Softwr

CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs Kapture CX

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
Kapture CX logo

Kapture CX

Customer Support

Indian customer experience platform for high-volume contact centres in travel, BFSI and retail

From
On request
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.; Kapture CX nothing is published about price, and with three possible billing models a buyer cannot even estimate cost before entering a sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Kapture CX covers Omnichannel ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and Kapture CX actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and Kapture CX differ
AttributeEspoCRMKapture CX
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support

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 Kapture CX

  • Omnichannel ticketing
  • Vertical configurations
  • AI deflection
  • Agent assist
  • Field service module
  • Knowledge base
  • Analytics
  • Multi-currency billing

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

Kapture CX

  • An airline or travel operator whose case volume triples during disruption and who does not want to licence peak-season agent seats all yearnot EspoCRM
  • A bank or insurer needing a support platform configured to regulated case types out of the box rather than built from a blank helpdesknot EspoCRM
  • A consumer durables brand tying warranty tickets to field engineer dispatch in the same systemnot EspoCRM
  • An Indian enterprise wanting local implementation support and rupee contracting rather than a US vendor and a dollar invoicenot 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.

Kapture CX

  • Nothing is published about price, and with three possible billing models a buyer cannot even estimate cost before entering a sales process.
  • Interaction-based billing works against you as volume grows and can penalise the very seasonal spikes it is meant to smooth, so the contract needs a cap or a committed volume tier.
  • If AI deflection reduces the interactions you are billed for, the vendor is being paid less for a project succeeding, which is a misalignment worth writing into the agreement.
  • The integration and app ecosystem is much smaller than Zendesk or Freshdesk, so uncommon back-office systems mean custom API work rather than an existing connector.
  • Delivery, support and product knowledge are strongest in Indian business hours, which affects response times for European and American operations running around the clock.

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

Kapture CX

On request
  • Kapture CX$undefined/year
    • Agent-based, interaction-based or hybrid billing
    • Priced by product modules, user count, interaction volume and AI features
    • Annual and multi-year contracts

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 Kapture CX if

  • You need omnichannel ticketing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want vertical configurations.
Kapture CX review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or Kapture CX better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and Kapture CX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or Kapture CX?
EspoCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for EspoCRM and On request for Kapture CX.
Does EspoCRM or Kapture CX run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. Kapture CX runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use EspoCRM for free?
Yes. EspoCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kapture CX starts at On request.
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 Kapture CX is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that Kapture CX cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. Kapture CX covers Omnichannel ticketing, Vertical configurations, AI deflection, Agent assist.

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.

Kapture CX: How is Kapture CX priced?

Agent-based, interaction-based or a hybrid of the two, quoted per customer by module, volume and AI features. No rates are published.

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.

Kapture CX: Can I be billed by interaction instead of by seat?

Yes, that is one of the stated models and it is the reason seasonal businesses look at Kapture, though it makes budgeting less predictable.

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.

Kapture CX: Does it include field service?

Yes, dispatch and job tracking are part of the platform, which suits warranty and installation work alongside contact centre support.

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.

Kapture CX: Is it a fit for a small support team?

Not really. It is sold as a configured enterprise deployment with an implementation phase, not a self-serve helpdesk you switch on this afternoon.

Share

Related pages

More on EspoCRM

More on Kapture CX

Keep looking

Other head to heads