Email & Newsletter: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | Brevo | 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day, CRM included | Exceptional |
| 2 | Kit (ConvertKit) | 10,000 subscribers, unlimited sends, limited automations | Exceptional |
| 3 | beehiiv | 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends | Very Good |
| 4 | Mailchimp | 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo, limited automations | Minimal |
CRM: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | HubSpot CRM | Unlimited contacts, pipeline, email tracking, forms, live chat, 2,000 emails/mo | Exceptional |
| 2 | Freshsales | 3 users, contact management, built-in chat/email/phone | Very Good |
| 3 | Zoho CRM | 3 users, basic modules, 5,000 records | Good |
| 4 | Attio | 3 seats, 50,000 records, auto-enrichment | Good |
Project Management: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | ClickUp | Unlimited tasks, unlimited members, 60MB storage | Exceptional |
| 2 | Notion | Unlimited pages, 7-day history, 10 guests | Very Good |
| 3 | Asana | 2 users, unlimited tasks/projects, basic views | Limited (2 users) |
| 4 | Monday.com | 2 seats, 3 boards, unlimited docs | Limited (2 seats, 3 boards) |
Automation: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | n8n (self-hosted) | Unlimited everything (requires self-hosting) | Exceptional (if technical) |
| 2 | Make | 1,000 ops/mo, 2 active scenarios | Good |
| 3 | Zapier | 100 tasks/mo, two-step only | Minimal |
Support & Help Desk: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | Help Scout | 50 contacts/month, unlimited users, shared inbox, knowledge base, Beacon widget | Very Good |
| 2 | Freshdesk | 2 agents, email ticketing, knowledge base, pre-built reports | Good |
| 3 | Crisp | 2 seats, website chat widget, shared inbox, unlimited messages | Good |
Analytics: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | PostHog | 1M events, 5K session replays, 1M feature flags, unlimited team members | Exceptional |
| 2 | Mixpanel | 1M events/month, core analytics, unlimited reports | Very Good |
Accounting: Free Tier Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Free Tier Limits | Generosity Score |
|---|
| 1 | Wave | Unlimited invoicing, basic accounting, receipt scanning | Exceptional |
The $0 Business Stack
Using only the most generous free tiers above, you can run a legitimate business for $0/mo: HubSpot CRM (unlimited contacts) + Kit Newsletter (10,000 subscribers) + ClickUp (unlimited tasks) + Freshdesk (2 agents) + Make (1,000 ops/mo) + Wave (invoicing) + PostHog (1M events). The total: $0/mo with real, production-quality tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these free tiers permanent or just trials?
Every tool listed above offers a permanent free tier, not a trial. However, free tier terms can change. Mailchimp's free tier went from 2,000 contacts to 250 contacts in 2024. HubSpot and Brevo have maintained their generous free tiers for years. Always verify current limits on the vendor's pricing page.
What's the catch with these free tiers?
Common limitations: vendor branding on emails/forms, limited reporting, no advanced automations, fewer integrations, and basic support. HubSpot Free adds HubSpot branding to forms and emails. Kit Free excludes automations and integrations. ClickUp Free caps storage at 60MB.