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CRM · head to head

Agile CRM vs SuiteCRM

Agile CRM logo

Agile CRM

CRM

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

From
Free
Rated
-
SuiteCRM logo

SuiteCRM

CRM

Open source fork of SugarCRM with no per user licence fee, sold as hosting and support

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Agile CRM limited to 10 free users with basic features only; SuiteCRM the interface still carries SugarCRM conventions from over a decade ago, and sales teams used to modern CRMs frequently resist adoption, which is the most common reason SuiteCRM projects fail rather than any technical limit.
  • They diverge on capability: Agile CRM covers Contact management, SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Agile CRM and SuiteCRM differ
AttributeAgile CRMSuiteCRM
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, 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 SuiteCRM

  • Studio module builder
  • Workflow engine
  • Opportunity and quote management
  • Case management
  • Campaign module
  • Reporting engine
  • Security groups
  • 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 SuiteCRM
  • Automating sales workflows and pipeline trackingnot SuiteCRM
  • Running email marketing campaigns and lead generationnot SuiteCRM
  • Building helpdesk and customer support systemsnot SuiteCRM

SuiteCRM

  • An organisation with two hundred occasional CRM users where per seat pricing from Salesforce or HubSpot would dominate the budgetnot Agile CRM
  • A public sector body or regulated firm that must host customer data on infrastructure it controlsnot Agile CRM
  • A company that needs custom modules modelling its own objects and wants to build them in Studio rather than pay for platform licencesnot Agile CRM
  • A business that wants open source economics but whose procurement requires a warranty, which SuiteASSURED suppliesnot 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

SuiteCRM

  • The interface still carries SugarCRM conventions from over a decade ago, and sales teams used to modern CRMs frequently resist adoption, which is the most common reason SuiteCRM projects fail rather than any technical limit.
  • Zero licence fee does not mean zero cost: hosting, ten hours of annual support and a quick start implementation together run into thousands of pounds before anyone has configured a pipeline.
  • The integration marketplace is small compared with Salesforce or HubSpot, so common connections to marketing, telephony and finance tools are often paid third party add-ons or custom builds.
  • Upgrades between major versions can break customisations made outside Studio, so heavily customised instances tend to lag behind current releases and accumulate security debt.
  • Native email marketing and campaign functionality is basic next to a dedicated tool, so most deployments end up paying for a separate marketing platform and syncing it, undoing part of the cost saving.

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

SuiteCRM

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • GPL licensed with no per user fee at any user count
    • All core CRM modules included
    • You provide hosting, upgrades and support
  • Managed hosting$50/month
    • Hosting, security patching, updates and monitoring
    • Still no per user licence fee
    • Support purchased separately
  • Standard support$1200/year
    • Ten support hours per year
    • Discount available when bought with managed hosting
    • Does not include implementation work
  • SuiteASSURED$3350/year
    • Warranty and legal indemnification over the open source code
    • Priority support and security assurances
    • Aimed at organisations whose procurement rules block unwarranted open source

Which should you pick?

Choose Agile CRM if

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

Choose SuiteCRM if

  • You need studio module builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
  • You also want workflow engine.

Questions people ask

Is Agile CRM or SuiteCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Agile CRM starts at Free and SuiteCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Agile CRM or SuiteCRM?
Agile CRM starts at Free and SuiteCRM at Free.
Does Agile CRM or SuiteCRM run on more platforms?
Agile CRM runs on Web. SuiteCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, 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 SuiteCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Agile CRM do that SuiteCRM cannot?
Agile CRM covers Contact management, Lead scoring, Email automation, Marketing automation. SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder, Workflow engine, Opportunity and quote management, Case management.

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
SuiteCRM: Is SuiteCRM really free?

The software is, at any user count. SalesAgility charges for managed hosting from about 50 GBP per month, support from about 1,200 GBP per year and SuiteASSURED from about 3,350 GBP per year.

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
SuiteCRM: How does it relate to SugarCRM?

It is a fork of SugarCRM Community Edition, created after SugarCRM discontinued its open source release.

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
SuiteCRM: Are there per user fees?

No. This is the central commercial argument for it, particularly for organisations with many occasional users.

SuiteCRM: What is SuiteASSURED?

A paid subscription that adds warranty, indemnification and legal protections on top of the open source licence, for buyers whose procurement rules block unwarranted software.

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