The 7 best free CRM software tools in 2026, compared
This guide is for anyone comparing free CRM software before paying for anything, whether you're picking a first CRM for a small team or checking if a "free" plan actually covers what you need. Below: a comparison table, then a closer look at each tool, including what the free plan really includes, pricing past that, and who it fits.
Quick answer: most free CRM plans cap out on users, contacts, or automation, not just storage. HubSpot's free plan supports 2 users and 1,000 contacts, Zoho and Freshsales cap at 3 users, Bitrix24 allows unlimited users but only 5GB of storage, and Salesforce's new Free Suite caps at 2 users with no automation. Mavibot's CRM is included on its free plan too, tied directly to chatbot conversations rather than sold as a separate module.
Why "free CRM" rarely means what it sounds like
Every tool on this list has a free tier, but "free" almost always comes with a user cap, a contact cap, or missing automation, not just less storage. HubSpot's free plan, for example, tops out at 1,000 contacts and 2 users, according to HubSpot's pricing page. That's enough to test a CRM, not necessarily enough to run one long-term once a team grows.
Comparison table: best free CRM software at a glance
| Tool | Free plan users | Free plan limits | Starting price (paid) | Chatbot/messaging built in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mavibot | 2 employee accounts included | 50 messages/day, all messenger integrations | $39/month | Yes, native |
| HubSpot CRM | 2 users | 1,000 contacts, basic live chat with branding | $7-20/user/month | Basic, limited bots |
| Zoho CRM | 3 users | Leads, contacts, accounts, standard reports only | $14/user/month (annual) | No |
| Bitrix24 | Unlimited users | 5GB storage, basic CRM and tasks | $49/month (5 users) | Yes, chat and calls |
| Freshsales | 3 users | No reports, no sales funnel view | $9/user/month (annual) | Basic email/phone |
| Pipedrive | No free plan | 14-day trial only | $14/user/month (annual) | No |
| Salesforce Free Suite | 2 users | No automation, no custom objects, 100 emails/month | $25/user/month (Starter Suite) | No |
1. Mavibot: best for CRM tied to a chatbot and messaging channels
Key features
Mavibot's CRM isn't sold as a separate module: it's part of the same platform as the chatbot builder. Every client gets a card that unifies their chat history across connected messengers in one window, according to Mavibot's documentation, with subsections for profile info, internal comments, deals, tasks, and courses. Comments let your team leave notes the client never sees, useful when a question gets handed off between operators. The Lists feature automatically segments clients based on bot flow conditions and can be exported or imported between projects, and Tasks cover prioritization, assigning work to a specific employee, a weekly calendar view, and progress tracking. Contacts get created automatically as people message you through Mavibot's chatbot channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and other connected platforms, rather than needing manual import for every lead. The free plan includes 2 employee accounts by default so a small team can share access from day one.
Pricing
The CRM itself is included on Mavibot's $0/month Free plan, along with all messenger integrations and 2 employee accounts. The Free plan caps daily messages at 50/day. The Business plan at $39/month raises that limit, adds API integrations and payment acceptance, and the AI plan at $59/month adds the AI assistant on top.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- CRM included on the free plan, not gated behind a paid tier
- Task management with priorities, assignment, and a calendar view is a genuine CRM feature, not an afterthought
- Contacts populate automatically from messenger conversations instead of manual entry
- Internal comments let a team hand off a client conversation without the client seeing the back-and-forth
- 2 employee accounts included by default, even on the free plan
Cons:
- Free plan's 50 messages/day limit is low for an active support or sales channel
- Not a dedicated CRM in the traditional sense, it's part of a broader chatbot and business platform, so it's more setup than a pure CRM if that's all you need
Best for: small businesses that want customer records tied directly to WhatsApp, Telegram, or Instagram conversations instead of a CRM that needs separate lead import.
2. HubSpot CRM: free CRM with the easiest upgrade path
Key features
HubSpot's free plan includes smart CRM functionality, email integration with Gmail and Outlook, basic live chat (with HubSpot branding), and limited conversational bots, according to HubSpot's pricing page. It's free for up to 2 users with no credit card required, and supports up to 1,000 contacts.
Pricing
Free for 2 users and 1,000 contacts. Starter begins around $7-20/user/month depending on current promotions, removing HubSpot branding and adding more CRM segments, deal pipelines, and reporting dashboards.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Widely recognized, easy to find talent and tutorials familiar with it
- Generous feature set for a free tier, including basic live chat and email templates
- Clear, well-documented upgrade path to paid tiers
Cons:
- 1,000-contact cap on the free plan is tight for a growing list
- Basic live chat carries HubSpot branding until you upgrade
- Bots on the free tier are limited compared to a dedicated chatbot platform
Best for: teams that want the most widely used free CRM and plan to grow into HubSpot's paid ecosystem.
3. Zoho CRM: best for teams that want more users on the free tier
Key features
Zoho's free edition supports up to 3 users and covers leads, contacts, accounts, tasks, and standard reports, according to Zoho's pricing page. It's more limited on automation and customization than the paid tiers.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 users. Standard runs $14/user/month billed annually, Professional $23/user/month, Enterprise $40/user/month, and Ultimate $52/user/month, based on current 2026 pricing breakdowns.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 3 free users, one more than HubSpot's free tier
- Scales into a large ecosystem of other Zoho apps if you need them later
- Standard tier pricing is competitive against HubSpot's Starter
Cons:
- Free tier lacks workflows, bulk email, and custom modules
- No built-in messaging or chatbot channel
Best for: small teams of up to 3 people who want more free seats than HubSpot offers and don't need messaging built in.
4. Bitrix24: best for unlimited free users
Key features
Bitrix24's free plan allows an unlimited number of users, unusual among CRMs on this list, and includes basic CRM (deals, contacts), tasks with Kanban and Gantt views, shared calendars, and chat and video calls, confirmed across multiple 2026 sources. The catch is storage, not seats: 5GB total.
Pricing
Free with unlimited users and 5GB storage. Basic starts at $49/month annually ($69 monthly) for 5 users and 24GB storage, adding sales pipelines and email integration. Standard is $99/month annually for 50 users.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Genuinely unlimited users on the free plan, not just a high cap
- Chat and video calls built in, unusual for a free CRM tier
- Task management (Kanban, Gantt) included free
Cons:
- 5GB storage fills up fast once a team is actually using it, forcing an early upgrade
- Paid tiers are priced per team size bracket rather than per user, which can mean paying for seats you don't need yet
Best for: teams where headcount matters more than storage, since the free plan doesn't cap users at all.
5. Freshsales: best simple free CRM for a small sales team
Key features
Freshsales' free plan covers contact management, deal tracking, and built-in email and phone for up to 3 users, free forever with no expiration date, according to multiple 2026 pricing reviews. Reports and the sales funnel view are reserved for paid tiers.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 users. Growth is $9/user/month billed annually, Pro is $39/user/month, and Enterprise is $59/user/month, per Freshworks' pricing page.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Free forever for 3 users, no trial expiration
- Built-in email and phone on the free tier
- Growth tier is one of the cheaper paid entry points on this list
Cons:
- No reports or sales funnel view until you upgrade
- Free tier is genuinely basic, more of a contact and deal log than a full sales tool
Best for: a small sales team that mainly needs contact and deal tracking without reporting yet.
6. Pipedrive: best if you don't need a free plan at all
Key features
Pipedrive is built around a visual sales pipeline rather than broader CRM features like ticketing or marketing. It restructured its plans in 2025, replacing the old Essential/Advanced/Professional lineup with Lite, Growth, Premium, and Ultimate tiers.
Pricing
No permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial. Lite runs $14/user/month annually, Growth $39/user/month, Premium $49/user/month, and Ultimate $79/user/month, per current 2026 pricing breakdowns.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong, focused visual pipeline if that's the main thing you need
- Clear, predictable per-user pricing across all tiers
Cons:
- No free plan at all, not even a limited one, only a time-boxed trial
- Recently restructured plans mean older reviews citing old tier names are now outdated
Best for: teams that have already decided to pay for a CRM and want a strong visual pipeline, not a free option.
7. Salesforce Free Suite: best free plan from an enterprise CRM brand
Key features
Salesforce launched a permanent free tier called Free Suite, capped at 2 users, with no contract and no credit card required, confirmed across multiple 2026 sources. It covers accounts, leads, opportunities, and support cases, with sales, service, marketing, Slack, and Google integrations included, but no automation, no custom objects, and a 100 email/month send limit.
Pricing
Free for up to 2 users, with the account required to log in at least once every 60 days to stay active. The paid Starter Suite runs $25/user/month.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- A genuinely permanent free tier from a brand not historically known for offering one
- Covers sales, service, and basic marketing in one place, even on the free plan
- Includes Slack and Google integrations
Cons:
- Capped at 2 users with no automation or custom objects
- Only 100 email sends a month, not enough for ongoing campaigns
- Requires logging in every 60 days or the account goes inactive
Best for: solo founders or very small teams who want to try Salesforce's ecosystem without paying, as long as 2 users and no automation is enough.
Bottom line: if unlimited free seats matter most, Bitrix24 is the outlier. If you want CRM tied directly to WhatsApp, Telegram, or Instagram conversations instead of manual contact entry, that's where Mavibot's bundled approach fits.
What free plans include (and what they quietly leave out)
Free CRM plans are mainly for testing or very small teams. Most throttle either the number of users, the number of contacts, or the features that make a CRM useful at scale, not just extras.
- Mavibot: CRM itself is fully included, tied to chatbot conversations across messenger channels. What's capped: 50 messages/day and 2 employee accounts, until you upgrade.
- HubSpot: 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with basic live chat still carrying HubSpot branding.
- Zoho: 3 users, but no workflows, bulk email, or custom modules.
- Bitrix24: unlimited users, but only 5GB of storage total.
- Freshsales: 3 users, free forever, but no reports or sales funnel view.
- Pipedrive: no free plan at all, only a 14-day trial.
- Salesforce Free Suite: 2 users, but no automation, no custom objects, and 100 emails a month.
FAQ
What is the best free CRM for small business?
It depends on what matters most. HubSpot is the most widely used free CRM. Bitrix24 allows unlimited users on its free plan. Mavibot is the option if you want CRM tied directly to WhatsApp, Telegram, or Instagram conversations instead of manual contact entry.
Is HubSpot's free CRM really free?
Yes, HubSpot's core CRM plan is free for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with no credit card required, according to HubSpot's own pricing page. Some tools, like basic live chat, carry HubSpot branding until you upgrade to a paid plan.
Does HubSpot's free CRM support tasks and reminders?
Yes, basic contact management and task tracking are part of the free plan. More advanced workflow automation and reporting require a paid Starter plan or higher.
Is there a free CRM with unlimited users?
Bitrix24 is the closest match on this list, its free plan allows unlimited users, though storage is capped at 5GB, which can force an upgrade for active teams before the user count does.
Try Mavibot's built-in CRM
If you want customer records tied directly to your WhatsApp, Telegram, or Instagram conversations instead of a CRM you have to populate manually, start a free 3-day trial with full access and see how it works with your own contacts before deciding.