Start with the third seat, not a “best CRM” badge
HubSpot’s published Free offer lists up to two users; Zoho CRM Free lists three. If all three people need access, that difference matters immediately. Zoho’s extra seat is useful only if its data, email and customisation limits still fit your process.
This is a documentation-based shortlist for a one-to-three-person sales team, checked November 3, 2026. It is not a usability test. We have not imported data, sent email or measured either product’s performance.
On this page
At-a-glance free-plan constraints
Contacts are not total records
Test your essential workflow on paper
Spot upgrade triggers
Choose for your team
1. Free-plan constraints that affect a small team
| Requirement | HubSpot Free | Zoho CRM Free |
|---|---|---|
| User access | Up to 2 users in published Free offer | 3 users |
| Data capacity | Confirm contact and aggregate limits for the exact offer/program | 5,000 organisation-wide records across modules; 1 GB file storage listed separately |
| Sales follow-up workflows | Sales workflows are not listed in the Free column; do not confuse marketing automation with sales workflows | 10 workflow rules/module, maximum 5 active; restrictions apply |
| Email and customisation | Individual emails from CRM records with branding; 3 reusable sales templates/account; 200 tracking notifications/month (not sends) | No listed IMAP/POP3/Gmail API/Graph API mailbox integration; no custom fields; default sales pipeline only |
| Mailbox integrations | Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft Exchange integrations, subject to compatibility restrictions | Not included in the Free edition comparison |
| Custom data fields | 10 total custom properties, not 10 per object | Custom fields not included |
| Bulk marketing | Marketing allowances are distinct from CRM capacity | Free CRM mass email unavailable; Zoho Campaigns is a separate product |
Sources: HubSpot Free Tools pricing and Zoho CRM’s edition comparison. These are decision-relevant constraints, not a complete feature inventory. Offers and account programmes can differ.
HubSpot’s Free Tools catalog explicitly lists Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft Exchange integrations, with compatibility restrictions: select Outlook versions, and specified on-premise Exchange versions for personal connected inboxes. It also lists ten total custom properties, three sales email templates per account, one shared inbox, and 200 email-tracking notifications per month. Notifications are not a sending allowance. We have not tested sync behaviour, deliverability or those limits in an account.
2. Do not compare contacts with total records
Zoho’s record FAQ explains that free record capacity is an organisation total across modules, not a separate allowance per module. A contact, a company/account and a deal can be different stored records. File storage is another limit, not extra CRM-record capacity.
For a hypothetical migration containing 1,500 contacts, 800 accounts and 1,000 deals, those three record sets alone total 3,300 records. This is an illustrative inventory, not a tested import or a guarantee that the full migration fits: include every other record type and confirm which records count.
For HubSpot, our official-source check did not establish one universally applicable aggregate capacity across current offers. Do not rely on old “one million records” or “unlimited contacts” claims. Confirm the contact limit and total-object capacity in the actual Free offer before importing; the two-user limit alone does not answer the data question.
3. Map one essential workflow
Write down this sequence: capture a lead → assign an owner → record the next action → send a follow-up → find the history later. Next to each step, state whether manual work is acceptable, whether customer email must be automated, and whether a shared mailbox or custom field is required.
This exposes hidden upgrade requirements. Zoho’s Free comparison lists workflow email notifications to CRM users only, not customer recipients, and excludes scheduled actions, field-update actions and workflow webhooks. “Has workflow rules” therefore does not mean “can run my automated customer follow-up”. HubSpot’s Free marketing email action is not evidence that paid sales workflow capabilities are included for free.
4. Your upgrade-trigger checklist
- Third user: HubSpot’s stated Free allowance is insufficient if three people each need access. Do not share one login to bypass that limit.
- Custom data: if custom fields or additional pipelines are essential, Zoho Free’s documented restrictions can rule it out. Verify the alternative plan rather than assuming another vendor includes the feature.
- Email: distinguish individual email, mailbox integration, internal alerts and bulk marketing.
- Automation: identify the exact trigger, action, recipient and timing rather than checking a generic automation box.
- Data exit: confirm import/export format, ownership and record limits before moving real customer information.
5. Which should you shortlist?
One or two users: both products remain candidates. If connected email or a small number of custom fields are must-haves, HubSpot Free’s documented mailbox integrations and ten total custom properties make it worth shortlisting; Zoho Free excludes those functions. Choose only after the required workflow and applicable capacity are verified. Three users: Zoho Free merits consideration when its 5,000-record organisation limit and email/customisation restrictions are acceptable. Neither: if the workflow needs excluded capabilities, price the lowest suitable paid tier or retain a simpler process while requirements are clarified.
Do not choose solely to keep the subscription at zero. Estimate migration and manual work with the 12-month SaaS cost worksheet. Then test a small, authorised, non-sensitive sample before a full migration.
Sources and research notes
- HubSpot: Free Tools pricing
- HubSpot: Free Tools catalog, specific sales/email/custom-property limits
- Zoho CRM: complete edition comparison
- Zoho CRM: record-management FAQ
Checked November 3, 2026 (Asia/Seoul). AI-assisted research and drafting, with source and arithmetic checks. Documentation-based analysis, not hands-on product testing. Recheck vendor terms before purchase.