17hats vs Perfex CRM: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of 17hats and Perfex CRM to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
17hats
4.8/10
17hats is an all-in-one business management app for solopreneurs and small service businesses, combining CRM, projects, to-dos, invoicing, contracts, scheduling and workflows.
Perfex CRM
6.8/10
Self-hosted PHP CRM, sold as a one-time CodeCanyon license, that combines leads, projects, invoicing, contracts and support tickets for small businesses and freelancers.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | P Perfex CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 4.8/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 10/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $60/mo Core | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free CRM | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Customer Support Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Reporting & Analytics | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| App integrations | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
17hats vs Perfex CRM cost by team size
| Team size | 17hats | Perfex CRM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree CRM | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | FreeFree CRM | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | FreeFree CRM | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | FreeFree CRM | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | FreeFree CRM | Contact for pricing |
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 17hats
- Has a free plan (Perfex CRM does not)
PWhy choose Perfex CRM
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for agencies (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for consultancies (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
17hats
Pros
- Combines CRM, contracts, invoicing, payments, scheduling and to-dos, so a solo business can replace several tools with one.
- To-do workflows and advanced workflows automate recurring tasks and document or email sends for each client.
- Unlimited contacts and projects and three users are included, with one predictable flat price.
- A free CRM plan, a restartable 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee lower the risk of trying it.
- Built-in financial reports such as profit and loss and sales tax suit owners who handle their own books.
Cons
- It has no Kanban boards, Gantt charts or team chat, so it is weak as a team project management tool.
- Time tracking, scheduling, recurring billing and QuickBooks sync are all paid add-ons.
- Reviewers cite a limited mobile app, a cluttered interface and limited form customization.
- Users have reported QuickBooks sync errors that created duplicate payments, and some scheduled emails failing to send.
- It has no live chat support, and records are inaccessible after cancellation unless exported first.
PPerfex CRM
Pros
- The one-time $89 license replaces recurring per-user subscription fees.
- Combines CRM, project management, invoicing, contracts and help desk tickets in one install.
- Strong marketplace reputation: about 26,000 CodeCanyon sales and a 4.88 rating from roughly 1,500 reviews.
- Self-hosting gives you full control over your data, and the code can be extended with hooks, custom fields and third-party modules.
- Actively maintained, with an update released in March 2026.
Cons
- You manage the server, cron jobs, updates and backups yourself.
- Reviewers call the reporting basic and static compared with SaaS CRMs.
- Lacks advanced marketing and sales automation and AI features without add-on modules.
- Branding options are limited, and there is no first-party mobile app mentioned on the official site.
- Support is limited to 6 months unless you pay to extend it.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Perfex CRM scores higher on our CRM criteria: 6.8/10 against 4.8/10 for 17hats. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for 17hats and 10/10 for Perfex CRM.
17hats has a free plan; Perfex CRM does not list one.
Perfex CRM is the better fit for agencies: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 5/10 for 17hats.
