How we picked the best free CRMs
We only included plans that are free with no time limit. A trial is not a free plan: Pipedrive, Copper, Close and monday CRM all offer 14-day trials and no free tier, so they are not on this list. You can see what Pipedrive costs after its trial in our Pipedrive pricing guide.
We compared each free plan on the vendors' pricing pages and plan documentation, as of October 29, 2026:
- Users and records the plan holds before you must pay.
- Pipelines, email tools and automation included for free.
- Branding customers see on your emails and forms.
- The upgrade: which limit you hit first, and the price of the first paid tier.
Salesforce's $0 Free Suite is covered in the FAQ below rather than ranked. See the methodology page for how we research.
Free CRM plans compared
| CRM | Best for | Free plan | Paid from | Plan you will likely need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | 1–2 people who want email and forms | 2 users, 1,000 contacts | $20 (Starter) | Starter, $20 |
| Zoho CRM | 3-person teams that want automation | 3 users | $14 (Standard) | Standard, $14 |
| Freshsales | Cheapest upgrade from a 3-user free plan | 3 users | $9 (Growth) | Growth, $9; Pro $39 for sequences |
| Attio | Large contact lists | 3 seats, 50,000 records | $35 (Plus) | Plus, $35 |
| Zoho Bigin | Solo users | 1 user, 500 records | $7 (Express) | Express, $7 |
| Limit | HubSpot | Zoho CRM | Freshsales | Attio | Zoho Bigin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 seats | 1 |
| Records | 1,000 contacts + 1,000 other records | — | — | 50,000 | 500 |
| Pipelines | 1 per object | Default only | 1 (multiple from Pro) | — | 1 |
| Automation | 1 automated action and email per form | 10 workflow rules per module, 5 active | None | Workflows, 250 credits/month | 3 automations |
| Sequences / cadences | No (Professional) | No (Standard) | No (Pro) | No (Pro) | — |
| Email tools | Gmail/Outlook, 3 templates, 200 open notifications/month | — | — | — | — |
| Reporting | 10 dashboards, past 30 days only | — | No custom reports | 3 reports | — |
| Vendor branding | Yes, on email, forms, chat, meeting links | — | — | — | — |
HubSpot free tools
Best for one or two people who want the most complete free toolset
- Paid plans from
- $20/seat/month (Starter list price)
- Free plan
- Yes: 2 users, 1,000 contacts, no time limit
HubSpot's free tools are the most complete free CRM we compared. Two users get a Gmail or Outlook connection, email tracking with 200 open notifications a month, 3 email templates, a personal meeting link, 1 shared inbox, forms, live chat and 10 dashboards, with no time limit and no credit card.
The limits are tight once you look closely: 1,000 contacts and 1,000 other records, one pipeline per object, 10 custom properties, and reports and record timelines that only show the past 30 days. Emails, meeting links, chat and forms carry HubSpot branding. Sales Hub Starter removes the branding and lifts you to 15 pipelines for $20 per seat at list price.
Strengths
- No time limit and no credit card
- Email tracking, templates and a meeting link included
- Forms, live chat and a shared inbox included
- 10 dashboards on the free plan
Watch out for
- Only 2 users
- 1,000-contact limit
- Reports and record timelines show only the past 30 days
- HubSpot branding on email, meeting links, chat and forms
HubSpot free CRM limits →HubSpot pricing explained →HubSpot free tools official site ↗
Zoho CRM Free
Best for three-person teams that want workflow automation for free
- Paid plans from
- $14/user/month (Standard, annual)
- Free plan
- Yes: up to 3 users, no time limit
Zoho CRM's free edition is the strongest free option for a team of three that wants automation: 3 users, no time limit, and 10 workflow rules per module, 5 of them active at once.
What it leaves out: custom modules, cadences and any pipeline beyond the default one. Standard at $14 per user billed annually ($20 monthly) adds 5 pipelines, 10 custom modules, 20 cadences per module, 250 mass emails a day and 100 custom reports. Zoho offers a 15-day trial of paid editions.
Strengths
- Free for 3 users with no time limit
- 10 workflow rules per module (5 active)
- Standard at $14 costs less than HubSpot Starter's $20 list price
- Paid editions scale to 50 pipelines on Ultimate
Watch out for
- Default pipeline only
- No cadences or custom modules on Free
- Only 5 workflow rules can be active per module
HubSpot vs Zoho pricing →Zoho CRM alternatives →Zoho CRM Free official site ↗
Freshsales Free
Best for teams that expect to pass three users soon and want a cheap upgrade
- Paid plans from
- $9/user/month (Growth, annual)
- Free plan
- Yes: up to 3 users
Freshsales is free for up to 3 users, and Growth is the cheapest upgrade among the three-user free plans here: $9 per user billed annually ($11 monthly). The free plan has no workflows; Growth adds 20 basic workflows and 250 bulk emails a day.
Sequences, custom reports and multiple pipelines need Pro at $39 per user, level with Pipedrive Growth. The 21-day trial gives you time to test Pro before you commit.
Strengths
- Free for up to 3 users
- Growth upgrade at $9 per user
- 21-day trial, a week longer than Pipedrive's
- Pro adds 10 pipelines and 10 sequences per user
Watch out for
- No workflow automation on the free plan
- One pipeline until Pro
- Custom reports need Pro
- Freddy AI is a paid add-on ($49 per 100 sessions)
Freshsales pricing explained →Freshsales vs HubSpot →Freshsales Free official site ↗
Attio Free
Best for small teams with large contact lists
- Paid plans from
- $35/seat/month (Plus, annual)
- Free plan
- Yes: 3 seats, 50,000 records
Attio's free plan has by far the most generous record allowance: 50,000 records across 3 seats, against 1,000 contacts on HubSpot and 500 records on Bigin. Workflows are included on every plan, metered by credits: 250 a month on Free. Its data model is built on objects, with 3 on Free and custom objects from Pro.
The catch is the paid ladder. Plus costs $35 per seat billed annually ($44 monthly) and is capped at 10 seats, and sequences need Pro at $79 per seat. Reports are limited to 3 on Free and 15 on Plus.
Strengths
- 50,000 records on the free plan
- Workflows on every plan, including 250 credits a month free
- 3 free seats
- 14-day trial of Pro
Watch out for
- Plus at $35 is the priciest first paid tier here
- Only 3 reports on Free
- Sequences only from Pro ($79)
- Plus is capped at 10 seats
HubSpot alternatives →Best CRM for consultants →Attio Free official site ↗
Zoho Bigin Free
Best for solo users who need one simple pipeline
- Paid plans from
- $7/user/month (Express, annual)
- Free plan
- Yes: 1 user, 500 records
Bigin's free plan is for exactly one user, with 1 pipeline, 3 automations and 500 records. That is a narrow allowance, but it covers a freelancer's sales pipeline at no cost, and the upgrade is the cheapest on this list: Express at $7 per user billed annually ($9 monthly).
Express raises the limits to 3 pipelines, 30 automations and 50,000 records, so a growing two- or three-person team can stay on Bigin at low cost.
Strengths
- Cheapest upgrade: $7 per user on Express
- 3 automations even on the free plan
- Bigin 360 scales to 15 pipelines and 1 million records
- 15-day trial of paid plans
Watch out for
- Free plan is 1 user only
- 500-record cap fills quickly
- One pipeline on Free
Best CRM for freelancers →Zoho CRM alternatives →Zoho Bigin Free official site ↗
What to look for in a free CRM
Your headcount in twelve months, not today. Every free plan here stops at three users or fewer. If you will hire a fourth salesperson this year, the first paid tier matters more than the free features.
Record and history limits. A 1,500-contact spreadsheet already breaks HubSpot's 1,000-contact free limit and Bigin's 500 records, but fits easily in Attio's 50,000. HubSpot's free reports also only look back 30 days, so you cannot compare this quarter with last.
Automation you can actually use. Zoho CRM Free gives you workflow rules, Freshsales Free none, and HubSpot one automated action per form. HubSpot's free emails and forms also carry its branding, which Starter removes.
A second pipeline. If you sell two different things, such as new projects and renewals, you need two pipelines. HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Freshsales and Bigin all give you one on their free plans. The cheapest second pipeline is Bigin Express at $7 per user (3 pipelines), followed by Zoho CRM Standard at $14 (5 pipelines).
Sequences cost extra. HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Freshsales and Attio all keep automated email sequences off their free plans. The cheapest upgrade that adds them is Zoho CRM Standard at $14 per user (20 cadences per module), then Freshsales Pro at $39, Attio Pro at $79 and HubSpot Sales Hub Professional at $90 plus a $1,500 onboarding fee.
An exit route. Check that contacts and deals export cleanly before you invest months of data; our CRM migration checklist lists what to test, and the CRM scorecard compares two free plans on the same requirements.
When you will have to start paying
Each free plan has one limit that usually forces the upgrade first. Here is what triggers it and what you get:
| CRM | Usual upgrade trigger | First paid tier | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | A third user, a second pipeline or removing HubSpot branding | Starter, $20/seat | No branding, 15 pipelines, 50 restricted workflows, 1,000 meeting links |
| Zoho CRM | A fourth user, a second pipeline or cadences | Standard, $14/user | 5 pipelines, 30 workflow rules per module, 20 cadences per module, 100 custom reports |
| Freshsales | A fourth user or any workflow automation | Growth, $9/user | 20 basic workflows, 250 bulk emails a day |
| Attio | A fourth seat, more than 50,000 records or 3 reports | Plus, $35/seat | 5 objects, 250,000 records, 15 reports, 1,500 workflow credits |
| Zoho Bigin | A second user or record 501 | Express, $7/user | 3 pipelines, 30 automations, 50,000 records |
| First paid tier | 3 users | 5 users | 10 users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Bigin Express | $252 | $420 | $840 |
| Freshsales Growth | $0 (free plan) | $540 | $1,080 |
| Zoho CRM Standard | $0 (free plan) | $840 | $1,680 |
| HubSpot Sales Hub Starter | $720 | $1,200 | $2,400 |
| Salesforce Starter Suite | $900 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Attio Plus | $0 (free plan) | $2,100 | $4,200 |
At five users the cheapest paths are Bigin Express ($420 a year) and Freshsales Growth ($540); Attio Plus is the most expensive at $2,100. If you expect to need sequences and forecasting soon, skip ahead to the best CRM for small business or price your own team in the CRM pricing calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free CRM in 2026?
HubSpot's free tools are the best free CRM for one or two people: they include email tracking, templates, a meeting link, forms, live chat and 10 dashboards with no time limit. For a team of three, Zoho CRM's free edition is the better choice because it covers 3 users and includes workflow rules. Attio is best if you need to store more than a few thousand records.
Which free CRM allows the most users?
Zoho CRM, Freshsales and Attio each allow up to 3 users on their free plans. HubSpot's free tools allow 2 users and Zoho Bigin's free plan allows 1. No free plan we compared supports a team of four, so a growing team should compare first paid tiers as carefully as free features.
Is HubSpot CRM really free forever?
Yes. HubSpot's free tools have no time limit and need no credit card, but they are capped at 2 users, 1,000 contacts and 1,000 other records, one pipeline per object and 10 custom properties. Reports and record timelines only show the past 30 days, and emails, forms and meeting links carry HubSpot branding. Starter lists at $20 per seat.
Does Pipedrive have a free plan?
No. Pipedrive only offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card. After the trial, the cheapest plan is Lite at $14 per seat per month billed annually (€14 in the eurozone), and most teams need Growth at $39. Copper, Close and monday CRM also offer trials rather than free plans, so they are not included in this list.
Does Salesforce have a free CRM?
Yes. Salesforce lists a Free Suite at $0. Its first paid tier, Starter Suite, costs $25 per user per month on monthly or annual billing, and Salesforce offers a 30-day trial of Starter Suite for up to 10 users. We did not rank Free Suite here because we could not document its user and record limits to the same standard as the plans above.
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: Set up and customize pipelines — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Zoho CRM pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026USD figures from the pricing data the page loads; our EU view showed the same numbers in euros.
- Zoho CRM signup and trial — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Freshsales pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Freshsales plan comparison — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Attio pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026Monthly-billing USD figures from the pricing data the page loads.
- Zoho Bigin pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Salesforce Sales Cloud pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026
- Pipedrive pricing — checked Oct 29, 2026