You don’t need Salesforce to grow your business — you need a simple, affordable CRM that doesn’t get in your way.
For solopreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners, tools like Nimble, Copper, and Capsule CRM offer just the right blend of relationship tracking, sales pipelines, and simplicity.
Let’s compare these three lightweight CRMs to help you pick the one that actually works for you in 2025.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Nimble | Copper | Capsule CRM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Social selling & networking | Gmail users & solopreneurs | Service-based businesses |
| Contact Enrichment | ✅ Auto social profiles | ✅ Google contact sync | ⚠️ Manual + Zapier only |
| Gmail Integration | ✅ Chrome extension | ✅ Native Gmail/GSuite CRM | ⚠️ Basic Gmail plugin |
| Pipeline Management | ✅ Visual boards | ✅ Drag & drop pipelines | ✅ Kanban + milestones |
| Mobile App | ✅ iOS/Android | ✅ iOS/Android | ✅ iOS/Android |
| Workflow Automation | ✅ Rules + reminders | ✅ Email templates, nudges | ✅ Custom task workflows |
| Calendar Sync | ✅ Google + Outlook | ✅ Native Google Calendar | ✅ Google Calendar only |
| Pricing (Monthly) | $24.90/user | $23/user (Basic) | $18/user (Starter) |
1. Nimble
Overview:
Nimble is a relationship-focused CRM designed to help you build connections, not just track deals. It automatically pulls in social, email, and calendar data to give you richer profiles and easier follow-ups.
Best For:
Solopreneurs, consultants, and small teams focused on relationship-building and networking.
Key Features:
- Social profile enrichment (Twitter, LinkedIn, email)
- Smart contact search + filtering
- Email templates + tracking
- Calendar + task sync
- Chrome extension: add leads from anywhere
Pros:
✔ Great for personal relationship selling
✔ Chrome plugin makes it easy to add leads
✔ Automatically enriches contacts with social data
✔ Works inside Gmail + social media
Cons:
✖ Not ideal for multi-stage sales teams
✖ Reporting is limited
✖ UI slightly dated
Pricing:
$24.90/user/month (Business)
2. Copper
Overview:
Copper is the CRM built for Google Workspace, making it perfect for solopreneurs who live inside Gmail, Calendar, and Sheets.
Best For:
Freelancers and small teams who want zero-hassle CRM integration with Google tools.
Key Features:
- Deep Gmail/Calendar/Docs/Drive integration
- Smart recommendations for follow-up
- Visual pipelines
- Email templates and workflow automations
- Reporting dashboards
Pros:
✔ Zero onboarding — lives inside Gmail
✔ Native feel for Google users
✔ Great for task reminders + opportunity tracking
✔ Minimal clicks to update pipeline
Cons:
✖ Works best only if you use Google Workspace
✖ Slightly more expensive
✖ Limited social features
Pricing:
Basic: $23/user/month
Professional: $59/user/month
3. Capsule CRM
Overview:
Capsule is a clean, lightweight CRM for small businesses and solopreneurs. It focuses on contact management, task tracking, and pipeline visibility — without extra bells and whistles.
Best For:
Consultants, service providers, and freelancers who want simple sales and client tracking.
Key Features:
- Visual sales pipeline with custom milestones
- Contact timeline + email history
- Tasks, reminders, and follow-ups
- Basic integrations (Xero, Mailchimp, Zapier)
- Web form + lead capture
Pros:
✔ Clean and easy-to-use
✔ Built-in pipeline + task tracking
✔ Good for client services (not just sales)
✔ Affordable plans
Cons:
✖ Lacks social or AI insights
✖ Fewer integrations compared to others
✖ Basic reporting
Pricing:
Starter Plan: $18/user/month
Professional: $36/user/month
Use Case Recommendations
| Use Case | Best Tool |
|---|---|
| Social selling + contact insight | Nimble |
| Full Gmail integration | Copper |
| Clean, client-focused tracking | Capsule CRM |
| Automated lead enrichment | Nimble |
| Service business CRM | Capsule CRM |
| Task-based follow-up system | Copper |
Final Verdict
- Choose Nimble if your sales process is all about relationship-building and you want social data automatically added to your contacts.
- Choose Copper if you’re deep in Google Workspace and want a CRM that feels like part of Gmail.
- Choose Capsule CRM if you’re a freelancer or service provider who needs simple sales and contact tracking without distractions.
