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Free plans
Free business software plans, 2026
Which of the tools in StackScope's nine reports have an ongoing free plan, which offer only a trial, and what each free plan leaves out. The text below is taken from each report's free-plan column, last verified October 2026.
Looking for paid prices instead? See all reports and comparisons.
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| HubSpot | 2 users, 1,000 contacts+ up to 1,000,000 records on other standard objects — genuinely ongoing, not a trial. Missing: advanced automation/workflows |
| Salesforce | 2 usersOngoing Free Suite, not a trial — access requires logging in at least once every 60 days. Contact/record cap: sources disagree — vendor material cites a 2,000 lead/contact allocation for the Free Suite Marketing app elsewhere, but the current public docs don't expose one consistent number for the core CRM. Treat as unconfirmed. Missing: Standard Support (Free users get Agentforce Help instead) |
| Pipedrive | No free plan14-day trial only, no permanent free edition |
| Zoho CRM | 3 users, 5,000 total records10 MB storage, 150 emails/day, 5 workflow automation rules, 7 native Zoho app integrations — genuinely ongoing, not a trial. Missing: advanced workflow automation, including scheduled workflow actions |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| Zendesk | No free planSupport Team is the entry paid tier · 14-day free trial, no card required |
| Freshdesk | Free, up to 2 agentsOngoing, per current vendor materials — basic ticketing, KB, reporting · plus a separate 14-day all-access trial |
| Intercom | No free plan14-day free trial only, no card required |
| Help Scout | Free, up to 5 users100 contacts/mo, 1 inbox — genuinely ongoing, not a trial |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| Asana | Free, up to 2 usersUnlimited tasks/projects; advanced reporting, workload and approvals require paid tiers |
| Monday.com | Free, up to 2 seats3 boards only — usable for a trial, not real team work |
| ClickUp | Free, unlimited members60MB total shared storage across the whole team — the real constraint |
| Notion | Free — unlimited for individual useCollaborative (2+ member) workspaces cap at 1,000 blocks; 5MB file uploads; 7-day page history; 10 guest invites |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| Mailchimp | 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo1 seat, 1 audience, 250 sends/day cap — sending pauses if you exceed it, doesn't trigger a charge |
| Klaviyo | 250 active profiles, 500 sends/moGenuinely ongoing, not a trial — also includes a $5/mo mobile-message allowance and a $5/mo Composer AI allowance |
| ActiveCampaign | No free plan14-day trial only, capped at 100 contacts |
| Kit | 10,000 subscribersUnlimited broadcasts, forms, landing pages, digital products; 1 basic automation, 1 email sequence — genuinely ongoing, not a trial |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| DocuSign | Yes — ongoing1-user Personal plan only, not a team plan. Free-tier send limit isn't exposed as one clean vendor figure; a third-party cross-check reports 3 sends/month (36/year) |
| PandaDoc | Yes — genuinely ongoingUnlimited seats. Vendor-confirmed: 60 documents/year, 2 recipients/document — sending blocks until the next annual cycle unless upgraded. Missing: drag-and-drop editor and unlimited eSignatures |
| Dropbox Sign | Yes — genuinely ongoingUser cap not publicly specified. Vendor-confirmed: 3 signature requests/month (self-signing unlimited), up to 3 signers per request. Missing: templates, all team features |
| SignNow | No — 7-day free trial onlyNo permanent free sending tier |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| Figma | Yes — ongoing[VENDOR] Editor cap not cleanly specified; unlimited free Viewers. 3 team files; unlimited personal drafts; 30-day version history; 500 AI credits/month. Missing: unlimited team files, advanced collaboration/admin |
| Framer | Yes — ongoingUp to 3 editors on a workspace with no active subscription. 10 CMS collections, 1,000 pages, 5MB uploads, 1 free locale, 1GB bandwidth. Missing: custom domain, production publishing |
| Sketch | No — 30-day trial onlyNo permanent free editing plan. Viewers are free and unlimited even without a subscription |
| Canva | Yes — ongoingFree is a one-person plan. 5GB storage; limited AI allowance (up to 200 Standard or 20 Premium AI uses in the source used). Missing: premium content/tools, higher AI/storage allowances |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| Calendly | Yes — ongoing Free plan: 1 user, 1 event type, 1 connected calendar. [VENDOR]Biggest missing capability: unlimited event types / multiple calendars are paid. [VENDOR] |
| Acuity Scheduling | No ongoing free plan — 7-day trial only. [VENDOR]Trial is not a permanent free tier. Biggest missing capability vs paid Starter: continued booking after trial. The trial also restricts outbound communication — clients can't be sent confirmation/reminder emails or texts until a paid plan is active. [VENDOR] |
| SavvyCal | No ongoing free tier; current vendor page offers a free try and 30-day money-back guarantee. [VENDOR]No permanent free booking tier is shown on the current pricing page. [VENDOR] |
| YouCanBookMe | Yes — ongoing Free plan: 1 calendar connection and 1 booking page. [VENDOR]Biggest missing capability: additional calendars/booking pages and higher-tier customization/team features. [VENDOR] |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| Gusto | No ongoing free plan — free period ends when the first payroll is run. [VENDOR] Simple is single-state; multi-state requires Plus/Premium. [VENDOR] |
| Rippling | No permanent free plan — trial/promotion only. [VENDOR] Current pricing page routes to custom quote for full configurations. G2 currently says Rippling does not offer a free trial, while Capterra currently labels it as having one — a direct source conflict, not resolved here. [3P — G2 vs Capterra] |
| ADP | No ongoing free plan. [VENDOR] Current RUN page advertises "Get 3 Months Free*" on the package/add-on comparison; this is a promotion, not a permanent free tier, and the vendor page does not expose full eligibility terms. [VENDOR] |
| Justworks | No ongoing free plan publicly listed. [VENDOR] Current pricing page lists paid Payroll, PEO Basic, PEO Plus and EOR. Current page also advertises "3 Months Free!" for Payroll — a promotion, not a permanent free tier; full eligibility terms aren't exposed on the page. [VENDOR] |
| Tool | Free plan, as reported |
|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | 30-day free trial; no ongoing free plan. [VENDOR]Simple Start allows 1 user + 2 accountant accesses. [VENDOR] |
| Xero | 30-day free trial; no ongoing free plan. [VENDOR]Accountant/bookkeeper access included at no extra cost. [VENDOR] |
| FreshBooks | 30-day free trial; no ongoing free version. [VENDOR / 3P — Capterra] |
| Wave | Ongoing Starter plan: $0. [VENDOR]Includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records. Online payments, receipt scanning, and payroll are separate paid add-ons — not part of the free plan's limitations, but genuinely optional extras. [VENDOR] |
FAQ
Common questions
Which CRM has the best free plan?
Per StackScope's CRM report, HubSpot's free plan covers 2 users and 1,000 contacts, and Zoho CRM's covers 3 users and 5,000 total records. Both are ongoing, not trials.
Which email marketing tool has the biggest free plan?
Kit's free plan covers 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages, but only 1 basic automation and 1 email sequence.
Is Wave accounting really free?
Wave's Starter plan is $0 and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records. Online payments, receipt scanning and payroll are separate paid add-ons.
Which help desk has a free plan?
Help Scout has an ongoing free plan for up to 5 users, with 100 contacts per month and 1 inbox. Zendesk has no free plan, only a 14-day trial.