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CRM · head to head

Copper vs EspoCRM

Copper logo

Copper

CRM

Gmail-native CRM for growth teams

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: Copper the Basic plan caps at 2,500 contacts and 25 companies, which is small for a CRM at $23 per user per 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: Copper covers Gmail integration, EspoCRM covers Entity manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Copper and EspoCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Copper and EspoCRM differ
AttributeCopperEspoCRM
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android
Founded2014Unknown

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 Copper

  • Gmail integration
  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Pipeline management
  • Email tracking
  • Automation
  • Gmail
  • Google Calendar

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.

Copper

  • CRM for teams working inside Google Workspacenot EspoCRM
  • Pipeline and deal trackingnot EspoCRM
  • Contact enrichment and activity capturenot EspoCRM
  • Workflow automation on the higher tiersnot 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 Copper
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot Copper
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot Copper
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot Copper

Where each one falls short

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

Copper

  • The Basic plan caps at 2,500 contacts and 25 companies, which is small for a CRM at $23 per user per month
  • Professional at $59 per user per month still caps at 15,000 contacts and 50 companies
  • Workflow automation, bulk email and reporting all require Professional
  • Email sequences, custom reports and multi-currency are Business tier only at $99 per user per month
  • The advertised prices are the annual rates; monthly billing runs from $29 to $134 per user

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

Copper

Free
  • Basic$undefined/mo
  • Professional$undefined/mo
  • Business$undefined/mo

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 Copper if

  • You need gmail integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want contact management.
Copper 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 Copper or EspoCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Copper 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, Copper or EspoCRM?
Copper starts at Free and EspoCRM at Free.
Does Copper or EspoCRM run on more platforms?
Copper runs on Web. EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
Can I use Copper for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Copper best used for?
Copper is most often used for crm for teams working inside google workspace, pipeline and deal tracking, contact enrichment and activity capture, workflow automation on the higher tiers. Of those, crm for teams working inside google workspace and pipeline and deal tracking are not what EspoCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Copper do that EspoCRM cannot?
Copper covers Gmail integration, Contact management, Deal tracking, Pipeline management. EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Copper: How much does Copper cost per person?

Basic is $29/month (or $23/month annual). Professional is $69/month (or $59/month annual). Business is $134/month (or $99/month annual). All pricing is per seat in USD, excluding taxes.

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.

Copper: What contact limit does each plan allow?

Basic allows 2,500 contacts. Professional allows 15,000 contacts. Business allows unlimited contacts.

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.

Copper: How much can I save by paying annually?

Annual billing saves 14-26% vs. monthly: Basic saves 20%, Professional saves 14%, Business saves 26%. For example, Professional costs $69/month on monthly billing but only $59/month when billed annually.

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.

Copper: Is there a free trial or free plan?

Yes. Copper offers a 14-day free trial with instant activation and no credit card required. Trial includes full access to all features.

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.

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