Capsule CRM vs Nutshell
We give Capsule CRM and Nutshell the same GPA: 3.2 out of 4.0. Capsule CRM grades higher on the free plan. Nutshell grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Capsule CRM
Small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines and projects
Nutshell
Sales CRM with email marketing, forms and AI built into every plan
How we grade them
| 3.2GPACapsule CRMVery good | 3.2GPANutshellVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $18 a user a month on yearly billing, a little under the $23 or so that's typical, with 30,000 contacts, a shared mailbox and basic reporting. But automations, email sync and more than one pipeline need Growth at $36, and email campaigns are a separate add-on from $11 a month. | BFoundation is $13 a user a month on yearly billing, with unlimited contacts, email sync, forms and landing pages. But it's 100 active leads and one pipeline. Growth lifts the lead cap at $25, about typical, and sales automation and extra pipelines need Pro at $42. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree with no time limit for up to 2 users, with a sales pipeline and a project board. But it stops at 250 contacts and 5 custom fields, and a growing business will fill that fast. Fine for a look, tight to live on. | CNo free plan. The trial is 14 days with no credit card. Every plan does come with 150 free marketing emails a month, but you're paying for the CRM underneath. |
| Features | BContact records with notes, emails and files, a kanban pipeline with a forecast, project boards for after the sale, automations, reporting and AI summaries. Solid basics. Email campaigns aren't built in, though, and every plan caps your contacts, right up to 240,000 on Ultimate. | AA drag-and-drop pipeline, two-way Gmail and Outlook sync, bulk email, reports and quotas, sales automation, AI call and meeting summaries, plus forms, landing pages and web chat on every plan. That's the sales job and a slice of marketing. SMS and proposals are paid add-ons. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. The phone apps log calls by themselves and sync offline changes once you're back online, and on Starter an AI will draw up your pipeline stages. | BThere's no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. Live support and onboarding help come with every plan, and the pipeline is a board you drag leads across. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iPhone and Android. It connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, Xero, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, Zapier and Zendesk, and there's an API. No desktop app, but it runs in any browser. | AWeb, iPhone and Android. It connects to Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Aircall, DocuSign and Facebook Messenger, and there's an API. No desktop app, but it runs in any browser. |
| Best for | small firms tracking sales and client projects | small sales teams that want marketing built in |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Capsule CRM and Nutshell. How we grade
Where they differ
- Capsule CRM starts at $18 per user / month, billed annually ($22 billed monthly). Nutshell starts at $13 per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
- Capsule CRM has a free plan. Nutshell does not, though it has a free trial.
- Capsule CRM also covers tasks and kanban boards.
- Nutshell also covers booking links and forms.
At a glance
| Capsule CRM | Nutshell | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $18 per user / month, billed annually ($22 billed monthly) | $13 per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free plan for up to 2 users: 250 contacts, 5 custom fields, 1 sales pipeline with custom milestones and a single project board. No time limit. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of any paid plan, no card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Zestia Ltd | Nutshell (part of WebFX) |
| Price read from | capsulecrm.com | nutshell.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Capsule CRM
- Solo users and pairs who want a free CRM for up to 250 contacts
- Small businesses that manage both sales and client projects
- Nonprofits, which are offered a 30% discount
Nutshell
- Small sales teams that want a low per-user entry price
- Teams that want lead capture forms and basic email marketing inside the CRM
- Companies that value live support and onboarding help on every plan
Worth knowing
Capsule CRM
- The Free plan is limited to 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and one sales pipeline.
- Workflow automations, email sync and multiple pipelines start at Growth, $36 per user / month billed annually ($40 monthly).
- Paid plans cap contacts: 30,000 on Starter, 60,000 on Growth, 120,000 on Advanced and 240,000 on Ultimate.
- Email campaigns come from a separate Marketing add-on, listed from $11 a month.
Nutshell
- There is no free plan; the free trial lasts 14 days.
- Foundation is limited to 100 active leads, 1 pipeline and 10 custom fields.
- Sales automation, multiple pipelines and the meeting scheduler start at Pro, $42 per user / month billed annually.
- Two-way SMS and social inboxes ($16 per user / month) and proposals and invoices ($79 a month) are paid add-ons.
Key features
Capsule CRM
- Contact management
- Each contact record holds notes, emails and files. Contact limits rise with the plan, from 250 on Free to 240,000 on Ultimate.
- Sales pipeline
- Opportunities move through a kanban-style pipeline with custom milestones, and a pipeline dashboard shows conversion rate and forecast. Multiple pipelines need Growth or above.
- Project boards
- Project boards track the work delivered after a sale. The free plan has a single board, Growth allows multiple boards and Advanced lists 50.
- Workflow automations
- From the Growth plan, automations run a repeatable series of tasks, email notifications or stage changes on pipeline and project boards.
- AI tools
- Starter includes an AI pipeline generator. Growth adds AI summaries of recent activity, contact and business enrichment, and a meeting prep brief that is still in beta.
- Mobile apps
- The iOS and Android apps log calls automatically, sync changes made offline once reconnected, and show caller ID on iOS for unsaved numbers.
Nutshell
- Leads and pipelines
- A drag-and-drop board shows where each lead stands. Foundation and Growth have one pipeline, Pro has 5, Business 10 and Enterprise unlimited.
- Email and calendar sync
- Two-way sync with Gmail and Outlook keeps emails and calendar events attached to contacts, with email templates and one-click bulk emailing.
- Sales automation
- Growth adds lead assignment rules and custom stage goals, and Pro adds sales automation for routine pipeline tasks.
- Reporting and quotas
- Growth adds activity reports and sales quotas, and Pro unlocks advanced reporting. Enterprise includes read-only SQL access to the data.
- AI outcomes and assists
- AI outcomes cover call and meeting summaries, lead research and email campaign drafts, metered at 10 to 150 per user a month by plan. Lighter AI assists are unlimited.
- Forms, chat and email marketing
- Every plan includes a form builder, landing pages, web chat with an AI chatbot and 150 free marketing emails a month. Larger email volumes and SMS are paid add-ons.
Plans
Capsule CRM
Free$0
Maximum 2 users, with 250 contacts, 5 custom fields, 1 sales pipeline and custom sales milestones.
Starter$18
per user / month, billed annually ($22 billed monthly)
30,000 contacts, email templates, a shared mailbox, basic reporting, premium integrations, goals and the AI pipeline generator.
Growth$36
per user / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
60,000 contacts, workflow automations, advanced sales reporting, multiple pipelines and project boards, email sync and AI summaries.
Advanced$54
per user / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
Everything in Growth with 120,000 contacts, 50 sales pipelines and 50 project boards.
Ultimate$72
per user / month, billed annually ($75 billed monthly)
For teams of 5 or more: 240,000 contacts, a dedicated account manager, custom training and ongoing priority support.
Nutshell
Foundation$13
per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
Unlimited contacts and storage, email and calendar sync, AI chatbot, form builder and landing pages. 1 pipeline and 100 active leads.
Growth$25
per user / month, billed annually ($32 billed monthly)
Adds activity reports, sales quotas, lead assignment rules, custom stage goals and hot leads, with unlimited active leads.
Pro$42
per user / month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
Adds 5 custom pipelines, advanced reporting, sales automation, AI lead recaps and next steps, and a meeting scheduler.
Business$59
per user / month, billed annually ($67 billed monthly)
Adds 10 custom pipelines, the advanced meeting scheduler, audit log and changelog, and additional teams and territories.
Enterprise$79
per user / month, billed annually ($89 billed monthly)
Adds unlimited pipelines and custom fields, enterprise SSO, read-only SQL data access and phone support.
Ways to pay less
Capsule CRM
- Annual discount
Save up to 18% by paying annually
Capsule's pricing page says paying annually saves up to 18%: Starter is $18 per user a month billed annually against $22 billed monthly.
- Nonprofit
30% discount for nonprofits
Capsule's page for nonprofit organizations says it offers them a 30% discount; nonprofits with special requirements are asked to get in touch.
Nutshell
- Annual discount
Lower per-user price with annual billing
The pricing toggle advertises 15% off for annual billing. Listed savings run from $6 to $10 per user a month: Foundation is $13 instead of $19, Enterprise $79 instead of $89.
