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CRM · head to head

EspoCRM vs Woodpecker

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
Woodpecker logo

Woodpecker

CRM

Cold email and LinkedIn outreach automation platform with pay-per-use pricing

From
$7/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.; Woodpecker linkedIn outreach, extra warm-ups and API access are all separate paid add-ons rather than bundled features.
  • They diverge on capability: EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Woodpecker covers Cold email sequencing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EspoCRM and Woodpecker actually diverge.

Attributes where EspoCRM and Woodpecker differ
AttributeEspoCRMWoodpecker
Starting priceFree$7/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, Androidweb, api
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: 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 Woodpecker

  • Cold email sequencing
  • Email verification
  • Deliverability warm-up
  • Lead Finder
  • Agency panel
  • API and integrations

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

Woodpecker

  • Running personalized one-to-one cold email campaignsnot EspoCRM
  • Agencies managing outreach across multiple client accountsnot EspoCRM
  • Verifying catch-all email addresses before sendingnot EspoCRM
  • Adding LinkedIn outreach on top of an existing email campaignnot 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.

Woodpecker

  • LinkedIn outreach, extra warm-ups and API access are all separate paid add-ons rather than bundled features.
  • Pay-per-contacted-prospect pricing can be harder to predict than flat per-seat plans at high volume.
  • Exceeding the contacted-prospect limit halts new sends until the plan is topped up.
  • Lacks the built-in calling/SMS channels that some multichannel competitors offer.

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

Woodpecker

$7/month
  • Pay-per-use$7/month
    • $7 per 100 contacted prospects
    • Unlimited team members and email accounts
    • 4 warm-ups monthly

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 Woodpecker if

  • You need cold email sequencing.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want email verification.
Woodpecker review

Questions people ask

Is EspoCRM or Woodpecker better?
Neither clearly leads. EspoCRM starts at Free and Woodpecker at $7/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EspoCRM or Woodpecker?
EspoCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for EspoCRM and $7/month for Woodpecker.
Does EspoCRM or Woodpecker run on more platforms?
EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. Woodpecker runs on web, api.
Can I use EspoCRM for free?
Yes. EspoCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Woodpecker starts at $7/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 Woodpecker is typically brought in for.
What can EspoCRM do that Woodpecker cannot?
EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. Woodpecker covers Cold email sequencing, Email verification, Deliverability warm-up, Lead Finder.

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.

Woodpecker: What does Woodpecker cost?

Woodpecker charges $7 per 100 contacted prospects per month (discounted heavily on annual billing), with add-ons like LinkedIn outreach at $29/month per account and extra warm-ups at $5/month each.

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.

Woodpecker: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Woodpecker offers a 14-day free trial with full features, capped at 14 days or 100 emails sent, whichever comes first; the trial can be extended by contacting support.

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.

Woodpecker: How is usage metered?

Usage is metered by the number of prospects contacted per month; exceeding the plan's contacted-prospect limit halts new email sends, and exceeding the stored prospect limit prevents adding new leads.

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.

Woodpecker: What does Woodpecker integrate with?

Woodpecker integrates with Pipedrive, HubSpot, Zoho, Calendly, Zapier, Google Sheets, and offers an API, CLI, webhooks and an MCP server for custom workflows.

Source
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