Startup
Best Free CRM Software for Startups in 2024
Find the best free CRM systems for startups. Enhance your customer interactions without overspending. Discover the best bootstrapping options.
Introduction
When you're launching a startup, managing customer relationships efficiently is crucial. This is where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software comes into play.
Startups face unique challenges such as limited budgets and resources, which makes finding the right CRM solution essential. Luckily, there are several free CRM options available that can help startups streamline their processes, enhance customer interactions, and ultimately drive growth.
Understanding CRM Software
Hubspot CRM: Best for Sales Automation
Price: Free for up to 5 users
Best Known For:
Fully integrated CRM platform for company with multiple departments/teams for commercial development.
Quick Overview
HubSpot's free CRM is brimming with features designed to help sales teams close more deals. It offers sales automation, email tracking, contact management, and prospect tracking. Additionally, its leaderboard fosters friendly competition among sales reps, while the Meeting Scheduler app aids in booking more meetings with fewer email exchanges.
Whether your needs lie in sales, marketing, customer service, operations, or a combination of these, HubSpot provides free features for each division. The free account supports up to 1,000 contacts, though it's important to note that using these CRM tools alongside Marketing Hub will cause contacts to be counted in both systems. This could affect your pricing tier for the Marketing Hub’s contact base.
Pros
Free forever plan up to 5 users
Team email with email marketing
Website, Landing Page and Blog with SEO tools
Cons
Free plan comes with HubSpot branding on every external contents (websites, forms, live chat etc.)
Complicated navigation and setup
Limited contacts (up to 1000) in free plan
Bigin (by Zoho CRM) - Best for Integration
Update: Zoho CRM no longer provides free option (15-days free trial only), Bigin by Zoho CRM is now the free version of Zoho CRM, free for up to single user (instead of 3)
Price: Free for single user
Best Known For:
Good choice for businesses that already use Zoho products and are looking for an omnichannel solution.
Quick Overview
Zoho CRM is a cloud-based application designed to assist sales teams in managing customer relationships, converting leads, and boosting revenue. It seamlessly integrates with numerous Zoho business applications, making it an excellent choice for companies already utilizing Zoho products. The free plan connects with Zoho Analytics, Zoho Campaigns, Zoho Forms, Zoho Desk, Zoho Projects, Zoho Survey, SalesIQ, and Zoho CRM Mobile Edition.
Its omnichannel capabilities allow sales teams to handle customer interactions across diverse platforms, including phone, email, social media, and live chat. Additionally, Zoho CRM provides robust features for managing deals and opportunities, such as sales pipeline management, forecasting, and comprehensive reporting.
Pros
Integrates with all the Zoho Suite products
Mobile App
Cons
Free version is limited to single pipeline, 500 records and 3 automations
Only one user allowed in the free version
Klipy - Best for Simplicity and AI
Price: Free for up to 3 users
Best Known For:
Good choice for businesses that have high volume of ongoing conversations and doesn't have resources to manage data quality or maintain admin on data entries
Quick Overview
Klipy's free CRM plan boasts a simple and intuitive interface, making it ideal for first-time CRM users, regardless of prior experience. Embracing the motto "No manual entry CRM," Klipy features auto email routing, summaries, call analytics, and AI-powered qualification and pipeline updates. The platform also offers a straightforward Kanban-based pipeline, task management, and AI-enhanced contact management.
As a rapidly growing startup, Klipy is committed to continuous improvement with weekly product releases, ensuring they can quickly adapt to meet the diverse needs of their customers.
Pros
Designed for minimum manual entry (auto routing, extraction and logging)
Fast and frequent upgrade (weekly)
A lot of AI and Generative AI features (non-chatbot)
Direct coaching and support from founding team
Cons
AI Extraction limited to emails and online meetings
Lacks Reports and Analytics
Doesn't support complex custom data objects
Bitrix24 - Best for Unlimited Free Users
Price: Free for unlimited users
Best Known For:
Good choice for businesses that need team collaboration features and sales automation
Quick Overview
Bitrix24's free CRM plan is comprehensive, offering unlimited users, contacts, and deals. Within its CRM, you can list an unlimited number of catalog items, including services, and manage all communication channels from a centralized dashboard. This makes it an excellent collaboration tool for sales teams, allowing them to build agile teams without concern for overhead costs.
Bitrix24 enhances its project management capabilities with a robust suite of collaboration tools. Video calls facilitate face-to-face interactions, essential in remote work settings or when discussing complex details. Chats allow for real-time discussions, ensuring that no query or update is missed. Calendars help keep track of project timelines and individual task deadlines. With Drive and online documents, teams can collaborate seamlessly on content, ensuring everyone has access to the most up-to-date information.
Pros
Free forever plan with unlimited users
Auto-Dialer
Integration and Omnichannel messaging
Cons
Free plan has 5GB limit on online storage
Free plan only allows one pipeline
Expensive paid plan
Conclusion
Key features to prioritize when selecting free CRM software for startups include robust contact and lead management, intuitive deal/sales pipeline tracking, efficient task management, insightful reporting and analytics, seamless email integration, and compatibility with other essential business tools.
HubSpot CRM, Bigin by Zoho CRM, Freshsales, and Klipy all offer strong free plans with various features to meet different needs. Consider your specific requirements, the ease of use, and the level of customer support when making your decision.
