Original data · v0.7 · receipts
Pricing Snapshot
Short answer (checked 2026-10-23): a solo consultant can run a real CRM for $9–24/mo on annual billing (Close Solo $9, Pipedrive Lite $14, Capsule Starter $18, Bonsai Essentials $19, folk Standard $24), and paying month-to-month costs a median ~25% more across the vendor-verified rows below. HubSpot Starter currently shows a new-customer promo ($7/seat/mo annual, $10 monthly; list $20), so budget for list at renewal. HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional ($800/mo + $3,000 onboarding) is not a boutique default.
| Cat | Tool | Plan | Seats | Annual $/mo | Monthly $/mo | Admin hrs/wk (est.) | Status | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM free | HubSpot CRM | Free | up to 2 users | Free | Free | 1.0–2.0 | Vendor-verified | Paid Sales/Marketing hubs separate; HubSpot branding on free forms/meetingsEvidence“Free … $0 /mo … Free for up to 2 users. No credit card required.” (rendered vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | HubSpot Sales Hub | Starter | per seat | $7 | $10 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified promo · list $20 | Promo prices for new customers; list price $20/seat/mo is shown struck through. Plan renewal price not stated on the page — budget for $20.EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Starts at $7/mo/seat” with “$20/mo/seat” struck through (Pay Annually selected); switching to Pay Monthly shows “$10/mo/seat”. | Vendor |
| Marketing | HubSpot Marketing Hub | Starter | per seat | $7 | $10 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified promo · list $20 | Same new-customer promo as Sales Starter; list $20/seat/mo. Marketing-contact tiers apply.EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Starts at $7/mo/seat”, list “$20/mo/seat” struck through; Pay Monthly shows “$10/mo/seat”. | Vendor |
| Marketing | HubSpot Marketing Hub | Professional | 3 core seats included | $800 | $890 | 3.0–5.0 | Vendor-verified | NOT a boutique default — plus required one-time Professional Onboarding of $3,000. 2,000 marketing contacts; extra core seats from $45/mo.Evidence“Starts at $800 /mo $890 /mo Includes 3 Core Seats … required, one-time Professional Onboarding for a fee of $3,000” (rendered vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Pipedrive | Lite | per seat | $14 | $24 | 1.25–2.0 | Vendor-verified | Formerly Essential; VAT excl.; Nova meeting intelligence included; add-ons extraEvidence“Lite … US$14 … One payment of US$ 168 per seat/year”; after “Billed monthly”: “Prices updated to monthly billing. Lite: US$24, Growth: US$49, Premium: US$79, Ultimate: US$99” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Pipedrive | Growth | per seat | $39 | $49 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Formerly Advanced; automations + sequences + meeting scheduler; popular for boutiquesEvidence“Growth … US$39 … One payment of US$ 468 per seat/year”; monthly toggle “Growth: US$49” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Pipedrive | Premium | per seat | $59 | $79 | 2.0–3.0 | Vendor-verified | Labeled “Most popular”; LeadBooster + e-signatures; overkill for most 1–3 seat retainersEvidence“Premium … US$59 … One payment of US$ 708 per seat/year”; monthly toggle “Premium: US$79” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Close | Solo | 1 user max | $9 | $19 | 1.25–2.0 | Vendor-verified | 10k leads cap; no workflows; 500 AI credits/mo; calling ~$0.02/min usageEvidence“Solo … $19 per user / month $9 per user / month … Limited to 1 user … 10k leads” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Close | Essentials | per seat | $35 | $49 | 1.25–2.0 | Vendor-verified | Unlimited leads; workflows + power dialer need Growth ($99 annual / $109 monthly)Evidence“Essentials … $49 per user / month $35 per user / month … Workflows not included” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Copper | Basic | per seat | $23 | $29 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Google Workspace native; 2,500 contact capEvidence“Basic $23 $29 per seat, per month paid annually … 2,500 contact limit” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Copper | Professional | per seat | $59 | $69 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Workflows, bulk email, reporting; 15k contactsEvidence“Professional $59 $69 … 15,000 contact limit” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Capsule | Starter | per user | $18 | $22 | 1.25–2.0 | Vendor-verified | For 1–5 employees; no workflow automation until Growth ($36 annual / $40 monthly)EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Starter … US$18 Per user, per month. Billed Annually.”; after the Pay Monthly switch: “US$22 Per user, per month. Billed Monthly.” Growth US$36 / US$40. | Vendor |
| CRM | folk | Standard | per member | $24 | $30 | 1.25–2.0 | Vendor-verified | Relationship-first CRM; sequences + dashboards need Premium ($48 annual / $60 monthly)Evidence“Standard $24 /member/month $288 billed yearly … Standard $30 /member/month Billed monthly” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM free | Zoho CRM | Free | up to 3 users | Free | Free | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Includes workflow automation, 10 custom email templates, 5,000 API calls/dayEvidence“Free … Forever free, for 3 users … Workflow automation” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| CRM | Zoho CRM | Standard | per user | $14 | $20 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Adds mass email, multiple pipelines, forms, forecasting. Local taxes extra.EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: Standard “US$14” (annual view), “US$20” after switching to Monthly; Professional US$23 / US$35. | Vendor |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter | 1,000 contacts · 1 seat | $15 | $19 | 1.5–2.5 | Annual verified | 5 actions per automation; 10k sends/mo at 1k contacts; forms standard & inline onlyEvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Starter … $15 / Month Billed yearly for 1,000 contacts … 1 user seat included”. The US page shows yearly billing only; $19 monthly per secondary tracker. | Vendor · 2nd | |
| ActiveCampaign | Plus | 1,000 contacts · 1 seat | $49 | $59 | 1.5–3.0 | Annual verified | Landing pages, unlimited automation actions; CRM Pipelines is a paid add-onEvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Plus … $49 / Month Billed yearly for 1,000 contacts … 1 user seat included”. Monthly $59 per secondary tracker. | Vendor · 2nd | |
| ActiveCampaign | Pro | 1,000 contacts · 3 seats | $79 | $99 | 2.0–3.5 | Annual verified | Predictive sending, conditional content, 12k sends/mo; Enterprise $145/mo yearly (5 seats)EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Pro … $79 / Month Billed yearly for 1,000 contacts … 3 user seats included”. Monthly $99 per secondary tracker. | Vendor · 2nd | |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Free | 1 user | Free | Free | 0.5–1.0 | Vendor-verified | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; no visual automations or sequences (Creator)Evidence“Free … $0 /mo … Free—up to 10,000 subscribers” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor | |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Creator | 1,000 subscribers · 2 users | $33 | $39 | 1.0–2.0 | Vendor-verified | Billed on active subscribers; $390/yr on annual billing; unlimited automations + sequencesEvidence“Creator … $33 /mo $390 billed yearly— Save $78 per year … For 1,000 email subscribers” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). Monthly $39 = ($390 + $78) ÷ 12, both figures from that page. | Vendor | |
| Client-ops | HoneyBook | Starter | 1 user | $29 | $36 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Card 2.7% + 10¢; ACH 1.5% on collected payments; up to 2 live lead formsEvidence“$29 /month Starter (billed yearly)”; the page’s own billing toggle sets Starter to “36” when “Billed monthly” is chosen; “Card fees start at 2.7% + 10¢ … Bank transfer fees are 1.5%” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| Client-ops | HoneyBook | Essentials | up to 2 team members | $49 | $59 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Scheduler + automations + QuickBooks; a third person forces PremiumEvidence“$49 /month Essentials … Up to 2 team members”; page toggle code sets Essentials to “59” billed monthly (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| Client-ops | HoneyBook | Premium | unlimited team members | $109 | $129 | 2.0–3.0 | Vendor-verified | Multi-company / advanced reports / priority supportEvidence“$109 /month Premium … Unlimited team members”; page toggle code sets Premium to “129” billed monthly (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| Client-ops | Dubsado | Starter | 3 extra users free | $28 | $35 | 1.5–3.0 | Vendor-verified | $335/yr; 1 active lead form; no workflows/scheduling (Premier). Users 4–10: +$25/mo.EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “Monthly Plan … $35 … Starter Plan $335/yr … Enjoy 3 additional users for free. 4–10 users: $25/mo”. Annual column = $335 ÷ 12. | Vendor |
| Client-ops | Dubsado | Premier | 3 extra users free | $44 | $55 | 1.5–3.0 | Vendor-verified | $525/yr; automated workflows, scheduling, Zapier. Users 4–10: +$25/mo.EvidenceRendered vendor page 2026-10-23: “$55 … Premier Plan $525/yr”. Annual column = $525 ÷ 12 (rounded). | Vendor |
| Client-ops add-on | Dubsado | Users 4–10 (add-on) | team of 5–11 incl. owner | $25 | $25 | — | Vendor-verified | Flat add-on once you pass the 3 free extra users. The page lists $25/mo; it does not say whether annual plans discount it, so we apply $25 to both billing modes.Evidence“Enjoy 3 additional users for free. 4–10 users: $25/mo · 11–20 users: $45/mo · 21–30 users: $60/mo” (rendered vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| Client-ops | Bonsai | Essentials | per user | $19 | $25 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Basic ($9 annual) has no invoicing — Essentials is the real consultant entryEvidence“Essentials $25 / month $19 / month (if paid annually)” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
| Client-ops | Bonsai | Premium | per user | $29 | $39 | 1.5–2.5 | Vendor-verified | Deals pipeline + integrations; Elite $49/$59 (3-user min)Evidence“$39 / month $29 / month (if paid annually)” (vendor page, 2026-10-23). | Vendor |
Status key
- Vendor-verified — both figures read on the vendor’s public pricing page on 2026-10-23.
- Annual verified — annual figure read on the vendor page; monthly figure from an earlier pass or a third-party source.
- Secondary source — vendor page renders prices by script we could not read; figure from dated third-party trackers (linked). Provisional.
- Not re-checked — carried forward; do not cite as current.
Changelog
- v0.6 (2026-10-23): vendor pages rendered in a headless browser (monthly toggles clicked), so every secondary row is now vendor-read.4 figure changes, all on HubSpot Starter (now a new-customer promo with list price shown). Added Pipedrive and HoneyBook month-to-month figures, Zoho CRM Free/Standard, Kit Free, and Dubsado’s users 4–10 add-on. ActiveCampaign stays “annual verified”: the US page shows yearly prices only. Every change and its $/yr effect per recipe: stack-bill change log.
- v0.5 (2026-10-23): receipts edition — per-row verification + quoted evidence; JSON/CSV feeds generated from one source. Corrections from v0.4: HubSpot CRM Free: Seats “free users” → up to 2 users (v0.6); HubSpot Sales Hub Starter: v0.5 $10 annual / $20 monthly (secondary) → $7 / $10 promo, $20 list (vendor); HubSpot Marketing Hub Starter: v0.5 $9 / $15 (secondary) → $7 / $10 promo, $20 list (vendor); Capsule Starter: Status secondary → vendor (monthly $22 confirmed on vendor page); Zoho CRM Free: Status not re-checked → vendor; Zoho CRM Standard: New row in v0.6; ActiveCampaign Starter: Status secondary → annual verified; ActiveCampaign Plus: Status secondary → annual verified; ActiveCampaign Pro: Status secondary → annual verified; Kit (ConvertKit) Free: New row in v0.6; Kit (ConvertKit) Creator: Status secondary → vendor; HoneyBook Starter: Status annual verified → vendor (monthly $36 confirmed); HoneyBook Essentials: Status annual verified → vendor; HoneyBook Premium: Status annual verified → vendor; Dubsado Starter: Status annual verified → vendor (monthly $35 now read on vendor page); Dubsado Premier: Status annual verified → vendor; Dubsado Users 4–10 (add-on): New row in v0.6. Added fee facts: HoneyBook card 2.7% + 10¢ / ACH 1.5%; Close calling ~$0.02/min. Earlier versions were labeled with a planned publish date (2026-10-24); v0.5 uses the actual fetch date.
- v0.4: ActiveCampaign Starter/Plus/Pro; HubSpot Marketing Starter + Professional (onboarding warning).
- v0.3: Annual vs monthly columns; Close Solo/Essentials; Copper; Pipedrive Premium; HoneyBook/Dubsado/Bonsai tiers.
- v0.2: Pipedrive Essential→Lite, Advanced→Growth; admin-hour bands. v0.1: seed table.
Methodology
- Annual column = monthly equivalent of annual billing; monthly column = month-to-month sticker.
- Plans chosen are the ones a solo or 2–15 person retainer practice would actually start on — not Enterprise.
- Email tools priced at ~1,000 contacts/subscribers.
- Admin hours are labeled estimates — see Admin Hours and methodology.
- Client-ops “real cost” includes payment processing on collected invoices.
- Affiliate commissions never change a row; we publish the terms we’re paid under.
Related: Stack Cost Calculator · Real-data niche stacks · Stack-bill change log · Admin Hours ·Affiliate terms · How we pick ·AC vs HubSpot Marketing ·Pipedrive vs Close ·Dubsado vs HoneyBook vs Bonsai