Fresh, feature-rich, and free – we break down the best CRM software that won’t cost you a penny
As businesses are shopping around for CRM software, they’ll often notice that many of the biggest brands offer free versions of their regular software.
These free versions are usually limited in their features, making them viable only for small businesses with limited contacts.
While most organisations will have difficult time finding free CRM software that fits their current infrastructure, it can be a viable solution for some environments.
| Company | Free Users | Free Contacts | Free Storage | Free Support | Upgrade Cost (per user/per month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insightly | 2 | 2500 | 200 Mb | £22.70 | |
| Zoho | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Full | £9.40 |
| Capsule | 2 | 250 | 10 Mb | None | £12 |
| FreeCRM | 100 | 100,000 | Unlimited | None | £16 |
| HubSpot | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Full | £6.45 |
| Bitrix24 | 12 | Unlimited | 5 Gb | None | £26.60 |
| Raynet CRM | 2 | 150 | 50 Mb | Full | £15 |
Best free CRM reviews
The best free crm systems on the market today are: Insightly, Zoho, Capsule, FreeCRM, Hubspot, Bitrix24 and Raynet CRM.
The best free CRM systems for UK businesses:
Read on to see how they compare, or fill in this form now to get a tailored quote for your business.
1. Insightly
Best for data presentation
Insightly’s free version is limited to two users and includes five email templates and the ability to send up to ten mass emails per day. For features such as lead management, business card scanning, or integration with additional software (like MailChimp), users must upgrade to a paid version.
Pros:
- Smart dashboards with visualisations to help you make sense of your data
- Integrates well with Gmail and G Suite
- Free version includes customer support over email
- 14 day free trial available for ‘Professional’ version
Cons:
- The free plan is not the most generous in terms of number of users and available storage, but it’s a good place to start
2. Zoho
Best for ease of use
Zoho is one of the biggest names in CRM, so the offer of a free version is a real bonus. Available for up to three users only, the free version includes many of the great features you get with the paid version. Or, for just £9.40 per user per month, you can upgrade to make the most of the great forecasting and insights functionality.
Pros:
- A generous free plan, with lots of the great features of the paid one
- Zoho is renowned for being particularly easy to use
Cons:
- The free version of Zoho misses out on the handy forecasting and insights functions of the paid versions
3. Capsule
Best for integrations that add value
Free for up to two users, Capsule offers lead management, proposal and opportunity tracking, and more. The free version includes unlimited opportunities and cases but only 10MB of storage and 250 contacts.
Pros:
- The free plan actually includes a lot of the same features as the paid plans
- Tons of integrations available to help you get the most out of the platform, however you do business
- Very easy to use
Cons:
- The main limitations of the free plan is the amount of storage, and the lack of reporting functionality
- There’s also no customer support offered with free plan
4. FreeCRM
Best for very small businesses
Free accounts with FreeCRM allow as many as 100 users and 100,000 contacts. However, this free version only lasts for one year. After your first year, users will have to pay a monthly fee of at least £16 per user per month to continue to use the platform.
Pros:
- Well-liked by customers, who praise its ease of use
- The interface is quite dated compared to competitors’
Cons:
- The free version is a great starting place, but businesses will find they quickly outgrow it
5. Hubspot
Best for offering unlimited storage, users and contacts – free
There is no charge to store contacts, track leads, and integrate outside systems with HubSpot. However, to take advantage of HubSpot’s marketing platform, there is a charge and that charge is based on the number of contacts you have in your database. The cost for access to HubSpot’s basic marketing tools starts at £129 per month for up to three users.
Pros:
- Unlimited users, contacts and storage with Hubspot’s free CRM software
Cons:
- Poor overall Trustpilot score, with users claiming the software is too basic
- The products that you’ll need to get the most out of your CRM (Marketing, Sales and Service ‘hubs’) are all fairly pricey, starting at £42/user/month
6. Bitrix24
Best CRM mobile app
Bitrix24 has a free cloud version available for up to 12 users, with the ability to add up to 12 more users for £26.60 per month. The free plan includes up to 5GB of storage and has the option to pay for more storage as needed.
Many of the features of Bitrix24’s paid plans are included in the free version, but businesses won’t have the ability to access reports or add external users.
Pros:
- Option to pay for additional storage with the free plan
Cons:
- You miss out on the ability to access reports or add external users with the free plan
- Each email sent with the free plan includes a Bitrix24 reference at the bottom
7. Raynet CRM
Best for customer satisfaction
Raynet is a relatively new CRM supplier, founded in the Czech Republic and now has its sights set on international expansion. Its free version allows you to add two users working on 150 accounts. It offers full customer support and you can upgrade to the full offering from £15 a month.
Pros:
- Very well-reviewed, with businesses claiming this software has drastically improved their efficiency
- The interface is colourful, intuitive and easy-to-use
- Upgrading to a paid plan costs only £15 per month, and you can do a free trial of the paid version
- Full customer support, even with the free version
Cons:
- As with Insightly and Capsule, the free version is only available for two users
Expert verdict
CRM has become an essential part of doing business. While free solutions offer a great introduction, their limits often become problematic for growing businesses.
To be able to grow in the number of customers you serve, as well as the number of team members you have on board, you’ll likely need the advanced functionality only a full-featured version can offer.
FAQs
1. What Do Free CRM Versions Limit?
Limits on free software can vary drastically from one solution to the next. In general, however, a free CRM may limit its features in some or all of the following ways:
- Contacts: Often the free version caps the number of contacts a user can add to the database. Once a business reaches that cap, it will usually have the option to upgrade to a paid version to add more.
- Users: As with many free versions of commercially-available software, CRM solutions limit the number of users each business can add. This cap can be as low as one or two, making free versions accessible only to the smallest businesses.
- Storage: Even if the limit on contacts is high, some businesses may be stymied by the storage limits attached to free CRM software.
- Support: Many software providers require you to upgrade to a paid version before support is offered. For businesses that lack access to technical expertise, this could be an issue.
2. Which is the easiest CRM to use?
Zoho is renowned for being particularly easy to use, and customer reviews suggest that Raynet CRM and FreeCRM both score well in this department, too.
That said, if you don’t have much experience with using a CRM system, it can be hard to know how to not just make it work, but to make it work as well as possible. That’s why it’s often worth paying a small amount to upgrade your plan to a version that includes full customer support and ongoing advice. Fill in this short form to get a tailored CRM quote for your business.
