Our picks · 2027
Best CRM for Solopreneurs
Working alone, you need a CRM priced for one person, not one with a 3-seat minimum. These are free or cheap for a single user.
AWBy Austin Witherow · Updated Nov 12, 2026 · 6 min read · How we review
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Quick answer
- Best overall: HubSpot, starting free, then growing into paid tools (from $0)
- #2: Close, inside sales teams that live on the phone (from $9/user/mo)
- #3: Zoho CRM, the most features for the money (from $0)
Compared
CRMs compared (USD, checked Nov 12, 2026)| CRM | Best for | Starts at | Our score | Link |
|---|
| HubSpot | Starting free, then growing into paid tools | $0 | 8.9 | Visit |
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| Close | Inside sales teams that live on the phone | $9/user/mo | 7.9 | Visit |
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| Zoho CRM | The most features for the money | $0 | 8.8 | Visit |
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| Capsule | Small teams that want it simple | $0 | 8.5 | Visit |
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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
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
Zoho CRM
The most features for the money8.8/10Very goodZoho CRM gives you the most features per dollar: a free plan for 3 users, then $14 per user billed annually for Standard with multiple pipelines, workflows and mass email. There's no contract. It takes more setup than Pipedrive or HubSpot.
$0 free for 3 users; Standard $14/user/mo annually
Pros
- Free plan for 3 users with workflow automation and 5,000 records
- Standard is $14/user/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) with 5 pipelines and workflow rules
- No contracts: pay monthly or yearly
- Free onboarding listed on the pricing page
Cons
- 4.1/5 on G2, the lowest rating among the big names here
- Standard caps mass email at 250 a day per organization
- Faster support (Premium, 24x5) costs 20% of your subscription
- More settings to learn than simpler tools such as Capsule or Pipedrive
Capsule
Small teams that want it simple8.5/10Very goodCapsule is a plain, tidy contact manager with a pipeline. It's free for 2 users and 250 contacts. Starter is $18 per user a month billed annually. Workflows, email sync and multiple pipelines start on Growth at $36.
$0 free for 2 users; Starter $18/user/mo annually
Pros
- Free plan for 2 users and 250 contacts
- No setup fee and no onboarding fee; cancel any time
- Starter includes 30,000 contacts
- 14-day free trial, no card
- 4.7/5 on G2 from 529 reviews
Cons
- Workflow automation, email sync and multiple pipelines start on Growth ($36/$40)
- Support is by email (Ultimate adds an account manager)
- No refund for partial periods
What a solopreneur needs
Working alone, you need pricing for one user. Seat minimums and team-sized plans waste money: monday CRM, for example, sells seats in buckets with a 3-seat minimum, so one person pays for 3.
Look for a free plan or a single-user plan, monthly billing with no contract, and no setup fee. Every pick on this page meets those terms.
Why the picks are in this order
Why HubSpot is first
HubSpot's free plan has no time limit and covers up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts. A solo business can run on it at $0 for a long time.
If you need more, Starter is $20 per seat a month at list price, and new customers pay $7 billed annually or $10 month to month. Starter can be month to month, with no setup fee.
Why Close is second
Close has a plan built for one person. Solo is $9 a month billed annually or $19 monthly, for 1 user and 10,000 leads, with calling, SMS and email built in.
It suits a solopreneur who sells by phone. Calls cost about $0.02 a minute, passed through at cost. It ranks below HubSpot because there's no free plan, though there's a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why Zoho CRM is third
Zoho CRM's free plan covers 3 users and 5,000 records with basic workflows, so it's free for one person too. Standard is $14 per user a month billed annually ($20 monthly).
It's third because it takes more setup than HubSpot, and you're the only one who'll configure it. Zoho has no contracts and lists free onboarding.
Why Capsule is fourth
Capsule is the simplest pick. Its free plan covers 2 users and 250 contacts, with no setup or onboarding fee.
It's fourth because 250 contacts is the smallest free limit here. Starter is $18 per user a month billed annually ($22 monthly) with 30,000 contacts, and workflows and email sync start on Growth at $36.
What to watch out for
Close's Solo limits: 1 user and 10,000 leads, no workflows and no bulk email. Hiring your first employee means moving to Essentials at $35 per user a month annually, or Growth at $99 for workflows.
HubSpot's discount: the $7 and $10 Starter prices are for new customers. HubSpot calls $20 per seat a month the normal price.
Annual billing: Capsule's terms give no refund for partial periods. If you're testing a CRM, pay monthly until you're sure.
How we chose
We read vendor pricing and terms pages and G2 reviews, checked on Nov 12, 2026. This page is research-based; we did not run these CRMs ourselves. We ranked by the cost for one user, the free plan's limits and how easy it is to stop paying.