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CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs Microsoft Dynamics 365

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
Microsoft Dynamics 365 logo

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Proposals

AI-powered business applications for intelligent enterprise

From
$50/month
Rated
-
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.; Microsoft Dynamics 365 business Central Essentials is $80 per user per month and Premium is $110 per user per month, both requiring annual billing to get that rate
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Microsoft Dynamics 365 covers Financial management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 differ
AttributeEspoCRMMicrosoft Dynamics 365
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidCloud, Web, Mobile
CategoryCRMProposals
FoundedUnknown1975

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 Microsoft Dynamics 365

  • Financial management
  • Supply chain
  • Manufacturing
  • Project operations
  • Customer service
  • Microsoft 365
  • Power BI
  • Power Apps

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 Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365

  • Enterprise CRM and business applications across Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Supply Chain Management, and Business Centralnot 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.

Microsoft Dynamics 365

  • Business Central Essentials is $80 per user per month and Premium is $110 per user per month, both requiring annual billing to get that rate
  • Sales Order Agent and Payables Agent features require separately purchased Copilot Credits on top of the per-user license
  • Agent features additionally require a linked Azure subscription

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

Microsoft Dynamics 365

$50/month
  • Finance$135/month
    • Financial management
    • Accounting
    • Budgeting
  • Supply Chain Management$165/month
    • Supply chain planning
    • Inventory management
    • Demand forecasting

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 Microsoft Dynamics 365 if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want supply chain.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or Microsoft Dynamics 365 better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and Microsoft Dynamics 365 at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or Microsoft Dynamics 365?
EspoCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for EspoCRM and $50/month for Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Does EspoCRM or Microsoft Dynamics 365 run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. Microsoft Dynamics 365 runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
Can I use EspoCRM for free?
Yes. EspoCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Dynamics 365 starts at $50/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 Microsoft Dynamics 365 is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that Microsoft Dynamics 365 cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. Microsoft Dynamics 365 covers Financial management, Supply chain, Manufacturing, Project operations.

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.

Microsoft Dynamics 365: What are the pricing options for Microsoft Dynamics 365?

Microsoft does not publish specific pricing on its main Dynamics 365 page. Each application (Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Business Central) has separate pricing that must be obtained by contacting Microsoft sales or visiting application-specific pricing pages.

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.

Microsoft Dynamics 365: Does Dynamics 365 offer a free tier or trial?

No free tier information is published on the main landing page. Customers must contact sales to discuss trial availability or pricing options for their specific use case.

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.

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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