Best CRM for Startups (2026)
Quick Take
Startups need a CRM that scales from 3 people to 30 without breaking the bank or requiring a Salesforce admin. These picks prioritize fast setup, modern UI, and pricing that doesn't punish growth.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
| # | Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Attio | Best modern CRM | $Custom/mo | 8.2/10 |
| 2 | Folk | Best for relationship management | $Custom/mo | 8.4/10 |
| 3 | Close | Best for outbound sales | $59/mo | 8.0/10 |
| 4 | HubSpot CRM | Best free starting point | $0/mo | 9.3/10 |
| 5 | Pipedrive | Best pipeline for startups | $14/mo | 8.9/10 |
1. Attio | Best modern CRM
Attio is a next-generation CRM that automatically enriches contact data and builds relationship graphs from your email and calendar. It's data-driven by default — think Airtable meets CRM. The free tier supports 3 users. Strong with startups and VC-backed companies who want a modern, flexible CRM without legacy bloat.
Our take: Auto-enrichment, custom objects, and a Notion-like interface. Built for the way startups actually work.
Attio Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | Custom | — |
| Free | $0 | — |
| Plus | $34 | $29/mo |
| Pro | $69 | $59/mo |
2. Folk | Best for relationship management
Folk is a collaborative CRM that feels more like Notion than Salesforce. Import contacts from anywhere — LinkedIn, Gmail, CSV — and organize them with custom fields and views. It's built for teams that manage relationships across sales, partnerships, investors, and recruiting. The Chrome extension is a killer feature for LinkedIn-heavy workflows.
Our take: Import from LinkedIn, manage investors, partners, and customers in one place. The Chrome extension is killer.
Folk Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Custom | Custom | — |
| Free | $0 | — |
| Standard | $20 | $18/mo |
| Premium | $40 | $34/mo |
3. Close | Best for outbound sales
Close is built for inside sales teams that live on the phone and email. Built-in calling, SMS, and email sequences mean you don't need separate tools. The UI is fast and opinionated — it's designed to minimize clicks between activities. Not cheap, but if your sales motion is high-velocity outbound, the productivity gains justify the price.
Our take: Built-in calling, SMS, and email sequences. Zero time wasted switching between tools.
Close Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | $59 | $49/mo |
| Professional | $109 | $99/mo |
| Enterprise | $149 | $139/mo |
4. HubSpot CRM | Best free starting point
HubSpot CRM is a free CRM platform with marketing, sales, and service hubs that scale from startups to enterprise. The free tier is genuinely useful — but once you need automation or reporting, costs jump fast. The Marketing Hub Pro at $890/mo is where most growing teams land, and it's not per-user — it's per portal.
Our take: Start free, scale into paid plans as you grow. The ecosystem ensures you won't outgrow it.
HubSpot CRM Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tools | $0 | — |
| Starter | $20 | $15/mo |
| Professional | $890 | $800/mo |
| Enterprise | $3600 | $3600/mo |
5. Pipedrive | Best pipeline for startups
Pipedrive is built by salespeople, for salespeople. The visual pipeline interface is the best in the business — drag-and-drop deals across stages, get activity reminders, and see exactly where every deal stands. It's not trying to be a marketing platform or helpdesk. If your team lives in the pipeline view, this is it.
Our take: Visual deal tracking starting at $14/user. Fast to set up, easy to train new reps.
Pipedrive Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $14 | $12/mo |
| Advanced | $39 | $30/mo |
| Professional | $49 | $42/mo |
| Power | $64 | $56/mo |
| Enterprise | $99 | $79/mo |
How We Ranked These Tools
We weighted pricing flexibility, ease of adoption, and modern features (API, automation, AI) more heavily for this startup-focused roundup.
Read our full scoring methodology for details.