Capsule CRM, EngageBay, and HubSpot CRM all give small businesses a usable free tier, but their scope differs. Capsule stays narrowly focused on contacts,…
Best for: Businesses that want a genuinely free, unlimited-user CRM with the option to add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hub later without migrating data
At a Glance
Capsule CRM
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Primary category
CRM
CRM
CRM
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
Freemium
Starting price
Free (paid plans from $18/user/month billed annually)
Free (up to 250 contacts); paid plans from $14.99/user/month
Free
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
HubSpot's free tier has no user cap
HubSpot CRM's Free plan supports unlimited users, while Capsule's free plan caps at 2 users and 250 contacts, and EngageBay's free plan caps at 250 contacts.
HubSpot CRM, Capsule CRM, EngageBay
EngageBay bundles marketing, sales, and support at a lower price
EngageBay combines email marketing automation, sales pipelines, and helpdesk ticketing with live chat in one platform, undercutting HubSpot's per-seat cost for equivalent functionality.
EngageBay
Capsule's AI tools arrive at the Growth tier
Capsule's AI-powered contact and business enrichment, record summaries, and beta meeting-prep tool become available starting on its Growth plan, alongside multiple pipelines and project boards.
Capsule CRM
HubSpot's upgrade path requires no data migration
Businesses that outgrow HubSpot's free CRM can add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hub without migrating existing CRM data, a continuity advantage neither Capsule nor EngageBay documents in the same way.
HubSpot CRM
EngageBay includes helpdesk and live chat even on lower tiers
EngageBay's live chat widget and ticketing system are included starting on its free plan, while Capsule has no built-in helpdesk and instead relies on a separate paid marketing add-on (Transpond) for adjacent functionality.
EngageBay, Capsule CRM
Feature-by-Feature
Access and Free Tier
Feature
Capsule CRM
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Free plan with no user cap
Limited
Limited
Available
Marketing and Support
Feature
Capsule CRM
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Marketing automation
Unavailable
Available
Limited
Helpdesk and live chat
Unavailable
Available
Available
Mobile and AI
Feature
Capsule CRM
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Native mobile apps
Not documented
Available
Available
AI-assisted features
Available
Available
Not documented
Developer and Enterprise
Feature
Capsule CRM
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
REST API access
Available
Limited
Not documented
Single sign-on
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Capsule CRM
Free — $0 N/A
Starter — $18/user/month Annual
Growth — $36/user/month Annual
Advanced — $60/user/month Annual
Ultimate — $75/user/month Annual
EngageBay
Free — $0 N/A
Basic — $14.99/user/month (from $12.74 biennial) Monthly, Annual, or Biennial
Growth — $64.99/user/month (from $55.24 biennial) Monthly, Annual, or Biennial
Pro — $119.99/user/month (from $101.99 biennial) Monthly, Annual, or Biennial
HubSpot CRM
Free — Free N/A
Starter — From $20/seat/month (from $15/seat/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Professional — From $100/seat/month monthly or annual
Enterprise — From $150/seat/month monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
Capsule CRM
Pros
Simple enough to set up without a dedicated CRM administrator
Usable permanent free plan for very small teams
Native integrations with common email, accounting, and marketing tools
AI enrichment and summary features included starting at a mid-tier price point
Cons
Free plan is capped at just 2 users and 250 contacts
Automations, multiple pipelines, and AI features require higher-priced tiers
Less depth in advanced enterprise features than large enterprise CRMs
Marketing functionality (Transpond) is a separate paid add-on rather than built in
EngageBay
Pros
Genuinely free plan for up to 250 contacts, not just a time-limited trial
Combines marketing, sales, and support in one platform at a fraction of HubSpot's cost
Individual modules are generally less deep than category specialists like ActiveCampaign or Pipedrive
Per-user pricing can add up for larger sales and marketing teams
Some advanced features like SSO and custom reporting are gated to the top Pro tier
Contact limits per plan require frequent upgrades for fast-growing lists
HubSpot CRM
Pros
Genuinely free for unlimited users, not a time-limited trial
No data migration needed when upgrading to paid Hubs
Clean, intuitive interface with a shallow learning curve
Deep integration ecosystem and extensive documentation
Mobile apps and browser extensions support reps working outside the CRM
Cons
Free tier has limited automation and customization
Paid tiers get expensive quickly once multiple seats are added
Some reporting and forecasting features require Professional or higher
Contact limits and storage caps can force an upgrade for larger databases
Less configurable than Salesforce for complex, custom sales processes
Use Cases
Choose Capsule CRM: Small teams that want a simple, focused sales CRM with project tracking, without marketing or support bloat
Choose EngageBay: Growing businesses that want marketing automation, sales, and helpdesk tools in one affordable platform
Choose HubSpot CRM: Businesses that want a genuinely free, unlimited-user CRM with the option to add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hub later without migrating data
Capsule CRM
Small Business Sales Pipeline Management — Solo founders and small sales teams track deals through a visual pipeline without a complex setup.
Agency Client & Project Management — Agencies manage client relationships and post-sale project boards in one system.
EngageBay
All-in-one small business CRM — Small businesses replace separate email marketing, CRM, and helpdesk subscriptions with a single connected platform.
Affordable HubSpot alternative — Growing companies that outgrow free tools but find HubSpot's hub-based pricing too expensive switch to EngageBay for similar functionality at lower cost.
Combined sales and support workflows — Sales and support teams use EngageBay's shared contact database to see deal history and support tickets in one view.
HubSpot CRM
Replacing spreadsheets for deal tracking — Small sales teams move from spreadsheets to a shared pipeline with reminders and email tracking at no cost.
Centralizing customer records for growing teams — Mid-sized teams use the free CRM as the single source of truth before layering on paid marketing or service automation.
Sales rep productivity — Individual reps track email opens, schedule meetings, and manage follow-up tasks directly from their inbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of the three has the most generous free plan?
HubSpot CRM, since its Free plan has no user cap, while Capsule's free tier is limited to 2 users and 250 contacts and EngageBay's free tier caps at 250 contacts.
Which one includes helpdesk or support tools out of the box?
EngageBay includes live chat and ticketing starting on its free plan, and HubSpot CRM's free tier includes live chat as well. Capsule CRM has no built-in helpdesk.
Does Capsule CRM include marketing automation?
No. Capsule's marketing capabilities live in a separate paid product called Transpond rather than being built into the core CRM.
Which is the more affordable option for a small, growing team?
Based on published pricing, EngageBay bundles marketing, sales, and support at a lower cost per user than adding equivalent paid HubSpot Hubs.
Which of the three has AI-powered features?
Capsule (AI enrichment, summaries, and meeting prep from the Growth tier) and EngageBay (AI email writing and predictive lead scoring). AI features are not documented for HubSpot CRM in this comparison.