Newbie looking for CRM options for small biz

I just joined a small 10 person business that makes digital experiences and exhibits. I've never explicitly done sales before but I'm going to be jumping into it with this position. The firm already has an excel sheet of contacts and vendors, but I'd like to make it more organized with a CRM. I've done some research but so much of the info out there is either hidden marketing for a specific CRM or overly complicated. I also often see people suggest HubSpot but then others say not to use it because of potential fees in the future. And there seems to be a million small CRMs. So I'd like a few suggestions for good options.

1. 1-2 people in the firm doing sales
2. Currently about 400-500 contacts.
3. Grow list through trade shows, word of mouth and cold calling
4. Looking to track contacts, get reminders to reach out and keep in touch
5. Don't know what else CRM can be used for. We currently use Trello for project management and have a mailchimp subscription but might drop it (email blasts aren't useful for this biz). Also use Google Workspace.
6. Looking for software that is not bloated and complicated. Want it to be simple and straightforward.
7. Would be great if it was free. Potential contact list isn't massive. It's more about staying in touch and tracking contacts.
8. There's probably a lot that I don't know. What do I need to know about CRMs?

Thanks!