6 Best Pipedrive Alternatives for Small Businesses
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
Bianca is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who specializes in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
This article is part of a larger series on CRM.
Pipedrive is one of the best choices for a small business CRM solution because of its affordability, sales-focused features, and 24/7 customer support. However, it lacks some popular features and capabilities, such as a free plan, advanced customization options, and predictive scoring. To find the best Pipedrive alternative, we analyzed several top providers and considered the critical factors to small businesses.
Here are the top six Pipedrive alternatives for small businesses:
- HubSpot: Best overall Pipedrive alternative with marketing capabilities
- Zoho CRM: Recommended for businesses that want a CRM solution with inventory management features
- Freshsales: Ideal for companies that want a Pipedrive alternative with an advanced built-in dialer
- Zendesk Sell: Top choice for teams that want a CRM optimized for mobility
- Insightly: Better for organizations that want a CRM with extensive project management features
- Salesforce: Ideal for businesses looking for a Pipedrive alternative that offers advanced CRM features like partner management
If you are looking for something more specific, here are more Pipedrive alternatives to consider:
- Are you looking for industry-specific customer relationship management (CRM) solutions? Know how to find a specialized CRM for your industry.
- Do you need CRM software with engagement tracking and social listening capabilities? Read our guide on the top social media CRM platforms.
- Check out our list of the top CRM solutions for small businesses.
HubSpot: Best Overall Free Pipedrive Alternative With Email Marketing
HubSpot
Overall Score: 4.87 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on a weighted evaluation of dozens of similar products and services conducted by our experts.
What We Like
- Free plan supports 1 million contacts and companies
- Has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- Includes lead generation tools, such as smart forms and chat
What's Missing
- Limited support options with the free tier
- Plan upgrades can become expensive
- No advanced project management and operational CRM features
How It Compares to Pipedrive
- HubSpot offers a free plan, while Pipedrive doesn’t
- Its paid plans are more expensive than Pipedrive
- Does not offer unlimited contacts, custom fields, and email templates
- 24/7 support is available in most expensive tier only
- Has broader customization and personalization options than Pipedrive
- Reporting capabilities and customization are more complex than Pipedrive
Pipedrive offers more affordable plans, unlimited contacts, and a more straightforward user experience than HubSpot. However, it does not offer a free option, customizable dashboards, and advanced personalizations that HubSpot does. Pipedrive’s chat and email marketing features are also available either as an add-on or in higher tiers. On the other hand, HubSpot offers these at no cost, along with ad management, landing pages, quotes, and a phone dialer.
HubSpot Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports an unlimited number of users
- HubSpot for Startups: Ranges from $40 to $89 per month
- Marketing Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Sales Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Service Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- CMS Hub: Ranges from $23 to $1,200 per month
- Operations Hub: Free for syncing HubSpot with third-party apps. Paid plans start at $45
- CRM Suite: Starts at $45 per month
- Free trial: 14 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
HubSpot Free Email Marketing Tools
HubSpot’s library of email templates (Source: HubSpot)
HubSpot allows you to personalize your email marketing strategy by giving you access to its library of email templates optimized for any device. Use its drag-and-drop editor to customize the layout, call to action, and images in your chosen template. In addition, you can modify the colors and content to align the email campaign with your brand.
You can also use HubSpot’s A/B testing and analytics function to ensure that your emails adequately engage your contacts. A/B tests reveal data like how and when your contacts interact with your emails, which subject lines get opened the most, and which calls to action yield better sales. You can use this information to optimize your email campaigns and personalize the nurturing paths to increase your conversion rates.
Zoho CRM: Best Pipedrive Alternative With Inventory Management
Zoho CRM
Overall Score: 4.39 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on a weighted evaluation of dozens of similar products and services conducted by our experts.
What We Like
- Customer support is available across multiple channels
- Has inventory management capabilities
- Extensive team collaboration through feeds, chat, groups, and product management features
What's Missing
- Does not offer advanced pipeline customization options
- Free plan is limited to three users
- Prediction, artificial intelligence (AI), and territory management tools are only available in top-tier plans
How It Compares to Pipedrive
- Zoho CRM has a free plan for up to three users
- More expensive lower-tier plans but cheaper enterprise-level plans
- Has tools for sales, marketing, support, and inventory management
- Artificial intelligence (AI) is available only in higher-cost plans
- Customer support is not 24/7 and costs extra
Pipedrive is easy to set up, learn, and use—plus, it is focused on sales. It also offers calendar sync, contact sync, email integration, and customizable reports across all its plans. On the other hand, Zoho CRM offers sales, marketing, support, and inventory management tools. The wider variety of tools take a few days to learn, but there are comprehensive tutorials and guides. Zoho CRM also offers a free plan that supports up to three users, which Pipedrive lacks.
Zoho CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports three users
- Bigin for Small Business: $7 per user, per month
- Standard: $14 per user, per month
- Professional: $23 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $40 per user, per month
- Ultimate: $52 per user, per month
- Zoho CRM Plus: $57 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 15 to 30 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Zoho CRM Inventory Management Modules
Creating an inventory template with Zoho CRM (Source: Zoho CRM)
Zoho CRM helps you manage your presales and post-sales accounting with inventory modules for Products, Price Books, Sales Quotes, Sales Orders, Invoices, Vendors, and Purchase Orders. These modules allow you to create and customize subforms, invoices, or sales orders whenever you close a deal. This feature is available with the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise plans.
Freshsales: Best Pipedrive Alternative With a Built-in Dialer
Freshsales
Overall Score: 4.12 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on a weighted evaluation of dozens of similar products and services conducted by our experts.
What We Like
- Built-in phone dialer is available across all plans
- Robust lead scoring and territory management features
- Highly customizable fields, pipelines, and workflows
What's Missing
- The forever free startup plan lacks account management functionality
- Offers limited third-party integrations
- Does not support unlimited contacts (up to 5,000 per month)
How It Compares to Pipedrive
- Offers a free plan that supports an unlimited number of users
- More expensive lower-tier plans
- Enterprise plans cost the same, but Customer-for-Life cloud is more expensive
- All plans offer built-in dialer with advanced tools like voicemail and conferencing
- More customization options
- Support is not 24/7, but free phone support is included across all plans
Pipedrive and Freshsales both offer built-in phone dialers. However, Pipedrive’s calling features are available only in higher-tier plans. Freshsales’ dialer is included in all of its plans and offers tools such as voicemail, conference calls, and the option to buy local and toll-free numbers. Other Freshsales features that Pipedrive does not offer include lead scoring, sales sequences, and free phone support across all plans.
Freshsales Pricing at a Glance*
- Free Forever: Supports an unlimited number of users
- Growth: $15 per user, per month
- Pro: $39 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $69 per user, per month
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Freshsales Built-in Phone Dialer Powered by Freshdesk Contact Center
Freshsales’ built-in phone dialer (Source: Freshsales)
Freshsales’ built-in phone, powered by Freshdesk Contact Center, allows you to make outbound calls in the app with no additional setup charges. It offers additional features, such as call masking, call routing, and virtual hold. In addition, it has a Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) function that lets you use numbers from an external carrier and still maintain the benefits of the CRM’s built-in dialer.
Zendesk Sell: Best Mobile Optimized Pipedrive Alternative
Zendesk Sell
Overall Score: 3.62 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on a weighted evaluation of dozens of similar products and services conducted by our experts.
What We Like
- Robust mobile apps
- Includes prebuilt reports
- Offers a variety of automation tools
What's Missing
- No free plan
- Lead generation tools cost extra
- Limited productivity features
How It Compares to Pipedrive
- Lower-tier plans are more expensive, but the enterprise plan costs the same
- Offers an Elite plan with deeper customization options than the enterprise plan
- Lead generation is included in higher-tier plans
- Customer support is available via self-serve portal with help desk, live chat, and community support options
Like Pipedrive, Zendesk Sell does not offer a free plan and is easy to learn and use. However, Pipedrive is a better fit for smaller teams because of its simplicity, while Zendesk Sell is better able to cater to mid-sized and larger businesses because of its expanded enterprise-level offerings. In addition, lead generation is included in Zendesk Sell’s higher-tier plans, but this feature is available in Pipedrive as an add-on.
Zendesk Sell Pricing at a Glance*
- Sell Team: $19 per user, per month
- Sell Professional: $49 per user, per month
- Sell Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
- Sell Elite: $199 per user, per month
- Reach (Lead generation add-on): Ranges from $27 to $81 per user, per month
- Free trial: 14 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Zendesk Sell Mobile CRM
Zendesk Sell’s mobile app allows you to manage leads, contacts, and deals wherever you are (Source: Zendesk Sell)
Zendesk Sell’s mobile app supports offline access and syncs with the web whenever there is an internet connection. Its geolocation feature helps you locate nearby prospects or customers, obtain directions to a meeting, and log client visits. You can also use the app to track in-person visits and verify if the lead or contact’s saved address matches their current location.
Insightly: Best Pipedrive Alternative for Project Management
Insightly
Overall Score: 3.51 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on a weighted evaluation of dozens of similar products and services conducted by our experts.
What We Like
- Milestone tracker
- Workflow automation
- Third-party integration with Google Workspace, Gmail, Xero, and QuickBooks
What's Missing
- Free plan is limited to two users
- Sharp learning curve
- Phone integration and advanced support entail additional cost
How It Compares to Pipedrive
- Offers a free plan that supports up to two users
- Starting price for paid plan is higher
- Has project management features
- Standard customer support includes email and knowledge base; no chat support
Pipedrive is a visual CRM platform that does not offer advanced contact information and project tracking outside sales. Insightly, however, gathers information about your contacts and gives you a clearer picture of how they are connected with your network. In addition, it allows you to track projects, assign specific tasks to certain team members, and set a due date for each opportunity.
Another difference between the two CRM solutions is the availability of support options. Pipedrive offers 24/7 chat and email support, while Insightly’s standard support includes email and a knowledge base. Furthermore, Insightly’s priority support, including an onboarding program, training, and workshops, is available at an additional cost.
Insightly Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Supports up to two users
- Plus: $29 per user, per month
- Professional: $49 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
- Free trial of paid plans: 14 days
- Customer Support and Service Plans: Ranges from $1,500 to $10,000 per year
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Insightly Project Management & Delivery
Insightly’s project activity panel (Source: Insightly)
Insightly’s built-in project management and delivery features allow for seamless conversion of won opportunities into projects without losing any data. It also lets you track milestones, organize tasks, and manage work processes independent of sales using pipelines, such as onboarding, event planning, hiring, and website management. You can also integrate Insightly with external systems like Trello and Slack to ensure on-time delivery.
Salesforce: Best Pipedrive Alternative for Partner Management
Salesforce
Overall Score: 3.18 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on a weighted evaluation of dozens of similar products and services conducted by our experts.
What We Like
- Gives users access to all contact records and sales opportunities
- Features the most robust integration with Outlook’s desktop client
- Provides extensive tutorials and setup guides
What's Missing
- Does not offer a free plan
- Sharp learning curve and complicated setup
- Advanced support is available only in higher tiers
How It Compares to Pipedrive
- Plans are more expensive but offers more robust features
- More complicated setup that usually takes weeks to master
- Has opportunity and account management features
- 24/7 support is available only with higher-tier plans; offers phone support
Pipedrive lags behind Salesforce in feature inclusions as it focuses mainly on sales, while the latter includes marketing and customer service features. With Salesforce, you have a wide selection of features, tools, customizations, and integrations essential to your business. However, Salesforce’s higher-level tiers are much more expensive, more challenging to learn, and have limited free support options.
Salesforce offers a scaled-down version of its suite of solutions, called Salesforce Essentials, that costs $25 per user, per month*. This is an out-of-the-box CRM solution made especially for small businesses with a sales team of 10 or fewer people. It focuses on helping you better connect with customers using its lead and opportunity tracking features.
Salesforce Pricing at a Glance*
- Sales Cloud: Ranges from $25 to $300 per user, per month
- Service Cloud: Ranges from $25 to $300 per user, per month
- Sales + Service: Ranges from $25 to $325 per user, per month
- Pardot Growth: $1,250 per month (up to 10,000 contacts)
- Free trial: 14 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
Salesforce Partner & Channel Management
Salesforce Essentials’ opportunity management tab (Source: Salesforce Essentials)
Salesforce’s Sales Cloud offers a Partner Relationship Management (PRM) software that lets you personalize your onboarding, recruitment, and sales processes. You can use it to co-develop marketing campaigns, customize partners’ access to information, develop incentive programs, and share insights from any source.
How We Evaluated the Best Pipedrive Alternatives for Small Businesses
The best Pipedrive alternative should have a simple interface that is easy to use. It should also offer a robust set of features, a mobile CRM, and excellent customer support.
We found that HubSpot is the best overall Pipedrive alternative because it offers the most significant value considering the combination of pricing, core CRM features, ease of use, and expert scores.
The tabs below offer more insight into our evaluation process for selecting the best business account management software:
40%
Pricing
20%
General Features
15%
Ease of Use
15%
Help & Support
10%
Expert Score
40% of Overall Score
The costs per user and any upfront costs, such as CRM customizations, onboarding, and maintenance fees, were considered. We also factored in the availability of a free plan and monthly billing option to determine the best value for your money.
20% of Overall Score
We evaluated the overall set of CRM features, including customizable pipelines, reporting, and analytics. The quality of its contact management capabilities was one of our main deciding factors. In addition, we looked at the availability of a mobile app and third-party integrations.
15% of Overall Score
The best Pipedrive alternatives should not require technical skills to understand and use, and should also have an intuitive interface. Each solution on this list was evaluated on how easy it is to set up and operate.
15% of Overall Score
Business owners looking for alternative CRM systems to Pipedrive prefer those that come with 24/7 customer service via phone, live chat, and email. We assessed each platform in this article to see the quality of help and support they offer to their users.
10% of Overall Score
We checked customer reviews on reputable sites to learn how satisfied their customers are. We also noted common issues that users had. Apart from online reviews, we weighed the features that stood out, their value for money, and their popularity to narrow down the best options.
*Percentages of overall score
