A free CRM sounds great until you hit the limits. We evaluated every CRM that offers a genuinely free plan — no credit card, no trial countdown — and ranked them on what you actually get for $0, and exactly where each plan starts costing you.
How we evaluated free plans
We tested each free CRM on: what's included at $0 (contacts, deals, users), whether a credit card is required to start, how the limits work, and what the realistic upgrade cost is once you outgrow the free tier. A "free" plan that caps at 100 contacts isn't really usable — we flagged those.
The best free CRMs ranked
| CRM | Free limit | Card needed | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | 1M contacts | No | 9.0Top pick |
| Insightly | 2 users, 2,500 records | No | 8.2 |
| Streak | 500 rows (Gmail) | No | 7.8 |
The most generous free CRM available — up to 1 million contacts, deal tracking, email integration, and meeting scheduling, all at $0 with no credit card. The catch is that marketing automation and advanced reporting require paid upgrades.
1. HubSpot — Best overall free CRM
HubSpot's free CRM is the real deal: up to 1 million contacts, deal pipelines, email tracking, meeting scheduling, and live chat — all for $0 and no credit card. For a brand-new business or a tiny team, it's enough to actually run your sales process. The limitation is that everything beyond core CRM (marketing automation, sequences, custom reporting) is gated to paid tiers that add up fast.
Pros
- Genuinely free, no credit card
- 1M contact limit is huge
- Real deal tracking + email tools
Cons
- Marketing automation costs extra
- Free tier has limited reporting
- Paid upgrades get expensive
2. Insightly — Best for project tracking
Insightly's free plan covers 2 users and 2,500 records — smaller than HubSpot's, but it uniquely includes project tracking and task management, which most free CRMs leave out. If you want a CRM that doubles as a lightweight project tool, it's a solid pick.
Is "free" actually free?
Honestly: free CRMs are real, but they're not free forever. Every plan here is genuinely $0 to start with no credit card — but each is designed to upsell you once you grow. HubSpot's free tier is the most usable at $0; the others push you toward paid faster. If you expect to grow past the free limits within a few months, start with Pipedrive at $14/seat instead — see our best CRM for small business guide.
Free CRMs are a launchpad, not a destination. Use them to start, then graduate to paid when you outgrow the limits.