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Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps sales teams manage their customer relationships. It enables salespeople to track their interactions with customers, including contact information, phone calls, emails and meetings. CRMs also provide features for managing deals and opportunities. This may sound expensive, but there are actually a number of affordable and even free options available. To help you make the best decision for your business, we’ve compiled a list of the best free CRM systems of 2024.
Featured Partners
1
monday sales CRM
Free; $9 per user per month for basic features
14 days
Yes
2
HubSpot
Free; $15 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
3
Pipedrive
$14 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
4
Salesforce
$25 per month per user for basic features
30 days
Yes
| Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting price | Pipeline management | Integrations | LEARN MORE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insightly |  |
4.9 |  |
Free; $29 per user per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Via partner site | |
| Agile CRM |  |
4.9 | |
Free; $8.99 per month | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Via partner site | |
| Bitrix24 |  |
4.9 |  |
Free; $49 per month for up to five users | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Via partner site | |
| EngageBay |  |
4.8 | |
Free; $14.99 per user per month | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Via partner site | |
| Freshsales |  |
4.4 |  |
Free for three users; $15 per user per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | Learn More | Via partner site | |
| HubSpot |  |
3.6 |  |
Free; $15 per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | Learn More | On HubSpot's Website | |
| Zoho CRM |  |
3.6 | |
Free; $14 per user per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | Learn More | On Zoho's Website |
While many businesses gravitate towards CRM solutions with forever-free plans, there’s undeniable merit in exploring options that extend a limited-time free trial. These platforms often house advanced features and tools that can be pivotal for business growth. They grant potential users the luxury of test-driving their capabilities, ensuring that the investment will cater to specific needs and offer value. For those who find that the aforementioned forever-free plans fall short of their requirements, diving into a temporary trial can pave the way for discovering a platform that resonates with their operational demands. So, for businesses poised to upscale or those seeking more tailored functionalities, considering CRMs that offer generous trial periods might be the strategic move forward.
A CRM is a customer relationship management system, which is used to help businesses organize and maintain all their customer data in one place. It’s typically a software-based platform that helps companies effectively manage relationships with both current and potential customers.
CRMs usually house important customer information, such as contact data, customer preferences and purchasing history. This helps businesses build better customer relationships by giving them service that fits their needs and preferences. For example, if a customer has recently bought a car, the CRM should be able to track that purchase and provide tailored marketing materials or upsell suggestions, such as oil changes and other routine services.
CRMs also allow businesses to automate tasks, such as email campaigns or automated notifications. This helps streamline communication with customers, making it easier to keep them updated on your business’s offerings and changes. Additionally, they can help identify customer trends and behaviors, which can inform future marketing or product decisions.
The best free CRMs are designed to help businesses keep track of customer information in an organized and secure way. They provide users with tools for managing leads, tracking sales and staying on top of important tasks.
There are many benefits to using a CRM for your business on both a macro level and at scale. It can help save time, money and can improve the customer experience.
Here are other benefits for implementing a CRM into your business processes:
Choosing a free CRM can be a great option for small businesses and startups looking to manage their customer relationships without breaking the bank. However, it’s important to understand that with most free CRMs, you’re getting a watered-down version of its offerings—what you can do with it will probably be very limited compared to a paid version. And switching CRMs can be a pain, so try to look for a CRM that can grow with you.
Here are some basic steps to follow when choosing a free CRM:
When choosing a CRM, look for features important to your business. Most include the following:
CRM software comes in different types, each with its own set of features and capabilities, designed to assist businesses in effectively managing customer relationships, improving customer satisfaction and driving revenue growth. Below, we’ll delve into the three primary types of CRMs: Collaborative, Operational and Analytical.
Free CRM software can be an attractive option for businesses looking to manage their customer relationships without incurring additional expenses. However, free CRMs often lack advanced features and functionalities that are available in paid software. Here are some common features that free CRMs may lack compared to paid solutions:
If a business is working with limited resources and desires an uncomplicated CRM system to maintain its customer relations, choosing a free CRM may be the best choice.
On the other hand, if a business has more advanced needs, such as extensive customization, comprehensive reporting and analytics or integration with other tools, a paid CRM solution may provide the necessary features and functionalities to meet those needs.
Additionally, paid CRMs often offer more robust customer support, which can be critical for businesses that rely heavily on their CRM software to manage their operations. Ultimately, the decision to choose a free or paid CRM solution will depend on the specific needs and resources of the business.
Featured Partners
1
monday sales CRM
Free; $9 per user per month for basic features
14 days
Yes
2
HubSpot
Free; $15 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
3
Pipedrive
$14 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
4
Salesforce
$25 per month per user for basic features
30 days
Yes
When analyzing the best free CRM software available, Forbes Advisor considered an array of factors, including features, customer support, ease of use, user experiences and integrations. Assigning a weighted score to each value, we then narrowed the field to the seven best free CRMs on the market.
While not every CRM on this list includes each of these features, many do, or have enough value-added benefits to make up for the feature that’s missing. In addition to features, we considered how user-friendly the CRMs were and what kind of customer support they offered. We also analyzed user reviews, to get a sense of what real users thought of the CRMs.
First and foremost, every provider had to offer a free forever plan in order to qualify for our best free CRM list. However, not all free plans are created equal, so we considered factors such as how many users are included with the free version, how much storage is included and any other limitations. We also considered the cost of premium plans as businesses often grow out of free plans and it’s important to choose a CRM that offers budget-friendly paid plans for when you need more features.
The first set of features we considered in evaluating the best free CRMs were core features such as pipeline management, analytics tools, integrations, customizable dashboards, the availability of a document library and a mobile app. We assigned a weighted score to each feature, based on its perceived importance, and then totaled the scores to arrive at a percentage of the total score that each feature represented.
The second set of features we considered were additional features that were not included in the general features category, such as email marketing and multi-currency support. We assigned a weighted score to each feature, based on its perceived importance, and then totaled the scores to arrive at a percentage of the total score that each feature represented.
When considering CRM systems, the value of effective service and support becomes evident. Such backing ensures that businesses can navigate, operate and troubleshoot their systems with minimal friction. Live chat support, offered by many, provides immediate solutions, aiding businesses when challenges arise unexpectedly. Alongside, the traditional phone support offers a direct line to experts, facilitating detailed discussions and solutions.
Many vendors equip users with a knowledge base, filled with articles, tutorials and frequently asked questions, providing a self-help avenue for users to explore at their own pace. Beyond these primary channels, certain CRM providers supplement with additional resources such as community forums, video demonstrations or even dedicated account managers. For those seeking consistent and tailored support, some vendors offer the option of a maintenance or service contract, ensuring businesses receive continuous guidance tailored to their unique needs.
Lastly, we considered our own expertise from first-hand experience using these CRMs. This category includes factors such as value for price, popularity and ease of use.
To calculate the total score for each CRM, we added up the scores for each criterion and multiplied by the corresponding weight. The maximum total score for each CRM was 5.00.
We used this methodology to ensure that the best free CRMs were chosen based on a comprehensive evaluation of their features and user experiences.
Agile CRM excels in its marketing automation capabilities, helping businesses effectively nurture leads and enhance customer engagement. Bitrix24 provides collaborative tools such as task management and internal communication, making team collaboration smooth and efficient. On the other hand, Insightly emphasizes relationship linking and project management, allowing businesses to maintain strong connections with clients while ensuring project milestones are met.
CRM automation refers to the use of technology to automate repetitive tasks and processes within a CRM system. This includes automating tasks such as data entry, lead capture, follow-up emails and appointment scheduling, allowing sales and marketing teams to focus on more high-value tasks.
A CRM, or customer relationship management software, is a tool businesses use to manage their sales and marketing relationships with customers and prospects.
Some benefits of using a CRM include sales automation, contact management, email tracking, prospect tracking and pipeline management.
A CRM works by tracking and managing customer and prospect interactions in one central location. This can include contact information, sales interactions, meeting notes and more.
An open-source CRM offers businesses a high level of customization. Instead of being developed and controlled by one company, it consists of a source code published publicly and shared by users and developers all around the world. What makes an open-source CRM beneficial is that anyone with the know-how can “open up” the software themselves and change features, interface elements and virtually anything else as they see fit.
The fun (and useful application) in using public source code is that businesses can tweak and update it however is seen fit based on the design and growth of the company. Open-source software, such as a CRM, is ideal for niche businesses requiring specific features not offered by the large traditional platforms.
No. There are plenty of cloud CRM solutions that information technology (IT) novices can employ. You don’t have to make a large investment in physical IT infrastructure or hire IT staff to manage your CRM. Many CRM solutions are available as software as a service (SaaS), which means that you only pay for what you use and can stop using it at any time.
A CRM can benefit any business that has customers or prospects. However, businesses with a sales team, long sales cycles or complex sales processes tend to benefit the most.
Yes, a CRM can help with customer retention by enabling businesses to personalize their communication and track customer interactions. By providing a better customer experience, businesses can improve customer loyalty and retention.
A free CRM typically has limited features and functionality compared to a paid CRM. Paid CRMs often offer more advanced features, integrations and customization options. Additionally, paid CRMs usually provide better customer support and security features.
A CRM can help with team collaboration by providing a central location for all customer and prospect interactions. This allows team members to easily access and share information, collaborate on tasks and track progress. Additionally, some CRMs offer communication and collaboration tools such as chat and project management features.
Reputable CRM vendors prioritize data security. Features such as data encryption, two-factor authentication and regular backups are common. However, always ask the provider about their security measures and make sure they align with your business’s standards.
Yes. If you decide to switch CRM systems or upgrade, many platforms offer data migration tools or services to help transfer your records. However, always back up data before initiating a transfer.
This depends on the specific CRM solution and the evolving needs of your business. While cloud-based CRMs often receive automatic updates, on-premises solutions might need manual updates. Regular updates ensure you’re using the latest features and security patches.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in CRM systems aids in predictive sales analytics, automates tasks, offers chatbot services for customer queries and provides actionable insights from large datasets. It can enhance the efficiency of sales and marketing strategies by offering data-driven recommendations.
