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CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs HappyFox

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
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
HappyFox logo

HappyFox

Customer Support

Help desk software for happy customers

From
$29/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only EspoCRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; HappyFox specific pricing tiers and costs not listed on main pricing page; requires contacting sales or booking a pricing call
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, HappyFox covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and HappyFox actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and HappyFox differ
AttributeEspoCRMHappyFox
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 EspoCRM

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

Only in HappyFox

  • Ticketing
  • Knowledge base
  • Automation
  • SLA management
  • Self-service portal
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

EspoCRM

  • A small business that wants a CRM on its own hosting with no per-seat fee and no vendor holding its customer datanot HappyFox
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot HappyFox
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot HappyFox
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot HappyFox

HappyFox

  • Help desk ticketing across email, chat and phonenot EspoCRM
  • Managing internal and customer support requests in one queuenot EspoCRM

Where each one falls short

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

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.

HappyFox

  • Specific pricing tiers and costs not listed on main pricing page; requires contacting sales or booking a pricing call
  • Basic plan limited to 5 agents
  • Multiple separate product pricing pages (Help Desk, AI Contact Center, CRM, Service Desk, HappyFox AI, Autopilot, Assist AI, Chatbot, Workflows)

Pricing, plan by plan

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

HappyFox

$29/month
  • Mighty$29/month
    • Omnichannel ticketing
    • SLA management
    • Basic reporting
  • Fantastic$49/month
    • Everything in Mighty
    • Custom fields
    • Asset management
  • Enterprise$69/month
    • Everything in Fantastic
    • Task management
    • Advanced automation
  • Enterprise Plus$89/month
    • Agent scripting
    • Custom roles
    • Sandbox

Which should you pick?

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

Choose HappyFox if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
HappyFox review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or HappyFox better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and HappyFox at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or HappyFox?
EspoCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for EspoCRM and $29/month for HappyFox.
Does EspoCRM or HappyFox run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. HappyFox runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use EspoCRM for free?
Yes. EspoCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HappyFox starts at $29/month.
What is EspoCRM best used for?
EspoCRM is most often used for a small business that wants a crm on its own hosting with no per-seat fee and no vendor holding its customer data, a public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out us-hosted commercial crm, a developer or agency needing a crm whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configuration, an organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the crm twice a month. Of those, a small business that wants a crm on its own hosting with no per-seat fee and no vendor holding its customer data and a public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out us-hosted commercial crm are not what HappyFox is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that HappyFox cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. HappyFox covers Ticketing, Knowledge base, Automation, SLA management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

HappyFox: Does HappyFox offer a free trial?

Yes, every HappyFox plan starts with a 14-day free trial with no credit card 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.

HappyFox: What is HappyFox's pricing model?

HappyFox uses per-agent pricing with monthly charges for each support agent. Annual billing offers 20% savings. The Basic plan is limited to 5 agents; higher tiers include unlimited agents.

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.

HappyFox: What discounts does HappyFox offer?

HappyFox offers 20% annual billing discount, free one-year licenses for eligible startups on HappyFox CRM (with unlimited users and 50,000 AI credits), and discounts for non-profits and educational institutions on all plans.

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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