Original data · v1
Admin Hours
Bands (solo baseline)
| Band | Label | Weekly hours | Typical stack shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Low | 0.5–1.5 hrs/wk | Free CRM + free email; ≤15 active deals; no automations yet |
| B | Moderate | 1.5–3 hrs/wk | Paid CRM or client-ops; proposals in-tool; light automations |
| C | Heavy | 3–6 hrs/wk | Frankenstack or over-configured hub; no named owner |
| D | Overloaded | 6+ hrs/wk | Fix process before buying more software |
Boutique (2–8) sharing CRM without an ops seat ≈ ×1.3–1.6 solo midpoints. Growing (9–15): name an admin owner; publish team admin separately from founder admin.
Tool × plan estimates
| Tool | Plan | Band | Est. hrs/wk | Why this band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | Free | A–B | 1.0–2.0 | Light logging; climbs if properties sprawl |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | Starter | B | 1.5–2.5 | Seat + light sequences; still calm if stages stay short |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | Starter | B | 1.5–2.5 | Contact hygiene + forms; not a full ops hire |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | Professional | C–D | 3.0–5.0 | Suite gravity; needs a named owner — not boutique default |
| Pipedrive | Lite | A–B | 1.25–2.0 | Forced next-activity keeps solos honest |
| Pipedrive | Growth | B | 1.5–2.5 | Automations help only if you maintain them |
| Pipedrive | Premium | B–C | 2.0–3.0 | Higher limits; overkill for most 1–3 seat retainers |
| Close | Solo | A–B | 1.25–2.0 | Dialer-centric; credit meter is the hidden chore |
| Close | Essentials | B | 1.25–2.0 | Same motion with seats; still low if outbound is the job |
| Copper | Basic | B | 1.5–2.5 | Gmail-native; reporting gaps create spreadsheet side work |
| Copper | Professional | B | 1.5–2.5 | Workflows reduce tab-hopping for Workspace teams |
| folk | Standard | A–B | 1.25–2.0 | Lean relationship CRM; pair ESP separately |
| Capsule | Starter | A–B | 1.25–2.0 | Simple lists; low config surface |
| Zoho CRM | Free | B | 1.5–2.5 | Edition limits; easy to under-configure or over-tinker |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter | B | 1.5–2.5 | 5-action cap keeps journeys short (good) |
| ActiveCampaign | Plus | B–C | 1.5–3.0 | Unlimited actions — overbuild is the risk |
| ActiveCampaign | Pro | B–C | 2.0–3.5 | Predictive/conditional; still far below Marketing Pro admin |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Creator | A–B | 1.0–2.0 | Write-first; pair a CRM for deals |
| HoneyBook | Starter | B | 1.5–2.5 | Proposals-in-tool cuts context switching |
| HoneyBook | Essentials | B | 1.5–2.5 | Common solo landing after Starter |
| Dubsado | Starter | B–C | 1.5–3.0 | Setup depth; Premier needed for full automation |
| Dubsado | Premier | B–C | 1.5–3.0 | Powerful once templated; abandoned setups sit high-B/C |
| Bonsai | Essentials | B | 1.5–2.5 | Invoicing+CRM lite; Basic cannot invoice |
| Bonsai | Premium | B | 1.5–2.5 | Per-user math doubles with a collaborator |
How we assign a number
- Start from band B for any paid all-in-one; band A for HubSpot Free + Kit Free with disciplined stages.
- +0.5–1.0h if proposals live outside CRM (context switching).
- +0.5h if email and CRM don’t sync natively.
- −0.5h if forced next-activity (Pipedrive/Close style) and stages match retainer reality.
- Cap displayed precision at 0.25h; always show a range.
- Client-ops with mature templates can sit at low-B; abandoned Dubsado setups sit at high-B/C.
What we will not do
- Fake precision or invent time-motion studies we did not run
- Punish a tool because its affiliate payout is lower
- Use admin-hours as the only ranking factor (fit + price + admin triad)
- Offer live 1:1 time audits — self-serve guides and Calculator only
Related: Pricing Snapshot ·Stack Cost Calculator ·How we pick ·Shortlist worksheet