CRM Pricing Comparison — 2026
Every crm tool compared by price, pricing model, and what you actually pay at different usage levels. Real numbers, updated regularly.
CRM Tools
| Tool | Cheapest Plan | Pricing Model | Free Tier | Pain Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FairCRM | $5-15/active user/mo | Pay per use (per active user per month) | Free actions on signup | FAIR |
| Pipedrive | $14-99/user/mo | Per-user monthly | 14-day trial | MODERATE |
| HubSpot CRM | $20-150/user/mo (Sales Hub) | Per-user monthly plus feature tier | Free CRM (contact management, limited features) | HIGH |
| Close | $59-139/user/mo | Per-user monthly | 14-day trial | HIGH |
| Salesforce | $25-500/user/mo | Per-user monthly with tier-based features | 30-day trial | EXTREME |
What it actually costs to run
The infrastructure cost for crm — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — is roughly $0.50/user/mo. Pipedrive charges $14-99/user/mo.
Fair charges $5-15/active user/mo — cost plus a small margin.
How pricing models compare
Most crm tools use one of three models: per-seat (you pay per team member), per-tier (you pay for a bundle of features), or per-usage (you pay for what you use). Each has trade-offs.
Per-seat pricing
You pay for every team member whether they use the tool daily or once a month. Idle seats cost the same as active ones.
Common with: Zendesk, Salesforce, Calendly
Per-tier pricing
You pick a plan that bundles features and limits. Need one feature from a higher tier? Upgrade the whole plan.
Common with: Hootsuite, Mailchimp, SurveyMonkey
Per-use pricing (Fair)
You pay for what you use. Full features from the first use. Light month = small bill. Quiet month = $0.
One pricing model across all Fair tools
Related comparisons
Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.