There seems to be alot of plugins in the works here, both by me and other devs. Hoping to get some discussion around business models. Do people actually purchase SutieCRM plugins?
Personally I’m weighing giving them away for free, selling them in the SutieCRM shop, selling them on my own website, a freemium model (this is my least favorite!) a Sass model (thinking the Portal Plugin here).
What works? Is selling plugins even worth the hassle?
What are users expectations for “free” in terms of updates and support.
If anyone would like to share some thoughts and ideas, obviously this is helpful to anyone trying to expand the SuiteCRM sphere of usability.
Yes, selling SuiteCRM plugins can be a worthwhile venture. There is a well-defined market, particularly among non-technical users who prioritize reliability and are willing to invest in solutions that come with dedicated support.
In practice, customers look for more than just functionality—they also expect continuous assistance with installation, troubleshooting, and compatibility updates for new versions. Paid plugins are generally perceived as more dependable, offering timely support and regular updates, while free plugins are typically expected to provide limited assistance and less frequent maintenance.
A sustainable strategy is to pair paid distribution with clearly defined support or maintenance plans. Ultimately, the long-term success of a plugin business depends not only on the product’s features but also on the quality and consistency of the support provided.
Thanks @rsp thats what ChatGPT told me as well LOL :). I was hoping to get some feedback from devs who have launched plugins and what works and what doesn’t.
You are right, Some our plugins are sold since 2019-2020 with 199$/ one time. Now, We still continuing support them if user needed. We also support to migrate to v8 without costs. So 199$, 299$. Its actually not expensive (< 1$/day) as someone think, it’s very small market size. The price is include supported/ maintainance and may have some consultant.
I have a plugin for sale in the SuiteCRM store, and I get “occasional” sales (which I expect as it’s a dev type plugin rather than end user). Saying that I get more sales than I expected, the key really is very good documentation with all the caveats around documentation that’s usual in a support role.