Cheapest CRM Software: Real Prices for Budget-Conscious Teams

Let's cut to the chase: you need a CRM but you don't want to pay Salesforce prices. Good news-there are legitimate options starting at $0 that can actually get the job done.

I've spent way too many hours digging through CRM pricing pages, and I'll save you the headache. Here's what the cheapest CRM software actually costs, what you get, and where the catch is (there's always a catch).

The Actually Free CRMs Worth Using

Before we talk paid plans, let's cover the free options. These aren't just trial versions-they're legitimately free forever plans that work for small teams.

Zoho CRM Free

Zoho's free plan is limited to 3 users, but it includes essentials like leads, contacts, accounts, deals, tasks, and mobile apps. You get basic CRM functionality without paying a dime.

The catch? No workflow automation, limited reporting, and you'll outgrow it fast if you're doing any serious volume. But for a solopreneur or tiny team just getting organized, it's legit.

Freshsales Free

Freshsales (by Freshworks) offers a free plan for up to 3 users. You get Kanban views, email templates, built-in phone, and live chat features. The interface is cleaner than Zoho's, in my opinion.

What you won't get: reports, sales funnel views, and most of the automation features. If you need those, you're looking at paid plans.

HubSpot Free CRM

HubSpot's free CRM is probably the most well-known option. You get unlimited users (nice), contact management, deal tracking, and some basic email marketing.

The catch is that HubSpot's free tier is really designed to get you hooked on their ecosystem. The moment you need marketing automation or sales sequences, you're looking at their paid plans which jump to hundreds per month. It's the dealer-first-taste-free model.

Recent updates have made the free plan even more restrictive. The contact limit for marketing activities is now capped at 1,000 contacts, and features like connecting your inbox for email tracking are limited. You get only 3 dashboards with up to 10 reports each, and there's no live support-just self-service documentation.

If you want a deeper comparison, check out our free CRM software guide.

Monday CRM Free

Monday CRM offers a free plan for up to 2 users with unlimited contacts and pipelines. The visual, color-coded interface makes it easy to track deals and manage relationships without formal training.

The limitations? No automations, no integrations, and only basic features. It's really just a starting point to get you familiar with their ecosystem before upgrading to paid plans starting at $12/user/month.

Bigin by Zoho Free

Bigin also has a free plan that's designed specifically for micro-businesses. It includes basic pipeline management, contact organization, and email integration. The interface is intentionally simplified compared to full Zoho CRM.

For teams that find traditional CRMs overwhelming, Bigin's free tier offers a gentler introduction to customer relationship management.

Cheapest Paid CRM Plans (Under $15/user/month)

If you need more than basic contact management, here's where the budget paid plans stack up.

Bigin by Zoho - $7/user/month

If you want something even simpler, Zoho created Bigin specifically for very small teams. At just $7/user/month billed annually, it's one of the cheapest paid CRM options available.

Bigin focuses on essential CRM functions: pipeline management, contact organization, and basic automation. The interface is much simpler than full Zoho CRM-which is either a feature or a limitation depending on your needs.

What you get at the Express tier ($7/month annual):

Bigin offers three tiers total: Express ($7/month), Premier ($12/month), and Bigin 360 ($18/month). Higher tiers add more pipelines, advanced automation, and additional integrations.

For solo consultants or micro-businesses, this might be all you need. And when you outgrow it, you can migrate to full Zoho CRM with one click-all your data transfers automatically.

Freshsales Growth - $9/user/month

Freshsales starts at $9/user/month (billed annually) for the Growth plan. This includes visual sales pipelines, AI-powered contact scoring, and built-in phone and email.

Here's the problem: the $9 plan is missing features you'd expect at this price point. No multiple pipelines, no duplicate management, no email sequences. If you need those, you're jumping to the Pro plan at $39/user/month-a massive 300%+ price increase.

The $9 entry point looks good on paper but many teams find themselves forced to upgrade quickly. Even worse, if you sign up for Freshsales Suite (which adds marketing features), you're limited to just 500 marketing contacts regardless of which plan you're on-even the $99/month Enterprise tier.

Storage is also tight. The Pro plan only gives you 5GB per user, so if you deal with lots of attachments, you'll hit that wall fast.

Monday CRM Basic - $12/user/month

Monday CRM's Basic plan costs $12/user/month when billed annually (or $15/month if you pay monthly). The minimum is 3 users, so you're looking at $36/month minimum.

What you get:

What you won't get: automations, integrations, advanced reporting, or timeline views. Those require the Standard plan at $17/user/month.

Monday CRM is visual and intuitive, which makes onboarding fast. But the lack of automation in the Basic plan is a dealbreaker for many teams.

Zoho CRM Standard - $14/user/month

Zoho CRM's Standard plan costs $14/user/month when billed annually, or $20/user/month if you pay monthly. This is the entry point for getting actual CRM features.

What you get at this tier:

The Standard plan is solid for small teams who need more than spreadsheets but aren't ready for enterprise features. You'll miss out on Blueprint (their process management tool) and some advanced automation, but honestly, most small businesses don't need that stuff yet.

Less Annoying CRM - $15/user/month

Less Annoying CRM takes a different approach: one plan, one price, $15/user/month. No tiers, no upsells, no annual contract required.

The simplicity is refreshing. You get everything they offer from day one. No wondering if you need to upgrade to get some feature. The trade-off is that it's more basic than Zoho or Freshsales-but if simple is what you want, this is it.

What's included:

No feature gates, no usage limits. Just straightforward CRM functionality without the complexity.

Mid-Range Budget Options ($20-40/user/month)

If you can stretch your budget a bit, these tiers offer significantly more functionality.

Zoho CRM Professional - $23/user/month

At $23/user/month (annual) or $35/month (monthly billing), the Professional tier is where Zoho gets interesting. You unlock Blueprint for visual workflow management, inventory tracking, and validation rules.

For growing sales teams who need process consistency, the Professional plan is often the sweet spot. Blueprint alone justifies the upgrade for many businesses-it lets you standardize your sales process visually.

Additional features at this tier:

This plan competes directly with solutions costing 2-3x more. If you're scaling past 5-10 employees and need process standardization, this is the tier to consider.

Monday CRM Standard - $17/user/month

Monday's Standard plan adds the features most teams actually need. At $17/user/month (annual), you get:

The 250 automation limit is the catch. If you're running heavy workflows, you might hit that ceiling and need to upgrade to Pro ($28/user/month) for 25,000 actions per month.

Zoho CRM Enterprise - $40/user/month

At $40/user/month (annual), Enterprise adds custom modules, conversational AI (Zia), advanced customization, and multi-user portals. This competes with much more expensive platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Enterprise features include:

For our full breakdown, see our CRM software comparison.

Understanding Real CRM Costs: What Small Businesses Actually Pay

The per-user-per-month pricing looks simple on paper, but let's talk about what small businesses actually spend once you factor in team size, billing frequency, and hidden costs.

Team Size Calculations

Most CRMs have minimum user requirements. Here's what different team sizes actually pay:

3-person team (typical minimum):

5-person team:

10-person team:

These are annual billing prices. Monthly billing typically adds 20-40% to your costs.

Annual vs Monthly Billing: The Real Math

CRMs heavily incentivize annual billing with discounts ranging from 16% to 40%. But annual billing means paying everything upfront or committing to a full year.

Here's the breakeven calculation: If you're unsure whether a CRM will work for you, monthly billing gives you flexibility to switch. You should choose monthly if you plan to use the CRM for fewer than 9-10 months, or if you're still evaluating options.

If you're confident in your choice and have the cash flow, annual billing saves money. For a 5-person team on Zoho CRM Standard, that's $840/year (annual) vs $1,200/year (monthly)-a $360 difference.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

The sticker price isn't always the full story. Here's what catches people off guard:

Add-on fees: Freshsales charges extra for bot sessions, additional workflows, and phone credits. What looks like $9/month can balloon quickly. Phone credits cost $5 for extras, and additional workflows are $5 per 10 workflows.

User minimums: Monday CRM requires minimum 3 users. Zoho CRM has no minimum, but most teams need at least 2-3 licenses. Check the fine print.

Storage limits: Freshsales Pro only gives you 5GB per user. If you deal with lots of attachments, you'll hit that wall fast. Monday CRM Basic offers 5GB total (not per user), which fills up quickly with documents and files.

Marketing contacts: Freshsales Suite caps marketing contacts at 500 regardless of which plan you're on. That's a deal-breaker for many. HubSpot free limits you to 1,000 marketing contacts.

Annual billing lock-in: Almost all these "cheap" prices require annual payment. If you want monthly flexibility, expect to pay 20-40% more.

Feature paywalls: Many "cheap" plans are missing critical features. Freshsales Growth has no email sequences, no multiple pipelines, and no duplicate management. You're forced to upgrade to Pro ($39/month) to get functionality that competitors include at lower tiers.

Integration limits: Monday CRM's Standard plan caps you at 250 automation and integration actions per month. Heavy users blow through this quickly and need to upgrade to Pro for 25,000 actions.

Support costs: Free plans typically get zero live support. HubSpot free users only get access to documentation and community forums. If you need help, you're on your own.

How to Calculate Your True CRM Cost

Don't just multiply the per-user price by your team size. Here's the formula for calculating what you'll actually spend:

Base Cost = (Number of users) × (Price per user per month) × (12 months if annual)

Add-ons = Extra storage + Phone credits + Additional automation + Premium integrations

Hidden Costs = Training time + Setup/customization + Migration from old system + Support tickets if no free support

Opportunity Cost = Missing features forcing manual workarounds = Employee time wasted

For example, a 5-person team on Freshsales Growth ($45/month) might seem cheap, but if you need email sequences and multiple pipelines, you're forced to Pro ($195/month). That's $1,800 more per year than you budgeted.

Alternatively, starting with Zoho CRM Professional at $115/month gets you those features from day one, potentially saving time and avoiding a forced mid-year migration.

What About Close CRM?

If you're running an outbound sales operation, Close CRM is worth considering even though it's pricier. It's built specifically for sales teams who live on the phone and email.

Close isn't the cheapest option, but it's purpose-built for sales velocity. Built-in calling, email sequences, and pipeline management in one tool. Check out our Close CRM review and Close CRM pricing breakdown for details.

Price Comparison Table

CRMFree PlanCheapest PaidMid-TierKey Limitation
Bigin (Zoho)Yes (limited)$7/user/mo$12/user/moSimplified features
FreshsalesYes (3 users)$9/user/mo$39/user/moForced upgrade for key features
Monday CRMYes (2 users)$12/user/mo$17/user/moNo automation on Basic
Zoho CRMYes (3 users)$14/user/mo$23/user/moLimited automation on Standard
Less Annoying CRMNo$15/user/moN/A (one tier)Basic features only
HubSpotYes (unlimited users)$15/user/mo$90/user/moFree plan very limited

*All paid prices shown are for annual billing. Monthly billing typically costs 20-40% more.

Common CRM Pricing Mistakes Small Businesses Make

Mistake #1: Choosing Based Only on Price

The cheapest option isn't always the best value. A $9/month CRM that lacks email sequences might force your sales team to use a separate tool, adding cost and complexity.

Better approach: Calculate the cost per feature you actually need. Sometimes paying $23/month for Zoho Professional is cheaper than paying $9/month for Freshsales plus $15/month for an email automation tool.

Mistake #2: Ignoring the Migration Cost

Many businesses start with a free or cheap CRM, then realize 6 months later they need to upgrade or switch. Migrating contacts, deals, and custom fields takes time.

Better approach: Choose a CRM that can grow with you. Bigin users can upgrade to full Zoho CRM with one click. HubSpot free users can upgrade to paid tiers without data migration.

Mistake #3: Forgetting About Training Time

Complex CRMs with cheap entry prices often have steep learning curves. Your team spends weeks figuring out customizations instead of selling.

Better approach: Value simplicity. Less Annoying CRM and Bigin are designed for fast onboarding. Your team can be productive in days, not weeks.

Mistake #4: Not Testing Before Committing

Annual billing offers the best prices, but locks you in. What if the CRM doesn't fit your workflow?

Better approach: Use free trials to test thoroughly before committing. Most CRMs offer 14-30 day trials. Test with real data and real workflows before signing an annual contract.

Mistake #5: Overlooking User Adoption

Buying the cheapest CRM means nothing if your team won't use it. Sales reps abandoning the CRM and going back to spreadsheets wastes 100% of your investment.

Better approach: Involve your team in the decision. Let them test options. A slightly more expensive CRM that your team actually uses beats a cheap one they ignore.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Real Estate Agents

Real estate professionals need pipeline management for properties and client relationships. Many juggle dozens of leads at different stages.

Best budget options:

Avoid: HubSpot free (limited customization for real estate workflows) and Freshsales Growth (no multiple pipelines).

Consulting and Professional Services

Consultants need to track project opportunities, proposals, and client relationships without overwhelming features.

Best budget options:

Avoid: Monday CRM Basic (lacks automation for follow-ups) and complex enterprise solutions.

E-commerce and Retail

Online sellers need integration with e-commerce platforms, order tracking, and customer lifecycle management.

Best budget options:

Avoid: Less Annoying CRM (limited e-commerce integrations) and Bigin (too simplified for inventory tracking).

Agencies and Creative Services

Agencies juggle multiple client projects simultaneously and need clear pipeline visibility.

Best budget options:

Avoid: Freshsales Growth (lacks customization for agency workflows).

B2B Sales Teams

Outbound B2B sales requires email sequences, calling features, and deal tracking.

Best budget options:

Avoid: Free plans (lack automation) and Freshsales Growth (no email sequences at this tier).

How CRM Pricing Models Work

Per-User Pricing

Most CRMs charge per user per month. This scales linearly with team size. The advantage is predictability. The disadvantage is that costs increase directly with headcount.

For small teams, per-user pricing is manageable. For larger teams (20+ people), costs can become prohibitive.

Tiered Pricing

CRMs offer multiple tiers (Basic, Professional, Enterprise) with different features. Lower tiers lack critical features, pushing users to upgrade.

The strategy is obvious: advertise a low entry price, then monetize through forced upgrades when users need automation, reporting, or integrations.

Watch for: Large price jumps between tiers. Freshsales goes from $9 to $39 (333% increase). Evaluate whether the middle tier is worth it or if you should jump to a competitor.

Freemium Models

Free plans are loss leaders designed to get users hooked on the platform. Once you have data in the system and your team is trained, switching costs are high.

HubSpot perfected this model. The free CRM is genuinely useful, but the moment you need marketing automation, sequences, or advanced reporting, you're paying $45-$500+ per month per user.

Feature-Based Pricing

Some CRMs charge based on features used rather than pure user count. For example, Monday CRM limits automation actions per month. Heavy users pay more.

This can be cheaper for light users but creates unpredictability. You might blow through automation limits mid-month and face overage charges.

All-Inclusive Pricing

Less Annoying CRM charges one flat rate with all features included. No tiers, no upsells.

The advantage is transparency. You know exactly what you're paying. The disadvantage is you might pay for features you don't use (though at $15/month, this is minimal).

Negotiating CRM Discounts

Annual Prepayment Discounts

This is the easiest discount to get-just commit to annual billing. Most CRMs offer 16-40% off for paying annually.

Nonprofit and Education Discounts

Many CRMs offer 25-50% discounts for nonprofits and educational institutions. Zoho, HubSpot, and Monday all have nonprofit programs.

You'll need to verify your nonprofit status (501(c)(3) in the US or equivalent elsewhere).

Startup Programs

Some CRMs offer startup discounts or credits. HubSpot has a startup program through partner accelerators. Reach out to sales teams and ask if startup programs exist.

Volume Discounts

If you're signing up 20+ users, you can often negotiate volume discounts. Enterprise plans typically have negotiable pricing.

For Monday CRM and Zoho CRM, contact sales for custom quotes when adding 40+ users.

Multi-Year Commitments

Committing to 2-3 years can unlock additional discounts beyond annual billing. Only do this if you're confident in your choice-switching costs are high.

When to Upgrade from a Free CRM

Free CRMs are great for getting started, but here are the signs you've outgrown them:

Sign #1: You Hit User Limits

If you have more than 3 users needing CRM access, most free plans won't work. HubSpot free allows unlimited users, but functional limitations push you to upgrade.

Sign #2: You Need Automation

When your team spends hours on repetitive tasks-sending follow-up emails, updating deal stages, assigning leads-you need automation.

Free plans lack workflow automation. Even basic paid plans like Zoho Standard ($14/month) include automation that saves hours per week.

Sign #3: Reporting Becomes Critical

As you scale, you need visibility into sales performance, conversion rates, and forecasting. Free plans offer minimal reporting.

Upgrading to Zoho Professional ($23/month) or Monday Standard ($17/month) unlocks custom reports and dashboards.

Sign #4: Integration Needs Increase

When you need your CRM to talk to your email marketing tool, accounting software, or support desk, free plans fall short.

Paid plans unlock Zapier integration, native app connections, and API access.

Sign #5: Data Volume Grows

Free plans often cap storage at 1GB. If you're attaching proposals, contracts, and documents to deals, you'll hit limits fast.

Paid plans offer 5-20GB+ storage depending on tier.

Which Cheap CRM Should You Pick?

Here's my take based on different situations:

Just getting started, budget is zero: Start with HubSpot Free or Zoho Free. You can always migrate later. HubSpot has better scalability if you plan to invest in their ecosystem. Zoho has better features on the free tier.

Solo or micro-team, need simplicity: Bigin at $7/user/month or Less Annoying CRM at $15/user/month. Both are no-nonsense. Bigin wins on price, LACRM wins on simplicity.

Growing team, need real features: Zoho CRM Professional at $23/user/month is the best value in this range. You get solid automation, Blueprint process management, and features that compete with $50+ solutions.

Sales-focused team doing outbound: Freshsales is fine if you stick to basic features, but the forced upgrade to $39/month is frustrating. For heavy phone/email outreach, look at Close CRM despite the higher price-it's built for that use case.

Visual thinkers who need project management vibes: Monday CRM at $12/user/month (Basic) or $17/user/month (Standard). The interface is incredibly intuitive, but you need Standard to get automation.

Need complete transparency, no surprise costs: Less Annoying CRM at $15/user/month. One price, all features, no games.

For more options beyond price, check out our guides on best CRM software and CRM for small business.

Free Trials: How to Test Before You Buy

Almost every CRM offers a free trial. Here's how to actually use them effectively:

Trial Length Comparison

What to Test During Your Trial

Day 1-3: Setup and Import

Day 4-7: Daily Workflow

Day 8-14: Advanced Features

Day 15-21: Team Feedback

Questions to Answer During Your Trial

If you can't answer "yes" to most of these, keep testing other options.

The Hidden Value of Cheap CRMs

Budget CRMs aren't just about saving money-they offer advantages that expensive enterprise solutions don't:

Faster Implementation

Salesforce implementations take months. Zoho CRM Standard can be up and running in days. For small businesses, speed matters more than perfection.

Lower Training Costs

Simpler interfaces mean less training. Your team can be productive immediately rather than spending weeks in training sessions.

Less Feature Bloat

Enterprise CRMs have hundreds of features you'll never use. Budget CRMs focus on essentials, reducing cognitive load and interface clutter.

Easier Customization

Paradoxically, simpler CRMs are often easier to customize. You're not fighting against complex existing configurations.

Better for Testing and Learning

If you've never used a CRM before, starting with a cheap option lets you learn without huge financial commitment. You can always graduate to more sophisticated tools later.

Switching CRMs: Migration Considerations

If you outgrow your cheap CRM, here's what switching involves:

Data Export

All reputable CRMs allow CSV export of contacts, deals, and activities. Budget an afternoon to export and clean data.

Data Import

Most CRMs have import wizards. Mapping fields between systems takes 1-3 hours depending on customization complexity.

Team Retraining

Budget 2-5 hours per user for training on the new system. Simpler CRMs require less retraining.

Integration Reconfiguration

If you've connected other tools, you'll need to reconfigure integrations. Budget 2-4 hours.

Total Migration Cost

For a 5-person team: 10-20 hours of combined work. At $50/hour blended rate, that's $500-$1,000 in labor costs.

This is why choosing correctly the first time matters. But don't let fear of switching paralyze you-the cost of using the wrong CRM for years is higher.

Alternative Tools to Consider

Spreadsheets (Free)

Before dismissing them, spreadsheets work for very early-stage businesses. Google Sheets is free and familiar.

When to use: Solo founders with fewer than 50 contacts and simple needs.

When to upgrade: When you need collaboration, automation, or have more than one person accessing customer data.

Airtable (Starts at $10/user/month)

Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid. More flexible than traditional CRMs but requires more setup.

Best for: Teams comfortable with databases who want maximum customization.

Notion (Starts at $8/user/month)

Notion can function as a lightweight CRM using databases. Very flexible but not purpose-built for sales.

Best for: Teams already using Notion who want to consolidate tools.

Pipedrive (Starts at $14/user/month)

Pipedrive is sales-focused with visual pipeline management. Slightly more expensive than budget options but purpose-built for sales teams.

Best for: Sales teams who prioritize deal tracking over contact management.

Maximizing Value from Your Cheap CRM

Start with Core Features

Don't try to customize everything on day one. Start with basic contact management and pipeline tracking. Add complexity only when needed.

Automate One Thing at a Time

Pick your most annoying repetitive task and automate it first. Maybe it's follow-up email reminders or lead assignment. Prove value before automating everything.

Train in Phases

Don't overwhelm your team with every feature. Week 1: basic contact and deal entry. Week 2: email integration. Week 3: reporting. Gradual adoption sticks better.

Use Templates

Most CRMs offer industry templates. Use them. They're designed by people who understand common workflows in your industry.

Integrate Gradually

Start with email integration, then add your calendar. Only connect additional tools after you're comfortable with core functionality.

Review Monthly

Set a monthly review to evaluate usage. Are team members actually using it? What features are ignored? What's causing friction?

Bottom Line

The cheapest functional CRM is Bigin at $7/user/month if you need something dead simple. For actual features with room to grow, Zoho CRM Standard at $14/user/month is hard to beat. Freshsales' $9 plan looks attractive but the feature gaps push most teams to their $39 tier quickly.

Don't just chase the lowest number-figure out what features you actually need, then find the cheapest plan that includes them. A $14 plan that does everything beats a $9 plan that forces you to upgrade in three months.

Remember that CRM adoption matters more than features. The best CRM is the one your team will actually use. Sometimes paying slightly more for better usability and support pays for itself in faster adoption and less frustration.

Start with free trials. Test with real work. Get team feedback. Then commit to annual billing once you're confident. Your future self will thank you.