A solo consultant doesn't need a sales CRM built for a team of 40. You need to remember who you spoke to, what you promised and when to follow up. For most people with fewer than 50 live relationships, that's a free plan or a simple low-cost tool, and I'd start there.
A small consulting business needs three jobs done: track the clients, do the books, and answer the client. One tool per job, and nothing you won't open.
We don't sell accounting apps, so we've no stake in those picks. Our plans do include a CRM and one inbox, so we've a stake in the first and third jobs, and I've said so where it matters. I also haven't tested each tool on a live consulting project. These picks are my judgement.
One limit on the prices. I couldn't open most CRM vendors' own pricing pages. So the UK CRM figures come from two comparison sites, ExpertSure (verified October 2026) and Whito (rechecked September 2026). They exclude VAT, and those sites may earn from referrals. Check each price at the vendor before you buy.
My picks
- Starting out, on a budget: HubSpot's free CRM, or Capsule's free plan if you've got under 250 contacts.
- Solo consultant who wants a simple paid tool: Capsule or Pipedrive.
- You want proposals, contracts and invoices in one place: Bonsai or Dubsado, once you've confirmed UK fit.
- A small team with lots of relationships to track: Attio or folk are worth a trial.
- Accounts: FreeAgent if your bank includes it, otherwise Xero.
What a consultant's CRM has to do
Trades software runs jobs. A consultant's CRM runs relationships, which last for years and move slowly. So judge it on different things:
- Does it remember people, not just deals? Your sponsor will change jobs.
- Can it remind you to follow up a proposal on day 3 and day 7?
- Does it link to your email and calendar?
- Can you log a referral source, so you can see who sends you work?
- Can you export everything if you leave?
- Where's the data held? You may hold details your clients expect you to protect, so check this against your contracts and your privacy notice.
CRM tools
| Tool | UK price, ex VAT | Free plan or trial | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Free. Starter from a £7 offer, usually £18 a seat a month. Professional about £81, with a £1,310 onboarding fee reported. | Free for up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts and one pipeline | Starting free, if you may want marketing tools later |
| Capsule | £14, £27, £42 or £60 a month | Free for 2 users and 250 contacts | A simple contact-led CRM |
| Pipedrive | £14, £39, £59 or £79 a month. Whito gives £24 on monthly billing for the first plan. | No free plan. 14-day trial. | A clear visual pipeline |
| Zoho CRM | £12, £18, £35 or £42 a month | Free for up to 3 users | Low cost, if you don't mind setting it up |
| Freshsales | £7, £29 or £49 a month | Not confirmed | A low-cost paid start |
| Attio | $35 or $79 a seat a month on annual billing. $44 or $99 monthly. From its own page. | Free for up to 3 seats. 14-day Pro trial. | Relationship data for a small team |
| folk | $24 a month on annual billing, $30 monthly | Not confirmed | Light relationship tracking |
Attio and folk are priced in dollars, so check the sterling cost and VAT.
All-in-one client tools
These do less selling and more admin: proposals, contracts, invoices, and a client portal.
| Tool | Reported price | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Dubsado | $35 a month, 21-day trial | Priced in dollars. Confirm UK payment and tax handling. |
| Bonsai | Sources conflict, from about $9 to $25 a month | Check the current plan. Agiled, a competitor, lists proposals, e-signature, invoicing, time tracking and a client portal. |
| HoneyBook | From $29 a month | Its homepage says it's available in the UK, but another notice on the same page mentions only the US and Canada. Confirm before you sign up. |
I'd be cautious here. A US-built tool may have US-style contract wording, so don't use its templates in place of your own UK contract. And check VAT invoices work properly before you move your billing.
How I'd choose
- Under 50 live relationships, solo: HubSpot free or Capsule free. Use it for a month before you think about paying.
- Lots of proposals: choose a tool with reminders you'll really use. Pipedrive's pipeline makes a stalled proposal hard to ignore.
- Hating admin: an all-in-one tool may save more than a CRM.
- Growing to three or more people: watch per-seat costs. Free plans run out, and at £39 a seat that's £117 a month for three people, before VAT.
- A word on HubSpot: the free plan's excellent, but paid tiers climb quickly. Don't assume the £7 offer lasts.
Honest view: a spreadsheet with a follow-up date column is fine for your first year. The best CRM is the one you'll open on a Friday afternoon.
Accounting apps
If you're a sole trader or a landlord above the thresholds, Making Tax Digital needs compatible software. The gross income line is £50,000 now, then £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. These prices are from each vendor's own page.
| App | UK price before VAT | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| FreeAgent | £19 sole trader, £27 partnership or LLP, £33 limited company, a month | Free with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business account. Mettle qualifies for sole traders and limited companies. |
| Xero | £18, £39, £55 or £70 a month | The £18 plan caps at 20 invoices and quotes, and 10 bills. That's plenty for most solo consultants. |
My view: check your bank first, because free is hard to beat. A solo consultant sending a few invoices a month should fit Xero's cheapest plan, so don't overbuy.
Tools that answer the phone
This is the gap in most CRMs. They start working once a contact exists. They won't help when someone rings while you're running a workshop.
| Tool | What we found |
|---|---|
| Fasthosts AI Receptionist | £39, £69 or £99 a month, excluding VAT. Books from the middle plan. |
| Moneypenny AI Receptionist | From £49 a month. Books appointments, and hands over to a human on complex calls. |
| Human answering | About 60p to £1.50 a minute, on Moneypenny's estimate |
There's more on this in is an AI receptionist worth it?. For many consultants, a booking link and a fast email habit come first.
Where we fit
We aren't a project tool or an accounts package, so keep those apps.
We work before the project: getting found, answering every call and message, following up proposals, and asking for reviews. Our plans include a CRM and one inbox on your phone. If all you need is a contact list, buy Capsule or use HubSpot free. It'll cost far less than we do. If your problem is getting enquiries answered and followed up when you're busy, that's what we do.
Don't forget the free ones. A shared calendar, a booking link and a well-kept LinkedIn profile cost nothing and do a lot.
Questions consultants ask
What's the best CRM for a solo consultant?
If you're starting out, HubSpot's free plan or Capsule's free plan. If you want a simple paid pipeline, try Pipedrive for 14 days. Use any trial on real proposals before you pay.
Do consultants need a CRM?
Not on day one. A spreadsheet will do. Once you lose track of a proposal or forget a past client, a free CRM is an easy step up.
Is HubSpot free really free?
Yes, for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, according to ExpertSure. The limits and paid tiers are where it gets expensive, so check what you'd need before you build on it.
Which accounting app works with Making Tax Digital?
Use HMRC's software finder, because HMRC doesn't recommend any product. Ask your accountant too, since many have a preferred package.
Is there a CRM built for UK consultants?
I didn't find one built only for them. Capsule's the one I'd look at first for a simple UK-priced start, and you can adapt most tools with a few custom fields.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- ExpertSure, best CRM software (prices verified October 2026)
- Whito, best CRM UK (30 September 2026)
- Attio, pricing
- Fastlancer, best CRM for consultants (27 October 2026, US dollars)
- Agiled, CRM for consultants (2 May 2026, competitor)
- HoneyBook
- FreeAgent, pricing
- Xero, UK pricing
- GOV.UK, Making Tax Digital dates
- Fasthosts, AI Receptionist
- Moneypenny, AI Receptionist and per-minute pricing (updated 5 November 2026)
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.