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CRM · head to head

Capsule vs SuiteCRM

Capsule logo

Capsule

CRM

Visual CRM for small teams

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SuiteCRM logo

SuiteCRM

CRM

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SuiteCRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Capsule the free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline; 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: Capsule 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 Capsule and SuiteCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Capsule and SuiteCRM differ
AttributeCapsuleSuiteCRM
Starting price$19/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Capsule

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Task management
  • Email sync
  • Activity timeline
  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • Google Apps

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.

Capsule

  • Simple contact and pipeline CRM for a small teamnot SuiteCRM
  • Tracking deals and follow-up tasksnot SuiteCRM
  • Linking emails and notes to contact recordsnot SuiteCRM
  • Multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiersnot SuiteCRM

SuiteCRM

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

Where each one falls short

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

Capsule

  • The free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
  • Contact ceilings gate every tier, from 30,000 on Starter to 120,000 on Advanced
  • Per-user prices are not shown as figures on the pricing page, only as tier names
  • Ultimate is quote-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.
  • 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

Capsule

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact management
    • Task tracking
  • Professional$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Pipeline management
    • Reporting
  • Enterprise$99/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Custom fields
    • API access

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 Capsule if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Capsule review

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.
SuiteCRM review

Questions people ask

Is Capsule or SuiteCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Capsule starts at $19/month and SuiteCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Capsule or SuiteCRM?
SuiteCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Capsule and Free for SuiteCRM.
Does Capsule or SuiteCRM run on more platforms?
Capsule runs on Web, Ios, Android. SuiteCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
Can I use SuiteCRM for free?
Yes. SuiteCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Capsule starts at $19/month.
What is Capsule best used for?
Capsule is most often used for simple contact and pipeline crm for a small team, tracking deals and follow-up tasks, linking emails and notes to contact records, multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiers. Of those, simple contact and pipeline crm for a small team and tracking deals and follow-up tasks are not what SuiteCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Capsule do that SuiteCRM cannot?
Capsule covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Task management, Email sync. SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder, Workflow engine, Opportunity and quote management, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Capsule: How long is the free trial for Capsule CRM paid plans?

Capsule CRM offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. None of the paid plan features are limited during the trial period.

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.

Capsule: What is the maximum number of contacts included in Capsule's free plan?

The free plan allows up to 250 contacts and supports a maximum of 2 users with 1 sales pipeline.

Source
SuiteCRM: How does it relate to SugarCRM?

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

Capsule: Does Capsule CRM offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, when you choose annual billing instead of monthly, Capsule CRM offers up to 15% discount on your subscription.

Source
SuiteCRM: Are there per user fees?

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

Capsule: Can I cancel my Capsule CRM account anytime or are there long-term commitments?

You can cancel your Capsule account at any time, and there are zero setup fees when opening an account.

Source
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.

Capsule: Does Capsule CRM support importing data from spreadsheets or other tools?

Yes, Capsule CRM supports data migration from spreadsheets and select integrations like Xero and Zendesk.

Source
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