Hermit CRM vs Pipedrive
Prices and features checked on .
The short answer
Choose Pipedrive if you run a sales team, want automations and email sequences, or need a mobile app. Choose Hermit CRM if you sell on your own, want a pipeline board without a subscription, and want the data as plain files on your own computer that AI tools can read. Hermit CRM is free; Pipedrive has a 14-day trial and starts at €14 a seat a month billed yearly.
Side by side
| Hermit CRM | Pipedrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one person | Free and open source. There is no paid plan. | No free plan; a 14-day trial. Lite €14 a seat a month billed yearly, Growth €39, Premium €59, Ultimate €79. Monthly billing costs more. |
| Where your data lives | In a folder on your own computer. | In Pipedrive's cloud. |
| Data format | Markdown files with YAML front matter: one per company, contact and conversation. Readable without the app. | Records in Pipedrive's database. Export to CSV or Excel. |
| Works offline | Yes. It runs on your computer. Mail import, enrichment and Ask Hermit need the internet. | No. It is a hosted service. |
| Team use | No. It is built for one person. | Yes. Seats, teams, visibility rules and goals. |
| AI tools | Your AI tool reads the files, runs the CLI or connects to the local MCP server. No API key, no OAuth. Ask Hermit uses the AI command line tool you already have. | An API and an official MCP server on every plan, plus built-in AI features. |
| Email and calendar | BCC or forward mail to a Gmail address you choose, and it is logged on the right contact. Past meetings come from your calendar's ICS link. No inbox sync. | Gmail and Outlook sync, a BCC address for logging, and tracking. |
| History and undo | Every change is a git commit, so every earlier version is kept and can be restored. | A change log on each deal, person and organisation. |
| Source code | Open source, Apache License 2.0. | Closed source. |
| Runs on | macOS and Linux, in your browser. No Windows and no mobile app. | Browser, iOS and Android. |
| Setup | Download it and let your AI coding tool install it. It needs Python 3.11 and git and installs them when they are missing. | Sign up in the browser. |
| Maturity and support | Alpha software. No warranty and no support. | A mature product with a support team. |
When Pipedrive is the better choice
- A team works the same pipeline and you want goals and reports per person.
- You want automations and email sequences built in.
- You need a mobile app for calls and meetings on the road.
- You want a vendor that supports you when something breaks.
- You work on Windows.
When Hermit CRM is the better choice
- You sell on your own and a subscription per seat is hard to justify.
- You want the pipeline in files on your own disk, not in a vendor's cloud.
- You work with Claude Code, Codex or another AI agent and want it to read and update deals without an API key.
- You want a follow-up radar, message drafts in four languages and reports, without paying for a higher plan.
- You want every change kept in git, so you can see and undo it.
Hermit CRM is a free, open-source CRM for founders, freelancers and anyone doing their own sales. It runs on your Mac or Linux computer and keeps every company, contact and conversation as a Markdown file in a git folder on your own disk. A local web app gives you a pipeline board, a calendar of next steps, message drafts and reports. AI tools such as Claude Code, Codex or Claude Desktop can read and update the pipeline through the files, a small CLI or the built-in MCP server. It is alpha software under the Apache License 2.0, with no warranty and no support.
Moving from Pipedrive to Hermit CRM
- In Pipedrive, export your organisations and people as CSV or Excel files.
- In Hermit CRM, choose Import a spreadsheet on the home page and upload each file. It recognises Pipedrive's column names, shows a preview, and writes nothing until you confirm.
- Set the stage of each company on the pipeline board. Email history and activities stay in Pipedrive.
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Pipedrive for one person?
Yes. Hermit CRM is free and open source and has a pipeline board from prospect to won, a follow-up radar, tasks and reports. It is for one person on a Mac or Linux computer; Pipedrive is for teams, has no free plan and runs in the cloud.
Can I import my Pipedrive data into Hermit CRM?
Organisations and people, yes. Export them from Pipedrive as CSV or Excel and import the files in Hermit CRM, which recognises Pipedrive's column names. Deals, activities and mail history do not come across.
Does Hermit CRM send email sequences like Pipedrive?
No. Hermit CRM drafts messages in your wording, in English, German, Dutch or French, and you send them yourself from your own mail. It logs what you send and whether you got an answer.