Dextr is our first pick for solopreneurs who use Apple devices and build their business through personal relationships. It keeps the people, introductions, and reasons to follow up at the center of the workflow. Compare Bigin or Pipedrive when a structured deal pipeline is essential, and Bonsai when you also need contracts, projects, and billing.
Running a business alone means the person finding new work is also delivering it. A useful CRM should make it easy to return to a conversation after a busy week, see what you promised, and decide what to do next.
The best CRM options for solopreneurs at a glance
- Dextr, our first pick. Consider it for: Professional relationships on iPhone, iPad, and Mac Main decision: Do you primarily need context and follow-ups?
- Bigin by Zoho CRM. Consider it for: A small, structured sales process Main decision: Do you need to move opportunities through stages?
- HubSpot. Consider it for: Starting with a free sales CRM Main decision: Are its free limits enough for your business?
- Less Annoying CRM. Consider it for: Straightforward contact and lead management Main decision: Would one paid plan simplify your decision?
- Pipedrive. Consider it for: Managing several active sales opportunities Main decision: Do you need a clear view of individual deals?
- Bonsai. Consider it for: Managing the work after a client says yes Main decision: Do you also need contracts, projects, and billing?
Dextr publishes this guide. Recommendations are based on official product documentation reviewed on October 27, 2026, rather than a hands-on test of every platform. Features and plan terms can change.
What a solopreneur should look for in a CRM
Start with three questions: Who needs my attention? What happened last time? What is the next action? A CRM that answers those questions is already doing useful work.
Then decide how your business keeps records. A consultant who gets work through introductions may need a history of people and conversations. A salesperson pursuing three purchases at the same company needs separate opportunities. A designer sending contracts and invoices may benefit from a client-management suite.
Check the cost of the plan that includes your actual requirements. A low starting price helps only if the features you rely on are included. Also confirm that the software works well on the device you use between meetings.
Dextr: our first pick for a business built around relationships
Dextr on iPhone: record the conversation
Dextr is an option for Apple users whose work grows through clients, collaborators, and referrals. It adds relationship context to contacts, including who introduced you, where you met, and reminders to reconnect.
Imagine meeting a potential collaborator at a workshop. Saving the introduction and a next action gives you something useful to return to when a project appears months later. Dextr's Introduced By guide shows that workflow.
Choose Dextr when the person is the center of your process. If your priority is forecasting several deals per account, compare a dedicated sales CRM as well.
Dark-mode app examples below use fictional demonstration contacts.
On iPhone, a Pro Journal Entry keeps a conversation and the promised next step beside the contact.
Dextr on iPad: store structured details
On iPad, client status, project, and preferred-contact custom fields keep structured context beside the person. Check Pro requirements for custom fields.
Bigin: for a defined sales process
Bigin makes sense when work follows a sequence such as inquiry, discovery, proposal, and decision. Its pipeline structure gives you somewhere to place each opportunity.
The free edition is limited to one user, one pipeline, and 500 records. Check how records are counted before importing your business history.
HubSpot: for starting with a free sales CRM
HubSpot's free CRM includes contact, deal, and task management. Its stated allowance is up to two users and 1,000 contacts.
That makes it a candidate for a solo business that wants a conventional sales setup without an immediate subscription. Map your likely paid requirements before committing to a larger part of the platform.
Less Annoying CRM: for a predictable subscription
Less Annoying CRM focuses on organizing contacts, leads, tasks, and related information. Its single pricing plan is $15 per user per month, plus applicable tax.
It is worth comparing if you want a business CRM and would rather evaluate one included feature set than several upgrade tiers.
Pipedrive: for a business with a real deal pipeline
Pipedrive centers the sales opportunity and the activity needed to move it forward. That can be useful when you have multiple proposals open or several opportunities with one customer.
Check the plan comparison for email synchronization and automation. Those requirements can change the plan you need.
Bonsai: for client work from agreement to delivery
Bonsai connects client records with a wider service-business workflow. It is relevant when winning the work is only the start of what you need to organize.
Its Essentials plan adds proposals, contracts, invoices, payments, and a client portal. Compare the plan that covers those tasks, rather than assuming the entry plan does.
A practical first-week setup
Use a small pilot instead of moving your entire business immediately. Start with ten people or opportunities you are actively working with.
- Add the contact details you use.
- Record the latest meaningful conversation.
- Give every active relationship or opportunity a next action.
- Set a specific reminder when something has a deadline.
- Review the list at the end of the week.
For example, a solo consultant might keep a former client, a referral partner, and a new prospect in the pilot. Each needs different attention. The former client might deserve a quarterly check-in, the referral partner a thank-you, and the prospect a proposal by Thursday.
If you choose Dextr, its reminder guide explains the difference between recurring contact habits and a task tied to a particular date.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CRM if I work alone?
You may benefit when remembering conversations and next steps has become unreliable. If your current system is accurate and easy to maintain, keep using it until there is a clear problem to solve.
What is the best free CRM for a solopreneur?
Dextr Free is our first pick for a solopreneur organizing relationships on Apple devices. HubSpot and Bigin are alternatives for free sales-CRM workflows with different limits. Compare the ongoing free features against the work you need to do.
Can a personal CRM work for a business?
Yes, when the job is maintaining professional relationships. A sales CRM becomes more useful when you need separate deal records, pipeline reporting, and revenue visibility.
Choose two options that match your work and run the same pilot in each. If your business depends on remembering people and following through, explore Dextr with a handful of real professional contacts.
Start with Dextr
Keep client and referral relationships close at hand with Dextr. Install Dextr from the App Store.