Best CRM for Small Business Under 10 Employees
Small teams don’t need enterprise CRM. Here are the best solutions for businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
Top 5 for Small Teams
| CRM | Free Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Free | ✅ Unlimited | $0 | Starting out |
| Zoho CRM | ✅ 3 users | $14/user | Budget |
| Freshsales | ✅ Free tier | $15/user | Sales focus |
| Pipedrive | ❌ | $14/user | Simple sales |
| Notion | ✅ Free | $8/user | DIY CRM |
1. HubSpot Free CRM — Best Free Option
Price: Free forever
HubSpot’s free CRM is genuinely powerful.
Why It’s #1 for Small Teams
- Unlimited users (yes, free)
- 1 million contacts
- Email tracking
- Meeting scheduler
- Deal pipeline
- No time limit
Perfect For: Teams starting with CRM, planning to grow.
2. Zoho CRM — Best Budget Paid
Price: Free (3 users) / $14-52/user/mo
Zoho offers more features for less money.
Why Small Teams Love It
- 3 free users
- Affordable paid tiers
- Full-featured
- Part of Zoho ecosystem
3. Pipedrive — Simplest Sales CRM
Price: $14-99/user/mo
Pipedrive does one thing well: sales pipeline.
Why It Works for Small Teams
- Visual pipeline
- Easy to learn
- Mobile-friendly
- No overwhelming features
What Small Teams Actually Need
Essential Features
- ✅ Contact management
- ✅ Deal/Pipeline tracking
- ✅ Email integration
- ✅ Mobile access
- ✅ Basic reporting
Skip These (For Now)
- ❌ AI lead scoring
- ❌ Territory management
- ❌ Advanced automation
- ❌ Custom objects
Our Recommendation
Start with HubSpot Free. It’s genuinely free, easy to learn, and scales when you grow.
If you need more features now, Zoho CRM offers the best value.
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Last updated: January 2026