Our picks · 2027
Best CRM for Sales Teams
Sales teams need pipelines, email tracking, automation and, often, calling. These CRMs are built around the deal pipeline first.
AWBy Austin Witherow · Updated Nov 12, 2026 · 6 min read · How we review
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Quick answer
- Best overall: Pipedrive, small sales teams that want a simple pipeline (from $14/seat/mo)
- #2: Close, inside sales teams that live on the phone (from $9/user/mo)
- #3: HubSpot, starting free, then growing into paid tools (from $0)
Compared
CRMs compared (USD, checked Nov 12, 2026)| CRM | Best for | Starts at | Our score | Link |
|---|
| Pipedrive | Small sales teams that want a simple pipeline | $14/seat/mo | 9.1 | Visit |
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| Close | Inside sales teams that live on the phone | $9/user/mo | 7.9 | Visit |
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| HubSpot | Starting free, then growing into paid tools | $0 | 8.9 | Visit |
|---|
| Salesforce Starter | Small teams planning to move up to a larger platform later | $25/user/mo | 7.7 | Visit |
|---|
Pipedrive
Small sales teams that want a simple pipeline9.1/10ExcellentPipedrive is a sales pipeline you can set up in an afternoon. Plans run $14 to $79 per seat billed annually, with no setup fee and month-to-month billing on every plan. Most teams will want Growth ($39 annually) for email sync and automations.
$14/seat/mo billed annually ($24 monthly)
Pros
- Every plan can be billed monthly; no annual contract required
- No setup or onboarding fee
- Growth ($39/seat/mo annually, $49 monthly) adds full email sync, tracking and automations
- 14-day free trial with no credit card
- 4.3/5 on G2 from 5,122 reviews
Cons
- No free plan
- Lite ($14/$24) has no email sync or automations, so most teams pay for Growth
- Fees are non-refundable, including when you cancel an annual plan early
- Lead capture tools (LeadBooster) cost extra, from $32.50/month per company
Close
Inside sales teams that live on the phone7.9/10GoodClose is built for teams that sell by calling and emailing. Calling, SMS and email are built in. Workflows (automated sequences) start on Growth at $99 per user billed annually, which makes it one of the pricier picks for a team.
$9/user/mo Solo, 1 user, billed annually ($19 monthly)
Pros
- Built-in calling, SMS and email, with calls at about $0.02 a minute passed through at cost
- 30-day money-back guarantee and no contracts
- Solo plan for one person: $9/mo annually, $19 monthly
- 4.7/5 on G2 from 2,159 reviews
Cons
- Workflows start on Growth: $99/user/mo annually, $109 monthly
- Solo is limited to 1 user and 10,000 leads
- Support is email and knowledge base only
- Call Assistant costs $50/month plus $0.02 a minute
HubSpot
Starting free, then growing into paid tools8.9/10Very goodHubSpot has the most useful free CRM here (2 users, 1,000 contacts) and a cheap Starter plan. The catch is the jump to Professional: $90 to $100 per seat, an annual commitment and a required $1,500 onboarding fee.
$0 free for 2 users; Starter $20/seat/mo list price
Pros
- Free plan with no time limit: 2 users and 1,000 contacts
- Starter is $20/seat/month at list price, with new-customer discounts to $7 (annual) or $10 (monthly)
- Starter already includes up to 15 pipelines and 50 workflows
- Sales, marketing and service tools on one contact record
- 4.4/5 on G2 from 14,393 reviews
Cons
- Professional costs $90/seat/month billed annually, or $100 paid monthly, and both require an annual commitment
- Professional adds a required one-time onboarding fee of $1,500 (Enterprise: $3,500)
- Sequences and lead scoring are only on Professional and Enterprise
- The $7 and $10 Starter prices are new-customer discounts; list price is $20
Salesforce Starter
Small teams planning to move up to a larger platform later7.7/10GoodSalesforce Starter Suite is $25 per user a month, billed monthly or annually, with no user maximum. It's the way into the Salesforce platform and includes built-in sales flows and lead routing. Custom objects, sandbox and complex workflow automation need Pro Suite at $100 per user, billed annually on a contract.
$25/user/mo Starter Suite, billed monthly or annually
Pros
- Starter is $25/user/month, billed monthly or annually, with no user maximum
- 30-day free trial
- Guided onboarding included on Starter
- Grows into the full Salesforce platform and its app marketplace
Cons
- Custom objects, sandbox and complex workflow automation need Pro Suite: $100/user/month, billed annually, contract required
- Starter includes 2,000 marketing emails a month; more cost $10 per 1,000
- More to learn than tools built only for small teams
- G2 doesn't list Starter separately; the 4.4/5 rating covers all of Sales Cloud
What a sales team needs
A sales team lives in the pipeline. It needs email sync and tracking so reps don't log messages by hand, automation for follow-ups, and, for many teams, calling inside the CRM.
The plan that includes those features is rarely the cheapest one. So compare the price of the plan with email sync and automation, not the starting price.
Why the picks are in this order
Why Pipedrive is first
Pipedrive is a visual deal pipeline a small team can learn fast. Growth adds full email sync, tracking and automations for $39 per seat a month billed annually, or $49 monthly, per Pipedrive's pricing.
That's $2,340 a year for 5 reps or $9,360 for 20. Every plan can be billed monthly, there's no setup fee, and it rates 4.3/5 on G2 from 5,122 reviews. It ranks first because it covers the core sales needs at a mid-range price with no contract.
Why Close is second
Close is built for teams that sell by phone and email. Calling, SMS and email are built in, with calls at about $0.02 a minute passed through at cost, per Close's pricing. It has the highest G2 score here, 4.7/5 from 2,159 reviews.
It's second because workflows, its automated sequences, start on Growth at $99 per user a month billed annually ($109 monthly). That's $5,940 a year for 5 reps. Essentials is $35 but has no workflows. Close has no contracts and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why HubSpot is third
HubSpot Starter is cheap for a team: $20 per seat a month at list price, with up to 15 pipelines, 50 workflows and 500 calling minutes, per HubSpot's sales pricing. For 5 reps that's $1,200 a year.
It's third because sequences and lead scoring, which many sales teams want, are only on Professional and Enterprise. Professional is $90 per seat a month billed annually or $100 monthly, both with an annual commitment, plus a required $1,500 onboarding fee. That's $6,900 in year one for 5 reps.
Why Salesforce Starter is fourth
Salesforce Starter Suite is $25 per user a month, billed monthly or annually, with no user maximum and a 30-day free trial, per Salesforce's small business pricing. It's the way into the full Salesforce platform.
It's last for most small teams because Starter covers only built-in sales flows and lead routing; custom objects and complex workflow automation need Pro Suite: $100 per user a month, billed annually, with a contract. That's $6,000 a year for 5 users. Its 4.4/5 G2 rating covers all of Sales Cloud, since G2 doesn't list Starter separately.
What to watch out for
Annual commitments: HubSpot Professional and Salesforce Pro Suite both lock you in for a year. Pipedrive's terms say fees are non-refundable, including when you cancel an annual plan early.
Add-ons: Pipedrive's LeadBooster lead capture tools cost extra, from $32.50 a month per company. Close's Call Assistant is $50 a month plus $0.02 a minute.
Discounts: HubSpot's $7 and $10 Starter prices are for new customers, and HubSpot calls $20 the normal price. Our figures use $20.
How we chose
We compared vendor pricing and terms pages and G2 reviews, checked on Nov 12, 2026. This is research-based: we did not run these CRMs ourselves. We ranked by the cost of the plan that includes email sync and automation, contract terms, and how central the pipeline and calling are to the product.