How CRM Pricing Works: Per User, Per Contact, or Flat Fee?
CRM pricing is calculated in one of four ways: per user, per contact in the database, by tier limits, or as a flat fee for the whole system. Most off-the-shelf CRMs combine the first three. The rate on the price list therefore tells you little — what matters is what your price will grow with.
We covered what a CRM costs in crowns in How much does a CRM cost. Here we go one level deeper: how each pricing model works, where the surcharges hide, and how to calculate what a CRM will cost you over two years, not just in the first month.
Four CRM pricing models
| Model | You pay for | Price grows with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per user | each licence (seat) | team size | small team, large database |
| Per contact | records in the database | database size | large team, small and clean database |
| Tier with limits | a bundle of features and limits | feature requirements | companies with a standard process |
| Flat fee for the system | the whole system | none of the above | companies that grow or have their own process |
In practice the models are mixed. A typical off-the-shelf CRM charges a per-user price within a tier, where the tier sets features and limits — and some add a contact limit on top. The resulting price is a product of three variables.
Per-user pricing: how it works and when it is cheaper
The per-user model is the most common. You pay for every person with access to the CRM. In the Czech Republic the rate ranges from CZK 300 to 1,500 per user per month depending on product and tier.
The calculation is simple: users × tier rate × months. What to watch out for:
- The price grows linearly with the team. Every new sales rep or consultant means another licence. As the company grows, it is the most predictable increase — and the most certain one.
- Who actually needs a licence. An assistant who only creates contacts, or a director who checks a report once a week — each login usually costs a full licence.
- The whole team pays for the tier. If one person needs a feature from a higher tier, usually everyone has to move up.
When is a CRM cheaper per user:
- With annual prepayment. Vendors typically give a 15–20% discount for paying annually instead of monthly.
- In volume bands. Discounts usually start at 10, 25 and 50 users.
- When not everyone gets a licence. Check who actually uses the CRM daily. People who only need an occasional overview can get an export or a shared report.
Per-contact pricing: why a growing database gets expensive
With per-contact pricing you pay not for people but for records in the database. Typically in bands: one price up to a certain number of contacts, then a jump to the next band.
The model looks attractive while the database is small. The problem is that the database grows faster than the team, often without you doing anything:
- website forms and newsletter sign-ups add contacts automatically,
- importing an old spreadsheet or conference business cards adds hundreds of records at once,
- nobody deletes inactive contacts because they “might come in handy”.
Is per-contact CRM pricing worth it as your database grows? Usually not. You pay more even though the team does the same work. If you use a per-contact model, set two rules: archive or delete inactive contacts regularly, and track how close you are to the next band.
We don't quote specific per-contact rates here — every vendor has different bands and a different definition of what counts as a contact. Check that definition before you buy: are all records counted, or only those you send e-mails to?
Pricing by number of users and contacts at once
The combined model is the hardest to read. You pay per user, and the tier also sets a contact limit. Below the limit nothing happens. Above it, you either buy a contact bundle or move to a higher tier — which in turn makes every licence more expensive.
Your cost grows with two variables at once. A company that hires two people and launches a marketing campaign at the same time can pay more for both licences and the database within a single month.
Tiers with limits: paying for a feature one person needs
The tier defines what the CRM can do. Limits typically apply to the number of pipelines, automations, custom fields, reports or API connections. A cheap tier covers basic record-keeping; once you need automation or an advanced report, you move up a tier.
That is why a more important question than the rate is: which features will I need in a year? If they only exist in the top tier, budget for it from day one. The classic example is the “free to start” model: the free tier looks good, but automation and reporting sit in tiers costing tens of thousands of crowns per month.
Annual vs. monthly payment
| Monthly payment | Annual payment | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | full rate | typically 15–20% lower |
| Commitment | leave any time | 12 months, paid upfront |
| Risk | higher price | money usually not refunded if you leave |
| When to choose | first year, before the CRM is adopted | once the team really uses the CRM |
Rule of thumb: pay monthly in the first year, until you know the team actually uses the system. Then switch to the annual rate.
What is and isn't included in the CRM price
| Item | Off-the-shelf CRM | Custom CRM on subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Basic support | e-mail, included | included |
| Priority / phone support | top tiers only | included |
| Integrations (accounting, telephony, e-mail) | connectors and add-ons, typically CZK 1,000–5,000 per month extra | part of development |
| Implementation and setup | yourself, or a partner for tens of thousands of CZK | part of rollout |
| Data migration | yourself, or a partner | part of rollout |
| Hosting and backups | included in the licence | included |
| Changes to fit your process | within the tier's limits | ongoing, in the subscription |
Is support included in the CRM price? Basic support, yes. Anything beyond “how do I set this up” usually costs extra or requires a higher tier.
Sample calculation: a small consulting firm
Assumptions (illustrative, not a specific offer):
- a consulting firm with 5 people using the CRM daily,
- planning to grow to 10 people within two years,
- off-the-shelf CRM rate in the CZK 300–1,500 per user per month range; as a midpoint we use ~CZK 1,200 (Pipedrive's Professional tier from How much does a CRM cost),
- integrations (accounting, e-mail) typically CZK 1,000–5,000 per month extra,
- prices without the annual-payment discount.
Monthly licence cost:
| Users | CZK 300 / user | CZK 1,200 / user | CZK 1,500 / user | Custom CRM on subscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | CZK 1,500 | CZK 6,000 | CZK 7,500 | from CZK 4,900 / 9,900 |
| 8 | CZK 2,400 | CZK 9,600 | CZK 12,000 | from CZK 4,900 / 9,900 |
| 10 | CZK 3,000 | CZK 12,000 | CZK 15,000 | from CZK 4,900 / 9,900 |
What follows from this:
- With 5 people on a cheap tier, an off-the-shelf CRM is clearly cheaper. A subscription won't beat CZK 1,500 a month, and there's no point pretending otherwise.
- At the midpoint rate and 10 people, an off-the-shelf CRM costs CZK 12,000 a month — CZK 144,000 a year — plus CZK 12,000–60,000 a year for integrations. Annual payment cuts that by 15–20%.
- Consulting firms need more than a pipeline. Time tracking, projects, repeat work for the same clients, invoicing integration. A basic off-the-shelf tier usually can't do this, so it gets patched in Excel. A custom CRM with invoicing and timesheet integration starts at CZK 9,900 per month — and doesn't change as the team grows.
So what decides it is not this month, but the curve. Per-user licences grow with every new consultant; the subscription stays the same.
When a custom CRM makes sense
A flat fee for the whole system makes sense when at least one of these applies:
- You pay for 10–15 or more users. At that point the subscription already beats licences.
- The team keeps data outside the CRM. Timesheets, projects or quotes in Excel are a sign your process doesn't fit the box.
- You need integration with Czech accounting (Pohoda, Money, ABRA, Fakturoid) or internal systems that connectors can't handle.
- Your database grows fast and a per-contact model punishes you for successful marketing.
With up to ten users and a standard sales process, stay on an off-the-shelf CRM. A detailed comparison of features, integrations and data ownership is in Custom CRM vs. off-the-shelf.
How we do it
We build custom CRMs for a monthly subscription: from CZK 4,900 for a basic system (contacts, pipeline, tasks, reports), from CZK 9,900 with automations and invoicing and e-mail integration, from CZK 29,990 with a mobile app for sales reps. If you prefer a one-time payment, it starts at CZK 49,000. The subscription is the same for 3 or 30 users and covers development, hosting, support and ongoing changes. How the subscription model works in general is described in our article on app development on subscription.
See the custom CRM page for details. Get an estimate for your company in two minutes with our configurator, or book a consultation — we'll work out which pricing model costs you the least as you grow, and tell you honestly if you should stay on an off-the-shelf CRM.
