How we picked the best CRM for freelancers
A solo business does not need forecasting or permission sets. It needs a system that is cheap, captures work automatically and remembers clients for years. We compared each vendor's pricing page and plan limits, as checked on October 29, 2026, against five freelancer criteria:
- Cost for one person per year, with free plans and monthly billing counted as advantages.
- Low upkeep: mailbox connection, templates and automations that save typing.
- Inquiry to booking: forms and a meeting link so leads can book a call without email ping-pong.
- Long memory: record limits and activity history, because repeat clients are a freelancer's best clients.
- Proposals: whether quotes and e-signatures are built in or an expensive extra.
Teams that are growing beyond one or two people should read our guide to the best CRM for small business; advisory firms with long sales cycles should see the best CRM for consultants.
The best freelancer CRMs at a glance
| CRM | Best for | Free plan | Paid from | Plan you will likely need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | An all-in-one free start | Yes: 2 users, 1,000 contacts | $20 (Starter) | Free tools, $0 |
| Zoho Bigin | Cheapest paid CRM | Yes: 1 user, 500 records | $7 (Express) | Express, $7 |
| Attio | Large networks | Yes: 3 seats, 50,000 records | $35 (Plus) | Free, $0 |
| Pipedrive | Many open proposals | No: 14-day trial | $14 (Lite) | Growth, $39 |
| Copper | Google Workspace users | No: 14-day trial | $23 (Basic) | Basic, $23 |
HubSpot free tools
Best for freelancers who want forms, booking and email tracking in one free tool
- Paid plans from
- $20/seat/month (Starter list price)
- Free plan
- Yes: 2 users, 1,000 contacts, no time limit
For a solo business, HubSpot's free tools cover almost the whole path from inquiry to client at no cost: a website form that captures the lead and sends one automated email, a personal meeting link for the discovery call, a Gmail or Outlook connection with 200 open notifications a month, 3 email templates and a deal pipeline. A second user, such as an assistant or partner, is free too.
Two limits matter for freelancers. Record timelines and reports only show the past 30 days, so the free tools are weak at reminding you what you did for a client last year. And booking links, forms and emails carry HubSpot branding, which Starter removes for $20 per seat at list price.
Strengths
- Free for up to 2 users with no time limit
- Form, meeting link and email tracking in one free tool
- Gmail and Outlook connection
- Marketing tools on the same records if you grow
Watch out for
- Timeline shows only the past 30 days of activity
- HubSpot branding on booking links, forms and email
- Only 3 email templates
- Quotes need a separate Revenue Hub seat
HubSpot free CRM limits →Best free CRM →HubSpot free tools official site ↗
Zoho Bigin
Best for freelancers who want a cheap paid CRM with room for every past client
- Paid plans from
- $7/user/month (Express, annual)
- Free plan
- Yes: 1 user, 500 records
Bigin is the cheapest serious option for a one-person business. The free plan gives one user a pipeline, 3 automations and 500 records. Express, at $7 a month billed annually ($84 a year) or $9 monthly, raises that to 3 pipelines, 30 automations and 50,000 records, enough to keep every lead and past client in one place.
Three pipelines suit a freelancer who sells two kinds of work, such as retainers and one-off projects, and wants a third for referral partners. If you outgrow Express, Premier at $12 raises the limits to 5 pipelines and 100,000 records.
Strengths
- Express costs $84 a year billed annually
- Monthly billing at $9 if you want no commitment
- 3 automations even on the free plan
- 50,000 records on Express
Watch out for
- Free plan stops at 500 records
- One pipeline on the free plan
- Express is limited to 30 automations
Zoho CRM alternatives →HubSpot vs Zoho CRM →Zoho Bigin official site ↗
Attio
Best for freelancers whose work comes from a large network
- Paid plans from
- $35/seat/month (Plus, annual)
- Free plan
- Yes: 3 seats, 50,000 records
Attio's free plan holds 50,000 records, fifty times HubSpot's 1,000-contact limit. That makes it the best free home for a freelancer whose work comes from a big network of past clients, agencies and referrers. Workflows are included with 250 credits a month, and the plan covers up to 3 seats.
The weak spots are reporting (3 reports on Free) and the price of the next step: Plus costs $35 per seat billed annually ($44 monthly), and sequences only arrive on Pro at $79. For most freelancers that means staying on Free for good.
Strengths
- 50,000 records free
- Workflows on the free plan
- Up to 3 free seats
- 14-day trial of Pro
Watch out for
- Only 3 reports on Free
- Plus at $420 a year is expensive for one person
- Sequences need Pro ($79)
Pipedrive
Best for freelancers with several proposals open at once
- Paid plans from
- $14/seat/month (Lite, annual)
- Free plan
- No: 14-day trial, no credit card
Pipedrive makes sense once selling is a real part of your week: several proposals open at once, follow-ups to chase and a need to know what will close this month. Lite at $14 a month billed annually gives you customizable pipelines, activities and 15 reports, but email stays in your inbox.
Growth at $39 ($468 a year) adds two-way email sync, templates with open and click tracking, a meeting scheduler, 50 automations and 5 sequences. Proposals, quotes and e-signatures come from the Smart Docs add-on, from €32.50 on Lite and Growth.
Strengths
- Pipeline-first design keeps every open proposal visible
- Growth includes a meeting scheduler and email tracking
- Smart Docs add-on for proposals and e-signatures
- Reports on every plan
Watch out for
- No free plan
- Lite has no two-way email sync
- Growth costs $468 a year for one person
- Monthly billing costs more (€49 for Growth on our EU check)
Pipedrive pricing explained →Pipedrive alternatives →Pipedrive official site ↗
Copper
Best for freelancers who run their business in Google Workspace
- Paid plans from
- $23/seat/month (Basic, annual)
- Free plan
- No: 14-day trial, no credit card
Copper is built around Google Workspace, so it suits a freelancer who lives in Gmail and Google Calendar. Basic costs $23 a month billed annually ($29 monthly) and holds 2,500 contacts, which is plenty for most solo practices.
Basic only includes task automation, though. Workflow automation, bulk email and reporting start on Professional at $59 a month ($708 a year), and email series and custom reports need Business at $99. Choose Copper when the Google Workspace fit matters more to you than cost.
Strengths
- Built around Google Workspace
- 2,500 contacts on Basic
- 14-day trial with no card
- Monthly billing available
Watch out for
- No free plan
- Basic has task automation only
- Reporting starts on Professional ($59)
- Email series need Business ($99)
The CRM setup we would use for a solo practice
Whichever tool you pick, keep the setup small enough to maintain in ten minutes a day. Here is the configuration we would build on HubSpot's free tools; every step fits inside the free plan's limits.
One pipeline, five stages
Inquiry, discovery call, proposal sent, won, lost. Define what moves a deal forward using our pipeline stages guide.
Connect your mailbox
Link Gmail or Outlook so you can send and track client emails from the CRM instead of a separate inbox.
Write your three templates
A reply to new inquiries, a proposal follow-up, and a check-in for past clients. The free plan allows exactly three.
Share one booking link
Put your personal meeting link in your email signature and on your website so leads book the discovery call themselves.
Add a website form
Each form can send one automated email, which is enough for an instant “thanks, here is my booking link” reply.
Review every Monday
Look for deals with no next step and past clients due a check-in. Because free timelines only show 30 days, record each finished project in a custom contact property (the free plan allows 10) so the history stays visible.
What to look for in a CRM as a freelancer
Upkeep you will actually do. A CRM that needs manual logging is the first tool a busy freelancer drops. Prioritize a mailbox connection: HubSpot's free tools connect Gmail or Outlook, while Pipedrive only syncs email both ways from Growth.
Memory for repeat clients. Check both record limits and history. Bigin Free stops at 500 records and HubSpot Free at 1,000 contacts with a 30-day activity timeline; Attio Free holds 50,000 records and Bigin Express 50,000.
Booking and intake. A meeting link and a website form remove most back-and-forth email. HubSpot includes both for free; Pipedrive's meeting scheduler starts on Growth.
Proposals. Built-in quoting is expensive: HubSpot requires a Revenue Hub seat from $95, and Pipedrive's Smart Docs add-on starts at €32.50. Many freelancers are better off keeping proposals in a document tool and logging the sent date in the CRM.
Commitment. Annual billing is cheaper, but monthly billing lets you leave. Bigin ($9), Attio ($44) and Copper ($29) all publish monthly prices for their entry paid plans. For a structured way to weigh these points, use our CRM buying worksheet.
What a freelancer CRM costs per year
| Plan | 1 user, annual billing | 1 user, monthly billing | 2 users, annual billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot free tools | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Attio Free | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Zoho Bigin Express | $84 | $108 | $168 |
| Pipedrive Lite | $168 | €288 | $336 |
| HubSpot Sales Hub Starter | $240 | — | $480 |
| Copper Basic | $276 | $348 | $552 |
| Attio Plus | $420 | $528 | $840 |
| Pipedrive Growth | $468 | €588 | $936 |
| Copper Professional | $708 | $828 | $1,416 |
The gap between free and paid is small for one person: Bigin Express costs $84 a year. The real jump comes with sales automation, where Pipedrive Growth and Copper Professional cost $468 and $708 a year. Run your own numbers in the CRM pricing calculator, or see every free option in the best free CRM guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CRM for freelancers?
HubSpot's free tools are the best CRM for most freelancers: they are free for up to 2 users and combine a website form, a booking link, Gmail or Outlook connection, email tracking and a deal pipeline. If you would rather pay a little for 3 pipelines, 30 automations, 50,000 records and no HubSpot branding, Zoho Bigin Express costs $7 a month billed annually, or $84 a year.
Is there a free CRM for freelancers?
Yes, several. HubSpot's free tools cover 2 users and 1,000 contacts; Attio Free covers 3 seats and 50,000 records; Zoho Bigin Free covers 1 user and 500 records; Zoho CRM and Freshsales are free for up to 3 users. None has a time limit. For a solo business, HubSpot has the most built-in tools and Attio the most room for contacts.
What is the cheapest CRM for a one-person business?
After the free plans, Zoho Bigin Express is the cheapest we compared at $7 per month billed annually ($9 monthly), which is $84 a year. Pipedrive Lite costs $168 a year, HubSpot Sales Hub Starter $240 at list price and Copper Basic $276.
Which CRM can I use to send proposals and quotes?
Pipedrive's Smart Docs add-on handles proposals, quotes and e-signatures; it starts from €32.50 on Lite and Growth and is included in Premium and Ultimate. HubSpot quotes now require a Revenue Hub Professional or Enterprise seat for new customers, from $95 per seat, which is too expensive for most freelancers. A document tool linked to a free CRM is usually cheaper.
Is Copper a good CRM for freelancers who use Gmail?
Copper is built around Google Workspace, so it suits freelancers who live in Gmail and Google Calendar. Basic costs $23 a month billed annually ($29 monthly) and holds 2,500 contacts, but it only includes task automation. Workflow automation, bulk email and reporting need Professional at $59, which is a lot for one person.
Sources
Prices and plan limits come from each vendor's own pricing pages and documentation, checked on the dates shown. Vendors change packaging often, so confirm the final figure in your own quote.
- HubSpot free tools pricing and FAQ — checked Oct 29, 2026
- HubSpot Product & Services Catalog: free tools — checked Oct 29, 2026
- HubSpot Sales Hub pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026
- HubSpot KB: Compare legacy quotes and quotes — checked Oct 29, 2026
- HubSpot Product & Services Catalog: products — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Zoho Bigin pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Attio pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026Monthly-billing USD figures from the pricing data the page loads.
- Pipedrive pricing and plan comparison — checked Oct 29, 2026Checked from the EU (EUR). US-dollar annual prices recorded on Oct 2, 2026 showed the same figures; monthly prices are euro amounts.
- Copper pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Copper signup and trial — checked Oct 29, 2026