/month!), landing pages, and appointment scheduling even on the free tier — features that most competitors charge real money for.
Here's the deal though: the platform is showing its age. The UI feels dated compared to Freshsales or HubSpot. Think early 2010s web app energy. If you're a one-person operation that wants serious marketing horsepower without spending anything, Agile CRM delivers the goods — just don't expect it to be pretty.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Up to 1,000 contacts
- Email marketing (up to 5,000 emails/month)
- Landing page builder
- Appointment scheduling
- Helpdesk integration
- Deal tracking pipeline
- Chrome extension for email tracking
Pricing:
| Plan | Price (per user/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 user, 1,000 contacts |
| Starter | ~$8.99 | Per user/month |
| Regular | ~$29.99 | Per user/month |
| Enterprise | ~$47.99 | Per user/month |
Pros:
- Email marketing included on free plan (rare!)
- Landing page builder at no cost
- Appointment scheduling built-in
- Strong all-in-one value for solopreneurs
Cons:
- Only 1 user on the free plan
- UI feels dated — not the most pleasant experience
- 1,000 contact limit is tight for growing businesses
- Support is slow on the free tier
Verdict: The best free CRM for freelancers and solopreneurs who also want email marketing without paying for a separate tool. The free plan is genuinely impressive for a one-person shop.
#6. Capsule CRM — Best for Simple Pipeline Management
Capsule CRM does one thing exceptionally well: it keeps things simple. It doesn't try to be a project management tool, a marketing platform, or a communication hub. It's just a clean, well-designed CRM — and for small businesses that are overwhelmed by feature bloat, that simplicity is genuinely refreshing.
The free plan supports up to 2 users and 250 contacts, which is restrictive. I'll be honest — 250 contacts is tight enough that I'd almost call it a glorified trial rather than a real free plan. But the quality of the contact management, task tracking, and pipeline visibility is excellent even at the free tier. Think of Capsule as the minimalist pick on this list. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- 250 contacts
- Sales pipeline (single pipeline)
- Task and calendar management
- Email integration (Gmail and Outlook)
- Basic reporting
- 50 MB storage
Pricing:
| Plan | Price (per user/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 users, 250 contacts |
| Starter | ~$18 | Per user/month, 30,000 contacts |
| Growth | ~$36 | Per user/month |
| Advanced | ~$54 | Per user/month |
| Ultimate | ~$72 | Per user/month |
Pros:
- Exceptionally clean and simple UI
- Fast onboarding — under 30 minutes
- Good Gmail and Outlook integration
- Reliable and stable platform
Cons:
- 250 contact limit is very restrictive
- Only 2 users on free plan
- Single pipeline on free tier
- Limited automation and reporting
Verdict: Best for very small teams (1–2 people) or businesses that just want to try a CRM before committing. You'll likely outgrow the free plan quickly, but the paid tiers are reasonably priced when you do.
#7. Insightly — Best for Project-Based Small Businesses
Insightly sits at a unique intersection between CRM and project management. It's particularly useful for businesses where closing a deal kicks off a project — think agencies, consultants, and contractors. The free plan supports 2 users and gives you both CRM and basic project management features, which is a combination you genuinely don't find often at this price point (that price being $0).
The interface is clean, and the way it links contacts, deals, and projects together is well-implemented — not a bolt-on afterthought like you get with some tools. That said, Insightly hasn't innovated as aggressively as competitors like Freshsales in recent years, so it can feel a little static.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Up to 2,500 contacts
- Deals and opportunity tracking
- Task and project management
- Email integration
- Basic reporting
- Mobile app
- Lead routing (limited)
Pricing:
| Plan | Price (per user/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 users |
| Plus | ~$29 | Per user/month |
| Professional | ~$49 | Per user/month |
| Enterprise | ~$99 | Per user/month |
Pros:
- CRM + project management in one (genuinely useful combination)
- 2,500 contacts on free plan — much better than Capsule
- Clean interface
- Good mobile app
Cons:
- Only 2 users on free plan
- Paid tiers are expensive for small teams
- No email marketing on free tier
- Limited automation
Verdict: Best for agencies, consultants, or anyone where every sale becomes a project. The CRM-to-project workflow is uniquely well-handled and worth the slight feature trade-offs elsewhere.
#8. Nimble — Best for Social Selling Teams
Nimble takes a completely different angle than everyone else on this list: it's built around social intelligence. It automatically enriches contact records with social media data from LinkedIn and Twitter/X, and its browser extension lets you capture leads from anywhere on the web. For businesses where relationships and social context matter — PR firms, recruiters, consultants — it's genuinely impressive.
Here's the honest part, and I think you deserve this upfront: Nimble doesn't really have a free plan in the traditional sense. They offer a 14-day trial, but paid plans start at around $24.90/user/month after that. I've included it here because it's one of the best free CRM trial experiences out there, and it comes up constantly in "best free CRM" conversations — so you deserve an accurate picture rather than a misleading inclusion.
Key Features:
- Social profile enrichment (automatic data from LinkedIn, Twitter/X)
- Browser extension for lead capture anywhere
- Group messaging and email sequences
- Pipeline and deal management
- Contact segmentation and tagging
- Activity tracking and reminders
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integration
Pricing:
| Plan | Price (per user/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nimble Business | ~$24.90 | Per user/month (billed annually) |
| Free Trial | $0 | 14 days |
Pros:
- Best social enrichment of any CRM on this list
- Browser extension is genuinely useful for relationship-driven sales
- Clean UI and easy to learn
- Strong Microsoft 365 integration
Cons:
- No real free plan — just a 14-day trial
- Pricier than many competitors for what you get
- Smaller integration ecosystem
- Limited pipeline features vs. HubSpot
Verdict: Only worth considering if social selling is genuinely core to how you work. Otherwise, HubSpot or Zoho offer more for less.
Full Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | HubSpot | Zoho | Bitrix24 | Freshsales | Agile CRM | Capsule | Insightly | Nimble |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (trial) |
| Free Users | Unlimited | 3 | Unlimited | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | N/A |
| Free Contacts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1,000 | 250 | 2,500 | N/A |
| Pipeline Management | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email Marketing | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (limited) | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Built-in Phone | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI Features | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Paid only | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Project Management | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Social Enrichment | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Mobile App | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gmail/Outlook Sync | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automation (Free) | ❌ | Limited | Limited | Limited | Limited | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Starting Paid Price | $20/mo | $14/user | $49/mo | $9/user | $8.99/user | $18/user | $29/user | $24.90/user |
| Our Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.3/5 | 4.2/5 | 3.9/5 | 3.8/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.5/5 |
How to Choose the Best Free CRM for Your Small Business
Look, don't pick a CRM based on which one has the longest feature list. Pick the one that fits your actual situation. Here's a simple decision framework:
Step 1: Count your users.
- 1 person → Agile CRM or HubSpot
- 2–3 people → Zoho CRM or Freshsales
- 4+ people → HubSpot or Bitrix24 (the only two with unlimited free users)
Step 2: Identify your biggest pain point.
- "We lose track of leads" → Any of the top 4 will fix this
- "We need email marketing too" → Agile CRM (free) or Bitrix24
- "Sales and projects overlap" → Insightly
- "We sell through relationships and social" → Nimble
- "We want everything in one tool" → Bitrix24
Step 3: Think about where you'll be in 12 months.
- Growing fast → HubSpot (easy to scale) or Zoho (affordable paid tiers)
- Staying small → Capsule or Agile CRM
- Budget will be tight long-term → Zoho or Freshsales (most affordable paid plans)
Step 4: Actually try the thing. Every tool on this list offers either a free plan or a trial. Spend one real week using your top two picks with actual data — not dummy contacts, not test deals. Real stuff. You'll know within a few days which one fits how your brain works. No amount of reading comparison articles (including this one) beats 20 minutes of hands-on use.
Bottom Line: Top Picks for Every Type of Small Business
Here's the summary on the best free CRM tools for small business in 2026:
🥇 Best Overall Free CRM: HubSpot — Unlimited users, unlimited contacts, clean UI, massive ecosystem. It's the default recommendation for good reason. Just watch those paid upgrade costs like a hawk.
🥈 Best for Growing Teams on a Budget: Zoho CRM — The best combination of free features and affordable paid tiers. If you know you'll need to upgrade eventually, Zoho's pricing won't make you cry.
🥉 Best for All-in-One Teams: Bitrix24 — If you want to replace Slack, Trello, and a CRM with one free tool, Bitrix24 is genuinely impressive. Budget a few extra hours for setup.
🏅 Best for Freelancers/Solopreneurs: Agile CRM — The email marketing + CRM combo on a free plan is unmatched for one-person operations. Ugly but powerful.
🏅 Best for Clean Simplicity: Capsule CRM — When you just want something that works without overthinking it. The 250-contact limit is the only real dealbreaker.
🏅 Best for Project-Based Businesses: Insightly — Agencies and consultants who need CRM + project management in one will find this hard to beat at any price, let alone free.
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FAQ: Best Free CRM Tools for Small Business 2026
Q: Are free CRM tools actually good enough for a real small business?
Yes — with caveats. HubSpot, Zoho, and Bitrix24 offer free plans that plenty of businesses use for years without ever needing to upgrade. The key is understanding the limits (user caps, feature restrictions) before committing so you're not blindsided later.
Q: What's the best free CRM with no user limit?
HubSpot and Bitrix24 are the only two on this list with unlimited users on their free plans. HubSpot wins on ease of use; Bitrix24 wins on raw feature count. Pick your poison.
Q: Can I migrate my data if I switch CRMs later?
Most CRMs support CSV import/export, so switching is possible — but it's rarely painless, especially if you've been using a CRM for a year or more and have complex data relationships built up. HubSpot and Zoho both have solid migration tools. The honest advice: spend a bit of time thinking about your data structure before you start, so moving later isn't a complete nightmare. Future you will be grateful.
Q: Do free CRMs include email marketing?
Rarely, which is why Agile CRM stands out so much. They offer up to 5,000 emails/month on their free plan — that's a real email marketing allowance, not a token gesture. Bitrix24 includes limited email marketing too. HubSpot includes some email tools, but meaningful campaign functionality requires a paid plan.
Q: Is HubSpot really free forever, or is that going to change?
HubSpot's free CRM has been genuinely free since 2014 — that's over a decade — and shows no signs of changing. Their business model depends on upselling their paid marketing, sales, and service hubs, which means keeping the CRM free is actually in their interest. That said, their paid add-ons can creep up fast if you start activating features across multiple hubs, so keep an eye on what you're turning on.
Q: How many contacts do I actually need a CRM to handle?
For most small businesses just starting out, somewhere between 1,000–2,500 contacts is plenty for the first year or two. HubSpot and Zoho (both unlimited on free plans) give you room to grow without ever stressing about hitting a ceiling — which is one big reason they dominate this category.