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CRM · head to head

Daylite vs SuiteCRM

Daylite logo

Daylite

CRM

CRM and project management built exclusively for Mac, iPhone and iPad

From
$15/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: Daylite it is Apple-only. There is no Windows client, so a single team member on a Windows machine, or a client-facing contractor who is not on a Mac, makes the product unworkable for the whole organisation.; 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: Daylite covers Native Apple apps, SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Daylite and SuiteCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Daylite and SuiteCRM differ
AttributeDayliteSuiteCRM
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, iPadOSWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android

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 Daylite

  • Native Apple apps
  • Apple Mail Assistant
  • Projects as first-class objects
  • Pipelines
  • Linked records
  • Smart lists
  • Offline working
  • Delegation

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.

Daylite

  • An all-Mac law firm or architecture practice wants a CRM that behaves like Mac software and files emails from Apple Mail rather than forcing everyone into a browser tab.not SuiteCRM
  • A consultancy needs client relationships and delivery projects in one system, where the project is a real record with its own tasks and meetings rather than a custom object bolted onto a deal.not SuiteCRM
  • A team works frequently without connectivity, on site or in transit, and needs a CRM with a genuine local data store rather than a web app that degrades to nothing offline.not SuiteCRM
  • A small business already standardised on Apple hardware wants to avoid paying for a CRM whose Mac experience is an afterthought.not SuiteCRM

SuiteCRM

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

Where each one falls short

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

Daylite

  • It is Apple-only. There is no Windows client, so a single team member on a Windows machine, or a client-facing contractor who is not on a Mac, makes the product unworkable for the whole organisation.
  • The web experience is secondary to the native apps, so remote access from a borrowed or non-Apple computer is limited in a way buyers used to browser CRMs do not anticipate.
  • It has no built-in marketing automation, email campaigns or lead scoring, so anything beyond one-to-one email means a separate tool and a Zapier connection.
  • Plan caps are hard rather than advisory: Leap is a single user with 500 contacts, and crossing twenty users forces you from Growth to Scale, which is a 50 per cent increase in the per-user rate for capacity you may not need.
  • Third-party integrations are thin compared with HubSpot or Pipedrive, and much of what does exist runs through Zapier, so accounting, telephony and support connections are indirect and add their own subscription cost.

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

Daylite

$15/month
  • Leap$15/month
    • One user only
    • 500 contacts
    • One email integration
  • Growth$30/month
    • Up to 20 users
    • 25,000 contacts
    • Three email integrations per user
  • Scale$45/month
    • Up to 100 users
    • 250,000 contacts
    • Ten email integrations per user
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • For teams of ten or more with specific requirements
    • Quoted on application

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 Daylite if

  • You need native apple apps.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS.
  • You also want apple mail assistant.
Daylite 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 Daylite or SuiteCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Daylite starts at $15/month and SuiteCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Daylite or SuiteCRM?
SuiteCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Daylite and Free for SuiteCRM.
Does Daylite or SuiteCRM run on more platforms?
Daylite runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS. 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. Daylite starts at $15/month.
What is Daylite best used for?
Daylite is most often used for an all-mac law firm or architecture practice wants a crm that behaves like mac software and files emails from apple mail rather than forcing everyone into a browser tab., a consultancy needs client relationships and delivery projects in one system, where the project is a real record with its own tasks and meetings rather than a custom object bolted onto a deal., a team works frequently without connectivity, on site or in transit, and needs a crm with a genuine local data store rather than a web app that degrades to nothing offline., a small business already standardised on apple hardware wants to avoid paying for a crm whose mac experience is an afterthought.. Of those, an all-mac law firm or architecture practice wants a crm that behaves like mac software and files emails from apple mail rather than forcing everyone into a browser tab. and a consultancy needs client relationships and delivery projects in one system, where the project is a real record with its own tasks and meetings rather than a custom object bolted onto a deal. are not what SuiteCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Daylite do that SuiteCRM cannot?
Daylite covers Native Apple apps, Apple Mail Assistant, Projects as first-class objects, Pipelines. SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder, Workflow engine, Opportunity and quote management, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Daylite: Does Daylite run on Windows?

No. It is macOS, iPadOS and iOS only. This is the single most common reason buyers rule it out.

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.

Daylite: Is there a web version?

There is browser access, but the product is designed around the native Mac app and the web view is not a full replacement.

SuiteCRM: How does it relate to SugarCRM?

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

Daylite: What does it cost?

Leap is 15 US dollars a month for one user billed annually, Growth 30 per user and Scale 45 per user, rising to 20, 40 and 60 on monthly billing.

SuiteCRM: Are there per user fees?

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

Daylite: Does it work offline?

Yes. The Mac app keeps a local store and syncs through Marketcircle Cloud when a connection returns.

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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