Best Sales Tools for Startups (2026)
Quick Take
Startups need sales tools that are affordable, fast to set up, and don't require a dedicated admin. We ranked the best tools for early-stage teams with limited budgets.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
| # | Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apollo.io | Best free tier | $0/mo | 8.1/10 |
| 2 | Instantly.ai | Best for cold email on a budget | $37/mo | 7.5/10 |
| 3 | Pipedrive | Best affordable CRM | $14/mo | 7.0/10 |
| 4 | GMass | Best zero-learning-curve option | $0/mo | 7.2/10 |
| 5 | Close | Best CRM for inside sales | $59/mo | 6.9/10 |
| 6 | Hunter.io | Best free email finder | $0/mo | 6.6/10 |
1. Apollo.io | Best free tier
All-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platform with a 275M+ contact database, email sequences, LinkedIn outreach, and built-in dialer. Strong free tier makes it the default starting point for most sales teams.
Our take: Apollo's free plan includes 60 credits/month, basic sequences, and access to a 275M+ database. Most startups won't need to upgrade for months.
Apollo.io Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Basic | $59 | $49/mo |
| Professional | $99 | $79/mo |
| Organization | $149 | $119/mo |
2. Instantly.ai | Best for cold email on a budget
Cold email platform built for sending at scale. Unlimited email accounts, built-in warmup, and a B2B lead database. Popular with agencies and high-volume senders for its aggressive pricing.
Our take: At $37/mo with unlimited email accounts, Instantly is the cheapest way to run cold email at scale.
Instantly.ai Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | $37 | $30/mo |
| Hypergrowth | $97 | $77/mo |
| Light Speed | $358 | $286/mo |
3. Pipedrive | Best affordable CRM
Visual sales CRM designed for small teams. Drag-and-drop pipeline, activity-based selling, and a marketplace of integrations. One of the most affordable CRMs that actually works.
Our take: Starting at $14/user/mo, Pipedrive is the most affordable CRM that doesn't feel like a toy. Visual pipeline, activity tracking, solid integrations.
Pipedrive Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $14 | $12/mo |
| Advanced | $39 | $29/mo |
| Professional | $49 | $49/mo |
| Power | $64 | $59/mo |
| Enterprise | $99 | $79/mo |
4. GMass | Best zero-learning-curve option
Gmail-native mail merge and cold email tool. Lives entirely inside Gmail. no separate platform to learn. Great for solopreneurs and small teams who don't want another SaaS login.
Our take: If you already use Gmail, GMass requires zero onboarding. Mail merge, auto follow-ups, and analytics. all inside Gmail.
GMass Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Standard | $25 | $20/mo |
| Premium | $35 | $28/mo |
| Team | $125 | — |
5. Close | Best CRM for inside sales
CRM built for inside sales teams with built-in calling, SMS, email sequences, and pipeline management. Opinionated product designed for speed. no bloat, no consultants needed to set up.
Our take: Built-in calling, SMS, and email sequences. More expensive than Pipedrive but eliminates the need for separate communication tools.
Close Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | $59 | $49/mo |
| Professional | $109 | $99/mo |
| Enterprise | $149 | $139/mo |
6. Hunter.io | Best free email finder
Domain-based email finder and verifier. Clean UI, reliable verification, and a generous free tier (25 searches/mo). The original email finder. still one of the best for quick lookups.
Our take: 25 free searches per month. enough for early-stage prospecting. Upgrade when you scale.
Hunter.io Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Starter | $49 | $34/mo |
| Growth | $149 | $104/mo |
| Business | $499 | $349/mo |
How We Ranked These Tools
We weighted pricing and ease of use more heavily for this roundup. Free tiers, trial availability, and time-to-value were key factors.
Read our full scoring methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sales tools should a startup use?
Start with Apollo.io (free plan) for prospecting and email sequences. Add Pipedrive ($14/mo) for pipeline management. That's a complete sales stack for under $15/month.
What sales tools should a startup use?
Start with Apollo.io (free plan) for prospecting and email sequences. Add Pipedrive ($14/mo) for pipeline management. That's a complete sales stack for under $15/month.