Bilal Patoli

What’s the CRM for startups on a budget?

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If you’re running a startup with little to no budget, what CRM are you using? Trying to keep things lean but still need something to track leads, customers, and follow-ups.

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Henry Habib

You can try Airtable, not a CRM in the traditional sense, but it works for tracking leads, customers, and follow-ups with a few automations. Airtable + SendGrid handled emails for us before.

Rajiv Ayyangar

Have you tried just a Notion document? Or a spreadsheet? How many people are on your team? If it's just you or a couple of other people, I'd suggest using whatever other tools you're using so you don't have the added friction of having to jump into a different tool.

Another approach is to just write down, "What are the things you need?" If you're just tracking leads, customers, and follow-ups, maybe a spreadsheet is the way to go. You could also set up something like @Airtop or @Gumloop to update that spreadsheet.

Maybe @amirashkenazi has thoughts?

steve beyatte

You can self-host @Twenty or pay $9/month for unlimited records. @Attio also has a pretty good free plan but if you want to send emails, you have to be on the $29/month plan.

Ari Putra Utama

For startups on a budget, the best CRM solutions are those that offer essential features at a low cost or even for free while allowing scalability as the business grows. Some great options include HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM, and Freshsales. These platforms provide free plans with core CRM functionalities like contact management, deal tracking, and email integration, making them ideal for early-stage startups.


HubSpot CRM is one of the most popular choices, offering a robust free plan with unlimited users, email tracking, and pipeline management. It integrates seamlessly with other HubSpot tools, making it a great long-term solution. Zoho CRM is another cost-effective option, providing automation, analytics, and multichannel communication at a competitive price. Freshsales by Freshworks offers AI-driven insights and automation tools, even in its free version, making it great for startups looking to optimize their sales process.


When choosing a CRM, startups should consider factors like ease of use, scalability, and integration with existing tools. Many affordable CRMs also offer paid plans with more advanced features, allowing businesses to upgrade as they grow without having to switch platfor

ms.


Nika

I would say that Notion is enough.
When it comes to customer support, I have good experience with Crisp. :)

Elena Tsemirava

We're still at a very early stage and using the free version of HubSpot CRM. So far, it meets our needs, but as our startup grows, we'll eventually have to upgrade to the paid version.

Leah Madden - AMA VC/M&A/Finance

Last time I had this issue I used Hubspot. I've used it a lot for capital raise campaigns, too, and it worked well @ something like $50/mo at the time. Not sure if that's still the startup price point.