Audience$0/month
Kit
Free newsletter
Up to 10,000 subscribers
Creator announcements and hosted signup pages.
Limited automation; review recommendation, branding and free-plan conditions. Not an order CRM.
Check plan & pricingHome / Field guide
THE SMALL, USEFUL TOOLBOX
A customer relationship shouldn’t start with a huge software bill.
Three low-cost options in every business guide, with real entry prices and honest limits. Sometimes the right CRM is no CRM at all.
Audience$0/month
MailerLite
Free
250 subscribers · 2,500 emails/month
A small list with a hosted signup page.
Low subscriber ceiling; old 500/1,000-subscriber comparisons are stale.
Check plan & pricingAudience$0/month
Brevo
Free
300 emails/day · up to 100,000 contacts
Simple contact lists and permission-based announcements.
One seat; daily send cap can spread a launch over days. Starter begins at $9/month; upgrades depend on volume.
Check plan & pricingCRM$0/month
Bigin by Zoho
Free
1 user · 500 total records
Repeat buyers, requests and a simple follow-up pipeline.
Records include notes and activities. Express is $7/user/month billed annually ($84/year). Not inventory management.
Check plan & pricingCRM$0/month
HubSpot
Free CRM
2 users · 1,000 contacts
A modest customer or donor relationship list.
Paid marketing and advanced automation have separate limits. Do not use this free tier for clinical records.
Check plan & pricingPractice$0/month
Sessions Health
Freemium
Up to 3 active clients
Private practice records, portal and appointments.
Professional is $39/month for one practitioner. Native video costs extra; use your external Zoom workflow and verify agreements.
Check plan & pricingPractice$0/month
Practice Better
Sprout
3 clients · restricted features
A very small practice evaluating a private client portal.
Starter: $35/month or $25/month billed annually, up to 10 clients. Check invoices, forms and external Zoom workflow before use.
Check plan & pricingPractice$0/month
Carepatron
Free
Unlimited clients · 1 GB storage
Client management with a free entry tier.
Table lists 100 appointments; confirm how that cap resets. Verify BAA, profession eligibility and external Zoom workflow.
Check plan & pricingDonor$0/month
Givebutter
Standard CRM
Unlimited contacts
Donor histories and acknowledgments.
Direct PayPal gifts need reconciliation/import. Its own checkout and optional Plus features have separate fee terms.
Check plan & pricingPick the workflow before the software.
| Business | Is a CRM advised? | Three lowest-price entry options reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Indie game designer | Newsletter yes; sales CRM usually no. | Kit ($0) · MailerLite ($0) · Brevo ($0) |
| Jewelry reseller | Only when repeat-buyer follow-ups need it. | Bigin by Zoho ($0) · HubSpot ($0) · Brevo ($0) |
| Online hypnotherapist | Use a private practice-management system. | Sessions Health ($0) · Practice Better ($0) · Carepatron ($0) |
| Indie musician | Fan newsletter often useful; sales CRM optional. | Kit ($0) · MailerLite ($0) · Brevo ($0) |
| Educational nonprofit | Donor CRM when renewals and acknowledgments grow. | Givebutter ($0) · HubSpot ($0) · Bigin by Zoho ($0) |
| Self-published author | No, for Amazon referrals alone; newsletter optional. | Kit ($0) · MailerLite ($0) · Brevo ($0) |
| Hobby merch maker | Usually no; add for growing custom requests. | Bigin by Zoho ($0) · HubSpot ($0) · Brevo ($0) |
Free still needs protection.
Use strong sign-in protection, store the minimum necessary information and control exports. A free general CRM is not a place for therapy intake or clinical notes. Do not place any tool’s secret integration key in frontend JavaScript.
Integrations can cost more than the plan.
The free entry prices do not promise automated PayPal imports, print-provider stock synchronization, SMS reminders, unlimited email or full Zoom integration. A small manual process may be a better starting point than a chain of paid automation services.