Getting something for free is always exciting, especially if it is something that can help you connect with your customers or keep track of your leads. Most of the systems on this list have a free plan, but they all have limitations. Understanding those limitations and the costs of upgrading to the next tier will help you develop your email marketing and sales strategies.
This list isn’t a ranking of the best platforms for small businesses, nor is it a comprehensive list of CRMs and ESPs available. We are taking a look at some common free systems, what they include, and what they cost when you outgrow the free tier.
We do want to let you know this article contains some affiliate links, so Little Nudge Marketing may earn a small commission, paid by the platform, if you choose to upgrade to a paid tier.
CRM or ESP: What does that even mean?
A CRM, or customer relationship management tool, tracks people through a process or stages. CRMs help you track contacts, monitor deals, create follow-up tasks, and understand where each relationship stands right now.
An ESP, or email service provider, is built around sending messages. They’re most commonly used to send emails, but many can also be used to send SMS or push notifications through an app. ESPs are designed to move customers through your sales process. A customer may fill out a form, which triggers marketing automation.
Most of the tools on this list can function as both a CRM and an ESP, but not necessarily at the free tier. All of these systems are also capable of integrating with other tools you are likely already using like your website, Google or Outlook email, and your booking system.
Free to Start, But Missing Key Features
Every free plan below caps something: contacts, users, automations, or a feature you won’t notice you need until you do. Starting with a free tier is still a good way to get an introduction to a tool and begin learning how to use it.
A little nudge: Think beyond the number of contacts you have; think about your sales process and your marketing strategy. Identifying what you will need will help you choose the right system to start with.
Free to Start CRMs
Capsule
Capsule’s free plan allows you to have up to 250 contacts, up to 2 users, and 1 sales pipeline. You will be able to get a good sense of how well you like the platform, but you will not be able to explore most of the available features.
The Starter plan starts at £14 per user, per month (billed annually) and allows you up to 30,000 contacts with email templates, a shared mailbox, and basic reporting. Capsule itself isn’t built for sending email campaigns, but pairs very well with its sister company, Transpond. We’ll talk more about Transpond later in this article.
Capsule works best for solopreneurs and small businesses that want a straightforward CRM without a steep learning curve, and it’s a solid fit if UK GDPR compliance matters to your business.
Affiliate link: Try Capsule
Pipedrive
Pipedrive doesn’t offer a free plan at all, just a 14-day trial before you have to upgrade to the Lite plan at €14 per user, per month (billed annually), which will allow you up to 2,500 leads per seat.
Pipedrive is a sales-focused system, perfect for growing companies that need better pipeline visibility and forecasting. Pipedrive is ideal for sales teams of 2 to 25 who are still tracking deals in a spreadsheet or have outgrown basic CRMs.
Pipedrive is based in the EU, so it is fully GDPR compliant.
Affiliate link: Try Pipedrive
Brevo
Brevo is one of the tools on this list that functions as a CRM and ESP. The Free plan allows 1 user to send up to 300 emails per day, limited marketing automation, and up to 2,000 contacts. The Starter plan begins at €6.33 per month (when billed annually), and allows up to 100,000 emails to be sent per day to up to 500,000 contacts.
Brevo’s Sales Free plan gives you 1 user, 1 sales pipeline, up to 50 open deals, live chat, and meeting scheduling. Once you’re ready to grow past that, the Sales Essentials plan is an additional €26.08 per seat, per month, and adds unlimited pipelines, automation, and AI contact enrichment.
Brevo works best for solo entrepreneurs and small business owners who are new to CRMs and email marketing and would rather not manage a handful of separate logins. Brevo is also fully GDPR compliant.
Affiliate invite: I’d like an invite to Brevo.
HubSpot
HubSpot is an industry leader in the CRM space. Like Brevo, HubSpot can also function as an ESP. They offer free tiers for their Sales, Service, and Marketing Hubs, which provide limited access to tools and features. The free tier allows up to 2 users and up to 300 email sends per calendar month. The free tier also allows basic lead nurturing and basic lead management.
The Starter tier usually starts at €20 per month (billed annually), but as of July 2026, starts at €7 per month (billed annually). The Starter tier allows up to 5 users, 25,000 records, expanded email marketing, forms, and Breeze AI assistant.
While HubSpot is one of the most comprehensive tools on this list, it is also the most expensive, and best suited for medium-to-large teams.
Free to Start ESPs
Mailchimp
With Mailchimp’s free plan, 1 user is allowed 1 audience with a maximum of 250 contacts. On this plan, you can send up to 500 emails per month (250 maximum per day).
It’s important to consider how you see your contact list growing over the next 6 months to 2 years so you can monitor your costs. The Essentials plan starts at €11.44 a month for a minimum of 500 contacts (with a 14-day free trial), and adds automation flows, A/B testing, and 24/7 support.
If you have contacts in the EU, know that Mailchimp hosts their data in the US, not the EU, relying on the Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses to cover the transfer. Mailchimp is better suited to small-to-large teams than to solo entrepreneurs.
Affiliate invite: I’d like to try Mailchimp.
MailerLite
MailerLite has one of the most comprehensive free plans currently on the market. The free plan covers up to 250 subscribers, 2 user seats, and 2,500 emails a month. MailerLite can also function as your website with 1 hosted website, 1 landing page, and 3 active forms allowed.
When you grow beyond 2,500 monthly email sends, the Comfort plan starts at €9.90 a month when billed annually, and allows up to 5,000 sends, 3 seats, 10 landing pages, and 10 forms.
MailerLite integrates easily with many CRMs and website builders through native integrations or through third-party tools like Zapier.
It’s a genuinely beginner-friendly option for solopreneurs and small teams that already have a separate CRM in place.
Affiliate link: Try MailerLite
Flodesk
Flodesk’s free plan is the odd one out on this list: it includes forms, landing pages, and a link-in-bio page, but it doesn’t include sending email campaigns at all. To actually email your list, you’ll need a paid plan, starting at $19 a month (billed annually) for up to 1,000 subscribers.
Flodesk is built for design, so it’s a good fit if branding and template polish matter more to you than deep automation. One thing to check before you get started: the explicit consent checkbox and double opt-in setting are both off by default and have to be turned on manually for each form. If you have EU or UK subscribers, check those before you start collecting emails.
Transpond
Transpond’s free plan allows 1 user, up to 250 active contacts, and 1 integrated social media channel. When you’ve grown beyond 250 contacts, the Starter plan starts at £7.20 a month (billed annually), and allows 3 users, up to 25,000 contacts, 1 automation, and limited website engagement tracking.
Transpond is Capsule’s own marketing platform, so if you’re already using Capsule for contacts, this is the natural pairing. On its own, some users find the interface takes a little getting used to, and integrations outside the Capsule ecosystem are limited.
Affiliate link: Try Transpond
At a Glance
| Tool | Type | Free Tier | Starting Paid Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsule | CRM | 250 contacts, 2 users | £14/user/month |
| Pipedrive | CRM | None (14-day trial) | €14/user/month |
| Brevo | CRM + ESP | 2,000 contacts, 1 user | €6.33/month (email) €26.08/seat (sales) |
| HubSpot | CRM + ESP | 2 users, 300 sends/month | €7/month (regularly €20) |
| Mailchimp | ESP | 250 contacts | €11.44/month |
| MailerLite | ESP | 250 subscribers | €9.90/month |
| Flodesk | ESP | No email sending | $19/month |
| Transpond | ESP | 250 contacts | £7.20/month |
Prices reflect annual billing where available and were confirmed directly against each provider in July 2026.
What triggers an upgrade
More often than not, you may reach the limit of the number of emails you can send per day or the total number of contacts you can have on a free plan. Over time, you may find that you want to use a tool that isn’t available until you upgrade to a paid tier. Planning ahead for what you will need in the future will help you identify which system is right for you.
Ready for a Little Nudge?
When you’re ready to choose a CRM or ESP, Little Nudge Marketing is here to help you make the best decision for your business. We’ll go through your tools and learn about your goals before making any recommendations.
Schedule a call so we can learn more about you and your needs.