Updated November 6, 2026
Less Annoying CRM: Simple, low-cost CRM for small businesses. People look for alternatives when they need a lower price, a free plan or a better fit for a specific job.
These 8 tools cover similar ground. Each entry explains who it suits, how pricing works and what to watch out for.
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | Businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM | Free trial | No |
| Attio | Startups and modern teams that want a flexible, fast CRM | Freemium | Yes |
| Close | High-volume inside sales and startup sales teams | Free trial | No |
| Copper | Teams that run their business in Gmail and Google Workspace | Free trial | No |
| Freshsales | Growing sales teams that want calling and email built into the CRM | Free trial | No |
| HubSpot CRM | Small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later | Freemium | Yes |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales | Larger organisations standardised on Microsoft tools | Free trial | No |
| monday CRM | Teams that want a customisable CRM that also handles projects and post-sale work | Free trial | No |
Email marketing with some of the strongest automation available.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM.
Modern, data-driven CRM you can shape around your business.
Free plan available. Paid plans add more features and limits.
Who it suits: Startups and modern teams that want a flexible, fast CRM.
CRM with built-in calling, SMS and email for inside sales teams.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: High-volume inside sales and startup sales teams.
CRM designed to work inside Google Workspace.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Teams that run their business in Gmail and Google Workspace.
CRM from Freshworks with built-in phone, email and AI lead scoring.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Growing sales teams that want calling and email built into the CRM.
6.
Best for: Small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later
Free CRM that grows into a full marketing, sales and service platform.
Free plan available. Paid plans add more features and limits.
Who it suits: Small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later.
Enterprise CRM tightly integrated with Microsoft 365.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Larger organisations standardised on Microsoft tools.
8.
Best for: Teams that want a customisable CRM that also handles projects and post-sale work
Flexible CRM built on the monday.com work platform.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Teams that want a customisable CRM that also handles projects and post-sale work.
A CRM (customer relationship management) system keeps contacts, companies, deals and emails in one place so your team knows where every opportunity stands. Small teams want something simple and quick to set up; larger sales teams need pipelines, forecasting, automation and reporting.
Prices and features change often. Check each vendor’s website for current plans before you buy.
