4 best CRM software for small business in 2026 (tested and compared)
Four CRMs shortlisted by our editors for small businesses, each with a reason to skip it. Every pick has a full staff review.
Where you find
the right software.
Independent reviews of business software for solopreneurs and small teams. Our staff sign up, test each tool against the same criteria, and write down what they found, including the reasons to skip it.
- 15staff reviews
- 5shortlists
- 6comparisons
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Latest reviews and guides
ActiveCampaign review: features, pricing and who it is for (2026)
Our ActiveCampaign review: The deepest automation builder on the shortlist, for a business whose email really is a system rather than a weekly newsletter. Pros, cons, pricing shape, who should skip it, and the score.
Editor's score 4.3 out of 5
GetResponse vs AWeber: which one to pick in 2026
GetResponse and AWeber compared on free plans, automation depth, landing pages, support and pricing shape — with a straight answer about which one suits which sender.
How to move email platforms without losing your list
Switching email marketing tools is mostly a checklist problem. Here is what carries across, what quietly doesn't, and the order to do it in so no subscriber gets lost or emailed twice.
3 best HubSpot CRM alternatives in 2026 (tested and compared)
Looking for a HubSpot CRM alternative? 3 CRM tools from our shortlist compared on what they do differently, who they suit, and how they charge.
GetResponse pricing explained (2026): what is free, what you pay for
How GetResponse pricing actually works: the free tier, how the paid tiers are structured, what pushes the bill up, and whether the plan a small business buys is worth it.
Ahrefs review: features, pricing and who it is for (2026)
Our Ahrefs review: The strongest backlink and referring-domain data on the shortlist, in an interface that gets you to the answer quickly. Pros, cons, pricing shape, who should skip it, and the score.
Editor's score 4.4 out of 5
Asana review: features, pricing and who it is for (2026)
Our Asana review: Opinionated project and task structure that works the obvious way on day one, for teams who would rather inherit a process. Pros, cons, pricing shape, who should skip it, and the score.
Editor's score 4.4 out of 5
Reviewed by staff, not by a crowd.
Every review on this site is written by a member of our desk who signed up for the tool, ran it against the same five criteria, and wrote down what they found. No reader ratings, no vendor-supplied copy, and the reasons to skip a tool get the same weight as the reasons to buy it.
- 15tools reviewed and scored
- 5criteria scored on every tool
- 5software categories covered
- 6head-to-heads and alternatives lists
Start here
The shortlist, the top-scored reviews and the comparisons for each category, picked from everything we have published.