diff --git a/src/attr/_make.py b/src/attr/_make.py
index 239ea2c3f..530ce39d1 100644
--- a/src/attr/_make.py
+++ b/src/attr/_make.py
@@ -2932,11 +2932,25 @@ def pipe(*converters):
     .. versionadded:: 20.1.0
     """
 
-    def pipe_converter(val, inst, field):
-        for c in converters:
-            val = c(val, inst, field) if isinstance(c, Converter) else c(val)
+    return_instance = any(isinstance(c, Converter) for c in converters)
 
-        return val
+    if return_instance:
+
+        def pipe_converter(val, inst, field):
+            for c in converters:
+                val = (
+                    c(val, inst, field) if isinstance(c, Converter) else c(val)
+                )
+
+            return val
+
+    else:
+
+        def pipe_converter(val):
+            for c in converters:
+                val = c(val)
+
+            return val
 
     if not converters:
         # If the converter list is empty, pipe_converter is the identity.
@@ -2957,4 +2971,6 @@ def pipe_converter(val, inst, field):
         if rt:
             pipe_converter.__annotations__["return"] = rt
 
-    return Converter(pipe_converter, takes_self=True, takes_field=True)
+    if return_instance:
+        return Converter(pipe_converter, takes_self=True, takes_field=True)
+    return pipe_converter
diff --git a/src/attr/converters.pyi b/src/attr/converters.pyi
index f902e181d..12bd0c4f1 100644
--- a/src/attr/converters.pyi
+++ b/src/attr/converters.pyi
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
-from typing import Callable, TypeVar, overload
+from typing import Callable, Any, overload
 
-from attrs import _ConverterType
-
-_T = TypeVar("_T")
+from attrs import _ConverterType, _CallableConverterType
 
+@overload
+def pipe(*validators: _CallableConverterType) -> _CallableConverterType: ...
+@overload
 def pipe(*validators: _ConverterType) -> _ConverterType: ...
+@overload
+def optional(converter: _CallableConverterType) -> _CallableConverterType: ...
+@overload
 def optional(converter: _ConverterType) -> _ConverterType: ...
 @overload
-def default_if_none(default: _T) -> _ConverterType: ...
+def default_if_none(default: Any) -> _CallableConverterType: ...
 @overload
-def default_if_none(*, factory: Callable[[], _T]) -> _ConverterType: ...
+def default_if_none(
+    *, factory: Callable[[], Any]
+) -> _CallableConverterType: ...
 def to_bool(val: str | int | bool) -> bool: ...
diff --git a/src/attrs/__init__.pyi b/src/attrs/__init__.pyi
index c6902bdbe..05e5a0c53 100644
--- a/src/attrs/__init__.pyi
+++ b/src/attrs/__init__.pyi
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ _C = TypeVar("_C", bound=type)
 
 _EqOrderType = bool | Callable[[Any], Any]
 _ValidatorType = Callable[[Any, "Attribute[_T]", _T], Any]
-_ConverterType = Callable[[Any], Any] | Converter[Any, _T]
+_CallableConverterType = Callable[[Any], Any]
+_ConverterType = _CallableConverterType | Converter[Any, Any]
 _ReprType = Callable[[Any], str]
 _ReprArgType = bool | _ReprType
 _OnSetAttrType = Callable[[Any, "Attribute[Any]", Any], Any]
diff --git a/tests/test_annotations.py b/tests/test_annotations.py
index cd09a8c7e..6fbae3ca6 100644
--- a/tests/test_annotations.py
+++ b/tests/test_annotations.py
@@ -278,27 +278,25 @@ def strlen(y: str) -> int:
         def identity(z):
             return z
 
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(int2str).converter.__annotations__ == {
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(int2str).__annotations__ == {
             "val": int,
             "return": str,
         }
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(
-            int2str, strlen
-        ).converter.__annotations__ == {
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(int2str, strlen).__annotations__ == {
             "val": int,
             "return": int,
         }
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(
-            identity, strlen
-        ).converter.__annotations__ == {"return": int}
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(
-            int2str, identity
-        ).converter.__annotations__ == {"val": int}
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(identity, strlen).__annotations__ == {
+            "return": int
+        }
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(int2str, identity).__annotations__ == {
+            "val": int
+        }
 
         def int2str_(x: int, y: int = 0) -> str:
             return str(x)
 
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(int2str_).converter.__annotations__ == {
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(int2str_).__annotations__ == {
             "val": int,
             "return": str,
         }
@@ -310,19 +308,19 @@ def test_pipe_empty(self):
 
         p = attr.converters.pipe()
 
-        assert "val" in p.converter.__annotations__
+        assert "val" in p.__annotations__
 
-        t = p.converter.__annotations__["val"]
+        t = p.__annotations__["val"]
 
         assert isinstance(t, typing.TypeVar)
-        assert p.converter.__annotations__ == {"val": t, "return": t}
+        assert p.__annotations__ == {"val": t, "return": t}
 
     def test_pipe_non_introspectable(self):
         """
         pipe() doesn't crash when passed a non-introspectable converter.
         """
 
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(print).converter.__annotations__ == {}
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(print).__annotations__ == {}
 
     def test_pipe_nullary(self):
         """
@@ -332,7 +330,7 @@ def test_pipe_nullary(self):
         def noop():
             pass
 
-        assert attr.converters.pipe(noop).converter.__annotations__ == {}
+        assert attr.converters.pipe(noop).__annotations__ == {}
 
     def test_optional(self):
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_converters.py b/tests/test_converters.py
index 4747f13c5..5726ae210 100644
--- a/tests/test_converters.py
+++ b/tests/test_converters.py
@@ -248,11 +248,11 @@ def test_fail(self):
 
         # First wrapped converter fails:
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            c.converter(33, None, None)
+            c(33)
 
         # Last wrapped converter fails:
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            c.converter("33", None, None)
+            c("33")
 
     def test_sugar(self):
         """
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ def test_empty(self):
         """
         o = object()
 
-        assert o is pipe().converter(o, None, None)
+        assert o is pipe()(o)
 
     def test_wrapped_annotation(self):
         """