In our independent editorial review of retail CRM solutions, learn about the top options along with their primary use cases.
CRMs for freelancers are sales and marketing software that help solopreneurs and independent contractors nurture leads, onboard new clients, and manage ongoing projects effectively. For this reason, the top options incorporate core sales pipeline features as well as tools like time tracking, invoicing and billing, and project milestone monitoring. To help you choose the best CRM for your freelance business, we evaluated the top six options and their use cases.
Here are the six best CRMs for freelancers and solopreneurs:
While the above six options are great for freelancers and solo operators, it's also helpful to understand the best CRM options in general when making your decision. For more information, check out our independent review of the best overall CRM software.
We took a quantitative approach to our freelancer CRM evaluation by defining six weighted categories important to freelancers and solopreneurs. Then, we assigned each category key subcriteria to score how each option performed in that category. Finally, we totaled the weighted scores to give each CRM software an overall rating out of five, including primary use cases.
Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless noted.
The CRMs we evaluated are all good options for freelancers, but HubSpot CRM emerged as the overall best CRM for freelancers. Read about each option’s primary use case and its score in each category below.
The best CRMs for freelancers and solopreneurs include the following tools:
Store, organize, and manage client information such as contact details, project history, and communication records to build stronger relationships with your client base.
Generate invoices for clients using CRM data and automate billing processes to manage transaction records, accounting, and tax documentation.
Monitor and log time spent on tasks, activities, and projects to track productivity and facilitate accurate billing.
Plan, organize, and manage projects for a growing client base using customizable dashboards, workflow automations, milestone trackers, and more.
Freelancers often only have themselves to lean on, so they need a CRM that helps them effectively and affordably handle client relationships and administrative tasks. Your CRM should help free you from repetitive work through workflow automation and third-party app integration. The top six CRMs we evaluated provide industry-specific lead generation and customer management functionality to allow you to stay on top of your work and find and nurture new clients.