Our Verdict
A sales-focused visual CRM designed for small and midsize businesses, with an intuitive pipeline interface, built-in automation, and AI-powered sales assistance.
Rating Breakdown
Why Trust This Review
Our team has spent 40+ hours hands-on testing Pipedrive across real-world scenarios. We follow a rigorous methodology with weighted scoring criteria. Our reviews are editorially independent and never influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- Best-in-class visual pipeline that makes deal tracking intuitive and efficient
- Built by salespeople for salespeople — every feature serves the sales workflow
- Competitive pricing starting at $14/user/month — great value for SMBs
- Quick setup with minimal learning curve — teams can be productive within hours
Cons
- Limited marketing and service capabilities — primarily a sales-only tool
- LeadBooster and other essential add-ons cost extra on lower-tier plans
- Reporting is basic on Lite and Growth plans — custom reports require Premium tier
Full Review
Overview
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM platform founded in 2010 in Tallinn, Estonia, now headquartered in New York with offices globally. Built by salespeople for salespeople, Pipedrive is designed around the visual sales pipeline concept, making it one of the most intuitive CRMs on the market. With over 100,000 companies in 179 countries using the platform, Pipedrive has established itself as a leading CRM for SMBs that prioritize sales activity management.
Key Strengths
- Visual Pipeline Management: Pipedrive's signature drag-and-drop pipeline view makes it effortless to see where every deal stands and move them through stages.
- Sales-First Design: Every feature is built with salespeople in mind, from activity-based selling methodology to smart contact data enrichment.
- AI Sales Assistant: Built-in AI provides performance tips, deal insights, and recommendations to help reps close more deals.
- Customizable Automations: Up to 150 automations on Premium plan for automating follow-ups, deal routing, activity creation, and more.
- Strong Integrations: 400+ marketplace integrations plus native email sync, Google/Microsoft calendar sync, and API access.
Pricing Analysis
Pipedrive recently restructured its plans in 2025. The Lite plan starts at $14/user/month (annual), offering core pipeline management. Growth at $24-39/user/month adds email sync and 50 automations. Premium at $49/user/month includes LeadBooster, Projects, revenue forecasting, and 150 automations. Ultimate at $74.90/user/month unlocks unlimited features and enhanced security. Add-ons like LeadBooster ($32.50/company/month) and Campaigns are available separately on lower tiers.
Who Is It Best For?
Pipedrive is perfect for small to midsize sales teams (5-100 reps) that want a CRM focused on closing deals rather than a complex all-in-one platform. It excels for B2B sales teams, agencies, and startups that prioritize pipeline visibility and sales activity tracking.
The Bottom Line
Pipedrive is the best CRM for teams that want pipeline management done right without the complexity of enterprise platforms. Its visual approach, sales-focused design, and competitive pricing make it a top choice for SMBs. The tradeoff is limited marketing and service capabilities compared to all-in-one platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce.
Alternatives to Pipedrive
Frequently Asked Questions
Pipedrive is one of the best CRM options for small businesses. Its visual pipeline, intuitive interface, and affordable starting price of $14/user/month make it accessible for teams of all sizes. Over 100,000 companies in 179 countries use Pipedrive, with many being small to midsize businesses. The Growth plan at $24/user/month is the sweet spot for most small sales teams.
Pipedrive focuses purely on sales pipeline management and does it exceptionally well, while HubSpot offers an all-in-one platform spanning sales, marketing, and service. Pipedrive is more affordable for paid features (starting at $14/user/mo vs HubSpot's $9/seat/mo but with a big jump to $90 for automation). However, HubSpot offers a better free tier and more marketing capabilities.
In 2025, Pipedrive restructured its plans from Essential/Advanced/Professional/Power/Enterprise to Lite/Growth/Premium/Ultimate. The new plans generally offer more features at similar or lower prices. For example, the new Premium plan includes LeadBooster and Projects at no extra cost, which were previously paid add-ons. Existing customers can switch to the new plans for immediate savings.
Written by
Sarah has spent 10+ years in marketing technology, working with companies from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. She specializes in evaluating automation platforms, CRM integrations, and lead generation tools. Her reviews focus on real-world business impact and ROI.
Co-written by
Marcus has spent over a decade in SaaS integration and business automation. He specializes in evaluating API architectures, workflow automation tools, and sales funnel platforms. His reviews focus on implementation details, technical depth, and real-world integration scenarios.
Final Verdict
Pipedrive scores 8.4/10
With a score of 8.4 out of 10, Pipedrive is a strong performer that delivers great value. It's particularly well-suited for those looking for small to midsize b2b sales teams wanting an intuitive, pipeline-focused crm.