Pipedrive alternatives for India-based sales teams
Pipedrive alternatives for teams that like a visual pipeline but want more of the Indian lead journey inside the CRM: six products compared, each described from its own website, with what it suits and how it handles lead capture, WhatsApp, SMS and setup.
Vendor details checked on 2 October 2026 from each vendor's own website; features change, so confirm with them. DigiPix Flow is our product: it is listed first and marked as ours, and the others are in no ranked order.
Why teams look beyond Pipedrive
Your leads come from Indian marketplaces
Pipedrive's Leads Inbox gathers leads from forms, chat, email and integrations. If IndiaMART is one of your main sources, compare how each product connects to it and where those enquiries land.
WhatsApp is your main sales channel
Pipedrive describes its WhatsApp integration as a beta feature. If most of your conversations with buyers happen on WhatsApp, look closely at how each product keeps chats on the lead or deal.
You want hosting closer to home
Pipedrive hosts accounts in AWS data centres in Europe and the US. Teams that prefer customer data in an Indian region can compare products that offer one.
The 6 options at a glance
- 1. DigiPix Flow (ours)Indian small and mid-sized sales teams whose sales start as enquiries from ads, marketplaces and website forms.
- 2. BiginVery small teams of one to twenty people that want a simple pipeline CRM within the Zoho family, with a clear path up to Zoho CRM.
- 3. Zoho CRMTeams of any size that want a broad CRM inside the wider Zoho product family, with room to add automation, analytics and integrations as they grow.
- 4. HubSpot CRMStartups, small businesses and growing sales teams that want an all-in-one customer platform with a large app marketplace and sales, marketing and service tools that connect.
- 5. FreshsalesStartups, SMBs and growing businesses that want sales and marketing in one CRM, with phone, WhatsApp, email and chat channels plus territory-based lead routing.
- 6. Vtiger CRMStart-ups, small and medium businesses and larger teams that want sales, marketing and support in one customisable CRM, with cloud or open-source deployment options.
How this list was made
- Pipeline CRMs that Indian sales teams put next to Pipedrive, chosen from search results and buyer questions.
- What we say about each product comes from its own website, checked on the date shown at the top of the page.
- No prices: plans and seat terms change too often for a list to stay right.
- DigiPix Flow is our product. It is listed first and marked as ours; the others are in no ranked order.
1. DigiPix Flow
Our productDigiPix Flow is a lead management CRM: every enquiry lands in one inbox, goes to the right rep and is followed up on WhatsApp, email and SMS until it becomes a deal.
Why it is on this list: A lead management CRM for Indian teams that sell on enquiries, with one pipeline of your own stages, fields a deal must have before it moves, and leads from IndiaMART, Meta and Google Ads in one inbox.
Best for: Indian small and mid-sized sales teams whose sales start as enquiries from ads, marketplaces and website forms.
| Built for | Indian sales teams whose sales start as enquiries, such as agencies, real estate, coaching institutes, D2C brands and manufacturers. More |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Meta Lead Ads, Google Ads lead forms, IndiaMART, website forms, hosted forms, a lead API and CSV import all feed one lead inbox. More |
| Connect your WhatsApp Business number directly; conversations sit on the lead's record beside calls, email and SMS. More | |
| SMS in India | Two-way SMS to Indian numbers, with every message checked against your DLT templates before it sends. More |
| Calling | Calls and meetings are logged on the record with their outcome and the next follow-up; a built-in dialer is not available. More |
| Pipelines | One pipeline per workspace with your own stages, fields a deal must have before it moves, and approvals for discounts and wins. More |
| Automation | Rule-based workflows, assignment rules with round robin, lead scoring and follow-up sequences. More |
| Reporting | A dashboard and saved reports for leads by source, pipeline value by stage and team activity, built from the records your team keeps. More |
| Mobile app | Ask our team |
| Data hosting | Hosted in the Mumbai region. More |
| Sign-in and access | Multi-factor sign-in on every plan, which admins can enforce, plus roles, permissions and an audit log; single sign-on is not available yet. More |
| Integrations and API | A lead API with scoped keys, and outbound webhooks for lead and deal events. More |
| Getting started | Enquiry-led: you talk to a specialist who sets the workspace up around how your team sells, priced in rupees. More |
2. Bigin
Bigin by Zoho CRM is a pipeline-centric CRM for small businesses to track deals, manage contacts, handle email, phone and WhatsApp conversations, and automate follow-ups.
Why it is on this list: Zoho's pipeline-centric CRM for teams of 1 to 20, with team pipelines and sub-pipelines, WhatsApp conversation history on each contact or deal, and an India hosting region.
Best for: Very small teams of one to twenty people that want a simple pipeline CRM within the Zoho family, with a clear path up to Zoho CRM.
| Built for | Bigin is built for small businesses and MSMEs with 1 to 20 employees, including agencies, consultancies, real estate firms, schools, clinics, retailers and ecommerce brands. Source: bigin.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Bigin's LeadChain topping captures leads from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Google Ads and Click-to-WhatsApp ads into Contacts. Forms embed on websites, and IndiaMART connectors sit on its Marketplace. Source: bigin.com |
| Bigin's WhatsApp channel lets teams send messages, receive replies and keep full conversation history on each contact or deal, with templates, quick replies and workflows. Source: bigin.com | |
| SMS in India | SMS is added to Bigin through third-party integrations on the Bigin Marketplace or through Zapier. Source: bigin.com |
| Calling | Bigin supports call logging, call recording and IVR, and connects to more than 100 telephony vendors through PhoneBridge, including Exotel, MyOperator, Acefone and TeleCMI for India-based users. Source: bigin.com |
| Pipelines | Bigin offers team pipelines with customisable stages and sub-pipelines, so several customer-facing processes can run side by side in one account. Source: bigin.com |
| Automation | Workflow rules fire when a record is created or updated, meets conditions or reaches a date, and can send emails, update fields, create tasks and change record owners. Source: bigin.com |
| Reporting | Bigin includes standard dashboards on every edition, with customisable dashboards and KPIs on higher editions, tracking pipeline and activity metrics. Source: bigin.com |
| Mobile app | Bigin has iOS and Android apps for viewing and editing records, navigating pipelines, calling and call logging, and scanning business cards. Source: bigin.com |
| Data hosting | Bigin data is hosted in the region chosen at sign-up, and the India region runs from Mumbai as primary with Chennai as secondary. Source: bigin.com |
| Sign-in and access | Bigin signs users in through Zoho's identity platform, with multi-factor authentication and SSO configured at organisation level, plus roles for data visibility and profiles for permissions. Source: bigin.com |
| Integrations and API | Bigin exposes a REST API with OAuth 2.0 under /bigin/v2, supports webhook notifications through workflow rules, and offers Zapier, Zoho Flow and Marketplace toppings. Source: bigin.com |
| Getting started | Customers sign up online, choose a region, and pick one of 22 industry templates or a blank pipeline. A paid Jumpstart onboarding service and a partner network are also listed. Source: bigin.com |
3. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is an AI-assisted CRM platform that brings lead management, sales automation, omnichannel engagement and analytics together for growing businesses.
Why it is on this list: A broad CRM for teams that want to grow into custom deal stages, assignment rules and sales cadences, with Indian data centres and IndiaMART connectors on its Marketplace.
Best for: Teams of any size that want a broad CRM inside the wider Zoho product family, with room to add automation, analytics and integrations as they grow.
| Built for | Zoho describes its CRM as serving businesses of all sizes, from freelancers and small businesses to enterprises, across all industries and verticals. Source: zoho.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Zoho CRM captures leads from web forms, landing pages on WordPress and Unbounce, social media including Facebook Lead Ads, and Google Ads. IndiaMART connectors are listed on its Marketplace. Source: zoho.com |
| Zoho CRM integrates WhatsApp Business so teams can message customers from the CRM, use message templates, receive notifications and trigger WhatsApp messages from workflow rules. Source: zoho.com | |
| SMS in India | SMS is added to Zoho CRM through extensions on the Zoho Marketplace, including third-party SMS gateway connectors such as mTalkz and ClickSend, with scheduled sending and SMS history. Source: marketplace.zoho.com |
| Calling | Zoho CRM offers click-to-dial, automatic call logging against the relevant records, and connections to multiple telephony providers. Source: zoho.com |
| Pipelines | Zoho CRM supports multiple sales pipelines for different products, services or geographies, with system-defined deal stages that can be customised to match your sales process. Source: zoho.com |
| Automation | Assignment rules distribute leads from web forms, imports and API sources to users, roles or groups in round-robin order, alongside workflow rules and sales cadences. Source: help.zoho.com |
| Reporting | Zoho CRM provides dynamic dashboards, report generation, forecasting and anomaly detection to support sales performance management. Source: zoho.com |
| Mobile app | The Zoho CRM mobile app runs on Android and iOS, with offline updates that sync later, business card scanning, dashboards and the Zia assistant. Source: zoho.com |
| Data hosting | Zoho operates data centres in India, with Mumbai as primary and Chennai as secondary, and users choose where their data is stored. Source: zoho.com |
| Sign-in and access | Zoho CRM offers multi-factor authentication, IP restrictions, time-stamped audit logs, and role-based security where roles set data visibility and profiles set permissions. Source: zoho.com |
| Integrations and API | Zoho CRM provides RESTful APIs for record operations, bulk APIs, query APIs and notification APIs that report data changes, so it connects with third-party applications. Source: zoho.com |
| Getting started | Customers sign up online, with migration assistance and a Jumpstart onboarding service listed on the product page. Source: zoho.com |
4. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is a customer platform that organises contacts, deals and activity in one place, with Sales Hub adding prospecting, sequences, forecasting and AI assistance.
Why it is on this list: A customer platform with a drag-and-drop deal pipeline editor, stage approvals and sequences, for teams that want marketing and service on the same records as sales.
Best for: Startups, small businesses and growing sales teams that want an all-in-one customer platform with a large app marketplace and sales, marketing and service tools that connect.
| Built for | HubSpot positions its CRM for startups, small businesses and growing companies, and describes Sales Hub as suited to sales teams of all sizes, from individual contributors to enterprises. Source: hubspot.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | HubSpot captures leads through form and landing page builders, and syncs lead ad forms from Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and Google Ads accounts, including Google Lead Form Extensions, into the CRM. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Teams link a WhatsApp Business Account via Meta's setup, so messages create threads in the HubSpot conversations inbox, and coexistence lets one number serve HubSpot and the WhatsApp Business app. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com | |
| SMS in India | HubSpot sends automated SMS to opted-in contacts through workflows once a business is registered, and its app marketplace lists many SMS connectors for sending and receiving texts. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Calling | HubSpot lets users call from the browser with a HubSpot number, a registered number or a third-party provider, with calls logged to the CRM and a power dialer. Source: hubspot.com |
| Pipelines | HubSpot provides customisable deal stages in a drag-and-drop pipeline editor, with multiple deal pipelines, stage approvals, validation steps and guided actions to keep deals on track. Source: hubspot.com |
| Automation | Workflows include a rotate-record-to-owner action that distributes leads by round robin, load balanced or random distribution, and sequences run multi-channel follow-up outreach. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Reporting | HubSpot offers performance dashboards at team and rep level, revenue forecasting and sales analytics, alongside reporting dashboards in the CRM. Source: hubspot.com |
| Mobile app | The HubSpot mobile app is available on iOS and Android and covers contacts, deals, tasks, calls, email and pipeline updates, with the Breeze Assistant built in. Source: hubspot.com |
| Data hosting | HubSpot hosts customer data on Amazon Web Services in the United States, Canada, Australia and the European Union (Germany), and assigns a data centre at sign-up. Source: hubspot.com |
| Sign-in and access | HubSpot supports two-factor authentication with configurable approved methods, SAML-based single sign-on that admins can require, and user permission settings managed by Super Admins. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Integrations and API | HubSpot lists more than 2,000 app integrations in its Marketplace and provides REST APIs with OAuth 2.0, plus a webhooks API for apps that subscribe to CRM events. Source: developers.hubspot.com |
| Getting started | Teams create an account online, choose the tools they need and connect existing apps from the HubSpot Marketplace, with a guided set-up for import and integrations. Source: hubspot.com |
5. Freshsales
Freshsales, also marketed as Freshsales Suite and Freshworks CRM, is an all-in-one CRM that unites sales and marketing around the customer.
Why it is on this list: A sales and marketing CRM whose deal pipelines carry stage probabilities and rotting ages, with an India hosting region and DLT SMS through Gupshup.
Best for: Startups, SMBs and growing businesses that want sales and marketing in one CRM, with phone, WhatsApp, email and chat channels plus territory-based lead routing.
| Built for | Freshworks positions Freshsales Suite for startups, SMBs, growing businesses and mid to large-sized enterprises that want integrated sales and marketing. Source: freshworks.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Freshsales captures leads from web forms and website visitor tracking, and creates leads from Facebook and Instagram lead ad submissions once you connect your social account and map form fields. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com |
| Freshworks is an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, so WhatsApp messages run through the WhatsApp Business Platform and teams read, reply and send opted-in marketing templates from the CRM. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com | |
| SMS in India | Freshsales offers a Gupshup SMS integration for India that sends one-way text SMS using templates registered on the DLT platform, once DLT sender IDs and templates are in place. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com |
| Calling | Freshsales offers click-to-call from the CRM with call logs and recordings through a Freshcaller-powered phone, and its marketplace lists telephony integrations such as Knowlarity and CallerDesk. Source: freshworks.com |
| Pipelines | Admins set up multiple deal pipelines with customisable stages, stage probabilities and rotting ages, and use weighted pipelines so managers can forecast expected sales. Source: support.freshsales.io |
| Automation | Freshsales assigns leads to salespeople across territories using lead-routing rules, with round-robin distribution within a territory, and offers workflows to automate routine tasks. Source: freshworks.com |
| Reporting | Freshsales provides built-in reports and custom dashboards, scheduled report delivery, and reports that compare progress across multiple pipelines. Source: freshworks.com |
| Mobile app | The Freshsales mobile app runs on iOS and Android, letting reps add records, make and log calls, update deal stages, take voice notes and check in to meetings. Source: support.freshsales.io |
| Data hosting | Freshworks hosts its SaaS applications on Amazon Web Services with data centre regions that include India, the United States, Europe and Australia. Source: freshworks.com |
| Sign-in and access | Freshsales supports SAML single sign-on with identity providers such as Okta, two-factor authentication, and roles with module-level permissions that admins can customise. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com |
| Integrations and API | Freshsales documents a RESTful API for reading and changing CRM data, supports webhooks from workflows, and lists integrations such as Gmail, Outlook, Slack, DocuSign, QuickBooks and Zapier. Source: developers.freshworks.com |
| Getting started | Freshworks describes the CRM as easy to implement, with quick set-up and team adoption, and lists verified apps on the Freshworks Marketplace for connecting existing tools. Source: freshworks.com |
6. Vtiger CRM
Vtiger is an all-in-one, AI-powered CRM platform that brings marketing, sales and support teams onto a single system.
Why it is on this list: A CRM for sales, marketing and support with a drag-and-drop Kanban pipeline, an IndiaMART integration and a choice of cloud or open-source deployment.
Best for: Start-ups, small and medium businesses and larger teams that want sales, marketing and support in one customisable CRM, with cloud or open-source deployment options.
| Built for | Vtiger serves start-ups, small and medium businesses and enterprise teams, with one platform for marketing, sales and support departments. Source: vtiger.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | The IndiaMART integration syncs leads into the CRM, records each sync in a log, and lets teams choose the Leads or Contacts module. Source: vtiger.com |
| WhatsApp works through providers including Twilio, Gupshup, Clickatell, Wablas and imimobile, to send and receive messages from the CRM using templates and workflows. Source: vtiger.com | |
| SMS in India | In Vtiger's Kaleyra SMS setup, the DLT template ID field is mandatory for businesses based in India. Source: help.vtiger.com |
| Calling | The Phone Calls module integrates gateways including Exotel, Knowlarity, Ozonetel, Plivo and Twilio, with click-to-call and automatic call logging. Source: help.vtiger.com |
| Pipelines | Vtiger lets teams create several sales pipelines by product line, deal size or customer type, with a drag-and-drop Kanban view. Source: vtiger.com |
| Automation | Workflows combine trigger conditions, entry criteria and actions to automate repetitive tasks, and a graphical Process Designer builds more systematic business workflows. Source: vtiger.com |
| Reporting | Reports come as detailed, pivot and chart formats, can be scheduled by email at set intervals, and frequently used charts can be pinned to dashboards. Source: vtiger.com |
| Mobile app | Vtiger's iOS and Android app supports deals, daily tasks, push notifications, business card scanning, voice notes and WhatsApp messaging. Source: vtiger.com |
| Data hosting | Vtiger lists servers in the United States, United Kingdom, EU, UAE, Australia, Singapore, Japan and India, with data stored according to the region where you sign up. Source: vtiger.com |
| Sign-in and access | Vtiger supports password login, single sign-on through Google, Office 365 and other accounts, two-factor authentication using a code sent by email or phone, and SAML-based identity providers. Source: help.vtiger.com |
| Integrations and API | Vtiger Cloud offers REST APIs for integration with external applications, using the CRM username and an access key for authentication. Source: vtap.vtiger.com |
| Getting started | An onboarding specialist designs a plan around your goals and delivers a CRM implementation map, and implementation services and solution partners are also available. Source: vtiger.com |
When Pipedrive is still the better choice
Pipedrive remains the better choice if your team thinks in deals and activities and wants a clear kanban view of the whole funnel, customised to your own sales process. It suits teams that like adding tools from a Marketplace of 500+ apps, such as calling through CloudTalk or Aircall, and managers who track performance against goals on visual dashboards. If your reps already plan their day around Pipedrive's activities and automations, that working habit is worth keeping.
Pipedrive compared head to head
- Pipedrive vs Zoho CRMPipedrive vs Zoho CRM is a choice between a CRM organised around the visual sales pipeline and one built as a broad platform inside a family of business apps.
- Pipedrive vs HubSpotPipedrive vs HubSpot is the choice many sales teams face once they want a proper CRM: a visual, deal-focused pipeline tool on one side, a customer platform spanning sales, marketing and service on the other.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Pipedrive alternative for an Indian sales team?
If your deals start as enquiries from IndiaMART, Meta and Google Ads, look at DigiPix Flow. If you want a simple pipeline inside the Zoho family, Bigin is the usual pick, and teams that expect to grow into heavier configuration compare Zoho CRM, HubSpot CRM and Freshsales.
When is Pipedrive the better choice?
When your team sells deal by deal and plans its day around activities, likes a visual kanban pipeline, and wants to add tools from a large app Marketplace as needs grow.
Which Pipedrive alternative feels closest to it?
Bigin and Vtiger both centre on a visual, drag-and-drop pipeline, and HubSpot CRM offers a drag-and-drop deal pipeline editor. DigiPix Flow also gives you a pipeline with your own stages, and adds a lead inbox in front of it for the enquiries that become deals.
Do these alternatives send SMS to Indian numbers?
Freshsales uses a Gupshup integration with DLT-registered templates, Vtiger's Kaleyra set-up asks for a DLT template ID for India-based businesses, and Zoho CRM and Bigin add SMS through Marketplace integrations. DigiPix Flow sends two-way SMS checked against your DLT templates. Pipedrive's Marketplace lists a Fast2SMS app.
How were these products checked?
We read each product's own website and help pages and recorded the details on the date shown at the top of the page. Anything we could not confirm appears as "Check with vendor" in the table. Software changes, so check the points that matter to you with the vendor.
Why is there no pricing on this page?
Pipeline CRMs are sold in tiers, seats and add-ons that vendors adjust often. To avoid quoting figures that may have changed, we leave pricing to each vendor's own site.
Keep exploring
- Bigin alternativesCRMs very small teams compare with Zoho's pipeline-first Bigin.
- Vtiger alternativesOptions teams weigh against Vtiger's all-in-one CRM.
- The DigiPix Flow pipelineYour own stages, required fields before a deal moves, and approvals for discounts and wins.
- WhatsApp Business integrationConnect your WhatsApp Business number so chats sit on the lead's record.