CRM Article
Fast-Track CRM Faceoff: Capsule vs Pipedrive
SmallBizCRM Staff – August 20th, 2025
Choosing between Pricing & Plans
| Product | Entry plan | Price / seat | Notable inclusions | Top tier | Price / seat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capsule | Starter | $18 | 30k contacts, shared mailbox, templates, AI email assistant | Ultimate | Custom (site shows tier; sales-engaged) | Free plan (2 users/250 contacts); Marketing add-on from $11/mo. |
| Growth | $36 | Automations, dashboards, advanced reporting, multiple pipelines/boards | Advanced | $54 | 60+ integrations; Transpond native. | |
| Pipedrive | Lite | $14 | Pipeline, calendar, AI report creation, 500+ integrations | Ultimate | $79 | Growth $39, Premium $49; multiple add-ons (LeadBooster, Projects, Campaigns, etc.). Pipedrive |
Capsule’s public materials and trusted directories align on $18/$36/$54; “Ultimate” is listed as a tier with sales engagement. Pipedrive launched “brand-new plans” in 2025 with AI in each tier.
What each platform is best at
| Scenario | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo to small teams that want simplicity and value | Capsule | Free plan for 2 users; straightforward tiers; native Transpond email marketing; easy setup. |
| Sales-driven teams that live in the pipeline and want AI at scale | Pipedrive | New AI across tiers (assistant, reports, email), mature sales automations, and large marketplace. |
| Accounting connectivity (Xero/QuickBooks) on day one | Capsule | Direct integrations plus Zapier for breadth. |
| Broad ecosystem and lead-gen add-ons | Pipedrive | 500+ marketplace apps; add-ons for leads, projects, campaigns, visitors. |
Core features, side-by-side
| Capability | Capsule | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Pipelines & deal tracking | Multiple pipelines from Growth; visual kanban; goals and forecasting in reports. | Visual pipelines across all tiers; goals, forecasts, custom stages; robust activity scheduling. |
| Automation | Workflow automations on Growth+; project boards to manage delivery. | Automations begin at Growth; sequences, routing, and deeper customization on Premium/Ultimate. |
| Email & marketing | Gmail/Outlook add-ins; templates; Transpond add-on for campaigns & automations (owned by Capsule). | Full email sync from Growth; Campaigns add-on for email marketing; AI email writer and summarization available. |
| AI features | AI-powered email writing (Starter+). Contact/business enrichment on higher tiers. | AI Sales Assistant, AI report generation, AI email creation/summarization; agentic roadmap. |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 60+ direct integrations; Zapier for more. | 500+ apps in Marketplace; strong ecosystem. |
| Add-ons | Marketing from $11/mo (Transpond). | LeadBooster, Projects, Campaigns, Web Visitors, Smart Docs (company-billed add-ons). |
| Onboarding | Zero setup fees; guided in-app onboarding. | Free 14-day trial; onboarding resources; implementation free on plans >$400/yr. |
Strengths & Trade-offs
Capsule: where it shines
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Cost clarity & starter friendliness. Free tier and affordable steps up suit very small teams.
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Native marketing path. Transpond ties campaigns to CRM data without a heavy marketing suite.
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Accounting integrations. Out-of-the-box Xero/QuickBooks keep ops tidy.
Considerations: Advanced automation and AI breadth are narrower than top-tier sales CRMs; marketplace is smaller than Pipedrive’s.
Pipedrive: where it shines
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Sales-first depth plus AI. AI reporting/assistant, automation, and sales tooling scale with team maturity.
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Ecosystem power. 500+ marketplace apps and specialized add-ons extend far beyond core CRM.
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Plan progression. New 2025 tiers provide clear step-ups for email sync, sequences, enrichment, and security.
Considerations: True cost often includes add-ons (LeadBooster, Campaigns, etc.), so budgeting should account for these.
Quick recommendations
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Choose Capsule if the priority is an elegant, low-friction CRM with sensible pricing, native email marketing via Transpond, and straightforward accounting links—ideal for 1–10 person teams leveling up from spreadsheets.
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Choose Pipedrive if the team is sales-centric, wants AI assistance baked into daily workflow, expects to automate multi-step sequences, and benefits from an expansive app marketplace and add-ons.
Final word
For lean teams that prize clarity and email marketing without heavyweight tooling, Capsuleis hard to beat. For teams scaling outbound and needing AI-powered sales execution, Pipedrive’s lineup makes a compelling case. Shortlist both, map the add-ons you’ll actually use, and run a two-week trial with a realistic pipeline to see which aligns with daily habits.