Home › Cheap CRM and affordable CRM: what official prices actually show
Cheap CRM and affordable CRM: what official prices actually show
By Cathy Riddell · Facts checked 12 Nov 2026
Affiliate disclosure: Reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links (marked with rel="sponsored"). If you buy through one I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. HighLevel links open gohighlevel.com directly; Systeme.io and Kartra still use /go/ redirects. It never changes my ratings. Full disclosure
Start the 30-day free trial
Opens HighLevel in a new tab · affiliate link
Currency: Plan prices on this page are quoted in USD as shown on each vendor's official pricing page, checked 12 Nov 2026. Your bank or card converts the billed amount and may add a foreign-transaction fee. I don't invent converted local-currency figures.
Search Console already shows people finding this site with queries like "cheap CRM" — that was the only query with clicks by 12 Nov 2026 — so this page is a straight price comparison, not a bargain headline. Prices come only from official vendor pages checked 12 Nov 2026. I use HighLevel every day for agency client work; the other tools here are compared from those official pages, not from day-to-day use in my agency.
Official starting prices
| Tool | Official starting price | What that entry plan officially includes | Better when |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot free CRM | US$0 | Up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts, no expiry, no card (hubspot.com/products/crm) | You just need a shared contact and deal list |
| Systeme.io Free | US$0 | 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, 1 blog, 1 domain, unlimited emails, 0% fees, unlimited sub-accounts (systeme.io/pricing) | You want funnels, email and a course on a free plan |
| Systeme.io Startup | US$17/mo (US$170/yr) | 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, 5 courses; still 0% fees and unlimited sub-accounts | You've outgrown the free caps and want to stay cheap |
| HighLevel Starter | US$97/mo (US$970/yr) | 3 sub-accounts, unlimited contacts and users, CRM, funnels, email, SMS (usage-billed). 14-day trial on the pricing page or 30-day bootcamp trial (gohighlevel.com/pricing; gohighlevel.com/highlevel-bootcamp) | You have a team, or you need SMS and client accounts in one bill |
| Kartra Essentials | US$59/mo (US$52/mo annual) | 500 contacts, 1 product, 5% transaction fee, 30-day money-back | You sell one product or course and accept the fee |
| ClickFunnels Launch | US$97/mo (US$81/mo annual) | 1 workspace, 2 team members, 10,000 contacts, 50,000 emails/month, 3 courses, 14-day trial plus 30-day money-back | You mainly want a funnel builder |
| Kajabi Basic | US$179/mo (US$143/mo annual) | 2,500 contacts, 5 products, 2 admins, 14-day trial plus 30-day money-back; payment processing fees apply | Courses and memberships are the product, and budget is higher |
| Keap | From US$320/mo (US$3,195/yr) | Two users included; extra users US$39/month; required implementation (price not published); limited free trial | You want a done-for-you implementation and can budget for it |
Sources as linked, checked 12 Nov 2026, USD. HighLevel SMS, calls, email and AI are usage-billed on top of the plan. Kajabi lists card-processing fees and, in some regions, an extra fee for an outside processor. Keap's implementation package is required but unpriced on the page I checked, so the real starting cost may be higher than US$320/month.
Start the 30-day HighLevel trial Try Systeme.io free
Affiliate links. HighLevel opens in a new tab. Systeme.io uses a /go/ redirect.
Why "cheapest CRM" is the wrong question
A per-seat tool can look cheap for one person and expensive for ten. A US$97 flat plan looks dear next to US$17 until you add users, contacts or SMS. Add up the official plan price, seats, usage and payment fees for your actual team rather than chasing a cheapest badge. My CRM pricing comparison chart is the fuller 11-tool version of this maths, first compiled on 1 Nov 2026. On 12 Nov 2026 I reconfirmed the HighLevel, Systeme.io, Kartra, ClickFunnels, Kajabi and HubSpot figures used here. I could not recapture current ActiveCampaign or Zoho dollar amounts (those pages load prices dynamically), so they are not in this table.
What's the most affordable CRM for a small business?
If the budget is zero: HubSpot free CRM or Systeme.io free, depending on whether you need funnels and courses (Systeme.io) or a simple sales CRM (HubSpot). If you can pay a little: Systeme.io Startup at US$17 a month. If you have a team or you need SMS, pipelines and client sub-accounts: HighLevel Starter at US$97 a month is often cheaper than stacking a funnel tool, an email tool and a per-seat CRM. That's why I use it at my agency, not because it has the lowest sticker price.
Related: best free CRM and best CRM for small business.
Start the 30-day free trial
Opens HighLevel in a new tab · affiliate link
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest CRM in 2026?
I won't invent a single winner. The lowest official paid flat price I verified on 12 Nov 2026 is Systeme.io Startup at US$17 a month. HubSpot and Systeme.io also have genuinely free plans. Per-seat tools and usage fees can overtake a low sticker price once you add people or messaging.
Is HighLevel a cheap CRM?
HighLevel's entry plan is US$97 a month, which is not the lowest sticker price here. It is flat for unlimited users and contacts, with SMS and email usage billed on top (gohighlevel.com/pricing, checked 12 Nov 2026). For a team, that can work out more affordable than a cheaper per-seat CRM. For a solo user who only needs email and a funnel, Systeme.io is clearly cheaper.
What's the most affordable CRM for a small business?
For no cost: HubSpot's free CRM or Systeme.io's free plan. For a low paid bill: Systeme.io from US$17 a month. For a small team that wants SMS and automation in one place: HighLevel from US$97 a month.
Not ready to start a trial yet? Get the free checklist + starter templates
A step-by-step setup checklist plus ready-to-use starter templates: lead replies, reminders, missed-call text-back, review requests, a nurture sequence and pipeline stages. Free, no sign-up needed.
About the author: Cathy RiddellAgency owner who uses HighLevel daily for client work. How we review →