Softwr

CRM · head to head

Cloze vs EspoCRM

Cloze logo

Cloze

CRM

Relationship management for professionals

From
$50/month
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

  • Only EspoCRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cloze four paid tiers run from $17 to $42 per user per month, and each withholds a different set of features rather than simply adding capacity; 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: Cloze 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 Cloze and EspoCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloze and EspoCRM differ
AttributeClozeEspoCRM
Starting price$50/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android
Founded2012Unknown

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 Cloze

  • Contact management
  • Communication history
  • Relationship insights
  • Task management
  • Integration aggregation
  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • LinkedIn

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.

Cloze

  • CRM that builds contact records automatically from email and calendarnot EspoCRM
  • Tracking relationships and follow ups without manual data entrynot 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 Cloze
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot Cloze
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot Cloze
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot Cloze

Where each one falls short

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

Cloze

  • Four paid tiers run from $17 to $42 per user per month, and each withholds a different set of features rather than simply adding capacity
  • Campaign automation, marketing mail and generative AI require the Business Platinum plan at $42 per user per month
  • Lead routing, sub team hierarchies and enterprise controls are Platinum only
  • Even the Business Gold plan at $29 per user excludes the matching engine and lead capture
  • The concierge service is an add on at $20 per user per month with a $500 monthly minimum
  • Every published rate assumes 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

Cloze

$50/month
  • Professional$50/month
    • Contact management
    • Communication history
    • Insights
  • Team$100/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Team collaboration
    • Advanced analytics

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 Cloze if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want communication history.
Cloze 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 Cloze or EspoCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloze starts at $50/month and EspoCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloze or EspoCRM?
EspoCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for Cloze and Free for EspoCRM.
Does Cloze or EspoCRM run on more platforms?
Cloze runs on Web, Ios, Android. EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
Can I use EspoCRM for free?
Yes. EspoCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cloze starts at $50/month.
What is Cloze best used for?
Cloze is most often used for crm that builds contact records automatically from email and calendar, tracking relationships and follow ups without manual data entry. Of those, crm that builds contact records automatically from email and calendar and tracking relationships and follow ups without manual data entry are not what EspoCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Cloze do that EspoCRM cannot?
Cloze covers Contact management, Communication history, Relationship insights, Task management. EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloze: Does Cloze offer a free trial?

Yes. Cloze offers a 14-day free trial for all plans with no credit card required. This applies to Pro, Business Silver, Business Gold, and Business Platinum tiers.

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.

Cloze: What is the difference between monthly and annual billing at Cloze?

Cloze offers both month-to-month and annual subscription options. Annual billing provides a discount. For example, Cloze Pro is $17/month annually but $19.99/month on month-to-month billing.

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.

Cloze: What does Cloze's Business Platinum plan cost?

Cloze Business Platinum (their most popular plan) costs $42/user/month on annual billing or $49.99/user/month on month-to-month billing. It includes matching engine, smart templates, lead capture, campaign automation, and enterprise controls.

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.

Cloze: Does Cloze offer team collaboration features?

Yes, starting with Business Silver ($21/user/month annual). Team features include collaborative work, responsibility assignment, privacy settings management, and team analytics. Higher tiers unlock more advanced team controls and custom fields.

Source
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.

Cloze: Does Cloze offer additional services beyond standard plans?

Yes. Cloze offers a Concierge Service at $20/user/month (minimum $500/month) that includes personalized training, a dedicated customer success manager, and data import assistance.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Cloze

More on EspoCRM

Keep looking

Other head to heads