Affordable CRM solutions are a great way for smaller companies and organizations with restrictive budgets to save money. CRM is a comprehensive toolset that includes a variety of important features necessary for modern businesses, so companies should look to affordable tools if more expensive software packages are out of their price range. Having the ability to manage customer, sales, marketing, and service data is invaluable, regardless of business size. In this article, we will examine free and low-cost CRM solutions that will benefit small teams and organizations. This is done by first providing a brief overview of what to expect and also with short blurbs about each of the currently available options in the space.
What is the definition of “Affordable CRM solutions”?
Affordable CRM solutions refers to products that are offered commercially free, or at an affordable price, by the solution provider. These solutions are usually trimmed-down versions of the expert or enterprise editions, offering basic functionality such as contact management, pipeline visualization, and email management. Commercially free CRM software typically offers less functionality on the whole than its paid counterparts, but is often a great way to gain more than a free trial for a product you were already considering.
One thing to note is that the affordable tools offered by CRM solution providers are just parts or pieces of their flagship products. For example, the freemium version may include data storage limits and restrict the number of users who can access the solution, while a paid option will unlock several of those features. Depending on your budget, affordable tools can still be a great way to expand your business capabilities without breaking the bank.
Free CRM Solutions
- Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a marketing-oriented CRM with deep email marketing functionality. The free version of Mailchimp allows customers to have seven different marketing channels, one click automations, basic email templates, and access to other CRM capabilities. Users can tag and segment up to 2,000 contacts, storing their information in individual profiles and gaining audience-wide insight through an audience dashboard. For organizations with a budget, Mailchimp offers paid packages at $9.99 per month and up.
- HubSpot
HubSpot is a free CRM solution with sales and lead nurturing capabilities. Users can store as many as 1 million contacts and companies, and access to HubSpot is free forever. Functionalities include contact management and insights, email tracking and templates, reporting dashboards, Facebook & Instagram leads, integration with Gmail & Outlook, and much more. HubSpot also offers free software for marketing, sales, and service teams, with the opportunity to purchase additional features.
- Freshsales
Over 15,000 customers use Freshsales, taking advantage of its sales pipeline management and built-in phone and email capabilities. The free version gives access to an unlimited amount of users, unlimited contact storage, and unlimited support from Freshales’ service team. Users also have access to mobile applications, lead and contact management, actionable insights, personalized emails, and much more. For organizations with a budget, Freshales offers paid packages at $12 per month and up.
- Agile CRM
Agile CRM was built with growing businesses in mind. Its free version gives access to 10 users, and allows them to store the information of up to 50,000 contacts and companies. Other features include custom data fields, lead scoring, email tracking, custom deal tracks and milestones, email campaigns, and more. The free version offers users one integration possibility, email support, and Google sync. For organizations with a budget, Agile offers paid packages at $8.99 per month and up.
- Insightly
Insightly is a CRM focused on helping businesses build stronger customer relationships and deliver projects in a timely manner. Its free version is accessible by 2 users and allows customers to manage contacts, sales, and projects in one location. Insightly’s features include lead routing, workflow automation, email management, custom dashboards and trackable metrics, as well as mobile access for both Android and iOS. The mobile app allows users to scan business cards, update projects in real time, manage sales opportunities, and more. For organizations with a budget, Insightly offers paid packages at $29 per month and up.
- Apptivo
Apptivo is a CRM that helps businesses attract, engage, and retain customers. The free version of Apptivo is accessible by 3 users and contains a 500 MB data storage limit. Core features include lead capture from web and email, customizable apps and forms, lead and contact conversion, and sales tracking. Integrations include G Suite, Office 365, Slack, and more applications. For organizations with a budget, Apptivo offers paid packages at $8 per month and up.
- Really Simple Systems
Really Simple Systems CRM was designed to work with organizations as their business grows. It provides sales, reporting, and customer support functionality. The free version is accessible by 2 users, and allows them to store an unlimited number of contacts and 100 company records. There is also a 100 MB document storage limit. Features include contact and lead management, sales pipeline management, listing & forecast reports, and a wide range of form customization. For organizations with a budget, Really Simple Systems offers paid packages at $14 per month and up.
- Capsule
Capsule is a CRM solution designed to help organizations build customer relationships and make more sales. The free version is accessible by 2 users, and allows them to store 250 contacts. There is also a 10 MB data storage limit. Features include contact management, teams & roles, sales pipeline management, tasks, and more. Users also have mobile access for both Android and iOS. For organizations with a budget, Capsule offers paid packages at $18 per month and $36 per month.
- Raynet
Raynet is an online CRM solution that helps managers, sales reps, and business owners track, plan, and evaluate various business functions. The free version is accessible by 2 users, and allows them to store up to 150 accounts. There is also a 50 MB storage limit. Features include contact management, customer relationship history, sales overview, reviews and reports, quotes, daily task management, and more. For organizations with a budget, Raynet offers a paid option at $19 per month.
- eWay
eWay is a CRM solution designed to integrate with Microsoft Outlook. The free version is accessible by a single user and has a 200 MB cloud storage limit. Features include contact management, sales and opportunities, project management, integrated bulk emails, reports and analysis, and more. Users can choose modules depending on their needs, or they can prepare a personalized customization with eWay’s implementation team. eWay also integrates with various tools, accountant systems, and ERP. For organizations with a budget, eWay offers a paid option at $28 per month, as well as a lifetime license at $399.
- Streak
Streak is a CRM solution designed to integrate with Gmail. The free version comes with mobile access for iOS & Android, but does not come with support or API’s. Features include lead tracking, project management, task and data sharing, pipeline management, automatic data capture, and more. For organizations with a budget, Streak offers a paid option at 49$ per month and up.
Low Cost CRM Solutions
- Revamp
Revamp is a CRM meant for tracking daily tasks and managing emails to customers. Core features include task creation, automatic reminders, pipeline visualization, email integration, email marketing, and more. Users also have mobile access on iOS and Android mobile devices. The base version of Revamp costs $7 per month, and comes with contact management, sales management, and 250 email credits. Revamp offers additional paid options at $12 per month and up. At $12 per month, users gain access to additional eCommerce features that can automatically sync with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more.
- ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign helps organizations keep track of their leads, as well as automate lead prioritization and contact management. Core features include lead scoring, automatic email triggers, mobile access, Gmail integration, and more. The base version of ActiveCampaign costs $9 per month and is accessible by 3 users. It comes with unlimited sending, email marketing, newsletter management, marketing automation, as well as chat & email support. ActiveCampaign offers additional paid options that change on a sliding scale based on how many contacts an organization wants to store.
- Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM offers a wide variety of capabilities to help organizations improve their business functions. Core features include sales automation, marketing automation, pipeline management, multichannel management, artificial intelligence, and more. The base version of Zoho costs $12 per month and comes with scoring rules, email insights, workflow conversion, tags and groups, custom web forms, custom reports and dashboards, and 100,000 records. Zoho offers additional paid options at $20 per month and up. Zoho also offers an upgraded version of their software called CRM plus that comes with many additional features.
- Workbooks
Workbooks is a CRM solution with marketing, sales, order processing, and customer service capabilities. Core features include account & contact management, sales management & automation, workflow automation, mobile access, customizable layouts, and more. Security extensions, currency extensions, and other extensions must be purchased for all users. Additional modules such as the Outlook Connector and Contract Management must also be purchased. The base version costs $35 per month, and comes with full forum, phone, and email support. Workbooks offers additional paid options at $45 per month and up.