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CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs Jira Service Management

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
Jira Service Management logo

Jira Service Management

Customer Support

High-velocity service management

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.; Jira Service Management pricing information not available on main product page; Atlassian does not publish standard rates on this landing page
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Jira Service Management covers Incident management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and Jira Service Management actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and Jira Service Management differ
AttributeEspoCRMJira Service Management
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown2002

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 Jira Service Management

  • Incident management
  • Change management
  • Problem management
  • Asset management
  • Knowledge management
  • SLAs
  • Jira Software
  • Confluence

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

Jira Service Management

  • IT service managementnot EspoCRM
  • Incident responsenot EspoCRM
  • Change managementnot EspoCRM
  • Asset trackingnot 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.

Jira Service Management

  • Pricing information not available on main product page; Atlassian does not publish standard rates on this landing page
  • Customers must navigate to separate pricing section or contact sales for cost information

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

Jira Service Management

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Ticket management
    • Knowledge base
  • Standard$20/month
    • Unlimited customers
    • 250 agents
    • 20 GB storage
  • Premium$45/month
    • Advanced incident management
    • Asset management
    • Change management
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited sites
    • 24/7 support
    • Data residency

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 Jira Service Management if

  • You need incident management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want change management.
Jira Service Management review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or Jira Service Management better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and Jira Service Management at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or Jira Service Management?
EspoCRM starts at Free and Jira Service Management at Free.
Does EspoCRM or Jira Service Management run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. Jira Service Management 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 Jira Service Management is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that Jira Service Management cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. Jira Service Management covers Incident management, Change management, Problem management, Asset 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.

Jira Service Management: How much does Jira Service Management cost?

Jira Service Management pricing is not published on the main product page. Atlassian requires customers to visit the dedicated pricing section or contact their sales team to obtain rates. Enterprise and volume discounts are available through individual consultation.

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.

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.

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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