

To efficiently implement CRM (customer relationship management) one must first understand its history and its importance. Travel through time, and you will learn of a detailed background, its creators and evolution.
Where Thought Leaders go for Growth
Looking for the best free CRM software for your business? The age of Excel is at its end! To improve the management of your business, you have to adopt a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software.
Among the many CRM software on the market, you are considering a free solution. What options are available to you, and what features do you need to manage your customer data?
To determine which solution would best suit your needs, here is a selection of free CRM software in SaaS mode to guide you in your choice.
Read on to discover the CRM software that's right for you!
CRM software records the contact details of a company's customers, such as: telephone number, e-mail address, social media, preferred method of contact,and more. It can also automatically record other information, such as recent company activity data.
CRM software usually records this information in order to provide the user with a comprehensive overview of the company's contacts and business data.
The CRM system organizes the information in order to enable the user to understand the evolution of the company's network of interactions. This is useful when new marketing strategies are to be implemented or when existing strategies need to be adjusted or rectified.
In fact, CRM software improves Customer Relationship Management across the board, providing essential data to develop more targeted offers and personalized customer conversations.
First of all, you should bear in mind that there are different CRM programs, each with a particular combination of functionalities.
In general, however, a good CRM should provide the following tools:
The main CRM functionalities that define a good CRM software must allow you to:
First of all, let's remember that very often free CRM and open source CRM are thought to be the same thing. Big mistake: in fact, open source software is not always free and some free software is not open source!
Open source software refers to software whose source code is open. Anyone can access it and modify it as they wish, as long as they have good programming skills or resources that can configure the tool. Some solutions offer a pre-configured version, with installation assistance available for a fee.
Whether you are a start-up, a large company, an SME or a free-lancer, CRM software allows you to :
If you are looking for a free CRM (Excel is really a thing of the past), know what to expect. The software versions offered are sometimes limited in terms of :
✅ It is up to you to clarify the use you will make of it, depending on the size and scope of your business. If your company is still young or growing, a free software or freemium offer may suit you, but they quickly become insufficient as you grow. If you have a doubt, take a look at our best CRM comparison. If you are a freelancer, here is the best CRM for freelancers comparison.
Our selection is based on free or low-cost software that stands out in the market, suitable for different uses and business fields. Explore the functionalities and strengths of each!
Agile CRM is an all-in-one software, ideal for automating marketing and sales from a single platform. With a modern, fast and efficient interface, this software offers high quality support to companies that are looking to close more and more business deals.
The advantage of having all the necessary functionalities on one platform is that tasks can be streamlined and collaboration can be optimized.
The functionalities of Agile CRM can be classified into two main groups:
The free version of Agile CRM includes: 10 users, 1,000 contacts, essential sales and interview scheduling.
Bitrix24 is a free collaborative platform that offers several tools to help sales growth such as project and task management or Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Thanks to its sales funnels and pipelines, it allows its users to manage current and future prospects while promoting customer loyalty.
Bitrix24 is designed for companies of all sizes with the objective of increasing sales and maximizing revenue. Bitrix24 has 9 million users worldwide.
This software can be used by start-ups, SMEs and large companies.
Among the many features that Bitrix24 provides to the user, it is worth mentioning:
EngageBay is an all-in-one software that manages your business and your customers with a straightforward, powerful and unified platform for all your marketing, sales and service needs.
Among the many features that Bitrix24 provides the user, it is worth mentioning:
![]() Agile CRM | ![]() Bitrix24 | ![]() EngageBay |
For all companies | For companies with more than 1 employees | For companies with more than 50 employees |
Learn more about Agile CRM | Learn more about Bitrix24 | Learn more about EngageBay |
It is according to your priorities and the specificities of your structure's operations that you will define the features of your ideal CRM: the one that will save you time in managing your business.
Finally, here are the essential criteria that will play a part in the choice of your future software:
The choice of a CRM is highly strategic.
Finally, ask yourself what you mean by free: are limited versions satisfactory? They may induce delayed or indirect costs. Today, there are CRMs that offer powerful functionalities under affordable subscription formulas. It is up to you to find a CRM solution that is consistent with your business strategy. You may browse our full list of CRM software to explore the available solutions more in depth!