If your sales team uses Zendesk Sell, you’ve probably had the email by now. Sell is closing on 31 August 2027.
That might feel like ages away. Honestly, it isn’t. Moving to a new CRM takes a bit of planning, and your data could disappear sooner than you think.
Zendesk is pointing its Sell customers towards Pipedrive. So in this article, I’ll explain what’s happening, why, and why I think the move could leave you better off.
So, what’s happening to Zendesk Sell?
Back in September 2025, Zendesk announced it was retiring Sell. The last day is 31 August 2027, and the Sell mobile app goes at the same time.
Until then, nothing changes. You can keep using Sell as normal. After that date, Zendesk won’t offer a sales CRM at all.
If you use Zendesk for customer support, don’t worry. That isn’t changing. Zendesk Support carries on as normal. Only Sell is closing.
Zendesk has teamed up with Pipedrive to help people move. Pipedrive has built tools to bring your Sell data across, and both companies have said they’ll help customers get set up.
Why is Zendesk retiring Sell?
There’s a clear business logic behind the Zendesk Sell retirement. Zendesk says it wants to focus on what it does best, which is customer and employee service. Dropping Sell frees up time and money for its service products and AI.
To be fair, that makes sense. Zendesk didn’t build Sell itself. It bought a product called Base CRM in 2018 and gave it a new name. Sales was always a side line next to its main support business. And the sales CRM market is packed with strong specialist tools.
Here’s what that means for you. When a product is a side line, it tends to get less attention. Once it’s being closed, it gets no new features at all. So moving to a CRM built mainly for sales is the sensible choice.
The bit about your data that most people miss
This is the important part, so stick with me.
Zendesk will delete your Sell data when your subscription ends, or from 31 August 2027, whichever comes first. Once it’s deleted, it’s gone for good. So if your renewal is due before August 2027 and you don’t renew, you could lose your data much sooner.
There’s another catch. Sell’s built-in export doesn’t include everything. You can take your leads, contacts, deals, notes and tasks. But your activity history, appointments, emails, call logs and documents are left out.
For a lot of teams, that history is the really useful bit. It tells you who spoke to which customer, what was said and when. Lose it, and you’re starting again without the full picture.
The good news is that much of it can still be saved. More on that below. But it does mean the move needs proper planning, not just a quick export.
Why I think Pipedrive is a step up from Zendesk Sell
Pipedrive isn’t just a like-for-like swap. For most Sell users, it’s an upgrade. Here’s why.
- Sales is what it does.
Pipedrive is built for sales teams, so that’s where its money and effort go. It keeps getting new features. - It’ll feel familiar.
Like Sell, it’s built around a visual pipeline. You can see every deal and drag it from stage to stage. Most people find it easy to learn. - Handy AI tools.
Pipedrive’s AI can help you write and summarise emails and pull reports together. Less admin, more selling. - Smarter automation.
You can set up automatic follow-ups, reminders and routine tasks, so deals don’t get forgotten. - It connects to your other apps.
Pipedrive links to over 500 apps, including Zendesk Support, accounting software, calendars and email. So your sales and support teams stay joined up. - Room to grow.
Depending on your plan and add-ons, you can also manage projects, send proposals for e-signature, run email campaigns and capture leads from your website. - A good mobile app.
Your team can update deals and log calls while they’re out and about.
Pipedrive also gives Sell users a free trial and extra help getting started, which makes the switch easier.
How we can help you move from Zendesk Sell to Pipedrive
I’m David Nandhra, founder and CEO of Zed Consulting. I’ve worked in CRM and business systems for more than 25 years, and my background includes PwC, EY, IBM, Salesforce and Oracle.
Zed Consulting is an independent CRM consultancy and a Pipedrive partner UK businesses trust to plan, set up and move to Pipedrive without losing data or momentum.
First, some good news. Pipedrive offers Sell users free one-to-one onboarding and help importing their data. If that’s all you need, use it, and we’ll tell you if that’s the case.
But a standard import may not bring across everything, such as all your call history and documents. And it won’t shape Pipedrive around your sales process or connect your other tools. That’s where we come in.
If you want to migrate Zendesk Sell to Pipedrive without losing that history, here’s what we do:
- Review.
We look at how you use Sell today, what works and what doesn’t. - Bring across the missing history.
In most cases, we can use the Zendesk Sell API to move the call logs, call recordings and attached documents that the standard export leaves out. And if you synced Sell with Gmail or Outlook, your emails and appointments are usually still there. - Clean your data.
We remove duplicates and old records before anything moves, so you start fresh. - Build it properly.
We set up Pipedrive around the way you sell, with the right pipelines, fields, automation and reports. Not just a copy of Sell. - Connect your tools. We link Pipedrive to the tools you already use, like Zendesk Support, your accounting software, your website and your calendar.
- Train and support.
We show your team how it all works, and we’re here to help after launch.
Where it makes sense, we use Pipedrive’s free help for the basic import. That keeps your costs down, and lets us focus on the parts that make the biggest difference.
Every move is different, so we don’t quote a fixed price up front. Some parts, like data migration, are hard to cost until we’ve looked at your data and how you use Sell. So we start with a proper conversation and a discovery stage, then give you a clear estimate before any work begins.
One more thing. We work with lots of other CRMs as well, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics and Zoho. So you’ll get an honest view. If Pipedrive isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you. No bias.
Ready to talk? Book your free meeting
At the time of writing, 31 August 2027 is less than 11 months away. Leave it late and you’ll face a rushed move, busy partners and a bigger risk of losing data.
So the best time to start is now, while there’s still plenty of time to plan.
Book a free, no-obligation meeting. We’ll find out how you use Sell today, what you need next, and whether Pipedrive is the right fit. You’ll come away with a clear plan, whatever you decide.
Book your free meeting today
Or if you’d rather start with a quick question, send us a message.
Zendesk Sell end of life: your questions answered
Is Zendesk shutting down?
No, just Sell. Zendesk Support and its other service products carry on as usual.
How long does it take to move from Zendesk Sell to Pipedrive?
It depends on how much data you have and how complicated your set-up is. A small team with a simple set-up can move quickly. Bigger teams with lots of custom fields and integrations will need longer. Either way, leave time for planning, testing and training.
Is Pipedrive the only Zendesk Sell alternative?
No. Zendesk itself says you can look at other sales CRMs. Pipedrive suits most Sell users really well, but the right choice depends on what you need. I’m happy to help you work it out.
