7 Best Cheap CRM Software 2023 (Most Affordable CRMs)

Published: March 11th, 2023.
by Chris Von Wilpert

Today there are 89 different affordable CRMs. We spent 68 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you use to manage your business and sales affordably.

What is the Best Cheap CRM?

Zoho CRM — best of the best
Pipedrive — best for sales
Freshsales — best for enterprises
HubSpot — best for solo entrepreneurs
Salesforce — best for automation
monday sales CRM — best for small teams
Insightly — best for analytics

1. Zoho CRM

Our Verdict — Best Of The Best

Price: Starts at $20/month

Zoho CRM is the CRM solution with incredible bang for the buck. We think it’s the best because of its low entry-level pricing, intuitive interface, and numerous features.

The Best Part:

It has a fantastic interface. Zoho’s dashboard feels very intuitive from the get-go and offers you a very sleek experience.

The Worst Part:

Slow mobile app. Zoho’s iOS app is great, but the Android version is reported to have several feature and speed issues.

Get it if you want a very easy-to-use interface without compromising on advanced CRM tools and features.

I recommend you sign up for the free 15-day trial, then sign up for the yearly Standard plan at $168/year when you’re ready.

Try Zoho CRM now

(15-day free trial)

Best For

Zoho CRM is best for anyone who wants a powerful and user-friendly CRM for cheap.

Top Features

Your next internet addiction. Get instant notifications on your browser, Android, or iOS when new updates come up on your CRM.
Powerful integrations. Bring your accounting, marketing, and billing solutions in one place and watch them sync in real-time.
Comprehensive analytics dashboard. Monitor your deals, leads, marketing, activities, and more on your personalized analytics dashboard.
Advanced service and project management. Assign your services and tasks to staff and set times and dates for delivery and milestones.
Sleek interface. Enjoy a smooth user experience with swift controls and simplified navigation.

Pricing

Zoho CRM offers four pricing plans:

Standard: $20/month per user for anyone looking for the best value for money CRM in the market.
Professional: $35/month per user for anyone who wants an advanced growth-driven CRM at an affordable rate.
Enterprise: $50/month per user for anyone who wants a fully functional CRM solution with advanced sales, product, and marketing features.
Ultimate: $65/month per user for anyone who wants a smart CRM with exponential growth features.

Annual plans provide up to a 34% discount.

Try Zoho CRM today with a free 15-day trial.

Try Zoho CRM now

2. Pipedrive

Our Verdict — Best For Sales

Price: Starts at $19.90/month

Pipedrive is a popular growth-focused CRM. We think it’s the best for sales because of its pipeline management features, robust integrations, and low entry-level cost.

The Best Part:

Robust sales features. Pipedrive has a strong emphasis on growth and gives you a complete toolset for lead generation, conversion, and much more.

The Worst Part:

It has a costly entry plan for document management. You’ll be looking at spending at least $49.90/mo per user for an included document management and eSign feature.

Get it if you want a very powerful sales-focused CRM at an affordable entry-level rate.

I recommend you start with a free 14-day trial, then opt for a yearly Essential subscription for only $178.80/year per user.

Try Pipedrive now

(14-day free trial)

Best For

Pipedrive is best for anyone who wants an affordable CRM to drive sales.

Top Features

Very good value for money. Get 24/7 support, reporting, unlimited contacts, and many other features no matter what plan you choose.
It scales your sales. Build automation workflows to save time and put your CRM to work towards bringing you more sales.
API developer access. Code your own Pipedrive integrations for even better workflow management and CRM customization.
Industry-leading interface. Enjoy a very enticing interface with intuitive controls and pipeline management features.
300+ integrations. Design a comprehensive CRM experience for your business by bringing all your tools together to one platform.

Pricing

Pipedrive offers four pricing plans:

Essential: $19.90/month per user for anyone looking for a simple CRM to bring in more sales and manage leads.
Advanced: $34.90/month per user for anyone who wants a lead management and sales CRM with automation and email marketing features.
Professional: $59.90/month per user for anyone who wants a comprehensive CRM with documentation and forecasting functionalities.
Enterprise: $119.90/month per user for anyone who wants a complete CRM with enterprise security preferences and phone support.

Annual plans provide up to a 25% discount.

Try Pipedrive today with a free 14-day trial.

Try Pipedrive now

3. Freshsales

Our Verdict — Best For Enterprises

Price: Starts at $18/month

Freshsales is a powerful affordable CRM solution. We think it’s the best for enterprises because of its value-for-money enterprise pricing, AI features, and automation workflows.

The Best Part:

Multi-functional AI assistant. Freshsales enables you to leverage AI to generate analytics, predictions, and recommendations based on your data.

The Worst Part:

Slow support team for non-enterprise plans. Freshsales has excellent support for enterprise customers but is not as good for other plans.

Get it if you want a powerful CRM for your enterprise with AI and automation features at a fraction of competition prices.

I recommend you check if Freshsales is a good fit with a free 21-day trial, then sign up for a yearly Enterprise plan at $996/year per user for full CRM access.

Try Freshsales now

(21-day free trial)

Best For

Freshsales is best for enterprises that want an affordable CRM to drive growth and automation.

Top Features

Chat, email, and phone management. Handle customer inquiries and manage your sales through all three communication channels.
Dedicated support. Get a dedicated account manager from Freshsales starting from as little as $83/mo for the Enterprise plan.
Smart sales forecasting. Deploy AI to generate practical forecasting insights to help you close more deals.
Automatic contact scoring. Filter your leads and get a clear view with AI-powered scoring based on online behavior and demographic information.
Sales automation made easy. Set up marketing sequences to nurture and close your sales leads with little to no effort.

Pricing

Freshsales offers three pricing plans:

Growth: $18/month per user for anyone who wants a very affordable CRM with powerful automation and management tools.
Pro: $47/month per user for teams that want an affordable CRM plan for multiple individuals to collaborate towards bringing sales.
Enterprise: $83/month per user for enterprises that want the best bang for their buck and want dedicated account management for their CRM.

Annual plans provide up to a 17% discount.

Try Freshsales today with a free 21-day trial.

Try Freshsales now

Our Top Three Picks

Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:

Zoho CRM — best of the best
Pipedrive — best for sales
Freshsales — best for enterprises

Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:

Tool	Entry Offer	Pricing
Zoho CRM	15-day free trial	Starts at $20/mo
Pipedrive	14-day free trial	Starts at $19.90/mo
Freshsales	21-day free trial	Starts at $18/mo
HubSpot	14-day free trial	Starts at $50/mo
Salesforce	30-day free trial	Starts at $300/year
monday sales CRM	Free plan	Starts at $30/mo
Insightly	14-day free trial	Starts at $348/year

Here are the top 50 cheap CRMs we considered in this review:

Zoho
Pipedrive
Freshsales
HubSpot
Salesforce
monday sales CRM
Insightly
Zendesk
Vtiger
Streak
Nimble
Maximizer
Less Annoying CRM
Capsule CRM
Apptivo
Agile CRM
ActiveCampaign
Act!
Workbooks
TeamGram
SugarCRM
Sendinblue
SalesNOW
Salesmate
Salesboom
Sage CRM
Revamp
Really Simple Systems
Raynet
Prophet CRM
PipelineDeals
OnePageCRM
Octopus CRM
Nutshell
Mailchimp
InfoFlo
Freshworks CRM
eWay
EngageBay
Copper
CompanyHub
ClickUp
CentrixOne
Bitrix24
1CRM
Sellf
Onpipeline
Odoo
CRMJetty
Highrise

What is the best free or cheap CRM for a startup?

Several options are available for startups looking for a free or cheap CRM.

HubSpot offers a free CRM plan named CRM Suite Free Tools that includes contact management, email tracking, and sales pipeline features, making it a popular choice among startups.

Another option is Zoho CRM, which offers a free version for up to three users with basic features like contact management and workflow automation, with affordable paid plans starting at $20/mo.

The paid Zoho CRM plans give you full access to an advanced customer relationship management interface for your sales team or company with sales pipeline management features, marketing automation features, business tools, third-party integrations, ready-made email templates, and many more without paying for an expensive plan.

If you're looking for a CRM to drive your sales process forward and add unlimited users, you can also check out Pipedrive. It is set at a very reasonable price for newcomers, and you can add unlimited contacts to your customer lists and manage your sales process for the lowest cost possible.

What is the easiest CRM to use for a small business?

For small businesses, a simple solution that offers a drag-and-drop email builder, customer lists, contact management, and other basic automation features can be helpful.

HubSpot, Benchmark Email, and other all-in-one CRM platforms offer easy-to-use features that allow small business owners to manage their sales process and customer service teams effectively.

The prettiest platform is not necessarily the easiest to use, so small business owners should focus on a user-friendly interface that delivers an adaptable experience.

Choosing the right customer relationship management (CRM) platform can be overwhelming for a small business owner. Several options offer user-friendly features and automation tools to help you manage your sales and customer service teams effectively.

One of the most popular all-in-one CRM platforms for small businesses is HubSpot. With its drag-and-drop email builder, customer lists, and contact management features, HubSpot provides a simple solution for managing customer profiles and marketing campaigns. The platform also offers advanced email marketing tools, including email sequences, drip email campaigns, and transactional emails.

Another all-in-one CRM platform worth considering is Benchmark Email. This platform offers an easy-to-use interface and marketing automation features that allow small business owners to create customer journeys and automated workflows. Benchmark Email also provides email templates, native integrations, and pricing tiers that fit any budget. It works perfectly for businesses looking for an advanced platform that handles drip email campaigns and sequences.

When choosing a CRM platform, it's essential to consider your specific business needs. If you have a complex sales process or require advanced features, you may need a more complex platform with a premium plan, such as HubSpot's Advanced plan. On the other hand, if you're looking for a straightforward solution at a reasonable price, a platform like Benchmark Email may be the best option.

Ultimately, the easiest CRM to use for your small business will depend on your unique needs and user experience preferences. A few other options are Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and Pipedrive. Be sure to evaluate each platform's customer service, pricing, and available business tools before making your final decision.

Is there a simple CRM?

Yes, there are several simple CRM solutions available. For small businesses that don't require advanced features, a basic version of a CRM platform with features like contact lists, response times, mobile access, and individual profiles can be helpful.

These features are commonly available across most platforms, so it's essential to compare different options and choose the one that best fits the business's needs.

Zoho CRM is a great all-in-one solution that allows you to enjoy basic usability at a fraction of competition prices with the option to adapt to more advanced sales tools and management features as you need them. The cheapest option offered by Zoho starts at $20/mo, which is affordable considering the huge list of integrations, support for technical issues, analytics features, and other core features made available by Zoho.

How much should I budget for a CRM?

The cost of a CRM platform depends on its features and the number of users it supports. Some platforms have pricing structures that allow businesses to increase their access to features and users as they grow.

For a small business, a basic CRM platform can cost as little as a few dollars per user per month, while more advanced platforms can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per user per month. Businesses should consider their budget and specific needs when choosing a CRM platform.

If you're looking to set a fixed budget, $20/mo for each user will be the minimum you'll expect to pay for the cheapest option of an all-in-one solution for your company.

The core features you can expect in an all-in-one CRM platform are automation workflows, marketing automation features, drip email marketing management tool, email sequence builder, mobile access, individual profiles for leads, and various sales tools.

Is HubSpot completely free?

HubSpot offers a free version of its CRM platform but has limited access to features. However, the free version still provides basic contact management and sales activity tracking features.

On the other hand, HubSpot also offers pricing tiers that allow businesses to access more advanced features like marketing automation, customer experience, and advanced reporting.

The Professional plan for CRMs starts at $1,781/mo, which might be pretty pricey for many businesses. If you're looking for an affordable platform to manage your entire sales funnel and work up features across plans, you can go right with even the cheaper platforms such as Freshsales, Zoho CRM, and Pipedrive.

What CRM do most companies use?

Salesforce CRM is one of the most popular CRM platforms companies use worldwide. Salesforce offers native integrations with third-party tools and a wealth of features, including artificial intelligence, customer profiles, and a 360-degree view of the customer journey.

Salesforce offers different pricing plans, including a premium price plan, a professional plan, and an advanced plan. The cheapest plan starts at $300/year and gives you access to various email marketing tools, sales activity tracking, analytics features, and an entire sales funnel management dashboard.

Does Salesforce CRM have a free version?

Salesforce offers a free trial version of its CRM platform but does not offer a completely free version. The free trial version allows businesses to test the platform's features before committing to a paid plan. Salesforce's pricing plans range from affordable to expensive, depending on the features and number of users.

Does a small business need a CRM?

Yes, a small business can benefit from using a CRM platform. A CRM platform allows small businesses to manage their contacts from email, track sales activity, and automate their sales process. A CRM platform also helps small businesses to provide better customer service by providing a 360-degree view of the customer journey and improving response times.

While small businesses may only need some of the advanced features of a CRM platform, a basic version can help them streamline their workflows and improve their overall business model.

Small businesses looking to optimize their workflows and improve customer service can benefit from a CRM platform. Whether a business opts for a basic or advanced version depends on its unique needs and budget.

A basic version with unlimited contacts and limited access may be the most affordable option for small businesses just starting. However, a small business requires more advanced features such as unlimited users, mobile access, email marketing tools, email sequences, transactional emails, and drip email campaigns. In that case, an all-in-one CRM platform with a more comprehensive set of tools may be a better choice.

Platforms like HubSpot, which offer advanced email marketing features and all-in-one solutions, may be more expensive but can provide a wealth of powerful features. It can be used a basic or complex platform to do anything, with great use cases such as visual sales pipeline management allowing businesses to monitor their sales process.

Small businesses may choose to use a CRM platform that provides a more affordable option, such as Zoho CRM’s Professional plan. This platform offers a modern email marketing visual email builder, core basic email automation features, and affordable drip campaign tools.

When evaluating CRM platforms, small businesses should consider the platform's pricing structure, list of integrations, and analytics features. It is also essential to look for key features like transactional email features, terms of email marketing, and a user-friendly interface.

Choosing the right CRM platform can help small businesses streamline their business model, improve workflows, and provide better customer service.

The Bottom Line

To recap, here are the best cheap CRMs to try this year:

Zoho CRM — best of the best
Pipedrive — best for sales
Freshsales — best for enterprises
HubSpot — best for solo entrepreneurs
Salesforce — best for enterprises
monday sales CRM — best for small teams
Insightly — best for analytics