HubSpot's free CRM is where many small businesses start. As the business grows, the free limits or the paid seat prices can stop fitting. Here are six alternatives, what each one costs as of October 2026, and who each one suits.
First, check what HubSpot already gives you
As of October 2026, HubSpot's free CRM covers up to two users and 1,000 contacts, with no end date. Paid Starter seats are normally $20 per seat per month, and HubSpot is running a time-limited discount for new customers (Starter page).
If you are still inside those limits, you may not need to move. The full list is in HubSpot free CRM limitations.
How to compare the options
- Count your users today and in a year. Most CRM prices are per user, per month.
- Check if a price is billed yearly or monthly. Monthly billing usually costs more.
- Decide what you need most: a sales pipeline, email marketing, or both.
- Use the free trial on real work, such as ten live deals, before you pay.
All prices below are in US dollars, from each vendor's own pricing page, as of October 2026. Prices can change, and some vendors show local prices in other regions.
1. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM has a free edition for up to three users. The Standard plan costs $14 per user per month billed yearly, or $20 billed monthly. Professional costs $23 yearly or $35 monthly. Paid editions come with a 15-day trial.
Suits: small teams who want a free start for three people, and room to add more Zoho apps later.
Less suited: people who want very few choices. Zoho has several editions and add-ons, so plan an hour to compare them.
2. Pipedrive
Pipedrive has four paid plans and no free plan. Billed yearly, they cost $14 (Lite), $39 (Growth), $59 (Premium) and $79 (Ultimate) per seat per month. Each plan has a 14-day trial with no card needed. Full email sync with open and click tracking starts on Growth.
Suits: businesses that sell through clear deal stages and want the pipeline in front of them every day.
Less suited: anyone who needs a free plan, or wants email campaigns in the base price. Pipedrive sells campaigns as an add-on.
3. Salesforce Starter Suite
Salesforce has a Free Suite for two users. It stays free as long as you log in at least once every 60 days, and it lets you send up to 100 emails a month. Starter Suite costs $25 per user per month, billed monthly or yearly. Pro Suite costs $100 per user per month, billed yearly with a contract.
Suits: businesses that expect to grow into a larger sales team and want to stay on one platform.
Less suited: a very small team that wants the lightest possible tool. There is more on this in HubSpot vs Salesforce.
4. Freshsales
Freshsales Growth costs $9 per user per month, Pro $39 and Enterprise $59, all billed yearly. The trial lasts 21 days. Growth lists chat, email and phone, email templates and basic workflows.
Suits: small teams on a tight budget who want calls and email next to their contacts.
Less suited: teams who need sales sequences on the lowest plan. Those start on Pro.
5. Less Annoying CRM
Less Annoying CRM has one plan at $15 per user per month, with no tiers. Every user gets every feature. The trial lasts 30 days and needs no card.
Suits: owners who want a simple tool for contacts, tasks and follow-ups, with a price that stays the same as they use more of it.
Less suited: teams who want marketing email in the same tool. Check the feature list before you commit.
6. Capsule
Capsule has a free plan for up to two users, 250 contacts and one sales pipeline. Paid plans have a 14-day trial with no card needed.
Suits: a very small business that wants to try a CRM for free with a short contact list.
Less suited: anyone who already has more than 250 contacts.
How to decide
- One to three users and a short list: start on a free plan. HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Capsule and Salesforce all have one.
- Your sales live in deals with clear steps: try Pipedrive.
- Lowest paid price per user: compare Freshsales Growth and Zoho CRM Standard.
- You expect a large sales team later: look at Salesforce and HubSpot's paid plans.
Write your sales process down before you move
A CRM stores your contacts and deals. It does not know how you sell. Before you switch, write one page: your deal stages, when you follow up, and what you say at each step. Then set up the new tool to match it.
That page also helps when you follow up after no response or prepare discovery call questions.
Nive is being built for this problem: you write how your business works once, and it drafts outreach in your voice from it. Nive is not a CRM. Join the waitlist to get the demo first.