Dolibarr vs EspoCRM (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EspoCRM grades higher than Dolibarr: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
EspoCRM grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
EspoCRM
Open-source CRM you can self-host for free or rent in the cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Dolibarr if
- Fits if you can run your own server and want one free suite for sales, invoices and stock
- Works for freelancers and associations that want modules switched on one at a time
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have no one to install and update a server, since the project sells no hosting
- Not for you if you want a plain CRM, as the suite brings ERP setup you will not use
- Watch out: third-party cloud hosts set their own prices, and the project only lists them
- Too light for phone use: no mobile apps are named on its pages
Pick EspoCRM if
- Fits if you want a CRM on your own server with no per-user fee
- Works for companies that want CRM, quotes, invoices and inventory in one system
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're one or two people wanting the cloud, as plans need at least 3, 5 or 10 users
- Not for you if you can't run a server and won't pay, because free means self-hosted
- Tight if you self-host and want workflows, BPM or reports, which sit in the paid Advanced Pack
- Watch out: Basic and Enterprise are billed 6 or 12 months at a time, and cloud admins can't install extensions
- Tight if you're on cloud Basic: 100,000 records and 3 GB of files a user, on the web only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADolibarrFair | 2.6GPAEspoCRMGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$0 to download, but it is only free if you have a server or pay a third-party host, so it sits in the middle for value. | CCloud Basic is $15 a user a month, which is mid-pack for the CRMs here, and you need at least 3 users billed 6 months or a year at a time. Every official extension is included, so you're not paying twice for workflows or reports. Free if you host it yourself, but then those extensions cost extra. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe full software is free to download with no paid plans from the project. You need your own server, which is the only real cost. | BThe open-source core is free on your own server, with no per-user fee and no time limit. The catch is you're running the server, and workflows, BPM and reports sit in the paid Advanced Pack. The cloud only gets a 30-day trial. |
| Features | BProspects, quotes, orders, billing, stock, projects, tickets, HR and accounting, with each module switchable. The listing names no gap in the CRM work, though it is a wider suite than a CRM. | BLeads and opportunities on a kanban board, trigger-based workflows and BPMN process flows, email sync and mass campaigns, quotes, invoices and inventory, cases with a customer portal, custom entities built in the UI. It covers the CRM job, as long as you're on a cloud plan that bundles the extensions. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It is self-hosted, so you install and maintain it, and the suite has many modules to configure. | CNo rating on record, and this isn't an app you open and start using. You're connecting IMAP and SMTP mailboxes, setting up stages and building entities, and if you take the free route you're installing it on a server or with Docker first. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web application. The listing names one add-on marketplace and a public API, and no phone or desktop apps. | BA web app, with no phone or desktop app on our listing. It connects to Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, Stripe, Mailchimp, Twilio, Zapier and Make, and there's a REST API, so you can wire it into whatever else you run. |
| Best for | a free CRM and ERP you host yourself | teams that want to host their own CRM |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Dolibarr and EspoCRM. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dolibarr has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. EspoCRM starts at $15 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
EspoCRM scores higher, and starts $15 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other CRM tools on the chart, none scores higher than Dolibarr for less, and 3 score higher than EspoCRM for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Dolibarr also covers invoicing, inventory and quotes and estimates.
- EspoCRM also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and reports.
At a glance
| Dolibarr | EspoCRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $15 per user / month, minimum 3 users, billed for 6 months or 1 year |
| Free plan | The software is free to download and install on your own server; the project lists no paid plans of its own. | Self-hosted EspoCRM is free and open source under AGPLv3, with no per-user fees, on your own server. Official extensions such as the Advanced Pack are bought separately when self-hosting. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of the cloud service |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Dolibarr | EspoCRM |
| Price read from | dolibarr.org | espocrm.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dolibarr
- The project distributes software only; you need your own server or a hosting provider, and the project lists third-party cloud hosts rather than selling hosting itself.
- Third-party cloud offers set their own prices; the project's wiki lists them and notes that some start with a free trial.
- A broad ERP and CRM suite means more setup than a CRM alone.
- The project's website shows the suite as a web application; no separate mobile apps are named.
EspoCRM
- Cloud plans have seat minimums of 3, 5 and 10 users, and Basic and Enterprise are billed for 6 months or 1 year at a time.
- The Basic cloud plan is capped at 100,000 records and 3 GB of file storage per user.
- Workflows, BPM and reports belong to the Advanced Pack extension, which self-hosted installs must purchase.
- Cloud admins cannot install extensions themselves, and Zapier or Make connections need accounts with those services.
Key features
Dolibarr
- CRM and sales
- Prospects and customers, opportunities, proposals, sales orders, contracts and subscriptions, and a helpdesk with tickets.
- Billing and accounting
- Billing and payments, bank reconciliation and double-entry accounting.
- Products and stock
- Products and services, stock, purchasing, shipments and manufacturing.
- HR and projects
- Employees, expense reports, leave requests, timesheets, recruitment, membership, projects and tasks.
- Modular design
- Features can be enabled only as needed, and a Module Builder and the Dolistore marketplace extend the suite.
- API and connectivity
- A built-in API, import and export, and connectivity with external tools.
EspoCRM
- Core CRM and sales pipelines
- Accounts, contacts, leads and opportunities with customizable sales stages, probability and expected close dates, shown as lists or a drag-and-drop kanban board.
- Workflows and BPM
- Trigger-based and scheduled workflows send emails, update fields or create records, and business processes can be modeled as BPMN 2.0 flowcharts.
- Email sync and mass email
- Syncs inbound mail from IMAP mailboxes, sends through SMTP accounts from any record, and runs bulk campaigns to target lists with opt-out handling and tracking.
- Quotes, invoices and inventory
- The Sales Pack adds a product catalog, price books, quotes, sales orders, invoices, purchase orders and warehouse inventory tracking.
- Cases, portal and knowledge base
- Support cases are tracked to resolution with priorities and statuses, and a portal lets customers or partners submit cases and read articles.
- Entity Manager and REST API
- Custom entities, fields and relationships are created in the UI without code, and a REST API with OpenAPI support connects external systems.
Plans
Dolibarr
Self-hosted download$0
Free open source package for Windows, Mac, Linux and Docker, installed and maintained by you. Modules and add-ons come from the Dolistore marketplace.
EspoCRM
Self-hostedFree
The open-source core on your own server, installed directly or with the official Docker image. No per-user fees.
Basic$15.00
per user / month, min. 3 users, billed for 6 months or 1 year
3 GB of file storage per user and 100,000 records, with the full feature set, all official extensions, API access and 12x5 support.
Enterprise$25.00
per user / month, min. 5 users, billed for 6 months or 1 year
10 GB of file storage per user and 10,000,000 records, which can be extended for an additional fee.
Ultimate$69.00
per user / month, minimum 10 users
400 GB of file storage and unlimited records on a private server with a dedicated IP address and your own domain name.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dolibarr or EspoCRM?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dolibarr is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $15 a month for each person for EspoCRM. Dolibarr is free, and EspoCRM starts at $15 per user / month, minimum 3 users, billed for 6 months or 1 year.
Which has a free plan, Dolibarr or EspoCRM?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Dolibarr and EspoCRM have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.