A free CRM is worth using only if its limits fit your business. Every vendor on this page offers a plan that costs nothing and does not expire, but the limits differ a lot: one caps you at a single user, another at 250 contacts, another at one app. Some free plans are complete enough to run a small sales team for years. Others are closer to a long demo.
This guide compares seven CRMs that have a real free-forever plan in October 2026: HubSpot (its free CRM, which is the free tier of HubSpot Sales Hub), Zoho CRM, Bigin by Zoho CRM, Odoo CRM, EngageBay, Bitrix24 and Capsule. We checked each vendor's pricing page, plan comparison table and help pages in October 2026 and list the exact free-plan limits, what the first paid plan costs, and what it unlocks.
Two tools that often appear in "free CRM" lists are not here. Freshsales no longer shows a free plan on its pricing page: it offers a 21-day trial, then paid plans from $9/user/month billed annually. Insightly also lists no free plan today: it has a 14-day free trial and paid plans from $29/user/month billed annually. If you find an older article recommending either as a free CRM, it is out of date. We replaced them with Odoo CRM and EngageBay, which do have free-forever plans.
What matters most when you compare free CRMs:
- The user limit. Free plans range from 1 user (Bigin) to unlimited users (Odoo, for one app). If three people need access, half of the options drop out.
- The contact or record limit. HubSpot allows 1,000 contacts, Capsule and EngageBay 250, Bigin 500 records, Zoho CRM 5,000 records. Count your current list and the next year of leads.
- What is missing. Most free plans leave out automation, multiple pipelines, custom fields or email sync. Know which of those you need before you import your data.
- The first upgrade. Sooner or later you hit a limit. The price of the first paid plan, and whether it is per user or flat, decides what the CRM really costs you.
- Branding. HubSpot puts its branding on free emails, meeting links and chat. That matters if those are customer-facing.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Free plan | First paid plan | Best for | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Sales Hub | Free forever, 2 users, 1,000 contacts | Starter $7/seat/mo (billed annually) or $10 month-to-month (new-customer offer; regular price $20) | Small teams that want the most free tools | Forms, live chat, landing pages and email tracking free |
| Zoho CRM | Free forever, 3 users, 5,000 records | Standard $14/user/mo (billed annually), $20 billed monthly | Teams of up to three | Workflow rules on the free edition |
| Bigin by Zoho CRM | Free forever, 1 user, 500 records | Express $7/user/mo (billed annually), $9 billed monthly | Solo owners | 3 automations and built-in phone free |
| Odoo CRM | One App Free: unlimited users, CRM app only | Standard $24.90/user/mo (billed yearly, 12-month discount) | Larger teams that need CRM only | No user limit on the free plan |
| EngageBay | Free for up to 15 users, 250 contacts | All-in-One Basic $13.79/user/mo (billed yearly) | CRM plus email marketing | CRM, marketing and help desk in one free plan |
| Bitrix24 | Free for 1 to 2 users, 5 GB | Basic $49/mo for 5 users (billed annually) | CRM plus tasks and chat | Flat price per organization, not per user |
| Capsule | Free, 2 users, 250 contacts | Starter $18/user/mo (billed annually) | People who want a simple contact manager | Clean interface, easy setup |
Prices are in USD as listed on each vendor's site in October 2026, before tax. Check the vendor's site before you buy, since prices and promotions change.
Free Plan Limits Compared
This is the table to read before you sign up. It shows what each free plan includes and the main things it leaves out, as stated on the vendors' pricing and comparison pages.
| Tool | Users | Contacts / records | Pipelines | Main things excluded on free | Branding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Up to 2 | 1,000 contacts | Default deal pipeline only (0 custom pipelines) | Sequences, workflows, custom pipelines, required fields, multiple currencies; 3 email templates | HubSpot branding on 1-to-1 email, live chat, meeting link and marketing email |
| Zoho CRM | Up to 3 | 5,000 records; 1 GB file storage | Single pipeline (multiple pipelines from Standard) | Custom fields, mass email, sales forecasting, dashboards; 10 email templates | Not listed |
| Bigin | 1 | 500 records | 1 | Team pipelines, more than 3 automations | Not listed |
| Odoo CRM | Unlimited | Not capped on the pricing page | Not capped | Every other Odoo app; installing a second app means paying for all users | Not listed |
| EngageBay | Up to 15 | 250 contacts; 1,000 branded emails | Not stated | Marketing automation, more than 2 sequences; 5 custom fields | Branded emails |
| Bitrix24 | 1 to 2 | Not stated; 5 GB storage | Basic CRM (sales pipelines listed from Basic) | Sales pipelines, email integration, telephony integration, online payments, Bitrix24 Market apps | Not listed |
| Capsule | Up to 2 | 250 contacts | 1 | Workflow automation, email sync, AI features; 5 custom fields | Not listed |
"Not listed" means the vendor's pricing page does not mention branding on the free plan, not that we confirmed there is none.
HubSpot Sales Hub (Free HubSpot CRM)
Overview. HubSpot's free CRM is the free tier of HubSpot Sales Hub (and of HubSpot's other hubs). It is still the most complete free CRM for a small team, with one big change that many older reviews miss: HubSpot's free CRM page now says the free tools cover "up to two users, 1,000 contacts". Older guides that promise a million free contacts and unlimited users describe an earlier version of the plan.
Within those limits, the free plan is broad. HubSpot lists contact management, deal pipelines, CRM import, the Breeze Assistant, a reporting dashboard, task and activity management, email tracking, live chat, a form builder, a landing page builder, a chatbot builder, email templates, a meeting scheduler and lead generation tools. The Sales Hub pricing table shows up to 10 reporting dashboards on the free tier. HubSpot's CRM pricing page lists 2,000 marketing email sends per calendar month on free, with HubSpot branding.
Key features on the free plan
- Contacts, companies, deals and tasks, with the default deal pipeline
- Email tracking and 1-to-1 email from the CRM (with HubSpot branding)
- Forms, landing pages, live chat and a chatbot builder
- One personal meetings link (with HubSpot branding)
- Reporting dashboards: 10 dashboards, 50 reports per dashboard
Free plan limits. Up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts. HubSpot's help center lists 0 custom pipelines on free tools, so you get the default deal pipeline only. 3 email templates and 3 canned snippets per account. One personal meetings link. No sequences and no workflows. Branding on emails, chat and meeting links.
First paid upgrade. Sales Hub Starter costs $7/seat/month paid annually or $10/seat/month month-to-month, according to HubSpot's Starter page. Both are a limited-time offer for new customers; the regular price is $20/seat/month. Starter removes HubSpot branding, raises email templates to 10,000 and meeting links to 1,000, allows up to 15 pipelines across object types, adds up to 50 workflows (with restricted triggers and actions), 500 calling minutes and one HubSpot-provided phone number. HubSpot's free CRM page also lists required fields, permission sets and multiple currencies as Starter features. Sequences, lead scoring and forecasting are not in Starter: the table lists them from Professional, which is $90/seat/month billed annually ($100 billed monthly) plus a required one-time $1,500 Professional Onboarding fee.
Pricing summary. Free: $0, up to 2 users. Starter: $7/seat/month billed annually or $10 month-to-month (new-customer offer; regular price $20). Professional: $90/seat/month billed annually, $100 billed monthly, plus $1,500 onboarding. Enterprise: $150/seat/month, plus a required one-time $3,500 Enterprise Onboarding fee.
Pros
- More free tools than any other CRM here: forms, landing pages, chat, email tracking and dashboards
- No time limit and no credit card needed
- Starter is cheap if you pay annually
Cons
- Only 2 users and 1,000 contacts on the current free plan
- HubSpot branding on free emails, chat and meeting links
- Only the default deal pipeline, and no automation, on free
- Sequences and forecasting jump to Professional, which is $90/seat/month plus $1,500 onboarding
Who should use it. A founder and one colleague who sell to a list of under 1,000 contacts and want lead capture (forms, chat, landing pages) in the same free tool. Who should skip it. Teams of three or more, anyone with a large existing contact list, and anyone who knows they will need sequences soon: the step from Starter to Professional is steep.
Zoho CRM
Overview. Zoho CRM's free edition is the most generous free plan here for a small team that wants a traditional CRM. Zoho's pricing page says "Forever free, for 3 users", and the edition comparison page lists 5,000 records and 1 GB of file storage for the organization. It includes leads, contacts, accounts and deals, plus workflow rules, which most free plans hold back.
Key features on the free plan
- Leads, contacts, accounts, deals, tasks, meetings and calls
- Workflow rules
- 10 email templates
- 1 web-to-lead form per module
- 5,000 API calls per day and the mobile apps
Free plan limits. Up to 3 users. 5,000 records (shown as 10 MB) and 1 GB of file storage. Zoho's comparison table shows no custom fields, no mass email, no sales forecasting, no standard or custom dashboards, and no multiple pipelines on the free edition. Data export is limited to 10 times, according to the pricing page.
First paid upgrade. Standard costs $14/user/month billed annually or $20/user/month billed monthly. It raises the limit to 100,000 records, adds 10 custom fields per module, mass email, sales forecasting, multiple currencies, multiple pipelines, standard dashboards plus 10 custom dashboards, and 100 email templates. Zoho's help docs describe a 15-day trial of paid editions.
Pricing summary. Free: $0 for up to 3 users. Standard: $14/user/month annually ($20 monthly). Professional: $23 ($35). Enterprise: $40 ($50). Ultimate: $52 ($65). All per user per month.
Pros
- 3 free users, more than HubSpot, Bigin, Bitrix24 or Capsule
- 5,000 records is enough for many small businesses
- Workflow rules included free
- Standard is a modest step up and unlocks a lot
Cons
- No custom fields on the free edition, so you must use Zoho's standard fields
- No dashboards on free, only standard reports
- The interface has many modules and settings, which can slow down a first setup
- No mass email on free
Who should use it. Teams of two or three who want a full CRM with leads, accounts and deals, and who are happy to work with standard fields until they upgrade. Who should skip it. Anyone who needs custom fields or dashboards from day one, and solo users who want the simplest possible tool (Bigin is easier).
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Overview. Bigin is Zoho's pipeline-first CRM for very small businesses. It is simpler than Zoho CRM: you work from pipeline views rather than separate lead and deal modules. Its free plan is for one person.
Key features on the free plan
- A single pipeline with customizable stages
- Contacts, companies, products and activities
- 3 automations (workflows)
- Built-in phone for calls, with call recording
- Standard dashboard, developer APIs, mobile apps and 1 booking page
Free plan limits. Single user. 500 records, which Bigin counts across pipelines, contacts, activities and notes, so 500 can go faster than it sounds. One pipeline and three automations.
First paid upgrade. Express costs $7/user/month billed annually or $9/user/month billed monthly. It adds team pipelines (3), 50,000 records and 30 automations. Bigin offers a 15-day free trial and says that after the trial you can keep using the free plan. Paid plans include a free onboarding session.
Pricing summary. Free: $0, 1 user. Express: $7/user/month annually ($9 monthly). Premier: $12 ($15). Bigin 360: $18 ($21). All per user per month.
Pros
- Very simple pipeline-based setup
- Three automations and calling on the free plan
- Express is one of the cheapest paid CRM plans available
- Easy path to Zoho CRM if you outgrow it
Cons
- Free plan is for one user only
- 500 records counts notes and activities too
- One pipeline on free
- Fewer features than Zoho CRM as you grow
Who should use it. Solo consultants, freelancers and owner-operators who want a clean pipeline and a cheap upgrade path. Who should skip it. Anyone who needs to share the CRM with even one colleague for free.
Odoo CRM
Overview. Odoo is a suite of business apps (CRM, sales, accounting, inventory and more). Its pricing page lists a One App Free plan: "One app, unlimited users", hosted on Odoo Online, and Odoo says usage of that one app is free "for unlimited users, forever". If CRM is the app you choose, you get a free CRM with no user cap, which no other tool here offers.
Key features on the free plan
- Kanban pipeline with drag-and-drop stages
- Scheduled activities (calls, meetings, emails)
- Incoming emails added to the pipeline
- Revenue forecasts and team performance reporting
- Lead management with scoring, per Odoo's CRM page
Free plan limits. Only one app. Odoo says that if your chosen app depends on others you get those for free too, but if you install any additional app you move to the Standard plan, and if you install Studio or add companies you move to Custom. Quotes and sales orders sit in Odoo's separate Sales app, so a free CRM-only setup does not include them. In-app purchase credits (such as SMS, lead generation and contact auto-complete) are not included in any plan.
First paid upgrade. Standard is listed at $24.90/user/month billed yearly or $31.10 billed monthly. Odoo shows these as discounted prices: the regular prices are $31.10 yearly and $38.90 monthly, and the discount is valid for 12 months for the initial users ordered. Standard includes all apps on Odoo Online. Custom is $49.00 billed yearly (regular $61.00) and adds Odoo Studio, multi-company, the external API and other hosting options.
Pricing summary. One App Free: $0, unlimited users, one app. Standard: $24.90/user/month billed yearly for the first 12 months, then $31.10. Custom: $49.00/user/month billed yearly for the first 12 months, then $61.00.
Pros
- No user limit on the free plan
- Odoo's pricing page lists no data or feature limits within the app
- A clear path to accounting, invoicing and inventory in the same system later
- Odoo is open source, with a large partner network
Cons
- One app only: adding quoting, email marketing or invoicing means paying for every user
- Standard costs more per user than most first upgrades here
- First-year discount means the price goes up in year two
- Setup and configuration take more effort than HubSpot or Bigin
Who should use it. Teams of five, ten or more who need shared pipeline tracking and nothing else for now. Who should skip it. Anyone who wants quotes, email campaigns or invoicing in the same free plan; the moment you add a second app, every user becomes a paid user.
EngageBay
Overview. EngageBay is an all-in-one CRM, marketing and help desk tool for small businesses. Its free plan is unusual because it is free for teams of up to 15 members and includes email marketing, live chat and ticketing alongside the CRM.
Key features on the free plan
- CRM for contacts and deals
- Email broadcasts and autoresponders: 1,000 branded emails, 2 lists
- 2 email sequences
- 10 web forms, 10 web pop-ups and 1 landing page
- Help desk and live chat
Free plan limits. Up to 15 users but only 250 contacts. 1,000 branded emails, 2 lists, 2 email sequences, 5 custom fields, 1 landing page, 15 calling credits, 20 AI conversations per month and 500 API calls per month. Marketing automation (workflows) is not in the free plan.
First paid upgrade. EngageBay prices the All-in-One suite per user per month: Basic is $14.99 billed monthly, $13.79 billed yearly or $12.74 billed biennially, with 500 contacts, SMS marketing, lead scoring and third-party integrations. Growth ($64.99 monthly, $59.79 yearly, $55.24 biennially) adds marketing automation and 5,000 contacts. EngageBay also sells a separate CRM & Sales Bay, which its pricing page says starts at $11.04 per user/month.
Pricing summary. Free: $0, up to 15 users, 250 contacts. All-in-One Basic: $13.79/user/month yearly. Growth: $59.79 yearly. Pro: $110.39 yearly, with 10,000 contacts.
Pros
- Free for up to 15 users, far more than most free plans
- CRM, email marketing and help desk in one free account
- Email sequences (two) on the free plan
- Paid plans are cheaper than HubSpot's marketing tiers
Cons
- 250 contacts is a very small cap
- The free plan's emails are branded
- Contact limits on paid plans stay low (500 on Basic)
- Marketing automation starts at Growth, at about $60/user/month
Who should use it. Small teams that want CRM and simple email marketing in one free tool and have a small contact list, such as a new agency or local service business. Who should skip it. Anyone with more than 250 contacts today.
Bitrix24
Overview. Bitrix24 combines a CRM with tasks, projects, chat, video calls, calendars and documents. It used to be known for a free plan with unlimited users. That has changed: the pricing page now says the free plan is "100% free for 1–2 users".
Key features on the free plan
- Basic CRM with deals and contacts
- Tasks with Kanban and Gantt views
- Shared calendars
- Chat and video calls
- 5 GB of storage
Free plan limits. 1 to 2 users and 5 GB storage. The pricing page lists sales pipelines, recurring deals, online payments, email integration, WhatsApp integration and telephony integration as additions on the Basic plan, so the free CRM is basic. Bitrix24's FAQ says some tools, such as telephony and apps from Bitrix24 Market, are available only on paid plans.
First paid upgrade. Basic is $49/month billed annually or $69/month billed monthly, and that price covers the organization with 5 users included, not per user. It adds 24 GB of storage and the sales features above. Standard is $99/month billed annually ($144 monthly) for 50 users. Bitrix24 offers a 15-day free trial of its higher plans, no credit card required.
Pricing summary. Free: $0, 1 to 2 users. Basic: $49/month annually ($69 monthly), 5 users. Standard: $99 ($144), 50 users. Professional: $199 ($289), 100 users. Enterprise from $399/month annually for 250 users.
Pros
- CRM, tasks, chat and video in one free account
- Flat pricing per organization makes paid plans cheap per user for larger teams
- Standard covers 50 users for $99/month billed annually
- 15-day trial of higher plans
Cons
- Free plan now limited to 1 to 2 users
- The free CRM lacks sales pipelines and email integration
- Many modules make the interface busy
- Basic covers only 5 users, so a sixth user means jumping to Standard
Who should use it. Very small teams who want project management and chat as much as a CRM, and who plan to move to a flat-priced paid plan. Who should skip it. Anyone who wants a capable free sales pipeline; HubSpot and Zoho CRM do more for free.
Capsule
Overview. Capsule is a simple, well-liked CRM for small businesses that care about relationships more than heavy sales automation. Its free plan is meant for individuals trying it out: Capsule's own FAQ says the free plan "is great for individuals wanting to test the functionality".
Key features on the free plan
- The basics for managing contacts and opportunities
- One sales pipeline with custom sales milestones
- One project board
- Custom task categories
- Sending email from your Gmail or Outlook account
Free plan limits. Up to 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields, 1 sales pipeline and 1 project board. AI features and automations need a paid plan.
First paid upgrade. Starter costs $18/user/month billed annually, with 30,000 contacts, email templates, a shared mailbox, basic reporting, premium integrations (such as Xero and Zendesk), goals and an AI pipeline generator. Workflow automations, multiple pipelines, email sync and dashboards start on Growth at $36/user/month billed annually. Capsule offers a 14-day free trial of paid plans, no card required, and a marketing add-on from $11 per month.
Pricing summary. Free: $0, 2 users, 250 contacts. Starter: $18/user/month billed annually. Growth: $36. Advanced: $54. All per user per month, billed annually. Ultimate has no price on the pricing page; Capsule's sales team gets in touch after a trial signup. Capsule also offers monthly billing and says annual billing saves up to 18%.
Pros
- Clean, easy interface with a short learning curve
- Two free users
- Big jump to 30,000 contacts on Starter
- Integrations with accounting and support tools on paid plans
Cons
- 250 contacts on free is small
- No automation or email sync until Growth
- Starter is the most expensive first upgrade here per user
- Fewer built-in marketing tools than HubSpot or EngageBay
Who should use it. Two-person businesses with a small client list who value simplicity and plan to pay for Starter once they grow. Who should skip it. Anyone looking for a free CRM to use long term with more than 250 contacts.
What You Pay When You Outgrow the Free Plan
Free plans are a starting point. Here is what a team of 3 users would pay per year on each tool's first paid plan, using the prices listed in October 2026. We use 3 users because it is the most common reason small teams upgrade: two of these free plans stop at 2 users and one at 1.
| Tool | Can 3 users stay free? | First paid plan | Basis | Cost for 3 users per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | No (2 users) | Sales Hub Starter | $7 x 3 seats x 12 months, billed annually | $252 |
| Zoho CRM | Yes (3 users) | Standard | $14 x 3 x 12, billed annually | $504 |
| Bigin | No (1 user) | Express | $7 x 3 x 12, billed annually | $252 |
| Odoo CRM | Yes (CRM app only) | Standard (all apps) | $24.90 x 3 x 12 in year one, billed yearly | $896.40 (then $1,119.60 at $31.10) |
| EngageBay | Yes (up to 15 users) | All-in-One Basic | $13.79 x 3 x 12, billed yearly | $496.44 |
| Bitrix24 | No (1 to 2 users) | Basic (5 users included) | $49 x 12, billed annually, flat | $588 |
| Capsule | No (2 users) | Starter | $18 x 3 x 12, billed annually | $648 |
A few things the table shows:
- HubSpot Starter and Bigin Express are the cheapest upgrades at $252 a year for 3 users on annual billing. HubSpot Starter month-to-month is $10 per seat on the current offer, or $360 a year for 3 seats; at the regular $20 price, 3 seats cost $720 a year.
- Zoho CRM and Odoo let 3 users stay free. Zoho caps you at 5,000 records; Odoo caps you at one app.
- Bitrix24 is cheaper per user as you grow. Its $49 Basic price covers 5 users, and Standard covers 50 users for $99/month billed annually. For 10 users, Bitrix24 Standard is $1,188 a year, while HubSpot Starter would be $840 at the offer price and Capsule Starter $2,160.
- EngageBay's paid contact limits are low. Basic includes 500 contacts. If your list is larger, the real comparison is Growth, at $59.79/user/month billed yearly.
How to Choose
Answer these four questions in order.
1. How many people need to log in? One person: any of them, and Bigin is the simplest. Two: HubSpot, Bitrix24 or Capsule also work. Three: Zoho CRM, Odoo or EngageBay. Four to fifteen: Odoo (CRM only) or EngageBay (if you have under 250 contacts). More than fifteen: Odoo is the only free choice here.
2. How many contacts do you have? Under 250: anything works. Up to 500: rule out Capsule and EngageBay. Up to 1,000: HubSpot, Zoho CRM or Odoo (Bigin's 500 records include activities and notes). Up to 5,000: Zoho CRM or Odoo. More than that: Odoo, or plan to pay.
3. Which missing feature will hurt first?
- Custom fields: Zoho CRM has none on free; Capsule and EngageBay allow 5.
- Automation: Zoho CRM's free workflow rules and Bigin's 3 automations are the only free automation here. HubSpot adds workflows on Starter; Capsule on Growth.
- Email marketing: EngageBay (1,000 branded emails) and HubSpot (2,000 branded sends per month).
- Lead capture forms, landing pages and chat: HubSpot has the most on free; EngageBay is close.
- Tasks, chat and video calls with your team: Bitrix24.
4. What will the first upgrade cost? Use the table above. If you know you will need sequences, HubSpot's real price is Professional ($90/seat/month billed annually plus $1,500 onboarding), not Starter. If you will need quotes or invoicing in Odoo, budget for Standard for every user.
One more tip: export your data now and then. Every vendor here lets you export, but Zoho limits free-edition exports to 10 times, according to its pricing page. Moving CRMs is much easier when you have a clean spreadsheet of contacts and deals.
Final Recommendations
- Most small teams of one or two: HubSpot. It gives you the most for free, from email tracking to forms and live chat, and Starter is cheap on annual billing. Accept the branding and the 1,000-contact cap, or plan to upgrade.
- Teams of three that want a full CRM: Zoho CRM. Three free users, 5,000 records and workflow rules. Plan to move to Standard for custom fields and dashboards.
- Larger teams that need only a pipeline: Odoo CRM. Unlimited free users, as long as CRM is your only Odoo app.
- Small teams that want CRM plus email marketing: EngageBay. Free for up to 15 users if your list fits in 250 contacts.
- Solo owners: Bigin. The simplest pipeline here, with automations and a $7 upgrade.
- Teams that live in tasks and chat: Bitrix24. A free workspace for 1 to 2 users with basic CRM, and flat-priced paid plans.
- Two-person businesses that value simplicity: Capsule. Easy to use, but treat the free plan as a trial with no end date.
Marcus Williams