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Pipedrive vs Insightly 2026: The Honest Comparison Nobody Shows

by | Last updated Sep 8, 2026

Winner
pipedrive
4.3
  • Drag-and-Drop Sales Pipeline
  • AI Sales Assistant Built In
  • Unlimited Contact Records
  • 400+ Third Party Apps
  • Offline Mobile App Access
  • 14-Day Free Trial
  • Plans from $14/user/month
Runner Up
Insightly
4.1
  • 2,000+ App Integrations
  • CRM + Projects in One Tool
  • Won Deals Convert to Projects
  • Custom Report Builder
  • Built-In Marketing Tools
  • Trial Includes Dummy Data
  • Plans from $29/user/month

⚡ Quick Verdict:

  • Pricing: Pipedrive starts at $14/user/month. Insightly starts at $29/user/month.
  • Best for: Pipedrive for sales teams tracking deals. Insightly for teams that need project management after the deal closes.
  • Key difference: Pipedrive gives unlimited contact records. Insightly caps contact storage by plan tier.
  • Our pick: Pipedrive (4.3) for most users, because its pipeline management is simpler and its entry plan costs half as much.
Pipedrive vs Insightly Comparison

Most teams pick a CRM platform for one of two reasons.

They want to close more deals, or they want to keep work organised after the deal closes.

Pipedrive was built for the first job.

Insightly was built to cover both, plus marketing.

That single split explains almost every difference in this comparison.

Overview

This Pipedrive vs Insightly comparison covers pricing, key features, automation, and support.

We also break down who each CRM tool works best for.

Our writer spent hands-on time with Pipedrive directly.

Notes on Insightly come from published specs, documentation, and G2 reviews.

By the end, you will know which one fits your sales process.

What is Pipedrive?

Pipedrive is a customer relationship management tool built for sales teams.

It is built around a visual sales pipeline that tracks deals through stages.

You drag a deal card from one stage to the next as it progresses.

Most Pipedrive features orbit that one board.

Every plan includes unlimited contact records, which is rare in this category.

The Pipedrive mobile app also works offline, so reps can update notes without signal.

🏆 Winner: Pipedrive

⭐ 4.3/5 | 💰 From $14/user/month

The simplest way to see every deal in one screen. Pipedrive suits small businesses that want a CRM their reps will actually open daily.

Pipedrive Pricing

Pipedrive pricing runs across four paid tiers. There is no free plan.

PlanPriceBest For
Lite$14/user/monthSolo sellers tracking deal stages
Growth$24/user/monthSmall teams adding email templates
Premium$49/user/monthTeams needing workflow automation
Ultimate$69/user/monthLarger teams wanting custom dashboards

Pricing verified September 2026.

Pipedrive Pricing

Free trial: 14 days on all plans, no card needed to start.

Money-back guarantee: No blanket refund window. You cancel before renewal instead.

📌 Note: Every tier includes unlimited contact records. That matters if your crm data grows fast and you do not want storage caps.

⚠️ Warning: Pipedrive charges an add-on tax. Lead gen tools like LeadBooster sit outside the plan price, so add ons can push your real cost well past the sticker.

💡 Pricing conflict: Some sources list Pipedrive tiers as Essential $14, Professional $49, and Enterprise $99 per user per month billed annually. Our CSV records the current lineup as Lite, Growth, Premium, and Ultimate. We use the CSV figures throughout. Check the pricing page before you buy.

Key Benefits of Pipedrive

Here is what makes Pipedrive worth a look:

  • Visual pipeline management: Customise pipeline stages and deal probabilities to match your sales cycle. Nothing is locked.
  • AI Sales Assistant: It surfaces timely notifications, reports, and tips on where to spend your day.
  • Sales-first automation: Trigger follow-up emails or scheduled calls when a deal hits a stage. Available from the Advanced tier up.
  • Unlimited contacts: Contact management has no record ceiling on any plan.
  • 24/7 support: Live chat and email support ship with every plan.
  • Fast onboarding: A large knowledge base of articles and tutorials covers setup, and most reps are productive on day one.
Pipedrive Top Benefits

What Our Team Noticed

Our writer signed up for Pipedrive and used it to track a live deal list for several days. Here is what stood out from that hands-on time:

Using Pipedrive

The interface takes almost no training, which is the point.

Pipedrive Introduction

Pipedrive Pros & Cons

✅ Pros
  • Drag-and-drop pipeline is easy for any sales team to use immediately
  • Unlimited contact records on every plan
  • Entry plan costs $14 per user per month
  • AI-powered deal insights and advanced sales reporting
  • Mobile app works offline
❌ Cons
  • Add-on tax on essential features like LeadBooster
  • Standard support can be slow or unhelpful
  • No free plan, only a 14-day trial
  • Around 400 integrations, fewer than Insightly

What is Insightly?

Insightly is a cloud-based CRM software platform for mid-sized teams.

It covers three jobs in one place: CRM, marketing, and project management.

Won sales opportunities convert straight into projects from the pipeline.

Insightly marketing tools sit inside the same account, so post-sale work stays connected.

The trade-off is contact limits and a higher entry price.

Insightly CRM Review: Better Than I Expected?

🥈 Runner Up: Insightly

⭐ 4.1/5 | 💰 From $29/user/month

Pick Insightly when the work starts after the sale. Delivery, marketing campaigns, and customer data live under one login.

Insightly Pricing

Insightly offers three paid tiers. Prices are per user, per month.

PlanPriceBest For
Plus$29/user/monthTeams starting with CRM and projects
Professional$49/user/monthWorkflow automation and customizable dashboards
Enterprise$99/user/monthComplex tech stack and deep customization options

Pricing verified September 2026.

Insightly Top Benefits

Free trial: Yes, and the trial loads dummy data so you learn the interface faster.

Money-back guarantee: Not published. Plans are billed annually per seat.

📌 Note: The Insightly service is sold as separate packages for CRM, marketing, and support. Stacking them raises the real bill, so price the full bundle you need.

⚠️ Warning: Full access to third party apps needs a paid AppConnect subscription. Customization and automation are also held back for higher tiers.

💡 Pricing conflict: Insightly has advertised a free CRM plan capped at two users and 2,500 contact records. Our CSV lists only the three paid tiers above, and we use those figures in every table and schema field here. Confirm free plan availability on the signup page.

Key Benefits of Insightly

Here is where Insightly earns its price:

  • CRM plus delivery: Project management tools sit next to the pipeline, so won deals become live projects.
  • Huge app marketplace: Over 2,000 third-party apps connect through a paid AppConnect subscription.
  • Custom report builder: Build detailed reports instead of relying on a fixed dashboard view.
  • Recipes automation: Advanced workflow automation with precise triggers on top-tier plans.
  • Everyday tool support: Works with Google apps, Evernote, Microsoft 365, and Zapier.
  • Guided onboarding: Tailored onboarding help is available as a paid add-on.
Insightly Homepage

What Our Team Noticed

We have not had extended hands-on time inside an Insightly account yet.

Note: The notes on Insightly in this article come from published documentation, its pricing pages, and G2 reviews. G2 reviews highlight the straightforward interface and the depth of the reporting tools.

Insightly Pros & Cons

✅ Pros
  • Covers CRM, marketing, and project management in one platform
  • Over 2,000 integrations with a paid AppConnect subscription
  • Custom report builder for detailed analytics
  • Won opportunities convert into projects from the pipeline
❌ Cons
  • Contact storage is capped by pricing tier
  • Customization and automation are limited to higher tiers
  • Faster response times need a premium support plan
  • Multiple packages make the total cost harder to predict

Feature Comparison

Insightly and Pipedrive share plenty of the same features on paper. The differences show up in how deep each one goes.

FeaturePipedriveInsightly
Starting Price$14/user/month$29/user/month
Unlimited Contacts
Project Management✅ (basic)✅ (full)
Marketing Automation✅ (add-on)✅ (built in)
Custom Report Builder
AI Sales Assistant
Offline Mobile App
Integrations400+2,000+
24/7 Standard Support
Best ForSales teams closing dealsTeams delivering projects

1. Lead Management

Pipedrive: A separate Leads Inbox holds unqualified prospects away from live deals. Web forms and chatbots capture web visitors, though those lead generation tools sit in the paid LeadBooster add-on. Lead management stays tidy because nothing enters the pipeline until you promote it.

Leads feature of Pipedrive

Insightly: Leads are records inside the CRM with routing rules attached. You can track leads by source and push them to the right rep automatically. Storage caps apply, so heavy lead gen tools users should check their tier limit first.

Insightly Modern CRM

2. Sales Pipeline and Managing Deals

Pipedrive: This is the core of the product. Pipeline stages, deal stages, and win probabilities are all editable to match your sales cycle. Managing deals means dragging cards, which is why most reps get it in minutes.

Deals feature of Pipedrive

Insightly: The pipeline is customizable too, and sales opportunities carry more fields by default. The standout move is converting a won opportunity into a project without leaving the board. Day-to-day deal work feels heavier than Pipedrive.

Insightly CRM

3. Project Management

Pipedrive: Projects exist, but they are light. You get boards, phases, and the ability to manage tasks tied to a deal. Teams running client delivery usually outgrow it.

Projects feature of Pipedrive

Insightly: Project management is a first-class part of the platform, not an extra. Milestones, task ownership, and pipelines for delivery all live beside the CRM record. This is the clearest reason to pick Insightly.

Insightly Project Management

4. Marketing Campaigns and Email Marketing

Pipedrive: Campaigns is a separate paid product for email marketing. It handles broadcasts and simple segments well enough for a small list. It is not trying to be a full marketing platform.

Campaign feature of Pipedrive

Insightly: Insightly marketing runs journeys, landing pages, and marketing campaigns inside the same account. That suits businesses needing post-sale nurture as much as new demand. It is sold as its own package, so budget for it.

Insightly Email

5. Reporting and Custom Dashboards

Pipedrive: You get a visual dashboard for sales reporting with real time data on deals, activities, and forecasts. Sales performance is easy to read at a glance. Custom dashboards arrive on higher tiers.

Pipedrive Insight

Insightly: A custom report builder lets you slice crm data across CRM, marketing, and delivery records. Customizable dashboards are part of the advanced plans. Analysts will prefer this side.

Insightly Reporting

6. Workflow Automation and AI

Pipedrive: Automation is aimed squarely at sales processes. From the Advanced tier up you can automate tasks like lead nurturing, task creation, and email marketing, and trigger a follow-up when a deal changes stage. The AI Sales Assistant adds notifications, reports, and tips on what to work next.

Pipedrive AI CRM

Insightly: Three automation methods run across the tiers, including pipeline and activity sets for repetitive tasks and events. Recipes handles advanced workflow automation with precise triggers on top-tier subscriptions. Both platforms use drag-and-drop builders, so the learning curve is similar.

Insightly AI Automations

7. Email Templates and Contact Management

Pipedrive: Creating email templates with merge fields takes a couple of minutes, and open tracking is built in. Contact management has no record limit at any price. Pipedrive users can automate personalised emails right after a new deal is created.

Pipedrive Email marketing

Insightly: Contacts sit under organisation records, which suits account-based selling. Email templates and email marketing tools are shared with the marketing package. Contact storage is capped by tier, and that cap is the thing to check before you commit.

Insightly Organizations

8. Integrations and App Marketplace

Pipedrive: The app marketplace lists over 400 integrations covering project management, customer support, lead generation, and marketing automation. An open API covers custom integrations for smaller tools you rely on.

Pipedrive Marketplace Integrations

Insightly: Over 2,000 third party apps are reachable, but the advanced library needs the AppConnect subscription. Common picks like Google apps, Evernote, Microsoft 365, and Zapier are covered. A complex tech stack is where this pays off.

Insightly Seamless Integrations

⚠️ Warning: Integration counts are not equal value. Insightly’s 2,000+ figure depends on a paid subscription, so compare the apps you actually use, not the headline number.

9. Document Management and Support

Pipedrive: Documents and templates cover quotes and proposals with e-signature on higher plans. The support team answers by 24/7 live chat and email on every tier, though standard replies can be slow or unhelpful.

Pipedrive Smart Docs

Insightly: Document management attaches files to projects as well as deals, which helps delivery teams. Insightly users get email support and community forums, and phone support or faster replies mean buying a premium plan.

Insightly Support & Ticketing

10. Pricing & Cost

Here are both price lists side by side.

TierPipedriveInsightly
EntryLite — $14/user/monthPlus — $29/user/month
MidGrowth — $24/user/monthProfessional — $49/user/month
UpperPremium — $49/user/monthEnterprise — $99/user/month
TopUltimate — $69/user/month

Pipedrive: The pricing model is simpler and lands at affordable costs for small businesses. Lite at $14 gets a working pipeline on day one. Watch the add ons, because that is where the bill grows.

Insightly: Plus and Professional plans cost more per seat, and the good customization options start on professional plans. You are paying for three products in one, which is fair value if you use all three.

Different Scenarios

If You Need…ChooseWhy
Tight budgetPipedriveHalf the entry price per seat
Delivery after the saleInsightlyReal project management built in
Fast rep adoptionPipedriveSimple drag-and-drop pipeline
Deep reportingInsightlyCustom report builder
Unlimited contact storagePipedriveNo record caps on any plan
Wide integration libraryInsightly2,000+ apps via AppConnect

💰 Your Budget

Pipedrive starts at $14 per seat, Insightly at $29. Add ons close that gap fast, so price the exact bundle you need.

🔌 Your Tech Stack

Insightly is the safer bet for a messy stack with many niche tools. Pipedrive covers the mainstream apps and leaves the rest to its API.

📈 Your Sales Process

If the job ends at closed-won, Pipedrive is the tighter fit. If closed-won starts a project, Insightly saves you a second tool.

🎓 Your Experience Level

Both are user-friendly and most teams adapt quickly. Sales professionals with no CRM background will be faster in Pipedrive.

🆓 Free Trials and Demos

Pipedrive gives a 14-day free trial on every plan. Insightly loads dummy data into its trial so you can test views before importing customer data.

🛟 Support Options

Pipedrive includes 24/7 live chat and email on all plans. Insightly leans on email and forums unless you buy premium support.

Switching Guide

Already on one of them? Here is what changes when you move.

🔄 Switching from Pipedrive to Insightly?

✅ What you’ll gain:

  • Full project management after the deal closes
  • Custom report builder for detailed analytics
  • Access to over 2,000 integrations

❌ What you’ll lose:

  • Unlimited contact records
  • The AI Sales Assistant
  • 24/7 support on the base plan

📋 How to switch:

  1. Export deals, contacts, and activities from Pipedrive as CSV
  2. Start the Insightly trial and map your pipeline stages
  3. Import records, then rebuild automations as Recipes
🔄 Switching from Insightly to Pipedrive?

✅ What you’ll gain:

  • A cheaper entry plan at $14 per user
  • No contact storage limits
  • Faster onboarding for a new sales team

❌ What you’ll lose:

  • Deep project management tools
  • Built-in marketing campaigns
  • The 2,000-app integration library

📋 How to switch:

  1. Export contacts, organisations, and opportunities from Insightly
  2. Create a Pipedrive trial and set your deal stages
  3. Import the files, then move live projects to a delivery tool

What Our Review Didn’t Cover

This comparison focused on small businesses and mid-sized sales teams. We did not test large data migrations, custom API builds, or how either platform behaves past a few hundred seats. Insightly notes here come from documentation and reviews rather than long hands-on use. If you are buying for a regulated industry, check compliance terms directly with each vendor.

Final Verdict

CategoryWinner
💰 PricingPipedrive
🚀 Pipeline ManagementPipedrive
📋 Project ManagementInsightly
📊 ReportingInsightly
👶 Ease of UsePipedrive
🔌 IntegrationsInsightly
🛟 SupportPipedrive
🏆 Overall WinnerPipedrive

🏆 WINNER: PIPEDRIVE

Pipedrive wins 4 of 7 categories and holds the higher rating at 4.3.

Best for: startups automating sales, small teams tracking deals, sales-led businesses

Pipedrive and Insightly are not really chasing the same buyer. Pipedrive is a sales tool that added extras. Insightly is a platform that happens to include a pipeline.

Insightly is the better choice for mid-sized teams that need customised workflows beyond selling. Comparing Insightly against Pipedrive on delivery and reporting, it wins clearly.

For most readers, though, the cheaper and simpler option is the one your reps will keep using. That is Pipedrive.

More of Pipedrive Compared

Here is how Pipedrive CRM stacks up against other names on your shortlist:

Pipedrive vs HubSpot

Pipedrive wins on: lower entry price, faster setup for a small sales team, no contact caps

HubSpot wins on: a genuinely free tier, deeper marketing automation, stronger content tooling

Pipedrive vs Salesforce

Pipedrive wins on: setup time measured in hours, predictable seat pricing, no admin hire needed

Salesforce wins on: customisation depth, large-org reporting, a huge partner network for niche builds

Pipedrive vs Monday CRM

Pipedrive wins on: sales-specific views, deal forecasting, 24/7 support on all tiers

Monday CRM wins on: flexible board layouts, cross-team work tracking, visual project boards

Pipedrive vs Keap

Pipedrive wins on: cheaper seats, cleaner pipeline view, easier reporting for new users

Keap wins on: bundled email and SMS follow-up, e-commerce features, done-for-you campaign templates

More of Insightly Compared

And here is Insightly vs the alternatives buyers usually shortlist beside it:

Insightly vs HubSpot

Insightly wins on: native project delivery, custom report builder, per-seat cost at the top tier

HubSpot wins on: free starting tier, easier email campaign builder, larger training library

Insightly vs Zoho CRM

Insightly wins on: tighter CRM-to-project handoff, cleaner interface, guided onboarding option

Zoho CRM wins on: much lower seat price, bundled office apps, more built-in customisation at entry level

Insightly vs Salesforce

Insightly wins on: shorter rollout, projects included as standard, simpler admin for a small ops team

Salesforce wins on: scale, third-party app depth, granular permission control

Frequently Asked Questions

What is better than Pipedrive?

It depends on the job. Insightly is better for project delivery and reporting. HubSpot is better for free access and marketing. For pure pipeline work, few tools beat Pipedrive.

What is Insightly good for?

It suits mid-sized teams that manage customers and projects together. The platform links sales records, marketing campaigns, and delivery work, so nothing falls through after a deal closes.

Can Pipedrive be used as a CRM?

Yes. It is a full customer relationship management tool with contacts, deals, activities, and reporting. It simply puts the sales pipeline at the centre of everything.

Is Insightly cloud based?

Yes. It runs in the browser with no server to maintain. Insightly’s mobile app covers records on the road, and data syncs across devices automatically.

Which CRM is cheaper for small teams?

Pipedrive. Its Lite plan is $14 per user per month against $29 for the Plus tier. Add ons can narrow that gap, so check them first.

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