Attio
Modern relationship CRM with a permanent free plan for up to 3 seats and 50,000 records — email sync, API, reports, and workflows on $0. Built for startups more than classic SMB lead-routing.
- Best for
- Startups and relationship-heavy teams that want a modern CRM with a real free tier
- Price
- Free plan (permanent, up to 3 seats); Plus from published USD/seat
- HQ
- United Kingdom (English-first product; strong US startup adoption)
- Profile updated
- September 26, 2026
Worth it for your operation?
Pros
- Free plan with up to 3 seats and 50,000 records on the public pricing matrix
- API and webhook access listed on Free
- Email/calendar sync and up to 3 reports on the free plan
- Workflows appear on Free in the plan comparison
Watch-outs
- Free is positioned for individuals / very small teams — Plus is the real team plan
- Credit limits gate AI and some workflow volume on Free
- No native WhatsApp on free (or as a free-plan headline feature)
- Less “classic SMB lead + deal” packaging than Zoho or Freshsales
Score by criterion
The dark mark on each bar is the average of the 8 CRMs in this ranking. Criteria with higher weight pull the overall score more.
A deal or opportunity board you can run on the free plan without upgrading to see stages.
A rule, sequence, or autoresponder that fires on its own on the $0 plan. Task reminders alone do not count.
Send or sync email inside the product, plus a sales report or dashboard beyond the pipeline board — all on the free plan.
Native SMS or messaging inbox on the contact or deal on the free plan. WhatsApp Business API on free also counts. Marketplace apps, browser extensions, and paid-plan-only channels do not.
How far the permanent $0 plan goes on users, contacts, and storage before you must pay. An expiring trial does not count as a ceiling.
How quickly a small team can put contacts and deals into daily use on the free plan without a consultant.
What ships natively
We only mark “yes” when the feature is part of the product — marketplace integrations or third-party apps do not count.
- Yes
3+ users on free
The free plan lists 3 or more users, or unlimited users
- Yes
5k+ contacts on free
The free plan page lists 5,000 or more contacts, or says there is no cap
- Yes
Sales pipeline
Visual sales pipeline
- Yes
Automation on free
A rule, sequence, or autoresponder that fires on its own on the free plan. Task reminders do not count
- Yes
Email on free
Send, sync, or track email inside the product on the free plan
- Yes
Reports on free
Sales report or dashboard on the free plan, beyond the pipeline board
- No
Native messaging
Native SMS or messaging inbox on the lead/contact card (history preserved). WhatsApp Business API also counts. Marketplace apps, Zapier, browser extensions, website chat buttons, and sibling-SKU modules do not
- Yes
API on free
Documented product API on the free plan. Zapier or Make alone do not count
Editorial analysis
Attio in detail
Attio is the startup-shaped free CRM: objects, relationships, email sync, and an API before you ever see a quote. The free column is real — and intentionally small-team.
Who it is for
Founders and early GTM teams in the US/UK who want a modern data model and will outgrow Free into Plus/Pro. Classic field-sales teams that want dialer + sequences on day one should look at Freshsales or HubSpot instead.
What drives the score
Ceiling leads on 50k records. Email/reporting and pipeline are strong for a free tier. Automation is real but credit-gated. Messaging stays low — no clear native two-way SMS inbox on the record. Learning curve is better than Bitrix, slightly steeper than HubSpot for non-technical operators.
How we read the sources
Based on attio.com/pricing plan comparison (Free seats, records, API, workflows, reports, email sync) and the pricing FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Is Attio’s Free plan a trial?
No. Attio’s pricing FAQ states there is a free option for very small teams, separate from a 14-day Pro trial. The Free column lists seats, records, API, reports, and email sync at $0.
Why is the ceiling score so high?
Fifty thousand records and three seats on a permanent free plan is unusually generous next to HubSpot’s 1,000 contacts or Capsule’s 250. Credits still limit AI/workflow volume — the score rewards published record and seat ceiling, not unlimited AI.
Sources consulted
Everything on this profile comes from the pages below. We did not lab-test the platform.
Profile updated September 26, 2026. Found something outdated? Corrections are welcome.