Comparing Hosted CRM, On-Premise & Hybrid CRM

Before implementing any new CRM solution a decision should be made on where your contact data will be stored.

Essentially there are three main options:

• On-Premise CRM: purchase a CRM software package like ACT! outright and have the contact database installed on your server.

• Hosted CRM: subscribe to a hosted CRM service often referred to as 'CRM in the Cloud', 'On-Demand CRM' or 'CRM Software-as-a-Service'.

• Hybrid CRM: take the best of both options with a hybrid solution by purchasing a CRM application and paying a third party to host it for you.

For organisations that want to purchase a CRM application in a one-off payment or fully control the system from their servers on-premise CRM consistently represents the best value. Applications like ACT! and GoldMine can be purchased for a one-off amount to fully control the management and maintenance of your database in house.

In contrast, a Hosted CRM package, isn't yours and will never will be owned by you. Rather like renting a property you don't pay an upfront purchase cost but continue to pay each month for the right to use the service but you'll never have to spend money on upgrades. Finally, with a hosted CRM deployment it's not necessary to have internal IT resource to support it.

The third and often overlooked alternative is a Hybrid CRM deployment that provides the best of on-premise and hosted CRM packages. With a hybrid set-up businesses will purchase a traditional on-premise CRM solution but have this installed on a managed hosting partner's server.

Download our comparison guide to read more Benefits and drawbacks of hosted, on-premise & hybrid CRM. DOWNLOAD GUIDE

Preact provide vendor neutral advice on hosted and on-premise CRM solutions. To find out more and discuss your requirements please call 0800 381 100 to speak to one of our consultants.