9 Best Free CRMs for Small Business in 2026 (Real Limits Compared)

A free CRM is the fastest way to stop losing leads in spreadsheets and inboxes. The catch is that “free” means very different things: some plans cap you at 2 users, others at 250 contacts, and many lock automation, reporting or email sending behind a paywall the moment you rely on them.

So instead of another list of logos, we compared the free CRM for small business options on what each free plan really includes: users, contacts, pipelines, email, automation, branding, and the price of the first paid step.

Disclosure: DoubleScale is our product, and we put it first because its free plan has no user or contact limits. We kept the comparison honest, including where another free CRM is the better fit.

Quick picks: the best free CRMs for small business

• DoubleScale – best free CRM with no user or contact limits: CRM, email campaigns, automations, booking, invoices and helpdesk on your WordPress site
• HubSpot – best-known free cloud CRM, free for up to 2 users
• Zoho CRM – best free plan for a small sales team (up to 3 users)
• Freshsales – best free sales CRM with built-in phone (up to 3 users)
• Bitrix24 – best free plan for unlimited users (CRM, tasks and chat)
• EngageBay – best free all-in-one cloud suite (up to 15 users, 250 contacts)
• Agile CRM – free for up to 10 users and 1,000 contacts
• Capsule CRM – simple free CRM for 2 users and 250 contacts
• Odoo CRM – free open-source CRM app with unlimited users

What a free CRM for small business really includes

Before choosing, check the five limits that decide whether a free plan will still work in six months:

1. Users. HubSpot is free for 2 users, Zoho and Freshsales for 3, Bitrix24 for unlimited users.
2. Contacts or records. EngageBay and Capsule stop at 250 contacts, Agile CRM at 1,000.
3. Automation. Most free plans include little or no workflow automation.
4. Email sending. Free marketing email is usually capped (HubSpot: 2,000 sends a month) and carries the vendor’s branding.
5. The first paid step. Free is only free until you need one locked feature, so check the price of the next tier.

Cloud free plans vs self-hosted free CRMs

Cloud CRMs (HubSpot, Zoho, Freshsales) host your data and use the free plan to move you to paid seats. Self-hosted CRMs such as DoubleScale and Odoo run on your own server, so the software itself can stay free without user or contact caps; you pay for hosting and email sending instead. If your website already runs on WordPress, a self-hosted CRM is often the cheapest long-term option. See the best free WordPress CRM plugins.

Free CRM for small business compared: free plan limits at a glance

Free plan limits and first paid prices from each vendor, checked in October 2026. Limits change often, so confirm on the vendor’s pricing page.

How we chose the best free CRMs

• A permanent free plan, not just a trial.
• Real limits: users, contacts and features you can actually use.
• Core CRM coverage: contacts, pipeline, tasks and email.
• Upgrade cost: the price of the first paid tier.
• Data ownership and ease of leaving.

1. DoubleScale: best free CRM for small business with no user or contact limits

DoubleScale is the only free CRM on this list with no user and no contact limits. It runs inside your WordPress site, and the free version on WordPress.org includes contacts with a full activity timeline, email campaigns and newsletters, a visual automation builder, booking pages, proposals, invoices, a client portal, a helpdesk and built-in SMTP.

Because it is self-hosted, the “free plan” is not a teaser for paid seats: you add as many teammates and contacts as you like. You pay only for your hosting and email sending service. Pro ($99 a year per site) adds sales pipelines and deals, contracts, online payments, SMS and WhatsApp, projects and tasks, lead scoring and website tracking.

Pricing

Free forever on WordPress.org with unlimited contacts. Pro starts at $99 a year for one website with unlimited users; lifetime licenses start at $249.

Pros

• Replaces several subscriptions (CRM, email marketing, booking, helpdesk, SMTP) with one plugin
• Flat pricing: adding team members or contacts never raises the bill
• Self-hosted: customer data stays in your own database, which simplifies GDPR
• Native integrations with WooCommerce, 17 form plugins and the main LMS and membership plugins

Cons

• Needs a WordPress site and decent hosting, and you manage updates
• Email, SMS and WhatsApp go through your own providers (for example Amazon SES, Twilio or Meta), billed separately
• A younger ecosystem than the big SaaS CRMs

Best for: small businesses with a WordPress website that want a genuinely free CRM they will not outgrow. Read how to set up a CRM in WordPress.

2. HubSpot: best-known free cloud CRM

HubSpot’s free CRM is polished and easy to learn: contacts, companies, a deal pipeline, forms, live chat, meeting links and email tracking. It is the most common starting point for small businesses.

Its limits matter, though: the free plan covers 2 users, marketing email is capped at 2,000 sends a month with HubSpot branding, there is one pipeline and little automation, and newer accounts report caps on marketing contacts. The next step, Starter, is priced per seat.

Pricing

Free for up to 2 users. Starter lists at $20 per seat per month, Professional at $90 and Enterprise at $175 per seat per month (HubSpot pricing).

Pros

• Polished, easy to learn and well documented
• Generous free CRM for very small teams
• Huge integration marketplace

Cons

• Costs jump sharply from Starter to Professional
• Per-seat and per-contact pricing grows with your business
• Data lives on HubSpot’s servers

Best for: small teams that want a free cloud CRM today and can budget for HubSpot’s paid tiers later. See the best HubSpot alternatives for small business.

3. Zoho CRM: best free plan for a small sales team

Zoho CRM is a mature cloud sales CRM with workflows, territories, forecasting and an AI assistant (Zia), and it plugs into the wider Zoho suite (Campaigns, Desk, Books). It is one of the cheapest full-featured paid CRMs on the market.

The free edition covers up to 3 users with leads, contacts, deals and a basic pipeline. Advanced automation, custom fields and AI are paid features.

Pricing

Free for up to 3 users. Paid plans start at about $14 per user per month billed annually (Standard), with Professional around $23 and Enterprise around $40; regional prices vary (Zoho CRM pricing).

Pros

• Strong sales features for the price
• Highly customisable modules, fields and workflows
• Free plan for small teams

Cons

• Marketing, helpdesk and invoicing are separate Zoho products and bills
• Steeper learning curve than simpler CRMs

Best for: sales-led teams that want a capable, low-cost cloud CRM and do not mind assembling the rest of the Zoho suite.

4. Freshsales: best free sales CRM with built-in phone

Freshsales, from Freshworks, is a clean sales CRM with built-in phone, email and AI deal insights. Its free plan covers up to 3 users, and its paid tiers are noticeably cheaper per seat than HubSpot’s.

Pricing

Free for up to 3 users. Paid plans are $9 (Growth), $39 (Pro) and $59 (Enterprise) per user per month billed annually (Freshsales pricing).

Pros

• Low entry price and a usable free tier
• Built-in calling and simple deal management

Cons

• Marketing automation and support are separate Freshworks products
• Advanced features sit in Pro and Enterprise

Best for: small sales teams that want a cheap, modern cloud CRM with calling built in.

5. Bitrix24: best free CRM for unlimited users

Bitrix24 is a full workspace (CRM, tasks, chat, calendar and a contact centre) and its free plan includes unlimited users with a basic CRM and 5 GB of storage.

Pricing

Free with unlimited users. Paid plans start at $49 a month for 5 users (Basic), $99 for 50 users and $199 for unlimited users (Bitrix24 pricing).

Pros

• Unlimited users on the free plan
• CRM, tasks and communication in one place

Cons

• Busy interface with a learning curve
• Multiple pipelines and advanced automation are paid

Best for: teams that want one free workspace for CRM, tasks and chat.

6. EngageBay: best free all-in-one cloud suite

EngageBay mirrors HubSpot’s structure (marketing, sales and service in one suite) at a much lower price. Its free plan covers up to 15 users with 250 contacts.

Pricing

Free for up to 15 users and 250 contacts. The All-in-One suite costs $13.79, $59.79 or $110.39 per user per month billed annually (EngageBay pricing).

Pros

• Marketing, CRM and helpdesk in one subscription
• Much cheaper than HubSpot

Cons

• Smaller ecosystem
• Per-user pricing and a small free contact limit

Best for: small teams that want a HubSpot-style cloud suite for less.

7. Agile CRM: free CRM for up to 10 users

Agile CRM combines contacts, deals, email campaigns and a helpdesk. Its free plan covers up to 10 users and 1,000 contacts, with limits on integrations and automation.

Pricing

Free for up to 10 users and 1,000 contacts. Paid plans start at $8.99 per user per month (Starter) (Agile CRM pricing).

Pros

• Generous free user count
• Marketing and helpdesk features included

Cons

• Tight free-plan limits on contacts and automation
• Interface feels dated

Best for: small teams that need several free seats.

8. Capsule CRM: simple free CRM for very small teams

Capsule is a straightforward CRM for managing contacts, sales pipelines and tasks, with a clean interface and good integrations with Xero, QuickBooks and Google Workspace.

Pricing

Free for 2 users and 250 contacts. Paid plans start at about $18 per user per month billed annually (Starter) (Capsule CRM pricing).

Pros

• Clean, uncluttered interface
• Good accounting and Google Workspace integrations

Cons

• Free plan is very small
• Marketing features need separate tools

Best for: service businesses that want a simple, tidy CRM.

9. Odoo CRM: best free open-source CRM

Odoo is an open-source business suite. Its CRM app is free on its own with unlimited users, and you can add sales, invoicing, inventory and more as you grow, either in Odoo’s cloud or self-hosted.

Pricing

One app is free with unlimited users. The Standard plan with all apps costs about $31 per user per month billed annually (Odoo CRM pricing).

Pros

• Free CRM app with unlimited users
• Grows into a full ERP

Cons

• Adding a second app moves everyone to a paid plan
• Setup and customisation take time

Best for: businesses that want an open-source CRM and may need ERP features later.

When a free CRM stops being enough

• Your team grows past the user cap (2 on HubSpot, 3 on Zoho and Freshsales).
• You need automation to follow up with every lead.
• Your list outgrows the contact cap or free email sends.
• You need invoices, bookings or support on the same customer record.

With a per-seat CRM, each of those steps means paying for every user. With a self-hosted CRM like DoubleScale, the free plan already covers unlimited users and contacts, and Pro is a flat $99 a year per website.

How to choose the right free CRM

• You have a WordPress website: DoubleScale (no user or contact limits).
• You want the easiest cloud CRM for 1 to 2 people: HubSpot.
• You have a 3-person sales team: Zoho CRM or Freshsales.
• You need many free seats: Bitrix24 or Agile CRM.
• You want open source: Odoo.

Free CRM for small business: FAQ

The verdict

There is no single best free CRM for every business, but there is a clear rule: check the limits you will hit first. For one or two people who want a cloud tool, HubSpot is an easy start; for a three-person sales team, Zoho CRM or Freshsales.

If your website runs on WordPress and you want a free CRM for small business that you will not outgrow, with unlimited users and contacts, email campaigns, automations, booking, invoices and support, start with DoubleScale. Download it free or try the live demo.