Softwr

CRM · head to head

Salesforce vs SugarCRM

Salesforce logo

Salesforce

CRM

World's #1 CRM

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SugarCRM logo

SugarCRM

CRM

Customer relationship software for your business

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Salesforce sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually; SugarCRM every plan carries a 15 user minimum, so the entry cost is 15 seats regardless of team size
  • They diverge on capability: Salesforce covers Opportunity management, SugarCRM covers Sales pipeline.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salesforce and SugarCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Salesforce and SugarCRM differ
AttributeSalesforceSugarCRM
Starting price$25/month$59/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19992004

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Salesforce

  • Opportunity management
  • Reports & dashboards
  • Email integration
  • Workflow automation
  • Mobile access
  • AppExchange
  • Google Workspace
  • DocuSign

Only in SugarCRM

  • Sales pipeline
  • Marketing automation
  • Customer service
  • Reporting
  • Mobile app
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Contact management
  • Lead management
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001

What people use each for

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

Salesforce

  • Sales managementnot SugarCRM
  • Customer servicenot SugarCRM
  • Marketing automationnot SugarCRM
  • Lead generationnot SugarCRM
  • Analytics & reportingnot SugarCRM

SugarCRM

  • CRM for sales, marketing and service teamsnot Salesforce
  • Managing accounts, opportunities and customer history at mid market scalenot Salesforce

Where each one falls short

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

Salesforce

  • Sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually

SugarCRM

  • Every plan carries a 15 user minimum, so the entry cost is 15 seats regardless of team size
  • At $59 per user on Standard that minimum makes the real floor $885 a month
  • All three tiers are billed annually with no monthly option
  • The vendor still directs buyers to sales for a package rather than treating the published rate as final

Pricing, plan by plan

Salesforce

$25/month
  • Essentials$25/month
    • Account & contact management
    • Opportunity tracking
    • Lead management
  • Professional$80/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Complete CRM
    • Lead scoring
  • Enterprise$165/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Workflow automation
    • Advanced analytics
  • Unlimited$330/month
    • Everything in Enterprise
    • Unlimited customizations
    • 24/7 support

SugarCRM

$59/month
  • Standard$59/month
    • Accounts management
    • Lead tracking
    • Quotes
  • Advanced$85/month
    • Mail and calendar integration
    • Case management
    • Sugar Intelligence
  • Premier$135/month
    • Geo mapping
    • Enhanced storage 2x
    • LinkedIn connector

Which should you pick?

Choose Salesforce if

  • You need opportunity management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want reports & dashboards.
Salesforce review

Choose SugarCRM if

  • You need sales pipeline.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want marketing automation.
SugarCRM review

Questions people ask

Is Salesforce or SugarCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Salesforce starts at $25/month and SugarCRM at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salesforce or SugarCRM?
Salesforce starts at $25/month and SugarCRM at $59/month.
Does Salesforce or SugarCRM run on more platforms?
Salesforce runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. SugarCRM runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Salesforce best used for?
Salesforce is most often used for sales management, customer service, marketing automation, lead generation. Of those, sales management and customer service are not what SugarCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Salesforce do that SugarCRM cannot?
Salesforce covers Opportunity management, Reports & dashboards, Email integration, Workflow automation. SugarCRM covers Sales pipeline, Marketing automation, Customer service, Reporting. Both handle Contact management, Lead management, Microsoft 365, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SugarCRM: How much does SugarCRM cost?

SugarCRM costs $59 per user per month for the Standard plan, $85 per month for Advanced, and $135 per month for Premier. All plans require annual billing and a 15-user minimum.

Source
SugarCRM: What is included in the Advanced plan?

The Advanced plan at $85 per user per month includes everything in Standard plus mail and calendar integration, case management, Sugar Intelligence, and Sugar Predict features.

Source
SugarCRM: What distinguishes the Premier plan?

The Premier plan costs $135 per user per month and adds geo mapping, 2x enhanced storage, LinkedIn connector integration, and enhanced support compared to the Advanced plan.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Salesforce

More on SugarCRM

Keep looking

Other head to heads