Top 13 Affordable CRM Tools for Startup Success

Unsure which affordable CRM tools for startups to choose? We’ve got you covered.

In this post, we’ll review and compare the top affordable CRM tools for startups this year. We’ll discuss each tool’s key features, pros, cons, and pricing. By the end, you’ll have all the details to pick the best one for your needs.

Top 13 Affordable CRM Tools for Startups

A CRM helps startups manage customer data, sales, and communication in one place. Many affordable options provide essential tools without expensive plans. The right CRM improves productivity and keeps teams organized.

Small businesses need solutions that fit their budget and workflow. Free and low-cost CRMs offer contact management, automation, and analytics features. Some tools focus on sales tracking, while others support marketing efforts. Startups must choose software that fits their business goals.

Simple interfaces help teams work efficiently without extra training. Many CRMs integrate with email, social media, and project management tools. This guide lists 13 budget-friendly CRMs for startups. Each option includes key features, pricing, and best use cases.

HubSpot

HubSpot CRM is a powerful tool for managing customer relationships, sales, and marketing automation. It offers a free plan with essential CRM features, making it a great choice for businesses of all sizes.

Feature

HubSpot CRM provides contact management, email tracking, sales automation, marketing integration, and detailed analytics, helping businesses streamline customer interactions.

Pros

1. Free plan with essential CRM features
2. User-friendly interface
3. Integrates with marketing, sales, and support tools
4. Email tracking and automation
5. Scalable for growing businesses

Cons

1. Advanced features require paid plans
2. Limited customization in the free version
3. Higher-tier plans can be expensive
4. Some features may require additional HubSpot modules

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM tools, email tracking, and contact management
• Starter Plan: $20/month (Marketing, sales, and service features)
• Professional Plan: $890/month (Advanced automation and analytics)
• Enterprise Plan: $3,600/month (Advanced CRM customization and reporting)

Zoho

Zoho CRM is a flexible and affordable customer relationship management tool designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers automation, AI-powered insights, and multi-channel communication to streamline sales and customer interactions.

Feature

Zoho CRM provides lead management, workflow automation, AI-powered analytics, multichannel communication, and seamless integrations with third-party apps.

Pros

1. Affordable pricing with a free plan
2. AI-powered insights with Zia assistant
3. Customizable workflows and automation
4. Multi-channel communication (email, social, live chat)
5. Strong integration with Zoho apps and third-party tools

Cons

1. Advanced features require higher-tier plans
2. UI can be complex for beginners
3. Customer support is limited on lower-tier plans
4. Some features may require additional add-ons

Pricing

• Free Plan: Up to 3 users, basic CRM features
• Standard Plan: $14/user/month (Sales automation and workflow rules)
• Professional Plan: $23/user/month (Advanced automation and analytics)
• Enterprise Plan: $40/user/month (AI-powered insights and customization)
• Ultimate Plan: $52/user/month (Premium features with advanced BI)

Checkout:10 Social Media Automation Tools to Save Time

Freshsales (by Freshworks)

Freshsales (by Freshworks), is a user-friendly CRM designed for sales teams. It offers AI-powered insights, automation, and multichannel communication to help businesses improve customer relationships and close deals faster.

Feature

Freshsales provides AI-driven lead scoring, email tracking, workflow automation, multichannel communication, and detailed sales analytics to streamline the sales process.

Pros

1. AI-powered deal and lead-scoring
2. Built-in phone, email, and chat integration
3. Easy-to-use interface
4. Affordable pricing with a free plan
5. Strong automation and workflow management

Cons

1. Advanced features require higher-tier plans
2. Limited third-party integrations compared to competitors
3. Reporting features could be more advanced
4. Customer support is better on paid plans

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM features for up to 3 users
• Growth Plan: $15/user/month (AI-powered insights and automation)
• Pro Plan: $39/user/month (Advanced customization and analytics)
• Enterprise Plan: $69/user/month (AI-powered forecasting, audit logs, and premium support)

Pipedrive

Pipedrive, a sales-focused CRM designed to streamline sales pipelines and automate processes, helping teams close deals more efficiently. It’s known for its intuitive interface and customizable features.

Feature

Pipedrive offers sales pipeline management, automation, AI-powered insights, custom workflows, reporting, and integration with over 300 third-party apps.

Pros

1. Highly intuitive and easy-to-use interface
2. Customizable sales pipeline
3. Automation for repetitive tasks
4. AI-powered forecasting and insights
5. Integrates with a wide range of tools

Cons

1. Limited functionality in the lower-tier plans
2. No built-in email marketing tools
3. Some users find the reporting features basic
4. Can be expensive for small businesses

Pricing

• Essential Plan: $14.90/user/month (Basic pipeline management)
• Advanced Plan: $24.90/user/month (Sales automation and integrations)
• Professional Plan: $49.90/user/month (Advanced reporting and AI insights)
• Enterprise Plan: $99/user/month (Customizable features and premium support)

Agile

Agile CRM, is an easy-to-use CRM platform designed for small businesses and startups. It offers a variety of sales, marketing, and customer support tools to streamline customer interactions and boost engagement.

Feature

Agile CRM provides contact management, email marketing, sales automation, landing page builder, task management, and reporting, making it a versatile tool for businesses.

Pros

1. Affordable pricing with a free plan
2. Easy-to-use interface for beginners
3. Robust email marketing tools
4. Strong sales automation and tracking
5. Integrates with popular tools like Zapier and Google Apps

Cons

1. Limited customization options
2. Some features (like advanced reporting) are only available on higher-tier plans
3. No native social media management
4. Limited integrations on lower plans

Pricing

• Free Plan: Up to 10 users, basic CRM features
• Starter Plan: $8.99/user/month (Advanced email marketing and automation)
• Growth Plan: $29.99/user/month (Enhanced analytics and integrations)
• Pro Plan: $47.99/user/month (Advanced segmentation, custom reporting)

Streak CRM for Gmail

Streak CRM for Gmail, is a CRM solution built directly into Gmail, allowing users to manage customer relationships, sales, and workflows without leaving their inbox. It’s a great choice for Gmail users who prefer a seamless integration with their email.

Feature

Streak CRM integrates with Gmail, enabling users to manage emails, track deals, pipeline management, task assignments, and collaborate on customer interactions directly within Gmail.

Pros

1. Seamless integration with Gmail
2. Easy-to-use interface with email-centric features
3. Customizable pipelines for sales, support, and other workflows
4. Collaborative features for team management
5. Affordable pricing with a free plan

Cons

1. Limited features outside of Gmail
2. Limited reporting and analytics features
3. Advanced features require higher-tier plans
4. Can be overwhelming for non-Gmail users

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM features for individual users
• Solo Plan: $19/month (For 1 user, more features)
• Team Plan: $49/user/month (Collaboration and advanced features)
• Enterprise Plan: $129/user/month (Custom features, support, and integrations)

Insightly

Insightly, is a CRM and project management tool designed for growing businesses. It offers features for managing customer relationships, projects, and tasks, making it ideal for teams looking to streamline both sales and project workflows.

Feature

Insightly provides CRM capabilities, project management, task tracking, email integration, advanced reporting, and workflow automation to help businesses manage customer relationships and projects.

Pros

1. Combines CRM and project management tools
2. Easy-to-use interface
3. Customizable dashboards and reports
4. Advanced workflow automation
5. Integrates with tools like G Suite, Microsoft 365, and Slack

Cons

1. Limited features in the free plan
2. Some advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans
3. The user interface can be overwhelming for beginners
4. Can be expensive for smaller teams

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM and project management features for up to 2 users
• Plus Plan: $29/user/month (Advanced features and integrations)
• Professional Plan: $49/user/month (Custom reports, increased storage)
• Enterprise Plan: $99/user/month (Advanced customization and priority support)

Capsule CRM

Capsule CRM, is a simple and intuitive CRM solution designed for small businesses and teams. It helps you manage contacts, sales, and tasks, offering easy customization and integration with popular tools.

Feature

Capsule CRM offers contact management, sales pipeline tracking, task management, and detailed reporting, with integrations to apps like Google Workspace and Mailchimp.

Pros

1. User-friendly and simple interface
2. Affordable pricing with a free plan
3. Customizable sales pipeline
4. Strong task management features
5. Good third-party app integrations

Cons

1. Limited advanced features
2. Some features like email tracking and automation are missing
3. Limited reporting capabilities
4. Can be too basic for larger teams

Pricing

• Free Plan: 2 users, basic CRM features
• Professional Plan: $18/user/month (Advanced features, integrations)
• Teams Plan: $36/user/month (Team collaboration, custom fields)
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (Advanced customization and support)

EngageBay

EngageBay CRM is an all-in-one CRM platform designed for small and mid-sized businesses. It combines sales, marketing, and customer service tools to help businesses automate workflows, engage customers, and boost productivity.

Feature

EngageBay offers sales automation, email marketing, contact management, lead generation, marketing automation, and helpdesk features, all in one platform.

Pros

1. Affordable pricing with a free plan
2. All-in-one sales, marketing, and service tools
3. Easy-to-use interface
4. Marketing automation and lead scoring
5. Integrates with popular tools like Zapier and Shopify

Cons

1. Limited advanced features on lower plans
2. Reporting features are basic
3. Some users find the platform a bit slow
4. Limited customization on the free plan

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM and marketing tools for up to 1,000 contacts
• Basic Plan: $11.99/user/month (Email marketing and sales automation)
• Growth Plan: $39.99/user/month (Advanced automation and reporting)
• Pro Plan: $79.99/user/month (Premium features, analytics, and custom branding)

Bitrix24

Bitrix24, a comprehensive CRM and collaboration platform for businesses of all sizes. It offers a suite of tools for managing customer relationships, project management, team collaboration, and more.

Feature

Bitrix24 provides CRM, task and project management, team collaboration, communication tools (like chat and video calls), marketing automation, and reporting features.

Pros

1. Free plan with robust features
2. Extensive CRM and project management tools
3. Includes communication and collaboration tools
4. Customizable workflows
5. Integrates with third-party tools like Google Workspace and Mailchimp

Cons

1. The steep learning curve for beginners
2. Limited advanced features on the free plan
3. Interface can feel cluttered
4. Some features are complex and may require customization

Pricing

• Free Plan: Unlimited users, basic CRM, and task management tools
• Basic Plan: $39/month (CRM, automation, and marketing tools for up to 5 users)
• Standard Plan: $79/month (More advanced features and storage)
• Professional Plan: $159/month (Full-feature access and customization)
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (For large businesses with specific needs)

Copper CRM

Copper CRM is a CRM solution designed specifically for Google Workspace users. It integrates deeply with Google apps and offers a powerful platform for managing customer relationships, automating tasks, and gaining insights.

Feature

Copper CRM offers seamless integration with Google Workspace, contact management, sales automation, workflow automation, detailed reporting, and collaboration tools.

Pros

1. Deep integration with Google Workspace
2. Strong automation and task management features
3. Easy-to-use interface
4. Customizable pipelines and reporting
5. Excellent customer support

Cons

1. Pricing is on the higher side
2. Limited integrations outside of Google Workspace
3. Some users find reporting tools basic
4. Can be overwhelming for smaller teams

Pricing

• Basic Plan: $25/user/month (Contact and sales management)
• Professional Plan: $59/user/month (Automation, reporting, and integrations)
• Business Plan: $119/user/month (Advanced CRM tools and custom features)
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (For large organizations with custom needs)

Salesmate

Salesmate is a CRM tool designed for sales teams to help streamline workflows, improve sales performance, and automate customer relationship management.

Feature

Salesmate offers sales automation, contact and lead management, pipeline tracking, email marketing, reporting, and integrations with various tools to boost sales productivity.

Pros

1. Intuitive and user-friendly interface
2. Strong sales automation and pipeline management
3. Affordable pricing
4. Customizable reports and dashboards
5. Integration with popular tools like Zapier, G Suite, and Outlook

Cons

1. Limited advanced features in lower-tier plans
2. Reporting tools can be basic for larger businesses
3. Limited marketing automation features
4. Customer support could be improved

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM features for 1 user
• Starter Plan: $12/user/month (Basic sales features and email automation)
• Growth Plan: $24/user/month (Advanced features, integrations)
• Enterprise Plan: $40/user/month (Advanced automation, team collaboration tools)

Nimble

Nimble, is a social CRM designed to help small businesses and teams manage customer relationships, automate tasks, and integrate social media insights into their workflow.

Feature

Nimble combines contact management, social media integration, task management, email tracking, and reporting to provide a comprehensive CRM solution.

Pros

1. Strong social media integration (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)
2. Easy-to-use interface
3. Affordable pricing
4. Automatically updates contact information
5. Email tracking and engagement insights

Cons

1. Limited features compared to larger CRMs
2. Some users find the interface less customizable
3. Reporting features are basic
4. No phone support on lower plans

Pricing

• Free Plan: Basic CRM features for individual users
• Starter Plan: $19/user/month (Basic CRM tools and social media integration)
• Business Plan: $39/user/month (Advanced features, custom fields)
• Enterprise Plan: $79/user/month (Custom reporting, priority support)

How to Choose the Right Affordable CRM for Startups

Choosing the right CRM for your startup requires careful planning. First, define your business needs and goals. Understand what features are necessary for your team.

Consider the size of your team and their technical skills. A CRM should match your team’s ability to use it. Look for CRMs that offer free trials. Test the software before committing to a paid plan.

Ensure the CRM integrates with your current tools and platforms. This will save time and reduce manual work. Choose a solution that grows with your business. Make sure it’s scalable and adaptable as your needs change.

Conclusion

Choosing the right affordable CRM tools for startups is crucial for growth. It helps streamline processes, improve customer relationships, and boost productivity. By considering features, pricing, and ease of use, you can find a tool that fits your business needs.

Take the time to explore different options and choose one that scales with your startup. With the right CRM, you’ll be well on your way to success.

Thanks for Reading!