This is a rewrite of a post from 2019. Some of the content has changed but the aim is the same: to help marketers focus on what actually works, rather than chasing every hot new platform or plugin.

Here’s what I recommend focusing on in 2025 and beyond.

1. Look for growth tactics and “hacks”, but don’t compromise on user experience

Sure, growth hacks can deliver quick results. But short-term wins can cost you long-term trust. Nobody likes intrusive popups, manipulative CTAs, or “surprise” newsletter signups.

At Outfunnel, we’ve tested plenty of list-building tactics — and killed off the ones that annoyed our audience.

We added a scroll-triggered email collector to posts on our website some time ago. Only after implementation did we learn that it’s a “dumb” lead form. If you added your email and came back the next day, we still asked you for your email address. (Yikes!)

Smart marketing isn’t just about growth — it’s about respect.

2. Use tools that buy you back time

Time is your most precious marketing resource. If a tool saves you even an hour a week, that adds up fast.

For example, we use Outfunnel to sync CRM and email lists automatically (it’d be weird if we didn’t). That means no more importing-exporting CSV files to keep our lead and customer lists up-to-date.

A good rule of thumb: if a tool costs less than your hourly rate and saves you even just one hour per month, it’s probably worth it.

Pro tip: Look for automation opportunities hiding in plain sight — syncing contacts, cleaning lists, reporting workflows, etc.

Here’s another example: I was unpleasantly surprised when the social media tool Buffer announced that they’d discontinue their weekly statistics email. For me it had been a great way to learn which tweets had gotten good engagement, and which ones had flopped. Now I’d have to log in to the tool and navigate to the analytics view of two different Twitter accounts. Soon after that announcement, we cancelled our account.

3. Don’t just pick tools based on features — understand their DNA

All email tools might look the same on a features page. But the product’s DNA tells a different story.

Let’s look at CRMs, for example. Pipedrive was built for pipeline management, Copper for tight integration with the Google Workspace, HubSpot for taking the company multi-product. (Related: we’ve done a Pipedrive vs HubSpot comparison). So don’t just compare templates or pricing — dig into the company’s mission, blog content, and customer stories.

But in a typical vendor comparison matrix, all tools appear to do very similar things.

When comparing tools, ask: are they solving problems similar to yours? Do they care about the same stuff? That’s what matters.

4. When doing outbound, invest in targeting and copy.

Outbound just works, so it should probably be in everyone’s “toolbox”.

Alas, because generating cold emails is easier than ever, all of our inboxes are overloading with outreach messages.

It’s so easy to set up a dozen burner domains for cold email, and there are hundreds of AI-powered tools that don’t care about your results or how much annoyance the avalanche of emails causes.

Luckily, some modern tools like Amplemarker, Sera, and others have rapidly improving targeting options based on relevant signals such as mentioning your competitor in a negative light in a review, or participating in relevant Slack groups (in addition to basics like social media activity). I predict that companies that over-invest in targeting will win big.

Also, don’t go with the first version that your AI tool outputs, and really invest in writing.

Every email you send should earn its place in someone’s inbox. Write like a human. Be clear. Edit mercilessly. Pay a real human copywriter. Test, then test again. (And don’t forget to spell check)

5. Double down on AI — but don’t outsource your voice

Yes, AI can help you move faster. No, it shouldn’t replace your brain.

Use AI to help you:

• Create and repurpose content of all kinds
• Summarize call transcripts or CRM notes
• Build segments based on behavior

But don’t rely on it for originality, insight, or emotional connection. Your voice, your values, and your customer understanding are still your strongest assets.

PS. AI wrote this section, I wrote (almost) everything else. Notice the difference?

6. Invest in attribution tooling and processes

Most teams set up Google Analytics or CRM tracking and call it a day. But attribution data from tools alone can miss a lot — especially the human stuff. Like the Slack group where someone dropped your name, and that’s surprisingly popular. Or that podcast appearance from last year that quietly keeps sending traffic.

Here’s the move:

• Set up the basics — UTM tagging, CRM integration, and lead source tracking (Outfunnel can help to measure lead sources).
• Then ask every new lead how they found you — a simple form field works wonders.

Why both? Because we’ve seen that self-reported data often uncovers high-impact, low-visibility channels, while software-based tracking gives you consistency and scale. Combine them, and you get attribution that’s actually useful — not just a bunch of vanity metrics. See how we at Outfunnel track lead sources and how AI tools are on the rise.

And with AI getting better at connecting the dots across messy, multi-touch journeys, there’s even more value in feeding it high-quality input from both humans and systems.

So if you’re skipping either part, now’s the time to fix it. Track what you can. Ask what you can’t. And stop flying blind.

7. Deploy “inverse strategies” to get the most out of your email list

It’s well-known that your email list is an asset. Grow it, enjoy the benefits of it and don’t do anything stupid like use it all up in a weekend.

Conventional wisdom is to grow an email list. Smart marketers also invest in deleting people from their email lists. Namely, trimming people that haven’t engaged with emails for a long time.

This increases email deliverability and accuracy of your email reporting, as well as reduces your email budget.

Smart sales teams already target prospects that open and click emails. An inverse strategy to add on top is to go after negative email engagement signals like unsubscribes and bounces.

• Unsubscribing from a marketing email can mean : that (a) someone has opted for a competitive offering, or (b) found your email marketing uninteresting, or (c) found your latest email so convincing that they don’t need any new information. Whatever the reason, it’s a great reason to contact that prospect and find out.

• Email bounces usually mean that someone has changed their email address, and perhaps changed jobs. This means that you may want to (a) find out where they left to and initiate a new sales opportunity, or (b) find out who’s the replacement and make sure the work done so far wouldn’t go to waste.

📬 Next step: Build workflows that trigger actions based on unsubscribes and bounces.

8. The best long-term marketing bet is to invest in brand

Last but not least. Paid ads are getting more expensive and achieving worse results. Organic social media reach has been falling on multiple platforms. Search engines solve an increasing number of queries and competition is high.

Whatever you’re selling and whoever you’re selling to, the best long-term marketing bet is to invest in your brand. If your marketing plan is too acquisition and lead generation focused, your competitors will overtake you in a year or two.

Your marketing plan should include things like brand advertising, thought leadership and extreme top-of-funnel content, PR, events, community building, social media stunts, and the like. (See how we approach branding).

Yes, the short-term ROI on them is lower than for buying more Facebook ads right now, but you probably can’t afford to not think long term. A Facebook ad might get you a bunch of clicks today, but truly great marketing builds you a lasting reputation that compounds over time.

Marketing recommendations conclusion: when in doubt, go back to the basics

There’s always something new to pay attention to in marketing, and hopefully you got an idea for a tactic or a tool from this post.

I also hope I was able to illustrate why, in addition to following the new, it’s beneficial to deeply re-examine the basics.

It pays to treat customer data with respect, to keep user experience front-and-center, and to continuously invest in your brand.

The post 8 Timeless Marketing Strategies From a MarTech Insider appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

We regularly crunch the numbers from our self-reported lead source data. It’s a simple form field—“How did you hear about us?”—but over time, it paints a surprisingly insightful picture of B2B buyer behavior.

We’ve just wrapped our comparison of H1 2024 vs H1 2025. There’s a lot that’s stable… and one thing that really isn’t.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s a version of the table highlighting the most significant changes:

Outfunnel’s Self‑Reported Lead Sources: H1 2024 vs 2025

ChatGPT is now a real lead source

In 2024, almost no one reported finding us via ChatGPT or other AI tools—just 0.75%.

Fast forward to 2025? That number has jumped to 7.29%!

That’s a nearly tenfold increase in 12 months. And it’s by far the most dramatic shift in our lead source mix. More and more, we’re seeing comments like:

“I asked ChatGPT for the best CRM + marketing automation combo, and Outfunnel came up.”

“I was looking for tools to connect HubSpot and Mailchimp, and AI recommended you.”

It’s clear that ChatGPT (and other AI assistants) are becoming a new kind of discovery engine—sitting somewhere between Google search and a savvy consultant.

What the rise of AI means for B2B marketers

This isn’t just a curiosity—it’s a wake-up call. Here’s why:

AI is the new middleman.

Think of ChatGPT as your smartest, best-informed sales rep—but one that works for everyone. If your tool doesn’t show up in its answers, you may be invisible to a growing portion of your audience.

SEO isn’t enough anymore.

In the past, we focused on ranking in search. Now, we need to think about “ranking” in AI. That means:

• Structuring your content clearly
• Answering specific questions AI might be asked
• Being mentioned in trusted sources (AI learns from those)

AI-ready content is (slightly) different.

We’ve seen that AI tools often reference comparison articles, integration directories, and clear “best for X” recommendations. So, rather than writing generic blog posts, think: “Would this help ChatGPT recommend us?”

The good news: these content strategies also boost your SEO, so it’s not an either/or.

Bonus: I’ve found this email course on using AI tools in content from Steven MacDonald super useful.

Surprisingly modest drop in (Google) search

Given how big ChatGPT’s rise was, we expected a sharper decline in Google-driven leads. Instead:

• Google Search dropped from 19.57% to 17.25%
• Review sites dipped slightly from 1.72% to 1.54%

In other words, traditional channels are holding up better than we expected.

This aligns with what we wrote in our B2B marketing attribution insights post: attribution isn’t black and white. People might:

• Head about you in a podcast
• Ask ChatGPT for confirmation
• Then Google you to double-check before signing up

So while ChatGPT might be the “first touch,” Google is still very much in the mix.

Other channels are mostly steady

Not every shift was dramatic—and that’s OK. Some channels are just consistently useful:

• App marketplaces still account for ~34% of leads (34.73% ➜ 34.29%)
• Social media and word-of-mouth stayed flat
• Advertising dropped slightly (1.57% ➜ 0.62%), but that’s been trending down for a while (and we’ve tightened up or ad strategies)

These channels matter, but there’s no breaking news here.

Attribution tip: ask your leads and use attribution tools

“How did you hear about us?” still works wonders.

And for a clearer picture, layer in:

• UTM tracking (hint: Outfunnel can help).
• Session-based analytics

That way, you can connect what people say with what actually happened. See my earlier post on combining self-reported lead sources with tracking.

Final thoughts: B2B discovery is evolving fast

The key takeaway from this year’s data?

ChatGPT and other AI tools are now real players in the B2B buying journey.

They’re not replacing search or word-of-mouth—but they’re absolutely reshaping how people discover tools like Outfunnel.

If you’re a marketer, the best move right now is to optimize for both humans and machines. That means:

• Writing helpful, clear, and specific content
• Creating comparison pages and use case explainers
• Getting mentioned in places that AI models learn from

The future of discovery is hybrid. And now’s the time to get ahead of it.

PS. Do you already have a plan for connecting Pipedrive with ChatGPT, or HubSpot with ChatGPT? We can help.

The post The Rise of AI in B2B Discovery: What Our Latest Lead Source Data Reveals appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

At Outfunnel, we believe sales and marketing work best when they work together — and connecting sales and marketing data is the smartest place to start. While Outfunnel already helps you capture lead sources and UTM codes for new web leads, sometimes you want to take things further — connecting your CRM data with Google Ads and Google Analytics for deeper analysis and more precise campaign management. 

We’ve done this at Outfunnel and I’m sharing our setup as a guide below.

Most guides about connecting Pipedrive to Google Analytics 4 or Google Ads barely go beyond the basics. They skip crucial steps and leave you guessing about the complete setup. This guide will walk you through the complete process: setting up custom fields and automations in Pipedrive, then using Zapier to send conversion events (including revenue data) to GA4 and Google Ads.

What’s in this article?

• Set up Pipedrive
  • Create stage flags using deal fields
  • Create deal filters for Zapier triggers
  • Create automations to update stage flags (fields)
• Connect Pipedrive to Google Analytics 4 with Zapier
  • Send a regular event to GA4 (e.g. Signed up)
  • Send a purchase event with revenue to GA4
• Connect Pipedrive to Google Ads with Zapier
  • Send offline conversions to Google Ads

Before you start

Your lead forms need to capture the GA Client ID and the GCLID at signup or during form submits. Most WordPress form builders support hidden fields for passing this data, but capturing it requires custom development. Use JavaScript to read these identifiers on the page and populate the hidden fields before submission. You will use the GA Client ID for your Pipedrive Google Analytics integration and the GCLID for attributing Google Ads conversions. This guide assumes you are already collecting both identifiers. If you are interested, we can share the JavaScript snippet we use and make our solution public.

You likely already have a workflow that sends website leads into Pipedrive, often through tools like Zapier or Make. Note that Outfunnel’s lead form integrations create a lead in Pipedrive without opening a deal. In this flow we use Zapier to convert each signup into a Pipedrive deal, and you can achieve the same result with Pipedrive automation if you prefer. This is important because this guide relies on Deals to send conversions to GA4 and Google Ads as the deal moves through different pipeline stages.

Set up Pipedrive

Start by setting up the fields you’ll use for automations and filters. We will be creating these fields under the Lead/Deal. You need two essential properties: “GA client ID” and “GA Click ID” for storing GA4 visitor and Google Ads click identifiers that I mentioned in the beginning. Navigate to your Pipedrive settings (https://your-company-slug.pipedrive.com/settings/fields) and add them as text fields if you don’t already have them. You can also use Person or Organization fields, but you would need to adapt the field references mentioned in this article accordingly.

Create stage flags using deal fields

Set up additional fields for each deal stage – we will use them for flagging the status of conversion events. Create the fields using the “Single Option” field type and add two options: “true” and “false”. These fields tell your automations and triggers when to take action.

At Outfunnel, we are using the following setup for the field namings:

• Data sent to Google Analytics (Signed up)
• Data sent to Google Analytics (CRM connected)
• Data sent to Google Analytics (Data synced or emails sent)
• Data sent to Google Analytics (Actively using)
• Data sent to Google Analytics (Deal won)

Each named after its corresponding deal stage. We have created separate fields for both Google Ads and Google Analytics because we send offline conversions to both Google Ads and events to GA4. We will be using Signed up and Deal won as examples in this article.

Create deal filters for Zapier triggers

Deal filters will trigger your Zaps. Compared with using stage-change triggers, this approach ensures your automations finish before Zapier activates, preventing missed or duplicate triggers.

Go to your main pipeline (https://your-company-slug.pipedrive.com/pipeline). Click the “Filter” button in the top right corner, then select “Add a new filter” at the bottom.

A modal window will appear. Select one of the deal fields you just created and set the condition to “false”. Name the filter after the property name to avoid confusion later. Repeat this process for each field you created.

Click “Save”. When you select this filter for your pipeline, you won’t see any deals yet. That’s normal as you need to set up automations to populate these field values when deal stages change.

Create automations to update stage flags (fields)

Automations create workflows that update your deal fields automatically. You’ll use them to change field values when deals move between stages. Remember those true/false options you created? Automations will set these values based on stage changes.

Follow these steps to configure your automation:

Trigger:

• Event Trigger > Deal > Updated. Apply trigger.

Conditions:

• Instant Condition > Deal stage is Signed up.
• Add custom condition > Data sent to Google Analytics (Signed up) is empty.
• Add custom condition > Deal status is not lost.
• Add new set (AND) > Add custom condition > GA Client ID is not empty (or Click ID is not empty when building for Google Ads).

Action:

• Action > Deal > Update deal fields.
• Select the field Data sent to Google Analytics (Signed up) and set its value to “false”.

Note: For automations targeting won deals, change “Deal status” to “is won” and remove the “Deal stage” condition under the Instant Condition block.

Click “Save” in the top right corner, and your Pipedrive automation is completed. The process seems complex initially, but you can duplicate this automation and modify it quickly for other stages.

Your completed automations page should look similar to this for all GA4 and Google Ads automations:

Connect Pipedrive to Google Analytics 4 with Zapier

Your Pipedrive setup is complete. You’ve created deal fields, automations, and filters. Now let’s connect everything through Zapier using those deal filters as triggers.

The process works like this: Deal stage changes → automation runs and sets deal field to false → deal filter finds new match → Zapier triggers using “Deal Matching Filter.” This sequence ensures clean processing without duplicate events in GA4 or Google Ads.

Send a regular event to GA4 (e.g. Signed up)

Create zap and add trigger

Create a new Zap and choose Pipedrive for the trigger. Select “Deal Matching Filter” for the trigger event. In the configuration step, choose the deal filter you created in Pipedrive.

Configure GA4

Add a new step and choose Google Analytics 4. Here’s where many people get stuck: GA4 offers two similar actions: “Create conversion event” and “Send measurement events.” Choose “Send measurement event.”

The Configure tab shows two fields: “API Secret” and “Measurement ID.” Copy these from your Google Analytics account:

1. Go to Admin (bottom left corner) → Data streams → Click on your data stream
2. Copy the Measurement ID from the top right and paste it in Zapier
3. On the same GA4 page, click “Measurement Protocol API secrets” below
4. Click Create, add “Zapier” as the nickname, then click Create
5. Copy the API Secret value and paste it into Zapier’s API Secret field

For the Client ID field, select the GA Client ID field from Pipedrive.

For the Events field, add this JSON: {“name”: “pd_signup”, “params”: {}}. Name your event whatever you prefer, but use lowercase with underscores instead of spaces. Otherwise, events won’t appear in GA4.

Add final step

Choose Pipedrive as the app and select “Update Deal” for the action. In the Configure tab, choose your Deal ID value, then scroll down to find your previously created field name. Select the field corresponding to the deal stage you’re sending events for and set the value to “true”.

Send a purchase event with revenue to GA4

Regular events are useful, but attributing closed deal revenue to marketing sources is crucial for tracking channel effectiveness. Purchase events accomplish this goal.

Duplicate the Zap you just created since you’ll use similar steps.

Edit the “Deal Matching Filter” step and choose the Pipedrive filter for won deals. Set the Deal status field to “won.”

In the GA4 step, choose “API Request” for the action event.

The Configure tab now shows different fields than the Measurement Event action. Fill these fields:

HTTP Method: POST
URL: https://www.google-analytics.com/mp/collect

Query string parameters:

1. measurement_id (same as in regular GA event)
2. api_secret (same as in regular GA event)

Body
Replace the <<>> placeholders with values from your Pipedrive deal fields:

{
  "client_id": "<<Your Client ID field from Pipedrive>>",
  "events": [
    {
      "name": "purchase",
      "params": {
        "currency": "USD",
        "transaction_id": "<<Your Deal ID from Pipedrive>>",
        "value": "<<Your Deal Value from Pipedrive>>",
        "items": [
          {
            "item_id": "<<Identifier for the product sold>>",
            "item_name": "<<Name of the product sold>>",
            "currency": "USD",
            "discount": 0,
            "price": "<<Your Deal Value from Pipedrive>>",
            "quantity": 1
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

For the final step, update the deal field corresponding to Deal Won and set its value to “true.”

Connect Pipedrive to Google Ads with Zapier

You’ll now integrate Pipedrive to Google Ads to send offline conversions. This section reuses the same deal filters and true/false stage flags you created earlier and the only change is swapping the GA4 step for a Google Ads step.

Send offline conversions to Google Ads

Since you’re replacing only the GA4 step with Google Ads, duplicate one of your GA4 Zaps.

Update the trigger to use the deal filter you created specifically for Google Ads.

Remove the GA4 step and replace it with the Google Ads app.

Choose “Send Offline Conversion” for the Action event. In the Configure tab, select your GCLID field from Pipedrive.

Update the final “Update Deal” step by finding the corresponding deal field and setting the value to true.

Wrap-up

You have completed the setup to automatically send conversion events when deals progress through your pipeline. You are now able to setup custom audiences in Google Analytics 4, see revenue attribution across channels and help optimize your Google Ads targeting.

I help businesses solve complex marketing attribution challenges. If you need assistance implementing GA4 tracking, setting up conversion pipelines, or capturing the Client IDs and GCLIDs mentioned in this guide, contact me at sessionframe.com

The post How to connect Pipedrive to Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

• “Added product to cart”
• “Started checkout”
• “Viewed product”
• …and more.

So if a lead browses your store or adds something to their cart but doesn’t hit “buy,” your sales team can follow up with context — and perfect timing.

Why this matters: smarter cross-channel sales workflows

This is a big win for companies that sell in two ways at once — through a sales team and an online store.

• Traditional B2B sales with a sales team
• B2B ecommerce via platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce

For example, this may be a manufacturer that sells complex solutions via a good old sales team but has made spare parts and more affordable products available via their online store. While the sale motions are separate, it’d still be useful for the salespeople to know which products their leads browse on the website.

Let’s say someone browses your web store and adds a product to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase. With our new Klaviyo event sync, your sales team will see this in the CRM and can follow up with a timely email or call — no guesswork needed.

It bridges the gap between marketing automation and sales outreach like never before (at least not that we know of).

Easy setup: just connect Klaviyo

Here’s another cool thing: your Shopify or WooCommerce store doesn’t need to be connected to Outfunnel directly.

As long as your online store is connected to Klaviyo, we can pick up all relevant ecommerce events from there and sync them to your CRM — HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Copper.

So setup is simple. Just:

1. Make sure Klaviyo is integrated with your store
2. Connect Klaviyo to Outfunnel
3. Choose the events you want to sync to your CRM

Done. ✨

A new customer segment for us, and just the beginning

This feature opens the door to a whole new set of use cases for companies blending ecommerce with traditional sales. If that’s you — welcome! 👋 We’re excited to support you.

And we’re just getting started. Right now, this works with Klaviyo — but we’re already exploring support for more marketing tools that are connected to online stores.

👉 Got a specific tool you’d like to see supported? Get in touch — we’d love to hear from you.

Ready to get started?

If you’re already using Klaviyo with your store, you’re just a few clicks away from smarter, cross-platform sales workflows. Learn more:

• HubSpot-Klaviyo integration
• Pipedrive-Klaviyo integration
• Copper-Klaviyo integration
• Salesforce-Klaviyo integration
• See all our Klaviyo integrations

The post Smarter Sales Follow-ups Start Here: Track Klaviyo Ecommerce Events in Your CRM appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

Your choice of marketing automation tool can say a lot about your company’s workflows, sales cycles, and even your customers. When we looked at Outfunnel usage data across different CRM platforms, a clear pattern emerged: certain marketing tools tend to pair up with specific CRMs—and not always for the reasons you might expect.

In this post, we’ll share which marketing automation platforms are most commonly used with each CRM—and what that might say about the teams and workflows behind them.

Mailchimp: still the dominant force (yes, still)

Despite the rise of countless competitors (seriously, we’ve lost count), Mailchimp remains the most popular marketing automation tool across every CRM platform Outfunnel supports. It may not be trendy, but it gets the job done—and it’s still the go-to choice for many.

Now, here’s the kicker: all the major CRMs that Outfunnel connects with—like HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Copper—offer free native integrations with Mailchimp. But people still choose Outfunnel to connect them. Why?

Because those native syncs are usually limited to basic syncing. That’s fine for simple funnels, but once you need to:

• Sync contact data both ways (contacts from CRM → Mailchimp and back again),
• Connect email engagement (opens, clicks, unsubscribes) to the CRM for sales follow-up, or
• Run automated lead nurturing that actually talks to your sales process…

…you need something stronger. That’s where Outfunnel steps in. (Quick plug: see our Mailchimp integrations.)

Klaviyo: a rising star (and an e-commerce twist)

Coming in hot as the second most popular tool across CRMs is Klaviyo—which is impressive, considering Outfunnel’s integration with Klaviyo has only been live for about 1.5 years. That’s less time than our integrations with Brevo or ActiveCampaign, yet usage is growing fast.

What’s especially interesting is how Klaviyo is being used.

We’re seeing companies run parallel sales strategies: traditional B2B sales (with reps managing pipelines in a CRM) and B2B e-commerce sales through an online store (usually Shopify). Think:

• A company selling industrial equipment through a sales team
• But also offering online orders for spare parts or add-ons via Shopify

Klaviyo, known for its deep Shopify integration, makes it easy to connect the dots—and now Outfunnel does too. We recently added support for syncing e-commerce events like “Viewed Product” into CRMs. That means a sales rep could get a heads-up when a lead views a specific product online but doesn’t complete an order—and follow up with a tailored pitch. Pretty neat, right?

HubSpot + Klaviyo = the B2B e-commerce power couple?

Diving deeper, Klaviyo seems particularly popular with HubSpot users. That might seem odd at first—after all, HubSpot already offers pretty elaborate marketing automation. But we think we know what’s going on.

There’s a growing group of companies doing both:

• B2B sales (via reps, pipelines, and all the CRM stuff)
• B2B e-commerce (taking orders directly from businesses online)

For these companies, HubSpot CRM + Klaviyo is a powerful combo: a CRM that’s great for managing relationships and sales, paired with a marketing platform that’s deeply integrated with their online store.

ActiveCampaign vs. Brevo: close contenders

ActiveCampaign and Brevo (formerly known as Sendinblue) show similar usage levels overall across Outfunnel’s user base. But dig a little deeper and you’ll notice an interesting twist Brevo is relatively more popular among Copper users.

We’re not entirely sure why, but it may be due to Brevo’s affordability and flexibility, which aligns well with the kinds of teams that use Copper—often focused on sales without the need for many marketing bells and whistles.

Some disclaimers

• This data is based on Outfunnel users, not the global market. So while we’re not claiming these stats are universal, we do see enough volume for them to be a useful snapshot of how real-world sales and marketing teams are connecting their tools.
• MailerLite looks to have very few users in our dataset, but it’s one of our newer integrations. We’re certain it will rank higher in our next analysis. See our MailerLite integrations.

TL;DR: what we learned from the data

• Mailchimp still reigns supreme, even when free native syncs are available, because Outfunnel unlocks more advanced use cases.
• Klaviyo is rising fast, especially for companies running B2B + e-commerce in tandem.
• HubSpot + Klaviyo is becoming a popular combo for hybrid sales models.
• Brevo is punching above its weight with Copper users.
• Your marketing tool choices can tell you a lot—not just about your stack, but about your business model.

The post The Most Popular Marketing Automation Tools by CRM (or What Your Choice of Marketing Tool Says About You) appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

But are Pipedrive’s native forms enough for your business, or should you consider alternatives like WordPress forms, Wix, Typeform, or HubSpot Forms? In this guide, we’ll compare Pipedrive Forms with other popular web form tools, so you can choose the best solution for lead generation and CRM integration.

Broadly, there are six main web form options that can be used with Pipedrive:

• Pipedrive Forms
• WordPress forms
• Wix Forms
• WebFlow Forms
• Typeform
• Paperform

1. Pipedrive Forms

Pipedrive Forms are included in Pipedrive’s LeadBooster add-on and provide a fast way to capture leads directly into your CRM. They’re ideal for sales teams that want a plug-and-play solution without coding or third-party tools.

Key features of Pipedrive Forms:

• Drag-and-drop editor for quick setup
• Standard fields (name, email, phone) plus custom fields for single/multiple choice and long text
• File upload support
• Automatic lead routing into your Leads Inbox or pipeline
• Pre-built templates for common use cases (contact forms, demo requests, newsletter signups)

Pros of using Pipedrive Forms:

• Native to Pipedrive → no extra integrations required
• Data flows instantly into CRM
• Simple, beginner-friendly setup
• Works out of the box with minimal design/dev resources

Limitations:

• Limited design customization (forms may not perfectly match your website branding)
• Cannot natively capture UTM parameters or advanced tracking data
• Requires the LeadBooster add-on ($39/month)

Best for: Teams that want a quick and reliable way to add web forms to their site and send data straight to Pipedrive—without managing multiple integrations.

What are UTM parameters and why do they matter?

UTM parameters are tags added to URLs that show where your traffic comes from—like search, social, or email. They help you measure which campaigns drive the most leads.

Do Pipedrive Forms support UTM tracking?

No, Pipedrive Forms don’t support UTM tracking, but third-party form tools connected via Outfunnel can capture this data automatically and sync it to your CRM.

2. WordPress forms 

There’s a strong chance your website runs on the WordPress content management system (CMS), which powers over 62% of CMS-based websites and more than 455 million sites worldwide. Thanks to its dominance, there are countless WordPress form plugins available—many with free basic plans—that make it easy to capture leads and connect them with your CRM.

With so many options, the challenge is clear: which WordPress form plugin works best with Pipedrive?

Here are some popular contenders:

• Elementor Forms
• Contact Form 7
• Gravity Forms
• WPForms
• JotForm
• Ninja Forms

We won’t delve into comparing these here. For a comprehensive overview, you can explore WPMayor’s insights or WPBeginner’s analysis of the most popular WordPress form plugins to make an informed decision.

Each plugin requires some setup to integrate WordPress forms with Pipedrive. Typically, this involves connecting your Pipedrive account to the plugin and adjusting the integration settings to match your workflow.

If you want full control, you can also use the Pipedrive API to manually connect your WordPress forms to Pipedrive. This gives maximum flexibility but requires coding skills and extra effort to style the forms so they convert well on your site.

💡 Easier alternative: Outfunnel offers pre-built integrations with leading WordPress form plugins. This ensures all leads captured through your website flow seamlessly into your Pipedrive pipeline, with no manual data entry or risk of errors.

Price: Free plans available, usually with optional paid plans offering additional functionality

Best for: WordPress sites, ideally with additional design/development resources available

3. Wix Forms

If your website is built on Wix, you can use Wix Forms to capture leads and connect them with Pipedrive CRM. With over 4.5 million websites powered by Wix, their native form builder is a popular choice for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking for a simple lead generation tool.

Wix provides a variety of ready-made templates, making it easy to create forms without coding. On the free plan, you can build up to three forms with five fields each—perfect for basic contact or sign-up forms. Advanced features, such as file uploads or signature fields, require a Business Premium plan.

However, customization is somewhat limited, and scaling beyond the free plan often means extra costs. As with WordPress, it’s important to consider how your Wix forms integrate with Pipedrive before committing.

💡 Best integration option: Outfunnel offers a Wix–Pipedrive integration that takes less than 15 minutes to set up. It automatically creates People, Organizations, Deals, or Leads in Pipedrive from each form submission, ensuring data flows smoothly into your sales pipeline. Compared to alternatives like make.com (Integromat), Outfunnel’s setup is much faster and easier to manage.

Price: Free tier with up to three forms; paid plans start at $12/month.
Best for: Businesses running on Wix that want a simple, automated way to connect Wix Forms with Pipedrive CRM.

4. Webflow Forms

If your website is built on Webflow, you can use its native form builder to capture leads and sync them with Pipedrive. Webflow is especially popular among SaaS companies, startups, and design-driven businesses, thanks to its flexibility and custom styling options.

Key features of Webflow Forms:

• Easy drag-and-drop form creation inside the Webflow Designer
• Fully customizable with CSS, ensuring forms match your site’s branding
• Supports multiple field types, including text, dropdowns, checkboxes, and file uploads
• Ability to add conditional logic via custom code or third-party tools

However, Webflow doesn’t offer direct Pipedrive integration out of the box. That means you’ll need a connector tool like Zapier or Make to sync submissions with your CRM.

Pros of Webflow Forms with Pipedrive:

• Forms can be styled to perfectly match your website design
• Flexible for marketing campaigns, landing pages, or product signups
• Reliable integrations available for automatic lead capture into Pipedrive

Limitations:

• Native Webflow forms don’t sync directly with Pipedrive without an integration tool
• Advanced functionality (logic, multi-step forms, analytics) requires custom code or third-party add-ons

Price: Included in all Webflow site plans. CMS plans start at $23/month.
Best for: Design-focused businesses that want full control over branding.

5. Typeform

Typeform is one of the most popular form builders for businesses that want visually engaging, conversational-style forms. Instead of overwhelming users with long forms, Typeform’s “one question at a time” experience increases completion rates and makes data collection feel more interactive.

Key features of Typeform:

• Clean, user-friendly design with customizable templates
• Conditional logic to show or hide questions based on responses
• Advanced analytics to track completion rates and drop-offs
• Unlimited forms on the free plan (with up to 10 responses per month)

One of the biggest advantages for Pipedrive users is that Typeform offers a native Pipedrive integration. Even on the free plan, you can connect your forms directly to Pipedrive so every response creates or updates a contact in your CRM.

Pros of using Typeform with Pipedrive:

• Highly engaging forms that feel more like conversations
• Great for surveys, lead capture, and onboarding flows
• Direct native integration with Pipedrive (no coding required)

Limitations:

• Free plan is limited to 10 responses per month
• Branding removal and higher response limits require a paid plan
• More expensive compared to basic form tools

Price: Free plan available; paid plans start at $29/month.
Best for: Businesses that want beautiful, high-converting forms connected directly to Pipedrive CRM.

6. Paperform

Paperform is a flexible form builder designed to create forms, surveys, and landing pages that look like branded web pages. We love it here at Outfunnel. Its strength lies in combining ease of use with advanced customization, making it a good alternative to Typeform for businesses that want more control.

Key features of Paperform:

• Super easy to use
• One of the few form builders that lets you open forms on button click, both on web and mobile
• Conditional logic to personalize the form experience
• Highly customizable templates with CSS and HTML support
• Built-in calculations for order forms, quizzes, and payments

Unlike Typeform, Paperform doesn’t offer a native Pipedrive integration. To connect Paperform submissions with Pipedrive CRM, you’ll need a connector like Zapier or Make (Integromat).

Pros of using Paperform with Pipedrive:

• Forms that can look and feel like landing pages
• Advanced logic and calculation features for complex use cases
• Greater design flexibility compared to many form builders

Limitations:

• No direct/native Pipedrive integration (requires a third-party connector)
• No permanent free plan, only a 14-day free trial
• Slightly steeper learning curve if customizing with code

Price: Paid plans start at $24/month (with annual billing).
Best for: Businesses that need survey-like forms or branded landing page forms integrated with Pipedrive.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right Pipedrive forms solution depends on your website platform, design needs, and lead capture goals. Pipedrive’s native forms (via the LeadBooster add-on) are the fastest way to start collecting leads directly into your CRM, but they lack advanced customization and UTM tracking.

If your site runs on WordPress, Wix, or Webflow, their built-in form builders combined with an integration tool like Outfunnel make it easy to sync submissions with Pipedrive. For businesses focused on design and engagement, Typeform and Paperform provide beautiful, survey-like forms with conditional logic and analytics—though only Typeform offers a direct Pipedrive integration.

No matter which option you choose, the key is ensuring your forms integrate seamlessly with Pipedrive to automate lead capture, reduce manual data entry, and give your sales team the insights they need to close more deals.

If you plan to use Wix Forms, Gravity Forms, Elementor Forms, or Contact Form 7, Outfunnel offers seamless integration with Pipedrive.

Kickstart your journey with a free 14-day trial today!

The post Pipedrive Forms: The Complete Guide to Web Forms & Integrations appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

You can now sync your CRM data directly to Google Sheets, one of the most widely used tools by sales and marketing teams around the world. This might sound like a small addition at first glance. But for us, it’s something bigger.

From “just syncing sales and marketing tools” to powering go-to-market operations

When we first launched Outfunnel, our focus was clear: help sales and marketing tools talk to each other better. And we’ve done that—whether it’s syncing contacts between CRM and marketing automation platforms or bringing engagement data back to your CRM, we’ve made sure revenue teams can work off the same data, automatically.

But we’ve always known there’s more to the story.

Modern go-to-market teams use more than just CRMs and email platforms. They build dashboards in spreadsheets. They collaborate across tools. They analyze pipeline data, campaign performance, and lead progression in ways that no single app can cover on its own.

And that’s exactly where this new integration comes in.

Why Google Sheets?

Because reporting is a critical part of sales and marketing workflows—and it’s also one of the messiest.

We’ve talked to countless customers with setups like this: CRM as the system of record, email platform for campaigns, Google Sheets for reporting, tracking KPIs, or syncing with other teams.

But getting CRM data into Sheets usually meant manual exports, custom scripts, or overcomplicated automation setups in tools like Zapier. And if you want to keep the sheet updated in real time? Good luck.

So we built a better way.

What the Google Sheets integration does

Outfunnel’s new integration lets you:

• Automatically sync contact data from your CRM to Google Sheets
• Choose which fields to sync—custom fields, deal data, tags, labels—you name it
• Set up recurring syncs so your Sheets data is always fresh
• Use synced Sheets for reports, dashboards, or as a bridge to other systems.

In other words, it’s now easier than ever to get CRM data into a spreadsheet without copy-pasting, CSV exports, or duct-tape automations.

Why this matters (and where we’re heading)

This launch isn’t just about spreadsheets—it’s about expanding what Outfunnel helps you do.

It’s about recognizing that data doesn’t just flow between sales and marketing tools. It flows into reports, scorecards, ad platforms, onboarding dashboards, and more. Our goal is to support those workflows too—so revenue teams can focus on making better decisions, not managing messy data.

We’ll still be the best at syncing sales and marketing tools. But now we’re evolving from being a “data sync tool for marketers” into a revenue operations enabler—connecting the dots between CRM, marketing, reporting, and beyond.

You could say we’re moving from “one trick pony” to “reliable data backbone” for go-to-market teams.

Who is this for?

If you’ve ever:

• Built a custom spreadsheet just to report on pipeline or campaign performance
• Manually exported contacts weekly to share with other teams
• Needed a quick and flexible way to combine CRM data with other business data
• Struggled to get CRM data ready to be analyzed by BI or AI tools

…then this is for you.

Outfunnel’s Google Sheets integration is perfect for sales and marketing teams who:

• Work with complex data syncing needs
• Need flexible, real-time reporting
• Want to spend less time exporting and more time acting on insights

Give our CRM – Google Sheets integration a go

The Google Sheets integration is now available for all Outfunnel users for the following apps:

• Pipedrive – Google Sheets integration
• HubSpot – Google Sheets integration
• Copper – Google Sheets integration

We’ll be adding more apps shortly, like Monday.com-Google Sheets integration, Salesforce-Google Sheets integration, Mailchimp – Google Sheets integration, Klaviyo – Google Sheets integration, Brevo – Google Sheets integration, MailerLite – Google Sheets integration and ActiveCampaign – Google Sheets integration.

We’ll also be making the CRM and Google Sheets integration deeper. For example, allowing to sync tasks, deals or other objects in addition to contacts. (Let us know if you have a use case we don’t currently solve.)

And this is just the beginning. As we continue to grow, we’ll be expanding into more universal tools that go-to-market teams rely on—while staying true to our mission of keeping your sales and marketing data connected, clean, and useful.

For example, we’re also adding Google Sheets integrations with popular lead form and scheduling tools:

• Calendly – Google Sheets integration
• Facebook Lead Forms – Google Sheets integration
• LinkedIn Lead Ads – Google Sheets integration
• Elementor – Google Sheets integration
• WPForms – Google Sheets integration
• ContactForm7 – Google Sheets integration
• Gravity Forms – Google Sheets integration

Ready to get your data where it gets used? Start syncing CRM to Google Sheets now

The post Outfunnel Now Integrates with Google Sheets: Expanding Beyond Sales and Marketing Sync appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

As sales, marketing, and ops teams become more interconnected, CRM integrations are evolving from simple data transfers to complex workflows that drive business processes. So, what’s next?

Let’s dive into the future of CRM integrations—and how forward-thinking teams are getting ahead of the curve.

Oh, and there are no generic CRM integrations, but separate ecosystems for HubSpot integrations, Salesforce integrations, Pipedrive integrations, Monday.com integrations, etc. Each ecosystem has different needs and distinct integration options but some general principles apply.

The CRM is no longer just a sales tool—it’s the heartbeat of your business

Your CRM isn’t just a place to store contact info anymore. It’s where your sales team works, your marketing campaigns start, and your customer success strategy lives. That’s why integrations can’t just be surface-level anymore—they need to reflect the complexity of real-world workflows.

Whether it’s syncing lead engagement data to help sales prioritize outreach, or piping deal and product data into email campaigns, businesses now expect their CRM stack to just work. And when it doesn’t, it leads to silos, frustration, and lost opportunities.

Why traditional integrations are falling short

Basic, one-way contact syncs are fine—until they’re not. As soon as your business scales, your workflows evolve, or your data becomes more segmented, things start to break:

• You have to update lists in your email tool manually.
• Sales can’t see who’s engaging with marketing collateral.
• You need to build custom workarounds just to get accurate reports.

In other words, traditional “vanilla syncs” are no longer enough. Today’s teams need integrations that handle non-standard fields and object types, and real-time data updates—without relying on engineering support.

5 Trends Shaping the Future of CRM Integrations

Here’s what we’re seeing on the horizon for modern CRM integrations:

1. Contextual data > basic contact data

The future isn’t just syncing names and emails—it’s syncing rich context. Think: deal stages, product interest, web engagement, or onboarding progress. Sales and marketing teams need deeper insights to personalize communication and drive results.

2. Integration-as-infrastructure, not just a feature

As workflows get more interconnected, integrations aren’t just a side feature—they’re foundational infrastructure. Businesses are realizing that clean, reliable data flow is as important as the tools themselves.

3. No-code/low-code is the new normal

Ops and RevOps teams want control, without waiting on developers. The best integration platforms offer powerful customization without complexity. No-code is not a trend, it’s a must-have for revenue teams.

4. Complex reporting needs are driving deeper integrations

As businesses grow, reporting needs become more sophisticated. Sales and marketing teams want to track not just contact activity, but campaign performance, pipeline velocity, onboarding progress, and more—all in one place. But when your data lives in disconnected systems, building meaningful reports becomes a manual, time-consuming task.

That’s why more companies are looking for CRM integrations that don’t just move data—but structure it in a way that supports better analytics. Whether you’re building dashboards in a BI tool, feeding data into a RevOps report, or simply working with spreadsheets like Google Sheets, you need flexible, real-time access to clean CRM data.

👉 Outfunnel’s new CRM to Google Sheets integrations (for example, our HubSpot-Google Sheets integration) is a step in this direction—helping go-to-market teams get CRM data exactly where they need it to build reports that drive action.

5. Smart syncing leads to smarter decisions

Integrations that feed into lead scoring models, trigger automations, or enrich CRM records are paving the way for AI-driven ops. The future isn’t just about syncing—it’s about enabling better decisions.

Complex syncs are becoming the norm, not the exception

If your business runs on nuanced customer journeys, multiple products or services, or segmented audiences—you’re already seeing the limits of basic integrations.

Let’s say:

• You’re a SaaS company onboarding new users via automated emails.
• Or an agency managing campaigns for clients across regions.
• Or an ecommerce brand syncing product-level data for personalized marketing.

In all these cases, syncing just contacts isn’t enough—you need complex syncing with full context. That’s exactly where the future is heading, and it’s where platforms like Outfunnel shine.

Outfunnel: Built for the next generation of CRM integrations

Outfunnel connects your CRM with the tools your sales and marketing teams already use—from email platforms like Mailchimp and Klaviyo (see our Klaviyo intregrations), to now Google Sheets for custom reporting workflows.

We make complex syncing simple, so your data flows seamlessly and your teams can focus on growth—not importing and exporting data.

Final thoughts: Clean data isn’t the goal. Better business outcomes are.

The real value of integrations isn’t just syncing data—it’s enabling your team to make smarter decisions, faster. As the future unfolds, companies that invest in robust, flexible CRM integrations will be the ones that stay agile and competitive.

The post The Future of CRM Integrations: What’s Next for Go-to-Market Teams? appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

If you’re a Pipedrive user, you have three ways to handle these tasks:

1️⃣ Use Pipedrive’s built-in features
2️⃣ Use integrations built by Pipedrive
3️⃣ Use third-party tools for Pipedrive integrations like Outfunnel

Each option has strengths and weaknesses. In this guide, we’ll compare them to help you find the best fit for your business.

1. Marketing Automation in Pipedrive

Marketing automation helps sales and marketing teams stay aligned, nurture leads, and reduce manual work. But does Pipedrive offer the right tools for the job?

Option 1: Campaigns by Pipedrive

Campaigns by Pipedrive is a decent choice if you have simple email automation needs and want to keep your sales and marketing data in one place.

✅ Why Choose It?

• Tight integration with Pipedrive – Create new emails, automate campaigns based on Pipedrive filters, and track engagement directly in the CRM.
• Easy-to-use email builder – Drag and drop templates make it simple to build professional emails.

❌ Limitations:

• Limited features – No A/B testing, basic segmentation, and no automated list cleaning.
• Manual contact management – Converting a contact into a subscriber requires manual updates.
• Additional cost – Campaigns is a paid add-on.

🏆 Best for: Small businesses with basic email automation needs.

Option 2: Pipedrive’s Built-in Integrations

Pipedrive offers native integrations with Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, but these have limitations.

✅ Why Choose It?

• Sync contacts to Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign to keep your mailing list updated.
• Simple automation to send emails based on Pipedrive filters.

❌ Limitations:

• One-way sync – Email engagement data (opens, clicks) stays in Mailchimp/ActiveCampaign and doesn’t return to Pipedrive.
• Duplicate contact issues – If an email address changes, it creates a new contact instead of updating the existing one.
• Not all field types are supported.

🏆 Best for: Keeping a mailing list up to date with minimal effort.

Option 3: Third-Party Integrations + Outfunnel

For more advanced marketing automation, third-party tools like Outfunnel offer a bi-directional sync with marketing tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, and Klaviyo.

✅ Why Choose It?

• Syncs email engagement data back to Pipedrive – Sales teams see who opened and clicked emails.
• Bi-directional contact sync – Ensures all contacts and custom fields stay updated.
• Avoids duplicates – Prevents duplicate contacts by linking based on email addresses.
• Fast syncing – Data updates happen almost instantly.

❌ Limitations:

• Extra cost – Requires a separate subscription.

🏆 Best for: Businesses that need advanced email automation and full sales-marketing alignment.

Not sure which tools to pick? Read this post about the best Pipedrive CRM integrations.

2. Scheduling Meetings with Leads

A smooth scheduling process makes it easier for leads to book time with your team and move through the pipeline faster.

Option 1: Pipedrive’s Built-in Scheduler

Pipedrive offers a Scheduler tool as a paid add-on, allowing users to create and share booking links.

✅ Why Choose It?

• Works inside Pipedrive – No extra tools needed.
• Simple scheduling – Book meetings without back-and-forth emails.

❌ Limitations:

• Basic functionality – No round-robin scheduling or advanced workflows.
• No deep integrations – Doesn’t connect with marketing automation.

🏆 Best for: Sales reps who need a basic, built-in scheduling tool.

Option 2: Calendly + Outfunnel

Calendly is a powerful scheduling tool, but by default, it doesn’t sync meeting activity with Pipedrive. Outfunnel solves this, see our Pipedrive-Calendly integration.

✅ Why Choose It?

• Sync new contacts from Calendly to Pipedrive – No manual data entry.
• Map custom fields – Ensure all relevant data is available in Pipedrive.
• Automatically log meeting activity – Sales teams get full context on booked meetings.
• Track website visits before and after booking – Understand where leads come from.

❌ Limitations:

• Extra cost – Requires Outfunnel and Calendly subscriptions.

🏆 Best for: Teams using Calendly who need seamless CRM syncing.

3. Capturing Leads in Pipedrive via Web Forms

Web forms are essential for converting website visitors into leads.

Option 1: Pipedrive’s Built-in Web Forms

Pipedrive’s LeadBooster add-on includes a simple web form solution.

✅ Why Choose It?

• Easy to set up – No coding required.
• Leads go directly to Pipedrive – No manual data entry.

❌ Limitations:

• Limited customization – Can’t fully match website branding.
• No UTM tracking – Can’t capture source data for lead attribution.
• Requires extra cost – Part of the LeadBooster add-on ($39/month).

🏆 Best for: Small businesses that need basic, no-frills lead capture.

Option 2: Third-Party Web Forms (WordPress, Wix) + syncing tools

For more customization and tracking, businesses often use WordPress or Wix forms, and sync these to Pipedrive with Outfunnel or Zapier. Read more about various options for connecting web forms to Pipedrive.

✅ Why Choose It?

• More customization – Adjust design and fields to match your brand.
• Supports lead source tracking – Capture UTMs and original lead source.
• Integrates with Pipedrive – Automatically syncs new leads to Pipedrive (with .

❌ Limitations:

• Requires integration setup – Needs Outfunnel or another syncing tool.

🏆 Best for: Businesses that need flexible, branded forms with full CRM syncing.

Which Option Should You Choose?

💡 For small teams with basic needs → Pipedrive’s native tools may work.
🚀 For businesses needing advanced automation → Use third-party integrations like Outfunnel.

🔗 Want to align your sales and marketing effortlessly? Check out Outfunnel’s Pipedrive integrations to see how they can help your business grow! 🚀

The post Pipedrive Integrations vs. Native Features: The Best Choice for Sales and Marketing Use Cases appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.

Choosing between Pipedrive and HubSpot isn’t easy—especially if you’re an SMB or startup trying to scale.

Both are solid CRMs, but they serve different kinds of teams with different goals.

I’ll talk about my experience with using both and also share which of the two works best for certain types of companies and use cases.

There are other CRMs out there, of course. In some cases, your best bet is Salesforce, Copper, or something else altogether, but in this post, I’ll focus on comparing the two popular choices for SMBs and startups.

Key takeaways:

• Choose Pipedrive if you’re focused on sales pipeline management and want an easy-to-use, affordable CRM.
• Choose HubSpot if you need tight marketing & sales alignment and can budget for higher-tier plans.
• Use Outfunnel (that’s us!) to add advanced marketing automation (affordably) to either

Pipedrive vs HubSpot at a glance

Pipedrive: A sales-first CRM that’s built for reps

Pipedrive pros

• As a sales pro, I love and regularly use the pipeline view. It provides a clear understanding of what sales are in my pipeline and which deals I should be working on. 

• Pipedrive was created by sales pipeline management professionals and remains one at its core. This means it’s going to excel if you’re selling something in a complex sales process where you need to go through multiple steps to close a deal. 

• Pipedrive is built with the salesperson in mind. It’s quite user-friendly and filling fields or adding notes is relatively easy compared to the alternatives. 

• Filters are easy to use and provide quick ways to analyze specific aspects of the customer base or pipeline.

• Workflow Automation is surprisingly powerful for a CRM at this price point. It’s one of the best I’ve used for automating repetitive sales tasks.

Pipedrive cons

• While the built-in reporting is pretty good and your first set of reports will be easy to set up and share, customizing these reports can be a hassle. That’s why we’re not using these as much. 

• I like Pipedrive’s filters but I’m starting to rely on them less because they recently added some limitations to them. For example, you can’t have more than ten filter conditions as per the current platform settings. 

• Pipedrive does offer marketing tools like web forms and campaign tools but they’re rather basic. For example, with web forms, it’s impossible to tell which source a new lead came from—no source or UTM data is captured.

To make up for the missing marketing features, you can use an integration tool like Outfunnel to integrate Pipedrive with marketing tools like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or WordPress.

What Pipedrive users are saying:

Pipedrive gives a holistic view of our sales pipeline, making it possible for us to recognize bottlenecks, put in priority deals, and allocate resources efficiently.

Source: Capterra

HubSpot: Marketing-first, CRM second—but powerful

HubSpot pros

• HubSpot was built as a marketing tool with CRM capabilities added later on. Both modules rely on the same database though, so it’s a good pick for all use cases where sales and marketing need to work together.
• HubSpot’s core CRM database is a bit more robust than what Pipedrive offers. Most companies won’t always need this but it’s worth noting that it allows for lots of customization. 
• HubSpot is a bigger company and it simply has more built-in features and native integrations. Things like landing page builders, live chat, ad tracking, and even CMS features are included—especially useful for marketing-led teams.

HubSpot cons

• HubSpot has all the great features that SMBs need but pricing isn’t exactly suited for them. The features you’ll actually need—like automation, scoring, and branded forms—only unlock on the Professional plan, which starts at around $890/month.
• The sales pipeline feature is usable, but nowhere as user-friendly as Pipedrive. Pipedrive really is “best-of-breed” for this. 
• Having all of these features also makes it hard to make sense of it all. The platform is complex, but while they do everything, they’re not excelling at anything.

💡Outfunnel can help by syncing HubSpot with tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Brevo, and more—so you’ll get a solid CRM with best-of-breed marketing automation without needing to upgrade to the Professional plan.

What HubSpot users are saying:

“One of the standout features that has truly impressed us is its remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate our sales and marketing functions, creating an unparalleled level of synergy that has significantly enhanced our operations.”

Source: Capterra

Best use cases for Pipedrive vs. HubSpot

While both HubSpot and Pipedrive provide a strong CRM module, the extra functionalities can be different at times. Here’s what use cases I recommend for each.

When to use Pipedrive

My favorite use cases for Pipedrive’s CRM include:

• Managing long, complex sales cycles where deal values are high.
• Centralizing all communication with leads and customers. Everything from call notes, to email engagement to web visits is recorded in our CRM. 

• Automating repetitive tasks and workflows in the sales process. For example, auto-scheduling follow-up tasks for leads (free trial users in our case) that fit our ICP and have the potential to become valuable customers.
• Lighter analysis and reporting, using Pipedrive’s filters and built-in reporting. 
• Automating email marketing based on where a lead is in their buying cycle (using Outfunnel as a companion app – more on that later)

Let me be clear: Pipedrive has loads of use cases beyond just sales. PR teams, for instance, can use their CRM to reach out to journalists and publications, while your partnerships team will find it easy to manage contracts, agreements, deliverables, invoices, and payments from within the same platform.

Marketing-wise, though, Pipedrive is limited to its email marketing software. Even when sales are more important than marketing, you still need strong marketing workflows in Pipedrive. Outfunnel can help you integrate Pipedrive with tools like Calendly, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign.

When to use HubSpot

Som use cases HubSpot is great for include:

• Creating automated workflows that trigger emails based on specific actions or timelines. For instance, when a lead fills out a form on your website, it can trigger an automated email sequence.
• Coordinating a comprehensive marketing and sales campaign to launch a new product.
• Implementing a lead scoring system to prioritize high-potential leads.
• Automatically logging sales calls, tracking outcomes, and scheduling follow-ups
• Visualizing and managing sales opportunities through a pipeline.

Going beyond sales, most HubSpot users will need some more advanced marketing automation features at some point. But you’ll have to pay approximately $900 per month for the Professional CRM plan. And depending on your needs, you may need to add per-user fees on top.

Choosing the right CRM for your needs

Choose Pipedrive if …

I’d recommend Pipedrive for companies where sales efforts bring home the bacon. So if managing the sales pipeline is the key revenue driver, you’re selling expensive products or services, or have many stakeholders and touch points throughout the sales process, consider relying on Pipedrive’s sales tools.

Choose HubSpot if…

HubSpot is for companies where sales still matter, but tight integration with marketing is also important. For example, when it’s important to know the source of each lead or you need to guarantee smooth lead handover from sales to marketing.

It’s also a good option for companies that have “grown up” or where there’s simply an increased need for a tool that does many things well. That said, at one point, you’ll likely find out that you want a “best-of-breed” tool for a certain use case like marketing automation.

Since HubSpot has a free plan, I’d also suggest trying this tool if you’re just getting started and you’re not yet sure what your go-to-market strategy will be like. Trying out HubSpot’s extensive suite of features (albeit not advanced) will give you just enough time and insights to see what works best for you.

How about marketing integrations and workflows of Pipedrive vs HubSpot? 

We at Outfunnel are big fans of sales and marketing working together. It’s the only way to win big, really. So it pays to look at how easy it is to integrate sales and marketing workflows. 

The three most popular marketing workflows are automating email marketing (based on live data changes in the CRM), syncing new leads from website to the CRM, and prioritizing leads. Here are my 2 cents on how Pipedrive and HubSpot perform there.

Marketing integrations for Pipedrive

Pipedrive and marketing automation

• Pipedrive comes with a native Campaigns feature, but it’s lightweight. It’s also a paid add-on. 
• You can connect Pipedrive to Mailchimp through a native integration, but this is light as it only syncs contacts one-way, and is limited to person fields only. 
• With Outfunnel you can connect Pipedrive with popular marketing automation tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, HubSpot, and Klaviyo two-ways so that contacts are synced from Pipedrive to the marketing tool and email engagements are synced back.

Pipedrive and lead forms

• Pipedrive’s offers native web forms as part of the LeadBooster add-on which costs $32.50 per month per company. They’re great for basic use cases but I’ve heard gripes about their customizability. Marketers often point out that new leads are a “black box” as these forms use technology that omits all lead source information and UTM tags. 
• Pipedrive Marketplace offers native integrations to many web forms like Google Forms and Typeform. 
• Finally, Outfunnel lets you create seamless connections between various form tools and Pipedrive. There’s comprehensive field mapping and you can customize the workflow in Pipedrive after form submissions. Plus, our customers really like that our integration can auto-capture lead sources and record this in Pipedrive.

Pipedrive and lead prioritization

• Pipedrive doesn’t currently offer a lead scoring feature, so you’d need to buy an add-on (for example, Ortto, Salespilot, or Outfunnel) if you’d like to prioritize leads.

Marketing integrations for HubSpot

HubSpot and marketing automation

• HubSpot obviously has great native marketing automation capabilities but it can get pricey. For instance, for a team of five, you could pay an extra $890/month on the Professional plan that still has its limits and missing add-ons.
• You can connect HubSpot to 3^rd party tools like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign with native integrations that are pretty good but usually limited as they only sync contacts one way.
• With Outfunnel you can connect HubSpot with popular marketing automation tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, and Klaviyo two ways so that contacts are synced from HubSpot to the marketing tool and email engagements are synced back. The HubSpot-Klaviyo connector, for example, automatically records Klaviyo sends, opens, clicks, as well as website visits and sends them back into HubSpot.

HubSpot and lead forms

• HubSpot has its own native web forms as part of the Marketing Hub. While the tool offers extensive customization capabilities, the costs can add up. For example, if you want to remove the HubSpot branding on your lead forms and benefit from unlimited form automation, you’ll need the Professional plan at $890/month.
• HubSpot also offers basic native integrations with many if not most form tools. Their WP plugin enables syncing new leads into HubSpot and many forms offer native integrations via the HubSpot Apps Marketplace. According to feedback I’ve seen on the user community, these solve most basic use cases but sometimes fall flat when the setup is more complex. 
• Outfunnel may be able to offer deeper integration with your favorite form tool if the native integration doesn’t fulfill all your requirements.

HubSpot and lead prioritization

• HubSpot has a built-in contact and deal scoring feature that is offered on Professional plan and up. If $890/month for that capability is beyond your budget you may want to check out our lead scoring functionality for HubSpot.

Pipedrive vs HubSpot: My verdict

I might be a bit biased as Pipedrive is our chosen CRM. It suits SMBs well and offers manageable costs. We’ve also used our own integration capabilities to deeply connect Pipedrive with our marketing tools and internal processes, making an all-in-one solution like HubSpot unnecessary for us.

However, if your marketing team already uses HubSpot and your budget allows, opting for their all-in-one solution with the Sales Hub addition could be beneficial. Investing in the HubSpot package, if feasible, can also yield significant value for larger organizations — or if you want to try out diverse marketing campaigns and techniques.

Ultimately, try both. Connect marketing tools to either with Outfunnel. And pick the stack that works best for your team—not just today, but 6–12 months from now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pipedrive better than HubSpot for sales teams?
Yes—Pipedrive’s pipeline is more intuitive and built specifically for salespeople.

Does HubSpot have a free CRM?
Yes, but many core features are gated behind the Professional plan.

Can I use Pipedrive for marketing too?
Only in a limited way. That’s where tools like Outfunnel come in.

How much does HubSpot actually cost?
If you want automation, lead scoring, and branded forms, expect to pay $890+/month.

The post Pipedrive vs. HubSpot: Which CRM should you choose in 2025? appeared first on Outfunnel - Sync Sales & Marketing Data.