Best CRM Software for Freelancers

Why I Like Zoho CRM

Affordable, varied, and comprehensive features, and a free plan to boot – what’s not to like? Zoho isn’t a new company by any means, and their CRM solution has been around for almost twenty years, making it one of the oldest CRM systems on this list. Don’t think that this means Zoho CRM is old-fashioned or outdated – it’s still one of the best CRM systems out there, and their free plan is a great fit for freelancers, especially those who plan on expanding in the future.

One of the key benefits for freelancers is the ability to automate several workflows, including email follow-ups and data updates. The social media management features also makes it easier to manage your marketing automation and lead generation. It’s simply a great tool that gives a budding freelance business exactly what they need to get started without being overwhelming.

The Top Features For Freelancers

The free version of Zoho CRM definitely includes just about every tool a new freelancer should need, including:

• A contact book to manage your clients, leads, and accounts.
• Email marketing tools, including templates and workflows.
• Online lead generation.
• Task management.

If you decide to go with one of their paid plans, which starts at a very reasonable $20/pm per user, the list of available and advanced features grow almost exponentially. These range from task management to social media management and integration and artificial intelligence – something Zoho has done a fantastic job at implementing.

For a freelancing business and freelancers in general, Zoho CRM is a fantastic tool. However, if you intend to grow your business over time, it could become one of the most robust and affordable tools in your arsenal.

Why I Like Hubspot CRM

If you’re doubting my sanity for including one of the most popular, well-known, and typically expensive CRMs on this list, don’t worry – the reaction was expected! When it comes to CRM tools, HubSpot CRM is arguably the king of the lot. There are so many standard and advanced features available that it might make your head spin a little, even in the free plan, but it’s so intuitive to use, you won’t get overwhelmed.

What you might not know is that HubSpot does have a free CRM solution, and while they’re not in the business of giving premium features away, there’s still a lot you can do with their free and lower-end plans. The biggest downside of HubSpot is that it can get quite expensive as you grow and need to upgrade. Luckily, they have a lot of customizable bundles, so don’t be afraid to explore your options once you have the budget to do so.

Best of all, it has one of the most versatile and expansive free plans available on the market today. It’s, in almost every way, a one-stop shop. That said, if you need to raise brand awareness through marketing activities and lead generation, this CRM software platform should definitely be on your shortlist.

The Top Features for Freelancers

While there are a lot of things I love about the HubSpot CRM, there are definitely a few features that stand out for freelancers, including:

• Live chat software to manage customer relationships.
• Email template builders and meeting schedulers.
• Landing page and form builder for lead generation.
• Pipeline and contact management for your sales funnel.
• Excellent contact management features.
• Near unmatched marketing tools and integrations.

That’s not to say that there aren’t several other excellent tools that make this a great freelancer CRM. However, many of its most powerful tools come with a bit of a price tag. With that said, unless your business objectives include becoming a massive enterprise, their more affordable price packages and bundles will be all you ever need.

Why I Like Less Annoying CRM

Don’t want anything complex or a CRM tool that comes loaded with features you might never need? Try Less Annoying CRM instead! If you want an all-in-one tool, you might want to give this one a pass. However, if you want to focus on only the key features a CRM needs to provide, Less Annoying CRM could be your perfect fit.

As the name suggests, the creators of this platform tried to focus on providing the simplest set of features that a freelancer might need from a customer relationship management system. As a result, Less Annoying CRM is easy to use and reasonably affordable, with only a single paid plan available.

Unfortunately, this does mean that it’s not as scalable as other platforms and is best suited for freelancers who don’t intend to grow into bigger businesses that need more resources.

The Top Features for Freelancers

One of the best things about Less Annoying CRM is that it claims to be a big supporter of freelancers and small businesses, and they’ve designed their platform with that in mind.

Some of the key features include:

• Contact management.
• Calendar and task management.
• Basic project management tools.
• Lead and pipeline management.
• Easy to customize.
• Designed to work well on mobile.

Every feature they offer is designed to benefit a solo user or small team, making it the ideal choice for a freelancer looking for a straightforward, simple, but capable CRM tool.

Why I Like Pipedrive CRM

Without any of its add-ons, Pipedrive itself is a simple but effective tool for freelancers. Not only is it accessible on mobile for the freelancer on the go, but it’s also perfect for managing leads and sales, tracking communications, and automating many of your automotive tasks. 

However, there are so many integrations and add-ons available that you’ll be able to build your CRM into a tool that suits your needs exactly, no more and no less. As far as customizability goes, you’ll find few that can match up to Pipedrive.

The Top Features for Freelancers

While there’s no free version of Pipedrive available, the basic package (starting at $24/pm per user) is quite reasonable. Called the Essential package, freelancers will have access to key features, including:

• Lead and deal management.
• Contact and calendar management.
• Pipeline management and sales assistant.
• 400+ integrations, including Zapier, MailChimp, Hubspot, Google Meet, and more.

Upgrading to the Advanced package will add email tracking, automations, and scheduling features. However, Pipedrive’s real strength lies in its add-ons. The wide variety of options include:

• Leadbooster.
• Email campaigns manager.
• Projects Add-on.

The Projects add-on is a particular draw since it includes several powerful project management tools. Not only does it come with project templates included, but also kanban boards, a task manager, and project automations features. If you find yourself looking for a CRM tool that you can customize with features to your heart’s content, Pipedrive might be the one for you.

Why I Like ClickUp CRM

If you saw ClickUp on our list and wondered why I would list a project management tool on our list of CRMs, you’re likely one of many. While many people are familiar with that side of ClickUp, not as many know that the platform has a CRM system that looks good, functions well, and is quite fun to use once you’ve figured it out. 

It also includes a whole host of features, but it’s particularly good – as one might imagine – for those freelancers who want to manage every aspect of their projects in one place.

What I liked most about ClickUp was how many features it included in its free plan, but also how affordable the paid plans are. The top-tier plan, coming in at an extremely reasonable $19 per user per month, is undoubtedly one of the most affordable paid plans available on this list.

The Top Features for Freelancers

As l mentioned, ClickUp CRM is definitely more geared towards those freelancers who need help to manage their projects and stay organized. That doesn’t mean they don’t have several amazing features, though, including:

• Detailed and customizable task manager.
• Whiteboards and mind maps for brainstorming.
• Time tracking capabilities.
• Goals and sprints for motivation.
• Reminders and calendar management.
• Chats and email tracking.
• AI assistant.

It also integrates with popular tools that freelancers might use, including GitHub, Calendly, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Zapier, PomoDone, Giphy, and Discord! Nothing says that work can’t be fun, and if you want to run your projects like a well-oiled machine without breaking your bank account, ClikcUp could be your perfect fit.

Why I Like Capsule CRM

Like many other CRM systems, Capsule allows you to capture leads, track communication, allocate and track tasks, manage your sales pipeline, and more. Even the free package includes these capabilities, though with some minor limitations. However, if you’re going to look at Capsule’s higher-tiered packages, you may as well consider some of the other options on this list.

The Top Features for Freelancers

If you want fancy features or the option to add hundreds of additional capabilities, Capsule CRM will disappoint. However, if you just need to keep track of your clients, tasks, and pipeline, you don’t need anything more advanced than what Capsule has to offer:

• Manage to-do lists.
• Track activity and sales.
• Store and manage customer contacts.

In short, Capsule CRM doesn’t dress itself up as anything more or less than a capable, easy-to-use CRM system that just about anyone can learn to use. 

Why I Like Indy CRM

At first glance, the extreme limitations on the free plan could put just about anyone off trying Indy CRM. However, the pro bundle comes in at a very reasonable $12, at which point all limitations disappear, and all features become available.

If you’re willing to hand over the small fee every month, you’ll have access to an excellent, if somewhat simple, customer relationship management system. It’s modern, easy-to-use, affordable, and designed for creatives specifically. If you’re a designer, writer, developer, videographer, or marketer, Indy may be the perfect CRM for you.

The Top Features for Freelancers

Don’t let Indy’s price fool you – the number of features you get for that fee is well worth the price. These include:

• A project portal to manage client communications.
• Contract management system.
• Calendar with task and time tracking capabilities.
• Invoice and billing management.
• File and form management.

It might not integrate with as many platforms as other CRMs or have as many complex capabilities, but it has everything a budding creative freelancer needs.

Why I Like Honeybook CRM

HoneyBook is very different from the other CRM systems I’ve covered on this list, and with good reason. Why do several others include quoting and billing features or the option to add it on? 

HoneyBook has made it their core capability with few limitations. Better still, it has a legal e-signature system available, so your clients can quickly sign contracts and SLAs while the CRM keeps track of these documents. The client portal also looks good, and the system itself is extremely easy to use.

The Top Features for Freelancers

HoneyBook’s core features are somewhat unique on this list in that they focus more on the financial and legal aspects of a CRM. Its key features include:

• Invoicing and online payments.
• Bookkeeping, including QuickBooks integration.
• Client portal with a login.
• Proposals and contract signing and management.

If you need a CRM that includes marketing and project management tools or helps you track tasks and manage customer relationships, HoneyBook might not be right for you. However, if you want a system that’ll help you keep track of multiple clients, communicate effectively, and keep track of your finances and contracts, HoneyBook might be your best fit.

Why I Like Bigin by Zoho CRM

If you consider Bigin simply ‘Zoho on a Budget’, you’re doing the platform a disservice. While Bigin was created by Zoho, it’s more accurate to refer to the platform as Zoho’s answer to the growing freelance industry. Bigin certainly doesn’t have all the features and capabilities that Zoho CRM does, but it’s also 100% built and customized for freelancers. There’s a limited free plan available, along with two affordable paid plans.

If you want, you can later upgrade or integrate your Bigin CRM account with Zoho CRM, or just skip out on Zoho completely and choose to customize your CRM with one of the many add-ons, ranking from records management to automated workflows and more.

The Top Features for Freelancers

Bigin’s features tend towards basic or simplified versions of what most other platforms offer, but it’s a perfect starting point for a new freelancer. Key features include:

• Pipeline management and reporting.
• Automated workflows and actions.
• Task management.
• Customer relationship management tools.

For most other features, you’ll either need to get one of the paid plugins or add-ons or upgrade to Zoho CRM.

Why I Like Insightly CRM

Insightly CRM can quickly be set up and customized to work for specific industries, including consulting, finance, e-commerce, legal, and professional services, and is a great fit for agencies. It’s particularly suited for freelancers who intend to grow their freelancing business as a startup, making it one of the most scalable CRMs on this list. It also has a free forever plan that’s available for up to two users, making the platform affordable for any user.

The Top Features for Freelancers

To start with, Insightly integrates with over 1,200 different apps, so it’s likely compatible with any tools you already use for your freelancing business. That said, its built-in features aren’t to be sniffed at and include:

• Pipeline management and lead tracking.
• Opportunity management.
• Workflow automation.
• Quoting and invoicing capabilities.
• Project management tools.
• Native mobile app.

Now, if you’re looking for an easy-to-use tool and don’t have big expansion plans, Insightly might be more than you need or want. But if you’re planning on growing and want a platform that grows with you, Insightly CRM is a good one to consider.