Is There a Free CRM? Yes, and Here Is the Catch
Yes. On their official pricing pages, checked on 17 October 2026, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Bitrix24 and Freshsales all offer a free-forever CRM plan, limited to between one and three users. Pipedrive and Kommo have no free plan, only a 14-day trial. The catch for a small business that sells on WhatsApp is that free plans connect to WhatsApp only through a browser extension, or not at all; the official WhatsApp connection sits in paid plans or separate products.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
Bernardo Villela · CEO, CertuAI
Conecte o WhatsApp e a IA aprende com as suas conversas: preços, horários e o seu jeito de responder.
Conectar meu WhatsApp Você revisa e aprova antes de a IA atender alguém.Summary in 7 facts
- On their official pricing pages, checked on 17 October 2026, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Bitrix24 and Freshsales all offer a free-forever CRM plan, limited to between one and three users.
- Pipedrive and Kommo have no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- The catch for a small business that sells on WhatsApp is that free plans connect to WhatsApp only through a browser extension, or not at all; the official WhatsApp connection sits in paid plans or separate products.
- Prices and limits checked on each vendor's official pricing page on 17 October 2026.
- The free WhatsApp Business app lets you tag chats with labels, up to 20, which WhatsApp is gradually renaming "lists".
- Count the users you will have a year from now, not today.
- Check how it connects to the channel your customers use, on the free plan specifically.
In numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 2 users | Is HubSpot CRM really free?: HubSpot says the free plan has no time limit, for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts. |
Which CRMs have a free plan?
| CRM | Free forever? | Free plan limit | WhatsApp on the free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Yes | Up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts | No native WhatsApp; it needs Marketing Hub or Service Hub Professional |
| Zoho CRM | Yes | Up to 3 users | Not confirmed on the pricing page |
| Bitrix24 | Yes | 1 to 2 users, basic CRM | No; listed from the Basic plan up |
| Freshsales | Yes | Up to 3 users | Through Freshchat and a Meta provider |
| Pipedrive | No | 14-day trial, no card | Growth plan and up, in beta |
| Kommo | No | 14-day trial, no card | Yes, official API from the Base plan |
Prices and limits checked on each vendor's official pricing page on 17 October 2026. They change; check before you sign up.
What do free CRM plans leave out?
- People. One to three users. Hiring a fourth person usually means paying per user for everyone.
- The official WhatsApp connection. A browser extension shows the CRM beside WhatsApp Web, but the chat still lives on one phone. The official WhatsApp Business Platform, with several people on one number, is almost always paid.
- Automation. Automatic reminders, follow-up sequences and reports usually start on paid tiers.
- Record limits. A cap on contacts, deals or storage that stops you when you hit it.
Can you use WhatsApp Business as a free CRM?
Partly. The free WhatsApp Business app lets you tag chats with labels, up to 20, which WhatsApp is gradually renaming "lists". One label per stage, such as New, Quote sent, Negotiating and Won, gives you a simple free pipeline. It cannot store deal values, remind you to follow up or total what is in negotiation.
How do you pick a free CRM?
- Count the users you will have a year from now, not today.
- Check how it connects to the channel your customers use, on the free plan specifically.
- Compare the free plan's contact and deal limits with your volume.
- Look at the first paid plan for your team size: that is where you will land when you grow.
- Try exporting your contacts before you commit.
When is a free CRM the wrong choice?
When most sales start on WhatsApp and several people answer customers. A free CRM then becomes one more screen someone has to fill in by hand, and the pipeline goes stale within a week. In that case, a CRM that records the conversation on its own matters more than the price of the first tier.
Read next
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free CRM for a small business?
- For up to two users working mostly by email, HubSpot's free CRM is the most complete. For three users, Zoho and Freshsales offer free plans. If you sell on WhatsApp, none of the free plans connect through the official WhatsApp Business Platform.
- Is HubSpot CRM really free?
- HubSpot says the free plan has no time limit, for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts. WhatsApp requires a Professional plan.
- Is there a free CRM with WhatsApp?
- Only through browser extensions for WhatsApp Web. CRMs on the official WhatsApp Business Platform, with several people on one number, are paid.
- Does Pipedrive have a free plan?
- No. Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial with no card, then paid plans from US$ 14 per user per month billed annually, according to its pricing page.
Keep reading
In short
Yes. On their official pricing pages, checked on 17 October 2026, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Bitrix24 and Freshsales all offer a free-forever CRM plan, limited to between one and three users. Pipedrive and Kommo have no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
