How much is a CRM for a small business? The four costs to count

Cost 1: the software

Most CRMs charge a monthly fee for each person who logs in. Many also sell plans in tiers, where the cheaper plans cover contacts and a pipeline and the pricier ones add automated follow-up, reports and more users. Paying yearly is usually cheaper than paying monthly.

Before you compare prices, check three things: how many people will log in, which features you need on day one, and whether the price goes up after a first-year discount.

Cost 2: the setup

Setup is the work of making the CRM match how you sell: importing your contacts, building the pipeline stages, connecting your website form, writing the follow-up messages and making sure your emails reach the inbox. You either pay for it with your own evenings or you pay someone to do it.

This is the cost most people skip when they compare, and it’s why so many CRMs end up half set up and barely used.

Cost 3: the add-ons you pay as you use them

Some costs grow with use. Common ones are text messages, a business phone number, extra email sending, extra users and AI features. They look small on the pricing page, but they add up once your follow-up is actually running.

Ask any vendor which of these are included and which are charged by use.

Cost 4: your time

Every separate tool you log into costs a few minutes a day, and every lead that sits unanswered costs more than that. A CRM that pulls your leads into one place and reminds you to follow up gives you that time back. One that nobody opens costs you the fee and the leads.

What’s the cheapest CRM for a small business?

The cheapest CRM is a free plan. HubSpot and Zoho CRM are two of the names people search for most, and both are known for free tiers aimed at small teams. Salesforce also has a free suite, with fewer features than its paid plans. Free plans usually limit how many users, contacts or automations you get, so they’re cheapest while you’re small and simple.

The cheapest CRM that actually works for you is a different question. It’s the one with enough features that you don’t pay for three other apps to fill the gaps.

Inexpensive vs cheap: where a low-cost CRM costs more

An inexpensive CRM is a good deal when it covers what you need. It turns into a cheap one when:

• You’re copying leads in by hand because it won’t connect to your website form.
• The follow-up you need is locked behind a higher plan.
• You’re paying for separate tools for booking, email and forms on top of it.
• Nobody on your team likes using it, so they don’t.

When any of those is true, the low monthly fee isn’t the real price.

How CRM pricing compares across the names people ask about

These are the CRMs small business owners search for most. I’m describing how each is known to price, not quoting numbers, because prices change often.

Questions to ask before you pay for a CRM

1. What does it cost for the number of people who’ll actually log in?
2. Which features I need today are on this plan, and which are one plan up?
3. What’s charged by use (texts, email sending, phone numbers, AI)?
4. Does the price change after the first year?
5. Can I get my contacts and history out if I leave?
6. Who sets it up, and how long will that take?

What a set-up CRM system costs to run

If you’d rather not do the setup, that’s what I build: the website form, the CRM, the follow-up and the email setup, all working together. I quote the setup once I understand the business, and I’ll tell you what the software will cost you before we start.