Custom CRM vs. Bitrix24/Kommo: What Should Businesses in Moldova Choose in 2026?

In Brief

An off-the-shelf CRM like Bitrix24 or Kommo is cheaper and faster to get started with. If your sales team follows a standard pipeline (inquiry → call → deal), you can have it up and running in just a few days. A custom-built CRM makes sense when your business processes go beyond a typical sales pipeline:

• calendar-based bookings;
• multiple user roles, including external users (customers, drivers, partners);
• deep integration with your website, payment systems, and 1C.

CRM Pricing in 2026:

• Kommo — $25–$45 per user per month, with a minimum subscription period of 6 months. A team of 10 on the Advanced plan will pay $12,600 over 3 years.
• Bitrix24 — pricing is per company rather than per user. The Standard plan covers up to 50 users and costs €99 per month when billed annually, totaling €3,564 over 3 years.
• Custom CRM — a one-time development cost based on your business processes, user roles, and integrations, plus €50–€250 per year for hosting. There are no monthly per-user fees.

There's also a third option that often offers the best value: an off-the-shelf CRM integrated with your website. Our CRM integrations start at €200.

Three Options: What's the Difference?

1. Bitrix24 — An All-in-One Platform with Company-Wide Pricing

Bitrix24 is more than just a CRM. It combines task management, projects, team chat, video calls, documents, and HR tools in a single platform. Its biggest pricing advantage is that cloud subscriptions are billed per company, not per user. Here are the prices listed on bitrix24.eu as of October 2026 (based on annual billing; monthly billing costs more):

• Free — €0, up to 2 users;
• Basic — €49 per month, 5 users;
• Standard — €99 per month, 50 users;
• Professional — €199 per month, 100 users.

Companies that want to run the software on their own servers can choose the self-hosted version. The Business license for 50 users costs $3,590, with annual renewals priced at 50% of the original license fee. The main drawback of Bitrix24 is its complexity: for a small team that only needs a sales pipeline, many of its features are unnecessary and can make implementation more complicated.

2. Kommo (Formerly amoCRM) — A Simple Sales Pipeline Built Around Messaging

Kommo is designed primarily for conversations that turn into sales. Inquiries from WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and your website flow into a single sales pipeline, where managers can track and manage each deal. Pricing is per user, with a minimum subscription period of 6 months:

• Base — $25 per user per month;
• Advanced — $35 per user per month, with automation features;
• Pro — $45 per user per month, with advanced AI-powered automation;
• Enterprise — pricing available on request.

Kommo is easier to learn and use than Bitrix24. However, its costs increase as your team grows: every additional sales representative adds another $25–$45 to your monthly bill.

3. Custom CRM — Software Built Around Your Business Processes

A custom CRM is developed specifically for your business. It includes only the screens, user roles, and fields your team actually needs and can connect directly to your website, payment systems, 1C, and mobile app. There is no fixed price: development costs depend on the number of roles, modules, and integrations required and are calculated after reviewing your business processes. The advantage is that development is a one-time investment. There are no ongoing per-user subscription fees, and your company owns the source code and data. The real return on a custom CRM doesn't come simply from saving on subscriptions. It comes when off-the-shelf solutions can't handle your workflows, forcing employees to rely on manual workarounds in Excel and messaging apps.

How Much Does a CRM Cost Over 3 Years?

Two things stand out from this comparison. For larger teams, Bitrix24 is significantly cheaper than Kommo because the subscription price stays the same regardless of how many users you have, as long as you remain within your plan's limit. A custom CRM isn't designed to compete with Bitrix24 on subscription costs. Businesses choose it because they want software that adapts to their processes, rather than having to adapt their processes to the software. And unlike per-user subscriptions, the cost of a custom CRM doesn't increase every time you hire someone new.

These calculations don't include the implementation and configuration of off-the-shelf CRM platforms, paid marketplace apps, or integrations with your website and 1C. You should budget for these expenses regardless of which option you choose.

7 Signs Your Business Needs a Custom CRM

1. Your workflow doesn't follow a typical sales pipeline. For example, equipment rentals or calendar-based appointments where double bookings must be prevented.
2. People outside your company need access to the system. Customers, drivers, partners, or dealers need to view relevant information and perform certain actions themselves.
3. You need deep website integration. Orders, card payments, price calculations, and order statuses should all be handled within one system, rather than being passed back and forth between your website and CRM.
4. Your employees still manage part of their work in Excel. This can be a sign that your current CRM doesn't fully support your business processes.
5. Your team is growing, and subscription fees are becoming a significant expense. This is especially true for platforms that charge per user.
6. You need a mobile app for employees working in the field. Couriers, drivers, and technicians often need a simple interface designed around a specific task.
7. You need control over where customer data is stored. For example, legal requirements or partner agreements may require you to keep customer data on your own server.

When an Off-the-Shelf CRM Is the Better Choice

• Your sales team follows a standard process: inquiry, call, sales proposal, closed deal.
• Your team is small, and you need to launch in days rather than months.
• Most of your sales come through messaging apps and social media. Kommo is particularly well suited to this.
• You need task management, projects, and internal team chat alongside your CRM. Bitrix24 is a stronger choice here.

The Third Option: An Off-the-Shelf CRM Integrated with Your Website

Often, the smartest approach isn't choosing between a custom CRM and an off-the-shelf solution. It's connecting an existing CRM to your website. Inquiries from contact forms, chat, and phone calls can automatically flow into Bitrix24 or Kommo, while deal statuses can be synced back to your website when needed. Our CRM integrations start at €200. After that, your business only pays for the CRM subscription. To learn more about integrating your website with Kommo, banks, and 1C, read our dedicated article.

Personal Data: Where Is Your CRM Data Stored?

On August 23, 2026, Moldova's Law No. 195/2024 on Personal Data Protection came into effect. The law is modeled on the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A CRM stores customer information, including names, phone numbers, and order histories, so every company needs to understand where that data is stored and who can access it.

• Bitrix24: account data in the bitrix24.eu region is stored in the European Union, at an Amazon Web Services data center in Frankfurt. Keep this in mind when registering and choose the European region.
• Kommo: before connecting the platform, confirm with the provider where your data will be stored and sign a data processing agreement.
• Custom CRM: can be hosted on a server of your choice, such as one provided by a hosting company in the European Union or Moldova.

This information is provided as general guidance and does not constitute legal advice.

How We Build CRM Systems at ilab.md

We develop custom CRM platforms and internal business systems using PHP/CodeIgniter and MySQL, along with mobile apps for employees built with React Native. One example from our 2025 projects is an equipment rental platform developed for Electro Proiect Services:

• three user roles: customers, drivers, and administrators;
• an availability calendar for every piece of equipment and every driver to prevent overlapping bookings;
• automatic order price calculations and card payments to secure reservations;
• over 50 pieces of equipment managed in the system, 4 integrations, and a development timeline of 4 months.

A standard CRM can't handle this kind of workflow out of the box. The business needs a booking system that prevents scheduling conflicts and gives external users access, not a traditional sales pipeline.

If a standard sales pipeline is all your business needs, we'll tell you. Instead of recommending a system built from scratch, we'll suggest connecting Bitrix24 or Kommo to your website. We calculate the cost of a custom CRM after reviewing your processes and identifying which user roles, modules, and integrations you actually need. All our development work comes with a 2-year warranty. For more details, visit our Custom CRM and Internal Business Systems Development page.

Sources

• Bitrix24 — cloud subscription pricing
• Bitrix24 — self-hosted version pricing
• Bitrix24 — GDPR and data storage
• Kommo — pricing plans
• GDPR rules have come into effect in the Republic of Moldova — BizLaw