A CRM for one person does not need forecasting dashboards. It needs a place to keep contacts, a pipeline that shows who you owe a reply, and reminders so follow-ups do not slip. This comparison looks at HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive and Capsule through that lens.
Figures come from each vendor's own pages, checked October 20, 2026. This is a research-based comparison, not a hands-on test. Some vendors do not show every paid price on the pages we read, and where that is the case we say so instead of guessing.
The short answer
| Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Yes, 2 users and 1,000 contacts | Starter from $15/seat/month | Solo users who want email tracking and scheduling |
| Zoho CRM | Yes, up to 3 users | Not shown on pages we read | People already using other Zoho apps |
| Pipedrive | No, 14-day trial | Lite $14/seat/month (billed annually) | Pipeline-first selling |
| Capsule | Yes, 2 users and 250 contacts | Not shown on pages we read | Simple contact and pipeline tracking |
HubSpot
HubSpot CRM
Best free planGenerous free tier with scheduling and email tracking.
- Free
- 2 users, 1,000 contacts, no expiry
- Starter
- From $15/seat/month (new-customer discount)
- Included free
- Pipelines, email tracking, meeting links, forms
HubSpot's free CRM includes deal pipelines, email tracking and templates, meeting links that sync with your calendar, and a form builder. The Starter price on the page carries a footnote: the discount is for new customers only and can be discontinued, so the price you see today may not be the renewal price.
What works
- Free tier covers pipeline, email tracking and scheduling
- Meeting links reduce the need for a separate scheduler
What to watch
- Starter price is a new-customer discount
- Moving up the plans gets expensive quickly
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM
Free for 3 usersRoomy free edition; paid prices were not visible on the pages we read.
- Free
- Up to 3 users, forever
- Includes
- Contacts, reminders, webforms, workflow automation, API
- Paid plans
- Standard, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate
The free edition lists contact management, follow-up reminders, task, call and meeting logs, import and export, templates, webforms, workflow automation and mobile apps. The pricing pages we read showed plan names but not per-user amounts for the paid editions, so use Zoho's calculator before budgeting.
What works
- Free for up to 3 users, with basic automation
- Large set of integrations inside the Zoho family
What to watch
- Paid prices need checking on the live pricing page
- Many editions can be confusing
Pipedrive
Pipedrive
Best pipeline viewSales-pipeline-first, with no free plan.
- Lite
- $14/seat/month, billed annually
- Growth
- $39/seat/month, billed annually
- Free trial
- 14 days, no credit card
Pipedrive's Lite plan covers lead, calendar and pipeline management. Email sync with tracking, automations and the meeting scheduler arrive on Growth, at $39 per seat per month billed annually. The page does not show monthly-billing prices, so expect monthly billing to cost more than the annual figure.
What works
- Pipeline management is the core of the product
- Clear per-seat pricing
What to watch
- No free plan
- Email sync and automation need Growth
Capsule
Capsule
Simple and smallLightweight CRM with a small free plan.
- Free
- 2 users, 250 contacts, 1 pipeline
- Starter
- 30,000 contacts
- Paid prices
- Not shown on the pages we read
Capsule's free plan allows two users, 250 contacts, five custom fields and one sales pipeline. Paid plans are priced per user per month billed annually, with contact limits starting at 30,000. The page says annual billing saves up to 18%, but we could not read the per-user prices.
What works
- Small, uncluttered product
- Free plan is enough for a very small client list
What to watch
- Only 250 contacts and one pipeline on free
- Paid prices were not visible to us
Which one should you choose?
- Start with HubSpot if you want the biggest free plan and are happy to grow into it.
- Choose Zoho CRM if you already use Zoho for invoicing or email.
- Choose Pipedrive if you sell to a steady flow of leads and want pipeline tracking above all.
- Choose Capsule if you want a calm, simple tool and have fewer than 250 contacts.
If you want free options only, read our guide to the best free CRMs for solo consultants.
How we compared
We read each vendor's published pages on October 20, 2026. We did not run hands-on tests. Discounts and prices change, so confirm on the vendor site.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CRM as a freelancer?
If you juggle more than a dozen active leads or clients, a simple CRM stops follow-ups from slipping. Fewer than that, a spreadsheet may do.
Can a free CRM be enough?
Often, yes. Free HubSpot, Zoho and Capsule plans cover contacts, notes and a pipeline. Limits on contacts, users and automation are what push people to upgrade.