CRM software (short for: “customer relationship management software”) is a term that’s confusingly used in a number of ways. Some say it to refer to a sales tool, others also apply it to their marketing database solution.
In the meaning I take to (“sales tool”) it isn’t necessarily HubSpot’s “default” offering. Since HubSpot CRM starts off free and you’re asking about cheaper alternatives, I’m guessing you’re also asking about HubSpot Marketing software (which is, in fact, quite pricey).
CRM Software / Marketing Software for small firms
If you really are a small business or a one-man marketing team, I’d suggest taking a look at ActiveCampaign (which includes pretty solid marketing automation features, as well as a built-in CRM) or Drip. You can use either to manage your database of contacts, automate emailing, connect to social media and SMS and more of that good stuff.
You can get either of these tools starting at $50/month.
If you do have a team and/or a larger database, as well as possibly a sales team, I’d suggest taking a look at Net-Results. They don’t have a CRM offering (at this point in time), but they integrate pretty easily and are a very solid option for medium-sized businesses, because of their excellent customer support.
I first answered this question about CRM software on Quora:
