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Hiver vs SuiteCRM

Hiver logo

Hiver

Customer Support

Gmail-based help desk

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
SuiteCRM logo

SuiteCRM

CRM

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hiver hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69; 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: Hiver covers Shared inbox, SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hiver and SuiteCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Hiver and SuiteCRM differ
AttributeHiverSuiteCRM
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Chrome-extensionWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded2011Unknown

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

  • Shared inbox
  • Email assignment
  • Collision detection
  • Email notes
  • Templates
  • Analytics
  • Gmail
  • Google Workspace

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.

Hiver

  • Shared inbox managementnot SuiteCRM
  • Customer support via Gmailnot SuiteCRM
  • Team email collaborationnot SuiteCRM

SuiteCRM

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

Where each one falls short

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

Hiver

  • Hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69

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

Hiver

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 users
    • Email management
    • Basic analytics
  • Lite$19/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Email templates
    • Notes & @mentions
  • Pro$49/month
    • CSAT surveys
    • SLA management
    • Custom reports
  • Elite$69/month
    • Round-robin
    • Skill-based routing
    • Okta SSO

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 Hiver if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome-extension.
  • You also want email assignment.
Hiver 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 Hiver or SuiteCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Hiver starts at Free and SuiteCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hiver or SuiteCRM?
Hiver starts at Free and SuiteCRM at Free.
Does Hiver or SuiteCRM run on more platforms?
Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension. SuiteCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
Can I use Hiver for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hiver best used for?
Hiver is most often used for shared inbox management, customer support via gmail, team email collaboration. Of those, shared inbox management and customer support via gmail are not what SuiteCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Hiver do that SuiteCRM cannot?
Hiver covers Shared inbox, Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes. SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder, Workflow engine, Opportunity and quote management, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

SuiteCRM: How does it relate to SugarCRM?

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

SuiteCRM: Are there per user fees?

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

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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