Best Free CRM for Small Business in 2026
The best free CRM for a small business depends on how many people need seats: HubSpot is free for up to 2 users, Zoho CRM is forever free for 3 users, Bitrix24 states its free plan allows an unlimited number of users, and Brevo offers Sales Free at $0.00 per month with 1 seat. Freshsales shows a 21-day trial rather than a free plan on the pricing page reviewed. This guide compares what each free tier gives, where each one asks you to pay and what the first paid step costs. Details were read from vendor pages on November 2, 2026 (UTC).
The free tiers compared
| CRM | Free tier as shown | User or seat limit | First paid step | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | $0 per month; "100% free with no expiration date" | Free for up to 2 users, no credit card required | Starter $7 per seat per month (new-customer offer) beside $20 per seat per month | Polished, but 2-user cap |
| Zoho CRM | US$0, "Forever free, for 3 users" | 3 users | Standard US$14 per user per month | Most users on a conventional CRM |
| Bitrix24 | Free forever plan | Unlimited number of users | Basic Vibe+ US$59 per month per organization, billed annually, includes 5 users | Best for bigger teams on $0 |
| Brevo | Free plan, up to 300 emails per day; Sales Free $0.00 per month | 1 seat on Sales Free | Sales Essentials $27.92 per month with 1 seat included | Email-led businesses |
| Freshsales | No free plan on the page reviewed; 21-day trial | n/a | Growth $9 per user per month, billed annually | Cheap paid, not free |
Sources: each vendor pricing page, read November 2, 2026 (UTC). Bitrix24 shows the Basic Vibe+ price against US$89 under a launch offer valid September 1 to December 10, 2026.
Seats on the free plan
Bitrix24 states an unlimited number of users and is not charted.
First paid step per user, USD per month
HubSpot Starter is shown at its $20 figure; $7 is a new-customer offer. Bitrix24 prices per organization and is not charted.
What counts as a genuinely usable free tier
A free tier is usable if it covers your people, your records and your sending. Three tests help: does the user cap cover the team, does the plan include the pipeline or email feature you need, and are the integrations you rely on included? HubSpot connects its free CRM to over 2,000 apps through integrations; Zoho lists contact management, follow-up reminders, workflow automation, custom email templates, tasks, meetings and calls, data import and export, APIs and mobile apps on its free plan.
Where each free tier forces you to upgrade
| CRM | Upgrade trigger | What the next step costs |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | A third user, or paid Starter tools | Starter at $7 per seat per month (new customers only) against $20 per seat per month |
| Zoho CRM | A fourth user, or features on Standard such as email integration, multiple sales pipelines and sales forecasting | Standard US$14 per user per month; Professional US$23; Enterprise US$40 |
| Bitrix24 | Telephony and Bitrix24 Market apps | Basic Vibe+ US$59 per month for 5 users, billed annually; Standard Vibe+ US$120 for 50 users |
| Brevo | Sending beyond 300 emails per day, or more CRM seats | Starter $9 per month on monthly billing ($8.08 yearly); Sales Essentials $27.92 per month with 1 seat |
| Freshsales | Any use beyond the 21-day trial | Growth $9, Pro $39, Enterprise $59 per user per month, billed annually |
Prices are the vendor figures on November 2, 2026 (UTC); billing basis is stated where the page states it.
HubSpot CRM: polished, capped at 2 users
HubSpot lists its CRM tier at $0 per month, free for up to 2 users, and describes it as 100% free with no expiration date. The free account includes free marketing, sales, service, content and data tools. The cap is the catch: the next step is Starter, shown at $7 per seat per month for new customers only, beside $20 per seat per month. Teams that outgrow it should read the hubspot alternatives guide before paying.
Zoho CRM: the 3-user free plan
Zoho CRM states "Forever free, for 3 users" with no credit card required. The paid editions start at Standard US$14 per user per month, which adds email integration and mass emails, built-in calling, multiple sales pipelines, calendar integration, forms, sales forecasting and data enrichment. Professional is US$23 and Enterprise is US$40 per user per month. Zoho also lists Bigin Express at US$7 per user per month for a lighter setup.
Bitrix24: free seats for larger teams
Bitrix24 says its free plan is a default account state that lets you add an unlimited number of users, with Telephony and Bitrix24 Market apps limited to paid plans. Paid plans are priced per organization, not per user: Basic Vibe+ US$59 per month billed annually for 5 users, Standard Vibe+ US$120 for 50 users, Professional Vibe+ US$240 for 100 users. The page notes a free 15-day trial with no credit card required and that the launch offer prices apply to 12-month subscriptions only.
Brevo: free CRM seat, email-led limits
Brevo gives every account a Free plan, and its sales CRM lists Sales Free at $0.00 per month with 1 seat included. Sending is capped at up to 300 emails per day once the account is approved. The email Starter plan is $9 per month on monthly billing ($8.08 yearly), and Sales Essentials is $27.92 per month with 1 seat. See email marketing software if the sending side is the main job.
Freshsales: a trial, not a free plan
The Freshsales pricing page shows Growth at $9, Pro at $39 and Enterprise at $59 per user per month, billed annually, and a 21-day trial that gives access to the fully loaded CRM. No free plan appears in the saved text, so it belongs on a paid shortlist, not a free one.
Which free CRM for which small business
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Two founders, sales-led | HubSpot CRM | Free for up to 2 users, no credit card required |
| Three-person sales team | Zoho CRM | Forever free, for 3 users |
| Ten people who all need seats | Bitrix24 | Free plan allows an unlimited number of users |
| Newsletter-led business with a few deals | Brevo | Free plan plus Sales Free at $0.00 per month with 1 seat |
| You will pay for a CRM anyway | Freshsales or Pipedrive | See the paid comparisons linked in the next section |
The hidden costs of free
- Gated automation and branding. Free plans cap features. Zoho lists workflow automation on Free, while pipelines and forecasting appear on Standard.
- Seat caps that trigger a price jump. HubSpot goes from free for 2 users to a paid tier shown at $7 beside $20 per seat per month for new customers only.
- Switching cost. The longer you stay on a free CRM, the more records and workflows you will need to move later.
- Sending limits. Brevo allows up to 300 emails per day on the Free plan once your account is approved for sending.
Which one should you choose?
Match the tier to the team you will have in a year, not today. A pair of founders can run HubSpot free; a three-person team fits Zoho; a growing team that wants free seats should look at Bitrix24; an email-first business can start with Brevo. If you expect to pay anyway, read the paid comparisons: pipedrive cost, then see best crm software for small business, crm pricing comparison and best crm under 50 a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free CRM for a small business?
It depends on team size and workload. HubSpot's free CRM is free for up to 2 users with no credit card required. Zoho CRM's free plan is listed as forever free for 3 users. Bitrix24 states its free plan allows an unlimited number of users, and Brevo's Sales Free is $0.00 per month with 1 seat.
Is HubSpot's CRM really free?
HubSpot's pricing page lists the free tier at $0 per month, free for up to 2 users, no credit card required. The product page describes it as 100% free with no expiration date. Paid Starter pricing is shown at $7 per seat per month beside $20, with a note that discounts are for new customers only.
Which free CRM allows the most users?
Bitrix24, which states its free plan lets you add an unlimited number of users. Some tools, such as Telephony and apps from Bitrix24 Market, are available only on paid plans.
Does Freshsales have a free plan?
The Freshsales pricing page reviewed shows paid plans starting at $9 per user per month, billed annually, and a 21-day trial. No free plan appears in the saved page text.
How long are the free trials if I want to test paid features?
Bitrix24 lists a free 15-day trial with no credit card required. Freshsales lists a 21-day trial. Zoho CRM shows a free trial on its paid editions.
When should I move off a free CRM?
Move when the user cap, a gated feature or a paid-only integration costs you more in workarounds than the paid plan costs in fees. The first paid steps are shown in the table above.
By SoftwareSift Team. Prices verified November 2, 2026 (UTC) against vendor pages. Back to the SoftwareSift home page.