Best CRM for small businesses (5-50 employees)

Replace guides

Small-team CRM: cheaper alternatives to HubSpot and Salesforce

Head-to-head comparisons

Both vendors' prices checked Oct 15, 2026. All comparisons.

Heads up: "Try" links may be affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a commission at no cost to you, and it never changes our rankings. How we make money

#1Zoho CRM

Free planLow-costAI add-on

Try Zoho CRM (opens in new tab)

Best for: Small sales teams that want a full CRM cheaply

Price: Free for 3 users. Standard US$14/user/mo, Professional US$23, Enterprise US$40

Free for up to 3 users
Huge feature set

UI is dense

Source: zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html · checked Oct 14, 2026 · Monthly vs annual default on the page not confirmed

#2Pipedrive

Low-cost

Try Pipedrive (opens in new tab)

Best for: Pipeline-first sales teams

Price: Lite US$14/seat/mo billed annually. Growth US$39, Premium US$59, Ultimate US$79

Simple visual pipeline

Email automation needs Growth ($39)

Source: pipedrive.com/en/pricing · checked Oct 14, 2026

#3Twenty

Open sourceSelf-hostableLow-cost

Try Twenty (opens in new tab)

Best for: Teams that want a modern, open-source CRM

Price: Pro $9/user/mo, Organization $19/user/mo; open-source self-hosting

Open source
Modern UI

Younger ecosystem

Source: twenty.com/pricing · checked Oct 14, 2026 · Billing period for listed prices not confirmed

#4EspoCRM

Open sourceSelf-hostable

Try EspoCRM (opens in new tab)

Best for: Teams with IT help who want a free self-hosted CRM

Price: Open source. Cloud Basic $15/user/mo, Enterprise $25, Ultimate $69

Open source

Self-hosting is on you

Source: espocrm.com/pricing · checked Oct 14, 2026

#5HubSpot Starter (Customer Platform)

Legacy

Visit site (opens in new tab)

Best for: Teams that want CRM plus marketing in one place

Price: Normally $20/seat/mo; promo $7/mo annual or $10/mo monthly for new customers

Free CRM tools to start
Huge ecosystem

Costs climb steeply at Professional

Source: hubspot.com/products/crm/starter · checked Oct 14, 2026

#6Salesforce Starter Suite

Legacy

Visit site (opens in new tab)

Best for: Teams that expect to grow into Salesforce

Price: $25/user/mo, billed monthly or annually. Pro Suite $100/user/mo billed annually

Upgrade path to full Salesforce

Pro Suite jumps to $100/user

Source: salesforce.com/sales/pricing · checked Oct 14, 2026

Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest paid crm & sales tool for a small business?

Of the per-user plans we verified, Twenty is the lowest at $9/user/mo (Pro $9/user/mo, Organization $19/user/mo; open-source self-hosting). Prices checked Oct 14, 2026.

Are there free crm & sales tools?

Yes. Options with a $0 plan or free software include EspoCRM. Free plans have limits; see each card.

Are there open-source crm & sales tools?

Yes: Twenty, EspoCRM. Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups and security.