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CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs HubSpot Service Hub

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
HubSpot Service Hub logo

HubSpot Service Hub

Customer Support

Customer service software for scaling companies

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; HubSpot Service Hub the free tier is capped at 2 users
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, HubSpot Service Hub covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and HubSpot Service Hub actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and HubSpot Service Hub differ
AttributeEspoCRMHubSpot Service Hub
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 HubSpot Service Hub

  • Ticketing
  • Knowledge base
  • Customer feedback
  • Live chat
  • Conversational bots
  • Reporting
  • HubSpot CRM
  • 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 HubSpot Service Hub
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot HubSpot Service Hub
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot HubSpot Service Hub
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub

  • Shared inbox and ticketing for a support teamnot EspoCRM
  • Knowledge base and customer self-servicenot EspoCRM
  • Live chat and chatbots on a websitenot EspoCRM
  • Customer feedback surveys and CSATnot EspoCRM
  • Support reporting tied into the HubSpot CRMnot 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.

HubSpot Service Hub

  • The free tier is capped at 2 users
  • Professional carries a one-off onboarding fee of $1,500, and Enterprise $3,500, on top of the seat price
  • Seats are $90 a month billed monthly against $100 billed annually on Professional, so the annual commitment is not the cheaper option per month
  • AI features run on monthly credits, 500 on Starter and 3,000 on Professional, which do not roll over
  • Extra credits cost $0.010 each once the monthly allocation is spent

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

HubSpot Service Hub

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Contact management
    • Ticketing
    • Team email
  • Starter$10/month
    • Simple ticket automation
    • Multiple ticket pipelines
    • Live chat
  • Professional$100/month
    • Help desk workspace
    • Customer success workspace
    • Customer agent
  • Enterprise$150/month
    • Skill-based routing
    • Conditional SLAs
    • Customer journey analytics

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 HubSpot Service Hub if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
HubSpot Service Hub review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or HubSpot Service Hub better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and HubSpot Service Hub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or HubSpot Service Hub?
EspoCRM starts at Free and HubSpot Service Hub at Free.
Does EspoCRM or HubSpot Service Hub run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. HubSpot Service Hub runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use EspoCRM for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 HubSpot Service Hub is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that HubSpot Service Hub cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. HubSpot Service Hub covers Ticketing, Knowledge base, Customer feedback, Live chat.

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.

HubSpot Service Hub: How much does HubSpot Service Hub cost per user?

Free plan at $0/month. Starter at $10/month per seat (new customers; regular $20/month), Professional at $100/month per seat, Enterprise at $150/month per seat.

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.

HubSpot Service Hub: What is the free trial length for HubSpot Service Hub?

A 14-day free trial is available for evaluating Service Hub functionality before commitment to a paid plan.

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.

HubSpot Service Hub: Does HubSpot Service Hub have a free permanent plan?

Yes, the free plan includes contact management, ticketing, and team email features at $0/month with no credit card required.

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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