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Gmail as your sales command center?
That's the pitch behind Copper CRM—a lightweight, Google-native CRM designed to help small teams manage deals without switching tools.
Sounds smooth.
But as your pipeline grows, cracks appear: limits in customization, lack of depth, and missed opportunities.
Let's unpack what Copper gets right—and where it lags behind.
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What is Copper CRM?
Copper CRM is a sales and contact management platform built for Google Workspace users. It integrates directly with Gmail and Calendar to log interactions, manage leads, and automate simple workflows—all from your inbox.
It's like adding a CRM layer on top of Gmail. Ideal for small teams with simple sales processes, but not built for complexity.
Copper CRM: Who is it for?
Copper CRM is a solid match for:
✔️ Real estate agents who want CRM features inside Gmail
✔️ Consultants and coaches managing a small client base
✔️ Freelancers juggling multiple deals from their inbox
✔️ Service-based SMBs that rely heavily on Google tools
✔️ Sales reps with simple, linear pipelines
Not ideal if:
❌ You run a multi-channel sales or marketing operation
❌ You need advanced collaboration between multiple roles
❌ You're using tools outside the Google ecosystem (like Outlook or HubSpot)
❌ Your business is scaling fast and needs deeper customization
Copper CRM: Main Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Gmail + Google Calendar sync | Automatically logs emails and meetings inside each contact's profile |
| Pipeline management | Drag-and-drop Kanban views with stages, values, and filters |
| Workflow automation | Auto-create tasks, assign deals, update fields after specific actions |
| Sales reporting | Pre-set dashboards showing pipeline velocity and rep performance |
| Mobile access | Full-featured iOS and Android apps for remote work |
Copper CRM Pricing
Copper CRM offers 3 paid plans (no free version):
- Basic: $23/user/month
- For freelancers or very small teams. Limited pipelines and automation.
- Professional: $49/user/month
- Ideal for small businesses. Includes workflow automation, reporting, integrations.
- Business: $69/user/month
- For larger teams. Adds lead scoring, goal tracking, advanced permissions.
⚠️ Pricing is billed annually. Monthly billing comes at a higher rate.
Copper CRM: What's Missing
Copper works… until you need more.
Here's where it starts falling short—especially compared to modern CRMs:
❌ No native multichannel support (LinkedIn, WhatsApp, SMS)
❌ No contact enrichment out-of-the-box
❌ No shared views or collaborative pipelines
❌ Limited customization (field types, pipeline logic, visibility settings)
❌ No AI suggestions, prioritization, or smart filtering
❌ Locked features on higher tiers (like advanced reporting or automation depth)
🧠 Expert tip: Teams using Copper often pay for extra tools (Apollo, Clay, Notion, etc.) just to patch those gaps : "Import function needs work in the area of duplicate management and add/ overwrite tags. Third-party integration with Zapier makes this seamless but can add unnecessary expenses". (Capterra)
👉🏼 Try folk now to unify multichannel outreach, enrichment, and collaborative pipelines without add-ons
5 Best Copper CRM Alternatives
| CRM | Best For | Standout Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| folk CRM | Agile sales teams, agencies, startups | Native enrichment, Gmail, Outlook, Linkedin integration (and many more), AI fields, custom views | $20/user/month |
| Pipedrive | Sales-led SMBs | Visual pipelines, goal tracking | $14.90/month |
| HubSpot CRM | Marketing-first companies | Marketing automation, lead scoring | Free + paid plans |
| Close | Call-heavy inside sales teams | Dialer + email sequences in CRM | $35/month |
| Zoho CRM | Budget-conscious small businesses | Modular features, AI scoring | $14/month |
Check out the best Copper CRM alternatives to explore tools that offer stronger automation, better integrations, and more customization.
FAQ
Does Copper CRM work with Outlook?
No. Copper is built for Google Workspace. It syncs Gmail and Google Calendar natively and does not integrate with Outlook for email or calendar.
How much does Copper CRM cost?
Basic $23/user/month, Professional $49, Business $69 (annual billing). Monthly billing is higher. No free plan, only a trial.
Does Copper CRM have outreach sequences or contact enrichment?
Not natively. Copper lacks multichannel sequences, LinkedIn automation, and built-in enrichment. Teams often add third-party tools for outreach and data.
What is a good alternative to Copper CRM?
folk CRM offers native enrichment, Gmail and Outlook support, LinkedIn integration, collaborative views, customizable pipelines, and AI fields—built to scale beyond Gmail-only workflows.
Conclusion
If you're just starting out and run your business entirely in Gmail, Copper CRM might feel like a great fit.
But once your team grows—or your workflows get more advanced—it starts to feel limited. No enrichment. No multichannel. No collaboration.
That's why many agile teams are moving to folk CRM.
👉🏼 Try folk now to scale beyond Gmail-only workflows with enrichment, Outlook/LinkedIn support, and AI fields
You get contact enrichment, flexible pipelines, collaborative features, and automated follow-ups—all in one clean platform.
Less juggling. More closing! 🔥
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