Dolibarr vs SuiteCRM (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SuiteCRM grades higher than Dolibarr: 2.4 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
SuiteCRM grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SuiteCRM
Open-source CRM with no per-user license fees
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 SuiteCRM if
- Fits if your headcount is growing and you don't want the bill to grow per user
- Works for teams with in-house IT that need CRM data on their own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't run a server and won't pay, because free means self-hosted
- Pricey if there are only two or three of you, since hosting starts at a flat £130 a month before VAT
- Not for you if you want US or European hosting, as shared packages are UK only and Dedicated starts at £3,200 a year
- Watch out: prices are in pounds only, before VAT, and the SuiteASSURED warranty is from £3,350 a year on top
- Skip it if you want a phone app or ready-made integrations, as it's web only with Outlook and Elasticsearch on record
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADolibarrFair | 2.4GPASuiteCRMFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CHosted Starter is a flat £130 a month on annual billing, before VAT, for unlimited users but recommended for up to 10. Across ten people that's £13 a head; for two or three people it's dear. No dollar price list is shown, and support packages and warranties are priced separately again. |
| 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 software is free to download and run with no user limit and no time limit. The price is your own servers, with infrastructure, updates and security down to you and only the community forum for help. Hosting gets a 30-day trial, not a free plan. |
| 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, opportunities and quotes, marketing campaigns with target lists, a workflow module, reports built from any module, support cases with a self-service portal, and admin tools that add fields and whole new modules without a developer. It covers the CRM job. |
| 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 is modules, layouts and workflows to configure before anyone sells anything. The hosted packages at least spare you the server work; take the free route and you're installing and patching it yourselves. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web application. The listing names one add-on marketplace and a public API, and no phone or desktop apps. | CA web app only, with no phone or desktop app on our listing. The integrations on record run to two names, Microsoft Outlook and Elasticsearch, so anything else means using the open REST API yourself. |
| Best for | a free CRM and ERP you host yourself | a full CRM with no fee per user |
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 SuiteCRM. 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. SuiteCRM starts at about $174.19 a month and scores 2.3.
SuiteCRM scores higher, and starts $174.19 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 43 score higher than SuiteCRM 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.
- SuiteCRM also covers marketing automation, workflow automation and reports.
At a glance
| Dolibarr | SuiteCRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | £130 / month, billed annually excl. VAT, unlimited users (£143 billed monthly) |
| 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: the software is free to download and run on your own servers, with no user limit and community forum support. Your team handles infrastructure, updates and security. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of SuiteCRM Hosted packages |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Dolibarr | SuiteCRM Ltd |
| Price read from | dolibarr.org | suitecrm.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.
SuiteCRM
- Prices are quoted in pounds sterling and exclude VAT; no dollar price list is shown.
- Managed hosting requires application support, so the online packages bundle the Silver Support package.
- Self-hosting has no software cost, but your team manages servers, updates and security.
- Shared hosting packages are hosted in the UK; a Europe or US location needs a Dedicated instance.
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.
SuiteCRM
- Sales modules
- Capture leads, manage opportunities and send personalized quotes, with dashboards that track the sales pipeline, upcoming meetings and key accounts.
- Marketing campaigns
- Segment contacts with the Target Lists module, create campaigns to send marketing content and automate marketing tasks.
- Workflow automation
- The Workflow module triggers actions when set conditions are met. On managed hosting, how often scheduled tasks run depends on the package.
- Reports and dashboards
- The Reports module builds reports from real-time data in any module, and each user can arrange a dashboard from widgets called Dashlets.
- Case management and portal
- Case modules and a self-service portal handle customer issues, keeping correspondence on the case and tracking resolution times with workflows.
- Studio and open REST API
- Admin tools add fields, change layouts and create new modules without development, and an open REST API connects the CRM to other business 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.
SuiteCRM
Self-HostedFree
Download and deploy on your own servers or cloud provider, with community support. Infrastructure costs are yours.
Hosted Starter£130
per month, billed annually excl. VAT (£143 billed monthly)
Managed shared hosting recommended for up to 10 users: 5 GB storage, hourly scheduled tasks, weekly backups and the Silver Support package.
Hosted Business£180
per month, billed annually excl. VAT (£198 billed monthly)
Recommended for up to 50 users: 40 GB storage, scheduled tasks every 4 minutes and daily backups.
Hosted Premium£280
per month, billed annually excl. VAT (£308 billed monthly)
Recommended for up to 150 users: 120 GB storage, tasks every 2 minutes, Git repository access and an annual health check.
Hosted DedicatedFrom £3,200
per year, excl. VAT and application support
A managed instance on dedicated resources with scalable performance and storage, hosted in the UK, Europe or the US.
SuiteASSUREDFrom £3,350
per year, on top of hosting
A warranty and assurance layer: application warranty, legal indemnities, patent protections, priority support and 10 care hours.
Ways to pay less
Dolibarr
No public discounts listed.
SuiteCRM
- Annual discount
About 9% less on hosting billed annually
Hosted Starter is £130 a month billed annually against £143 billed monthly, Business £180 against £198 and Premium £280 against £308, all excluding VAT.
- Other savings
20% off Standard Support with managed hosting
The pricing page takes 20% off the £1,200 Standard Support package, a saving of £240 a year, when it is bought with fully managed hosting.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dolibarr or SuiteCRM?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dolibarr is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $174.19 a month for SuiteCRM. Dolibarr is free, and SuiteCRM starts at £130 / month, billed annually excl. VAT, unlimited users (£143 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Dolibarr or SuiteCRM?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Dolibarr and SuiteCRM 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.