Pipeline CRM Review 2025

So you’re looking for a small business CRM that focuses on sales pipelines? That’s probably how you found Pipeline CRM.

This CRM software promises to help small and medium-sized businesses manage their deals without the clutter of features they don’t need.

But there’s something odd about Pipeline CRM. While it claims to serve small businesses, the cheapest plan is quite expensive and doesn’t exactly give you everything you need to properly manage sales.

So, we tested Pipeline CRM for several weeks to see if it’s really worth the high price tag.

Overview of Pipeline CRM for Small Business

Pipeline CRM was designed to help small businesses manage sales more effectively. Instead of trying to be everything at once, it focuses on deal tracking and pipeline management.

The platform is geared toward companies that rely on structured sales processes and benefit from strong visual reporting.

When you first log in, the dashboard gives you a snapshot of your sales data. You can customize these views, add different metrics, and even build multiple dashboards to monitor the overall health of your pipeline.

Moreover, in Pipeline CRM, deals are organized in clear stages and can be advanced with simple drag and drop. There is even built-in document generation, so you can create contracts without leaving the platform.

That said, there is a gap between what Pipeline promises and what it actually delivers on its lower plans.

The entry-level subscription limits you to a single pipeline with only 250 deals. You also don’t have access to features like email sequences, and are restricted to one automated workflow. For a platform that puts “Pipeline” in its name, these limits are quite unexpected.

Pipeline CRM seems to recognize this. Trial accounts include features from their higher-tier plan, which they describe as offering “the full breadth of CRM capabilities.” The lower tiers feel more like stripped-down versions that may leave you wanting more.

Still, if you are working with only a small number of clients, the lower plans may be enough to cover your needs. But only if you’re willing to pay at least $25 per month for the limited functionality.

Pipeline CRM Pros and Cons

Pipeline CRM has its strengths and weaknesses worth considering before making a decision.

Key CRM Features of Pipeline CRM

To give you a clear picture of what Pipeline CRM offers, we tested its features at the Start plan level (the cheapest option at $25 per month/user).

Here’s what you get, and what’s missing.

• Core Features

  • Mobile app
    ✅ iOS and Android
  • Contact management
    ✅
  • Follow-up tracking
    ❌
  • Pipelines
    ✅
  • Duplicate management
    ⚠️ Higher plans only

• Centralization Tools

  • Centralized workspace

    

    A centralized workspace is an essential small business CRM feature that lets you manage your whole business on just one page.
    ❌
  • Dashboard
    ✅
  • Number of integrations
    30+

• Communication Tools

  • Two-way email sync
    ✅
  • Click-to-call options
    ✅
  • Multi-channel inbox

    

    To make communications faster and easier, a multi-channel inbox stores messages you receive from various channels in one place.
    ⚠️ Higher plans only
  • Meeting scheduling
    ❌

• Simple Automation

  • CRM workflows
    ⚠️ Only one automated workflow
  • Sales email sequences
    ⚠️ Higher plans only
  • Free web forms
    ✅
  • Browser extension for auto lead capture
    ⚠️ Gmail only

• Customer Support

  • Email support
    ✅
  • Live chat
    ✅
  • Phone support
    ❌

• Pricing

  • Starting price
    $25 per seat/month
  • Free trial
    ✅ 14 days
  • Free plan
    ❌
  • Next paid plan
    ⚠️ Expensive ($33 per seat/month)

Below, we’ll look at each feature in detail.

Contact Management

Contacts are referred to as “People” in Pipeline CRM, and are managed in a tab of the same name.

In this CRM’s People page, contacts are organized not by their initials or the due dates of any tasks, but in chronological order. That is, each new contact, regardless of their initials, appears at the top of the table.

On the main page, you can add tasks, tags, activities, associated companies, and owners. You can also import, export, duplicate, or merge contacts.

And when you need more context, simply click a contact to view their comprehensive item card. There, you can:

• Manage contact info and socials
• Track agenda
• Associate deals and track them
• Attach files
• Track sales emails and Mailchimp campaigns
• Generate and manage contracts
• Get a log of all activities and emails

Task Management

Pipeline CRM has an Agenda tab for managing all your tasks. It organizes these tasks in a table with fields showing their type—whether appointment, call, email, or to-do—, due dates, priority level, and completion status.

You can opt for the calendar view and organize all tasks by their respective due dates. When a task is complete, it’s crossed out on the calendar, but remains visible for future reference.

That said, this setup does not really qualify as proper follow-up tracking. For one, you are not required to add tasks when creating deals, which means some deals can easily go stale.

On top of that, the Agenda page displays every single task, not just the ones tied to deals, which can make it harder to stay focused on what matters most.

The saving grace is that if you don’t add a task to a deal, a caution sign appears beside the deal’s name in your pipeline, and the CRM encourages you to add that task.

Moreover, tasks in Pipeline CRM are arranged according to their due dates. And when one becomes overdue, it turns red. Likewise, on the dashboard, you can see all overdue tasks, as well as those slated for today, and those to be completed later.

Pipeline Management

As the name suggests, this small business CRM was built for managing sales pipelines—which is why it’s a wonder why its lowest tier (Start) provides you with only one sales pipeline and allows you to handle just 250 deals inside it.

In Pipeline CRM, you can view your pipeline in a table containing vital info like status (won/loss + the reason), pipeline, stage, source, associated contact, next task and activity, weighted forecast, and total value of all deals.

The CRM also lets you track your pipeline in a Kanban board. In the Kanban board, you can see data like amount, status, associated company, source, and weighted forecast. You can also create events, add tasks, and advance deals via drag and drop.

Deal Management

When you click on a deal’s name in your pipeline, you’re taken to a dedicated page with all the details. Here, you can view the basics such as the deal’s name, amount, probability, and status, along with the people and companies linked to it.

This page also lets you manage files and contracts, create and track tasks and events, and keep all related email correspondence in one place. An Activity feed gives you a clear record of every interaction tied to the deal.

And when it is time to move things forward, advancing the deal to the next stage takes just one click.

Email Sync

Pipeline CRM supports two-way email sync, but there is a drawback. The inbox in your Emails tab shows everything, including personal messages and promotions that are unrelated to your CRM.

But on the upside, the email logs inside individual contact pages capture only the relevant conversations.

Pipeline allows you to not only send and receive emails, but also track their opens and clicks. Just keep in mind that there are limitations. On the Start plan, each user can track up to 250 emails.

The platform also includes an AI email assistant powered by ChatGPT, though usage is capped. The lowest plan gives you 25 assisted emails, while the higher plans increase that limit to 50, 100, and 250.

For businesses that would rather not sync their email accounts at all, Pipeline provides a BCC option. You can forward or BCC a message to a special address, and it will be logged in your CRM automatically.

Collaboration

With Pipeline CRM, you can assign tasks, deals, contacts, and companies to your team members. The software also makes it easy to share access to records, workflows, and reports with other users in your account.

If you need to bring in partners outside your company, you can share access with them via the SuperShare feature (available from the Develop plan). And if you simply want users to see data in your system without changing anything, Pipeline CRM lets you add read-only users while on the Develop or higher tier plan.

Duplicate Management

Pipeline CRM offers a deduplication functionality. This lets you scan your list of companies and people for duplicates. Once found, you can delete the records you don’t want to keep or, instead, consolidate everything into one record.

However, this functionality—dubbed Advanced De-duplication—is only available from the Grow plan (starting at $49).

If you can’t opt for that, you’ll have to look for and merge duplicate records manually.

Dashboard and Reporting

When you log into Pipeline CRM, the first thing you’ll see is its comprehensive dashboard. It gives you a clear snapshot of your business performance using visual aids like charts, lists, and summaries.

The dashboard displays insights such as your most recent email interactions, the total value of your pipeline (broken down by stage), deals at risk of slipping away, your agenda, and more.

The dashboard is fully customizable, too. You can add other insights—like goals or reports—and even create multiple dashboards.

Beyond dashboards, Pipeline CRM has a Reports tab where you can build detailed reports on deals, people, companies, and activities. Reports can be customized by selecting different KPIs and visualized in formats like bar graphs and pie charts.

Automations

Workflow automations are available on all of Pipeline CRM’s subscription plans.

However, there are limitations:

• Small businesses on the Start tier can create only one CRM workflow.
• Those on the Develop plan (starting at $33/month) get up to ten workflow automations.

If your business needs a lot of automated workflows, you’ll need to opt for the Grow or Enterprise plans, offering 20—which is still just average—and 100 automations, respectively.

But with the former plan starting at $49 per seat per month, and the latter having custom pricing and potentially costing even more, it’s hard to say you’re getting your money’s worth.

Besides workflows, Pipeline CRM lets you create email sequences. Keep in mind, though: email sequencing is not available on the lowest plan or the one after that; you’ll need at least a Grow subscription.

You can also capture leads automatically. With the browser extension, you can pull lead data directly from your Gmail inbox and add it straight into your CRM database.

Pipeline CRM also offers free lead forms, which automatically create a new record whenever someone fills one out. The only catch is that the lowest tier includes just two forms. If you need more, you’ll have to upgrade your subscription.

Integrations

Pipeline CRM syncs your contacts and calendars by integrating with Google and Outlook. It connects with your email account via Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, and Office 365.

Additionally, the small business CRM enables SMS communications by connecting with JustCall, Dialpad, or Kixie. It also integrates with tools like Mailchimp, QuickBooks, and 30+ other business apps.

You can also link integration apps like Zapier, viaSocket, Integrately, and the like to connect with thousands of other tools.

Mobile App

Pipeline CRM has mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Much like the CRM in and of itself, these apps are designed for sales.

With Pipeline’s mobile CRM, you can manage contacts (or People, as they’re called in this CRM), advance deals, manage your calendar, and get real-time notifications.

You can also capture contact details using the built-in mobile business card scanner, log activities using voice-to-text, and find nearby contacts via the provided in-app map.

Speaking of maps, the mobile CRM also features a route planner that helps you visit leads more efficiently.

Ease of Use

Pipeline CRM has a clean design, with colors and text layouts that are easy on the eyes.

The interface features minimal tabs and little to no subtabs. In fact, only the “Tools” module has subtabs, and that’s fine, since it organizes the extra tools you may need in one place, instead of scattering them around or hiding them somewhere you’ll need to dig around to find.

On top of that, Pipeline CRM doesn’t house too many features. As such, it doesn’t take too much time and effort to learn how to properly wield the tool. And with the calendar and drag and drop functionalities, it’s easier to track tasks and advance deals, respectively.

All of these may be why the CRM has an average rating of 4.4/5 from over 940 customers, and was named “Highest User Adoption” for enterprise and SMBs, both on G2.

There are a few points of concern, though. The Companies, Deals, People, and Agenda pages all have the same design, so it’s easy to mix things up when you’re working fast.

Likewise, it’d have been more impressive if the CRM had a centralized workspace like the Action Stream, where you can handle all sales cycles within one page.

Customer Support

Customer support in Pipeline CRM isn’t tied to subscription tiers—it’s the same across all plans. The main support options include the help center, live chat, and email. You’ll also find extras like a contact form, live demos, and video tutorials.

For those who want more hands-on guidance, Pipeline CRM offers paid onboarding packages that provide deeper, personalized support. These onboarding solutions come in two options: the Standard package ($750) and the Premium package ($1,500).

Onboarding fees this high are more common among enterprise-level tools that are more robust and complex (for context, HubSpot charges thousands, as well). So, if a small business CRM is charging this much for onboarding, it stands to reason that the software is not as user-friendly as it’s supposed to be.

For businesses migrating from another system, Pipeline CRM also provides free data migration. This service includes custom imports—meaning fields can be mapped to match your business requirements—and promises to transfer your data within three business days.

In addition, you can book a demo to see how the platform works before committing.

Pipeline CRM Pricing Structure

Pipeline CRM’s pricing reveals a disconnect between who they want to serve and who can actually afford their service.

The platform offers three main plans, but even the cheapest one costs more than most small business CRMs. And when you factor in all the feature restrictions and the absence of add-ons to make up for them, you’ll likely need to pay double or triple the starting price (for higher tiers) to get a functional system.

How Much Does Pipeline CRM Cost?

At $25 per user/month, the lowest plan (Start) costs more than the average small business CRM.

The bigger problem is how limited this plan is:

• Maximum of one sales pipeline
• Only 250 deals
• No bulk emails
• No email sequences
• Just one workflow automation

With these limits, you may need to upgrade to the next tier (Develop). This tier costs $33 per user/month, which is too steep for a small business, especially considering all its restrictions:

• Just 2 sales pipelines
• No bulk emails
• No email sequences
• Just 10 automations

If you really want Pipeline CRM to work for your small business, you’ll need to upgrade to the Grow plan. In fact, the company itself says:

“During your 14-day free trial, you will be on the Grow plan to experience the full breadth of CRM capabilities we offer.”

The Grow plan costs a whopping $49 per user/month. This plan doesn’t have the limits you’ll find on the previous plans.

Is Pipeline CRM Pricing Affordable for Small Businesses?

Put simply, Pipeline CRM is not priced with small businesses in mind. The Start plan costs $25 per user each month, yet it is severely limited. That is already more expensive than many full-featured competitors.

Most small business CRMs include their core features for $10 to $20 per user each month. Pipeline not only charges about 25 percent more but also restricts you to a single pipeline with a maximum of 250 deals.

If you need essentials like email sequences or more than one automated workflow, you have to move up to the Grow plan at $49 per user each month, which is more than double what many alternatives charge.

There are more drawbacks. The Start and Develop plans do not include bulk emailing, and database deduplication is only available once you upgrade to Grow.

For a small team of five people, that plan would cost $245 per month or nearly $3,000 per year. That’s a steep price for features that competitors often provide at half the cost.

Final Verdict: Is Pipeline CRM the Best CRM for Small Businesses?

Pipeline CRM does deliver on its promise of visual pipeline management, but the pricing structure makes it a tough fit for most small businesses.

The platform has strengths. The interface is clean, the pipeline visualization is effective, and features like built-in document generation can be genuinely useful. For larger companies that need these capabilities, it can be a good match.

For the average small business, though, it is harder to recommend. The lower-tier plans come with strict limitations, and the overall cost feels more like enterprise pricing applied to small business software. In the end, the value just does not add up.

According to our criteria (Value, Impact, and Speed), Pipeline CRM’s fit for small businesses is Moderate.

Best Alternative for Pipeline CRM

If Pipeline’s pricing has you concerned, OnePageCRM provides better value without sacrificing functionality.

Value: High
Impact: High
Speed: High
Pricing starts from: $9.95

OnePageCRM costs less than half of Pipeline’s entry price while delivering more essential features. You get more than enough deals from the start, proper follow-up tracking that keeps deals from going stale, and emailing functionality that doesn’t count every message you send.

There are also no surprise charges for basic automation.

OnePageCRM’s Action Stream approach also resolves Pipeline’s lack of a centralized workspace. Instead of jumping between tabs to manage your sales activities, everything lives in one focused view.