Pipedrive CRM Review: Pros & Cons, Features, Pricing for 2023

Pipedrive is an easy-to-use, sales-centric CRM with robust pipeline management. Its graphical UI and low monthly costs will suit small businesses seeking an accessible and affordable CRM. However, companies looking for a 3-in-1 platform with sales, marketing and service features may need to consider something else. Our Pipedrive review will help you decide if it’s right for your team, and offer alternatives if you want a CRM with sales, marketing, and service tools.

Pipedrive may be rated as an above-average CRM, but it’s important to think beyond generalities, including situations where sales leaders should consider adopting the CRM and some instances where it may not be as useful. Continue reading to learn more about Pipedrive’s use cases, pricing, key features, usability, and customer support, including what people think of Pipedrive and its alternatives. For a breakdown of our scoring logic, see our evaluation below.

When to Use Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a straightforward CRM that’s easy to implement and use so reps don’t have to divert too much time away from fostering client relationships and generating revenue. Companies seeking a reliable core of sales tools with an emphasis on pipeline management will find it in Pipedrive, along with around-the-clock access to user support should things go awry at any time. It’s also appealing to businesses on a tight budget thanks to its low monthly costs.

Click below for a complete list of the reasons to consider Pipedrive:

• You Need to Implement a CRM Quickly: Pipedrive is ready to use almost immediately, as its simple sales features and preset elements yield a quick setup.
• Your Team Is New to CRM Software: A clean and simple UI plus a vast knowledge base will help ease reps who are new to Pipedrive (and CRM software in general).
• You’re a Small Business With a Limited Budget: Although it doesn’t offer a free-for-life version, Pipedrive’s entry-level plan includes a solid suite of sales functions from only $14.90 per user, per month — ideal for solopreneurs and startups.
• You Only Need Sales Features: Pipedrive’s core functionality is centered around the sales process. It’s absent of any key marketing or customer support features.
• You’re Seeking a Better Way to Organize Pipelines: Every Pipedrive plan comes with unlimited visual sales pipelines that are easy to build and track.
• You Don’t Have In-House Tech Support: With 24/7 access to live chat and email support standard with all plans, Pipedrive is a good choice for companies that don’t have a dedicated tech staff available to troubleshoot CRM issues.

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If you’re interested in learning more about what this CRM can do, check out Pipedrive’s full list of plans for information on pricing and features — which you can cross-reference against your sales goals and budget. You can also test drive the software risk-free for 14 days.

When Not to Use Pipedrive

The simplicity and ease of Pipedrive make it an excellent option for most small-to-medium businesses looking for something they can use almost immediately. However, enterprises will be left wanting due to Pipedrive’s basic reporting, low-level customization, and absence of advanced features such as AI-powered automation. Pipedrive is also not an ideal choice for cross-department collaboration with marketing teams, as it’s strictly a sales-focused CRM.

Here are the scenarios where Pipedrive might not be the right fit:

• You’re Looking for a CRM With Advanced Features: Pipedrive may be too lean for companies that need broader automation capabilities and stronger AI-powered tools.
• You Also Need Marketing Tools: Although Pipedrive’s upcoming Campaigns add-on will imbue it with key marketing features, the base platform is purely sales-centric.
• You Want a Highly-Customizable CRM: Large enterprises, in particular, may feel too limited by Pipedrive’s simplistic approach to customer management software.
• You’re a Data-Driven Company: Pipedrive can generate basic CRM reports but falls short when it comes to deeper analytics and more flexible reporting options.
• You’re a Solopreneur Wanting a Free, Scalable CRM: Pipedrive is one of the most affordable CRMs out there, but it doesn’t have a free-for-life version.

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Should Pipedrive not meet your criteria, check out our list of the best CRM software, which offers a detailed breakdown of the top CRM platforms according to use case and budget. You can also jump down to our list of the best Pipedrive alternatives.

Pipedrive Pricing

Pipedrive has five subscription tiers. The entry-level Essential plan costs $14.90 per user, per month for basic lead and deal management, limited customization, and all-hours access to live chat support. Upper-level plans add workflow rules, a built-in phone system, and security alerts. Every Pipedrive subscription comes with a 14-day risk-free trial and no seat limits. Here’s a breakdown of Pipedrive’s pricing structure:

	Essential	Advanced	Professional	Power	Enterprise
Annual Plan Monthly Rate	$14 per user, per month	$29 per user, per month	$49 per user, per month	$64 per user, per month	$99 per user, per month
Monthly Plan Monthly Rate	$24 per user, per month	$39 per user, per month	$64 per user, per month	$79 per user, per month	$129 per user, per month
Free Trial	14 days	14 days	14 days	14 days	14 days
Key Features	Lead & deal management, customizable pipelines, 24/7 live chat support	Workflow builder, email sync & tracking, meeting scheduler	In-app dialer, free Smart Docs add-on, unlimited visual dashboards	Phone support, free Projects add-on, custom onboarding	No feature limits or restrictions, security alerts & rules, free add-ons
Custom Fields	Up to 30	Up to 100	Up to 300	Up to 500	Unlimited
Reports	Up to 15 per user	Up to 30 per user	Up to 150 per user	Up to 250 per user	Unlimited
Workflow Rules	N/A	Up to 30	Up to 60	Up to 90	Up to 180

Users can enrich their Pipedrive plan with a handful of add-ons. These extras cost between $6.70 and $49 per company, per month depending on whether you opt for annual billing or a month-to-month plan. Pipedrive add-ons fortify the platform with lead management tools plus advanced document management for its lower-tier plans.

Pipedrive Add-Ons

Pipedrive Features

Pipedrive’s main purpose is to streamline the sales process through an uncluttered interface, with an emphasis on pipeline management. Of course, it also offers tools for contact management, basic sales automation, and activity tracking, to name a few. Head below for a list of the standout core CRM features found in Pipedrive.

Pipedrive Ease of Use

Pipedrive was developed by a group of former sales professionals who wanted a CRM that catered to the exact needs of the individuals who go out and sell every day. That mission has culminated in one of the most intuitive CRMs ever made, boasting a tidy UI that’s simple to navigate and access. Pipedrive is especially renowned for its visual kanban-style pipelines, which can be customized via drag-and-drop.

Since Pipedrive is a CRM made with busy salespeople in mind, implementation is a fairly swift process. Most people should be able to pick up the software without much formal training; however, Pipedrive does have a few channels anyone can turn to if they encounter an issue or need some guidance — an extensive knowledge base, an active user community, and the Pipedrive Academy, which includes courses and tutorials on various aspects of the CRM.

Pipedrive Customer Service

All Pipedrive plans include 24/7 access to live chat and email support. Enterprise and Power subscribers with account setting access are also eligible for phone support and optional custom onboarding. If you’d like to know more about the onboarding process, you can also visit the Pipedrive community to interact with other members. Overall, the CRM has a mixed reputation, but note that your mileage may vary depending on why you’re requesting help.

For technical matters, many users claim that Pipedrive staff are generally quick to reply to queries and offer comprehensive assistance across all support channels. However, when it comes to billing issues, several people have said that the quality of service they received was insufficient. Thus, it may help to do your due diligence by carefully reading the terms and conditions of your Pipedrive subscription and staying on top of any proposed billing changes.

What People Think of Pipedrive

What is the consensus on Pipedrive? We’ve browsed three of the top software review sites (Capterra, TrustRadius, G2) for ratings and comments to provide a more complete take on what users think of this popular sales-centric CRM.

4.5 / 5 stars	8 / 10 stars	4.2 / 5 stars
2,800+ total reviews	400+ total reviews	1,600+ total reviews

Pipedrive has accumulated a solid score from thousands of reviews from certified sites, but it helps to know the stories behind these ratings. We’ve combed through large swaths of reviews to reveal the most common reasons why sales professionals like Pipedrive — plus reasons why they may prefer alternative CRM software.

What People Like About Pipedrive

Ease of use is a major selling point for Pipedrive — and a bulk of its positive reviews reflects this. Fans of Pipedrive appreciate how simple it is to set up and navigate; its tidy and intuitive graphic interface has enabled many sales professionals to better manage and track their pipelines stage-by-stage. And while it may be a lightweight platform in terms of native features, users say Pipedrive’s vast library of third-party app integrations more than makes up for that.

What People Wish Pipedrive Did Better

Pipedrive’s quality of customer support is inconsistent, per a selection of accounts. While plenty of users have sung its praises for being timely and thorough, several disgruntled customers reported that their poor experience with Pipedrive support tainted an otherwise positive experience with the software itself. From a functionality standpoint, criticism for Pipedrive largely centers around its lack of flexibility in reporting, customization, and automation.

Alternatives to Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a fantastic option for small-to-medium companies that want a reasonably-priced CRM their sales team can use right out of the box. On the other hand, Pipedrive won’t appeal to larger organizations that are willing to pay a premium for complex sales and marketing features, richer reporting capabilities, and a vast array of customizable elements. Below are five CRMs we believe are the best Pipedrive alternatives:

FreshsalesZoho CRMHubSpot CRMSalesforceInsightly

Freshsales is our winning CRM with a focus on AI automation. Freddy AI forecasts revenue, scores leads, interacts with prospects, and much more. Freshsales is priced similarly to Pipedrive; however, Freshsales is a better choice for teams wanting deeper AI-powered tools, a robust built-in phone system, and a malleable platform that can be tailored to suit any industry. Freshsales’ free plan supports three free users; paid plans go up to $69 per user, per month.

Read our comprehensive Freshsales review to learn more about this CRM and decide whether this platform is the right option for your business.

Take a look at our list of the best Pipedrive alternatives for even more details regarding the costs, usability, and features of Pipedrive’s main competitors.

How We Evaluated Pipedrive

To accurately assess Pipedrive, we identified six main categories essential to businesses looking for a sales-centric CRM with affordable paid tiers, robust core features, and an intuitive user interface. For each category, we determined key weighted subcriteria and assigned an overall score out of five to know how Pipedrive performed across the six major categories.

Evaluation Criteria

We put most weight on Pipedrive’s pricing and core features, since these factors are important for businesses or sales teams looking for a strong yet cost-effective sales platform. We then proceeded to assess its ease of use and customer support, which users needing intuitive software are likely to consider. Lastly, we looked into its customization and advanced features.

Cost: 25%

Core Features: 25%

Ease of Use: 20%

Customer Support: 10%

Customization: 10%

Advanced Features: 10%

Cost Overview

We checked the CRM’s cost for its basic and enterprise plans for both annual and monthly pricing, free trial duration, add-ons, and free version (if available).

Criteria Winner: N/A

Core Features Overview

We looked into Pipedrive’s core CRM features, including contact management, sales pipelines, automation, and deal rotting.

Criteria Winner: N/A

Ease of Use Overview

Here, we combed through real user reviews from certified sites to know how the software fared in terms of ease of use and setup, as well as the depth of its knowledge base.

Criteria Winner: N/A

Customer Support Overview

We considered the quality of customer service offered by Pipedrive via live chat, phone, email, and onboarding. We also evaluated user ratings and feedback on certified review sites.

Criteria Winner: N/A

Customization Overview

This includes the platform’s capacity to customize features such as sales pipelines, deal stages and milestones, views, reports, and more. Plus, we looked into how well the software syncs with third-party applications.

Criteria Winner: N/A

Advanced Features Overview

We evaluated Pipedrive’s advanced feature offerings, such as lead scoring and routing, forecasting management, live chat, and advanced tools for project management, lead generation, and drip campaigns.

Criteria Winner: N/A

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is Pipedrive CRM & What Are Its Key Features?

Pipedrive is a cloud-based CRM platform popular for its intuitive user interface and suite of robust sales tools for reps, teams, and businesses. Its key features include visual sales pipelines, contact management features, and a user-friendly platform that’s easy to set up and implement. Pipedrive also provides a la carte add-ons for document management, project management, lead generation, and email marketing campaigns.

Is Pipedrive CRM Suitable for Small Businesses, or Is It Better Suited for Larger Enterprises?

Pipedrive is suitable for both small businesses and larger enterprises, thanks to its scalable features and customizable platform. However, small businesses might find Pipedrive more beneficial, especially for its easy-to-use platform and affordable pricing. Large enterprises that rely on more complex automation might find Pipedrive lacking, since its AI sales assistant might not be considered as robust as other CRMs’ such as Einstein GPT, Zia AI, and Freddy AI.

Are There Any Limitations to Using Pipedrive That Users Should Be Aware Of?

Pipedrive is famous for its sales-focused and visual interface, but it also lacks in different aspects. First, Pipedrive doesn’t have built-in marketing tools that businesses might need, and users need to purchase higher tiers or add-ons to launch campaigns. Pipedrive’s reporting is also not its strongest suit, so data-driven companies might consider looking into alternatives. Lastly, it has limited AI capabilities needed to create more complex workflow automations.

Bottom Line: Pipedrive Review

Over 100,000 people around the globe rely on Pipedrive to manage their deals and leads. Upon reading this review, you may either decide to add to that number or seek another option. No matter which action you choose, remember to do your due diligence first. To fully understand this CRM, read in-depth Pipedrive reviews (like this one), test the software for yourself via a free trial or demo, or see our list of the top CRMs for salespeople to learn more about other available options.

This article was written by Alison Barretta and updated by Kezia Jungco.