Guide
What is the best CRM for a small business in the UK?
There is no single best CRM. There is a best fit for how your business works, how many people use it and how much you want to spend. Here is an honest run through the main options.
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The short answer
For most UK small businesses the shortlist is HubSpot (strong free plan, big platform), Pipedrive (sales pipelines), Capsule (simple, UK-built, good integrations), Zoho CRM (lots of features for the price) and Gather360 (ours: simplest, one flat price). Choose a pipeline tool if you sell deals with stages, an all-in-one if you want marketing too, and a simple CRM if you mainly need follow-ups done.
Last checked 27 October 2026
First, a declaration
We make Gather360, so weigh that. We have tried to be fair: every product below does more than ours, and for plenty of businesses one of them is the better choice. Gather360 is deliberately small. It wins on simplicity and a single price, not on features.
Prices below were checked on each company’s own UK pricing page on 27 October 2026. They change often, and some include promotions, so check before you buy.
The main options, and who each suits
HubSpot: best if you want a free start and room to grow into marketing
HubSpot’s free CRM is generous for up to 2 users, and the wider platform covers marketing, sales, service and content. The catch is that useful features sit in paid tiers, and costs rise quickly as you add seats and hubs. Good for a business that expects to grow into marketing automation. Gather360 vs HubSpot.
Pipedrive: best for a team that sells deals through stages
Pipedrive is built around a visual sales pipeline: deals move across columns from lead to won. It has email sync, automation and hundreds of integrations. If your work is quoting and closing deals with values, it is a strong choice. Gather360 vs Pipedrive.
Capsule: best for a simple CRM with integrations
Capsule is a UK-built, straightforward CRM with contacts, pipelines, tasks and integrations with tools such as Xero. It has a free plan for up to 2 users and 250 contacts. A good middle ground between simple and capable. Gather360 vs Capsule.
Zoho CRM: best for lots of features at a modest price
Zoho CRM packs in workflows, automation, reporting and customisation, and sits inside a large family of Zoho business apps. It has a free edition for up to 3 users. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and more setup. Gather360 vs Zoho CRM.
Gather360 (ours): best for a small team that mainly needs follow-ups done
Clients, contacts, notes, follow-ups and documents, shared across the team, with a home screen of what is overdue. One plan with every feature on every seat. It does not do email sync, pipelines, marketing, integrations or reporting dashboards. If you need those, pick one of the above.
Larger firms may also look at Salesforce, which is powerful but usually more than a small business needs.
Entry prices side by side
Lowest paid plan per user per month, in pounds, as shown on each vendor’s UK pricing page.
| Gather360 | HubSpot | Pipedrive | Capsule | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No (30-day trial, no card) | Yes, up to 2 users | No (14-day trial) | Yes, up to 2 users, 250 contacts | Yes, up to 3 users |
| Lowest paid plan | £12.99 + VAT a month, or £129.90 + VAT a year | Starter £7/seat a month, shown as a limited-time 65% offer | Lite £14/seat a month billed annually, £24 billed monthly | Starter £14/user a month billed annually | Standard from £12/user a month |
| Next plan up | None. One plan, everything included | Professional from £81/seat a month | Growth £39 annually, £49 monthly | Growth £27/user a month billed annually | Professional from £18/user a month |
| VAT | Added on top | Check at checkout | Prices exclude VAT | Check at checkout | Charged on top |
| Pipelines, email sync, automation | No | Yes, more on higher tiers | Yes | Yes, more on higher tiers | Yes |
Competitor prices checked on hubspot.com, pipedrive.com, capsulecrm.com and zoho.com on 27 October 2026, in GBP. They may change, and promotions may end. Always check the vendor’s own pricing page.
Where Gather360 fits
The small, plain option on the list
Gather360 is for teams of roughly 1 to 25 people who are tired of a spreadsheet but don’t want to run a sales system. It opens on what is overdue, then what is due this week.
There is one price, £12.99 + VAT per user a month, with nothing locked behind a higher tier. It is built and hosted in the UK.
- Clients, contacts, notes, follow-ups and documents
- Roles for owner, admin and user
- Works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone
A quick way to decide
Pick a pipeline or all-in-one CRM if…
- You track deals with values and stages
- You want email sync or automated sequences
- You need integrations with accounting or marketing tools
- You want reporting dashboards
Pick a simple CRM if…
- Your main problem is follow-ups slipping
- Several people deal with the same clients
- You want the team using it this week, not after training
- You want one predictable price per person
Try the simple option first
30 days free, no card. If it is too simple for you, you will know within a week.
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Questions people ask
What is the best free CRM in the UK?
HubSpot’s free CRM (up to 2 users), Zoho CRM’s free edition (up to 3 users) and Capsule’s free plan (up to 2 users and 250 contacts) are the usual options, checked on their pricing pages on 27 October 2026. Gather360 has no free plan, but a 30-day free trial with no card.
Which CRM is easiest to use?
The simpler the CRM, the easier it is. Capsule and Gather360 are at the simpler end; Zoho CRM and Salesforce at the more involved end. Use a free trial with your own clients to judge.
Is there a UK-built CRM?
Yes. Capsule is UK-built, and so is Gather360, which is also hosted in the UK.
Is Gather360 the best CRM?
Not for everyone. It is the right fit for a small team that mainly needs clients, notes and follow-ups in one place. If you need pipelines, email sync or marketing, the others do more.
Do CRM prices include VAT?
Usually not for UK business software. Pipedrive and Zoho state their prices exclude VAT, and Gather360 is £12.99 + VAT. Check each checkout.
See if it fits in ten minutes
Click round the live demo with no sign-up, or start a free trial with your own clients. No card, no sales call.
30-day free trial · no card · £12.99 + VAT per person a month after