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startbuddi vs Capsule CRM: an honest comparison

Capsule is a simple CRM for small businesses, with contacts, sales pipelines, project boards, tasks and a calendar, workflow automations from its Growth plan and a marketing add-on, priced per user with a free plan for two users; startbuddi covers the CRM alongside a shared inbox, invoices, contracts, bookings and client portals, so pick Capsule for a focused CRM with native apps and accounting connections, and startbuddi if you want client work, invoicing and customer conversations in one workspace.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Capsule CRM is stronger, every fact about Capsule CRM links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Small service businesses that want CRM, inbox, bookings and invoices in one workspace

Capsule CRM logoCapsule CRM

Capsule CRM is best for

Small teams that want an easy CRM for contacts, pipelines and project boards

At a glance

Best for
startbuddiSmall service businesses that want CRM, inbox, bookings and invoices in one workspace
Capsule CRMSmall teams that want an easy CRM for contacts, pipelines and project boards
Free plan
startbuddiYes, the Free plan
Capsule CRMYes, Free
First paid plan
startbuddiStarter, $29 a month
Capsule CRMStarter, $18 USD per user per month, billed annually
Checked
startbuddiPrice book, October 2026
Capsule CRMSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Capsule CRM first, because it does some things better than we do.

Capsule CRM logoCapsule CRM is stronger at

Larger free planCapsule's free plan covers 2 users and 250 contacts, against startbuddi's 1 seat and 100 contacts.
Native appsCapsule has iOS and Android apps that work offline and sync when you reconnect; startbuddi is web only.
Accounting connectionsCapsule connects to Xero and QuickBooks and shows invoice and overdue amounts next to the contact; startbuddi has no QuickBooks or Xero sync.
Larger contact limitspaid plans hold 30,000 to 120,000 contacts.

startbuddi is stronger at

Invoices, contracts and bookings built inyou send invoices, proposals and contracts and take bookings with deposits from the same workspace, without an accounting connection.
Customer conversations in one inboxWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook messages sit on the same client record as invoices and deals.
Client portalson paid plans clients sign in with an email link to follow projects, approve work, message you and pay invoices.
Marketing included on paid plansemail, WhatsApp and SMS campaigns come with the Starter plan and up, rather than as an add-on.
Paystack for African paymentsclients pay invoices by card, bank transfer or USSD through Paystack, or by card through Stripe.

Feature by feature

Each Capsule CRM value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

startbuddi and Capsule CRM, feature by feature
FeaturestartbuddiCapsule CRM
Free planFree: 1 seat, 250 contacts, 5 invoices a month Yes Yes, up to 2 usersSource (opens in a new tab)
Contacts on the free plan 100 250Source (opens in a new tab)
Sales pipelines Yes 1 on Free, several from GrowthSource (opens in a new tab)
Project boardsBoard, list and calendar views of tasks Yes YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Workflow automations Starter plan and up Growth plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Shared inboxWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram, Facebook Yes, with WhatsApp Shared mailbox from StarterSource (opens in a new tab)
Email campaignsPlus WhatsApp and SMS campaigns Starter plan and up Marketing add-onSource (opens in a new tab)
Invoices and paymentsA paid invoice marks the deal won Paystack, Stripe Through Xero or QuickBooksSource (opens in a new tab)
Contracts and proposalsSigned on startbuddi's own signing page Yes Not listedSource (opens in a new tab)
Bookings and client portalsBooking pages with deposits on every plan Yes (portals on paid plans) Not listedSource (opens in a new tab)
Mobile apps Web only IOS and AndroidSource (opens in a new tab)
IntegrationsNo QuickBooks or Xero sync Integrations catalogue 60+, plus ZapierSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Deals on the sales pipeline
startbuddi · Deals on the sales pipeline. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: Contacts with their full history
startbuddi · Contacts with their full history. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: One inbox for email, WhatsApp and chat
startbuddi · One inbox for email, WhatsApp and chat. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Capsule CRM's own screens are on Capsule CRM's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

  • FreeFree
  • Starter$29 a month
  • Growth$79 a month
  • Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 3 Oct 2026.

Capsule CRM logoCapsule CRM

Checked in September 2026. Check Capsule CRM's site for current plans.

Switching from Capsule CRM

What moving across involves.

  1. Get your contacts out of CapsuleCheck Capsule's support docs for how to export your contacts and opportunities to a CSV file, then open it in a spreadsheet to tidy the columns.
  2. Import your clients as contactsIn startbuddi, go to Customers → Contacts → Import, upload the CSV, map the columns and review before importing.
  3. Set up your pipelineRecreate your milestones as stages in Customers → Pipeline. Default stages are New Leads, Qualified, Proposal Sent, Negotiation, Won and Lost, and you can rename them.
  4. Rebuild projects and automationsCreate your projects in Work and your workflows in Automations. Capsule tracks and workflows don't transfer.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Capsule CRM's website.

Questions people ask

Does Capsule have a free plan?

Yes. Capsule's free plan allows 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and 1 sales pipeline. Paid plans have a 14-day trial with no card.

Can I send invoices from Capsule?

Capsule doesn't list its own invoicing; it connects to Xero and QuickBooks and shows invoice summaries next to your contacts. In startbuddi, invoices are part of Money Manager on every plan.

Does startbuddi connect to Xero or QuickBooks?

No. Money Manager covers invoices, expenses, cash flow and simple profit and loss, but it has no QuickBooks or Xero sync.

Does startbuddi have a mobile app?

Not a native one. It is a web app that works in a phone's browser, while Capsule has iOS and Android apps.

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Try startbuddi alongside Capsule CRM.

Start on the free plan with a copy of your contacts and see how it fits before you decide.

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Free plan available. Every paid plan starts with a 30-day trial.