How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Pipedrive itself is not listed here, since this article covers alternatives to it: sales CRMs that compete on pipeline simplicity, automation, and price.
- HubSpot offers the strongest free CRM and marketing depth, while Zoho CRM offers the deepest breadth at a low price.
- Entry prices cluster between $9 and $29 per user per month, but the practical entry tier is often higher, since entry plans omit features active teams need.
- Freshsales offers the lowest per-seat cost with built-in calling and email, while Close suits high-volume inside sales teams that live on calls.
- Per-seat pricing rules this category, so multiply the sticker price by your headcount before comparing, and check minimum seat counts.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 HubSpot | Free CRM with marketing depth | $20 per seat per month | Yes |
 Zoho CRM | Budget breadth | $14 per user per month | Yes |
 Freshsales | Lowest per-seat cost | $9 per user per month | Yes |
 Salesforce | Enterprise customization | $25 per user per month | Trial only |
 Monday Sales CRM | Visual pipeline plus work | $12 per seat per month | Trial only |
 Close | High-volume inside sales | $35 per user per month | Trial only |
 Copper | Google Workspace teams | $23 per seat per month | Trial only |
 Keap | Marketing automation plus CRM | $299 per month | Trial only |
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The best Pipedrive CRM alternatives
Starting price$20 per seat per month
Free planYes
HubSpot offers the strongest free CRM, genuinely usable for small teams, with marketing and sales in a single platform covering contacts, deals, email, and marketing automation. Sales Hub Starter costs $20 per seat per month billed annually in current guides, with other guides citing a Starter offer from $7 per seat per month that should not be treated as a permanent renewal rate, and free tier covers up to 2 users for basic CRM. Setup is easier than Salesforce or Zoho, and the integration library is broad.
Paid tiers get expensive quickly, with Professional jumping to $500 per month for 5 seats and Enterprise to $1,200 per month for 10 seats in some guides, plus onboarding costs of $1,500 to $3,500. For marketing-led teams that want CRM plus marketing in one platform with a free starting point, HubSpot is the clearest choice, provided growth costs are budgeted from the start.
What we like- Strongest free CRM
- Marketing and sales in one platform
- Easy setup
- Broad integrations
Watch out for- Paid tiers get expensive quickly
- Professional jump is steep
- Onboarding $1,500 to $3,500 in some guides
#2Zoho CRM
Best for: Budget breadth4.1/5 on
G2 (2,952 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$14 per user per month
Free planYes
Zoho CRM offers the deepest breadth at a low price, with Standard at $14 per user per month billed annually, free for up to 3 users, and higher tiers at $35 and $60 per user per month for deeper automation and customization. Workflow automation is stronger than Pipedrive at comparable prices, and the Zoho ecosystem covers projects, books, campaigns, and support in one suite, with Zoho CRM plus Projects suiting services teams that need delivery alongside sales. That breadth makes Zoho the best value per dollar among general CRMs.
The interface is inconsistent across modules, and setup is steeper than Pipedrive, requiring more configuration time before teams see value. For budget teams that want full features and automation without enterprise prices, Zoho CRM is the best pick, and its free tier for up to 3 users lets small teams start without cost.
What we like- Deep workflow automation at low cost
- Free for up to 3 users
- Zoho ecosystem breadth
- Projects integration
Watch out for- Inconsistent UI
- Steeper setup than Pipedrive
- Higher tiers $35 and $60 per user per month
Starting price$9 per user per month
Free planYes
Freshsales, from Freshworks, offers AI-assisted CRM at the lowest per-seat cost, with Growth at $9 per user per month billed annually, free for up to 3 users, and higher tiers at $39 and $59 per user per month. Built-in calling and email with native sequences suit teams doing phone and email outreach without separate tools, and AI features help prioritize deals and suggest next actions. That combination makes Freshsales the best low-cost pick for teams that want calling plus CRM in one subscription.
Customization trails Salesforce and Zoho, and the integration library is smaller, so teams needing deep custom objects or niche integrations may outgrow it. For small teams that want built-in calling and email at the lowest per-seat price, Freshsales is the best pick, and its free tier covers the smallest teams entirely.
What we like- Lowest per-seat cost
- Built-in calling and email
- AI-assisted features
- Free for up to 3 users
Watch out for- Less customizable than Salesforce or Zoho
- Smaller integration library
- Higher tiers $39 and $59
#4Salesforce
Best for: Enterprise customization4.4/5 on
G2 (27,566 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit salesforce.com
Starting price$25 per user per month
Free planTrial only
Salesforce owns the enterprise end with unmatched customization, covering complex sales orgs, custom objects, approval chains, and reporting that smaller CRMs cannot match. Starter Suite costs $25 per user per month billed annually, with a 30-day free trial, making it a deliberate entry into Salesforce for small teams that plan to scale, while mid tiers reach $175 and enterprise $350 per user per month. The AppExchange ecosystem adds thousands of integrations and extensions.
Implementation costs range from $5,000 to over $300,000 depending on complexity, and the learning curve is steep, requiring admin skill or consultants for larger deployments. For large, complex sales organizations that need deep customization and enterprise scale, Salesforce is the best pick, while small teams should start with HubSpot, Zoho, or Freshsales instead.
What we like- Unmatched customization
- Enterprise scale
- Starter Suite at $25
- Vast app ecosystem
Watch out for- Implementation $5,000 to $300,000 plus
- Mid tiers $175, enterprise $350 per user per month
- Steep learning curve
#5Monday Sales CRM
Best for: Visual pipeline plus work4.5/5 on
G2 (1,636 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit monday.com
Starting price$12 per seat per month
Free planTrial only
Monday Sales CRM suits teams already on monday.com who want their sales pipeline in the same system as their other work, with visual boards, automations, and work management alongside deal tracking. Basic costs $12 per seat per month billed annually with a minimum of 3 seats, so the smallest bill is $36 per month, with higher tiers at $20 and $28 per seat per month. That visual approach suits teams moving off spreadsheets who want a board interface for tracking deals plus delivery coordination.
Native sales features are thinner than purpose-built CRMs, with less depth in email sequences, calling, and sales automation, so pure sales teams may find it limiting. For teams that already use monday.com for other work and want sales plus project work unified, Monday Sales CRM is the best pick, and it removes a tool from the stack without introducing a new platform.
What we like- Visual boards plus work management
- Sales connected to delivery
- Easy for spreadsheet teams
- 3-seat minimum
Watch out for- Thin native sales features
- Basic $12 requires minimum 3 seats
- Higher tiers $20 and $28 per seat
#6Close
Best for: High-volume inside sales4.7/5 on
G2 (2,069 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit close.com
Starting price$35 per user per month
Free planTrial only
Close is built for high-volume inside sales teams that live on calls, with a power dialer, native SMS, and call logging built in, so reps call, text, and email from one place without switching tools. Team pricing starts at Essentials at $35 per user per month in current guides, with Solo at $9 per user per month for single users and Startup at $49 per user per month in other guides, reflecting different plan structures, so verify current team pricing. Hidden costs are minimal compared with Salesforce or HubSpot, and setup is fast for call-focused teams.
Marketing tools are minimal, so teams needing email marketing, landing pages, or campaign automation should pair Close with a marketing tool or choose HubSpot instead. Complex deal management with many stakeholders also trails Salesforce and Zoho. For outbound teams that call all day, Close is the best pick, and its dialer and SMS depth justify the price for call-heavy workflows.
What we like- Power dialer and native SMS
- Call logging built in
- Minimal hidden costs
- Built for call-heavy teams
Watch out for- Price conflicts across guides
- Minimal marketing tools
- Less suited to complex deals
#7Copper
Best for: Google Workspace teams4.5/5 on
G2 (1,158 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit copper.com
Starting price$23 per seat per month
Free planTrial only
Copper suits teams entirely on Google Workspace, with deep Gmail, Calendar, and Drive integration that keeps CRM data inside the tools staff already use, plus a simple setup that avoids the configuration burden of Salesforce or Zoho. Basic costs $23 per seat per month billed annually in current guides, with other guides citing $29 per month, so verify current pricing, and a 14-day free trial covers evaluation. Gmail-native workflow means emails, contacts, and deals sync automatically without manual entry.
Automation only appears from Professional at $59 per seat per month, limiting Basic tier value for teams needing workflows, and the ecosystem is smaller than HubSpot. For Google Workspace shops that want a simple CRM inside Gmail, Copper is the best pick, and its integration depth beats general CRMs that treat Google as an afterthought.
What we like- Deep Google Workspace integration
- Simple setup
- Gmail-native workflow
- Good for Google-first teams
Watch out for- Automation only from Professional at $59
- Price conflicts across guides
- Smaller ecosystem than HubSpot
#8Keap
Best for: Marketing automation plus CRM3.8/5 on
G2 (30 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit keap.com
Starting price$299 per month
Free planTrial only
Keap combines CRM with marketing automation, automated follow-up, appointments, and billing in one platform for small businesses that need sales plus marketing automation without separate tools. Base pricing is $299 per month on monthly billing, or $249 per month billed annually in some guides, with a 14-day free trial carrying feature restrictions. That all-in-one design suits small businesses that want follow-up sequences, appointment booking, and invoicing alongside contact and deal management.
The $299 base price is expensive compared with per-seat CRMs for small teams, and Keap is overkill for teams that only need a sales pipeline, since its marketing automation depth adds cost and complexity. For small businesses needing marketing automation plus CRM in one subscription, Keap is the best combined pick, while pure sales teams should start with Pipedrive alternatives that cost less per seat.
What we like- Automated follow-up, appointments, and billing in one platform
- Strong for small business marketing
- CRM plus automation
Watch out for- $299 per month base account is expensive
- Feature restrictions on trial
- Overkill for pure sales pipeline needs
How we chose
We compared CRMs on pipeline simplicity, automation depth, calling and email features, marketing integration, ecosystem fit, and price transparency, weighting practical entry tiers over headline prices. We favored tools with published pricing where available, and we flagged price conflicts across guides for HubSpot Starter, Close team plans, and Copper Basic rather than presenting a single figure as certain. Prices come from vendor pages and current guides verified in September 2026, and they vary by billing period, seat minimums, and add-ons. We did not test any tool hands-on, and we did not list Pipedrive itself as one of its own alternatives.
Buying guide
Start from your selling motion. If marketing and sales must share one platform, choose HubSpot free tier first and budget for Professional growth. If budget and automation depth matter most, choose Zoho CRM Standard at $14 per user per month. If calling and email outreach dominate, choose Freshsales for low cost or Close for high-volume dialing. If you are on Google Workspace, choose Copper, and if you already use monday.com, choose Monday Sales CRM to unify sales and delivery. If you plan enterprise scale, enter Salesforce through Starter Suite at $25 and budget for implementation.
Before committing, run a genuine pilot with your top two choices, not just a demo, but an actual trial with real deals and your full team, since adoption matters as much as features. Check seat minimums, since Monday requires 3 seats and HubSpot free covers only 2 users, and check add-on costs, since Pipedrive-style add-ons for campaigns, projects, and lead generation also appear in rivals. Multiply sticker price by headcount, confirm whether entry plans include automations and email sync, and choose the platform your team actually uses over the one with more checkboxes that nobody logs into.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Pipedrive alternative for small teams?
HubSpot free CRM suits very small teams, while Zoho CRM free for up to 3 users and Freshsales free for up to 3 users cover small teams at no cost. For paid plans, Freshsales at $9 per user per month is the lowest per-seat cost.
Which Pipedrive alternative is best for marketing plus sales?
HubSpot is the clearest choice for marketing and sales in one platform, with free CRM plus marketing automation and a broad integration library, though paid tiers get expensive quickly as teams grow.
Is Salesforce too complex for small teams?
Salesforce Starter Suite at $25 per user per month is a deliberate entry point, but implementation and learning curve remain steep compared with HubSpot, Zoho, or Freshsales. Small teams should start with a simpler CRM and move to Salesforce when customization needs demand it.
Which Pipedrive alternative is best for calling?
Close is the best pick for high-volume inside sales, with a power dialer, native SMS, and call logging built in. Freshsales is the best low-cost alternative with built-in calling and email for teams that call less intensively.
How much does a CRM cost for a 5-person team?
At entry prices, 5 users cost about $35 per month on Freshsales Growth, $60 on Monday Basic with 3-seat minimum pricing, $70 on Zoho Standard, $100 on HubSpot Starter, and $125 on Salesforce Starter Suite, before add-ons and higher tiers.
Should I switch from Pipedrive?
Switch if your needs changed: if you need deeper automation, marketing integration, built-in calling, or enterprise customization, the tools above may fit better. If Pipedrive pipeline simplicity already works and your team uses it daily, switching costs may outweigh small price savings.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.