Best CRM for sole traders in the UK: HubSpot vs Pipedrive vs Bigin vs Capsule
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A CRM (customer relationship management tool) is where you keep every lead, client, email and follow up in one place, so nothing falls through the cracks. For a sole trader, the right one is usually the cheapest tool that you will actually open every day. This comparison is based on the published plans and pricing pages of each provider. We have not run these tools ourselves, so we stick to what each company states, and every price was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Comparison at a glance
| CRM | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | Ex VAT | Inc VAT (20%) | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Yes: up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts | Starter Customer Platform | Shown in US dollars only: $7 a seat a month billed annually, $10 month to month (new customer offer; standard $20) | Not shown; HubSpot says prices are subject to applicable tax | Free plan, no card needed |
| Pipedrive | No | Lite | £14 a seat a month, billed annually (£168 a year) | £16.80 | 14 days, no card |
| Zoho Bigin | Yes: 1 user, 500 records | Express | £5 a user a month, billed yearly | £6 | 15 days |
| Capsule | Yes: up to 2 users, 250 contacts | Starter | £14 a user a month, billed annually | VAT treatment not stated on the pricing page | 14 days, no card |
Inc VAT figures are our own calculation at 20% where the provider states its prices exclude VAT. If you are VAT registered you can usually reclaim the VAT, so the ex VAT figure is your real cost.
HubSpot: the strongest free plan
HubSpot's free tools include its Smart CRM plus lite versions of its marketing, sales and service tools. Based on its pricing page, the free tier covers up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts and 1,000 records across other standard object types, with no time limit and no credit card needed.
The paid step up is the Starter Customer Platform. On 15 Nov 2026 HubSpot's pricing page only displayed US dollars to us: Starter is normally $20 a month per seat, with a limited time offer for new customers of $7 a month per seat paid annually upfront, or $10 a month per seat month to month. HubSpot says prices are subject to applicable tax. Your billing currency and final price are confirmed at checkout.
Strengths, based on the published plans
- The most generous free plan of the four for contacts (1,000)
- Marketing, sales and service tools in one account if you grow
- No time limit on the free tier
Watch outs
- Starter pricing above is a new customer offer and HubSpot says it is time limited
- Higher tiers (Professional and Enterprise) carry one time onboarding fees according to HubSpot's Sales Hub pricing page, so the jump from Starter is large
Try HubSpot's free CRM if you want to start with no cost and see whether a CRM habit sticks.
Pipedrive: built around the sales pipeline
Pipedrive is a sales pipeline CRM. Its UK pricing page lists four plans, all per seat per month on annual billing, and states that prices exclude VAT:
| Plan | Ex VAT, billed annually | Inc VAT | Per year ex VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | £14 | £16.80 | £168 |
| Growth | £39 | £46.80 | £468 |
| Premium | £59 | £70.80 | £708 |
| Ultimate | £79 | £94.80 | £948 |
Pipedrive says annual billing saves up to 42% compared with monthly billing, so expect to pay more if you go month to month. Add ons such as LeadBooster (from £32.50), Projects (from £16) and Campaigns (from £13.33) cost extra. There is a 14 day free trial with no credit card required.
Strengths, based on the published plans
- Very focused on deals and pipeline stages, which suits trades, agencies and consultants who quote and chase
- Clear UK pricing in pounds with VAT stated
- Lite plan is described as focused on selling, with meeting intelligence to cut admin
Watch outs
- No free plan
- Email automation sits in Growth and above according to the plan descriptions, so the useful features cost £39 a seat ex VAT
Start a Pipedrive free trial if pipeline tracking is the main job you need done.
Zoho Bigin: the cheapest paid plan
Bigin is Zoho's CRM aimed at small businesses. Its pricing page shows prices in pounds and says local taxes such as VAT are charged on top.
| Plan | Ex VAT, per user a month billed yearly | Inc VAT | Main limits listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | £0 | Single user, 1 pipeline, 500 records, 3 automations |
| Express | £5 | £6 | 3 team pipelines, 50,000 records, 30 automations |
| Premier | £10 | £12 | 5 team pipelines, 100,000 records, AI tools, 1,000 AI credits a month |
| Bigin 360 | £15 | £18 | 15 team pipelines, 1 million records, 3,000 AI credits a month |
Bigin says yearly billing saves up to 35%. There is a 15 day free trial. Express lists email and WhatsApp Business integration, and integration with Zoho Books and Zoho Invoice, which may suit you if you already use Zoho for invoicing.
Strengths, based on the published plans
- Lowest paid entry price here
- A free plan that still includes pipelines, a booking page and mobile apps
Watch outs
- The free plan is single user with a 500 record limit
- You get the most out of it inside the wider Zoho family of apps
Capsule: a simple contact manager with a free tier
Capsule shows prices in pounds on its pricing page. Paid plans, per user per month billed annually: Starter £14, Growth £27, Advanced £42 and Ultimate £60. The page we checked did not state whether VAT is added, so confirm at checkout. Capsule says annual billing saves up to 22%.
The free plan allows up to 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and 1 sales pipeline. Starter raises that to 30,000 contacts and adds email templates, a shared mailbox and integrations including Xero. There is a 14 day free trial with no card required.
Strengths, based on the published plans
- Clear, simple tiers
- Starter lists a direct Xero integration, useful if Xero is your accounting software
Watch outs
- The free plan's 250 contact limit is the lowest of the four
- Workflow automation starts at Growth (£27 a user a month)
How we compared them
We applied the same criteria to each CRM: whether there is a free plan and what it allows, the price of the cheapest paid plan in pounds, whether VAT is included, and what the entry plan unlocks. We took every figure from the provider's own pricing page on 15 Nov 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
Who should pick what
- You want to try a CRM for free with no commitment: HubSpot's free CRM gives the most contacts at no cost.
- You work alone and want the cheapest paid plan: Bigin Express at £5 a user a month ex VAT, billed yearly.
- Your work is quoting, chasing and closing deals: Pipedrive, which is built around the pipeline.
- You already use Xero and want something simple: Capsule Starter lists a direct Xero integration.
- You might hire and want marketing tools later: HubSpot, because the free CRM connects to its paid hubs.
- You only have a handful of clients: a spreadsheet or the free tier of any of these may be all you need. Do not pay for features you will not use.
FAQ
Do sole traders need a CRM?
Not always. If you have a few regular clients, a spreadsheet or your email inbox may be enough. A CRM helps when you have many leads at once, follow ups to remember, or quotes to chase.
Which CRM is free for one person in the UK?
HubSpot (up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts), Bigin (1 user, 500 records) and Capsule (up to 2 users, 250 contacts) all list free plans. Pipedrive does not have a free plan but offers a 14 day trial.
Are these prices including VAT?
Pipedrive and Bigin state their prices exclude VAT, so we added 20% for the inc VAT column. HubSpot showed US dollar prices subject to applicable tax. Capsule did not state VAT treatment on the page we checked.
Can I reclaim VAT on CRM software?
If you are VAT registered and the software is used for your business, you can usually reclaim the VAT charged. Check with HMRC guidance or your accountant for your situation.
Is monthly billing more expensive?
Yes for most of these. Pipedrive says annual billing saves up to 42%, Bigin up to 35% and Capsule up to 22%. HubSpot's new customer offer is $7 a seat a month annually against $10 month to month.
Do any of these connect to accounting software?
Based on the published plans, Bigin Express lists Zoho Books and Zoho Invoice integration, and Capsule Starter lists a Xero integration. HubSpot and Pipedrive both list large app marketplaces.
Sources
- HubSpot free tools and Starter pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- HubSpot Sales Hub pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Pipedrive UK pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Bigin by Zoho pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Capsule CRM pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)