When HubSpot's paid tiers get expensive, these CRMs cover the same daily work for less.
By Working Wikily NewsroomUpdated Prices checked on each maker's site
This list covers eight customer relationship apps (CRMs) that cover the same daily sales work as HubSpot for less, for small sales teams that find HubSpot's paid tiers expensive. HubSpot itself is not on the list.
We built it from the makers' own published pages. For each app we read the product and pricing pages on October 2, 2026, and every price and claim below was found on those pages. An app whose page could not be read, or did not support a claim, was dropped. The entries summarize what the makers publish; they are not hands-on reviews.
Each entry shows who the app is best for, the lowest paid price in US dollars as the maker prints it, any free plan or trial, and its good and bad points. The table near the top puts all eight side by side.
The quick list
Freshsales for startups and SMBs
Less Annoying CRM for small businesses and solo users
Copper for Google Workspace and Gmail users
ActiveCampaign for teams using personalized email marketing campaigns
EngageBay for startups and growing businesses
Nimble for solopreneurs and small teams
Keap for small businesses
Salesmate CRM for startups and SMBs needing pipeline management across channels
At a glance
App
Best for
Price from
Free to start
Site
Freshsales
startups and SMBs
From $9 /user/month, billed annually (Growth plan)
Every price is read on the maker's own pricing page on the day we update.
Each tool's screenshot is taken from its public site.
Every price and claim in an entry is checked against the maker's own page, saved on the day of writing. An entry that fails the check is dropped.
1. Best for startups and SMBs
Freshsales
Screenshot: Freshsales
Price from
From $9 /user/month, billed annually (Growth plan), checked Oct 2
Free trial
21 days
Best for
startups and SMBs
What we like+ Kanban views and drag-and-drop cards for the sales process.+ Growth includes chat, email, and phone, plus email templates.+ Growth includes contact lifecycle stages, custom fields, and basic workflows.+ Freddy AI can flag leads and deals and write emails.
What we don't− Contact scoring and deal insights require Pro at $39 /user/month, billed annually.− Forecasting insights require Enterprise at $59 /user/month, billed annually.− The CRM trial lasts 21 days; after it expires, select a plan and pay to continue.
Freshsales is a sales CRM for managing leads, contacts, and deals. Its Growth plan includes kanban views, chat, email, phone, and basic workflows. It suits startups and SMBs.
What we like+ Unlimited pipelines.+ Email logging.+ Syncs with your Google or Outlook calendar and saves meetings to contacts’ profiles.+ Unlimited contacts and companies.
What we don't− $15 per user per month + applicable tax.− 25GB file storage per user.− The maker advises staying below 50,000 total contacts and companies.
Less Annoying CRM tracks contacts, tasks, calendars, and email logging. It is built for small businesses and solo users. It includes unlimited pipelines and costs $15 per user per month, plus applicable tax.
From $23 per seat, per month paid annually (Basic plan), checked Oct 2
Free trial
14 days
Best for
Google Workspace and Gmail users
Works on
iOS, Android
What we like+ Drag-and-drop pipelines with AI flags and alerts.+ Add leads, track conversations, find files or manage tasks directly in Gmail and Google Calendar.+ Professional includes workflow automation, bulk email, reporting and integrations.+ Gmail email, contact, and file sync and Google Calendar sync are listed.
What we don't− Basic has a 2,500 contact limit.− Workflow automation, bulk email, reporting and integrations start with Professional at $59 per seat, per month paid annually.− Email series start with Business at $99 per seat, per month paid annually.
Copper is a CRM for managing leads, deals, pipelines, tasks and projects. It suits Google Workspace and Gmail users, with Gmail email, contact and file sync plus Google Calendar sync. Its Professional plan adds workflow automation, bulk email and reporting.
4. Best for teams using personalized email marketing campaigns
ActiveCampaign
Screenshot: ActiveCampaign
Price from
$15/mo, billed annually (Starter plan), checked Oct 2
Free trial
14 days
Best for
teams using personalized email marketing campaigns
What we like+ Personalized email marketing.+ Multi-step marketing automation is included.+ Standard CRM & ecommerce integrations are included with Plus.+ Pipelines and sales engagement are available as CRM add-ons.
What we don't− Starter includes 5 actions per automation.− Enhanced CRM requires an add-on: Pipelines and sales engagement.− Starter has 1 user; Plus has 1 user; Pro has 3 users; Enterprise has 5 users.
ActiveCampaign offers personalized email marketing, multi-step marketing automation, and CRM integrations. It suits teams using personalized email marketing campaigns. Pipelines and sales engagement are available as CRM add-ons.
From $12.74 per user/month (BASIC plan), checked Oct 2
Free plan
Free for 15 users; 250 Contacts
Best for
startups and growing businesses
What we like+ CRM & Sales includes Deals, Tasks, Appointment scheduling, Email tracking, and Email scheduling.+ Email Marketing includes Email Broadcast and Sequences.+ Free plan includes CRM, Email Marketing, Autoresponders, and Landing Pages.
What we don't− Free plan is limited to 250 Contacts.− BASIC is $12.74 and includes 500 Contacts.− Marketing Automation is listed on the GROWTH plan at $55.24.
EngageBay is a CRM for startups and growing businesses. It includes CRM and sales tools such as deals, tasks, appointment scheduling, and email tracking, plus email broadcasts and sequences. The free plan supports up to 15 users and includes 250 contacts.
$24.90 per seat/month, billed annually, checked Oct 2
Free trial
14 days
Best for
solopreneurs and small teams
Works on
Outlook, Gmail
What we like+ Manage leads, track deals, and run email sequences.+ Customizable deals and reports, with search, automation, forecasting, templates and email tracking.+ Automatically sync emails, contacts and calendars with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.+ 25,000 Contact Records and 2 GB/Seat Storage.
What we don't− AI Email Marketing is a $15/month company-wide upgrade.− Credits can be added in increments of 100 for an additional $10 per month.− Web chat and web forms are free for 30 days, then $12 per month per team.
Nimble is a CRM for managing relationships, leads and deals. It includes customizable pipelines and reports, email sequences, and Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integration. It suits solopreneurs and small teams.
Starting at $299/mo (Billed monthly), checked Oct 2
Best for
small businesses
What we like+ Sales pipeline: track and manage leads as they move through the funnel.+ Send broadcast and 1:1 emails, and trigger automated emails based on contact activity.+ Sync 1:1 emails between Keap and Gmail or Outlook.+ Pipeline automation lets you automate next steps at each stage.
What we don't− Implementation services are required: strategy consulting, data import, migration, and done-for-you services.− Text marketing broadcasts and automated text messages are only available in the U.S.− Usage over your text plan allotment is charged at $0.015 per text message and $0.01 per voice minute.
Keap is a CRM and automation platform for small businesses. It includes a sales pipeline, email marketing with Gmail or Outlook sync, and pipeline automation for next steps at each stage.
8. Best for startups and SMBs needing pipeline management across channels
Salesmate CRM (iPhone, iPad, Android)
Screenshot: Salesmate CRM
Price from
Basic: $23 USD / per user / month, checked Oct 2
Free trial
15 days
Best for
startups and SMBs needing pipeline management across channels
Works on
iPhone, iPad, Android
What we like+ Manage contacts, companies, deals, pipelines, activities, and conversations in one place.+ Basic includes deal pipeline management, full email sync, and email templates and tracking.+ Basic includes calendar sync, meeting scheduler, standard dashboard and reports, and web forms.+ All plans include iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile apps.
What we don't− Sequences are available on Pro at $39 USD / per user / month.− Product & quote management is available on Pro at $39 USD / per user / month.− Power dialer and voicemail drop are available on Business at $63 USD / per user / month.
Salesmate CRM manages contacts, companies, deals, pipelines, activities, and conversations in one place. Its Basic plan is designed for startups and SMBs needing pipeline management across channels, with full email sync and email templates and tracking.
