The Best CRM for Small Businesses and Startups in 2025

If you’re running a small business or startup, chances are you’ve heard of HubSpot (for good reason!) - It’s one of the most powerful, user-friendly CRMs on the market. But while HubSpot is a fantastic choice for mid-market and enterprise companies, many solopreneurs, consultants, and early-stage teams need something affordable and without the time cost to set-up.

The good news is that there are now plenty of affordable CRM software options offering powerful features, sleek designs, and future-focused tools that won’t break the bank.

We’ve spent time digging through more than 10 different CRMs to identify the best ones for small businesses and startups. Here’s our top picks for HubSpot alternatives in 2025:

1. Attio: The Customisable Powerhouse

When it comes to balancing price, flexibility, and automation, Attio CRM is a standout. They offer a range of paid plans starting at just $29 per user/month. Their Pro plan (from $69 per user/month) gives you a feature-rich platform with the kind of tools you’d expect in higher-tier CRMs.

Key features include:

• Call Intelligence (record and summarise meetings without third-party tools)

• Advanced Data Enrichment

• Email Tracking

• Advanced Workflows

• Custom Properties

• Priority Support

Other highlights:

• Connection Strength Field (shows the health of each relationship pulled automatically based on your email activity)

• Automatic enrichment scrapes LinkedIn profiles, job titles, and company data. It can also specifically pull information based on the questions you ask (e.g. “Does this client match our ICP?”)

• Attio Chrome Extension syncs contact data from LinkedIn, Google Meet, and X (formerly known as Twitter)
  

Best for: Startups and agencies that want a flexible, modern CRM with advanced automation at a fair price.

2. Folk CRM: The Simplicity Specialist

If Attio is the powerhouse, Folk CRM is the minimalist. It positions itself as a lightweight, intuitive CRM that you can get up and running in minutes. With pricing for their premium plan at $40 per user/month, It’s perfect for small teams who don’t have the time (or budget) for a complex setup.

Why Folk stands out:

• Automatically pulls in existing contacts and conversations

• Enriches records with job titles and industries

• One-click Chrome extension to sync data from LinkedIn and Google Meet

• A Notion-style design that feels clean, familiar, and easy to use
  

Best for: Freelancers, consultants, and early-stage teams who need a no-friction, affordable CRM software to manage relationships without drowning in features.

3. Close CRM: The Sales Machine

For startups and agencies with a sales-first focus, Close CRM is hard to beat. Unlike Folk or Attio, it’s built specifically around sales pipelines and outreach automation. With one basic plan and two premium plans starting at $99 per user/month, there’s something for everyone.

Key features include:

• Built-in calling and power dialer

• SMS and email sequences for multi-channel follow-ups

• Drag-and-drop pipeline management

• Detailed activity and performance reporting

• Zapier and API integrations to connect your tech stack
  

Best for: SaaS companies, sales teams, and growing agencies who need a sales-driven HubSpot competitor with calling and automation baked in.

4. Zoho CRM: The Established All-Rounder (Now with a Solopreneur App)

No list of HubSpot alternatives would be complete without Zoho CRM. It’s been in the CRM market for years and has become one of the most popular CRMs for small businesses - thanks to its affordability, breadth of features, and integrations across the Zoho ecosystem.

Why Zoho stands out:

• Pricing starts from just $22 per user/month (Standard plan)

• Pro plan pricing starts from $36 per user/month

• Sales automation with workflows and scoring rules

• Multichannel support (email, phone, chat, social)

• Customisable dashboards and advanced reporting

• Seamless integration with Zoho’s wider business suite (Projects, Books, Desk, etc.)

And recently, Zoho released a solopreneur-focused mobile app that takes their philosophy of affordability and simplicity even further. Designed to be mobile-first, it strips back complexity and allows one-person businesses to:

• Manage contacts and opportunities on the go

• Send and track invoices directly from the app

• Run your CRM with an interface that’s laser-focused on speed, simplicity, and usability

Best for: Small businesses and solopreneurs that want a proven, cost-effective CRM with the flexibility to scale, but also a lightweight mobile tool that makes invoicing and relationship management easy.

How to Choose?

So, which is the best CRM for your small business? It depends on your needs:

• Attio: if you want customisation and automation without the enterprise price tag

• Folk: if you want simplicity and speed

• Close: if you want a sales-first CRM with calling, SMS, and sequences built in

• Zoho: if you want a long-standing, affordable CRM software that integrates across business functions
  
  

These tools are the perfect place to start for startups and small businesses seeking more affordable HubSpot alternatives. Their offerings represent the future of affordable CRM software, providing fast, collaborative environments designed for modern teams.

At Zippily, it’s our mission to assist small businesses with their CRM implementation at any stage. Contact us today to discuss how we can make the right CRM tool work for you.