SFDIFY
Good CRM software examples for a small business are Salesforce (customizable, from $25 per user per month on Starter Suite) [1], HubSpot (free CRM for up to 2 users) [2], Zoho CRM (free for 3 users, paid editions from US$14 per user per month) [3], Pipedrive (pipeline-first sales CRM) [4], monday CRM (work-management style) [5], Keap (small-business automation) [6] and folk (relationship and contact CRM) [7]. Each is a different kind of CRM, so the right pick depends on whether you mainly need a sales pipeline, marketing automation or a tidy contact list.
More comparisons on our YouTube channel: @sfdify_ai
The main types of CRM, in plain terms
monday CRM describes the category well: customer relationship management is "a system for managing interactions with leads and customers across their entire journey" [8]. In practice, CRM software for small businesses falls into three broad types:
- Operational or sales CRM. Stores contacts, companies and deals, and moves each deal through pipeline stages. Pipedrive is the textbook example.
- Marketing automation CRM. Adds email campaigns, lead scoring and automated follow-up sequences on top of the contact database. Keap and HubSpot lean this way.
- Contact or relationship CRM. Focuses on keeping a clean, enriched list of people and the history of every conversation, with lighter pipeline features. folk fits here.
Salesforce and Zoho CRM cover all three, so they count as "enterprise" or "customizable" examples.
How we chose
We picked seven widely used products, each a clear example of one CRM type, and compared them using only the vendors' homepages and pricing pages, checked on November 9, 2026. There was no hands-on testing and there are no scores. Pipedrive, monday CRM, Keap and folk carry affiliate links here; that did not change the order or tone.
CRM software examples at a glance
| Product | CRM type it exemplifies | Starting price | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Enterprise / customizable | $25 per user per month, Starter Suite [1] | Pro Suite is $100 per user per month, billed annually [1] |
| HubSpot CRM | Free all-in-one | $0 for up to 2 users [2] | Starter is normally $20 per seat per month [2] |
| Zoho CRM | Customizable, budget-friendly | Free for 3 users; Standard US$14 /user/month [3] | Enterprise is US$40 /user/month [3] |
| Pipedrive | Pipeline-first sales CRM | US$14 per seat per month, billed annually (Lite) [4] | 14-day free trial, no credit card [4] |
| monday CRM | Work-management CRM | $12 per seat per month on yearly billing (Basic) [5] | Plans start from 3 users [5] |
| Keap | Small-business automation CRM | $320/mo [6] | Implementation services are required [6] |
| folk | Relationship / contact CRM | $24 per member per month, billed yearly (Standard) [7] | LinkedIn extension on Standard [7] |
Salesforce — the customizable enterprise CRM, scaled down
Salesforce is the standard example of a highly customizable CRM; its homepage calls it "the #1 AI CRM" [9]. Small businesses usually start on a packaged suite.
Verified features: Starter Suite includes "Lead, Account, Contact, and Opportunity Management", "Built-in Sales Flows and Lead Routing" and "Dynamic Email Marketing and Analytics" [10]. Pro Suite adds "Greater Customization and Automation" plus "Sales Quoting and Forecasting" [10].
Pricing: Starter Suite is $25 per user per month, billed monthly or annually, and Salesforce states "There is no user maximum" [1]. Pro Suite is $100 per user per month, billed annually with a contract required [1]. The full Sales Cloud Core edition is listed at $195 per user per month, billed annually [10].
Strengths: You can start small and grow into quoting, forecasting and heavier automation on one platform [10].
Limitations: The jump from $25 to $100 per user is steep, and the small-business page notes that "Transaction fees apply" and that "Most Salesforce products use annual contracts" [1]. Customization usually takes setup time or outside Salesforce help.
Best fit: B2B teams that expect to grow headcount, need custom objects and approval flows later, or sell to customers who already run Salesforce.
HubSpot CRM — the free all-in-one example
HubSpot is the best-known example of a free CRM that grows into a marketing, sales and service suite.
Verified features: HubSpot says its free CRM connects "to over 2,000 popular business apps" [11] and is "100% free with no expiration date" [11]. Starter "removes HubSpot branding, raises usage limits, and adds email and chat support, plus features like automation, AI agents, payments, meeting scheduling, e-signatures" [2].
Pricing: Free is $0 for up to 2 users, with no credit card required [2]. Starter is normally $20 per month per seat; new customers can get $7 per seat with an upfront annual payment or $10 per seat month to month for a limited time [2].
Strengths: A real pipeline at no cost, with marketing, sales and service tools on the same record.
Limitations: The free account allows 1,000 contacts and 2 users [2]; past that you pay. The low Starter prices are discounts for new customers only [2], so budget for the $20 list price at renewal. See our HubSpot competitors comparison for rivals.
Best fit: Founders who want marketing and sales in one place and plan to start on the free CRM.
Zoho CRM — the customizable CRM on a budget
Zoho CRM is a strong example of a full-featured, customizable CRM priced for small companies. Zoho says it is "Trusted by 350K+ businesses worldwide" [12].
Verified features: The free edition is "Forever free, for 3 users" and includes contact management, workflow automation and mobile apps [3]. Standard adds multiple sales pipelines, built-in calling and sales forecasting [3]. Professional adds AI agents, inventory management and "Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)" [3]. Enterprise adds a developer sandbox and field-level encryption [3].
Pricing: Standard is US$14, Professional US$23 and Enterprise US$40 per user per month, and "Local taxes may apply" [3].
Strengths: Low per-user prices for a full platform, plus a free tier with one more user than HubSpot's [2, 3].
Limitations: With this many editions and modules, setup takes planning, and some features you may expect (such as CPQ or inventory) sit on Professional rather than Standard [3].
Best fit: Cost-conscious teams that want a customizable CRM and are willing to configure it themselves.
Pipedrive — the pipeline-first sales CRM
Pipedrive is the clearest example of an operational sales CRM built around the deal pipeline. Its "kanban-style dashboard lets you visualize your sales funnel" [13], and it says it is trusted by "100,000+ companies in 179 countries" [13].
Verified features: Lite is positioned around meeting intelligence, and Growth adds automated emails and follow-ups [4].
Pricing: Lite is US$14, Growth US$39, Premium US$59 and Ultimate US$79 per seat per month, billed annually [4]. Every plan has a "Free 14-day trial. No credit card required." [4]
Strengths: Simple for a deal-focused team, and you can invite as many co-workers as you want to the trial [4].
Limitations: There is no free plan listed, only the trial [4]. Lead capture, email campaigns and document tools are paid add-ons: LeadBooster starts from $32.50 and Campaigns from $13.33 [4], so the real cost can climb above the plan price.
Best fit: Small B2B sales teams that want a free sales CRM trial and then a simple pipeline tool.
monday CRM — the work-management CRM
monday CRM is an example of CRM built on a work-management platform, which makes it a natural pick if you want CRM and project management software in one place. monday says it manages "sales pipelines and customer relationships from pre- to post-sale" [8].
Verified features: Basic covers 1,000 active contacts and deals [5]. Standard raises that to 10,000 and adds 250 custom automations per month [5]. Pro adds the ability to send mass emails and set email sequences [5].
Pricing: Basic is $12, Standard $17 and Pro $28 per seat per month on yearly billing ($18, $25 and $41 month to month) [5]. Ultimate has a custom price [5].
Strengths: Pre-sale and post-sale work can live on one platform [8].
Limitations: "Plans start from 3 users" [5], so a solo founder pays for seats they do not use. The only free option is a 14-day trial [5]. Mass email and sequences need Pro [5], and Basic caps you at 5 columns per board [5].
Best fit: Teams that want sales and delivery tracked together.
Keap — the small-business automation CRM
Keap is an example of a marketing automation CRM aimed at service businesses. Instead of feature tiers, it sells "the entire Keap software platform starting at one low price" [6].
Verified features: Keap includes contact management, sales and marketing automation and a library of prebuilt automations [6].
Pricing: Starting at $320/mo, billed monthly [6]. Keap includes 2 user licenses, and additional users cost $39 per month each [6].
Strengths: One plan with the full platform and no feature tiers to outgrow [6].
Limitations: It is the most expensive starting point here for a small team, and "Required implementation services" are part of the purchase [6]. Text marketing is "only available in the U.S." and the mobile app is limited to the U.S., Australia, Canada, U.K. and New Zealand [6].
Best fit: Established service businesses that want automated follow-up and will pay for guided setup.
folk — the relationship and contact CRM
folk is an example of a lightweight relationship CRM built around contacts and outreach, a good type of B2B CRM software when sales depend on personal relationships.
Verified features: Standard includes pipeline management, email campaigns, contact enrichment and a LinkedIn extension [7]. Premium adds "Custom objects & Deals", email sequences, dashboards and API access [7].
Pricing: Standard is $24 per member per month billed yearly or $30 billed monthly; Premium is $48 billed yearly; Enterprise starts from $80 [7]. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial without a credit card [7].
Strengths: A good match for teams whose work is mostly finding, enriching and following up with people.
Limitations: Custom objects, dashboards and API access require Premium [7], so reporting-heavy teams pay double the Standard rate. If you do not upgrade after the trial, "we'll block your account" until you upgrade or request an extension [7].
Best fit: Small relationship-driven teams that live on LinkedIn and email.
How to choose between these CRM types
- Name your main job. Moving deals points to Pipedrive, nurturing leads to HubSpot or Keap, and keeping relationships warm to folk.
- Count seats honestly. Free tiers stop at 2 users on HubSpot [2] and 3 on Zoho CRM [3], while monday CRM starts at 3 seats [5].
- Price the full year. CRM software cost rarely equals the headline number. Check add-ons (Pipedrive [4]), implementation (Keap [6]) and contract terms (Salesforce [1]).
- Think two years ahead. If you expect custom objects, approvals or complex integrations, a customizable platform like Salesforce or Zoho CRM, or a custom CRM build, may save a migration later. See our guide to choosing custom, Salesforce or off-the-shelf CRM.
FAQ
What are some examples of CRM software for small businesses?
Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, monday CRM, Keap and folk are common examples, and each represents a different CRM type. HubSpot's free plan covers up to 2 users [2] and Zoho CRM's covers 3 [3], so two of them can be tried at no cost.
Is there a free sales CRM among these examples?
Yes. HubSpot's free plan costs $0 for up to 2 users with 1,000 contacts [2], Zoho CRM is free for 3 users [3], and Salesforce lists a Free Suite at $0 [10]. Pipedrive, monday CRM and folk offer free trials instead: 14 days for Pipedrive [4] and monday CRM [5], and 2 weeks for folk [7].
Is cloud CRM software the same as a regular CRM?
For most small businesses, yes: a modern CRM is usually cloud software you open in a browser. HubSpot, for example, says its free CRM works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge with "no other downloads or installations required" [11].
Which CRM works as CRM and project management software?
monday CRM is the closest fit among these examples, since it handles sales "from pre- to post-sale" on one platform [8]. Pipedrive also sells a Projects add-on starting from $16 [4].
How much does CRM software cost for a small team?
It ranges from $0 on HubSpot's free plan [2] to $320 per month as Keap's starting price [6]. Paid per-seat plans here start at US$14 for Zoho CRM Standard [3] and Pipedrive Lite billed annually [4], and $25 for Salesforce Starter Suite [1].
Our recommendation
Start with HubSpot's free CRM or Zoho CRM's free edition to learn what you need at no cost [2, 3]. Then pick Pipedrive for a deal pipeline, monday CRM for sales plus delivery, folk for relationship outreach, and Keap only if you will pay for automation and guided setup. Salesforce is the safe long-term choice when you know you will need deep customization.
Sources
- Salesforce Small Business Pricing: All-in-One CRM Solutions — checked 2026-11-09
- HubSpot Pricing: Free Tools and Starter — checked 2026-11-09
- Zoho CRM Pricing and Editions — checked 2026-11-09
- CRM Pricing Plans | Pipedrive — checked 2026-11-09
- monday.com CRM pricing: find the plan that works for you — checked 2026-11-09
- Keap Pricing | Best CRM and Automation for Businesses — checked 2026-11-09
- folk CRM Pricing — Free, Standard & Premium Plans — checked 2026-11-09
- AI CRM Software | monday CRM — checked 2026-11-09
- Salesforce: The #1 AI CRM — checked 2026-11-09
- Salesforce Sales Pricing — checked 2026-11-09
- Free CRM Software for Small Businesses | HubSpot — checked 2026-11-09
- Zoho CRM | Top-rated Sales CRM Software by Customers — checked 2026-11-09
- Sales CRM & Pipeline Management Software | Pipedrive — checked 2026-11-09
