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Best of · CRM

The best CRM software in 2026

Six CRMs compared, from free plans for two or three users to tools built around calling or LinkedIn prospecting. Each pick says who it suits, what it costs and where it stops.

Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 6 tools · How we pick

Every CRM here keeps contacts and moves them through a pipeline. What separates them is what happens around that record: how leads get in, how your team reaches them, and how much else you expect the system to run. HubSpot extends into marketing and service, Zoho CRM into process automation, Close into calling and SMS, and folk into LinkedIn and WhatsApp. Pipedrive stays with the pipeline, and Attio lets you extend the data model itself.

Price structure matters as much as price. Three have free plans: HubSpot for up to 2 users, and Zoho CRM and Attio for up to 3. Pipedrive, Close and folk offer 14-day trials instead. Entry prices for a team run from $14 per user a month for Zoho CRM and Pipedrive to $35 for Attio and Close, on annual billing. Add-ons, usage charges and onboarding fees can change the total, so read the trade-off under each pick.

The category has six tools and all six are covered. The order runs from the CRMs that suit the widest range of businesses to those built around one way of selling. Prices are the vendors' own, read on the date shown on each tool's page.

The shortlist

  1. 1HubSpotBest free CRM to grow into a suite
  2. 2Zoho CRMBest free edition for a small team
  3. 3PipedriveBest for pipeline-first selling
  4. 4AttioBest for a data model you can reshape
  5. 5CloseBest for teams that sell by phone
  6. 6folkBest for prospecting on LinkedIn

The picks in detail

  1. 01

    HubSpot

    Best free CRM to grow into a suiteFree CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite

    HubSpot's CRM is free for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts with no expiry date, and it covers contact management, deal pipelines, tasks, email tracking, live chat, a meeting link and reporting dashboards. What sets it apart is the suite around it: separate hubs for marketing, sales, service, content and data share the same customer database, so a company can add them later without moving its records.

    Worth knowing: The free tools stop at 2 users and 1,000 contacts, Starter's list price is $20 per seat a month (the $7 rate is a limited-time offer for new customers), and Sales Hub Professional has a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $20 per seat / month for Starter (new customers: from $7, billed annually)
    Runs on
    Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
    HubSpot pricing and detailshubspot.com
  2. 02

    Zoho CRM

    Best free edition for a small teamSales CRM with a free edition, process automation and Zia AI

    Zoho CRM's Free edition covers up to 3 users and 5,000 records with lead, contact and deal management, tasks and the mobile apps. The paid editions go further on customization and process: workflow and assignment rules, cadences for follow-ups, Blueprint for holding a team to a structured sales process, and Canvas for redesigning record pages without code. Standard is $14 per user a month billed annually, level with Pipedrive Lite as the lowest list price here for a multi-user plan.

    Worth knowing: The Free edition is limited to 3 users, 5,000 records and 5 workflow automations, and monthly billing raises Standard from $14 to $20 per user.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $14 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
    Runs on
    Web, iOS, Android
    Zoho CRM pricing and detailszoho.com
  3. 03

    Pipedrive

    Best for pipeline-first sellingSales CRM organized around visual deal pipelines

    Pipedrive is organized around the deal pipeline: leads and deals move through customizable kanban-style stages, with activity reminders, two-way email sync and sales reports built around them. It suits small and mid-sized sales teams that want deal tracking without a wider marketing or service suite. Lite is $14 per seat a month billed annually, and the 14-day trial gives full access with no credit card.

    Worth knowing: There is no free plan, extras such as LeadBooster, Campaigns and Smart Docs are paid add-ons, and seats are charged whether or not they are assigned to a user.

    Price
    $14 per seat / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
    Runs on
    Web, iOS, Android
    Pipedrive pricing and detailspipedrive.com
  4. 04

    Attio

    Best for a data model you can reshapeCRM with a customizable data model, workflows and AI agents

    Attio stores records in objects that you can add to as the business changes, fills them in from email and calendar activity and enriches company and contact records automatically. Workflows and AI agents handle steps such as lead scoring, routing and account research. The Free plan covers up to 3 seats and 50,000 records, the highest record limit among the three free plans here, and Plus is $35 per user a month billed annually.

    Worth knowing: There is no desktop app, Plus is capped at 10 seats, sequences and call recording need Pro at $79 per user a month billed annually, and AI and workflows consume monthly credits.

    Price
    Free plan; paid plans from $35 per user / month, billed annually ($44 billed monthly)
    Runs on
    Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
    Attio pricing and detailsattio.com
  5. 05

    Close

    Best for teams that sell by phoneSales CRM with built-in calling, SMS, email and an AI teammate

    Close puts calling, SMS and email in the same place as leads and pipelines, so outreach is logged on the lead without a separate dialer. Growth adds a power dialer and automated workflows, Scale adds a predictive dialer, and its AI teammate, Chloe, can call and qualify leads and draft follow-ups. The Solo plan, for a single user, is $9 a month billed annually, and Essentials is $35 per user. It also has desktop apps for Mac and Windows.

    Worth knowing: There is no free plan, calls, SMS and phone numbers are billed by usage on top of the per-user price, and Solo is limited to 1 user and 10,000 leads.

    Price
    $9 per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
    Runs on
    Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
    Close pricing and detailsclose.com
  6. 06

    folk

    Best for prospecting on LinkedInCRM that pulls contacts from LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp

    With folk, contacts come in from the places you already talk to people. A Chrome extension saves people and companies from LinkedIn and Sales Navigator, and Gmail or Outlook mail, calendars and WhatsApp conversations sync to each contact. Enrichment looks up missing email addresses and phone numbers, and personalized email campaigns are sent from inside the CRM. Standard is $24 per member a month billed annually, and the 14-day trial needs no credit card.

    Worth knowing: There is no free plan, deals, email sequences, dashboards and API access need Premium at $48 per member a month billed annually, and enrichments and messages are capped each month.

    Price
    $24 per member / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
    Runs on
    Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
    folk pricing and detailsfolk.app

How to choose

Decide how far beyond sales the CRM should reach

If you want marketing, sales and service working from one customer database, HubSpot is built as that suite. Zoho CRM is a sales CRM that sits alongside other Zoho apps, with the CRM Plus and Zoho One bundles priced separately. Pipedrive, Close, Attio and folk concentrate on the sales side, and Pipedrive in particular suits teams that want deal tracking without a wider suite.

Look at how leads and conversations get in

Close has calling, SMS and email built in, with usage billed on top of the plan. With folk, contacts are saved from LinkedIn through a Chrome extension and WhatsApp conversations sync to each contact. Attio fills records from email and calendar activity and enriches them automatically. HubSpot's free tools include email tracking, live chat and a meeting link.

Check what the free plan allows

HubSpot's free tools cover 2 users and 1,000 contacts. Zoho CRM's Free edition covers 3 users, 5,000 records and 5 workflow automations. Attio's Free plan covers 3 seats, 3 objects and 50,000 records. Pipedrive, Close and folk have no free plan; each has a 14-day trial that needs no credit card.

Add up the costs beyond the seat price

Seat prices are not the whole bill. Close charges for calls, SMS and phone numbers by usage. Pipedrive sells LeadBooster, Campaigns, Smart Docs and Projects as add-ons. HubSpot's Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise carry one-time onboarding fees of $1,500 and $3,500. Attio's AI features and workflows draw on monthly credits, and folk caps enrichments and messages each month.

Common questions

Which CRM software is free?

HubSpot, Zoho CRM and Attio have free plans. HubSpot's free tools cover up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts with no expiry date, Zoho CRM's Free edition covers up to 3 users and 5,000 records, and Attio's Free plan covers up to 3 seats and 50,000 records.

Which CRMs have a free plan for small teams?

For a team of three, Zoho CRM and Attio both have free plans: Zoho CRM's includes lead, contact and deal management with up to 5 workflow automations, and Attio's includes contact syncing and data enrichment. HubSpot's free tools stop at 2 users.

What is the cheapest paid CRM plan?

For one person, Close Solo is $9 a month billed annually, limited to a single user and 10,000 leads. For a team, Zoho CRM Standard and Pipedrive Lite are both $14 per user a month billed annually. HubSpot offers new customers its Starter bundle from $7 per seat a month billed annually for a limited time; the list price is $20.

Which CRM is best for a startup?

Attio is aimed at startups: its data model can be extended as the business changes, the Free plan covers 3 seats, and VC-backed startups can apply for 80% off Pro in the first year. HubSpot also runs a startup program, with up to 90% off Professional and Enterprise products in year one for eligible companies.

Which CRMs have built-in calling?

Close is built around it: calls and texts are made from the CRM and logged on the lead, with power and predictive dialers on its higher plans, and usage is billed on top of the plan. HubSpot also lets calls be placed and logged from the CRM, with a monthly allowance of calling minutes that grows by tier.