Best for pipelines
Pipedrive
A visual, pipeline-first CRM that salespeople actually enjoy updating. Fast to set up for small teams.
CRM & sales software, reviewed independently
Close more deals with less CRM busywork.
Straight-talking comparisons of the CRM, prospecting and sales tools that help small teams close more deals with less busywork.
3in-depth guides
8tools compared side by side
3categories covered — and growing
Editor's picks
Tools we recommend
Our current favorites for small sales teams. Some links are affiliate links — here's how that works.
Best free CRM
HubSpot CRM
A capable free CRM that grows into marketing, sales and service hubs as your business does.
Best for outbound
Apollo.io
B2B contact database, enrichment and outreach sequences in one platform for outbound teams.
Best for inside sales
Close
A CRM built for high-volume calling and email, with sequences and dialing built in.
Start with the job
What's slowing your sales down?
Pick the problem. We'll point you to the tools worth trying — and the ones you can skip.
Pick your first CRM
Spreadsheets breaking down? Choose a CRM your team will actually update.
HubSpot or Pipedrive?
The two most common shortlists, compared on pipeline, automation and cost.
Find more leads
Prospecting and contact data tools for outbound — and the rules to follow.
Automate follow-ups
Sequences and reminders so no deal goes quiet by accident.
Forecast with confidence
Pipeline stages and reports that tell you what will actually close.
Clean up your data
Duplicates and stale contacts quietly kill pipelines. Fix the basics first.
The playbook
A CRM should support five moments
Capture
Every lead lands in one place — forms, inbox, calls — not in five spreadsheets.
Qualify
Simple criteria decide who deserves a call, so reps spend time on real buyers.
Propose
Quotes and proposals tied to the deal, with reminders before they go stale.
Close
Clear next steps and follow-ups that happen on time, every time.
Expand
Renewals and upsells tracked like new deals, because they usually are.
Why it matters
Deals don't die. They go quiet.
Most lost deals simply stop getting follow-ups. A CRM's real job is making the next step impossible to forget.
Scheduled follow-upsAd-hoc follow-ups
Illustrative curve, not measured data.
Latest
Fresh comparisons
Prospecting
The Best Sales Prospecting Tools for Small Teams
Find and reach the right buyers: B2B contact data, email finders and LinkedIn prospecting tools compared — plus the outreach rules you must follow.
ComparisonsHubSpot vs Pipedrive: Which CRM Fits a Small Sales Team?
HubSpot and Pipedrive compared head to head — pipeline management, automation, marketing features and how costs change as your team grows.
Quick picks
Short on time? Start here.
ToolBest forFrom the guide
Our method
How we review tools
Map the process
We start from a real sales motion — inbound, outbound or account-based.
Cost per seat
We price tools for a realistic five-person team with the features it needs.
Compare fairly
Same criteria for every tool, and we say who each one is not for.
Keep it current
Plans and limits change often. Every guide shows when it was last updated.
Why trust us
Three promises we keep
01
Adoption beats features
The best CRM is the one your team updates daily. We weigh ease of use as heavily as power.
02
Total cost, per seat
We look past entry prices to what a five-person team really pays with the features it needs.
03
Money never ranks
Affiliate links fund our work, but rankings are set before links are added — and vendors can't buy placement.
Before you buy
Five questions to answer before choosing a CRM
A CRM nobody updates is just an expensive address book. Start here.
How many people will use it daily?
Most CRMs price per seat. Count real users, not everyone who might log in once.
What does your sales process look like?
Map your stages first. A tool should fit your process, not force a new one.
Which tools must it connect to?
Email, calendar, calling, invoicing — missing integrations create manual work.
Who will own the setup?
Powerful CRMs need an owner. If no one has time, choose simplicity.
Can you get your data out?
Check exports for contacts, deals and activity history before committing.
FAQ
Questions, answered
What is the best CRM for a small business?
For many small teams, HubSpot's free CRM or Pipedrive is the best starting point. Our guide compares them with Zoho CRM, Salesforce and Close on ease of use and real per-seat costs.
Is DealFern sponsored by software companies?
No vendor pays for placement or rankings. Some links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission, which we disclose on every guide.
How often are guides updated?
We revisit guides regularly and whenever a tool changes its pricing or core features. Each guide shows its last updated date.
Can I suggest a tool or report an error?
Yes — email hello@dealfern.com. Corrections are fixed quickly and the update date is changed.
Shortlisting tools?
Tell us how you sell. We'll point the way.
We read every message and use them to decide which tools to cover next.