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With the recent announcement that Pipedrive is now officially a unicorn startup (as they are valued at more than $1 billion), we thought it was a good time to review the software with a fine tooth comb.
Since its conception in Estonia in 2010, Pipedrive CRM has been growing exponentially. It now operates in 8 different countries and is used by over 90,000 companies worldwide.
With the tag line: ‘Designed to keep you selling’, the product sounds pretty appealing to CEOs and sales agents. But how well does the Pipedrive CRM software actually perform and is it right for your business?
In this Pipedrive CRM review we’re going to look at everything from getting set up to the customer support available, so you can take the decision to sign up (or not) with all the information in mind.
Pipedrive CRM Summary
Pipedrive CRM screenshots
Pipedrive CRM Pricing
Pros and Cons
Easy to Use:
The software is well designed and easy to navigate – even for complete beginners!
Affordable:
Prices start from $15/month/user and go up incrementally, making it an affordable service for small businesses.
Pipeline Management:
You’re given unlimited pipelines and properties to help with the organization of your sales process.
Support:
Pipedrive CRM provides support via chat and email around the clock on all plans.
2-Way Syncing:
Syncing with your email client (e.g. Gmail) is reserved for higher plans. The workaround (see below) is a bit clunky.
No Email Marketing:
This is not a feature that Pipedrive offers, whereas some other CRM tools do. Outfunnel is specifically designed for those who are looking for a deep integration between their email marketing and CRM – it’s also a top-rated app on Pipedrive Marketplace.
Leads & Contacts Not Separated:
When you create a new deal, the person associated with that deal immediately becomes a new lead, even though you might simply want to keep them as a contact.
No free plan:
Unfortunately, Pipedrive doesn’t have a free plan. Though you can try the software out for free for 30 days.
Is Pipedrive CRM the right newsletter service for you?
Recommended if:
For those looking specifically for a tool to help them manage their sales process:
Its clean design means that beginners will find it easy to navigate and make the most of the features available without getting overwhelmed.
Not recommended if:
If you’re looking for a free CRM then I’m afraid Pipedrive won’t be for you:
Instead, check out HubSpot or Freshworks – though bear in mind that their free plans come with their own limitations. Also, if you’re in need of an all-in-one sales and marketing service, Pipedrive is lacking marketing features such as email marketing.
Rating details
| criterion | rating | comments |
|---|---|---|
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Ease of Use |
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Pipedrive has clearly invested resources into designing a user-friendly product. The dashboard, which features your sales pipeline, is well laid out and pretty intuitive even for complete CRM novices. Upon sign-up, you’ll be taken through a 7-step set-up process, which involves things like importing your data and syncing your email and your calendar – you can also skip anything you’re not ready to do. |
|
Pipeline Management |
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Unlimited customizable pipelines with drag and drop technology. You can easily change the names of the pipeline columns to reflect your sales process. The fact that you can drag and drop deals between the various stages of the sales cycle makes everything so much quicker, and almost fun. You also have various views (pipeline, list and forecast). The list view is great if you want to perform a bulk action like moving multiple deals over to the completed column, for example. |
|
Contact/Deal Management |
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Add notes, tasks, additional information, files and invoices to each contact/deal/organization. Unlimited properties to add/filter by. The fact that it doesn’t distinguish between a contact and a lead isn’t ideal. When you begin a new deal, the person associated with that deal becomes a new contact and thus a new lead. What can occur here is that you end up with a lot of ‘leads’ that aren’t actually qualified as possible customers. |
|
Email Features |
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Syncing with your email client is reserved for higher plans ($29/month/user). What you can do is include your unique company email address (i.e. emailtooltester@pipedrivemail.com) to the BCC field and these conversations will be sent to your Pipedrive inbox where they’ll automatically be linked to the relevant contacts and deals. Group emailing and templates available on higher plans. No email marketing, you’ll need to integrate with a third-party service. |
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Automation |
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Workflow automations are available on Advanced plan and above. |
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Reporting |
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Customizable reports and dashboard. It’s also possible to share your reports. You’ll have one dashboard, unless you’re on the Professional plan ($59/month/user), in which case you’ll be allowed to set up an unlimited number of reporting dashboards. Another advantage of the Professional plan is that a revenue forecast will be generated for you. |
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Lead Scoring |
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Smart contact data (from web and social sources) is available on the Advanced plan and higher, though a score is not generated. |
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Live Chat |
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Available with its LeadBooster add-on for $39/company/month. If you’re not interested in the other tools that come with this add-on, it’s quite a lot extra to pay for live chat – I recommend checking out these tools. |
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Web Tracking |
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This is available through another add-on, which will cost you an extra $49/month. |
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Security |
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Two-factor authentication login and user access restrictions and logs on the Essential plan. Professional plan comes with a security dashboard, rules and alerts. |
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Languages |
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Available in 16 different languages, though support languages are more limited. |
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Integrations & Apps |
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150+ integrations with email marketing platforms such as ActiveCampaign and lead generation tools. If it’s missing a particular app you need, there is an open API configuration to facilitate a connection with third-party services, and the option to integrate with Zapier. Mobile app available for download on both Android and iOS. |
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Support |
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Extensive knowledge base, courses, chat and email support around the clock on all plans. |
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Overall Rating |
4/5 |
Pipedrive fulfills its promise to help users visualize their sales processes and get more done. It is easy to use whilst still offering a good deal of functionality. |
Conclusion
In my opinion, and after extensive testing, Pipedrive CRM is an excellent CRM software for small to medium-sized businesses. It has all the features you need to manage your contacts, leads and deals with ease, and it’ll help save you time with its templates, group emails and workflow automation.
In terms of bang for buck, despite the fact that it doesn’t offer a free plan, the prices are very reasonable and on par with other popular CRM tools. For me, the fact that it’s so easy to use is a big plus. Pipedrive removes the complexity that often comes with CRM software, making it a great option for those with little experience.
Pipedrive CRM Alternatives
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use but powerful CRM tool, you’ll also want to look at the alternatives to Pipedrive.
I’d say HubSpot is the most well-known, offering a very generous free CRM plan. What’s not so attractive is the price jump when you move onto a paid plan.
Two other CRM tools to check out are Freshworks and ActiveCampaign CRM. These both offer an interesting mix of sales and marketing features. ActiveCampaign is a particularly good choice for those serious about automation.
About Roberta Phillips
