Which CRM fits a small service business?
CRM pricing is easy to misread because a "free" plan is often capped by user count rather than features, per-seat costs compound quickly once a team grows, and the automation that actually saves time is frequently locked behind a mid tier rather than the entry plan.
Luvoxi compares HubSpot CRM, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM and Bigin by Zoho with a focus on solo operators and small service teams that need to track leads and deals without adopting an enterprise sales platform. For a closer head-to-head, see HubSpot vs Pipedrive compared directly.
CRM price comparison
The table uses monthly-billing figures from the pricing snapshot used for this guide. Annual billing, onboarding fees and add-ons can change the final amount.
| Tool | Starting price / seat / month | Free plan | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | $0 → $20 | Yes — up to 2 users, 1 pipeline | Teams wanting the most usable free CRM tier |
| Pipedrive | $24 | No — 14-day trial only | Sales-first teams wanting a simple visual pipeline |
| Zoho CRM | $0 → $20 | Yes — up to 3 users | Budget-conscious teams that expect to add features later |
| Bigin by Zoho | $0 → $9 | Yes — 1 user | Very small teams wanting the simplest, cheapest paid CRM |
Pricing snapshot: September 2026. HubSpot and Pipedrive charge per seat with no shared-seat discount; onboarding fees on higher tiers are not included. Verify current regional pricing directly with the vendor.
What changes the real monthly cost?
1. Seats and users
Every tool in this guide bills per seat once a team grows past its free-tier user cap. Adding a bookkeeper, assistant or second salesperson is usually the single biggest driver of a bigger bill.
2. Automation and pipeline depth
Workflow automation, email sequencing and forecasting are commonly gated behind a mid tier rather than the entry plan. A cheap seat price can still mean paying more once automation becomes necessary.
3. Contact and record limits
Free and entry plans often cap stored contacts, deals or pipelines. A growing client list can force an upgrade even when the team size has not changed.
4. Onboarding and add-ons
Some CRMs charge a mandatory one-time onboarding fee on higher tiers, and features like extra pipelines, read-only seats or advanced reporting can be sold as separate add-ons.
Practical rule: price the plan for the seats and features your team will need in six months, not just the cheapest way to get started today.
Estimate your real monthly CRM cost
Change the team size and contact count. The comparison updates instantly using the guide's stated subscription assumptions.
subscription only
Subscription estimates only. Onboarding fees and non-CRM add-ons are not included.
Free CRM vs paid CRM
For a one or two-person team tracking a simple pipeline, a genuinely free CRM tier can be enough. The decision changes once a business needs more seats, workflow automation, forecasting or deeper reporting that only a paid tier unlocks.
The important comparison is therefore the cost of running the sales process a team actually needs, not simply whether a product has a free badge.
How Luvoxi checks CRM prices
Prices are recorded from vendor pricing pages and shown with the date checked. Where a product charges a mandatory onboarding fee or gates automation behind a specific tier, those factors are called out instead of being hidden inside a single headline number.
CRM software FAQ
What is the cheapest CRM here?
Bigin by Zoho and HubSpot CRM both have usable free tiers under the source assumptions, with Bigin's paid tier being the cheapest per-seat upgrade. The practical cheapest option depends on team size and which automation features are required.
Is HubSpot CRM really free?
Its core CRM can be used at no monthly cost for up to two users under the comparison assumptions, but automation, higher contact limits and reporting depth require a paid Sales Hub tier.
Why doesn't Pipedrive have a free plan?
Pipedrive is priced as a paid, per-seat sales tool from the first user under the source assumptions, with only a time-limited trial rather than a permanent free tier.
Does team size matter more than features?
For these four tools, seat count is usually the largest driver of the final bill, since each is priced per user once past its free-tier cap. Feature tier is the second-largest driver.
What should I verify before buying?
Verify the current per-seat price, user and contact limits, any mandatory onboarding fee, billing cycle, included automation and any paid add-ons on the vendor's own website.