The Ultimate Guide to the Best Pipeline Management CRM Tools

Your sales pipeline is the heartbeat of your entire sales process.

With the right sales pipeline management CRM, it becomes a reliable engine for business growth as well. The best pipeline management software goes beyond just tracking deals; it uses sales automation, real-time sales dashboards and contact management to streamline sales workflows and improve team performance.

In this blog, we’ll cover the top sales pipeline tools, their key features, paid plans and how the right choice can help your sales reps close more deals and achieve sales success.

What is pipeline management CRM?

Sales pipeline management CRM (customer relationship management) is a tool that helps sales teams organise, track and move leads through the entire sales cycle, from the first contact to closing deals. It gives you a clear view of your sales pipeline, showing which stage each deal is in and what actions are needed to move it forward.

Think of it like a digital board showing all your pipeline stages. For example, you can see which leads are in the “Contacted” stage, which are waiting for a proposal and which are ready to sign.

Unlike a simple spreadsheet, the best pipeline management tools don’t just manage leads; rather they combine lead management, sales automation, contact management and reporting features in one place.

This allows sales managers and sales reps to track customer interactions, monitor team performance and use real-time sales data to make better decisions.

19 best pipeline management CRMs

Now, the basics must be cleared as to what it means and why you should look for the best pipeline management CRMs and how it can streamline your sales process.

1. telecrm

telecrm is a sales pipeline management CRM built for calling-heavy sales teams that run on WhatsApp, phone and fast follow-ups. It tracks your entire sales process from lead generation to closing deals without having to switch between multiple tools.

Clear sales pipeline visibility, strong sales automation and built-in engagement so reps spend more time selling and less time switching apps.

Telecrm is easy to use and gives a clear view of your sales pipeline by categorising leads as hot, cold or reheated, with unlimited custom fields. Reps see who to call next and this makes the entire process more seamless.

Key features:

1. Custom pipeline stages: Create pipelines for new sales, renewals, channel partners or service. Add stage exit rules so every deal moves the same way through the sales cycle.
2. Built-in calling: Click-to-call from web or mobile, auto call logging and recordings tied to the deal. No third-party dialer needed, so your sales data stays clean.
3. WhatsApp integration: Send approved templates, see chat history inside the deal and automate nudges after no reply. Ideal for quick customer interactions.
4. Lead capture and routing: Pull leads from ads, forms, website and IVR. Auto-assign by round robin, location or product so qualified leads reach the right sales rep fast.
5. Follow-up automation: Tasks, reminders and SLA timers ensure no deal stalls. If nothing moves for 3 days, Telecrm nudges the owner. Simple sales workflows that prevent leakage.
6. Lead scoring: Score by fit and behaviour. Reps see who to call first, which improves team performance and sales productivity.
7. Sales dashboards and reports: Visual funnel, win rate, velocity and sales forecasting. Track sales outcomes by stage, owner or source to drive business growth.
8. Field sales tracking: Check-ins with geo-tags, visit notes and routes. Useful for dealerships and on-ground teams.
9. Access control and audit: Role-based visibility and activity logs keep your CRM data accurate and secure.
10. Integrations: Ads, forms, webhooks and popular marketing tools to link multiple tools without breaking your flow.

Pricing starts at ₹599/user/mo(billed annually) and ₹849/user/month (billed quarterly)

2. Hubspot sales hub

HubSpot brings your sales pipeline management and marketing under one roof, so the entire sales process feels connected. Reps get a clean visual of pipeline stages, plus tools for email, calling and meeting links without jumping across multiple tools.

For managers, the sales dashboard and reporting features make forecasting and coaching straightforward.

If you want tighter alignment between lead generation, nurturing and closing deals, HubSpot is a safe, scalable pick.

Features:

• Visual pipelines you can drag and drop to keep deals moving.
• Email tracking and templates so follow-ups happen on time.
• Sales automation for tasks and reminders that reduce manual work.
• Contact management that ties emails, calls and notes to one record.
• Forecasting and dashboards to track team performance and sales revenue.

Pricing starts at ₹752/ month/ seat. They also have a free version that you can try before you go with this crm software

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is built around a board view that makes your sales pipeline impossible to ignore. You move cards from stage to stage and the tool nudges you when a deal needs action, which helps reps keep momentum and improve sales productivity.

It’s light, fast and ideal if you want reps selling instead of updating spreadsheets. Managers still get useful reporting features for goals, activities and conversion rates.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop pipeline stages with probabilities for quick prioritising.
• Activity reminders so no call, demo or follow-up slips.
• Sales automation for routine tasks that save time.
• Forecast and goals views to see expected sales outcomes at a glance.

Pricing starts at $14/per seat per month(billed annually)

4. Zoho crm

Zoho CRM gives you solid pipeline management software with a lot of custom field and workflow options, which suits teams with varied processes. You can map the entire sales cycle, automate approvals and standardise hand-offs between marketing, inside sales and field teams.

The built-in AI gives nudges on the best time to contact and which deals look healthy. It’s a practical way to get advanced features without going enterprise on day one.

Features:

• Blueprint workflows to enforce stage rules and exit criteria.
• AI hints for next best action and deal health.
• Contact and deal management with emails, calls and notes in one place.
• Custom reports and dashboards to monitor sales efficiency and key features you care about.

Pricing starts at ₹800/user/month (billed annually)

5. Salesforce Sales Cloud

Salesforce is the heavyweight for large or fast-growing organisations that need deep control over pipeline stages, permissions and data. It handles complex territories, multiple product lines and layered approvals, while keeping every activity tied to the right account and contact.

Leaders get mature sales forecasting and advanced analytics to plan capacity and coach teams. If your sales operation spans regions or brands, this is the platform that can grow with you.

Features:

• Highly customisable objects and fields to mirror your real-world process.
• Territory and role management for clean access and hand-offs.
• Forecasting and dashboards that support enterprise planning.
• Automation and integrations to connect other sales tools and reduce manual work.

Pricing starts at $25 /user/month (Billed monthly or annually)

6. Freshsales

Freshsales gives your team a clean, visual sales pipeline with helpful AI nudges so reps always know the next step in the sales cycle. It’s built for calling, email and WhatsApp in one place, so customer interactions and sales data stay tied to the deal.

Managers get clear sales dashboards and forecasts to coach for better team performance. If you want sales automation without the bloat, this pipeline management software is a solid fit for SMBs and mid-market teams.

Features:

• Visual pipeline stages you can tailor to your sales process
• AI deal insights and sales forecasting to focus on the right deals
• Built-in calling, email and WhatsApp sync for faster follow-ups
• Automation for tasks, reminders and hand-offs to boost sales productivity

Pricing starts at ₹749 /user/month (billed annually)

7. Monday sales CRM

Monday’s pipeline management tool feels like a smarter spreadsheet: boards, columns and automations that mirror your real-world sales workflows. Reps drag deals across stages, link multiple contacts and trigger alerts when a deal stalls.

Leaders see roll-ups of sales data in clean dashboards without digging. If you want something you can mould to your entire sales process, this keeps things simple and visual.

Features:

• Board-style sales pipeline with custom fields and statuses
• No-code automations for stage changes, alerts and assignments
• Dashboards for pipeline health, velocity and sales outcomes
• Integrations with email, calendar and other sales tools

Pricing starts at $ 12/seat/month

8. Close

Close is built for high-tempo inside sales where speed and volume matter. The sales pipeline is tight, but the magic is in calling, SMS and sequences that reduce manual work so reps can focus on closing deals.

Everything from notes to recordings sits on the contact, so CRM data stays accurate. Great if your team lives on the phone and wants clean pipeline management with real-time activity.

Features:

• Power dialer, SMS and email sequences in one sales hub
• Smart views and filters to prioritise qualified leads
• Visual pipeline with reminders to keep momentum
• Reports for activities, conversion and sales revenue trends

Pricing starts at $35/seat/month (billed annually)

9. Copper

Copper keeps sales pipeline management inside Gmail and Google Calendar, so you work where conversations already happen. It auto-captures emails and meetings, builds contacts and updates the deal — less typing, fewer tabs.

For teams that rely on inbox selling, it keeps customer relationship management lightweight but organised. Managers still get simple reporting features to track the sales funnel.

Features:

• Gmail sidebar with contact, deal and task context
• Auto data capture from emails and events to clean up CRM data
• Custom pipeline stages and tasks to guide the entire sales cycle
• Basic dashboards for pipeline value, win rate and activity

Pricing starts at $9/seat/month (paid annually)

10. Salesflare

Salesflare quietly builds your sales pipeline for you by pulling in emails, meetings and signatures, so reps spend less time on admin and more time on lead management. Timelines show every touchpoint, making follow-ups timely and human. It’s lightweight, tidy and great for founders and small teams who want sales efficiency without setup headaches.

Features:

• Automatic contact/company enrichment and activity timelines
• Visual pipeline with drag-and-drop pipeline stages
• Email tracking and simple sequences to drive more deals
• Insights for prioritising deals and light sales forecasting

Pricing starts at $29 /month/user

11. LeadSquared

LeadSquared suits fast-moving sales teams that work across calls, WhatsApp and field visits. It gives you a clean sales pipeline with clear pipeline stages, plus journey-based sales automation so no lead goes cold.

Managers get sales dashboards and reporting features that show source to revenue, which helps you double down on channels that drive more deals. If you want tighter control over the entire sales process with strong integrations, this is a solid pick for Indian SMBs and enterprises.

Features:

• Journey builder for drip nudges and follow-ups
• Auto lead capture from ads, forms and landing pages
• Contact management with call logs and WhatsApp history
• Sales forecasting and performance reports

Pricing starts at ₹2,500user/month

12. Zendesk Sell

Zendesk Sell focuses on keeping reps in a clean sales pipeline so they always know the next action. The interface is light, which makes adoption easier for new sales reps. Email, calling and task reminders sit next to each deal, so customer interactions stay tied to your CRM data.

Managers get quick views of activity, conversion and sales revenue trends.

Features:

• Visual pipelines with easy filters and views
• Email and calling inside the deal
• Task and follow-up automation for steady momentum
• Reports for activities, wins and sales outcomes

Pricing starts at $19/agent/month (billed annually)

13. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

Dynamics 365 Sales works well if you are already on the Microsoft stack. It connects Outlook, Teams and SharePoint, which keeps customer data and files in one place.

The platform brings AI-powered deal insights, pipeline risk and next best actions, which helps improve team performance at scale. Leaders get mature sales forecasting and advanced analytics for planning and coaching.

Features:

• AI deal risk, scoring and next steps
• Deep Outlook and Teams integration
• Custom sales workflows and approvals
• Forecasts and dashboards for complex pipelines

14. Pipeline CRM

Formerly PipelineDeals, Pipeline CRM keeps things simple and focused on the sales pipeline. The layout is clear, which helps reps update stages quickly and keep CRM data tidy. You get email tracking, tasks and templates without heavy setup.

It is a good fit if you want a pipeline management tool that does the basics well and stays out of the way.

Features:

• Clean pipeline stages with drag and drop
• Email tracking and templates for fast follow-ups
• Task lists and reminders that reduce misses
• Reports for stage conversion and sales productivity

Pricing starts at $25/user/month (billed annually)

15. Vtiger CRM

Vtiger offers an all-in-one sales CRM that covers lead management, deals and support in one system. It is popular with growing teams that want value without losing key pipeline management features.

You can set simple automations, score leads and track the sales funnel from first touch to win. Managers get helpful reporting features for activity, velocity and revenue.

Features:

• Unified contact, deal and support records
• Lead scoring and simple sales automation
• Customisable pipelines for different motions
• Dashboards for pipeline health and team performance

Pricing starts at ₹0/monthly/user (billed annually)

16. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 gives you sales pipeline control alongside chats, tasks and telephony, so your customer interactions live in one place. Deals move through clear pipeline stages, while calls and messages are auto-logged against the contact to keep CRM data tidy.

The kanban view makes it easy for sales reps to spot stuck deals and act fast. Managers get simple sales dashboards and targets to coach for better team performance and sales efficiency.

Features:

• Visual pipelines with drag-and-drop stages and SLAs
• Built-in calling with recordings tied to deals
• Task automation for follow-ups and hand-offs
• Dashboards for pipeline value, win rate and sales forecasting

Pricing starts at ₹1,590/organisation/month (billed annually)

17. Keap (Infusionsoft)

Keap pairs lead management with powerful sales automation, so follow-ups and reminders run on autopilot. You can design simple flows that send emails or tasks when a deal changes stage, which keeps the sales pipeline moving without manual effort.

Quotes, invoices and payments are built in, which helps you close the loop from lead to cash. It is ideal for owners and lean teams who want fewer tools and more sales productivity.

Features:

• Automations that trigger on stage changes or time gaps
• Quotes, invoices and payments inside the deal
• Email templates and basic sequences for nudges
• Reports for activity, revenue and sales outcomes

Pricing starts at $249/month (billed at $2,988/year)

18. Insightly

Insightly manages the entire sales process and then hands won deals to projects, so delivery teams pick up with full context. The sales pipeline view is clean and each record keeps emails, files and notes together for clear customer interactions.

You can link multiple contacts to a single opportunity, which suits B2B deals with many stakeholders. Leaders get useful reporting features to track conversion and sales revenue.

Features:

• Visual pipelines with activity timelines
• Projects linked to won deals for smooth delivery
• Relationship links across accounts and contacts
• Custom dashboards for pipeline health and velocity

Pricing starts at $29/user/month (billed annually)

19. Nutshell

Nutshell keeps reps in a simple, visual sales pipeline stages with clear next steps, so nothing stalls between pipeline stages. Email and calling live next to the deal, which keeps CRM data accurate and reduces tab switching.

It is quick to set up, easy to learn and strong on the basics that drive more deals. Managers get clean sales dashboards to see progress at a glance.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop stages with due tasks and reminders
• Email and calling inside the deal record
• Simple automation for follow-ups and assignments
• Forecast view for expected sales revenue and pacing

Pricing starts at $13/user/month

What to look for in a sales pipeline CRM

You have a list of CRMs to choose from, now prioritise which features fill your requirements and then choose the best pipeline management CRM for your team. I have jotted down 15 points for you to look at before you finally decide to go ahead with a CRM for your sales needs.

1. Clear visual pipeline: You should see every deal moving across pipeline stages in a kanban-style pipeline tool. A clean board helps sales reps spot stuck work, plan the next sales conversation and keep momentum through the sales cycle. If managers can reorder stages, add probabilities and filter by owner or source, you’ll drive more deals without extra admin.
2. Custom stages with exit rules: Good pipeline management software lets you define when a deal can move forward. Set exit criteria like “proposal sent” or “customer confirmed budget” to stop guesswork. This standardises the sales process, improves sales efficiency and keeps CRM data reliable for coaching and sales forecasting.
3. Fast lead capture and routing: Leads from ads, forms, WhatsApp and phone should land in the sales CRM instantly. Auto-assign by territory, product or round robin so follow-ups start within minutes. This tightens lead management, reduces leakage and improves outcomes from lead generation to closing deals.
4. Contact management tied to deals: All customer interactions should live on the record—emails, calls, WhatsApp, notes. When history is one click away, hand-offs are smoother and reps stay focused on sales success. Look for the ability to link multiple contacts to one opportunity for B2B buying groups.
5. Sales automation that saves time: Automate nudges when deals go quiet, create tasks after demos and send reminders before expiry dates. Light sales automation removes busywork and lifts sales productivity without a steep setup. You want automation that you can change in minutes, not days.
6. Lead scoring and prioritisation: Score by fit and behaviour to surface qualified leads. Reps should know at a glance who to call first and why. This small shift has a big effect on team performance, sales revenue and daily focus.
7. Reporting features and dashboards: You need a live sales dashboard for win rate, cycle length, stage conversion and velocity. Managers use these to spot bottlenecks in the sales funnel, sharpen sales strategy and forecast with confidence. Bonus points for cohort and source reports that show which marketing efforts really work.
8. AI-powered insights: Helpful AI should flag risky deals, suggest next best actions and lift forecast accuracy. It’s even better if AI can summarise long sales conversations and update fields from notes. Aim for practical advanced analytics, not gimmicks.
9. Email, calling, WhatsApp in one place: The best sales pipeline software keeps outreach inside the deal, so CRM data stays clean. Click-to-call, tracked emails and approved WhatsApp templates reduce tab hopping and speed up the entire sales cycle. This also helps new reps ramp faster.
10. Integrations with your stack: Your customer relationship management system should connect to calendars, ads, forms, billing and marketing automation. When data flows both ways, you remove manual entry and keep every team aligned. Fewer multiple tools means fewer gaps.
11. Multi-pipeline support: If you run new business, renewals and channel sales, you’ll want separate pipelines under one roof. Each can have unique stages and rules. This keeps reporting clean while reflecting real sales operations.
12. Permissions, audit and data quality: Role-based access protects customer data and keeps sensitive deals private. Field validation and required steps improve data hygiene so forecasts aren’t guesswork. A tidy CRM is the backbone of business growth.
13. Mobile and field readiness: Reps should log visits, notes and orders on the go with location stamps. This is essential for distributed sales teams and on-ground workflows. Offline capture that syncs later is a plus.
14. Ease of use and rollout: If reps can’t learn it in a day, they won’t use it. Favour a simple UI, quick edits and bulk actions that reduce clicks. Adoption is the fastest lever for sales outcomes and a successful sales team.
15. Pricing that matches value: Compare free tiers, paid plans and custom pricing against what you actually need now. Some tools charge per user, others bundle features into an org plan. The best pipeline management software is the one your team uses daily and can scale without surprise costs.
16. Scale, support and security: Check user limits, API caps, SLAs and data controls. You want a sales hub that grows with headcount and product lines, not one that blocks you when things get busy. Strong support shortens time to value, which helps drive sales success.

Free vs paid crm: which should you choose?

The right choice depends on team size, deal complexity and how much sales automation you need across the entire sales cycle.

When a free CRM works

• You’re a small team testing sales pipeline management and basic lead management
• One pipeline, simple pipeline stages, light email only
• Minimal integrations, no heavy marketing automation
• You can live without advanced analytics or AI-powered insights
• You’re cleaning CRM data and building habits before scaling

What you get: contact management, a basic sales pipeline, simple reporting features, starter dashboards. Good for proving process and getting sales reps to log customer interactions.

When paid makes sense

• Multiple pipelines, products, territories or hand-offs in the entire sales process
• You need reliable sales forecasting, stage exit rules and SLA timers
• Automations for tasks, nudges and follow-ups to lift sales productivity
• Omnichannel outreach — calling, WhatsApp, email — tied to the deal
• AI-powered deal health, lead scoring and next best actions
• Deeper advanced analytics for team performance and sales revenue
• Admin controls, permissions and audit for serious sales operations

What you get: robust sales workflows, custom dashboards, better data quality and the ability to close more deals with fewer clicks.

Hidden costs to watch

There are some hidden costs that some CRMs do a good job of hiding. Here are some hidden costs you need to look out for before you get a CRM.

• Per-user seats vs org plans and custom pricing
• Add-ons for diallers, WhatsApp, SMS or chat credits
• API limits if you link multiple tools
• Storage caps for recordings and attachments
• Support tiers and response SLAs

Conclusion

The right CRM software and sales pipeline management tools don’t just track deals, they nudge them forward. Clear pipeline stages, tidy data and light automation turn guesswork into a repeatable habit your team can actually stick to.

Pick a tool your reps love to open. If they need a manual and extensive training, it’s the wrong fit. The best pipeline management CRM makes next steps obvious, sales forecasting boringly accurate and productivity a by-product of doing the basics well.

And yes, when you compare Telecrm with other pipeline management software, look for what saves clicks and moves deals, not just what looks like a must-have tool.

Let’s make your pipeline easy. Book a quick demo with us.