Coach RecapA CRM is built around deals: a lead comes in, moves through stages, closes, and the record is mostly done. A coaching practice is the opposite shape. The ICF 2025 Global Coaching Study puts the median active client count at 12, each relationship runs for months, and the record is busiest after the sale, not before it. That is why "best CRM for coaches" lists that rank HubSpot, Pipedrive and Zoho miss the point for most coaches, and why lists that only rank coaching tools miss it for the rest.
This list has both, sorted into three shapes. We make Coach Recap, so it is on the list and we say so each time it comes up. Every price is quoted at 12 clients from the vendor's own pricing page, checked in November 2026; tell us if one has moved.
First: pipeline or client record?
Answer two questions and most of the list falls away.
- Do you have more leads than clients, or more clients than leads? More leads means you need stages and follow-up; more clients means you need notes, sessions remaining and action items
- Does a sale take one step (a client books and pays from your page) or several (a proposal, a call, procurement, a contract)? One step wants a checkout; several want a pipeline
More clients than leads and one-step sales: pick a coaching platform. More leads than clients and multi-step sales: pick a sales CRM for the pipeline and a coaching platform for delivery. Paperwork-heavy one-step sales (proposals, contracts, invoices, payment plans): a client-business CRM like HoneyBook or Dubsado.
The eight tools at a glance
| Tool | Shape | Best for | At 12 clients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach Recap | Coaching platform | One-to-one coaches who want the client record, scheduling and payments in one simple tool | $29/mo |
| Paperbell | Coaching platform | Coaches who sell packages from a sales page and want the contract and payment collected at checkout | $97/mo |
| Satori | Coaching platform | Coaches who send proposals for structured engagements and want a client portal behind them | $49/mo |
| Delenta | Coaching platform | Coaches who want lead capture, a landing page and delivery in one subscription | $49/mo |
| CoachAccountable | Coaching platform | Coaches whose relationship with a client is measured in actions, metrics and worksheets | $120/mo |
| HoneyBook | Client-business CRM | Coaches who run a service business: proposals, contracts, invoices and payment plans, with a lead pipeline in front | $49/mo |
| Dubsado | Client-business CRM | Coaches who want fully customised forms, proposals and automated client workflows and are willing to build them | $55/mo |
| HubSpot | Sales CRM | Coaches with a real sales pipeline: corporate contracts, workshops, multi-stage deals, or hundreds of leads | $0/mo |
Monthly prices as listed in November 2026, at the tier a coach with 12 active clients and a booking page would be on. HoneyBook is billed yearly at that price; Coach Recap is billed in euros or US dollars at the same number.
1. Coach Recap
Shape: coaching platform. Best for: one-to-one coaches who want the client record, scheduling and payments in one simple tool.
The client record: A profile per client with every session, note, goal, action item, form response, contract, payment and message in one place, with full-text search across all of it.
The pipeline: None. New clients come in through the booking page and an intake form; there is no lead stage, deal value or follow-up sequence.
Also included: Booking page with Google Calendar and Outlook sync, reminders, intake and check-in forms, contracts, session packs and subscriptions through Stripe, in-app chat, native iOS and Android apps.
Pricing: Free for 3 active clients, $29/month for 20, $79/month unlimited; every feature on every plan. Free plan: yes: 3 active clients, every feature, no time limit. Pricing page.
Our verdict: The cheapest tool here at any size and the only one with a permanent free plan that includes everything. If you have more clients than leads, it is the right shape. If you have more leads than clients, keep reading. We make it, so check the pricing yourself rather than take our word.
2. Paperbell
Shape: coaching platform. Best for: coaches who sell packages from a sales page and want the contract and payment collected at checkout.
The client record: A client page with purchases, appointments, package progress, surveys and contract, built around what the client bought.
The pipeline: None in the traditional sense; the sales page and checkout do the selling. No lead stages or follow-up automation.
Also included: Hosted sales pages, instalment plans, coupons, deposits, PayPal, SMS reminders, group packages, dripped content.
Pricing: $97/month or $970/year, one plan, unlimited clients. Free plan: no. 7-day trial, 30-day money-back guarantee. Reviews: 4.7 on Capterra (152 reviews), 4.7 on G2 (63). Pricing page · Coach Recap vs Paperbell.
Our verdict: A CRM for coaches whose clients buy without a sales call. The flat $97 is steep with three clients and a bargain with thirty.
3. Satori
Shape: coaching platform. Best for: coaches who send proposals for structured engagements and want a client portal behind them.
The client record: Client records tied to engagements and programs, with scheduling, session history, resources and reviews.
The pipeline: Engagement proposals that a prospect accepts and pays, which is the closest thing on the coaching side to a deal stage.
Also included: Program builder, client portal, resource library, group sessions on Pro, concierge onboarding on Leader, and a support team coaches praise.
Pricing: Essentials $33/month for 10 active clients and 60 session bookings, Pro $49 for 50 clients, Leader $124 for 150; two months free on annual. Free plan: no. 15-day trial, no credit card; a free Scholar plan for coaches in training with pro-bono clients. Pricing page.
Our verdict: If your sales motion is a proposal rather than a sales page, Satori fits better than Paperbell. Watch the caps: 10 clients and 60 bookings on Essentials.
4. Delenta
Shape: coaching platform. Best for: coaches who want lead capture, a landing page and delivery in one subscription.
The client record: Client portals with sessions, notes, resources, courses and payments.
The pipeline: A landing page and lead forms on every plan, with leads tracked before they become clients. The most CRM-like of the coaching tools.
Also included: Group video, a course creator, PayPal, invoicing, HIPAA on Teams.
Pricing: $29/month for 10 client portals, $49 for 40, $79 unlimited; Teams on request. Free plan: no. 14-day trial, no credit card. Pricing page · Coach Recap vs Delenta.
Our verdict: The coaching tool to pick if you want to capture and nurture leads without bolting on a second product. Per-portal pricing means 12 clients lands you on the $49 tier.
5. CoachAccountable
Shape: coaching platform. Best for: coaches whose relationship with a client is measured in actions, metrics and worksheets.
The client record: The deepest client record on this list: actions, metrics, worksheets, courses, agreements, notes shared or private, and a timeline of all of it.
The pipeline: None. CoachAccountable starts after the client has signed.
Also included: Zapier, an API, agreements with real signatures, groups, unlimited coach and admin seats.
Pricing: By active clients: $20 for 2, $40 for 5, $70 for 10, $120 for 20, $250 for 50. Free plan: no. 30-day trial, no credit card. Reviews: 4.8 on Trustpilot (47 reviews, as reported in October 2026). Pricing page · Coach Recap vs CoachAccountable.
Our verdict: A client record, not a CRM. Pair it with a free HubSpot if you need lead tracking. At 12 clients you are on the $120 tier, so price your roster first.
6. HoneyBook
Shape: client-business crm. Best for: coaches who run a service business: proposals, contracts, invoices and payment plans, with a lead pipeline in front.
The client record: A project per client with files, emails, payments and tasks. Generic by design; there is no session, goal or action-item concept.
The pipeline: A customizable pipeline with stages, lead forms, automations that move projects along, and AI follow-up suggestions.
Also included: Proposals that book, sign and collect in one file; payment plans, autopay and late fees; a scheduler from the Essentials tier; a mobile app; 60-day money-back guarantee.
Pricing: Starter $29/month, Essentials $49, Premium $109, all billed yearly and more on monthly; unlimited clients on every plan; the scheduler with unlimited session types starts at Essentials. Free plan: no. Free trial, 60-day money-back guarantee. Reviews: 4.5 on Capterra (158 reviews), 4.8 on G2 (598), as shown on its pricing page. Pricing page.
Our verdict: Excellent paperwork, no coaching. The Starter tier only allows one session type in the scheduler, so a coach with packages needs Essentials at $49. Card fees start at 2.9% plus 25 cents.
7. Dubsado
Shape: client-business crm. Best for: coaches who want fully customised forms, proposals and automated client workflows and are willing to build them.
The client record: A project per client with forms, invoices, emails and a client portal. Like HoneyBook, nothing coaching-specific.
The pipeline: Lead capture forms (one on Starter, unlimited on Premier) feeding a project pipeline, with automated workflows on Premier only.
Also included: Unlimited clients on both tiers, payment plans, templates for everything, a mobile app, extra brands at $10 each.
Pricing: Starter $35/month or $335/year, Premier $55/month or $525/year; unlimited clients on both; scheduling and automated workflows only on Premier. Free plan: no. Free trial, no credit card. Pricing page.
Our verdict: More flexible than HoneyBook and more work to set up. Scheduling and automations are Premier-only, so a coach pays $55 a month, not $35.
8. HubSpot
Shape: sales crm. Best for: coaches with a real sales pipeline: corporate contracts, workshops, multi-stage deals, or hundreds of leads.
The client record: Contacts, companies and deals with activity history. A client is a contact with a closed deal; sessions and notes have no home unless you build custom properties.
The pipeline: The best on this list: deal stages, tasks, email tracking, meeting links, sequences on paid tiers, and reporting.
Also included: Free for two users with no credit card, email and calendar integration, a mobile app, and a path to marketing automation if you ever need it.
Pricing: Free CRM for up to 2 users; Starter from around $20 per seat per month (a 65% discount was showing in November 2026), Professional $90 per seat. Free plan: yes, up to 2 users, no credit card; HubSpot branding on free tools. Pricing page.
Our verdict: If you sell executive or corporate coaching through proposals and procurement, a free HubSpot for the pipeline plus a coaching tool for delivery beats any single product. For a practice of 12 private clients it is a filing cabinet with a sales department attached.
The combination most coaches end up with
Coaches who sell to organisations usually settle on two tools: a free HubSpot for the handful of deals in flight, and a coaching platform for everything after the signature. The pipeline rarely has more than ten deals in it, so the free tier is enough for years. Coaches who sell to individuals from a website usually need one tool, and the choice is between the checkout-first shape (Paperbell, Satori) and the record-first shape (Coach Recap, CoachAccountable).
Whichever shape you pick, run one real client through the trial: intake form, first session, the notes, the next booking, the payment. The tool that makes the second session easier than the first is the one. Our intake form guide has the questions to put in that first form, and client management in Coach Recap shows what a record-first tool looks like with a client in it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CRM for coaches?
It depends on whether you need a sales pipeline or a client record. For a coach with a dozen long-term clients and few leads, a coaching tool like Coach Recap, Paperbell or Satori is the better CRM because it is built around sessions, notes and packages. For a coach who sells through proposals to companies or handles hundreds of leads, a general CRM such as HubSpot (free) for the pipeline plus a coaching tool for delivery works best. HoneyBook and Dubsado sit in between: strong on proposals, contracts and invoices, with nothing coaching-specific.
Is there a free CRM for coaches?
HubSpot's free CRM covers contacts, deals and tasks for up to two users with no time limit. Coach Recap is free for three active clients with every feature, including the client record, scheduling and payments. Practice Better has a free plan for three clients aimed at wellness practitioners. HoneyBook, Dubsado, Paperbell, Satori and Delenta offer trials only.
Do coaches need a CRM at all?
Most solo coaches do not need a sales CRM. The ICF 2025 Global Coaching Study puts the median active client count at 12, and a practice that size has a client-record problem (what did we agree last time, who owes a follow-up, how many sessions are left) rather than a pipeline problem. You need a CRM in the traditional sense when you have more leads than clients, sell multi-stage deals to organisations, or run a team that shares prospects.
Can I use HubSpot as a coaching CRM?
Yes, for the pipeline. HubSpot's free tier tracks leads, deals, emails and meetings well. It has no concept of a session, a goal or sessions remaining on a package, so coaches who try to run delivery in it end up with notes in a text field and session counts in a spreadsheet. Use it for sales and a coaching tool for the client record.
HoneyBook or Dubsado for a coach?
HoneyBook is faster to set up and includes a scheduler from its Essentials tier ($49 a month billed yearly); Dubsado is more customisable but puts scheduling and automated workflows on its Premier tier ($55 a month). Neither has session notes, goals or package tracking, so both work best for coaches whose admin is mostly proposals, contracts and invoices.
How much does a CRM for coaches cost?
At 12 clients: HubSpot free, Coach Recap $29, Satori and Delenta $49, HoneyBook $49 (Essentials, billed yearly), Dubsado $55 (Premier), Paperbell $97 and CoachAccountable $120 a month, as listed on each vendor's pricing page in November 2026.