CRM Comparison

Bigin vs Capsule (2026)

Bigin is Zoho's pipeline-first lightweight CRM; Capsule is a simple, affordable contact-first CRM. Here's how to choose between Bigin and Capsule.

Bigin by Zoho CRM

Pipeline-first CRM from Zoho built specifically for small businesses and micro-teams. Gets you organized in under 30 minutes and offers a clear upgrade path to full Zoho CRM as you grow.

Pricing Free plan available; paid from $7/user/mo (billed annually)
Our rating 4.3/5
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Capsule CRM

Clean, lightweight CRM for small businesses. Contact management, sales tracking, and integrations without the clutter.

Pricing Free plan, paid from $18/mo
Our rating 4/5
Try Capsule CRM

TL;DR

  • Pick Bigin if you want a pipeline-first, genuinely cheap CRM with multiple customisable pipelines, an excellent mobile app, and an easy path into Zoho's broader suite as you grow.
  • Pick Capsule if you want a contact-first CRM that's simple to adopt for non-technical SMBs, with clean opportunity tracking and native links to accounting tools your small business already uses.

Pricing

Both are budget CRMs, but they win on different terms. Bigin is among the cheapest available — Express around $9/user/mo and Premier around $15/user/mo, billed annually — with no permanent free tier. Capsule keeps a real free plan (2 users, 250 contacts), then Starter near $18/user/mo and Growth near $36. So Capsule wins at $0 if you can live within the free limits, but once you pay, Bigin's tiers undercut Capsule's. For a small team that knows it will pay for a few seats, Bigin is usually the cheaper long-term bet.

Data model / Core approach

The philosophies differ. Bigin is pipeline-first: it's built by Zoho to make deal flow the star, with Team Pipelines that let different functions (sales, onboarding, delivery) each run their own boards inside one tool. Records cover Contacts, Companies, and Deals, and it speaks fluently to the rest of Zoho. Capsule is contact-first: People and Organisations sit at the centre, with Opportunities and Cases layered on, plus tags and custom fields. Bigin suits teams who organise life around stages and pipelines; Capsule suits teams who organise around relationships and records. Both deliberately avoid heavyweight complexity.

Pipeline and sales workflows

Bigin's pipeline tooling is its core strength: multiple and team pipelines, in-pipeline automation (Toppings/Workflows), signals, and one of the best mobile CRM experiences in the category. Capsule's single, clear pipeline is easy to grasp — drag opportunities through stages with a milestone-based forecast — but it's less configurable and has fewer pipelines per plan. If running several distinct stage-based processes matters, Bigin is the stronger engine. If one straightforward pipeline is all you need, Capsule keeps it pleasantly simple.

Email and integrations

Both connect to Gmail and Outlook with two-way sync and templates. Bigin's advantage is the Zoho ecosystem — tight links to Zoho Mail, Books, Desk, and Flow, plus telephony and a capable API — so it scales naturally if you adopt more Zoho apps. Capsule leans on native integrations with Transpond for marketing and Xero/QuickBooks for accounting, which many SMBs find genuinely useful, plus Zapier for the rest. Bigin rewards teams heading toward Zoho; Capsule rewards teams already standardised on independent accounting tools.

Who should pick what

  • Pipeline-minded small teams who may grow into Zoho → Bigin.
  • Non-technical SMBs wanting the simplest contact-first setup → Capsule.
  • Teams that need multiple pipelines and a great mobile app → Bigin.
  • Businesses that need a free tier or Xero/QuickBooks links → Capsule.

Bottom line

Bigin and Capsule are both deliberately lightweight, affordable CRMs, which makes the choice about temperament. Bigin is pipeline-first and ecosystem-ready: cheap per seat, strong on mobile and multiple pipelines, and a smooth on-ramp to Zoho. Capsule is contact-first and self-contained: a free tier to start, a gentle learning curve, and handy accounting integrations. Pick Bigin if you think in deal stages and value Zoho's gravity; pick Capsule if you think in relationships and want the simplest possible CRM.

Try them yourself

Visit Bigin by Zoho CRM Try Capsule CRM

Frequently asked questions

Is Bigin or Capsule better for small teams?
Both target small teams and are easy to start. Bigin is better if you think in deal pipelines and may grow into the wider Zoho suite. Capsule is better if you think contacts-first and want the gentlest possible learning curve. Your mental model of selling usually decides it.
How much do Bigin and Capsule cost?
Bigin is one of the cheapest CRMs around: Express near $9/user/mo and Premier near $15/user/mo, billed annually. Capsule has a free tier (2 users, 250 contacts), then Starter near $18/user/mo and Growth near $36. Bigin is the lower-cost paid option; Capsule wins only if you stay on its free plan.
Does Capsule have a free plan?
Yes. Capsule offers a free plan for up to 2 users and 250 contacts. Bigin does not have a permanent free plan, only a trial. So if a true $0 tier matters, Capsule is the choice — but Bigin's paid plans are cheaper than Capsule's paid tiers.
Can you migrate from one to the other?
Yes, both support CSV import/export and Zoho provides migration tooling for Bigin. Pipelines and custom fields generally need rebuilding either way. Capsule's tags and Cases don't map directly to Bigin, and Bigin's Zoho-linked records won't carry over, so expect some manual cleanup after the import.