What Is Pipedrive?
- Pipedrive is a cloud-based CRM software company with headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia and New York, New York.
- It was founded in 2010 and has quickly become one of the most popular sales software systems.
- It offers a comprehensive set of sales and contact management features, such as customer management, lead routing, project tracking, automated workflows, revenue forecasting and more.
Pros
Pipedrive stands out for being a very intuitive CRM which makes it easy to set up and operate. While it offers a large number of features, its design lends itself to a feeling of simplicity, making it a popular choice amongst beginners. However, as businesses become more comfortable with using the platform, it offers a range of features that also make it a good choice for businesses that are looking for a CRM solution that can grow with them.
Cons
While Pipedrive is widely considered to be a good choice for beginners, be prepared for a learning curve. Also be aware that it’s not the most affordable CRM so it may not be the best choice for those on a tight budget. Unlike many of the other leading CRM solutions in the market, Pipedrive does not offer a free forever plan. Instead, it has a fairly short 14-day free trial and reasonably-priced plans starting at $14.90 per user per month, when billed annually or $21.90 per user per month when billed monthly.
On top of that, its entry-level plans have a pretty limited feature set. For example, it does not offer workflow automations, email sync, email tracking, use of its meeting scheduler or custom field options. For this reason, businesses that need more than a basic contact and lead management tool will likely find that they need to upgrade to the Advanced plan which costs $27.90 per user per month.
How Pipedrive Works
Pipedrive takes the sales process and automates many of the tasks a salesperson needs to do to properly guide a lead through the sales cycle. It utilizes artificial intelligence to take repetitive tasks off the plate of the salesperson. One feature that sales managers may appreciate is the personalized tips that give the sales team an edge in performance. Managers also like the open API that allows Pipedrive to connect to other software being utilized by the team. This customizes the system to suit your exact needs.
Featured Partners
1
monday sales CRM
Free; $9 per user per month for basic features
14 days
Yes
2
HubSpot
Free; $15 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
3
Pipedrive
$14 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
4
Salesforce
$25 per month per user for basic features
30 days
Yes
Pipedrive Features
As has been mentioned, Pipedrive thrives as a sales-focused CRM and the available features reflect this intention. Contacts can be created and tracked all the way through the sales pipeline, from first meeting to the closing of a sale and beyond. Each step in the process can be customized to meet the needs of individual teams, and automations help eliminate much of the tedious busywork that would otherwise occupy employees’ time.
Ease of Use
The platform is an intuitive sales program that doesn’t require a lot of training to master. It has a minimalistic layout that doesn’t burden users with too much data when getting an overall view of leads. Because the platform uses AI to help you through the process, there is less for the salesperson to fill out, so they can spend more time working with prospects and selling. Leads can be labeled cold, warm or hot so that the team can focus their time on leads that will yield results. Pipedrive utilizes a Kanban-style board to walk leads through the sales cycle in a drag-and-drop fashion.
Customization
While most CRMs offer some level of customization, Pipedrive allows you to tailor the platform to suit your needs. For example, users can customize data fields to suit their own unique needs, and set up automations that serve your business and customization rules. Keep in mind you’ll need a developer to fully utilize the API and webhooks customizations, as they can streamline the work the team does.
Chatbots
One of the key features is the customizable chatbot that companies can place on their website to capture new leads that automatically get placed in the sales funnel. This adds a critical way for companies to get warm and hot leads that don’t fall through the cracks while prospects surf the internet.
The setup process is very simple and easy to follow. However, Pipedrive does not do a great job of making it easy to locate. To help, go to leads (the top icon in the left-hand vertical menu) from your account dashboard. Find the “Leadbooster” section and select “Chatbot.” From there you will be prompted to build a new chatbot.
Workflows and Automations
Users can focus on leads in a way that best suits their process. Start with the Kanban-style lead board and track leads based on where they sit in the sales funnel. You can also take a look at the lead in a list that earmarks leads based on their likelihood of buying and notes the last activity date. This helps ensure that no leads fall through the cracks and are attended to in a timely fashion. As you select a lead to work on, you are given access to all communication and notes for that lead so that you know exactly what is going on and where the prospect stands.
That said, setting up workflows and automations is not very intuitive. It’s also worth noting that you cannot set up automations while using the free trial. Instead, you will need to purchase a plan in order to use automations.
Third-Party Integrations
Pipedrive is a fully functional CRM as is, but you can extend its functionality with third-party apps. Your CRM can integrate with more than 400 third-party applications, including Zapier, Zoom, Calendly and Leadfeeder.
What Sets Pipedrive Apart
Pipedrive is a sales solution designed by sales experts. This gives it an edge over its competitors when it comes to managing the sales cycle. Sales teams can utilize the Sales Assistant in the system that works to automate repetitive tasks. The system also works to keep the sales team on the same page by providing notifications to the team when settings are altered. When everyone is on the same page, anyone can step in and work a lead if necessary. This ensures that the sales cycle continues to progress even if someone is out sick or no longer with the company.
Pipedrive Pricing and Plans
| Essential | Advanced | Professional | Power | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Monthly Price per User (paid annually)
|
$14
|
$24
|
$49
|
$64
|
$99
|
|
Monthly Price per User (paid monthly)
|
$24
|
$39
|
$64
|
$79
|
$129
|
|
Free Trial Length
|
14 days
|
14 days
|
14 days
|
14 days
|
14 days
|
|
Contact Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Lead Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Opportunities Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Lead Scoring
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Customizable Workflows
|
30
|
100
|
300
|
500
|
Unlimited
|
|
Automations
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Team Collaboration
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Email Functionality
|
Simple, 1:1 emails without templates
|
Track open and click rates, schedule emails for later, and email groups
|
Track open and click rates, schedule emails for later, and email groups
|
Track open and click rates, schedule emails for later, and email groups
|
Track open and click rates, schedule emails for later, and email groups
|
|
eSignatures
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Google Drive and PDF Support
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Analytics and Reporting
|
15
|
30
|
150
|
Yes
|
Unlimited
|
|
Third-Party Integrations
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Security Alerts & Rules
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Customer Support
|
Online, chat
|
Online, chat
|
Online, chat
|
Online, chat, phone
|
Online, chat, phone
|
Pipedrive Essential
The Essential plan costs $14.90 per user, per month, if you pay annually. You’ll get core features you can expect of most CRMs, such as lead and contact management and mobile app access, so you can use Pipedrive wherever you are. A machine learning-powered sales assistant is available for all plans and studies your past data to suggest how you should react or respond to upcoming deals.
There’s no limit to how many customizable sales pipelines you create, but you are limited to 30 custom fields and 3,000 open deals. You’ll also be limited to 15 reports per user. Not all of the features work well together on this plan. For example, you may use custom fields for various data on a deal or a contact, but you won’t be able to run a report that includes custom field data.
Pipedrive Advanced
Upgrade to the Advanced plan for $24.90 per user, per month on an annual basis to get an increased limit on open deals, custom fields and reports. At this level, you get a lot more email functionality for sales teams. You’ll be able to fully sync your email so you can send and receive through Pipeline, for easy access to contacts and leads. There are email templates, bulk emailing and scheduling features available.
Workflow automation unlocks at the Advanced plan level, so you’ll be able to set up automatic tasks, such as a welcome email or a timed reminder email. It’s limited to 30 tasks per user, per month.
Pipedrive Professional
Pipedrive’s Professional plan costs $49.90 per user, per month, if paid annually. You’re still limited on some things, but your limit increases, similar to the Advanced plan. At this level you can have up to 100,000 open deals, 1,000 custom fields and each user can create up to 150 reports and 60 workflow automations. There’s also the option to use web-to-phone calling, so you can call contacts directly from Pipedrive and record calls, if needed.
You’ll get even more benefits at this level to help streamline sales processes and save time, such as automatic data enrichment. When you add a new contact to your CRM, Pipedrive will autofill contact cards with any info you don’t have from public sources. Pipedrive also allows for Google Drive integration at this level.
Pipedrive Enterprise
The highest-tier plan from Pipedrive is Enterprise, which costs $99 per user, per month (if billed annually). You must have at least 10 users to upgrade to this plan. Almost all limits are lifted at this point; only workflow automations are still limited, but you can set up 100 of them per user. You’ll have every feature Pipedrive offers, including security alerts and security rules, such as requiring users to log in to your CRM with two-factor authentication.
The Enterprise tier is the only one that receives phone support. Other plans get 24/7 email and live chat support. You’ll also get help with setting up Pipedrive for your business from an onboarding team.
Pipedrive Setup
The setup process is quick and easy. While it does not offer a free plan, it does offer a 14-day free trial. What’s nice is that it does not require a credit card to sign up for its free trial. To get started, simply select the plan you would like to test drive and click the free trial button. From there, follow the prompts to create your new account.
Customer Service and Support
Depending on the plan you subscribe to, you will receive a few options for support. There is a comprehensive online support platform that answers many of the common questions that people have. All plans also have chat support to answer more specific questions. The support team is available 24/7 to provide assistance when you need them. Those who subscribe to the Enterprise plan will also get telephone support.
Additional Features Worth Noting
For more lead generation, you can opt for Pipedrive’s LeadBooster add-on. It’s a suite of lead-gen tools, including a chatbot, web forms and a live chat option for your website. There’s also a prospector tool that lets you find outbound leads. It costs $32.50 per month if paid annually.
Another add-on from Pipedrive is a web visitors tool that enables you to see the origin of a visitor to your site, such as the organization the person is from, which is most helpful for B2B businesses. You’ll be able to see how they found your site and how long they browsed it so that you can gauge their interest. It costs $41 per month on an annual payment basis.
It is worth noting that this is not included with Pipedrive’s standard free trial. Instead, you will need to sign up for a free trial of this specific feature and input your credit card information, as well as install script into your website’s code.
Pipedrive Alternatives and How They Compare
| Pipedrive | monday.com | Salesforce | Bitrix24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Forbes Advisor Ratings
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Starting Price (per Month)
|
$14.90
|
$0
|
$25
|
$0
|
|
Number of Users
|
Price per user
|
Two seats
|
Price per user
|
Unlimited
|
|
Free Trial Length
|
14 days
|
Free forever plan
|
30 days
|
Free forever plan
|
|
Contact Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Lead Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Opportunities Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Lead Scoring
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Customizable Workflows
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Automations
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Team Collaboration
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Analytics and Reporting
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Third-Party Integrations
|
50 | 350 |
Over 7,000
|
Over 20
|
|
Customer Support
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Learn More
|
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|
Read Reviews
|
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|
Pipedrive vs. monday.com
Both Pipedrive and monday.com are sales CRMs that help small businesses track sales through the sales cycle. Pipedrive is a spreadsheet-style CRM, whereas monday.com is a column-based CRM. Both offer a drag-and-drop system of lead progression, making it easy for the user to walk through the sales cycle. The big difference between the two is the number of available integrations. Pipedrive allows just 50, whereas monday.com allows 350 integrations.
Pipedrive vs. Salesforce
Salesforce and Pipedrive are both comprehensive CRM solutions. However, Pipedrive allows users to access more features at the baseline Essential level than Salesforce. Some users find that Salesforce can also be complicated to use with features designed for bigger businesses. Pipedrive tends to be more intuitive in the interface with a lower learning curve.
Pipedrive vs. Bitrix24
Pipedrive and Bitrix24 are two good solutions for small sales teams looking to automate the sales cycle for leads. Both have a minimalistic design that takes the confusion away from using them. Pipedrive offers a better value for the money spent, giving users more for less in the lower-tiered plans. Pipedrive also offers more in the way of integrations, allowing businesses to customize its use more effectively.
Read more: Explore our guide to the Best Pipedrive Alternatives
Featured Partners
1
monday sales CRM
Free; $9 per user per month for basic features
14 days
Yes
2
HubSpot
Free; $15 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
3
Pipedrive
$14 per user per month (billed annually)
14 days
Yes
4
Salesforce
$25 per month per user for basic features
30 days
Yes
Is Pipedrive Right for Me?
As long as your business is hyper-focused on organizing and streamlining sales pipelines only, Pipedrive could be an affordable and simple solution. To extend the functionality, you’ll have to rely on a dev team and API access to create custom features or integrations with third-party apps for other teams, such as marketing and customer support.
Pipedrive Is Best For:
- Small businesses with small sales teams
- Sales teams seeking to automate the sales process
- Businesses looking for an affordable solution
Pipedrive Is Not Recommended For:
- Businesses that need a CRM outside of the sales team
- Businesses that are looking for a free solution
Our Expert Opinion
In our experience, Pipedrive is a quality solution for small business sales teams. We like how the sales cycles are laid out as a drag-and-drop Kanban board, moving leads along the cycle as progress is made. It helps estimate sales for the month and projects future sales based on the size of any prospective deal. This gives sales reps the information needed to hit sales goals every month. The team can create an email campaign for prospects in a few minutes with the integrated email marketing templates. This makes the tool very powerful in maximizing correspondence to designated prospects with a few simple clicks.
We quickly mastered navigating from prospect lists to individual contacts with a full history of communication. Compared to competitors, we found Pipedrive to be one of the easier platforms to use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Pipedrive best for?
Pipedrive is a CRM tool for sales teams to manage and track contacts, leads and deals. It’s considered an operational CRM, but there are other types of CRM apps that may be better for your business, depending on your needs.
What are the benefits of a CRM?
CRM benefits include the ability to segment customers, personalize outreach, centralize and organize lead, customer and partner data, forecast sales trends, scale internal and external communication, automate tasks and data entry and discover actionable trends in customer data. All of these benefits come together to help companies offer better lead and customer experiences, ultimately boosting lead conversion rates and customer lifetime values.
Is Pipedrive easy to use?
It is easy to get started with Pipedrive. The customizable sales pipelines are easy to read from your dashboard, and contact management is intuitive. It offers a visual layout that makes it easy for anyone to understand and use easily.
Does Pipedrive integrate with Outlook?
Pipedrive integrates with Outlook, and other email inboxes. You can create a two-way sync between your Outlook inbox and Pipedrive CRM, so your contacts, deals and emails are available in both apps.
Does CRM require a large IT investment?
No. There are plenty of cloud CRM solutions that information technology (IT) novices can employ. You don’t have to make a large investment in physical IT infrastructure or hire IT staff to manage your CRM. Many CRM solutions are available as software as a service (SaaS), which means that you only pay for what you use and can stop using it at any time.
