Customer relationship management (CRM) software is instrumental in reaching out to potential customers, nurturing relationships with them, and moving on to closing each deal. As your business grows, you need a tool to streamline sales processes effectively—and getting a free CRM software is an excellent starting point. In this article, you’ll discover the best options that can fit your business needs.
Based on our criteria, these are the top six free CRM software:
- HubSpot CRM: Best overall free CRM that offers unlimited number of users and an extensive set of features
- Apptivo: An excellent option for businesses that require supplier and distributor tracking solutions
- Agile CRM: Ideal for companies that want to integrate sales, marketing, and customer service systems
- Zoho CRM: Best for businesses looking for sales workflow automation
- Freshworks CRM: A great choice for businesses that need unlimited customer support
- Bitrix24: A good option for businesses that want multichannel contact management tools
How We Evaluated Free CRM Systems for Small Businesses
CRM software makes it easier for businesses to grow customer and prospect relationships by organizing contact databases, communications, and tasks. We created a scoring system that ranks different software based on their capacity to perform these functions without costing a lot of money.
With an overall score of 4.59, HubSpot CRM made it to the top of the list. It provides an extensive set of features that most free CRM systems do not offer, such as customizable dashboards, chatbots, and ad management. Plus, it supports an unlimited number of users.
It is important to note that not all free solutions could handle large numbers of contacts and deals. If you’re looking for more extensive solutions and have a budget for a CRM, check out our top picks for best CRM systems for small businesses.
Click on the tabs below to learn more about our scoring system.
30% of Overall Score
The CRM software options mentioned in this article are free. However, they also offer paid plans that you can opt for when you are ready to scale up. We factored in the various plans each provider offers and how much they cost to better identify the products that will remain budget-friendly even when you are ready to upgrade.
20% of Overall Score
CRM systems are built to simplify business processes. The software we reviewed are those that are easy to set up and use. Access to a mobile app and an intuitive interface also adds to the software’s overall usability.
10% of Overall Score
CRM systems can act as control centers for streamlining different departments of your business, like marketing and customer service. We included options that integrate with third-party software, enabling the CRM platform to function as a single system. Our team looked into email, social media, telephony, and accounting integrations.
10% of Overall Score
CRM systems make it easier to track and manage each lead’s progress in the sales pipeline. These providers offer customizable, visual, and easy-to-use pipelines.
5% of Overall Score
A CRM’s customizability enables you to personalize sales pipelines and reports according to how you operate your business. We chose providers that let you tweak analytics, dashboards, pipelines, and team goals.
10% of Overall Score
CRM systems can simplify sales representatives’ jobs by automating menial tasks and letting them focus on building relationships with their contacts. We included those that feature automated reminders, email drip campaigns, sales processes, and pipelines.
15% of Overall Score
Free CRMs should have the basic tools and allocations to help small businesses manage prospects and clients. We chose providers that give you the best free offerings.
HubSpot CRM
PROS
- Unlimited users and data allocation
- Webforms and landing pages are available for free
- Free chatbot creation
CONS
- Does not offer free customer support
- Charges for most third-party software integrations
- Workflow automation tools are not included in the free plan
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.65 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Free Inclusions | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
HubSpot CRM is an entirely free CRM solution. It stands out because it allows unlimited users and up to 1,000,000 saved contacts, giving businesses the flexibility to grow without the added cost. It also gives you free access to chatbots, landing pages, ad managers, and customizable dashboards—features that you would not usually get for free from similar providers.
More HubSpot CRM Free Plan Features
- Deal tracking
- Pipeline management
- Company insights
- Web forms
- Email templates
- Customer support ticketing
Why You Might Want to Upgrade
While HubSpot CRM is a standalone CRM solution, the HubSpot umbrella company offers paid sales and marketing automation solutions starting at $50 per month. These solutions would give you access to additional features like sales forecasting, search engine optimization (SEO), and workflow automation.
To learn more about how HubSpot CRM can streamline your business processes, visit our HubSpot CRM review page.
Apptivo
PROS
- Includes supply chain tracking and human resources (HR) solutions
- Great customer support
- Supports product management
CONS
- Free plan seats one user only
- Mobile apps not available in the free plan
- Lead capture tool only available in paid plans
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Free Inclusions | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Apptivo provides a free cloud-based CRM system with access to lead and contact management as well as supply chain tracking. The software functions as a storage of customer data and communication history, which you can access through a mobile app even when on the go. However, the free plan limits the number of users to only one.
More Apptivo Free Plan Features
- Lead capture and scoring
- Customer management
- Email templates
- Agreements management
Why You Might Want to Upgrade
Apptivo’s paid plans, which start at $8 per user, per month, offer you a plethora of apps to choose from, including project management, marketing, financials, product management, web tools, and team collaboration tools. It also offers invoices, ledger, and sales receipts apps, which come in handy if you are looking for accounting solutions within your CRM.
Agile CRM
PROS
- Extensive free sales, marketing, and customer service features
- Unlimited deals, tasks, and documents
- Offers free contact-level analytics
CONS
- Free plan is limited to one third-party software integration only
- Two-way email synchronization not available in the free plan
- Limited automation in the free plan
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.40 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.90 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 3.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 3.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Free Inclusions | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
Agile CRM is an all-in-one CRM solution for sales, marketing, and customer service. The free plan seats up to 10 users and can manage an unlimited number of tasks, deals, and documents. It gives you access to many features, including lead scoring, web engagement, and help desk tools. Having an integrated platform helps your sales, marketing, and customer support teams collaborate and be more consistent and informed when communicating with customers.
More Agile CRM Free Plan Features
- Up to 1,000 contacts
- Custom data fields and deal milestones
- Appointment scheduling
- Email marketing tools
- Contact-level analytics
- Landing page builder
- Web-to-lead forms
- Help desk groups
- Ticket labels and canned responses
Why You Might Want to Upgrade
Starting at $14.99 per user, per month, Agile CRM’s paid plans give you access to more extensive features in the sales, marketing, and customer service areas. Among these features are two-way email syncing and telephony systems, automated voicemails, marketing automation, social monitoring, and a knowledge base.
To read more from existing customers about Agile’s free and paid plans, see our Agile CRM reviews page.
Zoho CRM
PROS
- Provides email marketing tools
- Extensive team collaboration and file-sharing tools
- Customizable CRM interface
CONS
- Free plan is limited to three users
- Analytics tools are not for free
- Limited free third-party software integrations
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 2.90 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Free Inclusions | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Zoho CRM is a good fit for businesses that need sales automation tools. This free CRM enables you to set workflow automation triggers. It also provides team collaboration tools like team messaging, follow-up rules, status updates, and file sharing. It can only accommodate up to three users per account—a good starting point for smaller teams.
More Zoho CRM Free Plan Features
- Leads, contacts, deals, and accounts management
- Tasks, events, call logs, and notes
- Advanced filters
- Standard reports
- Email templates and opt-out buttons
- Email authentication
- Web-to-lead and web-to-contact forms (one each)
- 1GB file storage
Why You Might Want to Upgrade
Zoho CRM’s paid plans offer a wide range of features that cover sales, marketing, inventory management, and customer support functionalities. It provides more comprehensive automation with a built-in artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Paid versions also offer access to more advanced reporting tools like sales forecasting, A/B testing, and custom dashboards. Paid plans start at $18 per user, per month.
Freshworks CRM
PROS
- Telephony integration available for free
- Unlimited users
- Free customer support through phone, email, and chat
CONS
- Upgrade can be expensive
- Free plan does not allow multiple sales pipelines
- Limited free reporting tools
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.90 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Free Inclusions | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
Freshworks CRM offers a wide range of free features, including telephony, chatbots, and email marketing—all with the goal to streamline sales and marketing. This AI-powered tool lets users access unlimited, real-time customer support, which is rare for free CRM systems. You can reach the support team 24/5 by phone, live chat, and email.
More Freshworks CRM Free Plan Features
- Unlimited users
- Lead capture
- Lead, customer, and deal tracking
- Notes, tasks, and appointments
- Website visitor tracking
- Mobile app access
- Live chat and chatbots
Why You Might Want to Upgrade
Upgrading to Freshworks CRM’s paid plans gives you access to more advanced tools like two-way email synchronization, custom dashboards, and behavioral segmentation. Its AI assistant (called Freddy) can help you manage appointments and get insights on leads, deals, and forecasts. Paid plans start at $29 per user, per month, which may be expensive for businesses with a limited budget.
If you want to know more about Freshworks CRM in detail, check out our Freshworks CRM review.
Bitrix24
PROS
- Unlimited users, leads, and contacts
- Has invoicing and quotation management tools
- Offers ecommerce solutions
CONS
- Free plan has no sales intelligence tools
- Limited customer support for free plan holders
- Only one sales pipeline allowed in the free plan
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| System Integrations | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Deal & Opportunity Management | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Customization | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Automation | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Free Inclusions | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
Bitrix24’s contact center consolidates communication channels, such as chat, email, and social media, into one platform. It also stores the entire communication history for each contact, displaying all messages, phone calls, and meetings chronologically. It offers support for unlimited contacts and deals and is recommended for teams that manage a high volume of contacts.
More Bitrix24 Free Plan Features
- Sales funnels
- CRM dashboards
- Quotes with custom fields and statuses
- Invoicing
- Sales targets and quotas
- Web forms
- Mobile app
- Access rights and roles
- Marketing automation
- Landing pages
Why You Might Want to Upgrade
Bitrix24’s paid plans unlock a vast set of tools for sales, marketing, ecommerce, telephony, customer support, team collaboration, task automation, and advanced analytics. It also gives you more allowances for custom sales pipelines, emails sent per month, and resource booking for appointments. Paid plans starts at $24 per month with seats for two users.
