TL;DR
HubSpot Free CRM for all-around needs. Pipedrive for visual pipeline management. Close for outbound sales and calling.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | HubSpot | Pipedrive | Close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free-$50/mo | $14+/user | $49+/user |
| Free tier | Full CRM | No | No |
| Pipeline | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Email tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in calling | No | No | Yes |
1. HubSpot CRM
Best free CRM available. Contact management, deal pipeline, email tracking, and meeting scheduling. Scales to marketing automation and full sales suite. The default for startups.
2. Pipedrive
Visual pipeline management purpose-built for salespeople. Activity-based reminders, customizable pipelines, and clean UI. Best when sales process is your primary workflow.
3. Close
Built for outbound sales teams. Power dialer, built-in calling, SMS, and email sequences. Best when you're doing high-volume cold outreach and need calling integrated with CRM.
How We Chose These Tools
We evaluated CRMs for solo founders and small sales teams, focusing on free tier quality, pipeline management, and outbound sales capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- Start free with HubSpot.
- Upgrade to Pipedrive for pipeline focus.
- Close only if outbound calling is your primary sales motion.