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Part of Best CRM for UK sole traders: options compared
Best CRM for UK sole traders: options compared
Best CRM for UK sole traders compared on GBP pricing, self-assessment records and UK GDPR duties, with a shortlist sequence for one-person businesses.
What to take away
- Capsule CRM is our pick for most UK sole tradersa free tier to 250 contacts and a Starter plan from around £12 per user per month, billed in pounds.
- Zoho Bigin starts at roughly £7 per user per month, Pipedrive suits quote-led selling, and HubSpot's free tier is enough for very small contact lists.
- All prices are indicative published list prices excluding VAT, so confirm the GBP figure on the invoice before you pay.
- A CRM can hold the evidence for Self Assessment, but it is not accounting software and does not replace your own records.
- As controller of client data, you must keep records accurate and delete them once they serve no purpose.
The shortlist at a glance
Four products come up repeatedly when one-person businesses in the UK compare CRM tools. Each has a cheap or free entry point.
Indicative entry price, excluding VAT
- Capsule CRM
- Free to 250 contacts; Starter from about £12 per user per month
- Zoho Bigin
- From about £7 per user per month
- Pipedrive
- From about £14 per user per month, billed annually
- HubSpot
- Free tier; Starter seats from about £15 per month
Best for
- Capsule CRM
- A tidy contact list, tasks and a simple pipeline
- Zoho Bigin
- The cheapest paid start
- Pipedrive
- Quote and follow-up led selling
- HubSpot
- Very small lists, with marketing email later
Main catch
- Capsule CRM
- Reporting sits on higher tiers
- Zoho Bigin
- Moving up to full Zoho CRM costs more
- Pipedrive
- Monthly billing is dearer
- HubSpot
- Free tier limits and constant upselling
Prices change, and vendors run promotions. Ask for a written quote in pounds before you commit.
Our pick: Capsule for a one-person business
Capsule CRM is built in the UK and sells in pounds, which removes the exchange rate question from a monthly bill. The free tier covers 250 contacts and one pipeline.
For one user, the useful parts are search, the task list and the export. Capsule exports contacts and notes, so leaving with your data does not depend on a support ticket.
Judge a trial on the exit, not the demo. If you cannot export every client record into a file you can open, you have your answer.
If you are weighing it against the cheapest option, our Zoho CRM and Capsule CRM comparison covers where each one suits a single user.
Six checks before you compare features
Score each shortlisted product against these six tests before you open a feature grid.
Six tests for a one-seat CRM
Price basis: exact GBP monthly or annual figure?
Billing currency: invoice currency and conversion risk?
Data export: dated export file you have opened?
Six checks before you compare
- Price basisis the quote per user per month, and does monthly billing cost more than annual?
- Billing currencyis the invoice in GBP, and who carries any conversion cost?
- Data exportcan you produce a dated file of clients and open it in a spreadsheet?
- Tax evidencewhich fields carry a date and an amount you can use in a return?
- Support hoursdoes anyone answer during your working day?
- Exit termswhat notice period applies, and what happens to your data afterwards?
Turn a quote into a true pounds cost
A single worked sheet beats three feature grids when you are the only person deciding.
Convert a quote to pounds
- Record the exchange rate on the day
- Convert the quoted price to GBP
- Add VAT if you are registered
- Keep the dated quote with labour and exit costs
- Prefer monthly billing until one full quarter
Turn a quote into pounds
- Ask each vendor for a written quote in GBP that says whether VAT is included.
- Convert any dollar or euro figure at the rate on the day, and save the screenshot.
- Use the annual total for annual plans, never the monthly equivalent.
- Add migration time and any setup fee, costed at your own hourly rate.
- Write down the notice period and the export format you will receive.
VAT registered sole traders can normally reclaim VAT charged on business software, so keep invoices that show a VAT number. GOV.UK sets out the registration rules.
A worked method for estimating CRM cost from a dated quote keeps the quote, labour and exit costs on one page.
Records for Self Assessment and client data
Your CRM is not accounting software, but it is often where the evidence starts. A dated quote, an agreed scope and a payment note are the raw material for a return.
GOV.UK explains how to register for Self Assessment, including the deadline that runs from your first trading date. HMRC expects records that support the figures on the return.
A note reading "invoice sent" is weaker than one carrying a date and an amount. Decide which fields hold that evidence and which are chatter.
You are also the controller for client contact details. The ICO's guide to the UK GDPR sets out the principles, including accuracy and storage limitation.
In practice, that means a field should have a purpose. If you never use a client's date of birth, do not collect it, and set a deletion date for old enquiries. A short CRM data cleaning checklist gives you a repeatable way to find records that no longer earn their place.
Common questions
Which CRM is best for a UK sole trader?
Capsule CRM suits most one-person businesses because it bills in pounds and stays simple. Choose Pipedrive instead if your work runs on quotes and follow-up dates.
Is a free CRM enough for one person?
Usually yes below a few hundred contacts and one pipeline. The test is export: if you can leave with your data in a file you can open, start free.
What should I check before signing an annual contract?
Three things: the price in pounds including VAT, the notice period, and the export format you will receive.
Does UK GDPR apply to a sole trader?
Yes, if you hold personal data about clients or suppliers. You are normally the controller, which brings duties on accuracy, security and storage limitation.
