Salesforce is the world's most widely used CRM, and it's also wildly over-engineered for most small businesses. By the time you've paid for licences, onboarding, a consultant to set it up, and the add-ons you need to make it actually work, you've spent more than you would on alternatives that would do the job better for your size of business.
Why Salesforce does not work for small businesses
It's not that Salesforce is bad software. For large sales organisations with dedicated CRM administrators, it's genuinely powerful. The problem is the assumption that comes with it: that you have someone whose job is to configure and maintain it.
Most small businesses don't have that. They need something that works out of the box, doesn't require a three-day setup, and doesn't need an admin to add a new custom field.
Salesforce pricing starts at the Starter tier, which is limited in ways that usually force businesses up to the Professional tier. For a ten-person team, you're looking at significant monthly spend before you've added any ecosystem tools.
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot's free CRM is genuinely good and widely used by UK small businesses. It covers contacts, companies, deals, and basic email integration. The free version has limitations, but it's a reasonable starting point for businesses that don't need much.
Where it gets expensive is when you need the marketing, sales, or service features, which are separate paid hubs. The full HubSpot suite ends up costing more than most small businesses expect once they've added the features they actually need.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is built specifically around a sales pipeline and is one of the simplest CRMs to use. If your main need is tracking deals, it's excellent. The interface is clean, the pipeline view is intuitive, and it doesn't take long to set up.
The gap is that it's a CRM only. If you also need invoicing, project management, or support, you're still managing separate tools and the integration questions come back.
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM sits in an interesting position: it's more feature-rich than most small businesses need, but significantly cheaper than Salesforce. There's a free tier for up to three users, and paid plans are competitive.
The trade-off is that Zoho's interface feels dated compared to newer tools, and the feature depth can be overwhelming if you're just starting out with a CRM. It's best for businesses that know they'll grow into its features.
When evaluating any CRM, check whether it supports UK-specific needs: VAT invoicing, Companies House data, GDPR compliance features, and support available during UK business hours.
WeekOne
WeekOne is built specifically for UK small businesses and includes a CRM as part of a broader platform that covers invoicing, projects, purchasing, and customer support. The appeal is that you're not just buying a CRM; you're buying an integrated business management system.
It's not the right choice if you only need a standalone CRM, but for businesses that want everything connected, it removes the need to manage multiple subscriptions and the integration headaches that come with them.
Making the decision
The right CRM for your business depends on what you're trying to solve. If you just need to track deals and contacts, Pipedrive or HubSpot's free tier are good starting points. If you need your CRM to connect with invoicing and project management, an integrated platform makes more sense.
The worst outcome is spending months evaluating options and ending up back on a spreadsheet. Pick something, try it for 90 days, and adjust from there.