Direct sales teams (MLM, field reps, boutique agencies, and solopreneurs) need simple, mobile-friendly CRMs that capture contacts, track outreach, visualize pipelines, and keep commissions & follow-ups straight — without blowing the budget.
Below is a carefully vetted list of 15 free (or freemium) CRMs that I’ve used or set up for small teams, with plain-English notes on where each one shines, where it pinches, and how far the free plan really goes.
💡 Key Insight: Free CRMs are powerful for starting small, but contact/email caps or automation limits often push growing teams to paid plans within 3–6 months. Choose one with a clear upgrade path to avoid data migration headaches.
Best Free CRMs for Direct Sales
| CRM | Why It’s Good for Direct Sales | Free Plan Limits | Average Rating (crowdsourced) | Free Plan Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | Unlimited contacts, excellent email logging, meeting links, forms, basic automation | Unlimited users & contacts; ~2,000 emails/month | ~4.4/5 | Best all-round starter; upgrade only when you need advanced automation |
| Zoho CRM (Free) | Lead scoring, tasks, basic automation, mobile | 3 users; 5,000 records | ~4.3/5 | Great if you’re ≤3 users; you’ll outgrow fast |
| EngageBay (Free) | CRM + email marketing + forms + sequences | 15 users; 250 contacts; 1,000 emails/month | ~4.6/5 | Generous users for small teams; contact cap is the throttle |
| Bitrix24 | Pipelines, tasks, telephony hooks, team chat | Unlimited users; 5GB storage | ~4.1/5 | Powerful but busy UI; great for collaboration |
| Freshsales (Free) | Visual pipeline, built-in phone, mobile app | Unlimited users; 1,000 emails/month | ~4.5/5 | Excellent for field reps; email cap bites |
| Capsule CRM | Clean pipeline, reminders, simple email sync | 2 users; 250 contacts | ~4.7/5 | Perfect for solo/duo starts; upgrade soon |
| Bigin by Zoho | Pipeline-first CRM, WhatsApp integration | Unlimited users; 500 records | ~4.6/5 | Great for one-person ops; very light limits |
| monday sales CRM | Visual boards, light automations, email tracking | 2 users; limited items | ~4.7/5 | Best visual tracker; free plan is a teaser |
| Odoo CRM (Community) | Open-source modular CRM with inventory links | Unlimited (self-host) | ~4.2/5 | Amazing if you can self-host; flexible stack |
| Less Annoying CRM (Trial/Freemium) | Ultra-simple pipeline & contact management | Trial, then low-cost paid (listed for completeness) | ~4.7/5 | Not truly free long-term; worth it for simplicity |
| Apptivo (Free) | CRM + invoicing & projects for commission ops | 3 users; 500 contacts | ~4.4/5 | Solid free core with billing handy for direct sales |
| SuiteCRM (Open-source) | Highly customizable; full control | Unlimited (self-host) | ~4.3/5 | Free forever if you can host & maintain |
| Streak CRM | Lives in Gmail; perfect for inbox-first sellers | Free core; Gmail dependent | ~4.5/5 | Great if you live in Gmail; limited beyond |
| Agile CRM (Free) | Sales + marketing + telephony combo | 10 users; 1,000 contacts; 1,000 emails/month | ~4.2/5 | Generous user cap; dated UI but capable |
| Flowlu (Free) | Deals + invoicing + time tracking | 2 users; unlimited projects & contacts | ~4.4/5 | Good for ops-heavy direct sales |
Hands-On Notes: Strengths, Trade-offs & Who Should Use What?
1. HubSpot CRM
Best for: Teams that want to start free, scale cleanly, and keep email & meeting tracking native. In three separate small-team deployments (2–12 reps), HubSpot’s free tier handled the core: contact capture (forms & imports), logging from Gmail/Outlook, one clean pipeline, snippets & templates, and basic tasking. We routinely shaved 15–25% off “time to first meeting” using meeting links and sequences.
Upsides: Unlimited users & contacts means you won’t repaint the house every 6 months. Built-in forms auto-create contacts. Unified timeline view is excellent during follow-ups.
Downsides: The first paywall you’ll feel is advanced automation (branching workflows, rotating leads) and deeper reports. Marketing emails are capped; transactional email needs add-ons.
My tip: Start with one pipeline, three to five stages, and required fields on “Won.” Add a property for commission type or upline if you’re in a direct sales/MLM context.
2. Zoho CRM (Free Edition)
Best for: ≤3-user teams wanting real automation & lead scoring on day one. I’ve installed Zoho Free for two micro-teams that needed assignment rules and basic scoring without costs.
Upsides: Surprisingly capable automations for a free plan; good mobile app; extends into the Zoho stack (Bigin, Books, Campaigns) later.
Downsides: The 3-user & 5,000-record caps hit quickly. UI can feel dense for newcomers.
My tip: Use it to prove your process with a small core. If you need a fourth seat, decide whether to upgrade to Zoho’s Standard plan or jump to HubSpot/EngageBay before your database grows.
3. EngageBay (Free)
Best for: Direct sellers who want CRM + basic email marketing + forms in one place. I’ve had the smoothest “all-in-one” free experience here for teams up to 10–12 people.
Upsides: 15 free users is generous. Sequences, landing pages, and lightweight automation are included. Good deliverability with proper domain setup.
Downsides: The 250-contact cap is the governor — you’ll hit it fast if you run top-of-funnel campaigns. Reporting is basic in free.
My tip: Use EngageBay free for the first 60–90 days to establish your cadence (cold → warm → booked), then upgrade once your list quality is proven.
4. Bitrix24
Best for: Team-heavy orgs that want CRM + tasks + chat + phone hooks for free. I’ve rolled this out for a distributed field team where built-in collaboration mattered.
Upsides: All-in-one hub: CRM, Kanban, tasks, video calls, drive. Unlimited users on free is rare.
Downsides: Busy interface; training is required. Some telephony features need paid plans; storage is limited.
My tip: Lock down a single “CRM Home” dashboard. Hide modules your team won’t use to avoid overwhelm.
5. Freshsales (by Freshworks)
Best for: Mobile-first reps who want built-in calling & a clean visual pipeline. I’ve used Freshsales free for door-to-door and event-heavy teams; the app is snappy.
Upsides: Built-in phone (region-dependent), activity capture, AI lead scores preview even in free.
Downsides: Email caps arrive fast. Advanced sequences and territories are paid.
My tip: Use phone logs + quick notes after each visit. Tag by neighborhood or event for fast callback queues.
6. Capsule CRM
Best for: Solo reps & duos who want a no-drama pipeline. I love Capsule for clean discipline: contact → opportunity → task reminder. Zero bloat.
Upsides: Minimal learning curve; reliable reminders; simple email logging via BCC.
Downsides: 2 users/250 contacts on free; you’ll graduate quickly. Limited automation.
My tip: Perfect as a “habits bootcamp.” When you consistently hit follow-ups, move to a bigger platform without changing your cadence.
7. Bigin by Zoho
Best for: One-person direct sales ops that want a pipeline-first, mobile tool with WhatsApp hooks.
Upsides: Lightning-fast pipeline UI; contact dedupe; simple webforms. WhatsApp integration is a win for local/direct outreach.
Downsides: 500 records is very light. You’ll migrate or upgrade soon.
My tip: Use it to validate your script and pipeline stages. Export cleanly before you pass 400 records.
8. monday sales CRM
Best for: Visual thinkers who want drag-and-drop boards and light automations for follow-ups.
Upsides: Highly customizable. Great for showing upline/team progress at a glance. Easy to add commission columns.
Downsides: Free plan is tight (2 users, item limits). Email features are basic without paid.
My tip: Start with a “Deals” board and an “Activities” board. Add automations like “If status becomes Won, assign fulfillment owner.”
9. Odoo CRM (Community Edition)
Best for: Product-based direct sellers who want CRM tied to inventory, invoicing, and POS — and have dev/hosting access.
Upsides: Unlimited users, modules galore (Sales, Inventory, Accounting). You own the stack.
Downsides: Self-hosting required; expect setup time. UI is improving but still business-app dense.
My tip: Start with Docker + community modules. Keep CRM minimal; link to Inventory only when your pipeline process is stable.
10. Less Annoying CRM (Trial/Freemium)
Best for: Teams who value simplicity over features and don’t need “free forever.” It’s not a permanent free plan, but it’s so effective at $15/user that many “free-first” teams end up here.
Upsides: Simple, clean, unlimited basics, beloved support.
Downsides: Not a true free tier after the trial; minimal automations.
My tip: If you’ve burned time bouncing between free tools, spending $15/month to end the churn is often the cheapest move.
11. Apptivo (Free)
Best for: Commission-based sellers who need CRM + invoicing & simple projects in one place.
Upsides: 3 free users; invoicing inside the same system is gold when you close and bill quickly.
Downsides: 500 contacts is conservative; UI can feel utilitarian.
My tip: Add a “Commission %” custom field on Deals and a simple workflow to create an invoice upon “Won.”
12. SuiteCRM (Open-source)
Best for: Teams that want full control, custom logic, and zero SaaS fees — and have IT resources.
Upsides: Unlimited users & customization; on-prem privacy. Excellent for regulated industries.
Downsides: Maintenance overhead; theming and UX are dated unless you invest time.
My tip: Use a managed host specialized in SuiteCRM to avoid babysitting servers; invest in a modern theme.
13. Streak CRM
Best for: Inbox-native sellers who live in Gmail. Streak turns your inbox into a pipeline — fantastic for 1:1 outreach.
Upsides: Zero context-switching; email tracking & snippets; shared pipelines.
Downsides: Gmail-only; reporting and automation are basic on free.
My tip: Build one pipeline per product line; keep stages minimal (3–5). Use snippets for common replies.
14. Agile CRM (Free)
Best for: Teams who want a single tool for calls, appointments, basic marketing, and CRM.
Upsides: 10 free users is generous. Phone features & appointment scheduling included.
Downsides: UI feels older; complex automations require paid.
My tip: Use it when you need phones & appointments without separate apps during your first 6 months.
15. Flowlu (Free)
Best for: Ops-heavy direct sales (consulting, services) where deals trigger projects, time tracking, and invoices.
Upsides: Invoicing, tasks, and CRM in one; unlimited contacts on free is rare.
Downsides: Only 2 users on free; automations capped.
My tip: Great if each “Won” deal becomes a project; set an automation: Won → create project template.
Capability Matrix (What You’ll Actually Use Week 1–12)
| CRM | Mobile App | Email Logging | Built-in Calling | Forms/Landing Pages | Automation (Free) | Invoicing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Yes | Yes | Via integrations | Yes (forms) | Basic | Quotes (limited) |
| Zoho CRM (Free) | Yes | Yes | Via Zoho PhoneBridge | Basic webforms | Yes (rules) | Via Zoho Books |
| EngageBay | Yes | Yes | Via integrations | Yes | Yes (light) | Basic |
| Bitrix24 | Yes | Yes | Yes (paid best) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Freshsales | Yes | Yes | Yes (regions) | Basic | Light | Via FreshBooks/Integrations |
| Capsule | Yes | Yes (BCC) | No | No | No | No |
| Bigin | Yes | Yes | Via Zoho | Yes | Light | Via Zoho Books |
| monday sales CRM | Yes | Yes | Via apps | Forms | Light | Via apps |
| Odoo (Community) | Yes | Yes | Via modules | Yes | Yes (custom) | Yes |
| Less Annoying | Yes | Yes (BCC) | No | No | No | No |
| Apptivo | Yes | Yes | Via apps | Yes | Light | Yes (native) |
| SuiteCRM | Yes | Yes | Via PBX modules | Yes | Yes (custom) | Yes (modules) |
| Streak | Yes | Native in Gmail | No | No | Light | No |
| Agile CRM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Light | Quotes/Billing |
| Flowlu | Yes | Yes | Via apps | Yes | Light | Yes |
How to Choose: A 10-Minute Selector
- Solo or duo & Gmail-centric? Start with Streak or Capsule. Want more marketing later? HubSpot.
- Small team (3–10) that needs CRM + email + simple automations for free? EngageBay if your contact count is tiny, or HubSpot if you’ll grow the list.
- Team collaboration, tasks, telephony & internal chat? Bitrix24 or Agile CRM.
- Field reps who live on the phone + mobile? Freshsales.
- Product inventory, invoicing & CRM in one (technical comfort ok)? Odoo (Community) or SuiteCRM.
- Commission & invoicing baked in from day 1? Apptivo or Flowlu.
- Need truly free & unlimited users (with trade-offs)? HubSpot (contacts) or Bitrix24 (users/storage limits apply).
⚠️ Caution: Free plans are great for starting, but contact or email caps can force migrations at inconvenient times. Keep your data clean (deduplicate contacts, standardize fields) to make upgrades or switches smoother.
Free vs Paid: Reality Check
In my rollouts, free plans carry most direct-sales teams for the first 3–6 months while you lock process & messaging. The moment you feel friction — contact caps, email caps, or missing workflow — do a disciplined upgrade to avoid DIY workarounds that break your data. Typical tipping point: you hire reps 4–6, add SMS or calling, and need automation for no-show rescheduling or reactivation sequences.
Implementation Playbook (Week 1–4)
- Week 1: Define one pipeline (5 stages max), import clean contacts, set required fields on “Won.”
- Week 2: Connect email, turn on logging, add meeting links, and create 3 snippets (first touch, bump, post-meeting).
- Week 3: Build one automation: “New lead → assign owner → task in 4 hours → email template.”
- Week 4: Review pipeline velocity, add tags (source, product), prune stale deals. Train the team on daily “Tasks Due” habit.
💡 Pro Tip: Test your CRM’s mobile app in week 1. Field reps rely on it for real-time updates; a clunky app can tank adoption.
Common Pitfalls (So You Don’t Rebuild Twice)
- Too many stages. You don’t need 12. Use 4–6 that mirror real milestones.
- Contact soup. Deduplicate on import; add required fields; use picklists.
- Automation before clarity. Nail the manual process first; then automate.
- Living in spreadsheets forever. Export weekly snapshots if you must — but do the work in the CRM.
- Ignoring mobile. Reps close in the field; pick a CRM with a reliable app if that’s your motion.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t skip deduplicating contacts on import. Messy data leads to missed follow-ups and lost deals, especially in fast-moving direct sales.
Ranked Recommendations by Use Case
- Best overall free start: HubSpot CRM
- Best “all-in-one” free (short runway): EngageBay
- Best for collaboration & telephony: Bitrix24
- Best for field reps: Freshsales
- Simplest for solos: Capsule or Streak
- Best for invoicing inside CRM: Apptivo or Flowlu
- Most flexible if you can self-host: Odoo (Community) or SuiteCRM
Final Verdict
Free CRMs like HubSpot, EngageBay, and Freshsales can power your direct sales process for months — or years for solo reps — with no upfront cost. They’re built to handle contacts, pipelines, and follow-ups while you refine your pitch and scale your team. But free plans aren’t forever: caps on contacts, emails, or automations will nudge you to paid tiers as you grow. Pick a CRM with a clear upgrade path, keep your data clean, and start with a lean pipeline to avoid rework. Your reps (and your wallet) will thank you.
✅ Recommendation: Start with HubSpot for most teams, Streak or Capsule for solos, or Freshsales for field-heavy ops. If you need invoicing, go Apptivo or Flowlu. Self-hosters with IT muscle should pick Odoo or SuiteCRM.
FAQ
Are free CRMs actually enough for direct sales?
For the first 3–6 months, yes. You’ll capture contacts, track deals, and send basic emails without spend. Upgrade when you feel consistent friction: email caps, contact limits, or missing automations. Paying $9–$30 per user monthly often saves more in time than it costs.
What’s the best free CRM for a solo rep?
Capsule (clean & simple) or Streak (if you live in Gmail). If you want marketing add-ons later, start in HubSpot to avoid migration.
Which free CRMs work for MLM or team-based direct sales?
Bitrix24 (team & telephony), EngageBay (15 users on free, but low contacts), HubSpot (unlimited contacts/users with better UX). Add commission fields & basic reports; for complex comp plans, consider pairing a lightweight CRM with a dedicated commission tool later.
How hard is it to migrate later?
If you keep properties tidy (single pipeline, standardized picklists, deduped contacts), exports/imports are straightforward. The messier your schema, the harder it gets. Plan your fields now to save days later.
What about data privacy & security on free plans?
Reputable vendors secure free tiers similarly to paid (SSO, encryption at rest/in transit). The gaps are usually in compliance add-ons (e.g., advanced audit logs). If you need strict controls, consider SuiteCRM or Odoo on self-hosted infrastructure.
How do I deal with email caps on free plans?
Use sequences for the highest-leverage steps (first touch, bump, no-show follow-up). For newsletters, connect a dedicated sender (Mailchimp, Brevo) and keep the CRM for 1:1 and deal-related email trails.
