Replacement
CRM costs and vendor selection
Compare workable CRM editions, seats, implementation work, support and exit terms using the same buying brief.
Price the configuration that can do your team's essential work, including seats, set-up and ongoing support. Give shortlisted vendors the same requirements and request a written offer for the same contract period. An advertised seat price cannot settle the decision if a required feature or service costs extra.
Give vendors one buying brief
Describe the work the first release must support: receiving an enquiry, assigning an opportunity, reviewing progress and handing won work to the next team. Include an exception, such as an owner change. Mark each result essential at launch or suitable for later work. Ask vendors to identify the edition, seat type, add-on or manual step needed for each result.
The first-release workflow to include in the buying brief
- Receive an enquiry
- Assign an opportunity to an owner
- Review progress
- Hand won work to the next team
- Exception: an owner changeAsk each vendor to show how this handover is handled, and whether it needs configuration or a manual step
Compare the full commitment
| Item | What the written offer should identify |
|---|---|
| Subscription | Edition, purchased seats, billing currency, GST treatment, billing cycle and renewal terms |
| Feature access | The edition, permissions, add-ons and allowances needed for essential work |
| Delivery | Onboarding, data work, configuration, integrations, training and who performs each task |
| Ongoing operation | Included and paid support, administration, add-ons and expected changes in seats or usage |
| Exit | Export scope, access, assistance, timing and possible charges |
Calculate a first-year total and a later-year run rate on the same assumptions. Keep one-off work separate from recurring charges and count internal staff time. Do not add an included service twice.
What every written CRM offer should identify
- SubscriptionEdition, purchased seats, billing currency, GST treatment, billing cycle and renewal terms
- Feature accessThe edition, permissions, add-ons and allowances needed for essential work
- DeliveryOnboarding, data work, configuration, integrations, training and who performs each task
- Ongoing operationIncluded and paid support, administration, add-ons and expected changes in seats or usage
- ExitExport scope, access, assistance, timing and possible charges
Price the plan boundaries, not only its label
Pipedrive's plan comparison lists a shared baseline across Lite, Growth, Premium and Ultimate: data import and export, custom fields, pipelines, activities and Insights reporting appear on all four. Email sync and automations begin at Growth; required fields and pipeline-specific fields are listed at Premium and Ultimate. Use these distinctions to price the edition that covers each essential requirement.
Check whether an add-on is included or separately charged in the proposed plan. LeadBooster, Projects and Smart Docs are add-ons on Lite and Growth and included on Premium and Ultimate; Campaigns and Web Visitors are add-ons on all four plans. Premium and Ultimate also list features such as custom permission sets and team inbox that do not appear on the lower plans.
Top-ups can extend specific limits without changing plans, but availability varies. Pipedrive lists additional leads and deals, reports and automations from Growth, and data-enrichment credits are available from Premium. Ask the vendor to identify the applicable limit, any required top-up and its billing cycle in the offer.
Pipedrive's monthly cycle is billed on the same day each month; annual billing is paid upfront and receives a discount. Optional add-ons and top-ups follow the selected plan's billing cycle, so compare them on the same period as the subscription.
Where Pipedrive plan boundaries fall
- Data import and export, custom fields, pipelines, activities and Insights reporting
- Listed on all four plans: Lite, Growth, Premium and Ultimate
- Email sync and automations
- Begin at Growth
- Required fields and pipeline-specific fields
- Listed at Premium and Ultimate
- LeadBooster, Projects and Smart Docs
- Add-ons on Lite and Growth; included on Premium and Ultimate
- Campaigns and Web Visitors
- Add-ons on all four plans
- Custom permission sets and team inbox
- Listed at Premium and Ultimate only
Check three possible suppliers
Confirm the Australian offer and order form.
HubSpot Sales Hub: ask the vendor to identify the proposed edition and seat types, the automation available, any onboarding charge, and other products or credits required by the proposed work.
Pipedrive: its billing guidance says purchased seats are charged even when unassigned. Pipedrive has introduced new plan tiers, names and limits, so ask the vendor to confirm any older-plan entitlements on the proposed account.
Zoho CRM: ask the vendor to map each essential requirement to the proposed edition and identify any separately charged options. Team-user licences have narrower access than full CRM users and require the CRM For Everyone interface. Confirm what each receiving role can do before using a team-user licence in the cost comparison.
For Zoho CRM team users, distinguish access in organisation modules from access in team modules. In organisation modules, team users can view and add notes, tags and attachments in up to 10 modules, but cannot own records, use reports and dashboards, initiate calls or meetings, or manage automation.
In team modules they can manage records and automations, but cannot build or access reports and dashboards based on those modules.
Team users cannot access some capabilities, including AI features and Google or Microsoft integrations in organisation modules. Some team-module features are available only to fully licensed users.
What to confirm with each shortlisted supplier
- HubSpot Sales HubConfirm the proposed edition and seat types, the automation available, any onboarding charge, and other products or credits the proposed work requires
- PipedrivePurchased seats are charged even when unassigned; confirm any older-plan entitlements on the proposed account
- Zoho CRMMap each essential requirement to the proposed edition and identify separately charged options; team-user licences have narrower access than full CRM users
Record the assumptions behind each offer
Pipedrive says total subscription cost depends on the selected plan, billing cycle, number of seats, add-ons and top-ups, as well as currency and location. Record these inputs alongside the quoted offer, and ask which currency and payment methods apply to the Australian account.
Check who can manage the subscription as well as who will use the CRM. Pipedrive states that only users with account settings access rights can manage billing. Document responsibility for renewals and plan changes.
Make the choice reviewable
For each essential result, mark the proposed offer as included, extra cost, acceptable manual work or unresolved. Record the vendor's answer and the relevant contract term. Compare the least costly configurations that can reliably meet the brief, then note what would trigger an upgrade.
In this guide
- Comparing per-user plans and feature restrictionsMap CRM seats and editions to user tasks, then compare feature limits, add-ons and billing terms.
- Estimating CRM implementation and support costsScope CRM migration, configuration, training and support, then separate first-year and recurring costs.
- Checking data export before contract signatureSpecify CRM export scope, relationships, permissions and timing, then inspect a sample before signing.
- Reviewing a CRM vendor's service commitmentsCheck CRM uptime wording, support hours, response terms, exclusions and remedies against the proposed contract.
