Real-data stack · Snapshot v0.7 · checked 2026-10-23
CRM + email + client-ops stack for a 5-person SEO agency
Short answer: Seats for sellers only costs $180/mo on annual billing ($2,160/yr), or $217/mo month-to-month. The alternative (A CRM seat for everyone (common mistake)) comes to $297/mo. Every dollar below is computed from our Pricing Snapshot, not typed by hand.
Recommended: Seats for sellers only
| Layer | Pick | Units | Annual $/mo | Monthly $/mo | Status | Admin hrs/wk (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | Pipedrive Growth × 2 — only the two people who sell get seats | 2 | $78 | $98 | Vendor-verified | 2 |
| ActiveCampaign Plus (1,000 contacts, 1 seat) — nurture + landing pages | 1 | $49 | $59 | Annual verified | 1.5 | |
| Client ops | Dubsado Starter — proposals, contracts, retainer invoices | 1 | $28 | $35 | Vendor-verified | 1.5 |
| Client ops seats | Dubsado users 4–10 add-on (5th person) | 1 | $25 | $25 | Vendor-verified | 0 |
| Total | $180 | $217 | 5.00 | |||
Why this recipe fits this practice
- Per-seat CRMs punish agencies that give every delivery person a seat. Only the two people who sell need Pipedrive.
- Dubsado includes 3 extra users free; the fifth person adds a flat $25/mo, not another per-seat fee.
- ActiveCampaign Plus adds landing pages and unlimited automation actions for content-led nurture, at a fraction of HubSpot Marketing Professional.
The fee math
| What | Result | How we got it |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended stack, annual billing | $180/mo | Pipedrive Growth 2 × $39 + AC Plus $49 + Dubsado Starter $28 + users add-on $25 |
| Same stack, month-to-month | $217/mo | AC monthly figure is from a secondary source (the US page shows yearly only) |
| A Pipedrive seat for all 5 people instead | +$117/mo (+$1,404/yr) | 3 extra Growth seats × $39 |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional instead of AC Plus | +$751/mo + $3,000 onboarding | $800 vs $49 (annual), onboarding per vendor page |
Alternative: A CRM seat for everyone (common mistake)
| Layer | Pick | Units | Annual $/mo | Monthly $/mo | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | Pipedrive Growth × 5 — a seat for everyone | 5 | $195 | $245 | Vendor-verified |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | 1 | $49 | $59 | Annual verified | |
| Client ops | Dubsado Starter | 1 | $28 | $35 | Vendor-verified |
| Client ops seats | Dubsado users 4–10 add-on | 1 | $25 | $25 | Vendor-verified |
| Total | $297 | $364 | |||
Watch-outs
- ActiveCampaign prices scale with contacts; the figures are for 1,000 contacts.
- ActiveCampaign Plus has 1 seat. If both sellers need to build campaigns, Pro includes 3 seats.
- Dubsado Starter has no automated workflows or scheduling; Premier adds them.
FAQ
How much should a 5-person agency spend on CRM and email?
Our real-data recipe comes to $180/mo on annual billing, or $2,160/yr, because only sellers get CRM seats.
Should every team member get a CRM seat?
Not on a per-seat CRM. Giving all 5 people a Pipedrive Growth seat adds $1,404/yr with no new pipeline.
Related: Best CRM for small agencies · ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot Marketing · All niche stacks · Stack-bill change log