Which CRM To Choose in 2025? Guide for Startups & Small Businesses

If you're a startup founder or small business owner, you've probably experienced the chaos of trying to manage leads, deals, and customer info across spreadsheets, inboxes, and sticky notes. That’s where CRMs come in.

But with so many choices—HubSpot, Go High Level, Pipedrive—how do you know which one actually fits your business?

This guide keeps it simple and helps you figure out which CRM makes the most sense for your setup in 2025. We’ll focus on the three tools most relevant to founders and small teams: HubSpot, Go High Level, and Pipedrive.

Why Your CRM Choice Matters

A CRM isn’t just a digital address book. It’s where your sales, marketing, and customer service all come together. Get it right, and you’ll:

• Stay on top of every customer interaction

• Automate your follow-ups and admin

• Close more deals and grow faster

Get it wrong, and you’ll waste time, miss opportunities, and probably want to rip your hair out.

HubSpot – The Best All-Round CRM for Startups

Why it's great:

• Free plan with plenty of useful tools to get started

• Super easy to use, even if you’re not techy

• Combines sales, marketing, and customer service in one place

• Tons of templates and automation workflows

• Connects with tools like Gmail, Slack, Stripe, and Make.com

Watch out for:

• Paid plans can add up as your team grows, but the value holds up if you're scaling

Who it's for: Founders and small teams who want a system that can grow with them and won’t become a headache later.

Bottom line: HubSpot is more than a CRM—it’s a full-on growth system. If you want something you won’t outgrow anytime soon, this is it.

Go High Level – Best if You Run an Agency

Why it's great:

• Built-in funnels, marketing automation, and calendars

• Perfect if you’re managing multiple clients

• You can white-label it and resell it

Watch out for:

• Bit of a steep learning curve

• Interface can feel clunky compared to others

Who it's for: Agencies or consultants who want to resell CRM services or manage multiple accounts under one roof.

Bottom line: If you’re building a service business or agency, Go High Level gives you serious power. But for most small businesses, it’s probably more than you need.

Pipedrive – Best for Sales-Focused Teams

Why it's great:

• Clean, visual sales pipeline

• Easy to get started

• Budget-friendly

Watch out for:

• Doesn’t include marketing tools or deeper automation

• Limited integrations compared to HubSpot

Who it's for: Businesses with a clear outbound sales process and a small team focused mainly on deals.

Bottom line: Pipedrive is great if you're just looking for a simple way to manage leads and deals. But if you want more than just sales tracking, it has its limits.

So, What Should You Choose?

If you're just starting out or cleaning up your messy CRM setup, HubSpot is hands-down the best choice for most startups and small businesses in 2025. It’s flexible, powerful, and won’t box you in later.

And the best part? You can start using it for free.

Need Help Setting It Up?

If you’re not sure where to start—or your current CRM is kind of a mess—I help small businesses set up HubSpot to save time, automate follow-up, and scale cleanly.

Get in touch!