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CRM · head to head

Agile CRM vs EspoCRM

Agile CRM logo

Agile CRM

CRM

All-in-one CRM, Marketing, and Service Software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
EspoCRM logo

EspoCRM

CRM

AGPL open source CRM in PHP that you can self-host free or buy as cloud with seat minimums

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Agile CRM limited to 10 free users with basic features only; EspoCRM the AGPLv3 licence obliges you to publish source modifications if you make the modified software available over a network, which blocks resellers who want to offer a customised hosted version without opening their code.
  • They diverge on capability: Agile CRM covers Contact management, EspoCRM covers Entity manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Agile CRM and EspoCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Agile CRM and EspoCRM differ
AttributeAgile CRMEspoCRM
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Agile CRM

  • Contact management
  • Lead scoring
  • Email automation
  • Marketing automation
  • Service desk
  • Web forms
  • Analytics
  • Zapier

Only in EspoCRM

  • Entity manager
  • Dynamic logic
  • Email integration
  • Sales pipeline
  • Case management
  • Reports and dashboards
  • Workflow automation
  • REST API

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Agile CRM

  • Managing customer relationships and contactsnot EspoCRM
  • Automating sales workflows and pipeline trackingnot EspoCRM
  • Running email marketing campaigns and lead generationnot EspoCRM
  • Building helpdesk and customer support systemsnot EspoCRM

EspoCRM

  • A small business that wants a CRM on its own hosting with no per-seat fee and no vendor holding its customer datanot Agile CRM
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot Agile CRM
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot Agile CRM
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot Agile CRM

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Agile CRM

  • Limited to 10 free users with basic features only
  • Email and phone support included starting at $8.99 tier
  • CRM analytics features require additional per-usage pricing for email counts

EspoCRM

  • The AGPLv3 licence obliges you to publish source modifications if you make the modified software available over a network, which blocks resellers who want to offer a customised hosted version without opening their code.
  • Cloud plans carry seat minimums of three, five and ten users, so a two-person consultancy pays for three seats and a small team wanting the Ultimate features pays for ten.
  • Record ceilings are real on the cheaper cloud tiers, with Basic capped at 100,000 records, and hitting the cap means a tier upgrade rather than a small overage charge.
  • Marketing automation, sequences and native telephony are thin compared with HubSpot or Zoho, so most deployments end up wiring in a separate mailing tool and a separate dialler.
  • Self-hosting shifts the entire cost to your own team: PHP version upgrades, database backups and security patching are yours, and a neglected instance becomes an internet-facing liability holding your customer list.

Pricing, plan by plan

Agile CRM

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 users
    • 1
    • 000 Contacts & Companies
  • Starter$8.99/monthly
    • 10
    • 000 Contacts & Companies
    • 3 Plugins
  • Regular$29.99/monthly
    • 50
    • 000 Contacts & Companies
    • 50+ Plugins/Integrations
  • Enterprise$47.99/monthly
    • Unlimited Contacts & Companies
    • 50+ Plugins
    • Dedicated Account Rep

EspoCRM

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • AGPLv3 licence, no fee
    • Runs on PHP with MySQL or MariaDB
    • Advanced Pack, Sales Pack and other extensions sold separately as one-off purchases
  • Cloud Basic$15/month
    • Three-user minimum
    • 3GB storage per user
    • Up to 100,000 records
  • Cloud Enterprise$25/month
    • Five-user minimum
    • 10GB storage per user
    • Up to 10 million records, extendable for a fee
  • Cloud Ultimate$69/month
    • Ten-user minimum
    • 400GB total storage
    • Unlimited records

Which should you pick?

Choose Agile CRM if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want lead scoring.
Agile CRM review

Choose EspoCRM if

  • You need entity manager.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
  • You also want dynamic logic.
EspoCRM review

Questions people ask

Is Agile CRM or EspoCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Agile CRM starts at Free and EspoCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Agile CRM or EspoCRM?
Agile CRM starts at Free and EspoCRM at Free.
Does Agile CRM or EspoCRM run on more platforms?
Agile CRM runs on Web. EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
Can I use Agile CRM for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Agile CRM best used for?
Agile CRM is most often used for managing customer relationships and contacts, automating sales workflows and pipeline tracking, running email marketing campaigns and lead generation, building helpdesk and customer support systems. Of those, managing customer relationships and contacts and automating sales workflows and pipeline tracking are not what EspoCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Agile CRM do that EspoCRM cannot?
Agile CRM covers Contact management, Lead scoring, Email automation, Marketing automation. EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Agile CRM: How much does Agile CRM cost?

Agile CRM offers a free plan for up to 10 users with basic CRM, sales, and helpdesk features. Paid plans start at $8.99/user/month for the Starter tier and go up to $47.99/user/month for Enterprise with unlimited contacts and custom features. Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20241226213740/https://www.agilecrm.com/pricing

Source
EspoCRM: Is the self-hosted version really full featured?

The core CRM is, but several paid extension packs including Advanced Pack for reports and BPM are sold separately as one-off purchases and are not in the free download.

Agile CRM: Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan at any time?

Yes, you can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan at any time directly from Agile CRM's online dashboard, with no penalties or long-term contracts required.

Source
EspoCRM: What are the cloud seat minimums?

Three users on Basic, five on Enterprise and ten on Ultimate, so the advertised per-user rate is not the smallest bill you can pay.

Agile CRM: What is the uptime guarantee for paid plans?

Agile CRM offers a 99.5% uptime guarantee on all paid plans, ensuring your system is available 99.5% of the time. The platform is hosted on Google and Amazon cloud infrastructure for reliability.

Source
EspoCRM: What does it need to run?

PHP, MySQL or MariaDB and a web server. It installs on ordinary shared hosting or a small VPS, which is unusual for a modern CRM.

EspoCRM: Can I move from cloud to self-hosted later?

Yes. EspoCRM states customers own their database and data files, so an export and reinstall is possible, though you take on all maintenance when you do.

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