Ranked by a stated rule · 9 price files
Best CRM for small business, ranked by published price
The short answer. On 18 Oct 2026, the lowest entry price on file was HubSpot's Starter at $7 per seat per month paid annually, labeled a new-customer offer. Close's Solo plan is $9 per user per month billed annually but is limited to 1 user. The ranking uses each vendor's cheapest paid plan as a monthly figure, read off its own pricing page.
Every CRM below has a dated price file read off its own pricing page. They are ranked by the cheapest paid plan as a monthly figure, lowest first; the note under each says what that entry price leaves out.
How this list is ranked
Lowest published paid price. Every tool in this category that publishes a price, ordered by its cheapest paid plan as a monthly figure (a yearly price is divided by 12), lowest first. Tools that publish no price are listed after the table, unranked. Per-user and flat prices are different units; the Billed column says which. No placement is paid for. A tool joins this list when its price file is published and leaves it if the file is not re-checked within 45 days.
The ranking
| # | Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Billed | Free plan | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HubSpot | $7/seat/mo (Starter) | paid annually, new-customer offer | Yes | |
| Starter at $7 per seat is labeled a new-customer offer, shown beside a struck-through $20. A free plan covers up to 2 users. | |||||
| 2 | Close CRM | $9/user/mo (Solo) | billed annually | No | |
| Solo at $9 is limited to 1 user and 10k leads; a team starts on Essentials at $35 per user per month billed annually. | |||||
| 3 | Freshsales | $9/user/mo (Growth) | per user per month, billed annually | No | |
| 4 | monday CRM | $12/seat/mo (Basic) | billed yearly | No | |
| Every plan has a minimum of 3 seats, so the smallest Basic bill is for 3 seats, not 1. | |||||
| 5 | Nutshell | $13/user/mo (Foundation) | per user per month, billed annually | No | |
| 6 | Zoho CRM | $14/user/mo (Standard) | billed annually | Yes | |
| Standard is $14 per user per month billed annually or $20 monthly; a Free edition covers 3 users. | |||||
| 7 | Copper CRM | $23/seat/mo (Basic) | billed annually | No | |
| Basic at $23 per seat billed annually has a 2,500 contact limit. | |||||
| 8 | Salesforce | $25/user/mo (Starter Suite) | billed monthly or annually | Yes | |
| Starter Suite is $25 per user per month; a Free Suite column also appears in the edition table. | |||||
| 9 | Keap | $39/user/mo (Additional user) | per extra user per month | No | |
Reading the ranking
The order is the price of each tool's cheapest paid plan, not the plan most teams buy. For a team, the note under each row matters as much as the figure: a 1-user plan or a 3-seat minimum changes what the first bill is. Most prices here are annual-billing rates; each price file shows the monthly-billing rate beside it.
Entry prices also hide the jump to the next plan. Close goes from Solo to Essentials for any second user, and HubSpot's Starter figure is a new-customer offer rather than the list price.
Where to read more
Every file sits in the CRM drawer. Two pairs are compared side by side: HubSpot CRM vs Zoho CRM and monday CRM vs HubSpot CRM. The newest file is Close CRM's price file, checked on 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
- What is the cheapest CRM?
- By published entry price on 18 Oct 2026, HubSpot's Starter at $7 per seat per month paid annually, a new-customer offer, then Close Solo at $9 per user per month billed annually for 1 user.
- Is there a free CRM on this list?
- Yes. Zoho CRM has a Free edition for 3 users, HubSpot a free plan for up to 2 users, and Salesforce lists a Free Suite in its edition table. Close, monday CRM and Copper list no free plan.
- How is this list ranked?
- By each tool's cheapest paid plan as a monthly figure, lowest first, taken from its dated price file. Quote-only tools are listed after the ranked ones. No placement is paid for.
- Why can the cheapest plan cost more than it looks?
- Entry plans often carry limits: monday CRM requires 3 seats, Close Solo allows 1 user, and Copper Basic caps contacts at 2,500. Monthly billing also costs more than the annual rate on most of these tools.
Every price above is read from the price files when this page loads, so the ranking moves when a vendor's price does. Prices change without notice; check before buying.