10 free CRM templates for Excel and Google Sheets in 2026

When picking a CRM or pipeline template, think about how you actually work. A template crammed with features you'll never use will just gather digital dust. What you need is a structure that fits your sales process, not one that forces you to change it.

The best templates provide clear guidance, from initial contact to closed deal. They offer built-in logic for tracking progress and identifying next steps, reducing the chance you'll stare at a blank sheet wondering what to do next.

How we picked these

Every template on this list comes from the OpenWorksheet library. This is our own catalogue of ready-made spreadsheets.

We selected these by how closely they match core CRM and pipeline functions. We favoured workbooks with multiple sheets and built-in charts over those with just a single blank grid.

All of them are unlocked .xlsx files that work in both Excel and Google Sheets. You can preview each one in full before you decide.

1. IC CRM Template

This CRM template is a single sheet designed to keep your potential sales opportunities organized. You'll find columns for company name, contact details, their position, website, and an important field for projected sale amounts. It's built to give you a clear view of your sales pipeline without any complicated calculations.

This is a great choice if you're a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or part of a small sales team that needs a straightforward way to track who you're talking to and how much each deal might be worth. The tradeoff is its simplicity; it doesn't offer advanced features like automated follow-up reminders.

2. Sales Customer Follow Up Schedule Template

This template offers a three-sheet system to manage your customer follow-ups. You get a main schedule sheet, a daily log for recording specific interactions with customers including their details and contact methods, and a setup sheet for customization. It uses COUNTA and COUNTIF functions to help you analyze your activity.

Choose this if you need to systematically log every customer interaction and track whether your follow-ups are working. It's ideal for managing different contact methods like phone calls and emails. The limitation here is that setting up the schedule sheet can take a bit of time initially.

3. Sales Pipeline Tracker

This Sales Pipeline Tracker uses three sheets to give you an automated overview of your sales opportunities. It includes a main sheet for recording deals with details like date, executive, region, and client address. Two other sheets link to a salesperson database and help organize leads by region using VLOOKUP, so you can see who's handling which accounts.

This template is best for sales managers who need to monitor their team's workload and regional performance. It helps track client details and deal progress automatically. Be aware that the VLOOKUP functions require precise data entry in the linked sheets to work correctly.

4. Customer List Template

This template provides two sheets for building a customer database. The main sheet lets you assign a unique ID to each customer and includes flexible fields for contact details, addresses, or any other key information. It's set up for VLOOKUP so you can easily pull customer data into other spreadsheets.

This is perfect for sales teams or small businesses that need a central place for all their client contact records. It reduces repetitive data entry. However, it doesn't include any fields for tracking purchase history or past interactions.

5. Sales Prospect Tracker

This Sales Prospect Tracker consists of two sheets designed to help you manage sales prospects from start to finish. You can record contact information, log communication history, and track deal value and the next steps for each prospect. It uses date-based records to keep your follow-ups organized.

This tracker suits individual sales reps or account managers who juggle many prospect conversations and need to prioritize their efforts. It gives you good pipeline visibility. The limitation is that it doesn't automatically calculate forecasting figures.

6. CRM Datasheet Excel Template

This is a more robust CRM system spread across five sheets. It includes a Sales Pipeline tracker, a Leads Tracker for status updates, and an Executive Dashboard that pulls in key metrics. You'll find advanced formulas for calculating deal values and conversion probabilities.

This template is ideal for sales teams that want to monitor leads through multiple stages and generate detailed performance reports. The Executive Dashboard is a significant plus for management. The downside is its complexity; it's definitely for intermediate users and may take time to fully set up.

7. Sales Lead Follow Up Planner

This Sales Lead Follow Up Planner uses four sheets to help you manage client interactions and plan next steps. It automatically generates client-wise reports by pulling data from your lead list using VLOOKUP, which saves a lot of manual work. It also includes error handling for incomplete data.

This planner is excellent for sales teams and business development professionals who need to keep track of many leads and ensure consistent follow-up. The automated reports are a real time-saver. However, the printable format might not be ideal if you prefer digital-only workflows.

8. Sales Client's Historical Deal Data Template

This template provides four interconnected sheets for managing historical sales deal data. You'll find a main deal data sheet with automatic counting and sum formulas, a client deal history log, a client information database, and a product catalog. It auto-generates deal IDs and uses VLOOKUP for data retrieval.

This is a powerful tool for anyone wanting to analyze past sales patterns and customer trends. It's great for managing client and product information alongside deal history. The main tradeoff is that it's quite data-intensive and requires consistent input for accurate analysis.

9. Sales Networking Contact List Template

This Sales Networking Contact List uses three sheets to help you build and maintain a database of your business contacts. It includes fields for contact name, company, job title, email, phone number, and a notes section for tracking interactions. You can also classify contacts by event type.

This template is perfect for sales professionals who do a lot of networking and need a centralized place to store contact details and relationship history. It makes follow-ups much easier. The limitation is that it doesn't include any fields for tracking deal values or sales pipeline stages.

10. Sales Team Performance, Pipeline & Tracker

This comprehensive workbook, spread across four sheets, combines sales pipeline tracking, activity logging, team performance metrics, and sales funnel visualization. It helps managers monitor lead progression, track team activity, and identify bottlenecks with charts and visual analytics.

This is the go-to option if you're a sales manager needing a complete overview of your team's pipeline and performance. The built-in charts offer excellent visual insights. The main drawback is its intermediate difficulty; it requires a solid understanding of sales processes to fully utilize.

What makes a good CRM template

A solid CRM template goes beyond just lists of names and numbers. Look for specific columns like "Contact Name," "Company," "Last Contacted Date," and "Next Follow-Up." Formulas are key too, think =SUMIFS for total deal values or =XLOOKUP to pull customer details quickly. Data validation helps prevent errors by restricting what can be entered into cells, ensuring consistency across your records. The structure should guide you through each stage of your sales process logically.

Common mistakes that break CRM spreadsheets

One common pitfall is inconsistent data entry. If "Apple" is entered one time and "apple" the next, your tracking and reporting will be broken. Another mistake is overloading a single sheet with too much information. This makes it hard to find what you need. Also, avoid deleting columns or rows that contain formulas or hidden data. This can corrupt the entire workbook.

Common questions

What's the difference between a CRM template and a pipeline template?

A CRM template focuses on managing all your customer information, their history, and interactions. A pipeline template specifically maps out the stages of your sales process and tracks deals as they move through those stages. Often, a good template combines both.

Can I customize these templates?

Yes, absolutely. Since these are unlocked .xlsx files, you can edit them freely. You can add or remove columns, change formulas, and adjust the formatting to fit your specific business needs and sales workflow.

Which template is best for beginners?

For beginners, we recommend templates with fewer sheets and straightforward layouts, like the "IC CRM Template" or "Customer List Template." These provide a solid foundation for managing contacts without overwhelming you with complex features initially.

Do I need special software to use these?

No. All these templates are .xlsx files, meaning they open and function perfectly in Microsoft Excel. They also work seamlessly with Google Sheets, so you can use them with whichever spreadsheet program you prefer.