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CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs Lusha

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
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lusha logo

Lusha

CRM

B2B contact and company intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
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.; Lusha teams over 5 users must contact sales for configuration; no published per-user limits for standard plans
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Lusha covers Contact database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and Lusha actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and Lusha differ
AttributeEspoCRMLusha
Pricing modelPer user per monthfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 EspoCRM

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

Only in Lusha

  • Contact database
  • Email search
  • Company intelligence
  • Email verification
  • Chrome extension
  • Integrations
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

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

Lusha

  • Lead generationnot EspoCRM
  • Contact researchnot EspoCRM
  • Email verificationnot 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.

Lusha

  • Teams over 5 users must contact sales for configuration; no published per-user limits for standard plans
  • Unused credits on monthly plans roll over but cap at twice the monthly limit, creating potential waste
  • Annual plans do not roll over unused credits; they reset at cycle end

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

Lusha

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 40 credits per month
    • Basic prospecting features
    • Browser extension
  • Starter$49.9/month
    • 400 credits per month
    • All Free plan features
  • Professional$69.9/month
    • 600 credits per month
    • All Starter features
  • Premium$399.9/month
    • 3,400 credits per month
    • All Professional features

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 Lusha if

  • You need contact database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email search.
Lusha review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or Lusha better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and Lusha at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or Lusha?
EspoCRM starts at Free and Lusha at Free.
Does EspoCRM or Lusha run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. Lusha runs on Web.
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 Lusha is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that Lusha cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. Lusha covers Contact database, Email search, Company intelligence, Email verification.

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.

Lusha: What does Lusha's Free plan include?

Lusha's Free plan provides 40 credits per month at no cost. It includes basic prospecting features, browser extension access, and CRM integrations. Credits are used for email reveals (1 credit per contact) and phone numbers (10 credits per contact).

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.

Lusha: How do Lusha credits work and what is the credit rollover policy?

Lusha uses a credit system where email reveals cost 1 credit and phone reveals cost 10 credits per contact. On monthly plans, unused credits roll over and accumulate up to twice your monthly credit limit. Annual plans reset unused credits at the cycle's end without rollover.

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.

Lusha: What is the annual pricing for Lusha plans?

Lusha offers annual pricing at a discount: Starter is $449.10/year (4,800 credits annually), Professional is $587.16/year (7,200 credits), and Premium is $3,119.21/year (40,800 credits). Annual plans are cheaper per credit than monthly but do not roll over unused credits.

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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