Topic
CRM
CRM software compared for small businesses: free plans, per-seat pricing, and what each tier includes, with notes on CAD billing for Canadian teams.
1 article
How to choose
Our CRM roundup is written for small businesses in any country, with USD prices first and a Canada section on CAD billing. Start with the free plans: HubSpot's free CRM covers 2 users and 1,000 contacts, and Zoho CRM's free edition covers 3 users. Pipedrive has no free plan and is built around a sales pipeline, with automations and email sequences from its Growth plan.
Most CRMs charge per seat, so price a plan at the number of users you expect to have, not just today's. GoHighLevel starts at $97 a month and is built around agency sub-accounts, so it suits marketing agencies more than a typical small business.
Start here
- Best CRM for small business
HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, and GoHighLevel ranked.
- Best email marketing software
If you mainly need a newsletter, not a sales pipeline.
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Our top picks
Prices checked September 2026
- 1
Best free CRM, growing teams
HubSpot
4.5/5Free plan; Starter USD $20/seat/mo
- 2Visit site: Zoho CRM (opens NorthVetted redirect)
Most CRM per dollar
Zoho CRM
4.0/5Free for 3 users; paid from USD $14/user/mo
- 3
A focused sales pipeline
Pipedrive
4.0/5From USD $14/seat/mo (annual)
- 4Visit site: GoHighLevel (opens NorthVetted redirect)
Marketing agencies managing clients
GoHighLevel
3.5/5From $97/mo
From
Best CRM for Small Business (2026)
The full review explains who each pick is for, what it costs in the currency the vendor bills in, and the tradeoffs.
Read the full review