10 of the best free and paid sales pipeline software tools

They say a good craftsman never blames his tools, but in a digital selling environment, your sales stack can make or break your revenue success.

And whilst it’s true that you’re spoilt for choice in the sales pipeline management software, there’s a huge difference between tools that make crushing quota effortless and tools that make it a hundred times harder.

From bad data to faulty integrations, outreach limitations to deliverability blockers, clunky functionality to poor ROI; it’s important not to let your sales pipeline software sabotage your outbound results! 

In this blog, we'll dive into the world of sales pipeline software tools, exploring the top options available to streamline your sales efforts, boost productivity, and help you close more deals. From free options to premium solutions, we've got you covered. Let's dive in!

What is sales pipeline software?

Sales pipeline software is a category of tools that help sales teams track, manage, and optimize their sales process from lead generation through to deal closure.

These tools provide visibility into where each prospect sits in the buying journey and streamline activities like prospecting, outreach, follow-ups, and performance reporting, often replacing multiple point solutions with a single platform.

What are sales pipeline software tools exactly?

Sales pipeline software helps businesses efficiently track and manage their sales processes.

These tools can help with a number of different functions in the sales cycle, including identifying a target audience, tracking leads, managing interactions, and analyzing performance. 

By streamlining, consolidating - and sometimes fully automating - all these activities, the right sales tools can save sales reps hours on manual work and improve their performance output, ultimately driving more conversions and revenue.

However, choosing the wrong sales pipeline software can significantly hamper a sales reps’ performance!

When tools don’t integrate well with each other, throw up unreliable data, or are just buggy to use, the rep’s day-to-day work becomes a whole lot harder. 

That’s why choosing the rights sales pipeline tools is so crucial!

Free vs. paid sales pipeline software: What’s the difference?

These days, there’s a vast range of sales software tools on the market, carrying an equally vast range of price tags.

You obviously don’t want to overextend your sales budgets when buying your tools, but it’s important to make sure you’re investing in sales pipeline management software that will benefit your team in the long term - and that means taking the time to research your options.

There are several free tools or tools with free trials you can use almost straight away.

These tend to be simpler in functionality but might be useful for small teams who are building their processes from scratch, or looking to test solutions before they invest.

So although you’ll most likely have to pay more for premium sales pipeline software tools, their capabilities tend to be more comprehensive and impactful.

To get the most value from your investment, remember to look for tools that address your particular pain-points and have a strong reputation in the market.

Here are some things to consider when comparing sales software tools for your team:

• Functionality: What tasks is the tool capable of handling? What can’t it do? Premium software often offers more advanced features and add-ons, but you still need to make sure it’s the right fit for your team’s operations.
• Customization: “Plug-and-play” solutions are great for new businesses to get started quickly, but premium tools typically provide greater customization options (like templates, data, industry-specific insights) that allow you to tailor the software to your unique processes and requirements. 
• Scalability: Are you looking for a quick, temporary fix or a long-term tool solution that will grow with your business? Sometimes it’s worth investing a little more in a tool capable of accommodating increased workload and complexity down the road. Remember that changing tools down the line might cause more operational upset.
• Price and value: Which tools fit your company budget? Does the projected ROI look realistic? You have to weigh up the convenience of free solutions with the more sophisticated benefits of premium solutions.
• Customer support: Would you value extra support or strategic guidance to get the most out of your tool? Premium software often includes dedicated customer support with solution experts who can not only resolve your technical issues but also provide extra industry insights from their experience.
• Integration: Depending on how many other tools (like CRM, marketing tools, email providers etc.) your team is already using, you’ll need to invest in software that offers seamless integration with your other applications to eliminate operational bottlenecks.
• Onboarding, training, and resources: You want software that is intuitive and easy to use, and even if premium solutions are more complex, you should look for options that provide the necessary training and resources to help you unlock
• User experience: What’s it like to use this software on a daily basis? How frequently do you encounter bugs? No matter what your budget, you shouldn’t settle for tools that make your workflow harder!
• Reputation: What’s it like to be a user of your prospective solution? Check out reviews and social proof relating to your tools to get a real feel for how well the software delivers and whether you can expect to access the support you need. Reviews sites like G2, Capterra, and Product Hunt are great places to see software through the user’s eyes before you buy.

5 top free sales pipeline software tools

1. Insightly

Insightly is a pipeline management tool that is offered for free to smaller teams. It allows for custom fields, contact management, and even project management features to ease collaboration between users. Insightly integrates with more than 250 apps and is an ideal choice for businesses building a simple CRM.

2. Zapier

Zapier is a cloud-based automation tool that allows users to automate repetitive tasks and integrate various (more than 5,000) apps and systems. With a free version offering up to 100 tasks per month, Zapier is ideal for businesses seeking to streamline their sales processes without breaking the bank.

3. EngageBay

EngageBay offers a comprehensive suite of marketing, customer service, and sales pipeline management tools. The free version only accommodates up to 250 contacts but includes a good range of tools from CRM to email broadcasts, landing pages, autoresponders, and other lead capturing. EngageBay is perfect for small businesses looking to centralize their sales efforts.

4. Freshsales

Freshsales has a fairly comprehensive free offering (for up to three users) that includes CRM support, marketing email workflows, chatbots, and lead or contact management. It is great for helping teams visualize their pipeline and tie sales and marketing efforts together in one place.

5. HubSpot

HubSpot’s free CRM option includes many useful automation, tracking, marketing, and team management tools. You’ll have to pay to larger numbers of contacts or to unlock the platform’s full potential, but it’s a good option for teams testing scalable solutions for the future.

5 top paid sales pipeline software tools

1. Amplemarket

Amplemarket streamlines all your pipeline management tasks in one intuitive, easy to use platform. With native CRM integrations for HubSpot and Salesforce (plus custom setups available), Amplemarket makes it easy for you to source new leads and engage across multiple channels, whilst keeping all your data up to date. Thanks to its sophisticated AI intent, copy generation, and outreach capabilities, the platform is an ideal solution for teams of any size looking to amplify their productivity and sell more efficiently.

2. Zoho CRM Plus

Zoho CRM Plus offers a complete view of the customer journey, integrating sales, marketing, and customer service features. With plans starting at $69 per user per month, Zoho CRM Plus is a good option for revenue teams who want a tool that gives insights into customer sentiment at every stage. 

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a well-known CRM known for its intuitive interface and robust features. With plans starting at $19.90 per month, Pipedrive is a top choice for larger teams seeking a comprehensive sales pipeline solution that includes detailed pipeline metrics, insights into team performance, and effortless visibility for sales managers.

4. Zendesk Sell

Zendesk Sell brings together prospecting, sequencing, and activity management tools in a single software for sales teams to streamline their workflows. Users have the option to integrate the Sell platform with Zendesk’s Support platform for end-to-end visibility across the customer journey, making it a decent choice for larger revenue teams looking to consolidate sales and customer support activities.

5. Streak

Streak is a CRM designed to integrate seamlessly with Gmail, allowing users to manage leads directly from their inbox. Task management tools, email templates, and pipeline visualization are also included to help with managing pipeline. Streak is a relatively inexpensive solution for smaller teams with simple outbound requirements (i.e. Gmail only).

Enhance your sales results with pipeline management software

Sales pipeline software tools are indispensable resources for businesses looking to optimize their sales processes and drive revenue growth - but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. 

No matter your budget, whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, there's a sales pipeline solution to suit your needs. And if you’re looking for a simplified solution that will help you streamline your sales efforts, maximize efficiency, and tap into game-changing AI for an unbeatable competitive edge, you might want to check out Amplemarket - sign up for a demo today!

FAQs on sales pipeline software

What is sales pipeline software?

Sales pipeline software is a digital tool designed to help businesses track and manage their sales processes more efficiently. It provides a visual representation of the stages a lead goes through, from initial contact to closing the sale, and helps streamline activities such as lead tracking, contact management, and performance analysis.

What are the 5 stages of a sales pipeline?

The five stages of a sales pipeline typically include: 1) Lead Generation – Identifying potential customers; 2) Lead Qualification – Assessing the quality and potential of leads; 3) Proposal – Presenting offers and negotiating terms; 4) Closing – Finalizing the sale and securing the deal; and 5) Post-Sale – Ensuring customer satisfaction and fostering long-term relationships.

What is pipeline in SaaS?

In SaaS (Software as a Service), a pipeline refers to the structured stages through which potential customers move from initial awareness to becoming paying subscribers. It helps SaaS companies manage and optimize their sales process, from lead acquisition and qualification to onboarding and retention, ensuring that each stage is effectively addressed to maximize revenue.

What is a pipeline in B2B sales?

In B2B (Business-to-Business) sales, a pipeline represents the series of stages that a business customer goes through from first contact to closing a deal. It typically includes stages such as lead generation, qualification, proposal, negotiation, and closing, allowing sales teams to track progress, forecast revenue, and manage relationships with business clients more effectively.