Key takeaways
- Gmail teams organise with labels and filters, so check how each CRM treats them.
- Booking into Google Calendar from the record saves the back and forth after a reply.
- Importing directly from Google keeps names and companies tidier than a CSV round trip.
- Pebbles Ai saves drafts straight into Gmail and imports Google contacts into its Beta CRM.
What makes a CRM work with Gmail
A CRM works with Gmail when threads, drafts and contacts move between the two without anyone copying them.
Google Workspace teams can spend much of the day in Gmail and Google Calendar, with shared drives beside them. The CRM should read the conversation where it already happens, and the people in it should become contacts without a spreadsheet in between.
- Threads: does the CRM show the Gmail conversation on the contact?
- Drafts: can it write into Gmail rather than a separate composer?
- Labels: does it respect your Gmail labels and filters?
- Contacts: can it import directly from Google?
- Calendar: can a meeting go into Google Calendar from the record?
How each Gmail CRM connects to Google
Each of these CRMs connects to Gmail in its own way, so read the vendor's Google integration page for the exact detail. The summaries follow each vendor's site.
- folk: a relationship CRM with enrichment, email campaigns, AI assistants and a LinkedIn extension, sold per member.
- HubSpot Sales Hub: free tools for up to two users, then paid seats with sequences, calling and forecasting.
- Pipedrive: an AI email writer, automations and forecasting reports around a visual pipeline.
- Attio: email and calendar sync, automatic enrichment and a free tier.
- Zoho CRM: email integration and mass emails on Standard, and a free edition for up to three users.
Choosing a Google Workspace CRM for a team
A Google Workspace CRM for a team must handle shared visibility as well as each person's own inbox.
Decide which conversations everyone should see and which stay private, then test how the CRM treats a thread copied to two colleagues. Your Workspace administrator may also need to approve the app's access before anyone connects.
Is there a CRM inside Gmail with an assistant
Pebbles Ai brings an assistant to Gmail through Smartbox, with a Beta CRM beside it rather than a sidebar inside Gmail. The assistant searches, reads, replies to and files Gmail using labels and filters, and Write with AI drafts from the thread, the recipients and your brand voice.
More than one Gmail inbox can be connected per person, and outreach drafts are saved straight into Gmail. The Google Calendar connection lists events, finds a free slot and creates meetings with guests, contacts import from Google into the CRM, and Pebbles Ai is CASA II certified.
When a Gmail team should pick a different CRM
Pick a different CRM if you need forecasting, a mature non-beta record or a native HubSpot or Salesforce connection.
Teams that already run Attio or Pipedrive can keep it and let the assistants read and update records from chat through MCP, each write an approval action under the execution mode (in Manual mode it waits for your approval).
Gmail CRMs at a glance
Each CRM's category, whether its site lists a free plan, and the relationship or inbox features its own site names.
| Category | Free plan | Relationship or inbox features named on its site | |
|---|---|---|---|
| folk | Lightweight relationship CRM | No | Enrichment, email campaigns and a LinkedIn extension |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | CRM platform with sales software | Yes | Sequences |
| Pipedrive | Pipeline-focused sales CRM | No | AI email writer |
| Attio | Modern data-driven CRM | Yes | Email and calendar sync |
| Zoho CRM | CRM platform | Yes | Email integration and mass emails |
| Pebbles Ai | Go-to-market workspace with AI assistants and a CRM labelled Beta | No | Smartbox drafts in Gmail; Google contacts import into the CRM |
Drawn from each vendor's site when checked; Google Workspace details vary by plan, so test with your own account. Pebbles Ai has no free plan; Pro and Team start with a 1-month free trial.
The products compared
folk
Lightweight relationship CRM
A lightweight CRM for relationship-driven teams, with contact enrichment, email campaigns, AI assistants and a LinkedIn extension, priced per member with a two-week trial.
Best for: Founders and small teams managing relationships and simple campaigns.
Pricing model: Standard, Premium and Enterprise, per member, monthly or annual. Source: folk pricing
HubSpot Sales Hub
CRM platform with sales software
A CRM-centred sales suite with free tools, seat-based paid tiers, sequences, calling, forecasting, a prospecting agent and AI features, part of HubSpot's wider marketing and service platform.
Best for: Companies that want one mature CRM across marketing, sales and service, with the HubSpot Marketplace of apps and free tools for up to 2 users.
Pricing model: Free tools, then Starter, Professional and Enterprise priced per seat; onboarding fees on higher tiers. Source: HubSpot Sales Hub pricing
Read the comparison with HubSpot Sales Hub Visit HubSpot Sales Hub
Pipedrive
Pipeline-focused sales CRM
A sales CRM built around visual pipelines, with an AI sales assistant and email writer, automations, forecasting reports and add-ons for lead generation and campaigns.
Best for: Small companies and growing sales teams that track deals on a kanban board and want AI help and task automation without a long set-up.
Pricing model: Plans and prices are on their own pricing page. Source: Pipedrive pricing
Attio
Modern data-driven CRM
A flexible, data-model-first CRM with automatic enrichment, email and calendar sync, sequences and call intelligence on Pro, and a free tier.
Best for: Startups and scale-ups that want a customisable CRM with enrichment and a developer-friendly API.
Pricing model: Free, Plus, Pro and Enterprise, per user, with seat and workspace credits. Source: Attio pricing
Zoho CRM
CRM platform
A per-user CRM from Zoho with a free edition, sales automation, forecasting, cadences, built-in calling and the Zia AI assistant, part of a wider suite of Zoho business apps.
Best for: Small and mid-sized companies that want an affordable, configurable CRM with forecasting, calling and automation, especially if they already use other Zoho apps.
Pricing model: Free, Standard, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate, per user per month, with a discount for yearly billing; CRM Plus is a separate bundle. Source: Zoho CRM pricing
We make Pebbles Ai. Facts about other products come from their own public pages, checked on .
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilitySmartboxWork in Gmail with labels and filters, and draft replies with Write with AI from the thread and your brand voice.
- FoundationIntegrationsConnect Gmail and Google Calendar so the assistant can find a free slot and create meetings; deleting an event always asks first.
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsImport contacts from Google into the Beta CRM and track deals, tasks and notes beside your Gmail threads.
Common questions
Can a CRM work as a sidebar in Gmail?
Several CRMs offer a Gmail extension or sidebar; check each vendor's site. Pebbles Ai works with Gmail through Smartbox and saves drafts into your mailbox.
Does Pebbles Ai use Gmail labels?
Yes. The assistant applies Gmail labels and filters, and uses categories and rules for Outlook.
Can I import Google contacts into Pebbles Ai?
Yes. The CRM imports contacts from Google, Microsoft or a CSV file.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
