Custom CRM vs Pipedrive
Great pipeline view. Not a business system.
Pipedrive is the CRM that sales reps actually like using. The visual pipeline, the clean interface, the focus on deal flow. It's well-designed for what it does. The problem is what it doesn't do. Pipedrive is a pipeline management tool, not a business system. The moment you need it to handle project delivery, complex reporting, custom objects, or anything beyond moving deals through stages, you've outgrown it. And Pipedrive knows this, which is why they keep adding features that don't quite work as well as the core pipeline.
Where Pipedrive Falls Short
Common pain points businesses hit with Pipedrive, and why they start looking at alternatives.
It's a Pipeline, Not a CRM
Pipedrive excels at one thing: visual deal tracking. But most businesses need more than a deal pipeline. Customer support tracking, project delivery management, complex contact relationships, inventory, quoting: Pipedrive either doesn't handle these or handles them poorly through workarounds. You end up needing additional tools that don't connect cleanly to Pipedrive.
Reporting Is Shallow
Pipedrive's built-in reports cover basic pipeline metrics: deals won, deal velocity, conversion rates. Try to build a report that crosses data types (say, revenue by industry by quarter with rep performance overlay) and you'll hit a wall. Advanced reporting requires the $59/user/month Professional tier, and even then the reporting engine is limited compared to what most businesses need for real decision-making.
Automation Caps and Limits
Pipedrive limits the number of automations by tier. Essential tier: none. Advanced: 30 active automations. Professional: 60. For a growing team with complex workflows, 60 automations isn't enough, and you're paying $59/user/month to get there. Custom CRM has no automation limits because the automation is built into the application itself.
No Custom Objects
Pipedrive has contacts, organizations, deals, and products. That's it. No custom objects. If your business needs to track properties, projects, equipment, cases, or any entity type that doesn't fit those four buckets, you're out of luck. You end up misusing existing objects (tracking projects as deals, equipment as products), creating confusion and bad data.
Feature Comparison
How custom CRM stacks up against Pipedrive on the things that actually matter.
| Feature | Pipedrive | Custom CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Per-seat cost | $14-$99/user/month | Unlimited users, one-time build |
| Pipeline management | Excellent visual pipeline | Custom pipeline + full business logic |
| Custom objects | Not available | Any object type your business needs |
| Reporting depth | Basic, advanced on higher tiers | Any report, any data combination |
| Automation limits | 30-60 depending on tier | Unlimited, built into the system |
| Project management | Not included (separate tool needed) | Integrated if you need it |
| Support ticketing | Not included | Built in if you need it |
| Data model flexibility | 4 fixed object types | Any data model you need |
Cost Comparison
The real total cost of ownership, not just the sticker price.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive Professional for 20 users: ~$14,160/year. Still no custom objects, limited automation, basic reporting. Add third-party tools for project management and support: $20,000-$30,000/year total.
Custom CRM
Custom CRM: one-time build with pipeline management, project tracking, reporting, and any other module you need. The visual pipeline Pipedrive does well? We build that too, plus everything Pipedrive can't do.
When Pipedrive Is the Right Choice
Pipedrive is the right choice for small sales teams (2-5 reps) with a simple deal pipeline and no need for project management, support tracking, or complex reporting. If that's your situation, Pipedrive is genuinely good. If you need more, you'll outgrow it quickly.
The Bottom Line
Pipedrive is a great pipeline tool trapped in a CRM's body. If your entire business need is 'track deals through stages,' it's hard to beat. But the moment you need custom data types, deep reporting, unlimited automation, or anything beyond sales pipeline management, Pipedrive hits a wall. A custom CRM gives you the clean pipeline experience plus everything else your business needs in one system.
What Our Clients Say
“Policy renewal tracking and automated reminders increased our retention rate by 18%. The system pays for itself every single month just from saved accounts.”
Steven Wright
Agency Owner, Wright Insurance Group
Indianapolis, IN
“Ad sales, subscriber management, and editorial workflow in one CRM. Our ad reps finally see subscriber engagement data that helps them sell smarter.”
Catherine Reed
Publisher, Beacon Media Group
New York, NY
“Service provisioning, trouble tickets, and account management in one system. Our average resolution time dropped from 72 hours to 18 hours.”
George Takahashi
VP of Sales, FiberLink Communications
Kansas City, MO
“Foster family management, case tracking, and donor relationships in one system. We can show funders exactly how their dollars create outcomes. Grants increased 40%.”
Diane Foster
Executive Director, Children's Hope Alliance
Charlotte, NC
“Intake, conflict checking, and matter management in one place. Our paralegals saved 15 hours per week on administrative tasks alone.”
Katherine Wells
Managing Partner, Wells & Associates
Washington, DC
“Insurance company integration means estimates go directly into our CRM. Job status updates go to customers automatically. Zero phone tag with adjusters.”
Pete Halloran
Owner, Halloran's Collision Center
Worcester, MA
“Managing 200+ member relationships and grain contracts in a custom CRM replaced a filing cabinet and three spreadsheets. Our members can log in and see their own data.”
Robert Johansson
General Manager, Prairie Sun Cooperative
Fargo, ND
“ASIC compliance requirements meant off-the-shelf wouldn't cut it. Custom CRM with Australian data residency and full audit trails. Exactly what we needed.”
James Whitfield
Managing Director, Harbour City Advisors
Sydney, NSW
Thinking About Switching from Pipedrive?
Book a discovery call and we'll walk through your current Pipedrive setup, what's not working, and what a custom CRM would look like for your team.