CRM Shortlist

The CRM shortlist: five platforms worth your time

Most CRM roundups list every product on the market. We do the opposite. For each category we keep a shortlist of five, explain who each one is for and when to skip it.

View the shortlistCompare all CRMs
8CRMs reviewed
40checkpoints per review
4free plans compared
2026pricing checked

The 2026 CRM shortlist

Typical starting price per user per month, free plan availability and our scores in four areas. Click a name for the full review.

CRMStarting priceFree planBest forEaseFeaturesValueSupportOverall
HubSpot CRMFree / $15 per seatYesSmall teams that want marketing, sales and support in one place9.48.89.08.69.0
Pipedrive$14 per userNoSales teams that live in the pipeline view and want speed over breadth9.28.48.88.78.8
Zoho CRMFree / $14 per userYesBudget-conscious teams that need customization and the wider Zoho suite7.89.19.57.98.6
FreshsalesFree / $9 per userYesStartups and inside-sales teams that call and email all day8.98.59.18.88.8
monday CRM$12 per seatNoVisual teams that already manage projects in monday boards9.38.08.28.58.5

Full comparison and methodology

Why these five

And who should skip each one.

H

HubSpot CRM

Free / $15 per seat · free plan
#1 on the list

Small teams that want marketing, sales and support in one place. Skip it if: price climbs steeply once you need Professional features.

9.0/10Full review
P

Pipedrive

$14 per user
#2 on the list

Sales teams that live in the pipeline view and want speed over breadth. Skip it if: marketing tools are an add-on, not built in.

8.8/10Full review
Z

Zoho CRM

Free / $14 per user · free plan
#3 on the list

Budget-conscious teams that need customization and the wider Zoho suite. Skip it if: interface feels dense until you tune it.

8.6/10Full review
F

Freshsales

Free / $9 per user · free plan
#4 on the list

Startups and inside-sales teams that call and email all day. Skip it if: smaller integration ecosystem than the leaders.

8.8/10Full review
m

monday CRM

$12 per seat
#5 on the list

Visual teams that already manage projects in monday boards. Skip it if: minimum of 3 seats on every plan.

8.5/10Full review

Free tools

Estimate the real bill and plan the switch.

CRM cost calculator

Yearly cost for your whole team on the entry paid plan.

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Migration checklist

The eight steps that separate a clean switch from a messy one.

  1. Export everything from the old system: contacts, companies, deals, notes, activities and files, not just the contact list.
  2. Clean the data before importing: merge duplicates, standardize country and phone formats, drop contacts with no activity in three years.
  3. Map every field to its new home and decide which custom fields you really need. Fewer is better.
  4. Rebuild the pipeline stages to match how you sell today, not how the old CRM forced you to.
  5. Import a small sample first, check it with a rep, then import the rest.

See all eight steps

How we evaluate

The same checklist for every platform, every time.

Set it up for real

We import a sample contact list, build a pipeline and connect email and calendar, timing every step.

Run a week of sales

Deals move through stages, follow-ups get scheduled, automations fire. We note what breaks.

Check the bill

We compare the advertised price with what a five-person team actually pays after add-ons.

Shortlist notes

Articles from our editorial team.

More articles

Frequently asked questions

Why only five?

Because the decision gets harder, not easier, with more options. Five is enough to cover different budgets and team sizes.

How often does the shortlist change?

We review it every quarter. A platform drops off when it stops being the best answer for someone.

Can I suggest a CRM?

Yes, use the contact address in the footer. We test every suggestion before it can enter a shortlist.

Which CRM is the cheapest?

Freshsales Growth at $9 per user and Copper, Pipedrive and Zoho CRM at $12 to $14 are the cheapest paid tiers. HubSpot, Zoho and Freshsales also offer free plans with real limits.

Can I switch CRMs later?

Yes. Every platform here imports and exports CSV, and most have direct migration tools. Our migration checklist on the Tools page covers the order to do it in.