Free CRM for Small Business: 2, 3 or 10 Users – Count Your Team First
Pick the free CRM that covers everyone who needs a login: HubSpot allows 2 users, Zoho CRM up to 3 and Agile CRM up to 10, and none asks for a credit card. For 4 to 10 people, Agile is the only one of the three that stays at $0.
For a small business, the free customer relationship management (CRM) plan that fits is the one that covers everyone on your team. None of these three free plans asks for a credit card. What separates them is how many people can log in free, and that runs from 2 to 10. Count the people who need access, then pick the plan that covers them.
That number is also each plan’s main limit. The CO by US Chamber of Commerce roundup says HubSpot’s free CRM “supports two users and 1,000 contacts.” Zoho’s free edition “can support up to 3 users,” according to Zoho’s free-CRM page. Agile CRM’s free account covers 10 users with no credit card required.
So:
- 4 to 10 people need logins: Agile CRM.
- 1 or 2 people, and you expect to pay for more later: HubSpot. Its free account upgrades in place: “No disruption, no data migration.”
- Up to 3 people who want to stay free: Zoho CRM. Its free edition is “Free forever” with “no forced upgrade.”
Each plan is judged on four things: free seats, whether sign-up needs a card, what setup needs, and how you upgrade. All terms below come from each vendor’s free-CRM page. HubSpot’s user cap, contact cap, email tools and paid price come from the CO roundup.
HubSpot free CRM: browser-only setup, two users, upgrades without moving data
HubSpot’s free CRM works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge, so there is nothing to install. The same page calls the plan “100% free with no expiration date.”
The upgrade path is the reason to pick it. HubSpot says you can upgrade a free account to paid CRM features without migrating your data. Your contacts and deal records stay where they are. Per the CO roundup, the free plan also has email templates, scheduling tools and an artificial intelligence (AI) writer.
Read the integration claim closely. HubSpot’s page says the free CRM connects to over 2,000 business apps, but two-way data sync covers only “dozens of popular third-party apps.” If you already run a separate email or store platform, check that it is one of them.
The flaw is the two-user cap. The CO roundup lists the Starter tier at “$10 per seat monthly” (per the CO roundup, checked October 2026). Once you outgrow free, that is $10 x 12 = $120 per seat per year on monthly billing. CO adds that “Paying annually may reduce subscription fees.”
Skip it if three or more people need logins from day one. Zoho gives three seats free and Agile gives ten.
Zoho CRM free edition: three users and five workflows; Bigin is a separate product
Zoho gives away a free edition of its flagship CRM, not a cut-down side product. The same page calls it “Free forever–No trial period, no forced upgrade.”
Two limits come with it. Three users is one more than HubSpot, but it is still a small team. Automation is thin too: the free edition runs workflows “for up to 5 mundane tasks.” If your follow-up process needs more, Agile’s free plan lists marketing automation and a drag-and-drop workflow designer at $0.
Zoho also sells Bigin, a separate pipeline-centric CRM built for small businesses. It is its own product with its own terms. If your sales process is only moving deals through stages, price Bigin as a second option. It is not part of the free edition compared here.
Skip it if you have four or more users. Agile covers up to 10 on its free account.
Agile CRM: free plan ends at 10 users and 1,000 contacts
Agile gives the most free seats of the three. Its free-CRM page also lists “Free Email Marketing,” plus “Marketing Automation” and “Deals and Sales Automation,” with a drag-and-drop workflow designer, autoresponders and automatic lead scoring.
The flaw is the ceiling. The free plan covers up to 10 users and “Up to 1,000 Contacts,” the same contact cap the CO roundup gives HubSpot. Your eleventh hire or your 1,001st contact takes you past the free plan. Agile’s free page also sets out no upgrade terms, while HubSpot’s does.
Skip it if you expect to pass 10 users soon and want a stated no-migration upgrade. HubSpot’s page promises one.
All three skip the card; free seats run 2, 3 and 10
This table compares what each vendor’s free-CRM page states, plus the CO roundup for HubSpot’s caps, email tools and price. “Not stated” means the source page does not give that term.
| Term | HubSpot | Zoho CRM | Agile CRM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free users | 2 (CO roundup) | Up to 3 (Zoho) | Up to 10 (Agile) |
| Contacts on free plan | 1,000 (CO roundup) | Not stated | Up to 1,000 |
| Credit card at sign-up | Not required (HubSpot) | Not required | Not required |
| Time limit | “No expiration date” | “Free forever,” no trial period | Not stated |
| Upgrade path | In place, “no data migration” | “No forced upgrade” | Not stated |
| Free automation | Not stated | Workflows for up to 5 tasks | Marketing and sales automation; drag-and-drop workflow designer, autoresponders, lead scoring |
| Email and integrations | Email templates, scheduling tools, AI writer (CO roundup); 2,000+ apps connect, two-way sync with “dozens” | Email marketing listed | “Free Email Marketing” |
| Free seats short on a 10-person team | 10 − 2 = 8 | 10 − 3 = 7 | 10 − 10 = 0 |
| One paid seat for a year | $10 x 12 = $120, billed monthly (CO roundup, checked Oct 2026) | Not stated | Not stated |
The card row ties, so the seat rows and the upgrade row decide the choice.
Count logins first, then the upgrade path, then email
- Count who needs a login, then match the number to the free-users row. Salesforce’s free CRM also “allows two users per account,” which makes it a fourth option for one or two people.
- Decide whether you’ll pay within a year. If you will, HubSpot’s no-migration upgrade is the stated path. Budget $120 per Starter seat per year on monthly billing at the CO roundup’s listed price. If you won’t, Zoho’s free edition, with no forced upgrade, is designed to stay at $0.
- List what you want automated. Zoho’s free workflows stop at five tasks. If your process needs more, Agile’s free plan lists marketing and sales automation with a drag-and-drop workflow designer.
- Check the email fit. Agile includes free email marketing, and Zoho’s free-CRM page lists email marketing too. HubSpot’s free plan has email templates, scheduling tools and an AI writer, per the CO roundup. If you already pay for a separate email tool, confirm it is among the “dozens” of apps with two-way sync before you move contacts.
Agile’s free plan ends at 10 users and 1,000 contacts, and its page gives no upgrade terms. But no other plan here covers four to ten people for $0. Start with Agile if headcount is your limit. Start with HubSpot if you’d rather pay later than move your data later.
For more on this topic, see the Best-of guides.
Related reading: Good CRM Software for Small Business; Small Business Marketing Platform.
FAQ
What is the cheapest CRM software?
For a small team it costs $0: all three plans here are free. For more options, the CO by US Chamber of Commerce publishes a roundup of 10 free or low-cost CRM tools for small businesses. It lists HubSpot Starter at $10 per seat monthly.
Which free CRM includes workflow automation?
Agile’s free plan page lists “Marketing Automation” and “Deals and Sales Automation,” with a drag-and-drop workflow designer, autoresponders and automatic lead scoring. Zoho’s free edition runs workflows “for up to 5 mundane tasks.”
Which free CRM includes email marketing?
Agile names “Free Email Marketing” on its free plan page, and Zoho’s free-CRM page lists email marketing as well. HubSpot’s free plan has “Email templates, scheduling tools, and an AI writer,” per the CO roundup. Its CRM page says 2,000+ apps connect, with two-way sync for “dozens of popular third-party apps,” so check that your email tool is one of them.
