Updated October 2026 · 13 products

Best CRM Software for small businesses

If your leads live in WhatsApp chats, a notebook and somebody's memory, you are already losing business — you just cannot see it yet.

A CRM is simply one place where every enquiry, call, quote and follow-up lives, with a reminder so nothing goes cold. Most small teams need far less than CRM vendors try to sell them: contacts, a deal pipeline with four or five stages, tasks, and a report showing where customers actually come from.

Start free. Several good CRMs have free plans that are more than enough to learn how your team sells. In India, check calling and WhatsApp integrations early, because that is where most conversations really happen. The best CRM is the one your team will actually update — so pick the simplest one that fits, and train everyone for an hour before rolling it out.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our rankings are not for sale; sponsored placements are always labelled.

Quick comparison

SoftwareBest forFree planOrigin
HubSpot CRM logoHubSpot CRMSmall teams starting with a CRM for the first timeYesUSVisit
Pipedrive logoPipedriveSmall sales teams focused on pipeline managementNo (trial may exist)EEVisit
Odoo logoOdooGrowing businesses that want one modular ERPYesBEVisit
Brevo logoBrevoBusinesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns togetherYesFRVisit
monday.com logomonday.comTeams that want colourful, flexible work boardsYesILVisit
Bitrix24 logoBitrix24Small teams wanting CRM, tasks and chat in one free toolYesUSVisit
Salesforce Sales Cloud logoSalesforce Sales CloudMid-sized and large sales organisationsNo (trial may exist)USVisit
Apollo.io logoApollo.ioB2B teams finding contacts and running outreachYesUSVisit
Zoho CRM logoZoho CRMIndian SMBs wanting an affordable, customisable CRMYesINVisit
Freshsales logoFreshsalesSales teams that want built-in phone and emailYesINVisit
LeadSquared logoLeadSquaredHigh-volume lead businesses such as education, real estate and financeNo (trial may exist)INVisit
Kylas logoKylasIndian SMB sales teams wanting a simple CRMVerifyINVisit
TeleCRM logoTeleCRMCalling-heavy teams that follow up leads by phone and WhatsAppVerifyINVisit

What to look for

  • Pipeline stages that match how you actually sell
  • Integrations with your main lead channels (calls, email, WhatsApp, forms)
  • Follow-up reminders and task assignment
  • Lead-source reporting
  • A free tier or trial long enough to test with real leads

The shortlist

#3

Best for: Growing businesses that want one modular ERP

✓ Modular — add apps as you grow
✓ Open-source community edition

Free plan
Visit Odoo ↗
#4

Best for: Businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns together

✓ Pricing based on emails sent
✓ Multi-channel messaging

Free plan
Visit Brevo ↗
#6

Best for: Small teams wanting CRM, tasks and chat in one free tool

✓ Generous free plan
✓ Many tools in one

Free plan
Visit Bitrix24 ↗
#9

Best for: Indian SMBs wanting an affordable, customisable CRM

✓ Good value
✓ Deep customisation

Free planMade for India
Visit Zoho CRM ↗
#10

Best for: Sales teams that want built-in phone and email

✓ Built-in phone and email
✓ Clean UI

Free planMade for India
Visit Freshsales ↗
#11

Best for: High-volume lead businesses such as education, real estate and finance

✓ Handles large lead volumes
✓ Field sales features

Made for India
Visit LeadSquared ↗
#12

Best for: Indian SMB sales teams wanting a simple CRM

✓ Simple to adopt
✓ Built for Indian SMBs

Made for India
Visit Kylas ↗
#13

Best for: Calling-heavy teams that follow up leads by phone and WhatsApp

✓ Built around calling workflows
✓ WhatsApp integration

Made for India
Visit TeleCRM ↗
1HubSpot CRM logo

HubSpot CRM

Best for: Small teams starting with a CRM for the first time

Visit site

Free CRM with contacts, deals, email tracking and forms, with paid hubs for marketing, sales and service.

Pros

  • Generous free CRM
  • Easy to start
  • Huge integration library

Cons

  • Paid hubs get expensive as you scale
  • Advanced automation is in higher tiers
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, Email Marketing Software
2Pipedrive logo

Pipedrive

Best for: Small sales teams focused on pipeline management

Visit site

Visual pipeline CRM designed around deals and sales activities.

Pros

  • Very clear pipeline view
  • Quick to adopt
  • Good mobile app

Cons

  • No free plan
  • Marketing features are add-ons
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software
3Odoo logo

Odoo

Best for: Growing businesses that want one modular ERP

Visit site

Open-source modular ERP covering inventory, accounting, CRM, POS, website and more.

Pros

  • Modular — add apps as you grow
  • Open-source community edition
  • Very broad feature set

Cons

  • Implementation can be complex
  • Customisation may need a partner
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Accounting Software, CRM Software
4Brevo logo

Brevo

Best for: Businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns together

Visit site

Formerly Sendinblue — email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing with a built-in CRM.

Pros

  • Pricing based on emails sent
  • Multi-channel messaging
  • Free plan

Cons

  • Daily sending limits on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, Email Marketing Software
5monday.com logo

monday.com

Best for: Teams that want colourful, flexible work boards

Visit site

Work OS with boards, automations and CRM products.

Pros

  • Visual and flexible
  • Many templates

Cons

  • Seat minimums on paid plans
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, Project Management Tools
6Bitrix24 logo

Bitrix24

Best for: Small teams wanting CRM, tasks and chat in one free tool

Visit site

All-in-one workspace with CRM, tasks, chat and website builder.

Pros

  • Generous free plan
  • Many tools in one

Cons

  • Interface can feel busy
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, Project Management Tools
7Salesforce Sales Cloud logo

Salesforce Sales Cloud

Best for: Mid-sized and large sales organisations

Visit site

The leading enterprise CRM with deep customisation and an enormous ecosystem.

Pros

  • Extremely powerful
  • Huge ecosystem

Cons

  • Costly and complex for small businesses
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software
8Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

Best for: B2B teams finding contacts and running outreach

Visit site

Sales intelligence and engagement platform with a large contact database.

Pros

  • Free plan
  • Database plus sequences

Cons

  • Follow privacy and anti-spam laws
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, AI Sales & Lead Generation
9Zoho CRM logo

Zoho CRM Made for India

Best for: Indian SMBs wanting an affordable, customisable CRM

Visit site

Customisable CRM with lead management, workflows, telephony integrations and AI assistant features.

Pros

  • Good value
  • Deep customisation
  • Works with Zoho Books and Desk

Cons

  • Setup takes time to do well
  • Interface has many options
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, AI Sales & Lead Generation
10Freshsales logo

Freshsales Made for India

Best for: Sales teams that want built-in phone and email

Visit site

Sales CRM from Freshworks with built-in calling, email sequences and deal pipelines.

Pros

  • Built-in phone and email
  • Clean UI
  • AI deal insights

Cons

  • Some features locked to higher plans
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, Cloud Telephony & IVR
11LeadSquared logo

LeadSquared Made for India

Best for: High-volume lead businesses such as education, real estate and finance

Visit site

Sales execution and marketing automation CRM popular with Indian enterprises.

Pros

  • Handles large lead volumes
  • Field sales features
  • Industry templates

Cons

  • Better suited to mid-size teams
  • Pricing on request for many plans
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software
12Kylas logo

Kylas Made for India

Best for: Indian SMB sales teams wanting a simple CRM

Visit site

Sales CRM built for small and mid-sized Indian businesses.

Pros

  • Simple to adopt
  • Built for Indian SMBs

Cons

  • Smaller ecosystem than global CRMs
Free plan
Verify
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software
13TeleCRM logo

TeleCRM Made for India

Best for: Calling-heavy teams that follow up leads by phone and WhatsApp

Visit site

CRM focused on calling and WhatsApp follow-ups, with call recording from the app.

Pros

  • Built around calling workflows
  • WhatsApp integration

Cons

  • Less suited to complex B2B pipelines
Free plan
Verify
Pricing
See provider
Also in
CRM Software, Cloud Telephony & IVR

Head-to-head comparisons

CRM Software by country