Best CRM For
Cheapest CRM with Calling Features Included
Quick answer: Close bundles calling into its $9/user Solo plan with no separate dialer needed, Zoho offers the cheapest full-suite option with telephony from €14/user/month, and Pipedrive keeps its base plan cheapest if calling is only an occasional add-on for your team.
Why "calling included" matters more than the sticker price
A CRM that looks cheap on the pricing page can end up costing more once you add a phone/dialer integration, per-minute call charges, or a separate VoIP subscription. If your team calls prospects regularly, the real comparison isn't just monthly seat price — it's total cost including calling. The CRMs below either build calling directly into a low-cost plan or make it a cheap, straightforward add-on.
Cheapest calling-ready CRMs at a glance
| CRM | Calling setup | Entry price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | Built in, no separate dialer needed | Solo $9/user/mo | Call-heavy sales teams |
| Zoho CRM | Built-in telephony integrations | Standard €14/user/mo | Budget teams wanting a full suite |
| Pipedrive | Calling add-on / Caller add-on | Lite $14/seat/mo | Visual pipeline plus optional calling |
| Freshsales | Built-in telephony (Freshcaller integration) | Budget-friendly entry tier | Teams wanting calling without extra setup |
| Nutshell | Calling features on paid tiers | Budget-friendly entry tier | Small teams wanting support alongside calling |
1. Close — cheapest CRM with calling truly built in
Close is the rare CRM that was built around the phone call, not retrofitted to include one. Even its entry-level Solo plan at $9/user/month includes calling as a core feature, not a paid add-on — you're not stitching together a separate VoIP tool just to dial from your CRM.
Pros
- Calling is native, not an integration or upsell
- Email sequences and SMS included alongside calling
- No per-minute pricing surprises to budget around
Cons
- No free tier to test calling before committing
- Overkill if your process is mostly email, not calls
2. Zoho CRM — cheapest full-suite option with calling
Zoho's Standard plan starts at €14/user/month and includes telephony integrations that let you place and log calls without leaving the CRM. It's not as calling-first as Close, but it's a genuinely cheap way to get calling plus a much broader feature set — email marketing, workflow automation, and more — in one subscription.
Pros
- Lowest listed entry price of any calling-capable CRM here
- Calling sits alongside a much wider feature set than phone-first tools
- Scales up through four tiers as needs grow
Cons
- Calling setup takes more configuration than a phone-first tool
- Interface has a steeper learning curve than Close or Pipedrive
3. Pipedrive — cheapest visual pipeline with optional calling
Pipedrive's Lite plan starts at $14/seat/month and covers the core visual pipeline; calling is available as an add-on rather than baked into the base price. If you mostly want a clean pipeline and only call occasionally, this keeps your base cost low while still giving you a calling option when you need it.
Pros
- Cheapest entry price on this list for the base pipeline
- Calling add-on available without switching tools
- Very low learning curve
Cons
- Calling isn't included in the base price, unlike Close
- Add-on costs stack on top of the seat price
Other options
Freshsales pairs Freshworks' Freshcaller telephony with its CRM, giving you built-in calling at a budget-friendly entry price without much setup. Nutshell adds calling features on its paid tiers and is worth a look if you want a small-team CRM that's known for responsive support alongside its calling capability.
Pricing (entry-level plans)
| CRM | Starting price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Close | Solo $9 · Essentials $35 · Growth $99 · Scale $139 | Per user/month. Free 14-day trial, no credit card required. |
| Zoho CRM | Standard €14 · Professional €23 · Enterprise €40 · Ultimate €52 | Per user/month (EUR pricing shown; check your region for local currency). |
| Pipedrive | Lite $14 · Growth $39 · Premium $59 · Ultimate $79 | Per seat/month, billed annually (monthly billing costs more). 14-day free trial. |
Prices above are current as of writing and shown for the entry-level tiers — always confirm the latest numbers on each provider's pricing page before buying, since SaaS pricing changes often.
“Pipedrive feels intuitive for me and I like the phone app too.”
How to choose
Add up the real cost of calling, not just the seat price: a $9 plan with calling baked in can beat a $14 plan that needs a $20/month dialer add-on stacked on top. If your team's day is mostly dialing, prioritize a calling-first tool like Close; if calling is occasional, a cheaper base plan with an add-on option is the more efficient spend.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CRM overall for this use case?
Close is our top overall pick for this use case, based on ease of setup, pricing, and fit for typical workflows — though the right choice depends on team size and budget, covered in the sections above.
Do I need a paid CRM, or is a free plan enough?
A free plan is usually enough for a single user or a very small team just getting started. Growing teams typically outgrow free tiers once they need automation, reporting, or more than a couple of users.
How long does it take to set up a CRM?
Simple CRMs can be set up in under an hour. More full-featured platforms with custom pipelines, automations, and integrations typically take a few days to a few weeks to configure properly.