Copper is a CRM built on top of Google Workspace: Gmail logging without data entry, automatic contact creation from email threads, native Calendar, Drive. Kommo is a messenger-first CRM with a visual pipeline for B2B sales: WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram directly in the interface. Both platforms occupy the SMB/Mid-Market segment, but solve fundamentally different problems.
Short answer: if your team lives in Gmail and sells through email — Copper. If your clients write in messengers and you need a pipeline with automation — Kommo.
Data Model: The Fundamental Difference
Copper is built around Google Workspace. Every incoming email from a new address -> a Person is automatically created. Calendar events -> Activity in the CRM. Drive files -> attached to the deal. Data model: People -> Companies -> Opportunities (pipeline). An Activity is an email, call, or meeting. Custom Fields — on paid plans.
Kommo is built around the pipeline and messengers. Objects: Leads/Deals -> Contacts -> Companies. An Activity is a Note, Task, call, or incoming message. Digital Pipeline: automatic actions when a stage changes (send an email, create a task, notify Slack). The key difference — Kommo can receive messages from WhatsApp/Telegram/Instagram directly into the deal card; Copper cannot.
| Parameter | Copper | Kommo |
|---|---|---|
| Native integration | Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Drive) | WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, VK |
| Email logging | Automatic from Gmail | Via widgets or manual |
| Pipeline | Opportunities (kanban or list) | Visual pipeline + Digital Pipeline (automation) |
| Custom Objects | No (custom fields only) | No (custom fields only) |
| Messengers | Not natively | Yes, natively |
| Mobile app | iOS + Android | iOS + Android |
Integrations: Each Platform’s Ecosystem
Copper natively integrates with:
— Gmail — two-way logging
— Google Calendar — activities from meetings
— Google Drive — file attachments
— Slack, Zendesk, QuickBooks, DocuSign — via marketplace
— Zapier / Make — for everything else
Kommo natively integrates with:
— WhatsApp Business API, Instagram, Telegram, VK, Facebook Messenger
— Email (SMTP/IMAP), Google Calendar
— Telephony: Twilio, RingCentral, Aircall, etc.
— Zapier / Make, plus a rich marketplace of custom integrations
For EU companies that migrated from Copper to Kommo at Exceltic: the main question is always about what happens to the activity history from Gmail. Copper stores it as Activities linked to People. When migrating to Kommo, they need to be converted to Notes — this process is described in detail in the Copper to Kommo migration case.
Pricing: Real Cost for a Team of 10
Copper (USD, billed annually):
— Basic: $9/user/month — only 2,500 contacts, no Google Sheets sync
— Professional: $49/user/month — no limits, workflow automation, reporting
— Business: $119/user/month — lead scoring, custom reports, multi-pipeline
10 people × Professional = $490/month = $5,880/year
Kommo (USD, billed annually):
— Base: $15/user/month — basic pipeline, limited integrations
— Advanced: $25/user/month — automation, more integrations
— Enterprise: $45/user/month — advanced analytics, priority support
10 people × Advanced = $250/month = $3,000/year
Kommo is cheaper at a comparable feature level. But if your team already pays for Google Workspace and Copper covers your needs — saving $250/month is not a reason to migrate.
Pipeline Logic: Where Kommo Wins
Copper — classic pipeline: drag and drop cards, filters, basic automation on the Business plan. Everything is built around email and meetings.
Kommo — Digital Pipeline: when a deal moves to a stage, a WhatsApp message is automatically sent, a task is assigned to the manager, and a tag changes. This is not just a CRM — it is a tool for messenger-oriented sales.
For B2B SaaS where a client writes “I want to try” on Instagram -> the manager conducts negotiations on WhatsApp -> Copper cannot help here. The entire conversation will be outside the CRM. Kommo integrates it directly.
When to Choose Copper
- Your team works in G Suite (Gmail, Calendar, Drive) — this is the primary criterion
- Sales through email: outbound, business correspondence, no messenger channel
- Minimum data entry is important, with automatic logging from Gmail
- US/Canada market with a classic email sales culture
When to Choose Kommo
- Clients write on WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram — this is 80% of your contacts
- Pipeline automation is needed: triggered messages, tasks, notifications
- B2B in EU / Latin America / Middle East — messengers are critical
- The team has outgrown Copper and needs a powerful pipeline with automation
Real-World Case
EU agency (7 people, Copper -> Kommo, Q4 2024):
- Reason for switching: 40% of leads came through WhatsApp and Instagram — Copper did not log these contacts. Managers ran parallel chats on their phones; the CRM did not reflect the real pipeline.
- Process: migration of 1,200 Opportunities + 4,800 People + activity history. Activities from Gmail -> Notes in Kommo. Details: Copper to Kommo migration case.
- Result: the pipeline in Kommo now includes all communication channels. Response time to a WhatsApp inquiry dropped from 4 hours to 20 minutes — the manager sees the message directly in the deal card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Copper tied exclusively to Google Workspace?
Technically Copper works without G Suite — but then its main value is lost: automatic logging from Gmail and Calendar. Without Google Workspace, Copper becomes an ordinary pipeline tool without obvious advantages over Kommo or Pipedrive.
Can data be transferred from Copper to Kommo without losses?
Contacts, companies, and deals — yes, via CSV or API. Activities require additional processing: they are stored in Copper in their own format and are not importable via the standard path. Exceltic.dev has executed such migrations and documented the pitfalls in a separate guide.
Does Kommo work with Gmail?
Yes, via IMAP/SMTP: incoming and outgoing emails are logged to the card. But this is not the same bidirectional native logging as in Copper — emails need to be linked to a contact manually or through configuration. If Gmail is your primary sales tool, Copper is more convenient.
Which CRM is better for SaaS sales in the EU?
It depends on the sales channel. If sales are via email (outbound, cold) — Copper. If inbound via messengers and social media — Kommo. Most EU SaaS in the $500–5,000 MRR segment use Kommo as their primary tool with custom integrations for billing, support, and analytics.
Does Copper have support in languages other than English?
No. Copper is oriented to the English-language market; documentation and support are in English only. Kommo supports Russian and has Russian-language support — this matters for teams where not everyone reads technical documentation in English fluently.
Summary
- Copper = Google Workspace CRM: Gmail auto-logging, Calendar activities, email sales culture. Optimal for US/CA teams working in G Suite
- Kommo = messenger-first CRM: WhatsApp/Telegram/Instagram in the pipeline, Digital Pipeline automation, EU/LATAM markets
- Pricing: Kommo is cheaper at a comparable feature level
- Migration: activity history from Copper requires separate processing
If you are evaluating a move from Copper to Kommo — describe your data volume and which activities are critical to preserve. Exceltic.dev will assess the migration complexity and propose a transfer architecture.