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EspoCRM vs Insightly: Complete Comparison 2026

An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.

EspoCRM logo

EspoCRM

7.4(380 reviews)

Open-source CRM with a clean modern UI, drag-and-drop entity manager, and flexible customization for teams who want full control.

Insightly logo

Insightly

7.9(890 reviews)

CRM that combines customer relationship management with project management and delivery tracking.

Quick Comparison

AspectEspoCRMInsightly
Best ForTechnical teams that value data sovereignty and want to self-host their CRM without per-user feesProfessional services and consulting firms
Pricing ModelOpen SourceFreemium
Starting PriceFreeFree
Deploymentself hosted, cloudcloud
PlatformsWEB, IOS, ANDROIDWEB, IOS, ANDROID
Rating7.4/107.9/10

Pros & Cons

EspoCRM

Pros

  • Self-hosted version is completely free with zero user limits, zero feature restrictions, and full source code access
  • Entity Manager lets you create custom entities, fields, and relationships through a visual interface without writing code
  • Modern, clean UI loads fast and doesn't overwhelm users with unnecessary complexity on every screen
  • Cloud and self-hosted versions run identical code with no feature gating between paid and free editions
  • Built-in workflow automation handles email notifications, field updates, and task creation on trigger events

Cons

  • Integration ecosystem is thin compared to HubSpot or Salesforce with no centralized app marketplace
  • Self-hosting requires PHP and database administration skills that non-technical teams won't have
  • Community support only for the free version with no guaranteed response times on forums
  • Mobile experience works through a responsive web app rather than a dedicated native application
  • Reporting is functional but lacks the advanced visualization and drill-down capabilities of enterprise CRMs

Insightly

Pros

  • Unique CRM + project management combination
  • Deal-to-project conversion streamlines handoffs
  • Good relationship linking and mapping
  • Solid Google Workspace integration

Cons

  • CRM features less advanced than dedicated CRM tools
  • Project management less robust than dedicated PM tools
  • Interface feels dated compared to newer competitors
  • Mobile app needs improvement

Pricing Comparison

ProductPricing ModelStarting Price
EspoCRMopen sourceFree0
InsightlyfreemiumFree0

Our Verdict

Choose EspoCRM if...

Technical teams that value data sovereignty and want to self-host their CRM without per-user fees

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Choose Insightly if...

Professional services and consulting firms

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Still Not Sure?

Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.