CRM Licence Costs Compared per User
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
CRM vendors publish a price per user per month, and that number is what most comparisons stop at. The real licence cost depends on which pricing model the vendor uses, which tier you need for the features you actually use, which add-ons come later and how many people need a paid seat. Vendor prices change often and differ by currency and contract length, so this guide does not list them. It gives you the mechanics and a worksheet to calculate your own figure from the vendors' current price pages.
Per-user, per-contact and tiered pricing
| Model | How it scales | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Per user, per month | Linear with seats | Minimum seat counts; every occasional user needs a seat |
| Tiered features | Jumps when you need one feature from a higher tier | Paying for a whole tier for one function |
| Per marketing contact | With the size of your database | Old or unsubscribed contacts still counted |
| Platform plus seats | Base fee plus cheaper seats | Base fee paid even with few users |
| Usage-based add-ons | With emails, calls, AI features or API volume | Hard to predict, easy to exceed |
Free tiers and their limits
Several CRMs offer a free plan, and for a founder or a two-person team it can be enough. The limits are designed so that growing companies hit them, and they are usually not about the number of contacts but about features.
- Only one pipeline, or few custom fields.
- No workflow automation, or very limited sequences.
- Vendor branding on forms, emails and meeting links.
- Basic reporting only, without forecasts or custom dashboards.
- Limited or no API access, which blocks integrations with Fortnox or your website.
Our article on HubSpot's free CRM limits shows how this plays out in one popular tool.
Add-ons that raise the price
- Onboarding or implementation packages that some vendors require on higher tiers.
- Extra marketing contacts beyond the tier's included amount.
- Calling, SMS and email-sending credits.
- AI assistants and data enrichment, often priced per user or per credit.
- Integration apps from the vendor's marketplace, each with its own subscription.
- Sandbox environments, extra storage and advanced permissions on enterprise tiers.
Cost at three, ten and twenty users
Use this worksheet with the current price pages of the two or three CRMs you are considering. Fill in one column per team size, in SEK excluding VAT, using the tier you need for the features you actually use, not the cheapest one.
| Line | 3 users | 10 users | 20 users |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Paid seats needed (sales, support, managers who edit) | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| B. Price per seat per month on the tier you need | Tier with required features | Often a higher tier as needs grow | Check volume discounts |
| C. Base or platform fee per month | If any | If any | If any |
| D. Marketing contacts or usage add-ons per month | Estimate from database size | Estimate | Estimate |
| E. Integration apps per month | Per app | Per app | Per app |
| Yearly licence cost | (A × B + C + D + E) × 12 | Same formula | Same formula |
| One-off costs | Onboarding fee, implementation | Same | Same |
Currency and VAT: many vendors bill in EUR or USD. Prices to Swedish companies are normally invoiced without VAT under reverse charge, which you report in your VAT return.
Licences are only part of the cost. Setup, data migration and integrations are usually a larger one-off item; see what CRM implementation costs.
Negotiating annual deals
- Annual prepayment is often cheaper per month than monthly billing, but locks you in; start monthly until the setup has proven itself.
- Ask for the seat count to be adjustable at renewal, not only upwards.
- Check the renewal price and whether introductory discounts disappear after year one.
- Negotiate onboarding fees; they are often more flexible than seat prices.
- Get the data export terms in writing, so leaving is possible without a crisis.
Decision rule: choose the CRM where the tier you need at your two-year team size is affordable, not the one with the cheapest entry price. When not to buy help from us: if you are three people and a free or entry tier covers your needs, set it up yourself. When you are choosing between tiers, migrating data or connecting the CRM to Fortnox and your website, our CRM implementation service helps you size it right. Book a short call with your filled-in worksheet.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this guide not list vendor prices?
They change several times a year, differ between currencies and depend on billing period and region. A price list would be out of date quickly. The worksheet stays valid; fill it in from the vendors' current pages.
Does everyone in the company need a paid seat?
Usually only those who create or edit records. Many CRMs offer free or cheaper view-only access, or let others work through shared inboxes and reports. Check the rules before buying seats for everyone.
Is a cheaper CRM with fewer features a false saving?
Only if you need the missing features within a year or two. A simple CRM the team actually uses is worth more than an advanced one nobody updates.
How is VAT handled on a foreign CRM subscription?
A service bought from a vendor outside Sweden is normally invoiced without Swedish VAT, and your company reports it under reverse charge. Your accountant books it; the net cost is usually unaffected for a VAT-registered company.
Want a second opinion on your CRM costs?
Bring your worksheet to a free 15-minute call. We check the tiers, add-ons and seat counts against how your team actually works, and flag where you are likely to overpay.
Book a free 15-minute call