Why No-Subscription CRMs Will Win… My Top CRMs For Teams.

Are you a small business struggling to find a full-featured, low-cost CRM tool that aligns with your business needs?

It’s easy to assume that CRM software is only useful for large corporations with massive teams, countless clients, and million-dollar budgets.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth!

Many small teams think that managing their tasks, customer relationships, and sales using a mix of unorganized email folders and messy handwritten notes is the best option.

But all small and medium-sized businesses can benefit greatly from using a CRM.

However, when it comes to choosing a CRM, most small teams are hit with a wave of overwhelming, overpriced, subscription-based options.

And while each CRM promises to simplify your business operations, the monthly cost of these CRM systems quickly adds up.

And quite honestly, many of these tools offer more features than you'll ever need, and tie you into ongoing fees that grow as your team does!

That’s why no-subscription CRMs are quickly becoming the smarter choice for small, growing businesses.

Simply put, no-subscription CRMs are customer relationship management tools that don’t require ongoing monthly or annual payments.

Typically, these CRMs are hosted on spreadsheet-based software such as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

No-subscription CRMs are either completely free or require a one-time payment, with no nasty ongoing monthly or annual fees.

Unlike traditional subscription-based CRMs (like Salesforce or Monday.com), these tools give you full access without locking you into recurring costs.

You either pay once, host it yourself, or use a free version that still delivers core features.

The top no-subscription CRMs for small businesses are:

Sheetify CRM Google Sheets CRM template.

Free downloadable spreadsheet CRM templates.

Free dedicated CRM plans.

Let’s take a closer look at these three options now.

Read more: Top 5 Google Sheets templates for small businesses.

Sheetify CRM is by far the best no-subscription CRM for Google users.

Sheetify CRM is a Google Sheets CRM template perfect for Google Workspace users needing a powerful yet simple solution for managing their small businesses.

Essentially, Sheetify CRM allows you to manage and organize all your customer-related activities from one single Google Sheet.

For a one-time payment of $67, all Google Workspace users (whether on free or paid plans) get full access to Sheetify CRM’s complete feature set.

There are no monthly fees, surprise charges, or per-user costs. Just lifetime access to all current and future tools and updates.

This single payment covers your entire team, supporting up to 100 users and giving you unlimited access to everything Sheetify offers, without the ongoing expense or complexity.

While Sheetify CRM has been built entirely using Google Sheets, it couldn’t be further from a basic spreadsheet-based CRM solution!

Unlike basic spreadsheet templates, Sheetify CRM is tailored for you and your brand, with customizable and pre-configured sheets, columns, and automations.

Plus, Sheetify comes with built-in Apps Scripts, allowing features to connect seamlessly to other Google Apps like Google Tasks, Google Forms, Gmail, Google Docs, and more.

This means there’s no need for expensive third-party tools or complex scripting. It’s all done for you!

Sheetify CRM’s dynamic no-subscription CRM toolkit includes:

• Customer and lead tracking and management.
• Inventory management for both product and service-based businesses.
• Customer interactions tracking.
• Customer service ticket management.
• Real-time monitoring of purchases and transactions.
• Bulk email marketing via Gmail integration.
• Sales pipeline management with clear stages and progress tracking.
• Integration with Google Forms, Google Contacts, and Google Tasks.

You’ll also get access to a powerful sales dashboard that offers valuable insights into key areas of your business. 

Within your dashboard, you can view:

• Team and individual sales performance metrics.
• Bestselling products or services.
• Monthly income summaries.
• Item tracking by status.

As you can see, this no-subscription CRM goes far beyond any basic lead and contact management feature typically offered by standard spreadsheet CRM templates.

Sheetify CRM transforms Google Sheets into a fully operational business management toolkit.

Want to see it in action? Check out our step-by-step video guide that walks you through every feature Sheetify CRM has to offer.

Although Google Sheets isn't a dedicated CRM platform, it can be adapted into a basic no-subscription-based CRM system using spreadsheet-based templates.

While these templates aren’t as comprehensive as Sheetify CRM, with the right template, your Google Sheets spreadsheet can function as a lightweight and effective CRM.

And the good news is that there’s a wide variety of free Google Sheets CRM templates available to download and use. Here are a few great options:

Use a free basic CRM template from the Google Sheets template gallery.

Try a CRM template developed by no-code platforms like HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, or Smartsheet.

These templates are typically plug-and-play, with pre-filled headers and formatting options included to save you time and effort right from the start.

Just keep in mind that while convenient, these templates often have limited features and automation workflows compared to full-scale CRM software.

I would recommend this no-subscription CRM for individuals or small teams that already know how to use Google Sheets and are just looking for a very basic CRM solution.

Additionally, it is possible to hire a Google Sheets expert to build you a tailored, no-subscription-based CRM spreadsheet for a one-off price!

In addition to the no-subscription CRMs mentioned above, many popular dedicated CRM software offer free plans (with limited features) aimed specifically at small businesses.

Some of my favorite free small business CRMs are:

HubSpot: Known for its user-friendly interface and wide range of features, even on the free plan.

Bigin CRM by Zoho: A streamlined solution ideal for customer-focused startups and solo entrepreneurs.

ClickUp: While more of a work management tool, it comes with CRM functionality on the free plan which is perfect for small teams.

Don’t get me wrong, these online CRM systems are awesome choices for individuals and growing small teams looking to dive headfirst into the world of CRMs.

They provide essential features like contact management, deal tracking, and task automation without any upfront cost.

But the downside? These free plans often come with user caps, restricted integrations, limited automation, and reduced storage.

So what happens as your business scales and your team expands? Well, these online CRMs seriously know what they’re doing, and are honestly pretty cheeky!

Ultimately, when you outgrow the free CRM plan, upgrading to a paid tier is a must to support complex workflows, team collaboration, advanced reporting, and more.

And be careful, as these paid plans often charge per user per month, which can end up getting pretty pricey!

Check out this video guide on my top 5 best free CRMs for small businesses. 

The answer to this question is….it depends on your business types and needs! But if I had to pick one no-subscription CRM that's consistently strong across the board?

I’d have to pick Sheetify CRM, the ultimate spreadsheet-based no-subscription CRM for small businesses. 

This is because Sheetify CRM truly combines the best of both worlds! It’s easy-to-use, scalable, feature-rich, and, of course, affordable.

It’s also suitable for all types of teams! From eCommerce to hospitality, service-based, and anything in between, Sheetify CRM is your one-stop CRM shop.

If you're looking for a powerful Google CRM solution at a one-time cost of just $67 that grows with you and your business, you must check out Sheetify CRM.

Trust me, you won’t regret it!