Best Lightweight CRMs for Micro‑Businesses

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Running a micro-business or working solo? You probably don’t need the bells and whistles (or the price tag) of Salesforce or HubSpot.

What you need is something lean — a CRM that helps you stay organized, follow up on leads, and actually save time, not waste it.

We’ve tested a dozen “small CRMs” built for solopreneurs, creators, consultants, and indie founders — and picked the top 5 for 2025.

✅ You’ll discover which CRM is easiest to use
✅ Which one has the best free plan
✅ Which is the most “set it and forget it” for non-techies

🥇 1. Bonsai CRM – Best All-in-One for Freelancers

Bonsai started as a freelance invoice and proposal tool, but over the years, it evolved into a powerful lightweight CRM with built-in contracts, forms, and client tracking.

Bonsai isn’t just a CRM—it integrates contracts, proposals, invoicing, payments, and lead tracking. It’s built specifically for freelancers who need a full client lifecycle solution in one streamlined platform. With Bonsai, you can send legally binding contracts, accept deposits, and automate follow-ups without ever leaving the dashboard.

🧠 Nerd Verdict: If you’re a service-based solopreneur or freelancer, Bonsai gives you everything — not just contact management, but invoicing, time-tracking, and automation too.

✅ Pros

• Built-in contracts, invoicing, and project tracker

• Super smooth onboarding — you can launch in 10 minutes

• Great for freelancers and solo consultants

• Clean, minimalist design

❌ Cons

• Limited sales automation features

• Best suited for service businesses — not ideal for SaaS or product-based workflows

💰 Pricing

Starts at $17/month (Workflow plan)
Free trial available — no credit card required

🥈 2. Folk App – Best UX for Creators & Micro-Teams

Folk is a rising favorite in the lightweight CRM space, especially for creators, consultants, and startup founders. Think of it as a CRM crossed with a beautiful spreadsheet — but smarter.

Folk’s interface feels more like a personal address book than a sales tool. It auto-enhances contacts with LinkedIn photos and company info. The Chrome extension lets you add contacts from any site with a single click, and smart filters help segment people by project, platform, or interaction type.

🧠 Nerd Verdict: Folk is the “Notion of CRMs” — flexible, beautiful, and built for people who hate traditional sales software.

✅ Pros

• Gorgeous, modern UI with dark mode

• Smart contact grouping with tags + notes

• “Magic Fields” let you automate data like LinkedIn or company info

• Chrome extension for saving contacts on the fly

❌ Cons

• Lacks deep sales pipeline features

• Automation is light (compared to Pipedrive or Close)

• No built-in proposals/invoices

💰 Pricing

Free plan available
Paid plans start at $18/month

🥉 3. Close CRM – Best for High-Touch Sales Teams

Close is a sales CRM designed to help you close more deals—as the name suggests. While it’s a bit heavier than others on this list, it excels for solo founders running outbound outreach or consulting sales cycles.

Close is built for outbound pros and sales-heavy operations. It combines built-in calling, SMS, email sequences, and a clean pipeline. You can log calls, follow up automatically, and view deep analytics—all from one screen. Its multi-channel outreach capabilities save hours spent switching between apps.

🧠 Nerd Verdict: Close is perfect for those who live in their inbox and want power tools for calling, emailing, and following up—fast.

✅ Pros

• Built-in calling and SMS

• Email sequences and templates included

• Robust pipeline management

• Fantastic for solo sales consultants or tiny teams

❌ Cons

• No free plan

• Can feel overwhelming if you don’t need all the sales tools

• Higher starting price

💰 Pricing

Starts at $49/month
Free 14-day trial (credit card required)

🔹 4. OnePageCRM – Best for Simplicity & Action-Based Workflows

OnePageCRM was built around a simple concept: turn your CRM into a to-do list. Every contact has a “next action,” and the whole interface is focused on what to do next—not just storing data.

OnePageCRM’s “Action Stream” keeps you focused. After each call, visit, or email, you assign a next action—ensuring no lead is forgotten. The system prompts you with what to do next, turning contact lists into a to-do workflow. Clean and lightweight, it’s a task-based CRM built for speed.

🧠 Nerd Verdict: OnePageCRM is the leanest tool here. If you’re a solo founder who just wants to stay on top of leads, this is your no-fluff solution.

✅ Pros

• Action-focused UI keeps you productive

• Extremely lightweight and fast

• Simple Gmail/Outlook integrations

• Email tracking and reminders built-in

❌ Cons

• UI feels dated compared to Folk or Bonsai

• Less visual than Pipedrive

• No free forever plan (but cheap)

💰 Pricing

Starts at $9.95/month
Free trial included (no credit card)

🔸 5. Pipedrive – Best Visual Pipeline for Scaling Micro-Teams

Pipedrive has long been a favorite among small sales teams and growing startups. It’s visual, intuitive, and has robust automation features that scale as your business grows.

Pipedrive offers a beautifully visual drag-and-drop pipeline. Customizable stages, automation rules, and email syncing give you sales power without complexity. You can set automatic follow-ups, move deals between stages, and integrate with tools like Slack, Gmail, and Notion.

🧠 Nerd Verdict: Pipedrive is the go-to CRM if you’re ready to move beyond spreadsheets but don’t want a full-on enterprise solution.

✅ Pros

• Beautiful drag-and-drop pipeline

• Powerful automation for follow-ups, task creation, lead scoring

• Mobile app is slick and reliable

• Dozens of integrations (including with Notion & Slack)

❌ Cons

• No free plan

• Can be overkill for simple workflows

• Paid add-ons for email sequences

💰 Pricing

Starts at $21/month
14-day free trial available

📊 All Tools at a Glance

📌 Criteria included affordability, real-world usability, onboarding time, and value for solo operators.

🔍 Which CRM Should You Choose?

If you’re overwhelmed by options, here’s a quick guide:

• For freelancers & service providers: Bonsai CRM is unbeatable—it’s more than a CRM. It’s your contracts, invoices, and workflow hub.

• For creators & solo founders: Folk App nails it with simplicity and stunning design.

• For serious sales-focused businesses: Close is worth the price for follow-up firepower.

• For action-focused doers: OnePageCRM is great if you like to work from checklists.

• For micro-teams scaling fast: Pipedrive wins for its automation and clean pipeline UI.

💡 Already using tools like Notion or Google Workspace? Pair them with one of these CRMs to get a full-stack productivity system.
(We covered this in our post: 5 SaaS Tools I’d Use to Build a Business from Scratch)

❓ FAQ

What is the best CRM for solo entrepreneurs?

Bonsai and Folk App are the top picks for solo founders due to their ease of use and affordability.

Is there a free CRM that’s actually useful?

Yes! Folk App, OnePageCRM, and Bonsai all offer functional free plans or trials worth exploring.

Which CRM offers the best mobile experience?

Pipedrive and Folk both have excellent mobile apps that sync perfectly with their web versions.

🧠 Nerd Verdict

“These CRMs prove that you don’t need an enterprise tool to run a smart, streamlined business. Start small, scale smart.”

We only included tools we tested, that load fast, and that make your business easier—not harder.