SugarCRM vs Capsule CRM: Which is Right for You in 2025?

by Fahim Joharder | Feb 21, 2025

Winner

4.5

Contact Management
Sales Pipeline
AI Content Assistant
Email Marketing
Sales Analytics
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Paid Plan Starts at $18

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Runner Up

3.0

Sales Automation
Integration
Marketing Automation
Landing Pages
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Paid Plans from $19/month

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Choosing the right CRM can feel like navigating a maze.

You need a system that fits your business, not just any company. Are you torn between SugarCRM vs Capsule CRM?

This article breaks down those differences so you can make an informed decision.

We’ll explore features, pricing, and who each CRM best suits. By the end, you’ll be confident in choosing the perfect CRM.

Overview

We’ve put SugarCRM and Capsule CRM through their paces.

Our team spent hours exploring each platform, from setting up accounts to testing key features.

This hands-on experience allows us to provide a real-world comparison, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3out of 5

SugarCRM’s tools like Sugar Sell, Sugar Serve, and Sugar Market can help! Automate marketing today!

Pricing: Book your demo plan. The premium plan starts at $19/month.

Key Features:

Sales Force Automation
Customer Support
Reporting and Analytics

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4.5out of 5

Based on our data, Capsule CRM is the budget-friendly choice. Focused on simplicity and savings.

Pricing: It has a free trial. Paid plan starts at $18/month

Key Features:

Contact Management
Sales Pipeline Management
Project Boards

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What is SugarCRM?

Okay, let’s talk SugarCRM. It’s a pretty powerful CRM.

Think of it as a complete platform for managing your customer relationships.

It’s designed to help businesses of all sizes, but because of its flexibility, it’s especially popular with larger companies.

Also, explore our favorite SugarCRM alternatives…

Our Take

Want to boost sales by 20% in 2025? SugarCRM’s tools like Sugar Sell, Sugar Serve, and Sugar Market can help! Automate marketing, manage customers and close more deals.

Try sugarcrm now Read Full Review sugarcrm alternatives

Key Benefits

Open-source platform: Gives you greater flexibility and control.
Robust sales automation: Streamline your sales processes and boost productivity.
Excellent reporting tools: Gain valuable insights into your sales performance.
The mobile app includes access to your CRM data on the go.
Large community: Tap into a wealth of resources and support.

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Pricing

SugarCRM offers a free trial to test things out. Their paid plans start at $49 per user per month. Here’s the breakdown:

Essentials: $19/user/month, three users minimum.
Standard: $59/user/month, ten users minimum.
Advanced: $85/user/month, ten users minimum.
Premier: $135/user/month, ten users minimum.

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Pros

Very customizable platform.
Powerful reporting features.
Offers a free trial and plan.
Mobile app is included.
Large and active community.

Cons

Can be complex to set up.
The interface feels outdated.
Marketing automation is costly.
Not as intuitive as GoHighLevel.
Some features feel clunky.

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What is Capsule CRM?

Now, let’s switch gears and discuss Capsule CRM. It’s a more uncomplicated, more straightforward CRM.

Think of it as a user-friendly hub for managing your contacts and deals.

It’s an excellent option for small to medium-sized businesses that need a clean and easy-to-use system.

Also, explore our favorite Capsule alternatives…

Our Take

It’s great for its simplicity and ease of use, especially for small businesses just starting with a CRM. It helps you manage contacts and sales effectively without being overwhelming.

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Key Benefits

Simple contact management.
Easy sales pipeline tracking.
Integrates with many apps.
Customizable fields available.
Mobile app for on-the-go access.

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Pricing

Starter: $18/user/month.
Growth: $36/user/month.
Advanced: $54/user/month.
Ultimate: $72/user/month.

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Pros

Seamless integrations
Centralized contact management
Great contact management.
Effective sales pipeline tools.
Integrates with popular apps.

Cons

Limited customization options.
Reporting could be more robust.
No built-in phone support.
Free plan is very limited.

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Feature Comparison

This analysis evaluates SugarCRM, the established leading crm known for its enterprise customization and robust sales features.

Capsule, a robust contact management system celebrated for its simplicity and affordability (from capsule crm review).

This comparison will clarify which crm platform is the better fit for enterprise-level customization versus a streamlined, relationship-focused approach for smaller teams.

1. Core Focus and Contact Management

SugarCRM: A modular crm platform designed for enterprise use, focusing on high-level sales performance and the full sales cycle. It offers comprehensive, structured contact management suitable for large organizations.
Capsule: A crm solution built for simplicity and ease of use, making contact management its strongest feature. It focuses on nurturing relationships and is highly rated in capsule crm reviews for its intuitive design.

2. Pricing and Scalability

SugarCRM: Tends to be higher cost, with crm prices typically structured per user. Its sugarcrm cost often makes users look for crm alternatives, as it’s not designed to be an affordable crm.
Capsule: Offers highly competitive crm prices and is generally an affordable crm. Its pricing is also per user, but the low capsule crm cost and free version make it highly accessible, although it lacks true sugar enterprise scale.

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3. Sales Pipeline Management

SugarCRM: Provides deep sales pipeline management tools, including complex routing, advanced reporting, and multiple sales pipelines capabilities suitable for sugar sell and enterprise needs.
Capsule: Features clear, visual sales pipelines that are easy to use. While effective for the core sales process, its tools are simpler and lack the granular control and high-level sales performance analytics found in SugarCRM.

4. Marketing and Service Automation

SugarCRM: Provides extensive marketing automation within the sugar market module and comprehensive service automation via sugar serve, offering enhanced support across the customer journey.
Capsule: Primarily focuses on relationship management. It relies heavily on third-party integrations for advanced marketing automation and dedicated service automation, though email marketing integration is available.

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5. Customization and Enterprise Features

SugarCRM: Known for its deep ability to customize sugarcrm extensively, featuring drag and drop workflows and the powerful sugar enterprise option for complex business processes. It provides robust enhanced support.
Capsule: Offers drag and drop workflows for basic automation and customizable sales pipelines. However, it is not an enterprise tool and lacks the deep, structural customization necessary for complex business processes.

6. Product Ecosystem and Modular Tools

SugarCRM: A modular crm platform offering dedicated, integrated components like sugar market (marketing), sugar serve (service), and sugar sell (sales), providing a comprehensive suite of crm solutions.
Capsule: A pure crm system designed to integrate well with other crm solutions and third-party tools via api access. It is not modular and relies on external systems for project or financial management.

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7. Reporting and Analytics

SugarCRM: Features powerful, highly customizable reporting and analytics necessary for tracking sales performance across the entire enterprise, including dedicated reports for sugar market and sugar serve.
Capsule: Provides clear, visual reporting tools essential for managing the sales cycle and customer data. These tools are effective for quick overviews but lack the deep, granular metric analysis of SugarCRM.

8. Collaboration and Project Management

SugarCRM: Includes basic project management features designed to support sales efforts, but it is not a dedicated platform for managing projects outside of CRM context. It uses calendar integration effectively.
Capsule: Offers simple project management features that allow users to manage tasks related to a contact or opportunity, keeping the focus entirely on the sales process and sales cycle.

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9. Technical Support and Onboarding

SugarCRM: Provides dedicated, often paid, online support and extensive onboarding, reflecting its enterprise focus. This enhanced support ensures seamless large-scale deployment.
Capsule: Provides accessible online support and a great knowledge base, making the crm system easy to learn. Its simplicity and low sugarcrm pricing make it a preferred crm alternatives for quick setup.

What to Look for in a CRM Software?

Beyond the features we discussed, here are some additional factors to consider:

Scalability: Can the CRM grow with your business?
Mobile Access: Is there a mobile app for on-the-go access?
Ease of Implementation: How easy is setting up and getting started?
Training and Support: What kind of training and support is offered?
Security: How secure is your data with the CRM?
Industry-Specific Features: Does the CRM cater to your specific industry?
Free Trial/Demo: Can you try the CRM before you buy it?
Contract Terms: What are the contract terms and cancellation policies?
Future Integrations: Consider future integrations you might need.

Final Verdict

So, which CRM comes out on top? It depends on your business.

Capsule CRM is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses focused on ease of use and affordability.

It’s a solid CRM tool for managing contacts and tracking sales.

SugarCRM could be a better fit if you need more customization and advanced features and are willing to invest more.

We’ve explored these CRMs in-depth, testing them ourselves.

We’ve looked at everything from customer service to value for money.

Our goal is to help you make the best decision.

Don’t just take our word for it – click through to explore both platforms and choose the CRM that helps you connect with prospects and build your brand.

Try sugarCRM now Read Full Review sugarCRM alternatives

Try Capsule for FREE Read Full Review Capsule alternatives

More of SugarCRM

Here’s a brief comparison of SugarCRM with these software solutions:

SugarCRM vs Pipedrive: SugarCRM provides broad customization and flexible deployment for various business needs; Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM with a visual pipeline, prioritizing ease of use for small to medium businesses.
SugarCRM vs GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel vs SugarCRM: Which CRM Platform is Best in 2025?: GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform for marketing agency needs. It helps them manage multiple clients. SugarCRM is a custom CRM for larger companies. It helps them analyze data and tailor their sales process.
SugarCRM vs Keap: SugarCRM offers robust, highly customizable CRM features for sales and marketing automation, scaling for larger teams; Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a marketing automation and sales CRM designed primarily for small businesses.
SugarCRM vs ActiveCampaign: SugarCRM focuses on extensive sales management and customization for complex pipelines; ActiveCampaign excels in user-friendly marketing automation, email campaigns, and lead segmentation.
SugarCRM vs HubSpot: SugarCRM provides deep customization and flexible deployment for tailored solutions; HubSpot offers an intuitive, integrated suite of marketing, sales, and service tools known for its ease of use.
SugarCRM vs Clickfunnels: SugarCRM is a robust customer relationship management platform; ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels, landing pages, and automating sales processes.
SugarCRM vs Folk: SugarCRM is a powerful, customizable CRM for comprehensive business needs; Folk is a modern, collaborative contact management tool that emphasizes simplicity and ease of use.
SugarCRM vs Instantly: SugarCRM offers a broad CRM solution for sales force automation and customer management; Instantly specializes in automated cold email outreach and lead generation campaigns.
SugarCRM vs ClickUp: SugarCRM is a dedicated CRM for sales, marketing, and service automation; ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that includes CRM functionalities alongside project and task management.
SugarCRM vs Monday: SugarCRM offers extensive customization and robust automation for sales and marketing; Monday CRM provides highly visual, customizable workflows for various business processes, including CRM.
SugarCRM vs Capsule CRM: SugarCRM delivers a highly customizable and scalable CRM with advanced features; Capsule CRM is a simpler, more affordable contact management solution for small to medium-sized businesses.
SugarCRM vs Insightly: SugarCRM offers extensive customization for complex sales processes and reporting; Insightly combines CRM with project management, focusing on ease of use for small to medium businesses.
SugarCRM vs Freshsales: SugarCRM provides deep customization and advanced automation for sales and marketing; Freshsales CRM offers an intuitive interface with AI-powered lead scoring and integrated sales automation.
SugarCRM vs Salesforce: SugarCRM offers an open-source option with significant customization potential; Salesforce is a leading cloud-based CRM with extensive features, broad integrations, and a vast ecosystem, albeit at a higher complexity.

More of Capsule CRM

Here’s a brief comparison of Capsule CRM with these software solutions:

Capsule CRM vs Pipedrive: Capsule CRM offers a simple solution for managing contacts and sales, whereas Pipedrive is a visually driven sales pipeline management tool.
Capsule CRM vs GoHighLevel: Capsule is easy to use. It helps you manage your contacts and sales process. It is great for keeping things simple and organized. GoHighLevel is a much bigger tool. It has many tools for marketing and sales.
Capsule CRM vs Keap: Capsule CRM focuses on simplicity and affordability for contact and sales tracking; Keap offers extensive marketing and sales automation features, often at a higher cost.
Capsule CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Capsule CRM offers solid contact and pipeline management, while ActiveCampaign delivers powerful marketing automation, email campaigns, and advanced segmentation.
Capsule CRM vs Hubspot: Capsule CRM is a user-friendly, affordable CRM for managing customer interactions; HubSpot provides a vast suite of marketing, sales, and service tools, with free and scalable paid options.
Capsule CRM vs Clickfunnels: Capsule CRM is a tool for managing customer relationships; ClickFunnels specializes in building sales funnels and optimizing conversion processes.
Capsule CRM vs Folk: Capsule CRM is a simple contact management solution, whereas Folk emphasizes collaborative contact organization and enrichment with modern features.
Capsule CRM vs Instantly: Capsule CRM focuses on general contact and sales management; Instantly is tailored for automated cold email outreach and sales engagement.
Capsule CRM vs Clickup: Capsule CRM is a dedicated CRM solution, while ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that includes CRM functionalities alongside project and task management.
Capsule CRM vs Monday CRM: Capsule CRM offers simple contact and sales pipeline management; Monday CRM provides highly customizable visual workflows and extensive team collaboration features.
Capsule CRM vs Insightly: Capsule CRM focuses on ease of use and contact tracking, while Insightly offers a more comprehensive CRM with advanced project management features.
Capsule CRM vs Freshsales CRM: Capsule CRM prioritizes simplicity in sales and contact management, while Freshsales CRM offers a more robust sales platform with AI-powered insights and advanced analytics.
Capsule CRM vs Salesforce: Capsule CRM is ideal for small to medium businesses seeking a simple, affordable CRM; Salesforce is an enterprise-grade CRM with extensive customization and scalability for large organizations.
Capsule CRM vs Zendesk: Capsule CRM focuses on sales and customer relationship management, while Zendesk is primarily a customer service platform that excels in ticketing and support solutions.