The CiviCRM Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about CiviCRM in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
CiviCRM
The Insider’s Guide
Open source constituent CRM for nonprofits and civic groups
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among CRM tools, read from CiviCRM’s own pages.
Made by CiviCRM LLC · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from CiviCRM’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on CiviCRM’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 76 of the 116 other CRM tools we grade
CiviCRM is a web-based constituent relationship management system for nonprofits, associations and other civic organizations. It covers contacts, donations, memberships, events, case management and bulk email. The software is free to download and run yourself, and a hosted edition called Spark is sold by monthly subscription.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about CiviCRM, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The main product is self-hosted and needs a server and upkeep.
- 1
Best for an open source CRM you can host yourself
CiviCRM is an open source constituent CRM for nonprofits, free to download under the AGPL.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per month for up to 5,000 contacts (Spark Starter).
- 3
There is a free plan
The full software is free to download, use and share under the GNU AGPL v3; you host it yourself or pay a hosting partner.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Contact management
Keeps donors, members, volunteers and other contacts with their relationships and history in one place, with custom fields, import and export, and deduplication.
- 6
Contributions and memberships
Takes payments through customizable contribution pages and manages memberships with automated renewals and reminders.
- 7
Events and peer-to-peer fundraising
Runs any number of events and lets supporters raise money through their own fundraising pages.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 76 of 116
That is against the other CRM tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace CiviCRM you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
CiviCRM at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per month for up to 5,000 contacts (Spark Starter)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- CiviCRM LLC, since 2005
- Category
- CRM Software
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for an open source CRM you can host yourself
CiviCRM is an open source constituent CRM for nonprofits, free to download under the AGPL. The catch is that you host it yourself or pay a partner, and the hosted Spark plans from $15 a month do not carry every feature or complex customisation.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Spark Starter is $15 a month for up to 5,000 contacts, right at the category's cheaper quarter. The free download only counts as free if you run the server yourself. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The software is free to download, but it needs your own server and upkeep, and CiviCRM publishes no price for hosting help. There is no trial. |
| Features | B | Contacts, contributions and memberships, events, peer-to-peer fundraising, bulk email and SMS, case management and reports. Spark ships most but not all of that. |
| Ease of use | D | The main product is self-hosted and needs a server and upkeep. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Backdrop, Mailchimp, Zapier, QuickBooks and Xero. No native phone or desktop apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who CiviCRM is for
- Fits if you have someone technical who can host and maintain a server
- Works for groups that want to own their data and avoid per-seat pricing
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want no server work, as the free download needs hosting and upkeep
- Tight if you pick Spark: it is not the full download and takes no complex customisation
- Watch out: Spark prices rise with contacts and emails, and are listed only to 10,000 contacts
- Skip it if you want a native phone app, as there is none
Good to know
Good for
- Nonprofits and associations that want to own their data and code
- Organizations with a technical person or a hosting partner
- Small groups that want a cheap hosted CRM through Spark
Worth knowing
- The free download needs your own server and upkeep, or a paid hosting partner or expert, and the price of that is not published by CiviCRM.
- Spark is described by the vendor as not a replacement for the full download: it ships most but not all features and does not take complex customizations.
- Spark prices rise with contacts and emails; the page lists tiers only up to 10,000 contacts and 50,000 emails.
- Runs in a browser only; there are no native mobile or desktop apps.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start. There is a free plan too
CiviCRM has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month for up to 5,000 contacts (Spark Starter).
The free download only counts as free if you run the server yourself.
Self-hosted download
$0
Free to download and run on your own server, standalone or with Backdrop, Drupal, Joomla or WordPress. You host and maintain it yourself.
Spark Starter
$15
per month for up to 5,000 contacts
Hosted CiviCRM with unlimited users, most CiviCRM components and CiviMail.
Spark Essentials
$30
per month for up to 5,000 contacts
Everything in Starter plus Mosaico HTML emails, with up to 10,000 emails.
Spark Pro
$50
per month for up to 10,000 contacts
Additional extensions, up to 50,000 emails and a custom domain.
The free plan
The full software is free to download, use and share under the GNU AGPL v3; you host it yourself or pay a hosting partner.
Read from civicrm.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open source constituent CRM for nonprofits and civic groups. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, reports, email campaigns, case management.
Contacts, contributions and memberships, events, peer-to-peer fundraising, bulk email and SMS, case management and reports.
- Contact management
- Keeps donors, members, volunteers and other contacts with their relationships and history in one place, with custom fields, import and export, and deduplication.
- Contributions and memberships
- Takes payments through customizable contribution pages and manages memberships with automated renewals and reminders.
- Events and peer-to-peer fundraising
- Runs any number of events and lets supporters raise money through their own fundraising pages.
- Bulk email and SMS
- Sends email and SMS campaigns to segments of contacts; the Spark tiers cap monthly emails.
- Case management
- Tracks ongoing work with a constituent as cases with their own processes.
- Reports and extensions
- Ships with dozens of configurable reports, and a public extensions directory adds payment gateways, accounting links and other integrations.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Joomla
- Backdrop
- Mailchimp
- Zapier
- QuickBooks
- Xero
CiviCRM is made by CiviCRM LLC, and has been around since 2005.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
76/116
Other CRM tools it is graded above
CiviCRM's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 76 of the 116 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 22.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 101 of 116) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 21 of the 93 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 14 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 117 CRM tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. CiviCRM’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 101 of 116
- CFree plan and trialAbove 44 of 116
- BFeaturesAbove 70 of 116
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 116
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 24 of 116
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 95 CRM tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. CiviCRM is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace CiviCRM you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $180 a year. CiviCRM is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Case management and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, WordPress, Drupal and Joomla among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. CiviCRM’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
SuiteCRM, EspoCRM, Bloomerang, Neon CRM and Little Green Light
The 5 tools CiviCRM is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
SuiteCRM
Free plan · from £130/mo
Open-source CRM with no per-user license fees.
- CiviCRM also covers email campaigns and case management.
- SuiteCRM also covers sales pipeline, marketing automation and workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
EspoCRM
Free plan · from $15/mo
Open-source CRM you can self-host for free or rent in the cloud.
- CiviCRM also covers email campaigns and case management.
- EspoCRM also covers kanban boards, sales pipeline and workflow automation.
- 1.8GPA
Bloomerang
Paid
Donor management and fundraising platform for nonprofits.
- CiviCRM has a free plan. Bloomerang does not.
- Only Bloomerang lists iOS and Android apps.
- CiviCRM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 1.8GPA
Neon CRM
From $99/mo
Nonprofit CRM priced by revenue raised, with unlimited records.
- CiviCRM has a free plan. Neon CRM does not.
- CiviCRM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- CiviCRM also covers case management.
- 2.4GPA
Little Green Light
Free trial · from $45/mo
Donor management database for small and mid-size nonprofits.
- CiviCRM has a free plan. Little Green Light does not, though it has a free trial.
- CiviCRM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- CiviCRM also covers case management.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is CiviCRM free?
CiviCRM has a free plan. The full software is free to download, use and share under the GNU AGPL v3; you host it yourself or pay a hosting partner.
How much does CiviCRM cost?
CiviCRM lists 4 plans. Self-hosted download: $0.
What platforms does CiviCRM work on?
CiviCRM is available on Web.
Does CiviCRM have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. CiviCRM is listed for Web.
Does CiviCRM have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. CiviCRM is listed for Web.
Is CiviCRM open source?
Yes. CiviCRM is open source, according to its own site.
What does CiviCRM integrate with?
CiviCRM's listing names WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Backdrop, Mailchimp, Zapier, QuickBooks and Xero.
Who makes CiviCRM?
CiviCRM is made by CiviCRM LLC. It dates from 2005.
What are the alternatives to CiviCRM?
The closest alternatives to CiviCRM in our directory are SuiteCRM, EspoCRM, Bloomerang, Neon CRM and Little Green Light.
How does CiviCRM compare with other CRM tools?
CiviCRM's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 76 of the 116 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 22.
Is CiviCRM good value for money?
ToolGPA grades CiviCRM B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 21 of the 93 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of CiviCRM?
To replace CiviCRM you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from CiviCRM’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CiviCRM's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by CiviCRM LLC. Prices change, so check civicrm.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- CiviCRM, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/civicrm
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "CiviCRM: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/civicrm
Know someone choosing between CRM tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/civicrm/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded CRM tools after CiviCRM, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- CRM Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 117 CRM tools we grade, compared
- HubSpot Insider's GuideFree CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite3.2 GPA
- Frappe CRM Insider's GuideOpen-source CRM with unlimited users, billed by hosting3.0 GPA
- Givebutter Insider's GuideFree fundraising platform with a built-in nonprofit CRM3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what CiviCRM’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. CiviCRM is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by CiviCRM LLC. Prices and plans change: check civicrm.org before you buy.