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Salesforce Essentials vs SugarCRM Platform comparison

Salesforce and SugarCRM are both solutions in the CRM category. Salesforce is ranked #17 with an average rating of 7.8, while SugarCRM is ranked #24 with an average rating of 8.5. Salesforce holds a 0.3% mindshare in CRM, compared to SugarCRM’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Salesforce users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of SugarCRM users who would recommend it.
Salesforce Essentials
Read 13 Salesforce Essentials reviews
  • 108 Views
  • 55 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
SugarCRM Platform
Read 12 SugarCRM Platform reviews
  • 347 Views
  • 164 Comparison Views
50% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

SugarCRM Platform and Salesforce Essentials are CRM solutions competing in the customer management domain. SugarCRM often gains favor for its supportive pricing and flexible deployment, while Salesforce Essentials is recognized for its comprehensive features that enhance future value.

Features: SugarCRM Platform offers customizable dashboards, robust reporting capabilities, and easy integration with other software using open APIs. Salesforce Essentials provides advanced automation tools, seamless integration options, and strong capabilities in AI for customer segmentation.

Room for Improvement: SugarCRM could enhance its mobile app features, streamline its interface, and broaden automation options. Salesforce Essentials may improve in affordable pricing models, customization depth, and refining mobile application functionality.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SugarCRM Platform provides flexible deployment and excellent customer support, facilitating smooth transitions. Salesforce Essentials offers a simple cloud-based setup but may require further customization aid for optimal use.

Pricing and ROI: SugarCRM Platform is cost-effective with competitive setup costs, praised for its positive ROI due to adaptable functions. Salesforce Essentials, with a higher initial investment, delivers long-term value through its robust feature set.

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To learn more, read our detailed Salesforce Essentials vs. SugarCRM Platform Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Salesforce Essentials vs. SugarCRM Platform
April 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Salesforce Essentials
Ranking in CRM
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SugarCRM Platform
Ranking in CRM
24th
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
CRM Customer Engagement Centers (8th), Marketing Automation (8th), Sales Force Automation (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of Salesforce Essentials is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SugarCRM Platform is 0.4%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
CRM
 

Featured Reviews

Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues
I work from home for a heater manufacturing company. They wanted to move away from their current SAP CRM system to Salesforce. There is a fulfillment process, which involves taking an order, delivering it, and providing service. Salesforce is used to manage the order-taking process. Once an order is taken, the backend system, SAP ERP, handles product manufacturing, delivery, and installation. After installation, the Service Cloud in Salesforce takes over for ongoing service management. Once your order is confirmed, integration with the SAP ERP backend will be seamless. The system takes the sales order from Salesforce and starts processing it for procurement, starting with creating a production order, manufacturing, and then delivery. Once the product is delivered, this information is passed back to Salesforce Service Cloud. In the Service Cloud, a service engineer receives a notification indicating that a product needs to be delivered to a specific location for installation. The engineer then inspects and installs the product at the designated site. SAP ERP manages the product manufacturing and delivery processes. After the product is delivered to the customer, Salesforce Service Cloud takes over. It manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues reported by customers. Service Cloud captures the information and creates an incident record when a customer reports a product fault. Engineers receive this information and promptly visit the client site to fix the issue. The solution is easy to implement. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
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Styliana Araouzou - PeerSpot reviewer
Customizable, easy to configure, and reliable
My company is considered a customer and an end-user. I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using right now. It's a company that offers lots of user manuals and you can find most of your stuff there before starting development. I'd advise potential new users to go through everything. I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. By default, it comes with a really good model where you can start working with it without having a lot of developers in your team. It's a system that includes everything related to the client and you can see everything under one screen without having a different product or system. It's been great, for the most part.
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Salesforce makes tracking every product and customer activity easy, enabling managers to monitor their products, such as key products and their peak performance."
"The CRM system has SAP Sales, SAP Service, and SAP Billing, with everything integrated into an on-premise SAP CRM system. Salesforce Essentials replaced this on-premise system, bringing all functionalities onto the cloud platform."
"The solution is very scalable and flexible. It can be customized as per the business need."
"In terms of features, the cloud-based solution and easy deployment are standout elements that have made a difference."
"The product is stable."
"Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use."
"The combination of product and service are exceptional."
"I can download the data to Excel, create tables, and do whatever I want. I am very comfortable with the tool's mobile application. Its main benefit is transparency because I can share it with representatives."
More Salesforce Essentials pros
"The most valuable features of the SugarCRM platform include its flexibility in customizing fields, layouts, and dashboards."
"The most valuable aspect of this solution is its low cost."
"It works well with Jira. You can customize it to fit your needs."
"It has sales email campaigns, plus integration with Active Directory."
"The most valuable feature is relation capability, which allows us to relay customers with invoice orders."
"The most valuable features of Sugar Enterprise are the exports of graphics, statuses, complaints, and tasks."
 

Cons

"The primary area for improvement in Salesforce Essentials is its pricing. There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM, that offer similar features at a lower cost."
"Less integration would be better. It should work independently."
"The solution needs to be more user-friendly. It's difficult for a senior to track leads when a salesperson uploads leads. The solution should also improve its integration capabilities."
"The solution's UI is not user-friendly."
"Improvements in connectivity issues, especially for the online version, would enhance the user experience for the product."
"Integrating Salesforce with SAP, considering our business relies heavily on SAP for ERP, has been quite challenging due to the intricate product configurations. Unlike standard products like computers with a few options, our products have hundreds of configurable options, making the integration complex. If such integration were possible, it would have been easier to understand the unique nature of our industry and the limited number of customers who buy steel products, unlike consumer electronics."
"The product's reporting area has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"Salesforce should encourage new users by offering smaller license packages, such as packages for three or two users."
More Salesforce Essentials cons
"In the next release, I would like to see personalization of information about customers or specific businesses or opportunities."
"It lacks customization, and this is the main reason that we are switching to a different solution."
"I would like to see more integration on a mobile platform in the next release."
"While it is already user-friendly, a slight enhancement in UI design, especially in terms of color combinations, could make the platform more visually appealing and comfortable to use."
"You cannot include all your entities under one instance at the moment."
"I would appreciate it if SugarCRM could support us in on-premise implementation."
"Sugar Enterprise could improve by removing bugs and glitches. For example, a comment was made but in the comment section, it was never displayed. However, the problems we faced might not be the fault of the solution."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."
"The tool is moderately priced."
"Salesforce Essentials is quite expensive, almost 10 out of 10. I don't have the exact cost, but we found it to be very expensive based on our budget constraints."
"The pricing is on the higher side, especially with additional costs for professional services like consultants."
"We chose quarterly payments."
"I rate Salesforce Essentials' pricing an eight out of ten."
"The pricing is a bit on the expensive side."
"It's a perpetual license, and the subscription can be expensive."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Educational Organization
31%
Engineering Company
15%
Computer Software Company
13%
Real Estate/Law Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Salesforce Essentials?
Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Essentials?
The pricing is a bit on the expensive side, maybe when we compare it with other solutions. I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten, with one being low price and ten being high price. The licensi...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Salesforce Essentials?
I have seen Salesforce evaluate a lot of AI and analytics into that. But as an end user, I don’t have that much input. So, I would like to have more AI functionality here. That would be really help...
See all answers
What do you like most about Sugar Enterprise?
The most valuable features of the SugarCRM platform include its flexibility in customizing fields, layouts, and dashboards.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sugar Enterprise?
All are almost the same pricing. Maybe the cheapest is Salesforce, I believe.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Sugar Enterprise?
The only challenge was that we implemented it in our on-premise data center instead of using it in the cloud. That was a little bit of a challenge. But it was overcome with the help of SugarCRM com...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

No data available
No data available
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Salesforce Essentials
March 2025
Salesforce Essentials reportDownload Salesforce Essentials product report
Buyer's Guide
SugarCRM Platform
March 2025
SugarCRM Platform reportDownload SugarCRM Platform product report
 

Overview

Salesforce Essentials is a cloud-based CRM tool for businesses seeking flexible, scalable, and customizable solutions to enhance sales and customer support processes.

Designed for seamless integration across multiple channels, Salesforce Essentials includes Sales and Service Cloud to simplify sales tasks and customer management. It enhances finance, credit, and quality processes with user-friendly AI capabilities and predictive analytics. Despite its strengths, there is room for improvement in SAP integration, interface simplicity, and report generation. Cost-effectiveness and support for diverse languages are also potential upgrade areas. Businesses use this CRM solution for lead management, opportunity tracking, and automating sales workflows, transitioning from paper-based methods to digital efficiency.

What are the essential features of Salesforce Essentials?
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Accommodates growth and customization needs.
  • Multiple Channel Integration: Enhances finance and quality processes.
  • User-Friendly: Easy navigation with AI capabilities.
  • Cloud Deployment: Includes Sales and Service Cloud features.
  • Predictive Analytics: Improves productivity and tracking.
  • Mobile App Support: Facilitates on-the-go access and management.
What benefits or ROI can users expect from Salesforce Essentials?
  • Improved Productivity: Automation features save time and streamline tasks.
  • Enhanced Customer Management: Centralizes interaction and data handling.
  • Ease of Transition: From manual to automated workflows.
  • Performance Monitoring: Standardizes processes for better oversight.

In the retail industry, businesses employ Salesforce Essentials for customer data management and transparency in order processing. Healthcare providers use it for patient engagement and streamlined communication. Financial services utilize it for billing management and compliance, harnessing automation tools for efficient data handling.

Salesforce

SugarCRM is a versatile CRM solution that facilitates communication and organization within a company. Its primary use case includes call and comment logging, account relation, customer detail storage, verification handling, transaction tracking, marketing material management, and payment transaction handling. The most valuable functionalities include customizable exports of graphics, statuses, complaints, and tasks, as well as its scalability, stability, and low cost. It integrates well with Jira and can be easily configured. The platform improves efficiency, productivity, collaboration, communication, and coordination within organizations, while also providing valuable insights and data analytics for informed decision-making.

SugarCRM
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Redglaze Group, TengoInternet, Hilco, Bancvue, Vet Adivsor
Buyer's Guide
Salesforce Essentials vs. SugarCRM Platform
April 2025
Free Report: Salesforce Essentials vs. SugarCRM Platform
Find out what your peers are saying about Salesforce Essentials vs. SugarCRM Platform and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
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