EngageBay, HubSpot CRM, and Teamgate all start free, but they target different jobs. EngageBay bundles marketing automation, sales pipelines, and a helpdesk…
Freemium · From Free (up to 250 contacts); paid plans from $14.99/user/month
Best for: Small businesses that want marketing automation, sales pipelines, and a helpdesk bundled into one affordable platform instead of paying for separate HubSpot Hubs.
Best for: Teams that want a genuinely free, unlimited-user CRM with the deepest integration ecosystem and room to grow into full marketing and service automation.
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
Teamgate
Pros
Free Starter plan makes it accessible for very small teams
Simpler setup and lower learning curve than enterprise CRMs
Transparent per-user pricing with an annual billing discount
Includes calling, SMS, and email sync without extra add-on products
Dedicated account management included on paid tiers
Cons
Smaller company and support footprint than major CRM vendors
Free plan is capped at 2 users and 500 contacts
Fewer third-party integrations than larger CRM platforms
Limited brand recognition outside Europe
Advanced features like lead scoring require the higher-priced Growth plan
Use Cases
Choose EngageBay: Small businesses that want marketing automation, sales pipelines, and a helpdesk bundled into one affordable platform instead of paying for separate HubSpot Hubs.
Choose HubSpot CRM: Teams that want a genuinely free, unlimited-user CRM with the deepest integration ecosystem and room to grow into full marketing and service automation.
Choose Teamgate: Sales-focused teams that want built-in calling and SMS plus transparent per-user pricing without marketing or helpdesk bloat.
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.
Teamgate
Startup Sales Pipeline Management — Early-stage startups use Teamgate's free and entry-level plans to track leads and deals without committing to an expensive CRM.
SMB Sales Team Automation — Small and mid-sized sales teams use Teamgate's workflow automation and email sync to reduce manual data entry.
Sales Performance Reporting — Sales managers use Teamgate's dashboards and lead scoring to focus reps on the highest-value opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three CRMs bundles marketing automation and a helpdesk in with the CRM?
EngageBay is the only one of the three that includes email marketing automation and helpdesk or live chat tools even on its free plan; HubSpot CRM offers live chat for free but sells deeper marketing automation as a separate paid Hub, and Teamgate does not include marketing or helpdesk tools at all.
Is EngageBay actually cheaper than HubSpot?
For teams that need marketing, sales, and support together, generally yes: EngageBay's paid tiers start at $14.99 per user per month and bundle all three functions, while combining equivalent HubSpot Hubs typically costs significantly more per seat.
Which CRM has the most generous free plan for a growing contact list?
HubSpot CRM's free plan supports unlimited users with no explicit contact cap tied to seat count, while EngageBay's free plan is capped at 250 contacts and Teamgate's free Starter plan is capped at 500 contacts and 2 users.
Does Teamgate include marketing tools like EngageBay or HubSpot?
No. Teamgate is a sales-focused CRM built around pipeline management, calling, and SMS, and it does not include email marketing automation or a helpdesk module the way EngageBay and HubSpot CRM do.
Which tool includes native two-way calling and texting?
Teamgate includes in-app calling and SMS starting on its Team plan; EngageBay offers SMS marketing campaigns from its Basic tier, a broadcast-style capability rather than one-to-one calling.