# Best CRM for Small Business _CompareFairly · en/US · neutral comparison, cited sources, no paid placement_ **Category:** software › business software › crm **Our pick**: EngageBay (69/100) · **Cheapest**: EngageBay · **Best value**: Freshsales (by Freshworks) ## Comparison table | Criterion | EngageBay | Salesforce Essentials | Freshsales (by Freshworks) | Apptivo CRM | Zoho CRM | Pipedrive | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pricing (USD) | 0 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14 | | Sales Features | Advanced | Comprehensive | Advanced | Advanced | Standard | Standard | | Marketing Features | Advanced | Standard | Basic | Standard | Standard | Basic | | Customer Service Features | Advanced | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Basic | | Ease of Use | Easy | Easy | Easy | Moderate | Easy | Very Easy | | Integrations | Moderate | Extensive | Moderate | Moderate | Many | Many | | Scalability | High | Very High | High | High | High | Moderate | | Reporting & Analytics | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Standard | Standard | Standard | | Mobile App Availability | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Customer Support | Good | Excellent | Good | Fair | Good | Good | ## 1. EngageBay An all-in-one platform offering CRM, marketing automation, sales, and customer support features with a generous free plan. **Best for:** Small to medium-sized businesses looking for an affordable all-in-one CRM with essential sales, marketing, and service features, and who can work within its reporting and integration constraints. **Pros:** - Free plan is functional for basic CRM, email, and helpdesk needs. - Growth plan offers a good balance of features and cost for SMBs. - Integrates with essential tools like Gmail, Outlook, and Zoom natively. - Zapier integration expands connectivity to thousands of external apps. **Cons:** - Reporting limitations include inability to stack multiple pipelines or custom fields. - Marketing analytics lack multi-touch attribution or funnel visualization. - Service reports are less customizable compared to competitors like Zendesk or HubSpot. - App marketplace is small and focuses on utility integrations rather than deep links for ads or analytics. _Source (estimate): [https://www.engagebay.com/](https://www.engagebay.com/)_ ## 2. Salesforce Essentials Combines sales, service, marketing, and basic commerce in a single suite with guided onboarding, offering a comprehensive 'all-in-one' toolkit that grows alongside your company. **Best for:** most small businesses, in most cases, due to its strong combination of ease-of-use, pricing, and extensive range of tools and features. **Pros:** - Balance between easy customization and built-in functionality - Works well with other Salesforce products - Comprehensive 'all-in-one' toolkit **Cons:** - Fairly expensive - Customer service contact options are limited - Professional services options are expensive _Source (verified): [https://innowise.com/blog/best-crm-for-small-business/](https://innowise.com/blog/best-crm-for-small-business/)_ ## 3. Freshsales (by Freshworks) Provides a variety of tools that make it simple for small- and mid-sized businesses to support their clients, understand customer intent, and efficiently convert leads into sales. **Best for:** sales managers and small businesses with active inbound lead flow due to its AI-assisted lead prioritization. **Pros:** - Intuitive, customizable interface - Mobile app with voice note features - Advanced AI forecasting and insights **Cons:** - Lead generation tools only available with Enterprise plan - Fewer third-party integrations than competitors - Marketing automation and advanced reporting are limited compared to larger platforms _Source (verified): [https://www.techradar.com/best/best-crm-for-small-business](https://www.techradar.com/best/best-crm-for-small-business)_ ## 4. Apptivo CRM Offers a broad range of business applications including CRM, with a free plan and affordable pricing for small businesses. **Best for:** Small to medium-sized businesses looking for an all-in-one solution with extensive customization options and a free starting plan. **Pros:** - Offers a free plan for up to 3 users with core CRM features. - Provides a wide range of integrated business tools beyond CRM. - Extensive customization options available for tailoring the system. - 24/7 customer support is included with all paid plans. **Cons:** - User interface can appear dated and navigation may be inefficient. - Limited number of third-party integrations compared to some competitors. - Customization process can have a steep learning curve. - Some users report UI inconsistencies and menu clutter. _Source (estimate): [https://www.apptivo.com/crm/](https://www.apptivo.com/crm/)_ ## 5. Zoho CRM Affordable CRM with a free tier and modular upgrades, offering a high level of customization for small businesses with non-standard sales processes. **Best for:** growing businesses and small businesses with non-standard sales processes due to its customization options on a budget. **Pros:** - Free for up to 3 users - Deep customization and multi-channel communication tools at an accessible price point - Workflow automation **Cons:** - Higher learning curve - UI can overwhelm new users - Advanced features reserved for premium tiers _Source (verified): [https://innowise.com/blog/best-crm-for-small-business/](https://innowise.com/blog/best-crm-for-small-business/)_ ## 6. Pipedrive Built around a visual pipeline view that tells you exactly what needs to happen next, ideal for small sales teams needing clarity on deal status at a glance. **Best for:** small sales teams that need clarity on deal status at a glance. **Pros:** - Clean, intuitive pipeline management - Low onboarding friction - Best for Automation **Cons:** - Limited AI features - Lighter reporting compared to more robust platforms _Source (verified): [https://www.business.com/categories/crm-software/](https://www.business.com/categories/crm-software/)_ ## 7. HubSpot CRM Pairs Smart CRM with core hubs, offering a smooth upgrade path from free tools and a generous free starting point for early-stage teams. **Best for:** early-stage teams that want a free CRM with room to grow and AI-Driven Sales. **Pros:** - Free CRM with solid contact and pipeline management - Strong ecosystem for future scaling - Easy transition from free to paid **Cons:** - Advanced automation and AI features require paid upgrades that can get expensive quickly - AI capabilities in the free plan are limited _Source (verified): [https://innowise.com/blog/best-crm-for-small-business/](https://innowise.com/blog/best-crm-for-small-business/)_ ## 8. Capsule CRM A CRM known for its integrations and ease of use, offering a free plan and free trial. **Pros:** - Best for integrations and ease of use - Free plan available _Source (estimate): [https://croclub.com/tools/best-crm-for-small-business/](https://croclub.com/tools/best-crm-for-small-business/)_ ## 9. Insightly Combines CRM with project management features, suitable for businesses that need to track both sales and projects. _Source (estimate): [https://www.insightly.com/](https://www.insightly.com/)_ ## 10. Streak CRM A CRM that works directly within Gmail, ideal for users who want a tightly integrated email and contact management solution. _Source (estimate): [https://www.streak.com/](https://www.streak.com/)_ ## In short This comparison covers 10 crm across 10 criteria: Pricing, Sales Features, Marketing Features, Customer Service Features, Ease of Use, Integrations. EngageBay comes first with 69/100, driven by Pricing (100/100) and Customer Support (67/100). Salesforce Essentials follows at 65/100 and beats it on Integrations. The cheapest option is EngageBay. Sourced data: 5/10 options; the remaining values are estimates, flagged as such. ## Frequently asked questions **What is the best CRM for small business in 2026?** EngageBay is currently the top-rated CRM for small businesses with a score of 69/100, followed closely by Salesforce Essentials. Our ranking is based on a comprehensive analysis of pricing, sales, marketing, customer service features, ease of use, and integrations. **How do you rank CRMs for small businesses?** We rank CRMs based on objective data across key criteria like pricing, sales and marketing features, customer service, ease of use, and integrations. Our methodology ensures a neutral and unbiased comparison, as our rankings are not influenced by any paid placements. **Is Salesforce Essentials a good CRM for a small business?** Yes, Salesforce Essentials is a strong contender for small businesses, ranking just behind our top pick, EngageBay. It offers a robust set of features suitable for growing companies. **What factors are most important when choosing a CRM for my small business?** Key factors to consider include pricing that fits your budget, essential sales and marketing features, reliable customer service, ease of use for your team, and seamless integrations with your existing tools. --- _Generated by CompareFairly - neutral universal comparator. Ranking not for sale, data sourced._ --- _CompareFairly · https://comparefairly.com/en/US/best-crm-for-small-business — citation with a link is allowed; bulk extraction/redistribution is prohibited._