Best CRM for agencies in 2026
Agencies get charged twice: once for the account team and again for every client login. Here is what each CRM really costs per seat, and where the free tiers actually stop.
Prices below were read from the vendors' own pricing pages and re-checked this week. Every tool links to its full breakdown.
The short answer
Cheapest paid seat: Zoho CRM
Standard is the lowest paid seat in this set, and the free tier covers up to 3 users.
Cheapest paid: $20/mo (Standard)
Best free tier to start on: HubSpot
Free covers unlimited users and a real deal pipeline, so an agency can run on it until the automation wall.
Cheapest paid: $20/mo (Starter)
Best simple pipeline for a small shop: Pipedrive
Higher entry price, but the annual rate is the cheapest of the per-seat CRMs here and setup is quick.
Cheapest paid: $24/mo (Essential)
Entry prices side by side
| Tool | Cheapest paid | Plan | Annual rate | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | $20 | Standard | $14 | Yes — Up to 3 users, 5,000 records, basic lead and deal management |
| HubSpot | $20 | Starter | $15 | Yes — Unlimited users, 1,000,000 contacts, deal pipeline, contact |
| Pipedrive | $24 | Essential | $14 | No |
| GoHighLevel | $97 | Starter | — | No |
How to read these prices
- Cheapest paid is the lowest monthly price that is not a trial, billed monthly. The annual column is the same plan billed yearly.
- Per-seat pricing multiplies by headcount. A $10 seat for a 6-person team is $60/month, not $10.
- Free plans change their limits more often than their price. We re-check the limits weekly and log every change on price changes.
Want the number for your own headcount? Run the cost calculator →