CRM Cost Calculator

CRM Cost Calculator





Let's face it, if you want your business to succeed you need a CRM. Managing operations with Excel spreadsheets and e-mails isn't scalable or sensible. You'll need a centralized place to store client information, work leads, manage projects, and log important notes.


However, like most business necessities, CRM systems are not cheap. Depending on the vendor you roll with you could end up paying hundreds of thousands over the course of your subscription. To help you get an idea of what you'll spend, use my CRM price calculator below.



Ongoing Annual Cost: $0.00

First Year Cost (Including Implementation Fee): $0.00



CRM Hidden Costs - Implementation fees


Be sure to keep in mind that going with the cloud option means you'll likely need to fork over an expensive implementation fee. The cost varies but I've seen these head north of $100,000 for some vendors.


For less complex implementations with a smaller number of users (sub 100), you can expect to pay around $3,000 - $5,000. These are one-time fees but will still need to be factored into the budget.


What are CRM add-ons?


CRM add-ons, as the name implies, are features that you can augment your current CRM subscription with. These come in the form of plug-ins or standalone applications and can include AI, marketing campaigns, telephony, integrations, and more.


And, as you may have guessed, adding these will come at an additional cost. Add-ons are even present with open source CRMs but unlike cloud platforms, they are typically a one-time fee.


Are there any truly free CRMs?


Though some CRM systems are installable on a server without paying a monthly subscription fee, you still need to pay for hosting, a database, load balancers, web servers, and anything else you may need to run a self-hosted web application. The only way a platform can truly be free is if you install it on your local machine (personal laptop or PC) and use it there exclusively.


As someone once famously said, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and this is especially true when it comes to CRM platforms. Business-critical applications like these are a business expense you shouldn't be cheap with as you could end up hurting productivity and relationships with your customers down the line. To learn more about the costs of open source CRM systesm, check out my article on the true cost of open source software.


When in doubt, contact an expert


I built my own CRM, Super Easy CRM back in the late 2010s since I couldn't find a CRM to suit my needs. You may not need to go this route as products like mine and many others exist to cater to your unique business needs.


Instead of going it alone, and potentially ending up in a lengthy expensive service contract with a vendor, let me and my team help you find the perfect platform. I spend way too much time on my laptop so I'm easy to find on Twitter @devmatt954 or just drop me a message at [email protected].


Matt Irving is the CEO of Super Easy Tech, LLC.
 
Matt is the CEO of Super Easy Tech and creator of Super Easy CRM. He is a passionate software engineer, tech blogger, and gamer. Feel free to connect on any of the platforms listed below.

Posted by: Matt Irving on 6/30/2024