CRM trial: test one sales process end to end

Use a real small sample

Import a few representative leads, contacts and deals. Include a duplicate, a missing field and a deal with several people involved. Check whether the team can keep the record accurate without maintaining another spreadsheet.

Test the whole pipeline

Move one deal from lead to won or lost. Add an email, schedule a task and check the report that the manager needs. HubSpot’s free CRM, Pipedrive’s pipeline workflow and Attio’s configurable model serve different starting points; test the work rather than counting fields.

Count the people and roles

HubSpot Free lists up to two users; Attio Free and Zoho CRM Free list up to three. Include managers and operational users in the seat count. Check what a restricted role can see, edit and export before adding customer records.

Validate automation on the chosen tier

Use one meaningful rule such as assigning a new lead or creating a follow-up task. Check run or credit limits and failure visibility. An automation feature on an enterprise page is not proof that your entry plan includes it.

Leave the trial with an exit route

Export the records, relationships and notes you need. Inspect the exported files before deciding that migration is possible. Record the implementation work, seat costs and separate add-ons alongside the subscription price.

Sources

Figures in this guide come from the suppliers’ official pages, checked on 11 October 2026. Confirm the plan you buy at checkout.

HubSpot CRM: official product and plan documentation · Evidence: documentation · Oct 11, 2026

Pipedrive: official product and plan documentation · Evidence: documentation · Oct 11, 2026

Attio: official product and plan documentation · Evidence: documentation · Oct 11, 2026

Zoho CRM: official product and plan documentation · Evidence: documentation · Oct 11, 2026