Solo, you need a CRM that costs almost nothing and stays out of the way. We weighted price, simplicity and how little setup each one demands, then ranked the five that suit a team of one.
Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet
Tools compared5
Criteria weighted5
Last reviewedJune 2026
Paid placements0
How we ranked the field
Reweighted from our main rubric for solo work: price first, then simplicity and how little time it takes to set up and maintain on your own. See the full rubric →
Price30%
Simplicity25%
Speed to set up20%
Contact management15%
Integrations10%
01
RANK
★ Editor’s Choice
Bigin by Zoho
Best for paid value
Built by Zoho for teams of one to a few, Bigin gives you a real pipeline for seven dollars a month, with a free tier for a single user. The best balance of price and capability for a freelancer who has outgrown a spreadsheet.
Real pipeline at $7
Free for one user
Quick to set up
Verdict pendingFrom $7/user/mo · free plan
89
OUT OF 100
02
RANK
HubSpot Free
Best for free forever
If your budget is zero, HubSpot's free plan is the most capable free CRM you can use solo: contacts, deals, email tracking and a tidy interface, with no time limit. You will hit feature walls before you hit a paywall.
Capsule keeps a freelancer's contacts and pipeline tidy with almost no learning curve, and a free plan for up to two users. Light by design, which is exactly the point for solo work.
Once a freelancer's pipeline gets serious, Pipedrive is the natural step up: more structure and reporting than the free options, still simple. The price per seat is the only reason it sits below the cheaper picks here.
Zoho's free tier covers three users and upgrades into a deep, low cost platform, so a freelancer planning to hire later gets a runway the others lack. The interface is busier than Bigin's.