Best self-hosted and single-tenant CRMs
A few CRMs let you run the software yourself for free. Most vendors that talk about data isolation mean single-tenant hosting, not self-hosting. The distinction changes what you actually control.
Twenty wins for a team that wants a modern, actively developed open-source CRM to self-host for free; SalesCrew's single-tenant model wins for a team that wants the same data isolation without taking on server maintenance itself.
The short answer
- EspoCRM, SuiteCRM and Twenty are all free to self-host as open-source software; each also sells a managed cloud version starting around $15-25 per user per month if you would rather not run the servers yourself.
- Odoo's cloud pricing starts around $7.25-7.90 per user per month for its all-apps bundle including CRM; self-hosted Community edition pricing was not listed as a figure on Odoo's own pricing page, only the cloud tiers.
- Salesforce cannot be self-hosted at all; it runs only on Salesforce's own infrastructure, so it does not belong on a self-hosting shortlist regardless of price.
- Self-hosting removes the vendor's monthly fee but adds server costs, patching, and backup responsibility that a managed or single-tenant option absorbs for you; the real cost comparison has to include that time.
How we compared these
We checked whether each vendor's own site confirms a free, self-hostable version, what its managed cloud alternative costs if one exists, and whether self-hosted pricing is a figure the vendor states anywhere. Checked September 2026.
Self-hosting comparison
| CRM | Self-hosted cost | Cloud alternative | License | Best for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EspoCRM | Free, open source | Cloud from $15/user/mo (3-user minimum) | GPLv3 | A team comfortable running its own server that wants a mature, established open-source CRM | A team with no one able to maintain a self-hosted server |
| SuiteCRM | Free, open source | Managed cloud hosting from roughly £50/mo | AGPLv3 | A team wanting one of the longest-running open-source CRM codebases | A team that wants active, fast-moving development; SuiteCRM's release cadence is slower than newer entrants |
| Twenty | Free, open source | Cloud Pro $9/user/mo; Organization $19/user/mo | AGPLv3 | A team that wants a modern interface and active development, self-hosted or cloud | A team needing the deep integration library of an established incumbent |
| Odoo | Community edition downloadable; self-hosted price not listed as a figure on Odoo's own pricing page | Cloud Standard from roughly $7.25-7.90/user/mo (all-apps bundle including CRM) | LGPLv3 (Community) | A team that wants CRM bundled with a wider suite of business apps | A team that wants CRM alone without the rest of Odoo's app ecosystem |
| Salesforce | Not available; no self-hosted or on-premise version exists | Cloud only, custom-quoted per edition | Proprietary | Not applicable to a self-hosting shortlist | Anyone specifically evaluating self-hosted options |
Figures checked on each vendor's own pricing page, September 2026: espocrm.com/pricing, suitecrm.com/suitecrm/pricing, twenty.com/pricing, odoo.com/pricing.
The field, ranked
1. Twenty
The most actively developed of the open-source options checked here, free to self-host under AGPLv3 with a modern interface. Best for: a technical team that wants a current, well-maintained CRM to run itself. Not for: a team that needs a deep native integration library; Twenty is newer and smaller than established incumbents.
2. EspoCRM
A mature, established open-source CRM, free to self-host, with a cloud option starting at $15/user/mo for anyone who changes their mind about maintenance. Best for: a team wanting a proven, long-running codebase. Not for: a team wanting the newest interface or fastest release cadence.
3. SuiteCRM
One of the longest-running open-source CRM projects, free to self-host under AGPLv3. Best for: a team already comfortable with SuiteCRM's ecosystem or migrating from SugarCRM. Not for: a team that wants fast-moving, modern development.
4. Odoo
CRM bundled with a full suite of business apps, with a Community edition available to self-host. Best for: a team that wants CRM alongside inventory, accounting or other Odoo apps in one system. Not for: a team that wants a lean CRM alone; the full Odoo ecosystem is a bigger commitment.
5. Disclosure: SalesCrew is our product
Not self-hosted, but single-tenant: one dedicated Supabase project per client, with a full Postgres and CSV export available on churn. It gives the data-isolation benefit of self-hosting without the server-maintenance cost. Not for: a team with a hard requirement to run infrastructure on its own servers; SalesCrew does not offer that.
When none of these is the answer
If nobody on the team has the time or skill to patch a server, apply security updates, and manage backups, self-hosting is a liability rather than a feature, regardless of how appealing the free license looks. A managed or single-tenant option that still gives data isolation is the more honest choice for a team without dedicated infrastructure capacity.
Questions
- What is the difference between self-hosted and single-tenant?
- Self-hosted means you run the software on your own servers; you own the infrastructure entirely. Single-tenant means each customer gets a separate, isolated database and application instance, but the vendor still hosts and operates it. Both give data isolation; only self-hosting gives you full control of the infrastructure itself.
- Is self-hosting actually free?
- The software license usually is, for the open-source options here. Server hosting, backups, security patching and someone's time to maintain it are not free, and that ongoing cost is easy to underestimate against a vendor's flat monthly fee.
- Can Salesforce be self-hosted?
- No. Salesforce runs only on its own infrastructure; there is no self-hosted or on-premise version. Anyone specifically comparing self-hosted options should not include Salesforce in that comparison.
- Is SalesCrew self-hosted?
- No, but it is single-tenant: each client gets one dedicated Supabase project, not a shared database with row-level separation. That gives data isolation and a full export path without the maintenance burden of running your own servers.