CRM and sales

Best CRM tools for small business

Tools for keeping track of leads, customers and deals, so follow-ups stop living in your inbox and on sticky notes.

Tools explained

Best for: Small businesses that want a free CRM now and marketing or sales tools later

From $20/mo (per seat, Starter regular price; new-customer offers from $7)

Free plan: free CRM for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts

Look past the free plan. Many CRMs are free to start, then jump in price once you need automation or more users. Check the plan you’ll need in a year.
Check how contacts are counted. Some CRMs charge for marketing contacts or by seat. Know which one drives your bill.
Connect your email and calendar. A CRM is only useful if conversations and meetings log themselves. Test the Gmail or Outlook integration first.
Test the import. Bring in a real spreadsheet of contacts during the trial and see how much cleanup it takes.
Keep the pipeline simple. The right CRM lets you see every deal and its next step at a glance, without a week of training.

Want to know where the information comes from? See how I research software.