Pipedrive is the cheapest and most predictable. HubSpot is the most complete and the most aggressive about pushing you up-tier. Attio is the new option that's trying to be the modern default for startups.
| Entry paid | 3-seat year-one cost | Pricing behavior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipedrive | flat per-seat, 4 tiers | lowest of the three | one number per user, no contact billing, predictable |
| Attio | Plus $34/user/mo, Pro $69 | ~$1,200 (Plus) / ~$2,500 (Pro), no onboarding fee | straightforward per-seat |
| HubSpot | free CRM; Sales Hub Pro $100/user/mo | $4,500+ (incl. mandatory $1,500 onboarding) | pushes you to Pro for sequences/workflows/reporting |
Pipedrive does one thing — sales pipeline management — and prices it simply: a flat per-seat fee, four tiers, no contact-based billing surprises. Total cost is easy to model. For a small sales team that just needs a pipeline, it's the value pick.
HubSpot's free CRM is genuinely useful, but the moment you want email sequences, automation workflows or custom reporting, you're on Sales Hub Professional at $100/user/month — plus a mandatory $1,500 onboarding fee. A three-person team lands north of $4,500 in year one. What you get is the most complete platform (marketing, sales, service, CMS in one), which is worth it if you'll use the breadth and painful if you won't.
Attio is the newer, design-forward CRM aimed at startups — flexible data model, fast, no onboarding fee, transparent per-seat pricing. More expensive than Pipedrive, far cheaper than HubSpot Professional, and without HubSpot's up-tier pressure.
Small sales team, want predictable cost: Pipedrive. Want the modern, flexible startup CRM without HubSpot's expansion mechanics: Attio. Need an all-in-one platform across marketing, sales and service and will actually use it: HubSpot — budget for Professional and the onboarding fee.