The CRM you want is usually the one whose entry price is the price you actually pay — not the one whose headline number hides its real features two tiers up. We've priced these four on that basis, per seat and dated.
All four run a sales pipeline. The differences that matter for a small team are per-seat cost as you grow, whether the feature you came for is on the cheap tier, and any setup fees the monthly number leaves out.
Our pick
Pipedrive
Pipedrive's core pipeline is fully there at $14/user with nothing held back for a tier you haven't seen priced — the fastest, least-surprising start for most small teams.
$14 /mo/user · Lite, annual·No free tier·We earn a commission
At $14/user/mo, Pipedrive's visual pipeline — its whole pitch — is complete on the entry tier. No headline feature parked behind a plan you haven't seen the price of. The safest default.
$14 /mo/user · Standard, annual·Free tier: Up to 3 users·We earn a commission
Zoho CRM Standard matches Pipedrive at $14/user, but adds a genuinely usable free tier for up to 3 users and a huge surrounding suite (invoicing, projects, more). Pick it if you'll use the ecosystem or need the free plan.
$9 /mo/user · Solo, annual·No free tier·We earn a commission
Close starts at $9/user (Solo), but the Power/Predictive Dialer it's known for only appears on the $99/user Growth plan. Worth it only if your team truly lives on the phone and that budget is already there.
$249 /mo · flat, 2 users, annual·No free tier·We earn a commission
Keap is $249/mo flat for up to 2 users and bundles CRM with email/SMS marketing automation — plus a one-time $500 setup fee that's easy to miss. Makes sense for a 1–2 person service business that wants both in one bill.
What is the cheapest CRM for a small team?
Zoho CRM has a genuinely usable free tier for up to 3 users. Among paid plans, Close's Solo tier ($9/user/mo) and Pipedrive's Lite ($14/user/mo) are the cheapest entry points — but check that the feature you need isn't on a higher tier.
Is Pipedrive or Zoho CRM better?
They're the same $14/user entry price. Pick Pipedrive for a focused, fast-to-learn pipeline; pick Zoho for its free tier and the wider app suite it plugs into.
Does Keap have hidden costs?
Yes — beyond the $249/mo (up to 2 users), Keap charges a mandatory one-time $500 setup fee that the monthly headline doesn't mention.
Related comparisons
Prices are read from each vendor's own pricing page and dated on the tools page. Some links are affiliate links — see our Affiliate Disclosure.·All guides