Quick note up front: I used both tools in my own work. I built real funnels, sent real emails and texts, ran payments, and ran ads to them. Some numbers below are from my tests. Prices change, so take those as my snapshot.
Why I tried both
I run a small marketing shop. I help local brands and a few coaches. I needed pages, checkout, email, texts, and a simple CRM. Friends kept saying, “Use ClickFunnels.” A client then asked me to set up Pipeline Pro. So I tried both. And I kept them long enough to see what broke under stress.
The two projects that shaped my view
- My ClickFunnels test: a 6-week fitness bootcamp. I built a landing page, a 2-step order page, a bump, and one upsell for a meal plan.
- My Pipeline Pro test: a local dental clinic promo. Free whitening with a cleaning. I needed forms, a calendar, SMS reminders, and a tight pipeline to track no-shows.
Different jobs, same goal: get people to say yes.
Setup and my first hour
- ClickFunnels: I made an account like I was ordering socks. Smooth. The first hour felt easy. I grabbed a template and was building right away.
- Pipeline Pro: Setup took longer. I had to connect a phone number for texts and set sender stuff for email. Not hard, but it felt more “CRM-ish.” I like control, but still.
You know what? If you hate settings, ClickFunnels will feel calmer on day one. Tip: I documented the entire setup slog, with screenshots, in my full Pipeline Pro vs ClickFunnels breakdown.
Building pages and funnels
ClickFunnels pages are pretty. Drag, drop, done. I built my bootcamp funnel in about 45 minutes, and it looked clean on mobile. I did tweak spacing for small screens, but it wasn’t bad.
If you’re weighing ClickFunnels against a pure landing-page specialist, my Instapage vs ClickFunnels test shows where each one wins.
Pipeline Pro can build full funnels too. It’s solid. But the page editor felt a bit stiff. On mobile, some columns slid around on me. I fixed it, but it took time. The good part? It ties the page to the CRM and the follow-ups right away. That saved me clicks later.
Real results: did people buy?
-
ClickFunnels bootcamp:
- 2,130 visits over two weeks
- 111 orders (5.2%)
- $9,870 gross
- I ran a headline test. “Get Fit Before Summer” vs “Drop 2 Sizes in 6 Weeks.” The second won by 18% on the order page. That felt good.
-
Pipeline Pro dental promo:
- 203 leads in 10 days
- 71 booked on the calendar
- 12 no-shows
- After I added SMS reminders (24 hours and 2 hours before), no-shows dropped by about one-third the next week. The front desk hugged me. Well, almost.
Emails, texts, and follow-ups
ClickFunnels email was fine. My Gmail tests hit Promotions most of the time. That’s normal for promos. I built a 7-email nurture, and it was easy. The editor felt friendly. For texts, I used an add-on, and it worked, but it felt like an extra puzzle piece.
For an email-first angle, I ran ClickFunnels against GetResponse; the results surprised me.
Pipeline Pro owned this part. I set up:
- Missed-call text back (“Hey, saw you called. Want to book?”)
- A “cold lead wakes up” sequence (day 1, 3, 7 with SMS and email)
- Smart wait steps, tied to pipeline stage
We even used round-robin routing for two hygienists. When one was full, the other grabbed the next slot. It felt like watching Tetris, but for teeth.
Another local service case we scoped (a wellness spa that offers therapeutic massage) highlighted how directory traffic interacts with funnel tech. Potential clients often start their search on review hubs that catalog massage spots in their city. To see what one of those listings actually looks like—and why capturing the click-to-call from it matters—check the Rubmaps Leander profile. You’ll see how the page surfaces ratings, hours, and a phone number right at the top, which makes it painfully obvious why a missed-call text-back or quick-fire funnel follow-up closes more appointments.
Payments and checkout
ClickFunnels checkout was the smoothest. My order bump and one-click upsell worked right away. Refunds were simple. That’s their jam.
And if you’re curious how it fares against an “all-in-one” rival, my ClickFunnels vs Kartra story digs into the details.
Pipeline Pro worked with Stripe for me. No big drama. I did mess with taxes and coupon codes a bit longer. Not hard, just more clicks.
CRM and pipeline view
ClickFunnels has lists and a light CRM view. It’s fine for course sellers and coaches who don’t live in a CRM all day.
Pipeline Pro is a proper pipeline. I dragged cards from “New Lead” to “Booked” to “Showed.” I could see who needed a nudge. I could record calls. The front desk used it all day. That mattered.
Speed and stability
- ClickFunnels: My bootcamp landing page felt heavy on one test day. Mobile on 4G loaded in about 3 seconds for me. Not slow, not blazing.
- Pipeline Pro: My dental page felt a touch faster, around the mid-2s seconds on mobile. Could be the simple layout. Either way, both were okay for paid traffic.
Tiny note: Compress your images. It helps both.
A/B tests and reporting
ClickFunnels makes split testing easy. I made two headlines and swapped them fast. The report is clean.
Pipeline Pro can test, but I had to poke around more. The reporting is deeper for leads and calls, though. For local service, that’s gold.
Templates and design
ClickFunnels templates look like a pro did them. I changed colors and fonts and I was set.
For site owners comfy with the open-source route, I did a ClickFunnels vs WordPress mash-up to see which shipped pages faster (and ranked better).
Pipeline Pro has templates too, but I did more design work. It’s fine if you know what you want. If you want to “plug and play,” ClickFunnels wins here.
Integrations and extras
- Both worked fine with Stripe.
- I used Calendars inside Pipeline Pro. Loved it.
- Zapier helped me push ClickFunnels buyers into my accounting app.
- Pipeline Pro chat widget grabbed late-night questions. Two became booked calls. Not bad for a tiny bubble in the corner. If you’re curious about leveling-up your site conversations with more engaging—even playful—tools, take a peek at this curated list of “sexy” chat apps worth trying this year—it breaks down standout features, privacy perks, and best-fit audiences so you can choose a chat experience that turns casual browsers into eager leads.
For a broader look at how other funnel and site builders stack up, you can check the detailed comparisons over at WebsiteBuilderTools. For an in-depth side-by-side, I also found this comprehensive Pipeline Pro vs ClickFunnels study useful.
Support and learning curve
ClickFunnels chat replied in about 20 minutes when I asked about a checkout rule. The help docs were clear.
Pipeline Pro support replied overnight by email. There’s a user group that helped me with SMS flows. Once I set it up, I was fast. But that first week felt like… homework.
What each did better for me
Where ClickFunnels shined:
- Fast page building
- Pretty templates
- Smooth checkout and upsells
- Simple A/B tests
Where Pipeline Pro shined:
- CRM and pipeline tracking
- Built-in SMS that felt native
- Calendars and no-show control
- Missed-call text back (this won real money)
What bugged me
- ClickFunnels: Some edits didn’t “stick” until I refreshed. Also, the email tool is fine, but nothing special.
- Pipeline Pro: The page builder felt clunky on mobile layout. And setup for email/SMS took time. Worth it, but still time.
What I paid (my snapshot)
- ClickFunnels: I paid $147/month for my test plan.
- Pipeline Pro: I paid $97/month for my CRM plan plus texting costs.
Your prices may be different. Plans change. Text costs add up if you send a lot.
So… which one should you choose?
- Pick ClickFunnels if:
- You sell courses,