Our verdict · 8.3/10 Excellent
A strong pick for small service businesses that want something friendlier than Salesforce and lighter than HubSpot. Automation only arrives on the Growth tier and above.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Small service and agency teams.
- Strongest area: Ease of use (8.9/10). Weakest: Features & fit (7.8/10).
- Price: Free for 2 users; paid from around $18 / user / month — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Free plan capped at 250 contacts.
What is Capsule CRM?
Capsule organises people, organisations, sales pipelines and projects in a clean interface. A free plan covers two users and 250 contacts, and paid tiers add more pipelines, workflow automation and reporting. It integrates well with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero and QuickBooks.
Capsule CRM is made by Capsule and is reviewed here as a CRM. It is priced on a freemium basis, and our editorial score is 8.3 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Capsule CRM if
- Small service and agency teams
- Businesses already on Xero or QuickBooks
- Teams that want to try a CRM for free
Not for you if
- High-volume outbound sales teams
- Companies needing marketing automation built in
Key features
Visual pipelines with milestones and win-rate reporting.
Track delivery work on boards linked to the same contacts.
Automated tasks and emails triggered by pipeline stages (Growth+).
Two-way sync with Gmail, Google Calendar and Microsoft 365.
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Xero
- QuickBooks
- Mailchimp
- Zapier
Pros & cons
What we like
- Clean, uncluttered interface
- Free plan for two users
- Good accounting and Microsoft 365 integrations
- Projects board alongside sales pipelines
Watch out for
- Free plan capped at 250 contacts
- Automation only on Growth and above
- Marketing features are a paid add-on
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Up to 2 users · 250 contacts, 1 pipeline |
| Starter | ≈ $18 / user / mo | Annual billing |
| Growth | ≈ $36 / user / mo | Adds workflow automation |
| Advanced | ≈ $54 / user / mo | Advanced reporting and controls |
Pricing watch-out: Prices shown for annual billing; monthly billing costs more. 14-day trial on paid plans.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked November 5, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Steep tier jump. Moving from Starter to Growth raises the per-user price from $18 to $36 (2.0×). Check which features force the upgrade.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked November 5, 2026 (source). Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 7.8 | 2.00 | |
| Ease of use | 20% | 8.9 | 1.80 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 8.3 | 1.70 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 8.4 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 10% | 8.2 | 0.80 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 8.0 | 1.20 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for business software products | 8.3 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Capsule |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Capsule CRM against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Capsule’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any CRM
Check Capsule CRM against the same list we use for every CRM — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Two-way email and calendar sync
- Pipeline view that matches your sales stages
- Automation available on the tier you can afford
- Reporting your managers will actually use
- Clean data export if you ever leave
See every ranked option in CRM Software.
Capsule CRM alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Copper≈ $90/mo vs $180/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Easier to useLALess Annoying CRMEase-of-use score 9.4 vs 8.9
- Better integrationsSSSalesforce Sales CloudIntegrations score 9.8 vs 8.0
- Stronger on securitySSSalesforce Sales CloudSecurity & privacy score 9.0 vs 8.2
- Higher overall score
HubSpot CRMOverall 8.8 vs 8.3
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Capsule CRM. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
A deliberately simple CRM with one flat price and every feature included.
The CRM that lives inside Google Workspace.
A sales-first CRM built around the pipeline, loved by small sales teams.
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Capsule CRM FAQ
Is Capsule CRM free?
There is a free plan for up to two users with 250 contacts and one pipeline. Paid plans remove those limits.
Does Capsule integrate with Xero?
Yes. Capsule has native Xero and QuickBooks integrations so invoices appear against contacts.
Does Capsule CRM have a free plan?
Yes. Capsule CRM offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Free for 2 users; paid from around $18 / user / month (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is Capsule CRM best for?
Capsule CRM is best for: small service and agency teams; businesses already on Xero or QuickBooks; teams that want to try a CRM for free.
How much does Capsule CRM cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Starter) works out at roughly $180 per month, or about $2,160 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Capsule CRM score calculated?
The 8.3/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for software products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Capsule CRM?
Popular alternatives include Less Annoying CRM, Copper, Pipedrive. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.