Head to head
Pipedrive vs Salesforce Starter (2027): Which Is Better?
Price, features and who each one suits, side by side.
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Quick answer
- Pipedrive ranks higher overall (9.1 vs 7.7).
- Pick Pipedrive for small sales teams that want a simple pipeline.
- Pick Salesforce Starter for small teams planning to move up to a larger platform later.
Pipedrive vs Salesforce Starter at a glance
| Item | Pipedrive | Salesforce Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.1 ★★★★★★★★★★ | 7.7 ★★★★★★★★★★ |
| Best for | Small sales teams that want a simple pipeline | Small teams planning to move up to a larger platform later |
| Starts at | $14/seat/mo | $25/user/mo |
| Free plan | No (14-day free trial instead) | A Free Suite is listed at $0/user/month; its limits are not stated on the pricing page |
| Cheapest paid plan | Lite: $14/seat/mo billed annually, $24 monthly | Starter Suite: $25/user/mo, billed monthly or annually |
| Mid-tier plan | Growth: $39/seat/mo annually ($49 monthly); Premium: $59 ($79 monthly) | Pro Suite: $100/user/mo, billed annually, contract required |
| Top plan | Ultimate: $79/seat/mo annually, $99 monthly | Sales Cloud Core $195, Advanced $395, Max $550 per user/mo, billed annually |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 30 days |
| Contract terms | Monthly or annual; auto-renews; fees are non-refundable, and cancelling takes effect at the end of the term | Starter: monthly or annual billing; Pro Suite: annual contract required |
| Setup fee | None listed | None listed; guided onboarding included on Starter |
| Cheapest-plan limits | Lite: pipeline, leads and calendar management; email sync and automations start on Growth | Starter: built-in sales flows and lead routing, 2,000 marketing emails/month; custom objects, sandbox and complex workflow automation need Pro Suite |
| Paid add-ons | LeadBooster from $32.50/month per company | Extra 1,000 marketing email sends for $10/month |
| G2 rating | 4.3/5 from 5,122 reviews | 4.4/5 from 27,590 reviews (Sales Cloud listing; G2 has no separate Starter listing) |
| Price changes | Fees can change with at least one month's notice, from the next renewal date | — |
| Nonprofit discount | — | Power of Us: 10 Nonprofit Cloud licenses at no cost for eligible nonprofits |
| Links | Pipedrive | Salesforce Starter |
The short version
Pick Pipedrive if you want a visual pipeline a small team can set up in an afternoon, with email sync and automations on Growth and monthly billing on every plan. Pick Salesforce Starter if you expect to grow into the Salesforce platform, or if your team mainly needs a low-cost entry plan with guided onboarding and marketing email. Salesforce Starter costs less per seat than Pipedrive Growth and includes built-in sales flows and lead routing, but complex automation or custom objects on Salesforce mean Pro Suite at $100 a user on a contract.
Price at 5, 20 and 50 users
Year-one cost on the plan a growing team needs:
| Plan | 5 users | 20 users | 50 users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Starter Suite ($25, annual) | $1,500 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| Salesforce Pro Suite ($100, annual contract) | $6,000 | $24,000 | $60,000 |
| Pipedrive Growth ($39, annual) | $2,340 | $9,360 | $23,400 |
| Pipedrive Growth ($49, monthly) | $2,940 | $11,760 | $29,400 |
Salesforce Starter is $14 a user cheaper than Pipedrive Growth billed annually (Salesforce pricing, Pipedrive pricing). The comparison turns on how much automation you need: Pipedrive Growth includes automations, and Salesforce Starter includes built-in sales flows and lead routing. Complex workflow automation and custom objects need Salesforce Pro Suite, which costs more than double Pipedrive Growth at every team size.
Contracts, setup fees and limits
Neither lists a setup fee. Pipedrive offers monthly billing on every plan, with no annual contract required. Its plans auto-renew, fees are non-refundable, and cancelling takes effect at the end of the term (Pipedrive terms). Pipedrive can also change fees with at least one month's notice, from the next renewal date.
Salesforce Starter Suite is billed monthly or annually with no user maximum, and includes guided onboarding (Salesforce Starter). Pro Suite requires an annual contract.
The entry plans cover different ground. Pipedrive Lite ($14 annual, $24 monthly) handles pipeline, leads and calendar, but email sync and automations start on Growth. Salesforce Starter includes built-in sales flows, lead routing and 2,000 marketing emails a month, with 1,000 more for $10, but custom objects and complex workflow automation need Pro Suite.
For trials, Pipedrive gives 14 days with no credit card. Salesforce gives 30 days, and also lists a Free Suite at $0 a user without stating its limits on the pricing page (Salesforce Sales pricing). Pipedrive has no free plan.
Pipedrive charges extra for lead capture: LeadBooster starts at $32.50 a month per company (Pipedrive LeadBooster).
Which one fits your team
- A sales team that wants email sync and automations now, without a contract: Pipedrive Growth, paid monthly if needed.
- A small team that mostly needs contact records and marketing email: Salesforce Starter at $25 includes 2,000 sends a month.
- A company planning a move to Sales Cloud later: Salesforce Starter grows into Core ($195), Advanced ($395) and Max ($550) per user, billed annually.
- A team without an admin: Pipedrive is built for fast setup; Salesforce has more to learn than tools built only for small teams.
On G2, Pipedrive rates 4.3/5 from 5,122 reviews (G2). Salesforce's 4.4/5 from 27,590 reviews covers all of Sales Cloud, since G2 has no separate Starter listing (G2).
How we compared
We read each vendor's pricing and terms pages and their G2 listings, checked on Nov 12, 2026. This comparison is research-based, with no hands-on testing. Costs use list price per user times users times 12, plus any required setup fee.
Full reviews: Pipedrive · Salesforce Starter · all crms ranked
Sources
- www.pipedrive.com/en/pricing (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.pipedrive.com/en/terms-of-service (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.pipedrive.com/en/features/lead-generation-software (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.g2.com/products/pipedrive/reviews (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.salesforce.com/sales/pricing/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.salesforce.com/small-business/pricing/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.salesforce.com/products/starter/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.g2.com/products/agentforce-sales-formerly-salesforce-sales-cloud/reviews (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.salesforce.com/nonprofit/pricing/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)