Best Free Crm Software: What the Free Tiers Really Allow
HubSpot, Zoho CRM and Freshsales offer real free CRM plans — but each caps users or contacts. See what the free tiers really allow before you sign up.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-09T19:27:33+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-09T19:27:33+00:00
Best Free CRM Software: What the Free Tiers Really Allow
The best free CRM software gives you a real pipeline at zero cost. HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM, and Freshsales all offer permanent free plans. Each one caps users, contacts, or features. This guide shows what each free tier really allows, so you can pick one that lasts.
A free CRM suits a new business, a solo founder, or a small team testing the waters. It stores contacts, tracks deals, and logs follow-ups. When you outgrow the limits, you upgrade. Until then, you pay nothing.
What the best free CRM software should include
A useful free CRM covers four things. First, contact and company records. Second, a visual deal pipeline. Third, task and activity tracking. Fourth, email integration so conversations attach to records.
Check three limits before you sign up. The user limit decides who can log in. The contact limit decides how big your database can grow. The feature limit decides what you cannot do, like automation or bulk email.
Also check the time limit. A free plan has no end date. A free trial ends in 14 to 30 days. The tools below offer real free plans, not trials.
Best free CRM software compared
| CRM | Free users | Free contact limit | What the free tier includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | Up to 2 users | Up to 1,000 contacts | Contact and deal management, email tracking, meeting scheduling, live chat, dashboards |
| Zoho CRM | Up to 3 users | Not stated as a hard cap on the free page | Leads, deals, workflows, reports, webforms, mobile app |
| Freshsales | Up to 3 users | Not stated as a hard cap on the free page | Email templates, dashboards, Kanban pipeline, Gmail and Calendar sync |
Details come from each vendor's own free-plan pages. Confirm the live terms before you choose.
HubSpot CRM: the best free CRM for most teams
HubSpot CRM is free for up to two users. It covers up to 1,000 contacts. There is no time limit. No credit card is needed to start.
The free plan includes contact, deal, and task management. It also includes email tracking, email templates, meeting scheduling, live chat, and reporting dashboards. HubSpot's Breeze Assistant is included in the free CRM too.
HubSpot's free tier is the broadest here. It covers sales, marketing, and service tools in one account. A small team can run its whole customer operation on it.
The limits are clear. Two users is the cap. Add a third person and you must pay. The 1,000-contact cap also matters. A growing list will hit it. Paid plans start with Sales Hub Starter at $9 per seat per month when billed annually, based on HubSpot's pricing guide.
Zoho CRM: the best free CRM for three-person teams
Zoho CRM's free edition supports up to three users. It includes leads, deals, workflows, reports, and a mobile app. There is no credit card needed. There is no trial period and no forced upgrade.
Three free users beat HubSpot's two. That matters for a founding team of three. Zoho's free plan also includes webforms, document storage, and basic automation through workflows.
The trade-off is polish. Zoho's interface is denser than HubSpot's. The learning curve is steeper. But the price is zero, and the feature list is long.
Paid plans start at $14 per user per month when billed annually for Standard. Professional costs $23. Enterprise costs $50. The step up is gentle compared with HubSpot's higher tiers.
Freshsales: the best free CRM for sales calls and email
Freshsales is free for up to three users. Its free plan includes email templates, sales dashboards, and a Kanban pipeline view. It connects with Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, and Teams.
Freshsales lets you customize fields, up to five per module on the free plan. It also includes a notification center and basic contact, account, and deal management. That is a solid toolkit at zero cost.
What the free plan drops is automation. Workflows, sales sequences, bulk email, and email tracking sit on paid plans. If your team sends many emails, that gap matters.
Paid plans start at $15 per user per month. That is close to Zoho's entry price. Freshsales adds built-in phone, chat, and Freddy AI scoring on paid tiers.
CRMs with no free plan: know the difference
Not every popular CRM offers a free plan. Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial. Its Lite plan starts at $14 per user per month when billed annually. There is no permanent free tier.
monday CRM also has no permanent free plan. It offers a 14-day free trial. Basic starts at $12 per seat per month when billed annually, with a three-seat minimum.
Salesforce has no free plan either. Its Starter Suite starts at $25 per user per month. These tools are strong, but they are not free. Do not confuse a trial with a free plan. A trial ends. A free plan does not.
How to choose the best free CRM software
Use this checklist.
- Count your team. Two users fits HubSpot. Three users fits Zoho or Freshsales.
- Count your contacts. Over 1,000 rules out HubSpot free.
- List the features you need: automation, bulk email, phone.
- Test the free plan with real leads for two weeks.
- Price the paid plan you would need in one year.
Import real data during the test. A CRM with sample data tells you nothing. A CRM with your real pipeline tells you everything.
Also check data export before you commit. A free plan should let you take your contacts with you. If it does not, you are locked in. Confirm the export terms on the vendor's page before you import your full list.
Bottom line
For most teams, HubSpot CRM is the best free CRM software. Its free plan is broad, lasting, and easy to use. For a three-person team, Zoho CRM is the best pick, with one more free seat and a lower paid ladder. For teams that call and email all day, Freshsales is the best free option. Start with the free plan that fits your team size. Upgrade only when the limits start to pinch.