Off-the-shelf or custom CRM

Raynet, Pipedrive, HubSpot or a custom CRM: what pays off and when

This guide is not about what development costs — that is covered in a separate guide to CRM pricing. This one is about the choice: when an off-the-shelf CRM such as Raynet, Pipedrive or HubSpot is enough, where it hits a ceiling, and when a ready-made system plus automation makes sense. Every criterion is something you can check yourself, and the plan prices were taken from the official pricing pages on 12.11.2026.

At a glance

Who this is for: companies of 3–15 people choosing their first CRM or thinking of leaving an off-the-shelf one
Off-the-shelf CRM (checked on 12.11.2026): Raynet €16 / €33 / €41 per user per month billed annually, excl. VAT; HubSpot Free for up to 2 users, Starter regularly $20 per seat per month
Custom CRM from us: one-off sum by quote, usually 3–6 weeks, no monthly per-user fee
Hybrid: off-the-shelf CRM + automation by fixed quote (for example, website enquiries straight into the CRM)
Code and data: with a custom CRM they are yours; with an off-the-shelf CRM they sit with the vendor and leave via export
Our experience: the Axora Group's own CRM in daily use; we have no external CRM clients yet

When an off-the-shelf CRM is the right choice

An off-the-shelf CRM is a subscription: you sign up, import your contacts and start working the same day. Raynet and HubSpot both have a free way in — Raynet offers a 30-day trial without a payment card, HubSpot a free plan for two users (checked on 12.11.2026). For many small companies that is a sensible start, and we will say so in the consultation.

We recommend an off-the-shelf CRM if most of these apply to you:

Two to five people actually work in the CRM, and you do not expect the team to grow much in the next year.
Your sales follow the usual steps: enquiry, quote, reminder, contract, invoice.
You do not need to connect the CRM to your own internal systems; what the vendor offers in the plan or add-ons is enough.
You need to start this week. A custom build takes us 3–6 weeks.
Your process is still taking shape. A custom system would need rework after every change, while an off-the-shelf CRM you can reconfigure yourself.
You are fine adapting your workflow to the tool and paying every month for every user.

When you hit the ceiling

The ceiling of an off-the-shelf CRM rarely shows in the first month; it usually appears after about six months of use. Typical signals you can check in your own company:

Part of the work still happens outside the CRM — in Excel, Telegram, email — because the system does not know your step.
Enquiries come from channels the CRM does not accept directly (messengers, several websites), and someone retypes them by hand.
A feature you need is only in a higher plan, and the higher plan is charged for every user, not just the ones who need it.
The team grows and so does the invoice: on Raynet Professional that is €33 a month for each additional person, billed annually.
You hit a plan limit. Raynet Start allows at most three users, HubSpot Free two users and 1,000 contacts (checked on 12.11.2026).
You need the data on your own server or in a specific country, and the vendor's plan does not cover that.

Comparison by criteria

Criterion	Off-the-shelf CRM (Raynet, Pipedrive, HubSpot)	Custom CRM	How to check
Team size	Paid per user; some plans have a cap (Raynet Start 3, HubSpot Free 2)	Price does not depend on the number of users	Count how many people will use the CRM a year from now
Process	The process adapts to the system; you configure fields and stages	The system mirrors your steps, roles and exceptions	Draw the path of an enquiry from first contact to invoice and walk it through in the trial
Integrations	Whatever the plan, add-ons and vendor API provide	As specified: website, email, messengers, your internal systems	List the systems the CRM must exchange data with and look them up in the vendor's documentation
Data and exit	Data sits with the vendor; you leave via export	Code and data are yours, on your server or ours	Run a full export in the trial and see what is missing
Start	The same day	Usually 3–6 weeks, a demo every week	When do you really need the CRM?
Payment	Monthly or annually per user	One-off sum by quote + operation (amount stated in the quote)	3-year cost — table below

Off-the-shelf CRM plans as of 12.11.2026

System	Plan and price	What to note
Raynet CRM	Start €16, Professional €33, Ultimate €41 per user per month billed annually; billed monthly €18 / €39 / €49; Enterprise custom	Prices excl. VAT. Start up to 3 users, Professional up to 100, Ultimate up to 1,000. 30 days free without a payment card
HubSpot (Smart CRM)	Free $0; Starter regularly $20 per seat per month	Free for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts. New customers get a limited-time $7 with an upfront annual payment or $10 month-to-month; the page does not say how long the discount lasts. Prices in US dollars, plus tax
Pipedrive	No figures given	We could not open the official pricing page pipedrive.com/pricing on 12.11.2026, so it is left out of the calculation. Please check current prices with the vendor

3-year cost for 3, 5 and 10 people

The subscription formula: price per user × number of people × 36 months. Examples: Raynet Professional for five people is €33 × 5 × 36 = €5,940; for ten people €33 × 10 × 36 = €11,880. Billed monthly (€39), five people come to €39 × 5 × 36 = €7,020. We calculate HubSpot Starter at the regular $20, because the page does not say how long the new-customer discount applies: $20 × 10 × 36 = $7,200.

With a custom CRM the number of people does not affect the price: a one-off sum by quote plus operation (server, backups, updates), the amount of which we state in the quote. What the development price is made of, and a 3-year calculation including other studios' price lists, is in the guide to CRM pricing. For an off-the-shelf CRM, in turn, add the time for setup and any paid add-ons you need.

Option (price checked on 12.11.2026)	3 people	5 people	10 people
Raynet Start, €16 × people × 36	€1,728	not available (cap 3)	not available (cap 3)
Raynet Professional, €33 × people × 36	€3,564	€5,940	€11,880
Raynet Ultimate, €41 × people × 36	€4,428	€7,380	€14,760
HubSpot Free	not available (cap 2)	not available (cap 2)	not available (cap 2)
HubSpot Starter, regular price $20 × people × 36	$2,160	$3,600	$7,200
Pipedrive	not checked	not checked	not checked
Pellucide custom CRM	one-off sum by quote + operation	one-off sum by quote + operation	one-off sum by quote + operation

Hybrid: off-the-shelf CRM plus automation

Between "everything in a box" and "everything custom" there is a third way. You keep the off-the-shelf CRM and build only what it lacks: website form enquiries straight into the CRM, a Telegram alert for each new enquiry, a closed deal passed on to invoicing, or a regular report by email. We build this kind of automation for the first workflow with a fixed quote.

Example: five people on Raynet Professional for three years cost €5,940, plus one automation quoted separately. The condition is that the CRM offers an API, webhooks or import we can connect to. We check that together in the vendor's documentation before you order.

A hybrid fits when the CRM otherwise works for you and one or two connections are missing. If the list of things to "add" grows to ten items, that is a signal to consider your own system.

Data and switching

Before deciding, run a full export in the trial: contacts, deals, notes, tasks, attachments. Check what is missing from it.
Moving from an off-the-shelf CRM to your own system, or the other way, goes through export and import. Activity history and attachments are usually the hardest part.
Remove duplicates before migrating. Cleaning data often takes longer than the transfer itself.
If the CRM holds clients' personal data, check the data processing agreement and the country where the vendor stores it.
With a custom CRM, migrating data from Excel or an old system is part of the project; code and data are yours, and you choose the server — yours or ours.
Six months in an off-the-shelf CRM is a good brief for later development: you will know exactly what is missing. If your clients are still in a spreadsheet, see when Excel is enough and when you need a CRM.

What we can show you

We have no external CRM clients yet. What we can show is the Axora Group's own system, which we use every day: enquiries from four websites, chat and email in one pipeline, tasks with deadlines, a calendar, phone notifications, a client area and two-factor sign-in. The details are in the group CRM case study, and the terms of development on the custom CRM page.

In a free 30-minute first consultation we go through your process and tell you whether an off-the-shelf CRM, a hybrid or your own system fits. If it is off-the-shelf, we will not try to sell you anything. We are not VAT registered, so our prices are final.

See it in practice

CRMCRM for a group of companiesAxora Group is a group with several business lines in Bratislava: legal services, education and IT. Enquiries arrived from four websites, a chat, email and website-builder forms, and ended up in a shared Telegram chat.Read the case study →

Questions and answers

What is an alternative to Raynet?

Among off-the-shelf systems, for example Pipedrive or HubSpot: HubSpot has a free plan for up to two users and Starter at a regular $20 per seat per month (checked on 12.11.2026). We could not open Pipedrive's pricing page that day, so please check it with the vendor. A second alternative is a custom CRM with a fixed quote, and a third a hybrid: you keep Raynet and add automation.

Is there a CRM without monthly fees?

Without per-user fees, yes: a custom CRM is paid once, as a fixed quote with us. Operation (server, backups, updates) always costs something, though — we state the amount in the quote, and you can also pay for the server directly. Free plans of off-the-shelf CRMs have limits, for example HubSpot Free for up to two users and 1,000 contacts.

When is a custom CRM worth it instead of off-the-shelf?

When your process does not fit an off-the-shelf CRM without workarounds, when you need to connect your own systems or many enquiry channels, or when the team grows and the monthly invoice with it. For reference: Raynet Professional for ten people over three years is €11,880 (€33 × 10 × 36), Raynet Start for three people €1,728. For a small team with standard sales, off-the-shelf is usually cheaper.

Can data be moved out of an off-the-shelf CRM?

Yes, via export and import. Contacts and deals move routinely; activity history, notes and attachments as far as the vendor's export allows. We recommend trying a full export during the trial. With a custom CRM, data migration is part of the project.

How long does it take to roll out an off-the-shelf CRM versus a custom one?

An off-the-shelf CRM can go live the same day; setting up fields and stages takes from a few days, depending on scope. We usually deliver a custom CRM in 3–6 weeks and show a working part every week.

Do you have hands-on experience with custom CRM?

Our own: the Axora Group CRM, which handles enquiries from four websites, chat and email every day. We have no external CRM clients yet and do not claim otherwise. We are happy to show you the system in the consultation.