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CRM · head to head

SugarCRM vs SuiteCRM

SugarCRM logo

SugarCRM

CRM

Customer relationship software for your business

From
$59/month
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: SugarCRM every plan carries a 15 user minimum, so the entry cost is 15 seats regardless of team size; 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: SugarCRM covers Contact management, SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SugarCRM and SuiteCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where SugarCRM and SuiteCRM differ
AttributeSugarCRMSuiteCRM
Starting price$59/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, iOS, Android
Founded2004Unknown

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 SugarCRM

  • Contact management
  • Sales pipeline
  • Lead management
  • Marketing automation
  • Customer service
  • Reporting
  • Mobile app
  • Salesforce

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.

SugarCRM

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

SuiteCRM

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

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 SugarCRM if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
SugarCRM 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 SugarCRM or SuiteCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. SugarCRM starts at $59/month and SuiteCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SugarCRM or SuiteCRM?
SuiteCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $59/month for SugarCRM and Free for SuiteCRM.
Does SugarCRM or SuiteCRM run on more platforms?
SugarCRM runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. SugarCRM starts at $59/month.
What is SugarCRM best used for?
SugarCRM is most often used for crm for sales, marketing and service teams, managing accounts, opportunities and customer history at mid market scale. Of those, crm for sales, marketing and service teams and managing accounts, opportunities and customer history at mid market scale are not what SuiteCRM is typically brought in for.
What can SugarCRM do that SuiteCRM cannot?
SugarCRM covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Lead management, Marketing automation. SuiteCRM covers Studio module builder, Workflow engine, Opportunity and quote management, Case management.

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
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.

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
SuiteCRM: How does it relate to SugarCRM?

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

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
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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