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CRM · head to head

Bigin vs Nutshell

Bigin logo

Bigin

CRM

Zoho pipeline CRM for small businesses, priced well below Zoho CRM itself

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nutshell logo

Nutshell

Proposals

Easy CRM for small businesses

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bigin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bigin the plan limits are the product boundary, not a soft guideline: three pipelines on Express and thirty automations will constrain any business with more than a couple of distinct sale types, and the only fix is to pay up a tier.; Nutshell aI usage is metered as outcomes per user per month, from 10 on Foundation to 150 on Enterprise
  • They diverge on capability: Bigin covers Multiple pipelines, Nutshell covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bigin and Nutshell actually diverge.

Attributes where Bigin and Nutshell differ
AttributeBiginNutshell
Starting priceFree$13/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, watchOSWeb
CategoryCRMProposals
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bigin

  • Multiple pipelines
  • Teampipes
  • Built-in telephony
  • Workflow automation
  • Mobile apps
  • Zoho ecosystem
  • Free onboarding

Only in Nutshell

  • Contact management
  • Lead tracking
  • Pipeline management
  • Task management
  • Reporting
  • Zapier
  • Gmail
  • Slack

Both cover

  • Email integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bigin

  • A five-person sales team wants a real CRM for under 50 US dollars a month total and will never use the territory management or forecasting depth in Zoho CRM.not Nutshell
  • A business already running Zoho Books or Zoho Mail wants a CRM in the same account with native links rather than a bridged third-party tool.not Nutshell
  • A services firm wants to run client onboarding and delivery as pipelines alongside sales, which is what Teampipes exists for, without buying a separate project tool.not Nutshell
  • A buyer evaluating Zoho CRM Standard should price Bigin first, because for straightforward pipeline selling it is roughly a third of the cost on the same platform.not Nutshell

Nutshell

  • Sales CRM for small to enterprise teamsnot Bigin
  • Lead management and sales pipeline trackingnot Bigin
  • Reporting and team analyticsnot Bigin

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bigin

  • The plan limits are the product boundary, not a soft guideline: three pipelines on Express and thirty automations will constrain any business with more than a couple of distinct sale types, and the only fix is to pay up a tier.
  • Outgrowing Bigin means migrating to Zoho CRM, a different product with different objects and configuration, so the cheap start becomes a project later rather than a plan upgrade.
  • The free plan is one user with 500 records and no automation, which makes it a trial rather than a usable free tier of the kind Zoho CRM competitors offer.
  • Reporting and analytics are basic compared with Zoho CRM, with no serious forecasting, territory management or custom module building, so sales operations functions have nothing to work with.
  • Zoho runs two overlapping CRMs and has an obvious incentive to keep Bigin limited, so features that would make it a genuine competitor to Zoho CRM are unlikely to arrive however much customers ask.

Nutshell

  • AI usage is metered as outcomes per user per month, from 10 on Foundation to 150 on Enterprise
  • Custom pipelines are rationed by plan, at 5 on Pro and 10 on Business, with unlimited only on Enterprise at $79 per user per month
  • Sales automation and advanced reporting require the Pro plan at $42 per user per month
  • Four separate add ons sit on top of the seat price: marketing at $49 a month, engagement at $16 per user, prospecting at $37 and proposals at $79
  • SSO and SQL data access are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Bigin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • One user only
    • 500 records
    • One pipeline
  • Express$7/month
    • Three pipelines
    • 50,000 records
    • 30 workflow automations
  • Premier$12/month
    • Five pipelines
    • 100,000 records
    • 50 workflow automations
  • Bigin 360$18/month
    • Fifteen pipelines
    • One million records
    • 100 workflow automations

Nutshell

$13/month
  • Starter$13/month
    • For individuals or small teams starting out
    • Core CRM functionality
    • Live support
  • Tier 2$25/month
    • Enhanced reporting capabilities
    • Live support
    • Saves 4 hours monthly per user
  • Tier 3$42/month
    • Additional pipelines and admin features
    • Live support
    • Saves 8 hours monthly per user
  • Tier 4$59/month
    • Customization and extra AI features
    • Live support
    • Saves 20 hours monthly per user

Which should you pick?

Choose Bigin if

  • You need multiple pipelines.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, watchOS.
  • You also want teampipes.
Bigin review

Choose Nutshell if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want lead tracking.
Nutshell review

Questions people ask

Is Bigin or Nutshell better?
Neither clearly leads. Bigin starts at Free and Nutshell at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bigin or Nutshell?
Bigin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bigin and $13/month for Nutshell.
Does Bigin or Nutshell run on more platforms?
Bigin runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, watchOS. Nutshell runs on Web.
Can I use Bigin for free?
Yes. Bigin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nutshell starts at $13/month.
What is Bigin best used for?
Bigin is most often used for a five-person sales team wants a real crm for under 50 us dollars a month total and will never use the territory management or forecasting depth in zoho crm., a business already running zoho books or zoho mail wants a crm in the same account with native links rather than a bridged third-party tool., a services firm wants to run client onboarding and delivery as pipelines alongside sales, which is what teampipes exists for, without buying a separate project tool., a buyer evaluating zoho crm standard should price bigin first, because for straightforward pipeline selling it is roughly a third of the cost on the same platform.. Of those, a five-person sales team wants a real crm for under 50 us dollars a month total and will never use the territory management or forecasting depth in zoho crm. and a business already running zoho books or zoho mail wants a crm in the same account with native links rather than a bridged third-party tool. are not what Nutshell is typically brought in for.
What can Bigin do that Nutshell cannot?
Bigin covers Multiple pipelines, Teampipes, Built-in telephony, Workflow automation. Nutshell covers Contact management, Lead tracking, Pipeline management, Task management. Both handle Email integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bigin: Is Bigin the same as Zoho CRM?

No. It is a separate, cheaper product on its own domain with its own pricing, aimed at small businesses, and it is deliberately capped so it does not compete with Zoho CRM.

Nutshell: How much does Nutshell CRM cost?

Nutshell CRM pricing ranges from $13 to $79 per user per month. Starter tier ($13/month) includes core CRM, Tier 2 ($25/month) adds enhanced reporting, and Enterprise ($79/month) includes SSO and SQL access.

Source
Bigin: How much cheaper is it?

Express is 7 US dollars per user per month annually against Zoho CRM Standard at a higher rate, and the gap widens against the upper Zoho CRM tiers.

Nutshell: Is there a free trial for Nutshell?

Yes, Nutshell offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial includes access to core CRM functionality and live support.

Source
Bigin: What happens when I outgrow the pipeline limits?

You move up a Bigin tier to five or fifteen pipelines, and beyond that you migrate to Zoho CRM, which is a data and configuration migration rather than a switch.

Nutshell: What does Nutshell Enterprise tier include?

Nutshell Enterprise at $79 per user per month includes SSO (Single Sign-On), SQL database access for data export, priority support, and unlimited time saved estimates of 30 hours per month.

Source
Bigin: Is the free plan usable?

Only for one person with a very small contact list. It is one user, 500 records, one pipeline and no automation.

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