You’re searching free Salesforce trial for small business because you want to test the world’s #1 CRM before dropping serious cash. Smart move.
Salesforce isn’t just “enterprise software for rich companies.” They’ve built Starter Suite and Free CRM specifically for small teams who need real CRM power without the six-figure setup nightmare.
This guide walks you through:
What you actually get (and what you don’t)
How to sign up and start using it Day 1
Real limitations (user caps, feature gaps)
When it’s perfect vs when you need to upgrade
Pro tips to get maximum value before paying
No fluff. Just what small businesses need to know before hitting “Start Free Trial.”
Salesforce offers three paths for small teams. Each targets a different stage:
Best for: Solo founders, 2-person teams replacing spreadsheets
Cost: $0 forever (no credit card)
Key features: Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities, basic Cases, 100 emails/month
Limitations: 2 users max, no advanced automation, basic reporting
Best for: Teams wanting to test before committing
Cost: Free for 30 days, then $25/user/month
Key features: Sales automation, email marketing, service tools, Slack integration
Limitations: Time-limited, requires upgrade decision
Best for: 5–50 person teams needing deeper customization
Cost: Free trial, then higher tier pricing
Most small businesses start here: Free CRM → Starter Suite trial → paid plan as you grow.
Lead tracking: Capture website forms, business cards, referrals
Pipeline management: Opportunities with stages, amounts, close dates
Contact/Account 360: Everything about one customer in one view
Activity logging: Calls, meetings, emails, tasks (with Gmail sync)
Case management: Log support tickets, assign, track resolution
Knowledge base: Store answers to common questions
Email-to-case: Support@yourdomain.com → automatic Salesforce case
Email builder: Drag-and-drop templates
100 sends/month (Free CRM) or more in Starter Suite
Contact lists for targeted outreach
Slack integration (2-user workspace in Free CRM)
Shared dashboards for leadership visibility
Mobile app for on-the-go access
Every free tier has guardrails. Here’s what small businesses hit first:
Free CRM: Hard 2-user cap. Third user = immediate upgrade
Starter Suite: No user cap during trial, but paid plans start scaling costs
No advanced automation (Flows, Process Builder) in Free CRM
Limited reporting (basic dashboards only)
No custom objects in free tiers
Email volume caps (100/month Free CRM, higher in Starter)
Storage: Enough for small teams, but attachments/emails add up
API calls: Fine for manual use, throttled for heavy integrations
30-day trials force a decision
Free CRM has no expiration but inactivity may pause access
Click “Get Started Free”
Enter business email (no Gmail/Yahoo)
Verify email, set password
Guided onboarding walks you through setup
Pro tip: Import your first contacts immediately to test search/dedupe.
Select “Start Free Trial”
Enter company details
Add first users (up to 10 recommended for trial)
Complete setup wizard
Don’t waste your trial testing “nice-to-haves.” Focus on revenue impact:
Import contacts (CSV or Gmail sync)
Create your sales pipeline stages
Add 3–5 active opportunities
Log today’s activities
Create a lead from a form
Convert lead → opportunity
Send test email campaign
Log a support case
Build pipeline dashboard
Test mobile app
Share reports with leadership
Train 2–3 power users
Set activity logging rules
Schedule weekly pipeline review
Problem: Client details scattered across Gmail, Notes, spreadsheets
Free Salesforce solution: One 360-view per client, email sync, task reminders
Upgrade trigger: Need 3rd user or advanced invoicing
Problem: Leads lost in Slack, inconsistent follow-up
Starter Suite trial: Lead routing, pipeline visibility, email sequences
Upgrade trigger: Need marketing automation or custom fields
Problem: Customer requests via text/email/form, no follow-through
Solution: Case management + knowledge base + mobile app
Upgrade trigger: Need scheduling or inventory
Upgrade signals:
Hit user limits (Free CRM caps at 2)
Need automation beyond basic rules
Email volume exceeds monthly limits
Custom reports/dashboards required
Integrations (QuickBooks, Stripe, etc.)
Starter Suite pricing starts at $25/user/month—test value first, then scale confidently.
Log every activity, update every deal, treat every contact as production data. Half-hearted testing wastes the trial.
Share pipeline dashboards Week 1. When they see real numbers, upgrade resistance drops.
Salesforce shines when accessible everywhere. Verify workflows work on phone and laptop.
Don’t lose your test data. Export Contacts/Opportunities as CSV.
Schedule demo—they’ll show advanced features and often offer discounts for trial users.
| Feature | Salesforce Free | HubSpot Free | Zoho Free | Pipedrive Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users | 2 | Unlimited | 3 | 2 |
| Pipeline | ✅ Full | ✅ Basic | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
| Email sends | 100/mo | 2,000/mo | Unlimited | None |
| Mobile app | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Slack | ✅ (2 users) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Salesforce wins: True CRM depth, Slack integration, professional upgrade path.
The free Salesforce trial for small business isn’t a toy—it’s a production-grade CRM you can test risk-free.
Free CRM gives solo founders and 2-person teams a forever-free home for customer data.
Starter Suite trial lets growing teams test full sales/service/marketing power for 30 days.
Start today: pick your trial, import real data, log real activities, share real dashboards. By Week 2, you’ll know if Salesforce is your long-term CRM home.
Next step: Sign up now at salesforce.com/crm/free-crm/ or https://www.salesforce.com/in/small-business/starter/. Import your contacts today. Pipeline visibility awaits.
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