Pipedrive Review: The CRM Built for Salespeople
Pipedrive was founded in 2010 by salespeople who were frustrated with clunky, overcomplicated CRMs. Their mission was simple: build a CRM that salespeople actually want to use.
With over 100,000 companies using Pipedrive worldwide, they've clearly struck a chord. But is it the right CRM for your sales team? We spent 30 days testing Pipedrive to find out.
The Verdict: Pipedrive
Pipedrive excels at visual pipeline management and sales automation. It's straightforward to use but lacks the marketing depth of competitors like HubSpot.
Pros
- Intuitive visual pipeline
- Excellent mobile app
- Strong automation features
Cons
- Limited marketing features
- Reporting could be more robust
- Email integration on higher tiers only
Why Pipedrive Stands Out
Pipedrive's core philosophy is activity-based selling. Instead of obsessing over outcomes you can't control, it focuses on the actions that lead to sales: calls made, emails sent, meetings scheduled. This approach is baked into every feature.
Key Features
- Visual Sales Pipeline: Drag-and-drop deals through stages. See your entire pipeline at a glance with customizable columns.
- Activity Management: Schedule calls, emails, and meetings. Pipedrive reminds you what to do next.
- Email Integration: Sync with Gmail or Outlook. Track opens and clicks.
- Workflow Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like deal assignments, follow-up reminders, and status updates.
- AI Sales Assistant: Get suggestions on which deals to focus on and when to reach out.
- Revenue Forecasting: Predict monthly and quarterly revenue based on pipeline data.
- Mobile App: One of the best CRM mobile apps we've tested—full functionality on the go.
Pricing Tiers
- Essential ($14/user/month): Basic pipeline, lead and deal management, 3,000 open deals.
- Advanced ($34/user/month): Full email sync, automation, custom fields, 10,000 open deals.
- Professional ($49/user/month): Advanced reporting, multiple pipelines, teams, 100,000 open deals.
- Power ($64/user/month): Phone support, project planning, scalable permissions.
- Enterprise ($99/user/month): Unlimited everything, dedicated success manager, security alerts.
Pipedrive vs Salesforce
| Feature | Pipedrive | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $14/user/mo | $25/user/mo |
| Setup Time | Hours | Weeks/Months |
| Customization | Moderate | Extensive |
| Learning Curve | Low | Steep |
| Best For | SMBs | Enterprise |
| Mobile App | Excellent | Good |
Who Should Use Pipedrive?
- Small to Mid-sized Sales Teams: 5-100 salespeople who need simplicity.
- B2B Companies: Businesses with clear sales stages and longer sales cycles.
- Sales-Driven Organizations: Companies where sales is the primary growth engine.
- Teams Moving from Spreadsheets: A natural upgrade from Excel-based tracking.
Limitations
- Marketing Features: Limited compared to HubSpot. No landing pages or content management.
- Customer Support Tools: No built-in ticketing or help desk.
- Advanced Reporting: Dashboards are good but not as deep as enterprise CRMs.
- Free Tier: Only a 14-day trial, no ongoing free plan.
Final Verdict
Pipedrive does one thing exceptionally well: helping sales teams close deals. If your priority is a clean, intuitive CRM that your team will actually use, Pipedrive delivers.
It's not trying to be an all-in-one marketing and sales platform. That focus is both its strength and limitation. For pure sales pipeline management, it's among the best.
Our recommendation: Ideal for SMBs and sales-focused teams who want simplicity without sacrificing power. If you need robust marketing features, look at HubSpot instead.