Short answer: Zoho CRM fits a team of up to three people that wants workflow automation on the free plan. Vtiger's One Pilot plan fits up to ten users with up to 3,000 records. Bitrix24's Basic plan, at $49 a month billed annually, covers five users under one organization price. Solo sellers can start on Bigin, which is free for one user, or on Brevo's Sales Free tier, which includes one seat.
Eight CRMs compared on free seats, record caps and sending limits, with the first paid price for each.
Free means a different unit at every CRM. One plan caps users, another caps records, a third caps the emails sent each month, and a fourth gives one person a single pipeline. The cap that forces an upgrade is usually in the plan table, not the headline, so this guide puts each cap and the first paid price in the same row.
Methodology: this guide compares eight CRM tools that publish a free plan and a paid price. Sources are the vendor pricing pages linked under the table, dated October 25, 2026. The order reflects editorial judgment of fit for a small team, looking at the free caps and the first paid step together.
Toolradar data: Toolradar tracks 514 CRM tools, and the CRM category ranks the top ten.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
The free plan covers three users with contact management, follow-up reminders, workflow automation and API access.
Starting price
From $20 /mo
4.2 (9,945 reviews)
Best for
Teams of up to three people that want automation on the free plan and a per-user step later.
The One Pilot free plan covers up to 10 users, more than the three-seat free plans of Zoho CRM and Attio.
Starting price
From $30 /mo
4.3 (763 reviews)
Best for
Teams of four or more people whose contact list fits the free record cap.
The free plan covers one or two users with 5 GB of storage, and the Basic plan covers five users for one organization price.
Starting price
From $49 /mo
4.2 (1,615 reviews)
Best for
Five-person teams that want one organization price and a file store next to the CRM.
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | From $20/mo | 4.2 9,945 reviews | Teams of up to three people that want automation on the free plan and a per-user step later. |
| Vtiger | From $30/mo | 4.3 763 reviews | Teams of four or more people whose contact list fits the free record cap. |
| Bitrix24 | From $49/mo | 4.2 1,615 reviews | Five-person teams that want one organization price and a file store next to the CRM. |
| Capsule CRM | From $18/mo | 3.7 612 reviews | Two-person teams that want one pipeline and a Gmail or Outlook connection before paying per user. |
| Attio | From $44/mo | 4.3 592 reviews | Small sales teams that want a flexible data model and can work within three seats on the free plan. |
| Odoo | From $31.1/mo | 4.2 1,686 reviews | Teams that want one CRM app now and expect to add invoicing or inventory later. |
| Bigin | From $7/mo | 4.6 1,619 reviews | Solo sellers who want a pipeline and phone calls in one place. |
| Brevo | From $9/mo | 4.6 6,219 reviews | Solo operators who need email marketing and a basic CRM from one login. |
- Starting price
- From $20/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.2 (9,945 reviews)
Best for: Teams of up to three people that want automation on the free plan and a per-user step later.
- Pro: The free plan includes workflow automation, up to 10 custom email templates and API access.
- Pro: Standard, at $14 per user a month billed annually, adds multiple sales pipelines, built-in calling and sales forecasting.
- Pro: The free plan includes contact management, follow-up reminders and mobile apps for selling on the go.
- Con: The free plan allows data export from Zoho CRM up to 10 times, so exporting for reports has a ceiling.
- Con: Built-in calling and multiple sales pipelines sit on the Standard tier, not on the free plan.
Zoho CRM is the best value in the CRM market, full-featured at a fraction of competitors' prices.
Watch out
Free plan is limited to 3 users with basic features, outgrown quickly
Vtiger
The One Pilot free plan covers up to 10 users, more than the three-seat free plans of Zoho CRM and Attio.
- 4.3 on G2 (415 reviews)
- 4.3 on Capterra (336 reviews)
- 4.5 on TrustRadius (9 reviews)
- Starting price
- From $30/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.3 (763 reviews)
Best for: Teams of four or more people whose contact list fits the free record cap.
- Pro: The free seat cap covers a team that Zoho's three-user plan cannot.
- Pro: The One Growth plan is $12 per user a month billed annually, below the Standard price at Zoho CRM.
- Pro: The free plan includes duplicate prevention, idle alerts and profile scoring for contacts.
- Con: Records stop at the free cap, so a shared customer list beyond it needs the paid tier.
- Con: The One Growth rate is the annual-billing rate, so a team that pays monthly should check the monthly figure on Vtiger's pricing page.
Vtiger's pricing is quite generous, especially with the free 'Pilot' tier offering basic CRM for up to 10 users.
Watch out
Potential for add-on feature costs
- Starting price
- From $49/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.2 (1,615 reviews)
Best for: Five-person teams that want one organization price and a file store next to the CRM.
- Pro: Basic includes five users under one organization price, so five people share one line.
- Pro: The free plan includes 5 GB of storage alongside basic deal and contact tracking.
- Pro: The free plan includes Kanban and Gantt tasks, shared calendars and chat with video calls.
- Con: Sales pipelines are listed on the Basic tier, not on the free plan.
- Con: The free plan stops at two users, so the third hire triggers the paid step.
Bitrix24 offers a generous Free tier with unlimited users, making it highly accessible.
Watch out
Storage limits per tier
Capsule CRM
The free plan covers two users, 250 contacts and one sales pipeline, and Starter is $18 per user a month billed annually.
- 4.7 on G2 (514 reviews)
- 2.3 on SourceForge (98 reviews)
- Starting price
- From $18/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 3.7 (612 reviews)
Best for: Two-person teams that want one pipeline and a Gmail or Outlook connection before paying per user.
- Pro: The free plan connects a Gmail or Outlook account for sending email.
- Pro: The free plan includes 5 custom fields alongside contacts and one sales pipeline.
- Pro: Starter is built for businesses with one to five employees, at $18 per user a month billed annually.
- Con: The free plan stops at two users and 250 contacts, so a third person or a larger contact list moves the team to Starter.
- Con: Automations are listed among the features that need an upgrade, so rules need a paid tier.
Capsule CRM's pricing is fair, especially for small to medium businesses.
- Starting price
- From $44/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.3 (592 reviews)
Best for: Small sales teams that want a flexible data model and can work within three seats on the free plan.
- Pro: The free plan includes real-time contact syncing and automatic data enrichment.
- Pro: Plus adds private lists and up to 10 seats, and Pro is $79 per user a month billed annually.
- Pro: Plus and Pro are priced per user, so the bill follows the seat count.
- Con: The free plan is three seats, so a fourth person triggers Plus at $35 per user a month.
- Con: Plus costs $44 per user a month on monthly billing, and Attio offers a 20% discount on Plus and Pro with annual billing.
Strong value for startups that want a flexible, modern CRM.
Watch out
Overage fees for records beyond tier limits
- Starting price
- From $31.1/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.2 (1,686 reviews)
Best for: Teams that want one CRM app now and expect to add invoicing or inventory later.
- Pro: The One App Free plan allows unlimited users on one app, with Odoo Online hosting.
- Pro: Odoo's FAQ says the apps a free app depends on come free as well.
- Pro: Standard, at $31.10 per user a month billed yearly, unlocks all apps.
- Con: The free plan covers one app, so a second app means the Standard plan.
- Con: Standard is priced per user, so the bill grows with every seat added to the team.
Odoo offers exceptional value for ERP.
- Starting price
- From $7/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.6 (1,619 reviews)
Best for: Solo sellers who want a pipeline and phone calls in one place.
- Pro: The free plan includes built-in phone, three automations and a Developer API.
- Pro: The free plan also includes booking and appointment scheduling, a no-code form and a business card scanner.
- Pro: Express is priced below the Standard plan of Zoho CRM, although the two products differ in scope.
- Con: The free plan stops at one user, so a second seller means a paid plan.
- Con: The free plan holds one pipeline, which is enough for a single sales process and no more.
Bigin publishes USD on zoho.com/bigin/pricing.html.
Watch out
Free is 1 user and 500 records. Paid plans bill every user. Extra pipelines, records, automations, and booking pages are add-ons (official FAQ).
- Starting price
- From $9/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.6 (6,219 reviews)
Best for: Solo operators who need email marketing and a basic CRM from one login.
- Pro: Sales Free includes one seat with no monthly charge, so a solo operator can run a pipeline without a paid tier.
- Pro: Sales packages are listed as their own price line, separate from the email plan.
- Pro: The free plan's monthly volume covers campaigns and transactional email under one login.
- Con: Sales Essentials is $27.92 a month with one seat on yearly billing, a steep step from the free tier.
- Con: Sales Free includes one seat, so a second person needs a paid sales package.
Brevo's pricing is quite competitive, especially at the entry level.
Watch out
Removing branding is an add-on
What a free CRM plan covers
A free CRM plan keeps the core contact, deal and follow-up features at no cost, up to a limit the vendor sets. The limit is the part that matters. Seats usually run out first, because the second or third person to join is the moment a free plan stops covering the team.
Sending limits are the second cap people miss. Brevo's free plan includes 5,000 emails a month, and its FAQ says approved accounts can start sending up to 300 emails a day. A weekly send to 2,000 contacts passes the monthly figure in the third week, so the email cap can decide the tool before the seat cap does.
Why the per-seat step decides the bill
The first paid price is almost always per seat. Zoho CRM's Standard plan is $14 per user a month billed annually, and Attio's Plus plan is $35 per user a month billed annually. A five-person team that moves past its free plan pays five of those lines.
Bitrix24 is the exception in this list. Its Basic plan is priced per organization, at $49 a month billed annually, and it includes five users. For five people that comes to about $9.80 per user ($49 divided by five), against $70 a month for five Zoho CRM Standard seats billed annually ($14 times five).
User ratings differ widely. On October 25, 2026, Trustpilot showed Bitrix24 1.9 out of 5, and one reviewer dated August 17, 2026 wrote "Leads are not in Basic." Zoho CRM is rated 3.8 out of 5, Capsule CRM 4.5 out of 5, and Attio 3.0 out of 5 from six reviews. For the full Zoho product set, see the Zoho CRM profile, and for a wider stack, the sales tools guide covers the pieces around the CRM.
Key Features to Look For
Sending limits (Important)
Brevo's free plan allows 5,000 emails a month, and approved accounts can send up to 300 a day. Capsule's free plan connects a Gmail or Outlook account for sending, so a team that sends in bulk needs a separate tool or a paid tier.
Automation (Important)
Zoho CRM's free plan includes workflow automation, and Bigin's free plan includes three automations. Capsule's page lists automations among the features that need an upgrade, which makes Zoho the stronger free pick for a team that wants rules to run without a paid tier.
Four checks before you sign up
-
Seat count in six months, not today. The free cap you clear now can be the one you hit at the next hire.
-
Record count in your current spreadsheet, compared with the free record cap.
-
Which inbox the team uses, and whether the free plan connects it. Capsule's free plan connects a Gmail or Outlook account for sending.
-
Whether email campaigns run through the CRM or through a separate tool, since the sending cap sits in the free plan.
Evaluation Checklist
Count the people who will log in during the next six months, not only today.
Count the rows in your current contact spreadsheet and compare the total with the free record cap.
Confirm the sending cap for the largest mailing you plan to send in a month.
Price the next seat, since that is the first paid step most teams take.
Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Free plan | First paid price | Billing basis |
|---|---|---|---|
Free for up to 3 users | Standard: $14 per user a month | Billed annually, the page's default view | |
Vtiger | One Pilot: free, up to 10 users, 3,000 records | One Growth: $12 per user a month | Billed annually, the page's default view |
Free for 1 to 2 users, 5 GB storage | Basic: $49 per organization a month, includes 5 users | Billed annually, the default view ($69 billed monthly) | |
Capsule | Free for up to 2 users, 250 contacts, 1 sales pipeline | Starter: $18 per user a month | Billed annually |
Attio | Free for up to 3 seats | Plus: $35 per user a month | Billed annually, the default view ($44 billed monthly) |
Odoo | One app, unlimited users, at $0 | Standard: $31.10 per user a month | Billed yearly |
Bigin | Free for one user, 500 records, one pipeline | Express: $7 per user a month | Billed yearly |
Brevo | 5,000 emails a month, Sales Free with 1 seat at $0 | Sales Essentials: $27.92 a month with 1 seat | Billed yearly, the default view |
Prices as of October 25, 2026, from Zoho CRM pricing, Vtiger pricing, Bitrix24 prices, Capsule pricing, Attio pricing, Odoo pricing, Bigin pricing and Brevo pricing.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Comparing the word free on two homepages instead of the plan tables, where the seat and record caps sit.
- ×
- ×
Hiring the next person without checking the cap, since the free plan stops at the next seat.
Expert Tips
- →
Start with the seat count you will have in six months. Zoho's three-user plan and Vtiger's free seat cap differ by seven seats, a gap that often decides the shortlist.
- →
Run the largest import you expect on day one, so a record cap shows up before the team builds on the data.
- →
Choose the inbox first, since mail connection rules differ by plan.
Red Flags to Watch For
-
A per-seat price with no billing period printed next to it.
-
A free plan where pipelines, automation or branding removal sit in a paid tier.
-
A free CRM tied to one inbox when the team uses two.
The Bottom Line
Zoho CRM is the pick for a team of up to three that wants automation without a paid tier. Vtiger fits teams that outgrow three seats while the contact list stays under the free record cap. Capsule suits two people who want one pipeline and will move to Starter at a third hire. Bitrix24 prices the organization instead of each seat, which helps at five people, but its 1.9 out of 5 Trustpilot rating means skipping it unless that organization price is the deciding factor. Solo sellers can start on Bigin or on Brevo's Sales Free tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which free CRM plan allows the most users?
How much does a five-person team pay?
Bitrix24's Basic plan is $49 per organization a month billed annually and includes five users, about $9.80 per user. Five Zoho CRM Standard seats at $14 per user a month billed annually come to $70 a month, and Capsule's Starter plan is $18 per user a month billed annually, for teams of one to five employees.
Can a solo buyer send email without paying?
Brevo's free plan includes 5,000 emails a month, and its Sales Free tier includes one seat with no charge. Capsule's free plan connects a Gmail or Outlook account for sending. Bigin's free plan covers one user.
Does Zoho CRM's free plan include automation?
Yes. Zoho CRM's free plan includes workflow automation, up to 10 custom email templates and up to 10 data exports. Multiple sales pipelines and built-in calling start on the Standard plan.
Is a free CRM enough for a growing team?
For a team that expects to pass its seat cap within months, the free plan is a trial rather than a long-term home. Compare Zoho CRM's Standard plan, Capsule's Starter plan and Vtiger's One Growth plan first, since each is a per-user paid step listed in this table.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Best Free CRM for Small Business in 2026", updated October 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/best-free-crm-for-small-business
Related Guides
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