Your sales team should be able to see who owns an enquiry, what was discussed and what happens next. Use real deals to compare both systems, then price the setup, recurring service and connections you actually need.
Choose for your sales process
Frappe CRM and Pipedrive both help organize leads, contacts, deals and sales activities. The useful comparison is how your team handles qualification, proposals, follow-ups and handover. A contractor may need enquiries and quote follow-ups; a distributor may need opportunities alongside a separate stock and accounting system. Neither a sales pipeline nor a CRM purchase automatically supplies project estimating, manufacturing or complete business accounts. Define those requirements separately.
Compare the practical differences
| Decision | Frappe CRM | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Software and hosting | AGPL-3.0 open-source software with Frappe Cloud or self-hosting; installation and maintenance need an owner. | Vendor-hosted CRM subscription; the selected plan determines included functions. |
| Adding salespeople | No per-user software licence fee. Size hosting for activity, records, email and attachments. | Subscriptions are charged per seat, with monthly or annual billing choices. |
| Sales records and follow-ups | Leads convert to deals; notes, tasks and emails retain the sales context. | Pipeline, lead and activity management are offered; assess the chosen plan’s workflow and reporting limits. |
| Email and automation | Configure email accounts and test routing and the required automations on the installed version. | Full email sync and workflow automation vary by plan; verify shared-inbox and other advanced requirements separately. |
| Connections and extended work | ERPNext and communication integrations are documented, but compatibility and configuration require a specific scope. | Marketplace connections and add-ons extend the CRM; confirm third-party fees and the exact records exchanged. |
Have a salesperson run these tasks
- Create an enquiry with its contact and organization. Assign an owner and record the next follow-up.
- Send and receive a real test email, add a call note and confirm another authorized salesperson can understand the history.
- Qualify the enquiry, convert it to a deal and move it through your actual stages, including a lost outcome.
- Review overdue tasks and the pipeline with a manager. Check visibility using a user who should not see another team’s records.
- If an external order or quote is required, demonstrate that handover and a failed connection before approving integration work.
A Pipedrive export needs a migration plan
Pipedrive supports CSV or Excel exports, but access depends on permissions and record visibility. Activities, notes and files linked to deals and contacts are exported separately. Check custom fields, owners, open activities and contact relationships in the actual files. Frappe CRM documents CSV imports for core records; that does not guarantee an automatic transfer of every conversation or attachment. Agree which records move, what history stays archived and the cutover date. Compare record counts and sample relationships in a trial import before the team switches.
Compare the complete cost
Fullsend’s one-time CRM setup covers one agreed sales pipeline, your prepared lead and contact import, email routing, team views and training. Hosting and optional ongoing support are separate. Data cleanup, additional pipelines, historical records beyond the agreed import, custom code and external integrations require a reviewed scope. Compare that with Pipedrive’s required seats and plan, billing term, add-ons, migration help and any third-party applications. A lower licence bill alone does not prove a lower total cost or a better sales workflow.
Decide after a working pilot
Pipedrive may fit when you prefer its hosted service and the chosen plan handles the work without new development. Frappe CRM merits a pilot when its standard workflow fits and open-source deployment matters to your business. Ask who will support users, maintain integrations and test upgrades. Keep the system that makes agreed tasks clear for your sales team, with a written scope for anything still missing.
Related decisions
Official references: Frappe CRM hosting, licensing and user billing · Frappe CRM setup, imports and sales workflow · Frappe CRM deal workflow · Frappe CRM follow-up tasks · Pipedrive plans, seats and feature boundaries · Pipedrive products and integrations · Pipedrive export permissions and separate history files