7 Best Simple CRMs in 2025

Find a CRM you’ll actually use and set up in minutes

Looking for a lightweight CRM to streamline your small business?

With so many CRMs claiming to be simple, figuring out which ones actually are can be a headache.

I’ve tested, researched, and reviewed hundreds of CRMs, then combined that with real user ratings and expert opinions, to uncover the best simple CRMs you can actually use and set up fast.

Let’s dig in! 👇

What is a simple / easy to use CRM?

Let’s start with a definition of what a simple CRM is:

A simple CRM, sometimes called an easy-to-use, lightweight, basic, or minimal CRM, is software that focuses on the essentials for managing customer relationships. It helps you keep contacts organized, track your sales pipeline, and manage follow-ups, without burying you in unnecessary complexity.

Instead of endless features you will never touch, a simple CRM is designed to be intuitive, quick to set up, and easy to use every day, even if you are not tech-savvy.

The goal is straightforward: help you build and maintain relationships, save time, and stay on top of your sales pipeline, without turning it into a second job.

Ranking simple CRMs: our methodology

To figure out which CRMs are easiest, I’ve calculated an overall score.

This “simple CRM” score is based on four equally weighted factors:

• Ease of use rating, from the #1 B2B software review site (G2)
• Overall product rating, also from G2
• Mobile app rating, from the #1 mobile app store (Google Play)
• Email plugin rating, from the #1 email plugin marketplace (Google Workspace Marketplace)

Giving these four ratings equal weight prevents any single factor from dominating the outcome and ensures a balanced comparison.

Beyond the numbers, I’ve also tested each CRM myself and added hands-on insights to every review.

The 7 Best Simple CRMs Ranked

Don’t want to read the whole comparison? 🤓

The top 7 best simple CRM tools in 2025 are:

1. Salesflare: 9.7/10 🏆
2. HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub: 8.5/10
3. Salesforce Sales Cloud: 8.3/10
4. Streak: 7.8/10
5. Zoho CRM: 7.6/10
6. Pipedrive: 7.4/10
7. Less Annoying CRM: 7.3/10

Want to dig into the details? Read on!

1. Salesflare [9.7/10]

For small and medium-sized B2B businesses looking for a simple CRM that people will actually stick with, Salesflare is often a great fit.

Instead of forcing endless manual input, Salesflare keeps things lightweight by collecting the data for you. It pulls in emails, meetings, calls, social touches, company details, and even email signatures, then organizes everything automatically. What you get is a clear view of your pipeline and timely reminders to follow up, without the burden of constant admin work.

Because the system shares data across the team by default, it creates more transparency than some companies are used to. That can take a bit of adjustment, although Salesflare now includes permission settings for growing businesses that prefer a more controlled setup.

“What I like best about Salesflare is how incredibly easy it is to use and set up. You don’t need a dedicated IT team to get started it’s intuitive, clean, and user-friendly right out of the box. The automated data entry from emails and calendars saves time, and the visual pipeline makes managing leads and deals very straightforward. It feels like a CRM that’s actually built for users, not just admins.” writes Taylor Q., manager of an SEO agency, about Salesflare.

Testing it out

Using Salesflare, the first thing you notice is how little friction there is to get started for beginners. Connect your email and calendar, and the system instantly pulls in contacts, conversations, meetings, and social touches. There’s no manual data entry to slow things down; Salesflare quietly builds rich profiles behind the scenes.

In daily use, it feels like the CRM is always one step ahead. Every interaction is logged automatically, so opening a lead’s profile reveals the whole story without extra digging. Smart reminders surface exactly when they’re needed, nudging users to follow up before opportunities slip away.

What stands out is how invisible the busywork becomes. Salesflare takes care of the admin in the background, letting sales teams focus on what they actually want to do: building relationships and closing deals. It’s this simplicity that makes the tool easy to stick with. Teams don’t have to fight themselves to keep it updated, because it does most of the work for them.

It doesn’t just have an intuitive interface. It effectively makes your daily work easier.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 9.3
• Ease of Setup: 9.5
• Meets Requirements: 9.1
• Quality of Support: 9.7
• Ease of Doing Business With: 9.8
• Ease of Admin: 9.3

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 9.3/10
• Average G2 review score: 9.5/10
• Google Play review score: 5.0/5 → 10/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score: 5.0/5 → 10/10
• FINAL SCORE: 9.7/10

Pricing

Pricing on the Professional plan (Salesflare Pro plan):

• $49/user/month (billed annually)
• $64/user/month (billed monthly)

Salesflare offers a free trial of up to 30 days.

​Try Salesflare

If you don’t sell B2B (aka to other businesses) and don’t do active sales, one of the below CRMs might then be a better fit for you. But, if you do actively sell B2B, give Salesflare a try.

It only takes a few minutes to start a Salesflare trial and follow up your leads in a better way.👈

I guarantee you won’t find any better, simple CRM for your small business! 👌

2. HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub [8.5/10]

HubSpot started in 2005 as a marketing automation platform, and over time it has grown into an everything platform. Today, its biggest draw is the all-in-one package: CRM, marketing, sales, service, and operations all under one roof. For those who dislike stitching together different apps with Zapier or integrations, that can sound like a dream.

But if you are looking for a simple CRM, HubSpot does not always feel simple. The free CRM is solid for getting started, but to really match the features of other CRMs on this list you need to add the Sales Hub. And if you want to benefit from the full all-in-one platform, you will end up paying for multiple Hubs. Costs rise quickly, especially for small businesses.

“Some advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans, which can get quite expensive as your team grows.” writes Saloni R., a Project Manager in IT, about HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub.

The software is relatively polished, easy to set up, and has a large marketplace of integrations. Many users praise how quickly you can get started. At the same time, the breadth of tools can be overwhelming, and none of them are best-in-class compared to more focused competitors.

HubSpot is powerful and convenient if you want everything in one place. If your priority is a lightweight, simple CRM that does not bog you down, you may find HubSpot heavy and expensive for what you really need.

Testing it out

Testing HubSpot was both impressive and a bit overwhelming. Getting started was smooth, the setup was straightforward, and I liked how the CRM connects seamlessly with HubSpot’s marketing and service tools. The free version is usable for basic contact and pipeline management, and the interface feels polished enough that you can get productive quickly.

As I spent more time in it, though, the platform began to show its weight. HubSpot is not just a CRM, it is an entire suite of products, and that comes with layers of complexity. There are settings scattered across different Hubs, dashboards packed with data, and plenty of features I did not really need. What looked simple at first often required extra digging to configure.

The pricing model only adds to that feeling. The free CRM (for unlimited users) works, but unlocking advanced features means stacking paid Hubs, and costs escalate quickly. I kept asking myself whether I was paying for tools I would rarely touch.

Overall, HubSpot delivers an impressive all-in-one solution, but if you are looking for something truly lightweight, it can feel cumbersome and expensive compared to more focused CRMs.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 8.7
• Ease of Setup: 8.4
• Meets Requirements: 8.6
• Quality of Support: 8.6
• Ease of Doing Business With: 8.8
• Ease of Admin: 8.6

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 8.7/10
• Average G2 review score: 8.6/10
• Google Play review score: 4.4/5 → 8.8/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score: 4.0/5 → 8.0/10
• FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10

Pricing

Pricing on the Professional plan (HubSpot Sales Hub Professional plan):

• $90/seat/month (billed annually)
• $100/seat/month (billed monthly, but with annual commitment)
• ​+ an extra required fee of $1500 for onboarding

HubSpot offers a 14-day free trial.

3. Salesforce Sales Cloud [8.3/10]

Salesforce is the largest CRM company in the world, holding roughly 22% of the market. Its stock ticker is literally “CRM,” so leaving it out of any CRM list would feel incomplete.

That said, Salesforce is anything but simple. While it started out serving small businesses, its focus today is squarely on large enterprises. Its strength is extreme customizability. You can make it do almost anything, but usually only with the help of consultants and a fair budget. It has also positioned itself as a one-stop shop for all business needs, going far beyond sales.

Salesforce Essentials exists as a small business version, but compared to other CRMs in this list it feels clunky, less user-friendly, and not particularly optimized for sales teams. This is exactly the kind of frustration that drives many people to search for lighter alternatives.

​“The user interface can feel outdated and a bit overwhelming with so many features.” writes Yash R., Relationship Manager in the financial industry, about Salesforce Sales Cloud.

For large corporates with complex processes, Salesforce can be the best choice. But if what you want is a simple CRM that is quick to set up and easy to use every day, Salesforce is more likely to overwhelm than to simplify.

Testing it out

Testing Salesforce Sales Cloud made it clear right away how powerful and customizable the platform is. The range of features is enormous, and it can be shaped to fit almost any sales process. Once it is tailored, it feels like you are working with a system that can truly do everything.

The challenge is getting there. The setup was far from smooth, and I quickly found myself buried under layers of features and configuration options. Even basic adjustments required time and, in many cases, outside expertise. The flexibility is impressive, but it comes at the cost of simplicity.

For a large enterprise, the investment in time and consultants might be worth it. For a smaller team that just wants to track pipelines and stay organized, the steep learning curve and ongoing complexity can feel like overkill. Salesforce delivers immense power, but it rarely feels lightweight or intuitive.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 8.1
• Ease of Setup: 7.8
• Meets Requirements: 8.8
• Quality of Support: 8.1
• Ease of Doing Business With: 8.3
• Ease of Admin: 7.9

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 8.1/10
• Average G2 review score: 8.2/10
• Google Play review score: 3.7/5 → 7.4/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score: 4.7/5 → 9.4/10
• FINAL SCORE: 8.3/10

Pricing

Pricing on the Professional plan (Salesforce Sales Cloud Pro Suite):

• $100/user/month (only billed annually)

Salesforce offers a 14-day free trial.

4. Streak [7.8/10]

Streak was founded in 2011 with a clear mission: to be a minimal CRM for Gmail, and it has stayed true to that ever since.

Unlike most other CRMs on this list, Streak runs entirely inside the Gmail interface. That makes it very easy to get started, as there is no separate app to learn. For solo users it can feel like a natural extension of their inbox.

The former free plan was popular with individuals, and the affordable “Solo” upgrade made it appealing for single users. Now both of these plans are gone, and the software starts at $59 per user per month (Pro plan).

The other trade-off is that Streak is limited. It has no standalone web app, and its mobile apps are limited compared to competitors, earning mediocre ratings on both iOS and Google Play. If you want access to the full set of features you will need the Pro+ plan at $89 per user per month.

For freelancers or very small teams that live in Gmail and want a lightweight way to manage leads, Streak is one of the simplest solutions out there. For anyone looking to scale or needing stronger mobile tools, it will likely feel too constrained.

Testing it out

Testing Streak was refreshing in how directly it plugs into Gmail. Because it lives inside the inbox, there is almost no barrier to getting started, and I could manage pipelines and track emails without leaving the place where I already spend most of my day. For someone who lives in Gmail, that convenience is hard to beat.

As I kept using it, though, the limits became clear. The interface is clean, but also quite basic, and managing larger or more complex sales processes quickly felt cramped inside a Gmail tab. Some features that are standard in standalone CRMs, like deeper reporting or broader integrations, required extra workarounds.

For freelancers or very small teams that want something lightweight and tied closely to email, Streak can be a neat fit. For growing teams or businesses with more advanced needs, the simplicity can start to feel like a ceiling.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 8.8
• Ease of Setup: 9.2
• Meets Requirements: 8.9
• Quality of Support: 8.7
• Ease of Doing Business With: 9.2
• Ease of Admin: 9.2

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 8.8/10
• Average G2 review score: 9.0/10
• Google Play review score: 2.8/5 → 5.6/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score: 4.0/5 → 8.0/10
• FINAL SCORE: 7.8/10

Pricing

Pricing on the Professional plan (Streak Pro plan):

• $49/user/month (billed annually)
• $59/user/month (billed monthly)

Streak offers a 14-day free trial.

5. Zoho CRM [7.6/10]

Zoho Corporation is a long-standing software company, founded in 1996, that has built an enormous portfolio of tools over the years. Among its 40+ business apps, Zoho CRM stands out as one of its flagship products. Launched in 2005, it quickly carved out a place in the market by positioning itself as a cheaper alternative to Salesforce, and that remains its biggest strength today.

The most ambitious version of its offer is Zoho One, which bundles access to over 40 apps for a single price. At $105 per user per month (or just $45 if you license it for all employees), it is one of the cheapest ways to get a broad set of business software under one roof. For budget-conscious small businesses, that kind of value is hard to ignore.

The downside is that Zoho rarely feels simple. The company releases features at a rapid pace, but the result can feel clunky and overwhelming. Navigation is not as smooth as with other CRMs in this list, and the interface often requires extra clicks to complete basic actions. The depth is there, but the experience lacks the polish and ease of use that small teams often look for.

​“ZOHO CRM is not intuitive – you are going to have to watch a few videos to learn about all of the functions.” writes Mike M., Director in a private equity advisory, about Zoho CRM.

Still, if price is the deciding factor, Zoho offers an impressive amount of functionality for what you pay. It can be a good fit for businesses that want an all-in-one suite on a budget. But if simplicity and user experience matter more than the feature checklist, Zoho may leave you wishing for something lighter.

Testing it out

Testing Zoho CRM gave me the sense of stepping into a platform that tries to do everything. The setup was manageable, and the interface was familiar enough to get started without much friction. I liked that it offers a wide range of tools, from sales tracking to marketing features, all in one place.

As I dug deeper, the trade-offs started to show. The menus are dense, and there are many overlapping options that can make navigation confusing. Some features felt powerful but clunky, and it often took extra clicks to accomplish what I wanted. While customization is a strength, it also added complexity that slowed me down.

For the price, Zoho packs in a lot of value, and small businesses can appreciate the flexibility. But in day-to-day use, it never felt particularly lightweight, and I often wished it were simpler and more intuitive.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 8.3
• Ease of Setup: 7.9
• Meets Requirements: 8.4
• Quality of Support: 7.6
• Ease of Doing Business With: 8.0
• Ease of Admin: 8.0

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 8.3/10
• Average G2 review score: 8.0/10
• Google Play review score: 3.5/5 → 7.0/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score: 3.5/5 → 7.0/10
• FINAL SCORE: 7.6/10

Pricing

Pricing on the Professional plan (Zoho CRM Professional edition):

• $23/user/month (billed annually)
• $35/user/month (billed monthly)

Zoho CRM offers a 15-day free trial. It’s free forever for up to three users.

6. Pipedrive [7.4/10]

Pipedrive is a dedicated sales CRM, founded in 2011 in Estonia as a counterreaction to enterprise systems like Salesforce that often felt too heavy for sales teams. From the start, its goal was to make managing pipelines and deals easier for small and medium-sized businesses.

The strength of Pipedrive lies in its straightforward interface and well-thought-out user experience, especially in its core pipeline functionality. Moving deals through stages is intuitive, data entry is clear, and tracking activities is simple enough that sales teams can stay organized without much training. It feels accessible even for first-time CRM users, which is one reason it became so popular.

Over time, though, Pipedrive has shown signs of stagnation. Its mobile app is more limited than many competitors, email integration can be clunky, and the platform still relies heavily on manual data input. While it has added features beyond its original pipeline focus, these newer additions often feel less polished than the core product.

For sales teams that want a no-nonsense CRM to manage deals, Pipedrive is still a solid choice. It is simple, reliable, and easy to set up. But teams looking for more automation or stronger mobile and email experiences may find it less efficient than they hoped.

Testing it out

Testing Pipedrive felt straightforward from the start. The setup was quick, the interface is clean, and the pipeline view makes it easy to track deals at a glance. Adding contacts, moving opportunities between stages, and setting follow-ups all felt natural, and I appreciated how focused the platform is on sales activities.

Over time, though, I noticed its simplicity cuts both ways. While it does a great job at the basics, some advanced features, like deeper automation, reporting, or integrations, either required extra add-ons or were less intuitive to use. The marketplace of extensions helps fill gaps, but it also adds complexity and extra costs.

For teams that want a no-nonsense CRM centered on pipelines, Pipedrive delivers. But if you are looking for a tool that scales easily into broader business processes, it can start to feel a bit limited.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 8.9
• Ease of Setup: 8.7
• Meets Requirements: 8.5
• Quality of Support: 8.4
• Ease of Doing Business With: 8.7
• Ease of Admin: 8.6

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 8.9/10
• Average G2 review score: 8.7/10
• Google Play review score: 3.9/5 → 7.8/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score: 2.1/5 → 4.2/10
• FINAL SCORE: 7.4/10

Pricing

Pricing on the Professional plan (Pipedrive Premium plan):

• $49/user/month (billed annually)
• $79/user/month (billed monthly)

Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial.

7. Less Annoying CRM [7.3/10]

Less Annoying CRM was created with one goal in mind: to strip away the clutter and make customer management as straightforward as possible. The interface is extremely simple, the setup is quick, and you can start adding contacts and building a pipeline within minutes. For small businesses that want a tool that does not overwhelm, that simplicity is the main appeal.

The trade-off is that it is perhaps too minimal. Features are basic, reporting is limited, and integrations are scarce compared to other CRMs on this list. On top of that, Less Annoying CRM does not offer an Android app or a Google Workspace Marketplace app, which makes it harder to use on the go or directly inside Gmail. For teams that expect a modern mobile experience or rely heavily on integrations, these gaps are hard to ignore.

For solo users or very small businesses that value clarity and low cost above all else, Less Annoying CRM can be a decent option. But as soon as your needs grow beyond the basics, its lack of depth and missing apps will become clear, making it less practical as a long-term solution.

Testing it out

Testing Less Annoying CRM lived up to its name in some ways. The setup was quick, the interface is stripped down, and I was able to start adding contacts and building a pipeline without much guidance. It feels approachable and unintimidating, which is exactly what many small businesses want from a CRM.

As I used it more, though, the limits became clear. The design is very simple, but it also means there is little depth. Reporting is minimal, integrations are scarce, and unlike most CRMs on this list, there is no Android app and no Google Workspace Marketplace app. The lack of mobile and plugin support makes it harder to stay productive across devices or inside Gmail.

For very small teams or solo users who value clarity and affordability above all else, Less Annoying CRM can be a solid option. For anyone who needs more advanced features or expects to scale, it can feel too minimal.

Scoring

G2 review scoring:

• Ease of Use: 9.8
• Ease of Setup: 9.6
• Meets Requirements: 9.4
• Quality of Support: 9.8
• Ease of Doing Business With: 9.9
• Ease of Admin: 9.7

Final result

• Ease of use G2 score: 9.8/10
• Average G2 review score: 9.7/10
• Google Play review score (no app!): 2.8/5 → 5.6/10
• Google Workspace Marketplace review score (no app!): 2.1/5 → 4.2/10
• FINAL SCORE: 7.3/10

Note: Less Annoying CRM has no Android or Google Workspace app. To allow for a fair comparison, I assigned it the lowest scores from this list for those categories (5.6/10 for mobile and 4.2/10 for the email plugin).

Pricing

Pricing is on a single plan:

• $15/user/month (billed monthly)

Less Annoying CRM offers a 30-day free trial.

Which simple CRM to use in which case?

Which simple CRM is best for you depends mostly on two questions:

1. What works for your use case and business?
2. What other core tools do you have in your sales toolset (email, calendar, etc.)?

To find the right CRM for your use case and business:

• For small and medium-sized B2B businesses that want a simple CRM they will actually use every day, Salesflare is often the best fit.
• If you want a polished all-in-one platform with marketing, sales, and service bundled together, HubSpot CRM + Sales Hub could be your choice, though it comes at a price.
• If extreme customizability is what you need and budget is less of a concern, Salesforce Sales Cloud will cover just about every scenario, but it is anything but simple.
• If you live (only) in Gmail and want something lightweight and inside your inbox, Streak is the most natural option.
• If you are looking for the best bargain on the market and do not mind complexity, Zoho CRM packs in a huge amount of functionality for the price.
• If you want a straightforward sales pipeline tool that is easy to set up, Pipedrive remains a solid choice.
• And if you just want the most basic, minimal option for contact and pipeline tracking, Less Annoying CRM lives up to its name, though its lack of apps and integrations will be limiting for many.

To find the right CRM fit for your core toolset, check out these dedicated breakdowns:

• For Outlook
• For Gmail / For Google Workspace
• For LinkedIn
• For your mobile phone

Why an easy-to-use CRM for your small business?

When it comes to choosing a CRM, ease of use is not just nice to have. It is the single most important feature for small businesses. The numbers speak for themselves:

• 72% of senior executives would trade functionality for more ease of use (CSO Insights)
• 65% of sales professionals say ease of use is the most important CRM feature (Inside CRM)
• 43% of CRM customers use fewer than half of the features available to them (CSO Insights)
• 70% of staff say poorly performing technology drains their productivity more than burnout, illness, or office politics (Staples Workplace Study)

These stats make one thing clear: even the most powerful CRM is useless if your team finds it too clunky to use.

That is why an easy-to-use CRM is such a game changer for small businesses. Here are just a few benefits you will see right away: 👇

• Free up your time. Do not waste hours clicking through menus when you could be closing deals.
• Stop dropping leads. A CRM only works if you actually use it. If it is too complex, you will miss follow-ups and lose sales.
• Spend less time learning. A steep learning curve slows you down, while a simple CRM lets you get straight to results.
• Onboard new hires faster. When new salespeople join, you can plug them into the system and have them productive in no time.
• Enjoy your work more. Small businesses no longer have to settle for clunky tools. With a simple CRM, you can finally work with software you actually like using.

The bottom line: simplicity is not a luxury for small businesses. It is the key to making sure your CRM actually delivers results.

​Want to dig deeper into the differences? Just ask our team using the chat on salesflare.com. We’re here to help 😄

​

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• Author
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Jeroen Corthout

Co-Founder & CEO at Salesflare

I'm Co-Founder & CEO at Salesflare, the intelligent sales CRM for small and medium-sized businesses selling B2B. I've helped thousands of companies streamline their sales and CRM over the past 10+ years. I love automating sales, building beautiful products, and writing about all of these topics.

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