6 Best Simple CRM Systems for 2022
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
Bianca is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who specializes in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
This article is part of a larger series on CRM.
Simple customer relationship management (CRM) systems allow startups and small businesses to streamline sales processes without paying extra for technical support and advanced features your business might not need. Instead, the best simple CRM systems focus on core functionalities like contact and lead management, making these tasks as efficient as possible. They also feature a more intuitive interface, making them beginner-friendly.
The top options and their best uses cases are:
- Really Simple Systems: Best overall for small businesses needing a simple CRM with built-in marketing and service desk capabilities
- Freshsales: Top choice for teams wanting an intuitive, easy-to-use CRM with a built-in dialer
- Pipedrive: Recommended for organizations wanting a CRM with an emphasis on visual sales management tools
- Agile CRM: Great for teams looking for a CRM with gamification tools to increase user engagement
- HubSpot CRM: Solid option for businesses wanting a free, no-frills CRM with basic features for unlimited users
- Less Annoying CRM: Excellent choice for companies requiring simple pricing and easy-to-use core CRM tools
Not what you are looking for? Read our guide to the best CRMs for small businesses or explore our list of the top CRM providers for startups.
Best Simple CRM Systems Compared
Software | Free Plan | Free Trial for Paid Plans | Starting Price for Paid Plans | Special Features | Help & Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Yes (Up to 2 users) | 14 days | $14 per user, per month* | Built-in marketing and service desk tools |
|
 | Yes (Unlimited users) | 21 days | $15 per user, per month* | Built-in caller |
|
 | No | 14 days | $14.90 per user, per month* | Visual sales pipeline |
|
 | Yes (Up to 10 users) | No | $9.99 per user, per month* | Gamification tools |
|
 | Yes (Unlimited users) | 14 days (content management system, or CMS, and Operations Hubs only) | $45 per month, includes 2 users seats*, $23/mo for each additional user | Free marketing automation tools |
|
 | No | 30 days | $15 per user, per month | Simple pricing scheme |
|
*Based on annual billing. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates.
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Really Simple Systems: Best Overall Simple CRM
Really Simple Systems
Overall Score: 4.36
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- All plans include unlimited contacts and free customer support
- Offers task management and quote generation tools
- Wide customization options
What's Missing
- Marketing and service tools cost extra
- Reporting tools available only in paid plans
- Lacks mobile apps
Really Simple Systems Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports up to 2 users
- Starter: $14 per user, per month
- Professional: $30 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $46 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 14 days
Add-ons:
- Simple Marketing: $22 per month**
- Advanced Marketing: $46 per month
- Service Desk: $46 per month**
- Customization Service: Contact sales for pricing
*Based on annual pricing. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates.
**Either Simple Marketing or Service Desk can be included for free with five or more users on the Enterprise plan. Both tools can be included for free with 10 or more users.
Really Simple Systems lives up to its name as a simple CRM solution with easy-to-learn sales tools, such as contact and pipeline management, quotes, tasks, email integration, reports, and sales forecasts. It also offers add-on tools for marketing and customer service. Its simple interface makes it easy to set up and navigate, even for beginners. Nevertheless, those who have trouble with it can take advantage of its free guides and customer support.
Aside from its ease of use, it also stands out because of its robust customization capabilities. Even with the free plan, you can customize this system according to your business needs. There are customizable data fields, dashboards, table grids, drop-down menus, and CRM page designs.
One of the disadvantages of Really Simple Systems is the additional monthly costs for those who want to add marketing and service tools to their CRM package. Aside from that, advanced reporting (with more details and summaries) is only available for Enterprise users. While it does not have a mobile app for Android and iOS, it offers a mobile responsive website optimized for mobile screens.
If you are looking for an all-in-one CRM provider that offers a mobile app, you can try Agile CRM. Better yet, choose a free solution like HubSpot CRM that supports unlimited users.
Really Simple Systems Features
The sales dashboard gives an overview of your opportunities, forecasts, tasks, sales funnel, and accounts.
(Source: Really Simple Systems)
- Sales CRM: Contact management, pipeline management, quotations, opportunities history, sales weighting and probability, sales stages, product lines, tasks, events, calendars, timelines, linked accounts, document storage, search and filter, merge records, geolocation, email integrations, and sales group permission levels
- Marketing CRM: Campaign wizard, email designer, design templates, personalization, email attachments, mailing lists, scheduling, unsubscribe option, response tracking, database segmentation, lead management, campaign stages, website integration, web forms, automated campaigns, drip marketing campaigns, and manage return on investment (ROI)
- Service Desk CRM: Case management, service level agreements (SLAs), case prioritization, custom dashboard, web forms, custom reports, and email integration
- Reporting: Listing and forecast reports, custom reports, advanced reports (with subtotals and summaries), scheduled reports, and custom chart widgets
- Custom features: Fields, tables, drop-down lists, dashboards, pages, and charts
- Mobile access: Mobile responsive website optimized for mobile screens
- Help and support: Access to in-page help information, online customer portal, video tutorials, live webinars, annual CRM review, account manager, and team training; customer support is available during business hours UK time via phone (for Professional and Enterprise tiers only), email, and live chat.
Find out if this platform is the right fit for your business requirements by reading our Really Simple Systems review.
Freshsales: Best Simple CRM With Built-in Caller
Freshsales
Overall Score: 4.26
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Free plan supports an unlimited number of users
- Robust contact management features, including auto-profile enrichment from social media
- Built-in cloud telephony across all plans
What's Missing
- Reporting features not available with the free plan
- Limited email and third-party integrations
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered insights included only in higher tiers
Freshsales Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Unlimited number of users
- Growth: $15 per user, per month
- Pro: $39 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $69 per user, per month
- Freshsales Suite (Sales + Marketing): Ranges from $0 to $69 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 21 days
Add-ons:
- CPQ (Configure, Price, and Quote): $19 per user, per month
- Workflows: $5
- Phone credits: Starts at $25
*Based on annual pricing. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates.
Freshsales is an easy-to-use sales automation tool that comes with a robust built-in cloud telephony system, featuring toll-free numbers, call recording and masking, virtual hold, voicemails, and bring your own carrier (BYOC). It has rich contact management, auto-profile enrichment, and mobile app capabilities. It also has a free plan that supports an unlimited number of users. Moreover, all plans offer 24/5 customer support via phone, chat, and email.
What Freshsales is missing is Pipedrive’s more robust email management features and third-party integration options. Also, its free plan does not include reporting tools, and advanced metrics (like won deals and emails delivered) are only available in the more expensive tiers. HubSpot CRM offers these tools for free, although its calling features are not as robust as Freshsales’.
Freshsales Features
Freshsales’ built-in phone dialer
(Source: Freshsales)
- Core CRM features: Contact management, account management, contact lifecycle stages, activity timeline, auto profile enrichment, tasks, appointments, notes, custom sales activities, and sales and marketing home dashboard
- CRM customization: Renaming modules, custom fields, profile avatar for contact and account, record tags, product catalog, email template tags, workflows, auto-assignment rules (contacts, accounts, and deals), and custom modules
- Sales pipeline management: Deal management, visual sales pipeline, collaboration via Slack, rotten deals, multiple sales pipelines, sales goals, sales forecasting, deal teams, and sales teams
- Sales emails: Two-way email sync, sales sequences, personalized bulk emails, and team inbox
- Phone: Built-in phone dialer, buy local and toll-free numbers, inbound caller ID, call masking, call recording, voicemails and voicemail drop, call queues, Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC), conference calling, holiday routing, virtual hold, and warm transfer
- Chat: Chat widget, conversation threads, mobile software development toolkit (SDK), chat assignment rules, private notes, frequently asked questions (FAQs), chat auto-resolve rules, IntelliAssign (auto-assign chats based on availability and workload), and chat campaigns
- Messaging channel integrations: SMS (short message service), Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Apple Business Chat
- Freddy AI insights: Predictive contact scoring, lead generation bot, deduplication, answer bot, deal insights, out-of-office detection, and forecasting insights
- Website integration: Classic forms, smart forms, and website tracking
- Reports and dashboards: Default reports, custom reports, and advanced metrics (won deals and emails delivered)
- Mobile app: iOS and Android apps; contact, account, and deal management, voice notes, book Uber, Google Maps, caller ID, location check-in, automatic call logging, documents, and offline access
- Help and support: Case study, product, tours, product updates, and access to 24/5 customer support via phone, chat, and email
Read our Freshsales review for a closer look at the features and benefits of this CRM solution.
Pipedrive: Best Simple CRM With Visual Sales Pipeline Tools
Pipedrive
Overall Score: 4.14
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Affordable premium plans
- 24/7 multilingual live chat and email support
- Email and document tracking
What's Missing
- Lacks a free plan
- Phone support limited to Enterprise plan
- Lead generation and web tracking tools cost extra
Pipedrive Pricing at a Glance*
- Essential: $14.90 per user, per month
- Advanced: $24.90 per user, per month
- Professional: $49.90 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99.00 per user, per month
- Free trial: 14 days
Add-ons:
- LeadBooster (lead generation tool set): Starts at $32.50 per company, per month
- Web Visitors (website tracking): Starts at $41.00 per company, per month
*Based on annual pricing. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates, except for the Enterprise plan.
Compared to other types of CRMs, Pipedrive makes it easier to understand CRM data because of its visualization tools. It features Kanban-style drag-and-drop pipelines and customizable dashboards. Aside from that, this platform offers in-app calling and integration with more than 250 services and tools from its Marketplace. You can also send trackable quotes, proposals, and contracts to your clients using its Smart Docs feature.
What’s lacking from Pipedrive are built-in lead generation and web tracking tools, as you need to pay extra for these features. In addition, while its plans are affordable, it does not have a free option. Freshsales includes web visitor tracking and lead generation in its higher-tier plans, while HubSpot CRM offers them at no cost. Both of these alternatives also offer a robust set of free plans.
Pipedrive Features
Drag-and-drop deal pipeline
(Source: Pipedrive)
- Lead and deal management: Unlimited number of deals, custom fields, and reports; customizable pipelines, product catalog, custom fields, lead inbox, deal rotting, data import and export, and merge duplicate data
- Contact and activity management: Unlimited contacts, mentions and comments, file attachments, contacts map, calendar view and activity management, and activity reminder notifications
- Collaboration and communication: Email inbox, email tracking, customizable email templates, dialer, video call, e-signatures, document tracking, and meeting scheduler
- Smart Docs: Trackable quotes, proposals, and contracts
- Automation: Artificial intelligence (AI) powered Sales Assistant, workflows, application programming interface (API) access, and webhooks (push notification to endpoint of choice)
- Reporting: Deals and activities, company and user goals, visual dashboards, recurring revenue, subscription revenue, revenue forecast, and team goals
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps; calls, meetings, emails, activities, search bar, find lead and contact information, contact history, deal timelines, notes, automatic call tracking, caller ID, email templates, contact location, and offline access
- Help and support: Access to blogs, Pipedrive community, Pipedrive Academy, and help center; 24/7 support via email, live chat, and phone (Enterprise only)
For more details on this solution’s features and capabilities, check out our Pipedrive review.
Agile CRM: Best Simple CRM for Increasing User Engagement
Agile CRM
Overall Score: 3.96
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Marketing automation available in paid plans
- Includes gamification and social monitoring tools
- Paid plans feature email and phone support
What's Missing
- Free plan has no integration features
- Limited reports and analytics capabilities
- Telephony available only in Regular and Enterprise plans
Agile CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Up to 10 users
- Starter: $9.99 per user, per month
- Regular: $39.99 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $64.99 per user, per month
*Based on annual pricing. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates, while two-year contracts are offered at slightly lower rates.
Agile CRM offers sales, marketing, and service automation tools in one platform. It also features email and phone support in all of its paid tiers. This CRM helps improve user engagement and motivates sales teams to deliver results using gamification tools, friendly competition, and team collaboration. There are custom leaderboards that show the performance and ranking of each rep.
However, Agile CRM lacks the robust integration options and reporting capabilities of Pipedrive. Its telephony feature is also available only for Regular and Enterprise subscribers, while Freshsales incorporates this tool into all of its plans. Moreover, all but its Enterprise plan cap the number of contacts you can store. If you are looking for a free CRM that supports unlimited contacts, try Really Simple Systems.
Agile CRM Features
The leaderboard shows the performance of each rep and their real-time statistics. (Source: Agile CRM)
- Sales tools: Contact management, lead scoring, appointment scheduling, custom deal milestones, custom data fields, email tracking, project management, and gamification
- Marketing tools: Email marketing, newsletters, email tracking, multichannel campaigns, form builder, landing page builder, social monitoring, and web-to-lead forms
- Service tools: Help desk, groups, labels, canned responses, knowledge base, service level agreements (SLAs), and live chat
- Telephony: Two-way calling, post-call automation, call recording, automated voice calls, call scripts, and audio conferencing
- Reporting and analytics: Custom reports, scheduled reports, growth reports, funnel and cohorts analysis, customer behavior, website performance, and team performance
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps; mobile dashboard, contact management, deal tracking, events, tasks, and Google Calendar sync
- Help and support: Access to setup guides, training workshops, onboarding coach, and dedicated account manager (Enterprise); customer support via email (24/5) and phone (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time)
To explore if it is the right CRM solution for you, read about its features and benefits in our Agile CRM review.
HubSpot CRM: Best Simple, Free CRM for Unlimited Users
HubSpot CRM
Overall Score: 3.72
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Free plan offers useful email marketing tools, such as email templates and reply tracking
- Unlimited users and contacts
- Can integrate multiple social media accounts
What's Missing
- Free plan lacks direct customer support
- Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
- Plan upgrades and additional integrations are expensive
HubSpot CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports an unlimited number of users
- HubSpot for Startups: Ranges from $40 to $89 per month
- Marketing Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Sales Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Service Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- CMS Hub: Starts at $23 per month
- Operations Hub: Free plan for data-syncing HubSpot with third-party apps; paid plans start at $45 per month
- CRM Suite: Starts at $45 per month
- Free trial for paid plans: 14 days
*Based on annual pricing. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates.
HubSpot CRM is our pick as the best free CRM for unlimited users because it offers many of the features typically included with paid solutions. Some of its free tools include pipeline management, email integration, marketing automation, reporting dashboards, email tracking, ticketing, and ad management. This platform also has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for reps to manage their customers.
Unlike Really Simple Systems and Freshsales, HubSpot CRM’s free plan only offers self-help resources like community support and a knowledge base. Another setback for this CRM is its limited reporting and analytics capabilities, which generally cover team activity and performance. In comparison, although Pipedrive does not offer a free tier, it provides insights on deals, individual and group goals, revenues, and forecasts.
HubSpot CRM Features
Deal stage pipeline
(Source: HubSpot CRM)
- CRM tools: Contact management, contact website activity, companies, deals, tasks, activities, company insights, and sales documents
- Marketing tools: Forms, email marketing, ad management, landing pages, shared inbox, and list segmentation
- Service tools: Ticketing, email scheduling, and ticket closed reports
- Integrations: Gmail, Outlook, Messenger, and App Marketplace
- Email tools: Shared inbox, email tracking, email templates, and canned snippets
- Calling: In-app calling via voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP)
- Reporting: Dashboard for activity and performance metrics
- Mobile app: iOS and Android apps; tasks, events, reminders, deals, contacts, activity feed, email, caller ID, live chat, voice notes, meetings, file attachments, and offline access
- Help and support: Access to community support, knowledge base, and HubSpot Academy; extended tier-based support via email, chat, and phone (7 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday)
Read our HubSpot CRM review for in-depth knowledge of what this solution can do for your business.
Less Annoying CRM: Best Simple CRM With Straightforward Pricing
Less Annoying CRM
Overall Score: 3.69
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Single-tier pricing
- Extremely short learning curve
- Excellent contact and task management capabilities
What's Missing
- No mobile app
- Customer support is available during business hours only
- Limited integrations and customization options
Less Annoying CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Up to 10 users: $15 per user, per month
- 10+ users: Contact sales for pricing
- Free trial: 30 days
*Based on monthly pricing
When it comes to pricing schemes, Less Annoying CRM rises above the rest of the providers on this list because of its single-tier pricing. As its name implies, it is less annoying because it has a flat fee of $15 per user, per month, and has no contracts or usage limits. It also offers excellent contact and task management features. While this CRM system is ideal for small teams, it also provides an enterprise option for businesses with more than 10 users.
Although Less Annoying CRM gives you a no-frills pricing model and an extremely short learning curve, it also has its own lists of limitations. For instance, it doesn’t have a mobile app and has limited options for customization and integrations. In contrast, Pipedrive’s base plan is more affordable and meets all these lacking features. You can also try Really Simple Systems for a more customizable yet free alternative.
Less Annoying CRM Features
The Workspace gives you an overview of your tasks and reports. (Source: Less Annoying CRM)
- Core CRM features: Contact management, notes, files, tasks, events, calendar and tasks, and data import and export
- Reports: Leads and pipeline reports, including status and priority
- Collaboration: Data sharing permissions and access control
- Customization: Custom fields, contacts, companies, and pipelines
- Mobile access: Mobile-optimized web app
- Help and support: Access to help center with guide articles; customer support via email and phone, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time
For a deeper understanding of this platform’s capabilities, check out our Less Annoying CRM review.
How We Evaluated Simple & Easy CRM Software
The best simple CRM system for small businesses should include core CRM features and have straightforward pricing. It should also offer reliable customer service, a user-friendly interface, a robust mobile app, and reporting features. Understandably, some will require minimal technical skill and setup for users.
With an overall score of 4.36 out of 5, Really Simple Systems is our top choice for small businesses needing a simple and easy CRM system. We determined that it lives up to its name in terms of ease of use, plus it offers multichannel customer support, quick setup, and third-party integrations with popular solutions to extend its capabilities.
Really Simple Systems offers a free plan that supports up to two users, while the premium options range from $14 to $46 per user, per month. This platform is a great choice for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who are either looking for a free CRM or have a limited budget for one.
The tabs below offer more insight into our evaluation process for selecting the best simple CRM system:
40%
Pricing
20%
General Features
15%
Ease of Use
15%
Help & Support
10%
Expert Score
40% of Overall Score
We evaluated the subscription options offered by each CRM provider in our list, including the availability of a free plan and monthly billing option. We also considered the costs of its paid options, CRM customizations, onboarding, and maintenance fees.
20% of Overall Score
We evaluated the availability of general CRM features small business owners typically look for. These include reporting and analytics, customizable pipelines, robust integrations, and a seamless mobile app.
15% of Overall Score
The best simple CRMs do not require technical skills to understand and use. Moreover, they should have an intuitive interface. Each solution on this list was evaluated on how easy it is to set up and operate, as well as to integrate with other apps.
15% of Overall Score
We assessed the solutions to see the quality of help and support they offer to their users. Most of them provide access to self-help resources, but a few stand out by offering support 24/7. Some include customer support via phone, live chat, and email during business hours.
10% of Overall Score
We checked customer reviews on reputable sites to learn how satisfied their customers are. We also noted common issues that the users had. Apart from reviews, we weighed the features that stood out, their value for money, and their popularity to narrow down the best free CRM recommendations.
*Percentages of overall score
