You’ve probably heard that if you’re looking to grow your business and boost sales results, that you’re going to need a seriously effective sales CRM platform.
There’s a lot of cash on the table here, too, with 65% of teams using a mobile CRM (vs 22% who don’t) meeting sales quotas each month.
But there’s a problem:
You simply don’t have the cash flow to invest hundreds of dollars a month in CRM software.
The good news?
You don’t gotta.
There is a tonne of capable free CRMs out there, and to be honest, even the really good paid ones can be had for under $100 a month.
The question is less so where to find these tools, but which one to choose.
By the end of the article, you’ll have a solid understanding of what a CRM does, why you should (or shouldn’t) use a free CRM, and how to choose the best free CRM for your company.
We’ll even give you insights into 9 of the best sales CRMs out there that can be had for $0 a month.
It’s probably not a bad idea to make sure everyone is on the same page going in.
After all, if you’re looking for a free CRM, then chances are you’ve never used one before.
So, what the heck is a CRM anyway?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, which is a business practice that rests on the premise that by improving the relationship between your company and your customers, you’ll:
This practice has become so crucial to sales and support operations, that an entire line of software solutions emerged: the CRM platform.
Hint: When most people say ‘a CRM’ or ‘the CRM’ or even just ‘CRM’, they’re talking about the software rather than the process.
So, what does it do?
CRM software platforms empower marketing, sales, and customer service teams to better serve their customers through innovative features such as:
In short, a CRM helps you to manage all aspects of the customer relationship, from prospect to paying customer, and everything in between.
When you’re determining with a free sales CRM is a good choice for your business, what you’re really asking is:
What’s the difference between a free CRM and a paid one?
The answer is nothing and everything.
Let’s explain:
Most free CRMs out there are also paid CRMs. That is, the company you’re working with works on a freemium model.
They offer a free version of their product to the market, but it’s a dumbed-down version of their full-scale, monthly subscription product.
The idea is that as your company grows, you’ll require more features and functionality, and eventually migrate to a paid plan.
It’s pretty rare that you’ll find a completely free CRM that doesn’t have a paid plan (and if you do, you can pretty much guarantee that it will suck).
So, what it comes down to is the feature set. What you’re really seeking to determine when signing up for a free CRM is:
To help you choose the best free CRM for your purposes, and to answer the above questions, let’s take a look at the 7 core aspects to consider when weighing up your options.
There are 7 key considerations to make when determining the best free sales CRM for your team:
Let’s look at each in a little more detail.
This is the main one:
What features are included in the free plan?
Most free plans offer things like basic pipeline management and reporting, and even some communications tools such as email.
Often, though, you’re limited in terms of quantity.
For example, in the free plan, you might be limited to a single pipeline, to a certain number of emails per month, or only have access to some of the reporting suites.
There’s a high likelihood that you’ll need or want to upgrade in the future.
I mean, the idea is that you’re using the CRM to help grow your business, and as your company scales, you’ll have an appetite for more advanced features, and the budget to move on from free CRM tools.
So, it’s wise to do a bit of future planning, and see what it’s going to cost you if you want to move to a paid plan in the future.
The last thing you want is to get 6 months down the line and realize that the cheapest paid plan is 5x that of the other option you were considering (migrating CRMs is a pain in the ass).
Automation is the process of delegating manual and repetitive tasks to your computer.
Basically, you plug in a direction like “When X happens, do Y”, and it takes it from there.
Most CRMs have some form of automation built-in, though it’s not always available on free plans or something you’ll have access to only certain parameters.
Sales automation can be a huge timesaver. If you’re looking for a free CRM for small business sales, you’re probably a busy owner, so you need all the time you can get back!
What other software platforms are you already using?
There’s a high likelihood that you’ve already got one of these 3 software tools on your roster:
In an ideal world, you won’t have to do a lot of double work to get information across from one system to another.
This happens by way of native integrations, so look out for the logos of your favorite tools on the website of any free CRM you’re considering.
How easy to use is this CRM?
Is the interface nicely laid out, or is it going to take a long time to get the hang of?
To get the most out of your free CRM, you’ll want to find something that will allow you to get up to speed quickly. Ideally, the CRM provider will offer a mobile app as well, so you can keep working while on the move.
One of the core features of sales CRM tools is pipeline management.
However, this means something different for every platform.
Some CRMs will allow you to create custom pipelines, others will only give you access to templates. Some will have a maximum number of pipelines available without upgrading, others give you unlimited access.
You’ll need to determine what your needs are with regard to pipeline management, and make a call based on these requirements.
Speaking of making a call…
The last feature to look out for when assessing the capabilities of a free CRM tool is whether it allows you to call and text your customers.
Some CRM platforms have a VoIP integration so you can call just using a headset, and many of them also have SMS built-in as well.
Often, though, these are features that are restricted to paid plans or might rack up additional charges (such as a per-minute rate for phone calls).
Still, you might be able to save some money on your monthly phone bill by switching over to VoIP calling.
So, you’ve made some notes on the considerations we’ve just discussed, and you’re ready to choose the ideal free CRM software for your company.
Great!
Let’s take a look at 9 of the best options to get your search started.
Insightly is a free small business CRM platform designed to unite small business sales, marketing, and project management.
What you get with Insightly
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Small businesses and startups with 1 or 2 users.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
2/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
0/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
2/5 |
|
Ease of use |
4/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
3/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
0/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$29, $49, and $99 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Agile CRM is the best free CRM software for small business owners who want to get the most out of their email marketing campaigns.
What you get with Agile CRM
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Companies wanting to amp up their email marketing automation.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
3/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
1/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
0/5 |
|
Ease of use |
4/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
3/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
0/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$8.99, $29.99, and $47.99 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
HubSpot has an entire set of tools for startups, all of which are focused on inbound marketing and sales.
The HubSpot CRM is one of the most widely used free CRMs out there.
What you get with HubSpot
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Small companies getting started with inbound marketing and sales.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
4/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
0/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
1/5 |
|
Ease of use |
4/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
3/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
1/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$45, $450, and $1200 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Capsule CRM is a smart and simple CRM, doing away with the excessive features that small businesses simply don’t need.
What you get with Capsule CRM
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Small organizations that are looking to start with a simple, easy-to-grasp tool, without the extra fuss.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
4/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
1/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
2/5 |
|
Ease of use |
5/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
4/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
0/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$18, $36, and $54 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Zoho CRM is perhaps one of the oldest CRMs out there, helping more than 250,000 businesses manage sales activities.
What you get with Zoho CRM
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Small companies and home business operators.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
2/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
0/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
0/5 |
|
Ease of use |
2/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
2/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
1/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$15, $24, $41, and $54 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Freshworks CRM is an all-in-one customer relationship management and communications platform for sales teams.
What you get with Freshworks CRM
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Teams who want to trial a full-sized CRM for 21 days, with no cost. The free version itself is pretty average.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
2/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
0/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
0/5 |
|
Ease of use |
3/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
1/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
3/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$29, $75, $135 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Bitrix24 is one of the only free CRM tools that allow for unlimited users.
What you get with Bitrix24
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Large teams who don’t need too much functionality or marketing capability.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
4/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
2/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
1/5 |
|
Ease of use |
4/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
3/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
2/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$19, $55, $79, and $159 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
EngageBay is all about customer engagement, helping teams to market better, sell faster, and provide superior customer support.
What you get with EngageBay
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Companies who want to create synergy between their sales, marketing, and support teams.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
5/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
4/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
2/5 |
|
Ease of use |
3/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
3/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
0/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$14.99, $49.99, and $79.99 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Streak is a CRM that lives inside Gmail - pretty cool huh?
What you get with Streak
What you miss out on with the free plan
Best for
Teams who don’t want to have to learn to work in yet another browser tab.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
3/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
0/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
1/5 |
|
Ease of use |
4/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
3/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
0/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$15, $49, and $129 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Even the best free CRM is inherently limited in capacity, and will only get you so far.
Most free CRM users end up upgrading anyway, once they realize just how much they need those additional paid features.
Perhaps you’re one of the smart few who can spot this a mile away, and realize that you should just pull the trigger on a full-sized CRM from the get-go.
If that sounds like you, let us introduce you to Ringy.
Here’s what Ringy offers over and above most free CRMs:
Want to learn more about Ringy? Check out what we have to offer here.
|
Consideration |
Rating /5 |
|
Feature set |
5/5 |
|
Automation functionality |
5/5 |
|
Integration with other tools |
3/5 |
|
Ease of use |
5/5 |
|
Pipeline management |
5/5 |
|
Calling and SMS functionality |
5/5 |
|
Pricing for paid plans |
$109 per month |
Pricing as of 8 July 2021
Feeling pretty confident that you know how to choose the best free CRM for your needs?
Let’s recap on the 7 most important things to look out for:
Or, perhaps you’ve determined that a free CRM just isn’t going to cut it, and you need something with a bit more power behind it.
Well then, have we got something in store for you.
Request a demo with us today. We’d be happy to give you a free tour of the platform.