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The best free CRM for small business depends on one number: how many people need to log in. HubSpot is the safest pick for two users with up to 1,000 contacts. Zoho CRM gives three users 5,000 records. EngageBay lets up to 15 people in free, but caps you at 250 contacts. And several CRMs that used to be "free" are not anymore: Freshsales now shows no free plan at all, and monday CRM only has a 14-day trial.
We checked the free-forever plans of 12 CRMs on the vendors' own pricing pages this week. Seven still have one. Here is what each free plan really allows, where it stops, and what the first paid step costs.
7 CRMs that are still free in 2026
| CRM | Free users | Contacts or records | Pipelines | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Smart CRM | 2 | 1,000 contacts | 1 per object type | Two-person teams that also want forms, live chat and ticketing |
| Zoho CRM Free | 3 | 5,000 records | 1 | Small sales teams with a larger contact list |
| EngageBay CRM | Up to 15 | 250 contacts and companies | 1 deal track | A whole team on a very small list |
| Agile CRM | Up to 10 | 1,000 contacts and companies | Unlimited deals | Larger free teams that need tasks and deals |
| Capsule | 2 | 250 contacts | 1 | Freelancers who want a clean, simple CRM |
| Bigin by Zoho | 1 | 500 records | 1 | Solo owners who want a built-in phone |
| Bitrix24 Free | 1–2 | Basic CRM, 5 GB storage | Sales pipelines on paid plans | Teams that also want tasks, chat and video calls |
Which free CRM should a small business pick?
Start with the limit you will hit first, not the longest feature list. A free CRM that runs out of seats in month two costs more in migration time than a paid plan would have.
- You work alone and want one simple pipeline: Bigin by Zoho. One user, one pipeline, 500 records, three automations and a built-in phone. The next step, Express, is $7 per user a month billed yearly.
- Two people, fewer than 1,000 contacts: HubSpot. You get contact, company, deal and task management, ticketing, forms, live chat and up to 10 dashboards. Forms, chat and meeting links carry HubSpot branding.
- Three users or a bigger list: Zoho CRM Free. It stores 5,000 records and includes workflow automation and standard reports, but multiple pipelines start on Standard ($14 per user a month yearly, $20 monthly).
- Everyone on the team needs a login: EngageBay (up to 15 users, 250 contacts) or Agile CRM (up to 10 users, 1,000 contacts). Check that your contact list fits before you invite people.
What you give up on a free CRM
Free plans are generous with contact management and stingy with three things growing teams need:
- More than one pipeline. Zoho, Bigin and Capsule all stop at one. If you sell two products or run sales and partnerships separately, you will upgrade.
- Automation volume. Bigin includes three automations and Agile CRM one automation rule. Follow-up sequences usually need a paid tier.
- Your own branding. HubSpot's free forms, chat and meeting links show HubSpot branding, which matters if clients see them.
Bitrix24 is the one to read carefully: its plan card says the free plan is for 1–2 users, while an FAQ on the same page still mentions unlimited users. Treat it as a two-user plan until you confirm in the signup flow. Its first paid plan, Basic, is a flat $49 a month billed yearly for the whole organization with five users included.
Popular CRMs that are not free (and their cheapest plan)
Several names that show up in older "free CRM" lists now offer only a trial:
- Freshsales: the current pricing page lists Growth, Pro and Enterprise only, with a 21-day trial. Growth is $9 per user a month billed yearly or $11 monthly.
- monday CRM: a 14-day trial, then paid plans that start from 3 users. Basic is $12 per seat a month billed yearly. The free plan for up to 2 seats belongs to monday work management, a different product.
- Pipedrive: a 14-day trial with no card. Lite is $14 per seat a month billed yearly, $19 monthly.
- Close: a 14-day trial with no card and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Solo is $9 per user a month billed yearly, $19 monthly.
- Keap: a single platform price from $299 a month, or $2,988 a year, with two users included and $39 a month for each extra user.
When paying beats staying free
Upgrade when a free limit starts costing you deals, not when a vendor emails you. Three common triggers:
- You need a second pipeline or real automation. For a sales team that lives in its pipeline, Close Solo at $9 per user billed yearly is one of the cheapest full CRMs, with calling and email built in.
- Your team already plans work on boards. monday CRM keeps leads, deals and projects in one place. Budget for the 3-seat minimum: Basic is $36 a month for three seats on yearly billing.
- You want marketing automation, not just a contact list. Keap combines CRM, email campaigns, invoices and booking, but at $249 a month on yearly billing it only pays off if automated follow-up brings in real revenue.
Current discounts for these three are on our Close deals, monday.com deals and Keap deals pages.
Free CRM questions
What is the best free CRM for a small business?
For most teams of one or two people, HubSpot's free CRM is the safest choice: 2 users, 1,000 contacts, deals, tasks, ticketing, forms and live chat with no expiry date. Teams of three should compare Zoho CRM Free, which allows 3 users and 5,000 records.
Which free CRM allows the most users?
EngageBay's free CRM allows up to 15 users and Agile CRM up to 10. Both cap contacts tightly, at 250 and 1,000 contacts and companies, so check your list size first.
Is HubSpot CRM really free forever?
Yes. HubSpot's free tools have no expiration date. The limits are 2 users, 1,000 contacts, one pipeline per object type and HubSpot branding on forms, chat and meeting links. Paid Starter seats remove some of those limits.
Does Freshsales still have a free plan?
Not on its current pricing page. Freshsales lists only Growth, Pro and Enterprise, with a 21-day free trial. Growth costs $9 per user a month billed yearly.
Is monday CRM free?
No. monday CRM offers a 14-day free trial, and paid plans start from 3 users at $12 per seat a month billed yearly. monday's free plan is for monday work management, not the CRM.
How we checked these free plans
We read each CRM's own pricing page and free-plan help page on October 7, 2026, recording seat limits, contact or record caps, pipelines and the first paid price in US dollars. Where a vendor's pages disagreed with each other (Bitrix24's user limit, HubSpot's Starter price shown as both $15 and $20 a seat), we say so rather than pick one. More tools are in Sales & CRM; see how we review software.
Sources (checked October 7, 2026): HubSpot CRM product page and Product & Services Catalog, Zoho CRM pricing, Bigin pricing, Bitrix24 prices, Capsule pricing, EngageBay sales pricing, Agile CRM pricing, Freshworks CRM pricing, Pipedrive pricing, monday.com CRM pricing, Close pricing, Keap pricing.
Research-based guide: no vendor paid for or reviewed this article.
