Pipedrive Alternatives for Small Business Australia (2026): 5 CRMs to Compare
Pipedrive is a focused sales CRM, but it is not the only sensible option. Compare five alternatives by the job you actually need the CRM to do—not by a universal ranking.
The short version
Pipedrive remains a strong reference point for pipeline-first selling. Its current Lite, Growth, Premium and Ultimate plans centre on leads, deals, activities and sales follow-up, with full email sync and automations from Growth and broader lead-to-close tooling higher up.
The alternatives below become more relevant when your priority shifts: HubSpot for a free starting point and broader customer platform, Freshsales for built-in sales communication at a lower entry price, monday CRM for highly configurable workflows, Zoho CRM for businesses already leaning into the wider Zoho ecosystem, or Salesforce when broader sales/service/marketing capability and deeper scale matter.
How to use this guide: treat each product as a different fit, not a numbered winner. Pricing and packaging change; verify the live Australian checkout or provider quote before purchasing.
Which alternative deserves a closer look?
| If your priority is… | Compare | Why it belongs on the list |
|---|---|---|
| Starting with a permanent free CRM | HubSpot | HubSpot currently offers a free CRM with no expiry and no credit card required. |
| Email, phone and chat inside an affordable sales CRM | Freshsales | Growth currently lists chat, email and phone alongside pipeline features. |
| Flexible boards and cross-team workflows | monday CRM | Built around configurable boards, fields, views, automations and dashboards. |
| A CRM inside a broader business-software ecosystem | Zoho CRM | Worth comparing when other Zoho apps are already part of your operating stack. |
| Broader CRM scale across sales, service and marketing | Salesforce | Australian small-business suites now span free, Starter and Pro options before higher Sales Cloud tiers. |
1. HubSpot: compare it when free entry and a broader platform matter
HubSpot's free CRM is currently positioned as a free-forever product with no credit card required. That is an immediate structural difference from Pipedrive, whose current public offer is a 14-day trial rather than an ongoing free plan.
HubSpot also extends beyond sales CRM into marketing, service and other customer-platform functions. That breadth can be useful if your long-term plan is to bring more customer-facing work into one ecosystem. The trade-off is that the comparison becomes less about the cheapest entry point and more about which paid capabilities you will eventually need.
Compare HubSpot with Pipedrive when: you want to start free, expect marketing/service needs to grow, or prefer a broader platform around the CRM.
2. Freshsales: compare it for built-in communication and a lower entry price
Freshsales currently lists Growth at US$9/user/month billed annually, with Pro at US$39 and Enterprise at US$59. Growth includes a Kanban view, contact lifecycle stages, chat, email and phone, email templates, custom fields and basic workflows.
That makes Freshsales particularly relevant for a small sales team that wants communication channels built into the CRM from the start. Pipedrive's own strengths remain its pipeline/activity workflow and extensive integration ecosystem, so the useful comparison is how each team actually sells day to day.
Compare Freshsales with Pipedrive when: integrated communication is central to the workflow or the entry-level budget is tight. Confirm Australian billing and taxes at checkout.
3. monday CRM: compare it for configurable workflows
monday CRM is built on monday's flexible work platform. Its current CRM plans are Basic, Standard, Pro and Ultimate, and the provider highlights configurable boards, fields, views, automations and dashboards without requiring a developer.
Current annual-billing list prices displayed publicly start at US$12/seat/month for Basic, US$17 for Standard and US$28 for Pro, with Ultimate quoted separately. monday notes that final pricing depends on billing country and is shown before purchase.
Compare monday CRM with Pipedrive when: your sales process needs to connect tightly with custom operational workflows, project-style boards or cross-department work. Pipedrive is the cleaner comparison when the priority is a purpose-built sales pipeline first.
4. Zoho CRM: compare it when the wider Zoho ecosystem matters
Zoho CRM remains a relevant Pipedrive alternative for businesses that want CRM to sit inside a broader suite of business applications. That can be attractive when email, finance, support, analytics or other operations are already moving through Zoho products.
The practical decision is less about a feature checklist and more about ecosystem fit versus sales-focus simplicity. Pipedrive keeps the sales pipeline highly central; Zoho can make more sense when CRM is one component of a wider Zoho-based operating environment.
Compare Zoho CRM with Pipedrive when: you already use Zoho products, want deeper configuration across a broader suite, or expect the CRM to connect with several adjacent business functions.
5. Salesforce: compare it when scale and breadth matter more
Salesforce's Australian small-business range now includes a Free Suite at AU$0 for two users, Starter Suite from AU$35/user/month and Pro Suite from AU$140/user/month, with higher Sales Cloud editions beyond that. Starter combines lead, account, contact and opportunity management with sales flows, lead routing and marketing capabilities.
This makes Salesforce relevant earlier in the small-business journey than its enterprise reputation might suggest. But it is still a different buying proposition from Pipedrive: businesses should compare setup complexity, required features, contract terms and future expansion—not just headline seat price.
Compare Salesforce with Pipedrive when: you expect deeper customisation, broader sales/service/marketing requirements or a path toward a larger CRM platform.
Pipedrive versus the alternatives: decision checklist
Map how leads arrive, how follow-up happens, who owns deals and what occurs after a sale.
Entry prices are misleading if email sync, automation, reporting or add-ons force an upgrade.
Confirm your accounting, email, calendar, marketing and support tools—not just total integration counts.
Use trials with a representative pipeline, real fields and typical follow-up tasks before committing.
Australian buyer notes
Do not assume a USD list price converts directly into the amount an Australian business will be invoiced. Providers can localise currency, tax treatment, billing cycles and offers. Pipedrive says Australian billing locations are charged in AUD; monday says final pricing depends on billing country; Salesforce publishes Australian AUD pricing directly on its Australian pages.
For each shortlisted CRM, compare the total configuration: users/seats, required plan, add-ons, automation or AI usage, implementation effort, contract period and applicable tax.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Pipedrive?
Yes. HubSpot currently offers a free CRM with no expiration. Salesforce Australia also currently lists a Free Suite for two users. Freshsales' comparison page lists a free tier for up to three users, although buyers should verify current availability in their region.
Which Pipedrive alternative is closest to a flexible work-management platform?
monday CRM is the clearest comparison in this group because it is built around configurable boards, views, automations and cross-team workflows.
What if email, phone and chat are important?
Freshsales is worth comparing because its current Growth plan lists chat, email and phone alongside core CRM features.
Should I leave Pipedrive just because another CRM has more features?
Not necessarily. More features only matter if they support your workflow. A focused sales team may prefer Pipedrive's sales-first structure, while another business may benefit from a broader platform.
Does SAVKAAS rank these alternatives by commission?
No. Commercial relationships do not determine SAVKAAS rankings or editorial conclusions. This guide groups products by buyer situation rather than declaring a universal winner.
How SAVKAAS approaches this comparison
This is a research-based buyer guide using current provider product, pricing and support material checked on 3 October 2026. SAVKAAS does not fabricate hands-on testing or star ratings. Product details can change, so verify material pricing, limits and availability with the provider before purchasing.
Keep comparing
Pipedrive vs monday CRM
Comparing a sales-first CRM with a more configurable workflow platform? Read Pipedrive vs monday CRM Australia (2026) →