Softwr

CRM · head to head

Bitrix24 vs EspoCRM

Bitrix24 logo

Bitrix24

CRM

All-in-one CRM and business automation platform

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: Bitrix24 enterprise pricing scales significantly ($399-7999/month); 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: Bitrix24 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 Bitrix24 and EspoCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Bitrix24 and EspoCRM differ
AttributeBitrix24EspoCRM
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android
Founded2012Unknown

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 Bitrix24

  • Contact management
  • Service desk
  • Project management
  • Chat
  • Automation
  • Mobile app
  • Slack
  • Zapier

Only in EspoCRM

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

Both cover

  • Sales pipeline

What people use each for

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

Bitrix24

  • CRM and sales managementnot EspoCRM
  • Project management with Kanban/Ganttnot EspoCRM
  • Team collaboration and chatnot EspoCRM
  • E-commerce integrationnot 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 Bitrix24
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot Bitrix24
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot Bitrix24
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot Bitrix24

Where each one falls short

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

Bitrix24

  • Enterprise pricing scales significantly ($399-7999/month)
  • Monthly billing costs 31% more than annual billing

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

Bitrix24

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1-2 users
    • 5GB storage
    • Basic CRM
  • Basic$49/month
    • 5 users
    • 24GB storage
    • Sales pipelines
  • Standard$99/month
    • 50 users
    • 100GB storage
    • Sales automation
  • Professional$199/month
    • 100 users
    • 1TB storage
    • AI-powered sales

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 Bitrix24 if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want service desk.
Bitrix24 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 Bitrix24 or EspoCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitrix24 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, Bitrix24 or EspoCRM?
Bitrix24 starts at Free and EspoCRM at Free.
Does Bitrix24 or EspoCRM run on more platforms?
Bitrix24 runs on Web, Ios, Android. EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bitrix24 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bitrix24 best used for?
Bitrix24 is most often used for crm and sales management, project management with kanban/gantt, team collaboration and chat, e-commerce integration. Of those, crm and sales management and project management with kanban/gantt are not what EspoCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Bitrix24 do that EspoCRM cannot?
Bitrix24 covers Contact management, Service desk, Project management, Chat. EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Case management. Both handle Sales pipeline.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bitrix24: How much does Bitrix24 cost?

Bitrix24 offers tiered pricing from free up to $7,999/month for Enterprise. Basic starts at $49/month (annual) or $69/month (monthly) for 5 users, Standard at $99-$144/month for 50 users, Professional at $199-$289/month for 100 users, and Enterprise at $399-7,999/month for up to 10,000 users with up to 30TB storage. Annual billing offers up to 31% savings versus monthly billing.

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.

Bitrix24: Is there a free version of Bitrix24?

Yes, Bitrix24 offers a free plan for 1-2 users with 5GB storage and basic features including CRM, Kanban/Gantt task management, shared calendars, chat, and video calls. No credit card is 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.

Bitrix24: What features does Bitrix24's Standard plan add over Basic?

The Standard plan at $99/month (annual) or $144/month (monthly) supports 50 users with 100GB storage and adds sales automation, unlimited leads, invoices, online payments, e-commerce capabilities, and unlimited projects beyond Basic plan features.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Bitrix24

More on EspoCRM

Keep looking

Other head to heads