CiviCRM vs Sellsy: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of CiviCRM and Sellsy to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
CiviCRM
6.6/10
Open-source CRM built for nonprofits and advocacy groups, covering contacts, donations, memberships, events, email marketing and case management.
Sellsy
5.8/10
French all-in-one CRM and lead-to-cash suite that combines sales pipelines, quotes with e-signature, invoicing, e-invoicing, marketing, and cash management for SMEs.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.6/10 | 5.8/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 3/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 9/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $15/mo Spark Starter | €35/user/mo Sales Standard |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Self-hosted (open source) | €350/mo Sales Standard |
| Features | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Contact Management | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Marketing Automation | ||
| Reporting & Analytics | ||
| Customer Support Management | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Sales Automation | Not listed | |
CiviCRM vs Sellsy cost by team size
| Team size | CiviCRM | Sellsy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | €35/moSales Standard |
| 5 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | €175/moSales Standard |
| 10 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | €350/moSales Standard |
| 25 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | €875/moSales Standard |
| 50 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | €1,750/moSales Standard |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose CiviCRM
- Has a free plan (Sellsy does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose Sellsy
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (5/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for sales teams (7/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
CiviCRM
Pros
- The core software is free and open source under the AGPL, so there are no licence fees whatever the number of users or contacts.
- Donations, memberships, events, CiviMail email and case management all come in one nonprofit-focused system.
- It runs inside WordPress, Drupal and Joomla, so data is shared between the website and the CRM.
- Every Spark hosted plan allows unlimited users, starting at $15 per month.
- A large extension ecosystem and an active community make it highly customisable.
Cons
- Reviewers consistently describe the interface as dated and clunky.
- Self-hosted setup and customisation usually need a developer, which adds hidden costs.
- The open-source project offers no dedicated vendor customer service. Help comes from community forums or paid partners.
- Spark plans cap contacts at 5,000 to 10,000 and limit integrations and customisation.
- It has no sales pipeline or opportunity tooling for commercial sales teams.
Sellsy
Pros
- Quotes convert to invoices without retyping, and quotes can be signed electronically in the same tool.
- Approved French e-invoicing platform included on every plan, ahead of France's e-invoicing reform.
- Data hosted in France, ISO 27001 certified, GDPR compliant, with daily backups.
- French-language chat support on every plan from an in-house team, plus phone support on higher tiers.
- More than 100 marketplace apps, including French accounting software and bank sync with Qonto.
Cons
- 12-month commitment even on monthly billing, and a 2-user minimum on the bundle.
- Reviewers say the interface is busy and takes about a week to learn.
- Cash management and advanced marketing tiers cost extra on top of per-user licences.
- Built around French accounting rules, so it fits non-French companies less well.
- Users report pricing changes, some invoicing glitches and duplicate contacts from Google sync.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
CiviCRM scores higher on our CRM criteria: 6.6/10 against 5.8/10 for Sellsy. The largest gap is in Cost: 9/10 for CiviCRM and 5/10 for Sellsy.
CiviCRM has a free plan; Sellsy does not list one.
Sellsy is the better fit for sales teams: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 2/10 for CiviCRM.
