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CRM · head to head

Gong vs SuiteCRM

Gong logo

Gong

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
$1600/user-per-year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SuiteCRM logo

SuiteCRM

CRM

Open source fork of SugarCRM with no per user licence fee, sold as hosting and support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SuiteCRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Gong pricing not published; custom quotes and high platform fees make budget forecasting difficult; SuiteCRM the interface still carries SugarCRM conventions from over a decade ago, and sales teams used to modern CRMs frequently resist adoption, which is the most common reason SuiteCRM projects fail rather than any technical limit.
  • They diverge on capability: Gong covers Call recording, SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gong and SuiteCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Gong and SuiteCRM differ
AttributeGongSuiteCRM
Starting price$1600/user-per-yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Cloud-based SaaSWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android
Founded2016Unknown

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 Gong

  • Call recording
  • AI transcription
  • Deal intelligence
  • Market intelligence
  • Team coaching
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zoom

Only in SuiteCRM

  • Studio module builder
  • Workflow engine
  • Opportunity and quote management
  • Case management
  • Campaign module
  • Reporting engine
  • Security groups
  • REST API

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Gong

  • Call analysisnot SuiteCRM
  • Deal forecastingnot SuiteCRM
  • Sales coachingnot SuiteCRM
  • Win/loss analysisnot SuiteCRM

SuiteCRM

  • An organisation with two hundred occasional CRM users where per seat pricing from Salesforce or HubSpot would dominate the budgetnot Gong
  • A public sector body or regulated firm that must host customer data on infrastructure it controlsnot Gong
  • A company that needs custom modules modelling its own objects and wants to build them in Studio rather than pay for platform licencesnot Gong
  • A business that wants open source economics but whose procurement requires a warranty, which SuiteASSURED suppliesnot Gong

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Gong

  • Pricing not published; custom quotes and high platform fees make budget forecasting difficult
  • Built for sales calls only; limited contact center and multi-channel conversation coverage
  • Forecasting and Engage modules use keyword-based analysis with 20-30 minute processing delay, not generative AI
  • Conversation analysis cannot capture internal buyer meetings or decision-making discussions

SuiteCRM

  • The interface still carries SugarCRM conventions from over a decade ago, and sales teams used to modern CRMs frequently resist adoption, which is the most common reason SuiteCRM projects fail rather than any technical limit.
  • Zero licence fee does not mean zero cost: hosting, ten hours of annual support and a quick start implementation together run into thousands of pounds before anyone has configured a pipeline.
  • The integration marketplace is small compared with Salesforce or HubSpot, so common connections to marketing, telephony and finance tools are often paid third party add-ons or custom builds.
  • Upgrades between major versions can break customisations made outside Studio, so heavily customised instances tend to lag behind current releases and accumulate security debt.
  • Native email marketing and campaign functionality is basic next to a dedicated tool, so most deployments end up paying for a separate marketing platform and syncing it, undoing part of the cost saving.

Pricing, plan by plan

Gong

$1600/user-per-year

No published plan breakdown. See the Gong review.

SuiteCRM

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • GPL licensed with no per user fee at any user count
    • All core CRM modules included
    • You provide hosting, upgrades and support
  • Managed hosting$50/month
    • Hosting, security patching, updates and monitoring
    • Still no per user licence fee
    • Support purchased separately
  • Standard support$1200/year
    • Ten support hours per year
    • Discount available when bought with managed hosting
    • Does not include implementation work
  • SuiteASSURED$3350/year
    • Warranty and legal indemnification over the open source code
    • Priority support and security assurances
    • Aimed at organisations whose procurement rules block unwarranted open source

Which should you pick?

Choose Gong if

  • You need call recording.
  • You work on Web, Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want ai transcription.
Gong review

Choose SuiteCRM if

  • You need studio module builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
  • You also want workflow engine.
SuiteCRM review

Questions people ask

Is Gong or SuiteCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Gong starts at $1600/user-per-year and SuiteCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gong or SuiteCRM?
SuiteCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1600/user-per-year for Gong and Free for SuiteCRM.
Does Gong or SuiteCRM run on more platforms?
Gong runs on Web, Cloud-based SaaS. SuiteCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
Can I use SuiteCRM for free?
Yes. SuiteCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gong starts at $1600/user-per-year.
What is Gong best used for?
Gong is most often used for call analysis, deal forecasting, sales coaching, win/loss analysis. Of those, call analysis and deal forecasting are not what SuiteCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Gong do that SuiteCRM cannot?
Gong covers Call recording, AI transcription, Deal intelligence, Market intelligence. SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder, Workflow engine, Opportunity and quote management, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gong: How much does Gong cost?

Gong pricing starts around $1,600 per user per year, with a mandatory platform fee of $5,000-$50,000 annually. Exact pricing is custom and requires a sales consultation.

Source
SuiteCRM: Is SuiteCRM really free?

The software is, at any user count. SalesAgility charges for managed hosting from about 50 GBP per month, support from about 1,200 GBP per year and SuiteASSURED from about 3,350 GBP per year.

Gong: Does Gong integrate with Salesforce?

Yes. Gong integrates with Salesforce via REST API to import account data and export conversation summaries, enabling searchable calls by CRM fields.

Source
SuiteCRM: How does it relate to SugarCRM?

It is a fork of SugarCRM Community Edition, created after SugarCRM discontinued its open source release.

Gong: What conversations can Gong capture?

Gong was built primarily for sales call analysis and captures calls through integrations with major dialer systems. Coverage for contact center and multi-channel conversations is limited.

Source
SuiteCRM: Are there per user fees?

No. This is the central commercial argument for it, particularly for organisations with many occasional users.

Gong: Does Gong have an on-premise option?

Gong is a cloud-based SaaS platform without an on-premise deployment option. All conversation analysis and storage occurs in Gong's cloud infrastructure.

Source
SuiteCRM: What is SuiteASSURED?

A paid subscription that adds warranty, indemnification and legal protections on top of the open source licence, for buyers whose procurement rules block unwarranted software.

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