TinyCRM vs Pipedrive
A CRM built for code, not pipelines
Pipedrive is a visual sales pipeline for sales reps. TinyCRM is a unified customer database for developers — NPM SDK included, $9/month flat, see every user across all your products in one table.
Pricing comparison
TinyCRM
$9/month
Flat pricing. Unlimited users. All features.
- 14-day free trial
- Unlimited team members
- NPM SDK included
Pipedrive
$14–$49/user/month
Per-seat pricing, no free tier.
- Essential: $14/user/month
- Advanced: $34/user/month
- Professional: $49/user/month
| Team size | TinyCRM / year | Pipedrive Essential / year | Pipedrive Pro / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $108 | $168 | $588 |
| 5 users | $108 | $840 | $2,940 |
| 10 users | $108 | $1,680 | $5,880 |
Three key differences
Developer-first
TinyCRM has an NPM SDK with identify() and ping(). Pipedrive has a REST API but no developer-first SDK for programmatic customer tracking.
$9/month flat
Pipedrive charges per seat starting at $14/user/month. TinyCRM is $9/month regardless of how many people are on your team.
Cross-product visibility
TinyCRM merges one customer across all your indie products by email. Pipedrive tracks deals and contacts, not unified product users.
Feature comparison
| Feature | TinyCRM | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly pricing (no per-seat) | ||
| NPM SDK (identify + ping) | ||
| Unified view across multiple products | ||
| CSV import & export | ||
| Custom fields / JSONB params | ||
| Setup in under an hour | ||
| Customer status tracking | ||
| Visual sales pipeline | ||
| Deal management | ||
| Activity reminders | ||
| Email integration | ||
| Sales forecasting | ||
| Mobile app |
Built for developers, not sales reps
Pipedrive is excellent software for sales teams that manage leads through pipeline stages. But for an indie hacker running 3 SaaS products, it's the wrong tool. You don't have deals — you have users, and you want to see them all in one place.
TinyCRM ships an NPM SDK designed for exactly this. Install it, call identify() from your sign-up handler, and every customer across every product appears in one filterable table — merged by email.
// Install
npm install tinycrm-sdk
// In your sign-up handler
import { TinyCRM } from "tinycrm-sdk";
const crm = new TinyCRM({
apiKey: process.env.TINYCRM_API_KEY,
});
await crm.identify({
email: user.email,
name: user.name,
status: "free",
params: { plan: "starter", source: "ph" },
});What is Pipedrive?
Pipedrive is a sales CRM founded in 2010, designed around visual deal pipelines. It helps sales teams manage leads and opportunities through customizable stages, with features for activity scheduling, email integration, sales forecasting, and team collaboration. Pipedrive is known for its clean UI and focus on sales reps who need to track deals from first contact to close.
Pipedrive is a strong choice for companies with outbound sales motions and dedicated sales reps who need to manage a pipeline. It is not designed for indie hackers who need a lightweight customer database with an NPM SDK that works across multiple independent products.
How to migrate from Pipedrive to TinyCRM
Export contacts from Pipedrive
In Pipedrive, go to Contacts → People → Export. Download all contacts as CSV with all fields.
Import into TinyCRM
In TinyCRM, go to Import → CSV. Map Pipedrive's 'Email' column to TinyCRM's email field, and 'Name' to name. Custom fields become JSONB params.
Install the SDK and connect your products
Run npm install tinycrm-sdk in each of your backend projects. Add the API key from TinyCRM Settings → Projects.
Add identify() to your sign-up handlers
Call crm.identify() wherever a user registers in each of your products. New customers appear automatically in TinyCRM.
Confirm and cancel Pipedrive
Verify all contacts migrated correctly, then cancel your Pipedrive subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Is TinyCRM cheaper than Pipedrive?
Yes. TinyCRM is $9/month for your whole team. Pipedrive's Essential plan is $14/user/month and Professional is $49/user/month. A 5-person team on Pipedrive Professional pays $2,940/year; the same team on TinyCRM pays $108/year.
Does TinyCRM have a sales pipeline like Pipedrive?
No. TinyCRM is a unified customer database, not a sales pipeline tool. If you need deal stages, activity reminders, and sales forecasting, Pipedrive may be a better fit. TinyCRM is built for indie hackers who want to see all their users across multiple products in one place.
Can I import my Pipedrive contacts into TinyCRM?
Yes. Export your Pipedrive contacts as CSV, then import into TinyCRM using the built-in CSV importer. Map Pipedrive fields to TinyCRM fields — email, name, and any custom fields become JSONB params.
Does TinyCRM have an NPM SDK?
Yes. tinycrm-sdk has two methods: identify() and ping(). Install it in your Node.js backend and call identify() from your sign-up handler. Pipedrive has a REST API but no first-class NPM SDK designed for developer-side customer tracking.
What does Pipedrive do better than TinyCRM?
Pipedrive excels at visual sales pipelines, deal tracking, activity scheduling, and sales forecasting. It's designed for sales reps who manage leads through stages. TinyCRM doesn't have deal stages — it's a customer database, not a sales tool.
Start building with TinyCRM
14-day free trial. $9/month after. No per-seat fees, ever.
npm install tinycrm-sdk
Also see: All CRM comparisons · Framework integrations