Choosing Your First CRM for a Team Under 10
What actually matters at this size
Most CRM comparisons are written for sales orgs choosing between enterprise platforms — forecasting dashboards, territory management, custom approval chains. None of that matters at under 10 people. What matters is: can everyone actually use it without training, and does it survive you outgrowing it.
The free_tier check
At this size, a genuinely usable free tier changes the calculus entirely — you can run the CRM for months before committing budget. The distinction that matters:
perpetual— free indefinitely, usually capped on contacts or seats. Worth checking whether the cap fits your team specifically, not whether it exists.trial— free for a fixed window, then billed. Fine if you’re ready to commit; a trap if you’re still evaluating and the trial clock runs out mid-decision.none— paid from day one. Not disqualifying, but means you’re committing before you’ve tested fit.
The data_export check — the one people skip
A CRM holds your contact history, deal notes, and pipeline stage for every relationship your team has touched. If data_export is none or partial, that history doesn’t leave with you. For a first CRM specifically, this matters more than usual — you’re most likely to switch a first CRM within the first year, once you actually know what you need.
A simple decision path
- Check
free_tier— can you run this free while the team is still under 10? - Check
data_export— if you outgrow it, do you keep your contact history? - Only then compare features. At this size, most CRMs cover the basics; the two fields above decide whether switching later is cheap or expensive.