Best free CRM software: 10 plans tested beyond the price

Compare 10 free-to-start CRM options by usable users, records, workflow, permissions, reporting, exports, support, and what changes when the team grows.

A free CRM is useful only if the pilot represents real work and the upgrade path stays acceptable.

  • 10 official free-start options
  • Limits reviewed as operating constraints
  • A five-user Jodoo pilot
Free-start shortlist

10 CRM options with a free path

Free editions and limits change. Open the official source and confirm the current seats, records, features, storage, support, and upgrade terms before deciding.

Official product information checked 2026-08-27. Confirm the edition and terms that apply to your team.

01

Jodoo

Five-user configurable CRM pilot

Permanent free plan with five users, forms, cross-form links, workflows, dashboards, permissions, and unlimited apps within usage limits.
Data volume, automation, storage, submissions, advanced integration, administration, and paid-plan requirements.
Verify on the official site
02

HubSpot

A free CRM connected to broader customer tools

Free Smart CRM and foundational tools with contact, company, activity, pipeline, and connected platform paths.
Free-user and contact limits, feature history, automation, permissions, reporting, support, and paid hub costs.
Verify on the official site
03

Zoho CRM

Small-team sales CRM with a permanent free edition

Free users, leads, contacts, accounts, deals, activities, workflows, reports, API, and mobile features per current edition.
Users, records, workflow rules, export, email, integrations, customization, and paid-edition gates.
Verify on the official site
04

Salesforce Free Suite

Small teams testing the Salesforce sales model

A current free suite path alongside Starter and higher Sales Cloud editions.
Seat availability, login requirements, storage, flows, history, edition transition, and regional availability.
Verify on the official site
05

Freshsales

Teams testing sales CRM in Freshworks

A free-plan path may include core contact and account management for a small team.
Current free availability, user count, email and phone, automation, reporting, and Freshsales suite limits.
Verify on the official site
06

Bigin by Zoho CRM

Pipeline-centered small-team CRM

A lighter CRM model with a free edition and upgrade path into paid Bigin or Zoho CRM.
Records, users, pipelines, automation, integrations, dashboards, and migration requirements.
Verify on the official site
07

Bitrix24

Teams evaluating CRM plus collaboration tools

A free cloud tier with CRM and broader collaboration capabilities.
Users, storage, CRM features, telephony, automation, permissions, support, and interface complexity.
Verify on the official site
08

EngageBay

Small teams exploring an all-in-one customer suite

A free path across CRM and connected marketing, sales, and service capabilities.
Contacts, users, emails, automation, landing pages, service features, and paid bundle limits.
Verify on the official site
09

Capsule

Straightforward contact and pipeline tracking

A free plan path for a small relationship database and sales pipeline.
Users, contacts, projects, pipelines, email, automation, reporting, and add-on requirements.
Verify on the official site
10

Agile CRM

Small teams evaluating CRM with sales and marketing tools

A free edition has historically combined contact, deal, task, and marketing capabilities.
Current plan availability, users, contacts, email, automation, support, and product maintenance.
Verify on the official site
A real free-plan pilot

Test the free plan with the limits you are likely to hit

A clean demo account hides the pressure points that matter after adoption.

01

Invite the real users

Include daily owners, a manager, and the person who will administer the process.

  • Seat limit
  • Role access
  • Support path
02

Import representative data

Use clean, duplicate, incomplete, and historical records—not only five perfect contacts.

  • Record limit
  • Import mapping
  • Export test
03

Run work and exceptions

Create follow-up, an overdue item, a missing owner, and one dashboard review.

  • Automation limit
  • History
  • Reporting and drill-down
04

Price the first growth step

Model the likely seat, record, automation, storage, support, and integration upgrade.

  • Annual commitment
  • Add-ons
  • Migration if the plan no longer fits
Free does not mean the same thing

Compare free plans by the constraint that will stop the pilot

The first hard limit matters more than the headline price.

ConstraintQuestions to verifyPilot evidence
Users and rolesHow many active users, admins, guests, and permission sets are included?Invite every pilot role and test restricted records.
Contacts and recordsWhich objects count, what history is retained, and what happens at the limit?Import a representative sample and export it again.
Workflow and communicationWhich reminders, automations, email, forms, and integrations are free?Run the complete daily loop plus one exception.
Reporting and supportWhich dashboards, custom reports, audit history, and support channels are available?Complete a manager review without an external spreadsheet.
Questions teams ask before they commit

Practical CRM questions

Is Jodoo free for CRM use?

Jodoo currently offers a permanent free plan with five users and usage limits. Teams can build CRM records, relationships, workflows, permissions, views, and dashboards within the available plan features and capacity.

What is the hidden cost of free CRM?

Common costs appear in paid seats, contact or record limits, automation, email, integrations, reporting, storage, support, migration, and the time required to work around missing capabilities.

Should a business choose free CRM for long-term use?

Choose it when the current plan supports the real operating model and the first paid step remains acceptable. Do not design the process around a free limit the team expects to exceed immediately.

A free starting point with configurable work

Jodoo offers a practical five-user configurable pilot

Use the free plan to test the customer model, daily work, dashboard, export, and one process change before expanding.

  • Small teams that need more than a contact list
  • Configurable internal customer operations
  • Pilots that must prove changeability
Know when the free plan has become the constraint

A packaged free CRM may fit better for built-in selling tools

Choose a specialist free CRM when native email, pipeline, prospecting, marketing, or service features matter more than a configurable process.

Start in Jodoo

Build the pilot before you commit to a paid CRM

Start with Jodoo free