Prepared for Pipedrive · pipedrive.com
HubSpot was named in 30 of the same 32, Salesforce in 18. We asked ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Mode the 8 questions a buyer asks before choosing.
United States · data collected Oct 22, 2026 · Week 43, 2026 (Oct 19 – Oct 25) (baseline week)
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | ||||||||
| Perplexity | ||||||||
| Gemini | ||||||||
| Google AI Mode |
Executive summary
Three lines to read before anything else. The action queue below has 6 items, highest impact first.
Named in 27 of 32 answers (84.4%). Strongest on Perplexity (7 of 8).
HubSpot is named in 30 of 32. 3 answers name a tracked competitor but not Pipedrive: those are the openings.
Win the top pick from HubSpot. Publish an honest "Pipedrive vs HubSpot" comparison and make sure review sites state where Pipedrive is the better choice.
Competitive picture
Answers (of 32) that name each tracked business, and how Pipedrive does on each engine.
Also named, not tracked:
Fastest wins
List, directory and review pages the engines cited in the 3 answers that named a competitor but not Pipedrive. Competitor sites and image hosts are excluded. Getting onto these pages is the most direct route into the same answers.
| Page | Site | Answers citing it |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Best CRM for Small Business in 2026 - NetHunt | nethunt.com | 1 |
| The Best Small Business CRM Software We've Tested for 2026 | pcmag.com | 1 |
| 7 Best CRM Software for Small Businesses in 2026 (I ... | zite.com | 1 |
| The Best CRM Software for 2026 | uk.pcmag.com | 1 |
| Best Small Business CRM Software Of 2026 - Forbes | forbes.com | 1 |
| 2. Hubspot Crm -- Best Free... | nethunt.com | 1 |
Action queue
Each item is tied to the answers behind it: the question, which engines answered, who they named, and the pages they cite.
"Which CRM is easiest to set up for a startup?": 4 engines recommend HubSpot first; Pipedrive appears further down.
ChatGPT“For most startups, HubSpot CRM is the easiest place to start if you want to organize leads, track deals, and manage customer relationships without a complicated implementation.”
Perplexity“HubSpot CRM is the easiest all-around choice for most startups: it has a free plan, quick onboarding, and built-in contact, deal, email, and marketing tools.”
"What is the best CRM for outbound sales?": 4 engines recommend Close first; Pipedrive appears further down.
ChatGPT“2. Close: Best for: phone-heavy outbound sales”
Perplexity“Close is the best overall CRM for most outbound sales teams—especially SDR or inside-sales teams that make lots of calls and send sequenced emails.”
3 engines mention Pipedrive but none link to pipedrive.com; they cite other sites instead.
Perplexity“Simple visual pipeline for a small team — Pipedrive”
Gemini“Best for SMBs & Visual Pipeline Management: Pipedrive or Nutshell”
Google AI Mode“Pipedrive: Best for small-to-midsize teams wanting a simple, visual, pipeline-driven CRM.”
https://www.pipedrive.com/en/products/sales ranks #12. Top 3: ruleranalytics.com, cleverly.co, zoho.com.
Freshsales is named in 5 answers but is not on this client’s competitor list.
Follow Up Boss is named in 4 answers but is not on this client’s competitor list.
Detail
Position of Pipedrive among tracked businesses in each answer (– = not named). Small text: the business named first.
| Question | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini | Google AI Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1What is the best CRM for a small sales team? | #2HubSpot | #1Pipedrive | #1Pipedrive | #2HubSpot |
| Q2Which CRM is easiest to set up for a startup? | #2HubSpot | #2HubSpot | #2HubSpot | #2HubSpot |
| Q3What is the best CRM for B2B sales pipelines? | #2HubSpot | #1Pipedrive | #2HubSpot | #1Pipedrive |
| Q4What is the best affordable CRM for a small business? | #3HubSpot | –Zoho CRM | #3HubSpot | #3HubSpot |
| Q5What is the best CRM for a real estate agent? | –HubSpot | #2HubSpot | – | – |
| Q6What is the best Salesforce alternative for a small company? | #4HubSpot | #4HubSpot | #3Salesforce | #4HubSpot |
| Q7Which CRM has the best visual sales pipeline? | #1Pipedrive | #1Pipedrive | #1Pipedrive | #1Pipedrive |
| Q8What is the best CRM for outbound sales? | –Close | #3Close | #2Close | #2Close |
The same answers, scored for every tracked business.
| Business | Named in | Share of voice | Top pick | Avg. position | Own site cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | 93.8% | 28% | 50% | 1.6 | 40.6% |
| Pipedrive | 84.4% | 25.2% | 25% | 2.11 | 31.2% |
| Salesforce | 56.2% | 16.8% | 3.1% | 3.11 | 31.2% |
| Zoho CRM | 53.1% | 15.9% | 3.1% | 3.12 | 15.6% |
| monday CRM | 25% | 7.5% | 0% | 3.5 | 15.6% |
| Close | 21.9% | 6.5% | 12.5% | 2 | 3.1% |
Organic position (top 20, desktop) and whether the AI Overview on the same results page cites the site.
| Keyword | Position | AI Overview | Cited in it | Tracked competitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sales pipeline software | #12 | yes | no | HubSpot #11, Zoho CRM #3 |
| crm for small business | not in top 20 | yes | no | HubSpot #1, Salesforce #3, Zoho CRM #4, monday CRM #16 |
| salesforce alternative | not in top 20 | yes | no | – |
Domains cited most often across these answers (the client’s own site excluded). Being listed, reviewed or quoted on them is the fastest route into AI answers.
Appendix
For each question and engine: whether the brand was named and its position among tracked businesses, the business named first, and the quote.
| Engine | Named | Named first | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1What is the best CRM for a small sales team? | |||
| ChatGPT | #2 | HubSpot | My top recommendation is HubSpot if you want an easy starting point with room to grow, or Pipedrive if your team's main job is managing sales opportunities and closing deals. |
| Perplexity | #1 | Pipedrive | For most small sales teams, Pipedrive is the best default choice: it is sales-focused, easy to learn, and built around a visual drag-and-drop pipeline. |
| Gemini | #1 | Pipedrive | Pipedrive — Best for Visual Pipeline & Deal Management |
| Google AI Mode | #2 | HubSpot | Pipedrive – Best for Outbound-Heavy & Visual Sales |
| Q2Which CRM is easiest to set up for a startup? | |||
| ChatGPT | #2 | HubSpot | |
| Perplexity | #2 | HubSpot | Pipedrive: Easiest if you only need a simple, visual sales pipeline. |
| Gemini | #2 | HubSpot | Pipedrive (Easiest for Pure Sales Teams): Why it’s easy: Pipedrive was designed by salespeople, for salespeople. |
| Google AI Mode | #2 | HubSpot | Pipedrive (Fastest for Pure Sales Pipelines): Why it’s easy: It’s unapologetically visual and built strictly around a sales pipeline. |
| Q3What is the best CRM for B2B sales pipelines? | |||
| ChatGPT | #2 | HubSpot | For most B2B sales teams, HubSpot is the best all-around CRM, while Pipedrive is my top pick if your main priority is managing a clean, efficient sales pipeline. |
| Perplexity | #1 | Pipedrive | For most small and midsize B2B teams, Pipedrive is the best CRM for sales-pipeline management: it is quick to adopt, visually organizes deals, and keeps reps focused on next actions. |
| Gemini | #2 | HubSpot | Pipedrive — Best for Visual Pipeline Management & Simplicity |
| Google AI Mode | #1 | Pipedrive | Pipedrive — Best for visual pipeline management & everyday ease of use. |
| Q4What is the best affordable CRM for a small business? | |||
| ChatGPT | #3 | HubSpot | 5. Pipedrive: About $14/user/month |
| Perplexity | no | Zoho CRM | |
| Gemini | #3 | HubSpot | Best for Visual Sales Pipelines: Pipedrive: Best For: Sales-driven teams that want a clean, drag-and-drop pipeline interface without bloat. |
| Google AI Mode | #3 | HubSpot | Pipedrive — Best for Pure Sales Pipelines: Cost: Affordable entry-level tier, though automation requires moving to slightly higher plans. |
| Q5What is the best CRM for a real estate agent? | |||
| ChatGPT | no | HubSpot | |
| Perplexity | #2 | HubSpot | Best for simple sales pipelines: Pipedrive — easy drag-and-drop deal management and automation, but fewer real-estate-specific features. |
| Gemini | no | – | |
| Google AI Mode | no | – | |
| Q6What is the best Salesforce alternative for a small company? | |||
| ChatGPT | #4 | HubSpot | But if your main goal is to reduce software costs or simplify sales management, Zoho CRM or Pipedrive may be a better fit. |
| Perplexity | #4 | HubSpot | Straightforward sales pipeline — Pipedrive — Focused on visual pipeline management and simple sales workflows. |
| Gemini | #3 | Salesforce | 2. Pipedrive — Best Pure Sales Pipeline CRM |
| Google AI Mode | #4 | HubSpot | Pipedrive: Best for sales-focused teams that prioritize simplicity and a clean Kanban-style deal pipeline over heavy enterprise administration. |
| Q7Which CRM has the best visual sales pipeline? | |||
| ChatGPT | #1 | Pipedrive | My pick is Pipedrive for the best visual sales pipeline. |
| Perplexity | #1 | Pipedrive | Pipedrive is the best CRM for a purely visual sales pipeline. |
| Gemini | #1 | Pipedrive | When it comes to the best visual sales pipeline, Pipedrive is widely considered the industry benchmark.pipelinecrm.com However, depending on your team's specific workflow and style, a few other platforms stand out for their visual capabilities |
| Google AI Mode | #1 | Pipedrive | When it comes to the best visual sales pipeline, opinions generally point to Pipedrive as the overall champion for pure, intuitive visual management, though a few other platforms stand out depending on your team's specific workflow. |
| Q8What is the best CRM for outbound sales? | |||
| ChatGPT | no | Close | |
| Perplexity | #3 | Close | Simple visual pipeline for a small team — Pipedrive |
| Gemini | #2 | Close | Best for SMBs & Visual Pipeline Management: Pipedrive or Nutshell |
| Google AI Mode | #2 | Close | Pipedrive: Best for small-to-midsize teams wanting a simple, visual, pipeline-driven CRM. |
Each question was asked fresh on Oct 22, 2026 through each engine’s live interface or API (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Mode) from United States, with no login or personalization. A business counts as named when its name or a listed alias appears in the answer; position is its order among tracked businesses. AI answers vary between runs: read single answers as signals and week-over-week trends as the measure.
Google positions are organic positions in the top 20 for a desktop search. Data comes from licensed providers.
Prepared by Northwind Digital for Pipedrive. Week 43, 2026 (Oct 19 – Oct 25); this is the baseline week, so changes appear from the next round.