Pipedrive vs Salesforce Essentials comparison

Pipedrive and Salesforce are both solutions in the CRM category. Pipedrive is ranked #18 with an average rating of 7.8, while Salesforce is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.0. Pipedrive holds a 1.3% mindshare in CRM, compared to Salesforce’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 78% of Pipedrive users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Salesforce users who would recommend it.

Pipedrive

Read 13 Pipedrive reviews

943 Views
594 Comparison Views

78% willing to recommend

Salesforce Essentials

Read 14 Salesforce Essentials reviews

284 Views
278 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Pipedrive

Salesforce Essentials

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Pipedrive and Salesforce Essentials are strong contenders in the CRM market for small to medium businesses. Pipedrive is favored for its pricing and flexibility, while Salesforce Essentials is recognized for its advanced features and robust integration capabilities.

Features: Pipedrive provides valuable customization options, facilitating easy management of sales processes with a user-friendly interface. It supports defining custom data fields, applying automation, and delivering insightful reporting. Salesforce Essentials offers a comprehensive platform with Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, integrating finance and customer support seamlessly while leveraging AI for enhanced customer segmentation and management.

Room for Improvement: Pipedrive could enhance its integration capabilities and offer more comprehensive documentation, particularly for reporting. Its automation, especially in campaign management, could also be improved. Salesforce Essentials users point out a need for better integration with complex ERP systems, improved reporting features, and more flexible licensing options for small teams, along with a UI better suited for non-native English speakers.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Pipedrive offers deployment in Public and Private Cloud environments with generally positive user feedback on its technical support, despite some noted delays. Salesforce Essentials supports On-premises deployments and multiple cloud options, providing solid customer service, though response times can be inconsistent. Both platforms have effective customer engagement, although initial interactions via chatbots may be less satisfactory.

Pricing and ROI: Pipedrive is celebrated for its cost-effectiveness, presenting competitive features at a lower price, ideal for smaller companies. Salesforce Essentials is perceived as more expensive, offering extensive features that may justify the cost for larger teams. However, its pricing model, while reflective of premium features, may deter smaller businesses due to higher costs.

To learn more, read our detailed Pipedrive vs. Salesforce Essentials Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Pipedrive vs. Salesforce Essentials

July 2025

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Helped 865,140 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Pipedrive

Ranking in CRM

18th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Local Government CRM (10th), Opportunity Management (2nd), Sales Force Automation (8th)

Salesforce Essentials

Ranking in CRM

15th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of Pipedrive is 1.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Salesforce Essentials is 0.4%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

CRM

Featured Reviews

Willem Lambrechts

Managing Director at Drebbel

Offers the ability to create multiple pipelines and the flexibility in filtering and reporting

We do a lot of analytics and reporting ourselves. We don't necessarily use all the features that Pipedrive provides, but it's very helpful at least. It has streamlined our deal-closing process. We use it for everything. When we create a lead, we put it into Pipedrive. That lead can be converted into an opportunity, which we manage through our whole pipeline. This includes having all data related to the opportunity in one place. Once the deal is closed, we use Pipedrive to follow up on the invoices until they are paid. We also manage sales commissions and payments to our salespeople through Pipedrive.

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Srini-Dhanaraj

Founder & CEO at imfine.club

Manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues

I work from home for a heater manufacturing company. They wanted to move away from their current SAP CRM system to Salesforce. There is a fulfillment process, which involves taking an order, delivering it, and providing service. Salesforce is used to manage the order-taking process. Once an order is taken, the backend system, SAP ERP, handles product manufacturing, delivery, and installation. After installation, the Service Cloud in Salesforce takes over for ongoing service management. Once your order is confirmed, integration with the SAP ERP backend will be seamless. The system takes the sales order from Salesforce and starts processing it for procurement, starting with creating a production order, manufacturing, and then delivery. Once the product is delivered, this information is passed back to Salesforce Service Cloud. In the Service Cloud, a service engineer receives a notification indicating that a product needs to be delivered to a specific location for installation. The engineer then inspects and installs the product at the designated site. SAP ERP manages the product manufacturing and delivery processes. After the product is delivered to the customer, Salesforce Service Cloud takes over. It manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues reported by customers. Service Cloud captures the information and creates an incident record when a customer reports a product fault. Engineers receive this information and promptly visit the client site to fix the issue. The solution is easy to implement. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"Pipedrive's most valuable feature is reporting and insights. The CRM shows the database and lets the salespeople arrange their daily activities. The insights are essential from a management point of view because it helps the sales staff improve or adjust their whole sales cycle, activities, and quality."

"It is a stable platform."

"The most useful thing is the ability to create multiple pipelines and the flexibility in filtering and reporting."

"Pipedrive's most valuable features are that you can keep the whole information that's related to managing your sales process and you can customize it easily. The person that we have who is customizing Pipedrive is very junior in means of software development or process development. He can easily use it, anyone can use the solution. It has a very easy user interface to customize your processes and apply them to the Pipedrive process."

"The most useful stuff for me is that it's very flexible with all the data structures...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"It's very flexible and we can really fit it into our business model."

"The solution is pretty easy to use and intuitive."

More Pipedrive pros

"Salesforce makes tracking every product and customer activity easy, enabling managers to monitor their products, such as key products and their peak performance."

"I've found the product's basic AI functionalities, such as predictive analytics and workflow automation useful for optimizing processes and improving productivity."

"Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use."

"The most important feature is how Salesforce Essentials brings together information from multiple channels. The nature of our complex custom product data has been challenging due to our manufacturing nature. Salesforce also allowed business processes like finance, credit lines, customer complaints, and quality issues to integrate seamlessly. I haven’t used the mobile app functionality, because we haven't fully utilized because of our preferance of more personal interactions over using mobile apps."

"We use Salesforce Essentials for everything we do on the sales side."

"The solution is very scalable and flexible. It can be customized as per the business need."

"The CRM system has SAP Sales, SAP Service, and SAP Billing, with everything integrated into an on-premise SAP CRM system. Salesforce Essentials replaced this on-premise system, bringing all functionalities onto the cloud platform."

"I can download the data to Excel, create tables, and do whatever I want. I am very comfortable with the tool's mobile application. Its main benefit is transparency because I can share it with representatives."

More Salesforce Essentials pros

Cons

"New features sometimes seem bolted on rather than being smooth."

"In future releases, I would like to have a highly intelligent integration service where you can easily connect PipeDrive with other tools, even if you are not a developer."

"The tool's APIs are challenging. It should also be compliant with HIPAA, FINRA and GLBA. The data centers should be within US so that they are compliant with regulations."

"You must pay more if you need an additional feature."

"Pipedrive has some weaknesses against Salesforce. The documentation of Pipedrive could improve. They need more qualified documentation because I had to fix my colleague's work to correct the reports because they did not find how they can do it, or develop reports. There are some misunderstandings about how to do reporting."

"The automation process is challenging."

"We are using the lowest version of it. As we become more sophisticated, we might outgrow the tool, but there are features that are available in the higher-level versions, which I'm unfamiliar with, that might be able to meet the needs we would have in the future. They can maybe add some of the features to the basic version or make it more reasonably priced or free."

"Pipedrive could be more efficient. I want the management to be more transparent so it's easier to monitor the sales team's activities and results and do business forecasting. It would help them to improve the quality of the sales cycle."

More Pipedrive cons

"Areas that could be improved or upgraded in the next release include analytics, automation capabilities, and stability."

"The cost of running Salesforce Essentials is significant. The licenses are expensive, and the operational costs are considerable, including the necessity to maintain a team of approximately 15 people to run the system."

"Less integration would be better. It should work independently."

"Integrating Salesforce with SAP, considering our business relies heavily on SAP for ERP, has been quite challenging due to the intricate product configurations. Unlike standard products like computers with a few options, our products have hundreds of configurable options, making the integration complex. If such integration were possible, it would have been easier to understand the unique nature of our industry and the limited number of customers who buy steel products, unlike consumer electronics."

"The solution's UI is not user-friendly."

"Salesforce Essentials does not contain domain-specific solutions."

"Salesforce should encourage new users by offering smaller license packages, such as packages for three or two users."

"The primary area for improvement in Salesforce Essentials is its pricing. There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM, that offer similar features at a lower cost."

More Salesforce Essentials cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Pipedrive has been reasonable."

"As of now, the pricing and value are quite good."

"The solution's pricing is excellant. It costs 65 dollars a month for top tier plan."

"We pay $1000 a month for the tool."

"Pipedrive keeps increasing the prices, which is becoming a bit annoying. It was reasonable when we started, but now they're increasing all the time."

"Pipedrive is relatively more affordable than other solutions."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price, two or three. For us, everything is expensive because this is a startup, but for a normal company, it should be peanuts."

"The solution is affordable."

More Pipedrive pricing and cost advice

"I rate Salesforce Essentials' pricing an eight out of ten."

"The tool is moderately priced."

"The pricing is a bit on the expensive side."

"We chose quarterly payments."

"It's a perpetual license, and the subscription can be expensive."

"The pricing is on the higher side, especially with additional costs for professional services like consultants."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"Salesforce Essentials is quite expensive, almost 10 out of 10. I don't have the exact cost, but we found it to be very expensive based on our budget constraints."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Retailer

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Pipedrive?

The most valuable feature is the ability to create timelines and custom fields.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pipedrive?

The pricing is satisfactory.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Pipedrive?

New features sometimes seem bolted on rather than being smooth.

See all answers

What do you like most about Salesforce Essentials?

Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Essentials?

Salesforce Essentials is very expensive, but it delivers exceptional value. It is a good platform to have if you can afford it because it has numerous add-ons and modules. Anything that Salesforce ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Salesforce Essentials?

We use a limited number of automated workflows in Salesforce Essentials. The workflows we implement are designed to make sales teams' lives easier when executing certain tasks. Instead of requiring...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Pipedrive

August 2025

Download Pipedrive product report

Buyer's Guide

Salesforce Essentials

July 2025

Download Salesforce Essentials product report

Overview

Pipedrive CRM, a SOC 2 Certified Service Provider, is built around activity-based selling. It ensures total visibility through its Pipeline Management tool with a clear visual interface that prompts you to take action, remain organized and stay in control of a complex sales process, Sales Reporting that provides visual report, understands pipeline metrics, tracks and tests sales process and shows sales split by product. Pipedrive CRM boosts productivity, optimizes the Sales Process, It has an import/export feature that safeguards against human error. It is fully customizable, has multiple usage possibilities and can automatically creates contacts in your pipeline.

Pipedrive

Salesforce Essentials is a cloud-based CRM tool for businesses seeking flexible, scalable, and customizable solutions to enhance sales and customer support processes.

Designed for seamless integration across multiple channels, Salesforce Essentials includes Sales and Service Cloud to simplify sales tasks and customer management. It enhances finance, credit, and quality processes with user-friendly AI capabilities and predictive analytics. Despite its strengths, there is room for improvement in SAP integration, interface simplicity, and report generation. Cost-effectiveness and support for diverse languages are also potential upgrade areas. Businesses use this CRM solution for lead management, opportunity tracking, and automating sales workflows, transitioning from paper-based methods to digital efficiency.

What are the essential features of Salesforce Essentials?

Scalability and Flexibility: Accommodates growth and customization needs.
Multiple Channel Integration: Enhances finance and quality processes.
User-Friendly: Easy navigation with AI capabilities.
Cloud Deployment: Includes Sales and Service Cloud features.
Predictive Analytics: Improves productivity and tracking.
Mobile App Support: Facilitates on-the-go access and management.

What benefits or ROI can users expect from Salesforce Essentials?

Improved Productivity: Automation features save time and streamline tasks.
Enhanced Customer Management: Centralizes interaction and data handling.
Ease of Transition: From manual to automated workflows.
Performance Monitoring: Standardizes processes for better oversight.

In the retail industry, businesses employ Salesforce Essentials for customer data management and transparency in order processing. Healthcare providers use it for patient engagement and streamlined communication. Financial services utilize it for billing management and compliance, harnessing automation tools for efficient data handling.

Salesforce

Sample Customers

Samsung, Amazon, SkyScanner, TDW, Vimeo, ReMax, Festo

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Pipedrive vs. Salesforce Essentials

July 2025

Free Report: Pipedrive vs. Salesforce Essentials

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