amoCRM, Bitrix24 or your own CRM — which to choose

Nobody argues about needing a CRM. The argument is elsewhere — subscribe to a ready-made service, or commission a system built for you. Both can be the right answer; the question is which fits your business.

Here is the difference and how to choose.

amoCRM and Bitrix24 — the most common off-the-shelf CRMs

In Uzbekistan an off-the-shelf CRM usually means one of these two. Both run on a monthly subscription, with the price depending on the number of users.

• amoCRM is built around the sales pipeline: client, deal and calls in one place. Quick to learn and convenient for a sales team.
• Bitrix24 is broader: tasks, internal chat and documents on top of the CRM. It can do a lot, but setup and training take longer.

Both hit their limits in the same place: when your process does not fit their template or needs deep links to other systems. The difference is covered in detail below.

What makes an off-the-shelf CRM convenient

An off-the-shelf CRM launches fast — sign up, configure, and you are working within days. The price is known upfront and looks like a monthly bill. Updates and support stay on the provider's side.

This is the right path for a business with a standard process: the sales funnel, the client card and tasks do not look very different from other companies'.

Where the limits start

A ready-made system is built for a standard process. If the business has a step of its own — production, say, or a specific approval chain — an off-the-shelf CRM either does not support it at all, or it becomes expensive as an add-on module.

• Integration with other software is limited or comes at extra cost
• The database lives on the provider's server
• Adding users increases the price linearly
• A non-standard report means exporting data to an outside tool

When a custom CRM costs less

A custom CRM costs more upfront — building it takes time and money. But with a large number of users or a complex process, the monthly subscription adds up over time and passes the one-time cost of building it.

A custom CRM also keeps data on your own server and connects to other internal systems without restrictions — which matters especially for companies working with finance or production.

The choice, in three questions

1. Is your process standard or specific? Standard — off-the-shelf. Specific — custom
2. How many users log in? Up to 5-10 — off-the-shelf. Dozens — it needs a calculation
3. Does it matter where the data is stored? If it does — your own server

How migration works

Moving from an off-the-shelf CRM to a custom one is also possible, once the business outgrows the ready-made system's limits. Data is exported, migrated to the new system, both run in parallel for a month, and then the old one is switched off.

If you want to work out which path fits you, the web development service page shows the types of CRM and how the price is put together.