Aimie
Running sales as a small business can feel like juggling a dozen things at once. You're managing leads, writing emails, scheduling follow-ups, and trying not to miss opportunities — all without a big sales team behind you.
That’s where AI sales tools can help. They take care of the busywork, keep your pipeline organized, and even suggest your next move. The best part? They don’t have to be complicated or expensive.
We’ve tested dozens of options and picked two standout tools that are perfect for small businesses: Pipedrive and Zoho CRM.
They both help with:
- Managing customer relationships
- Finding and converting leads
- Analyzing sales performance
- Automating repetitive tasks
Here’s what they offer — and which one might be right for your business.
1. Manage Customer Relationships
Pipedrive
Pipedrive makes it easy to keep track of every deal and interaction. Its visual pipeline helps you stay on top of where each customer is in the sales process. No more digging through emails or forgetting who to follow up with.
Why it works:
- Drag-and-drop deal stages
- Reminders for calls, tasks, and emails
- Email integration and tracking
- Forecasting tools to predict sales
Best for: Small teams that want a simple, visual way to manage sales.
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is a bit more advanced, offering deeper automation and a built-in AI assistant, Zia. It helps you predict which deals are most likely to close and suggests what to do next.
Why it works:
- AI-powered insights and suggestions
- Custom pipelines and task automation
- Central place for all customer info
- Works with tools like Mailchimp and Google Workspace
Best for: Businesses that want to automate more and grow into a full-featured CRM.
2. Understand Your Prospects
Pipedrive
Pipedrive gives you quick insights into which deals are moving forward and which are stuck. It’s more about your pipeline than market trends, but it’s very practical.
Features include:
- Deal forecasting
- Sales activity tracking
- Pipeline progress analytics
Best for: Teams that want to keep things simple but smart.
Zoho CRM
Zoho takes a deeper look at what your prospects are doing. It tracks behavior, scores leads, and gives you data-driven suggestions.
Features include:
- Predictive lead scoring
- Real-time engagement tracking
- Market trend analysis
Best for: Businesses that want to dig deeper into what makes their customers tick.
3. Lead Generation & Conversion
Pipedrive
Pipedrive helps you keep track of leads and follow up automatically. It connects easily with tools like LinkedIn or Google Contacts to help you capture more leads.
Features include:
- Visual lead pipeline
- Follow-up reminders
- Integrations with lead-gen tools
Best for: Simple lead pipelines where speed matters.
Zoho CRM
Zoho helps you identify your hottest leads using AI, and then nurtures them automatically until they’re ready to buy.
Features include:
- AI-powered lead scoring
- Automated email follow-ups
- Advanced segmentation
Best for: Businesses that want a smarter way to qualify and nurture leads.
4. Sales Performance & Automation
Pipedrive
Pipedrive shows how your sales are doing and automates small tasks so nothing falls through the cracks.
Features include:
- Sales forecasts
- Performance metrics (e.g. conversion rates)
- Task and email automation
Best for: Teams that want to reduce admin work and stay on top of their numbers.
Zoho CRM
Zoho gives you more in-depth reporting and custom dashboards. It also connects with hundreds of other tools to automate even more of your workflow.
Features include:
- In-depth performance tracking
- Predictive analytics
- Integration with 500+ tools (Zapier, Mailchimp, etc.)
Best for: Businesses ready for more advanced automation and insight.
Which One Should You Choose?
Pipedrive is great if you want an easy, intuitive tool that helps you manage your pipeline and keep leads moving. It’s perfect for small sales teams and solo founders. Free 14-day trial. Prices start at €14/month per user.
Zoho CRM is the better fit if you need more advanced automation, AI insights, and the ability to customize everything as you grow. Free trial available. Prices start at €14/month per user.
Both are solid options — your choice depends on how simple or advanced your sales setup needs to be.
Want more tips like this? Aimie is here to help you pick the right tools, save time, and grow with confidence.