With an open source CRM, you can save time and money. Learn what open source CRM is, the benefits of using it, and the most popular software solutions.
Below are some of the top open source CRM providers in the market, each with unique features and functions that make them best suited to specific needs.
Find out which CRM is best for your business:
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- CMS Boilerplate as a foundation for website building on HubSpot CMS.
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- HubXML Blog Importer for converting blog content into HubSpot importable XML files.
Featured partners
Contact Management
Cloud Platform Available
Task Management
Mobile Application
Odoo
OroCRM
SuiteCRM
HubSpot
VTiger
What is an open source CRM?
What sets open source CRMs apart from proprietary solutions is that its source code is publicly available. Developers and users can access, modify, and distribute the software freely.
The concept of open source CRMs can be traced back to the 1990s and early 2000s when open source software started gaining popularity. The rise of open source CRMs was driven by a growing demand for customizable and cost-effective solutions to manage customer relationships and the increasing awareness of the benefits of open source software.
Open source CRM solutions
OroCRM — Best for scalability
Pros
- Customization
- Multi-channel support
- Scalability
Cons
- Learning curve
- Resource-intensive
- Maintenance cost
Why I picked OroCRM
We selected OroCRM for its strong focus on e-commerce businesses, offering a multitude of features specifically tailored to the needs of this industry. Its ability to track, analyze, and manage customer data across multiple channels, including online stores, social media, and brick-and-mortar shops, sets it apart from other open source CRM solutions like SuiteCRM or VTiger, which focus more on general customer relationship management without such specific e-commerce capabilities.
While Odoo provides an all-in-one CRM and ERP solution, OroCRM is better suited for businesses that require advanced customer segmentation and marketing automation for e-commerce. In terms of scalability, OroCRM is unmatched, making it ideal for fast-growing businesses with complex customer journeys. Unlike HubSpot, which is easier to use for smaller teams, OroCRM is more complex but also more powerful in terms of tracking and managing multiple customer touchpoints. Though Odoo is more comprehensive for businesses needing both ERP and CRM functionalities, OroCRM’s deep integration with e-commerce platforms like Magento and its focus on omnichannel customer management give it a distinct edge for retailers.
OroCRM advertises itself as the most flexible CRM on the market — and for good reason. The platform’s flexibility is one of its core strengths, offering a customizable data model that enables users to create custom fields to match their unique customer data requirements and sales workflows. Like Odoo, OroCRM features a modular architecture that allows developers to easily extend its functionality by creating custom modules, plugins, and integrations.
Configurable workflows—again an extension of the platform’s flexibility—allow users to implement custom workflows for processes such as lead qualification, customer support, and opportunity management. Scalability, multi-channel support, and integration capability are just a few of the other features adding to the platform’s flexibility.
Omnichannel Customer Management: OroCRM excels at managing customer interactions across multiple channels, including online stores, social media, email, and physical stores, ensuring businesses can track the entire customer journey in one place.
Advanced Segmentation: OroCRM offers powerful customer segmentation tools, allowing businesses to create detailed customer profiles and target them with personalized marketing strategies based on behavior, purchase history, and other data points.
E-commerce Integration: OroCRM integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Magento, Shopify, and WooCommerce, enabling businesses to centralize customer data and gain deeper insights into purchasing patterns and behavior.
Marketing Automation: OroCRM includes built-in marketing automation tools, allowing businesses to automate email campaigns, lead nurturing, and customer follow-ups, making it a great choice for businesses that want to streamline their marketing efforts.
Customizable Workflows: As an open-source solution, OroCRM provides flexible workflows that can be customized to fit the unique processes of any business, from sales pipelines to customer service protocols.
Reporting and Analytics: OroCRM offers powerful reporting and analytics features, enabling businesses to generate detailed reports on customer behavior, sales performance, and marketing effectiveness, helping them make data-driven decisions.
Scalability: OroCRM is designed to scale with growing businesses, particularly those in the e-commerce space, allowing for the management of large customer databases and complex sales funnels without sacrificing performance.
B2B and B2C Support: OroCRM supports both B2B and B2C businesses, making it versatile for various industries. Its robust features cater to the complex needs of B2B companies while still offering the personalization and customer relationship tools that B2C companies require.
- Open source (Community Edition): Free
- Open core (Enterprise Edition): Contact OroCRM
SuiteCRM — Best for community support
Pros
- Open source
- Community support
- Customizable workflows
Cons
- Learning curve
- Limited out-of-the-box features
- Limited documentation
Why I picked SuiteCRM
SuiteCRM boasts an impressive balance between powerful features and cost-effectiveness. Its comprehensive CRM capabilities—including sales automation, marketing campaigns, and customer support—offer businesses everything they need without the steep costs associated with some other platforms. The fact that it’s open-source means it provides extensive customization flexibility, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs.
Compared to Odoo, which combines both CRM and ERP functionality, SuiteCRM focuses solely on CRM, making it a simpler, more affordable solution for businesses that don’t require full ERP integration. While OroCRM is tailored more to e-commerce, SuiteCRM offers a broader appeal to industries across the board. In terms of community support, SuiteCRM shines, rivaling even VTiger and Odoo for having an active, dedicated user base that consistently contributes to updates and improvements. However, HubSpot, though known for its ease of use, is more limited in customization compared to SuiteCRM. If cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and strong community backing are top priorities, SuiteCRM stands out as one of the best options.
Developed in 2006, SuiteCRM has benefited from more than 15 releases. Being one of the few early CRMs to continue into the 2020s means developers have had ample time to adjust, update, and add to the platform. The result is a well-oiled machine with a considerable community of developers and advocates.
SuiteCRM also offers a fully supported version of the software called SuiteAssured that includes additional service and support compared to the self-hosted, open-source version.
SuiteCRM 8: The latest upgrade to SuiteCRM offers enhanced performance, better control over data, and improved business solutions. This version focuses on providing a modernized user interface and more efficient tools for managing CRM processes.
Sales Territory Management: SuiteCRM allows users to define and manage sales territories, ensuring leads and opportunities are assigned based on specific regions, helping businesses optimize their sales coverage and resource allocation.
Security Suite: SuiteCRM offers a robust Security Suite feature, which includes role-based access control, group-based permissions, and customizable user roles, ensuring that sensitive data is securely managed and accessed only by authorized users.
Workflow Automation: SuiteCRM includes a powerful workflow module that automates repetitive tasks, such as lead assignment, follow-up reminders, and email notifications, streamlining sales and marketing efforts.
Email Marketing Integration: SuiteCRM integrates with popular email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, allowing businesses to create, send, and track marketing campaigns directly from the CRM, offering detailed analytics and segmentation tools.
Customer Support and Case Management: SuiteCRM has a comprehensive customer support module, allowing businesses to track, manage, and resolve customer service issues efficiently. It includes case management, escalation rules, and SLA tracking.
Reporting and Analytics: SuiteCRM offers a customizable reporting engine that allows users to generate detailed reports on sales performance, customer interactions, and marketing campaigns. The dashboards provide real-time insights into key business metrics.
Mobile Access: SuiteCRM provides mobile access to its platform, enabling sales teams and support staff to access customer data, manage tasks, and respond to leads while on the go.
- Open source (Community edition): Free
- Fully-supported (SuiteAssured edition): Contact SuiteCRM
HubSpot — Best for ease of use
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Third-party integrations
- Documentation and resources
Cons
- Free version has limited features
- Customization limitations
- Scaling limitations
Why I picked HubSpot
HubSpot’s CRM platform offers a seamless, user-friendly experience, designed to simplify complex customer relationship management processes. Its intuitive interface allows users, regardless of their technical background, to quickly adapt and fully leverage its features. This makes HubSpot especially attractive for smaller businesses or teams that require a CRM without the burden of a steep learning curve.
Compared to SuiteCRM or VTiger, which offer deep customization options but may require more technical expertise, HubSpot stands out for its simplicity and ease of use. While Odoo and OroCRM offer more comprehensive solutions for businesses with complex needs, HubSpot provides an accessible alternative for teams that prioritize ease of adoption and quick setup. HubSpot is particularly well-suited for companies looking for a ready-to-use CRM, whereas SuiteCRM’s flexibility comes with more setup and configuration.
Although HubSpot is easier to navigate, it does not offer the same level of modularity as Odoo, which can grow alongside larger businesses that need ERP functionalities. Still, for companies focused on streamlining customer data management and boosting productivity, HubSpot’s user-friendliness makes it a top choice.
HubSpot CRM offers a wealth of free tutorials, resources, and extensive documentation and guides to get users started. The catalog of available training videos helps speed up adoption of the software, and provides articles, guides, and step-by-step guides to augment the training process. While HubSpot CRM is not strictly an open source platform, HubSpot’s Products and Services include free and open source software developed by third parties.
Contact Management: HubSpot’s CRM makes it easy to keep track of customer interactions and sales by automatically logging emails, calls, and meetings. This feature allows businesses to store detailed customer profiles, so users can access interaction history and key data at any time.
Pipeline Management: HubSpot allows users to track deals through each stage of the sales process. The visual sales pipeline helps sales teams manage opportunities, forecast revenue, and prioritize deals that need attention.
Integration with HubSpot Ecosystem: The free HubSpot CRM seamlessly integrates with other HubSpot tools (such as Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub) as well as a wide range of third-party applications, providing a centralized platform for marketing, sales, and customer service.
Email Tracking and Templates: HubSpot CRM allows users to send personalized emails directly from the platform and track whether recipients open or engage with the emails. Customizable templates help streamline outreach efforts, enabling sales teams to save time on routine communications.
Task and Activity Management: HubSpot’s task management feature helps users stay organized by setting reminders, creating tasks, and scheduling follow-ups. This ensures that no lead or customer interaction is overlooked.
Live Chat and Chatbots: HubSpot CRM includes live chat and chatbot functionalities, allowing businesses to engage website visitors in real-time, answer questions, and provide support. Chatbots can be configured to qualify leads, saving time for sales teams.
Reporting and Analytics: HubSpot provides customizable dashboards and detailed reporting tools that help users track key performance metrics, such as sales activity, pipeline status, and deal progression. These insights enable teams to make data-driven decisions.
Mobile Access: The HubSpot CRM is fully accessible on mobile devices through its dedicated app, allowing sales reps to manage contacts, track deals, and communicate with customers while on the go.
Free Plan:
Price: $0/month
Features:
- Contact management
- Deal pipeline
- Quotes
- Live chat
- Meeting scheduling
Starter Plan:
Price: $20/month per seat
Features:
Everything in Free, plus:
- Sales automation
- Goals
- Sales content analytics
- Payments
- Task queues
Professional Plan:
Price: $100/month per seat
Features:
Everything in Starter, plus:
- Prospecting and lead management
- Sequences
- Forecasting
- Custom Reporting
- Sales Analytics
- Playbooks
Enterprise Plan:
Price: $150/month per seat
Features:
Everything in Professional, plus:
- Custom objects
- Predictive lead scoring
- Conversation intelligence
- Recurring revenue tracking
- Deal Journey Analytics
For more detailed pricing and features, visit HubSpot Sales Hub Pricing.
Vtiger CRM — Best for customization
Pros
- Comprehensive features
- Customization options
- Third-party integrations
- Active community
Cons
- Limited documentation
- Learning curve
- Performance and resource usage
Why I picked Vtiger CRM
VTiger CRM stands out for its unparalleled adaptability, allowing users to tailor the CRM environment to their specific needs. Its extensive customization options—from modifying fields and modules to creating personalized workflows and reports—empower businesses to align the CRM precisely with their unique processes and objectives.
When compared to other open-source solutions like SuiteCRM or Odoo, VTiger excels in its focus on customizability, making it a preferred choice for businesses with very specific workflow requirements. While Odoo offers broader ERP integration, VTiger’s CRM-specific focus makes it ideal for businesses that need deep CRM functionality without the added complexity of an ERP system. Unlike HubSpot, which prioritizes ease of use over customization, VTiger offers more flexibility, albeit with a steeper learning curve.
VTiger’s level of adaptability also surpasses that of OroCRM, which focuses more on e-commerce businesses. While OroCRM provides robust omnichannel capabilities, VTiger is more versatile for a wider range of industries. Additionally, although SuiteCRM offers a strong open-source platform with good community support, VTiger’s customization potential and user-friendly interface give it a competitive edge for businesses that need both flexibility and ease of use.
If you are looking for full-customization and scalability capability, look no further. Built on the LAMP/WAMP (Linux/Windows, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) stack, Vtiger CRM enables extensive personalization. As an open source solution, Vtiger allows users to tailor the platform to their unique needs by offering custom fields and modules, layout and user interface customization, custom views and filters, and much more.
However, because of VTiger’s innate customization features, novice users can find the CRM overwhelming. This is a platform for the CRM veteran, and works best when businesses have developers available to update and customize the software on a regular basis.
Layout and UI Customization: Vtiger allows users to modify the user interface by rearranging fields, sections, and related lists to match their specific workflow. This feature gives businesses the flexibility to create a tailored experience for their teams and optimize the CRM for their processes.
Custom API Development: Vtiger’s RESTful API enables users to build custom integrations or develop new features, allowing for seamless connections with external systems or the creation of specialized functionalities that fit unique business requirements.
Extension Marketplace and Third-Party Integrations: Vtiger’s extension marketplace offers a variety of plugins and add-ons that allow businesses to extend the platform’s functionality. Third-party integrations with popular tools such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Mailchimp make it easier to sync data and improve workflow efficiency.
Workflow Automation: Vtiger offers powerful workflow automation tools that allow businesses to automate repetitive tasks such as lead assignment, follow-up reminders, and customer communication. This feature helps reduce manual effort and improves team productivity.
Sales and Pipeline Management: Vtiger provides comprehensive tools for managing sales pipelines, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue. The visual pipeline view helps sales teams manage their opportunities and focus on the deals that are most likely to close.
Customer Support and Helpdesk Management: Vtiger includes a helpdesk module that allows businesses to manage customer service requests, track ticket progress, and resolve issues efficiently. It supports SLAs, escalation rules, and automated ticket assignments.
Inventory and Project Management: Vtiger CRM provides inventory management tools for businesses that need to track products, manage orders, and handle stock levels. The platform also includes project management capabilities, allowing teams to plan, execute, and monitor project progress.
Mobile App Access: Vtiger offers a mobile app that allows users to access CRM data, manage tasks, and update customer information on the go. This ensures that sales and support teams can stay productive while working remotely or traveling.
- Open source: Free
- Open core (VTiger One): Contact VTiger
Odoo — Best all-in-one open source CRM
Pros
- Cost-effective CRM solution
- All-in-one ERP
- Cloud and on-premises deployment solutions
- Active developer community
- Scalability
- Modular approach
Cons
- Limited official support
- Non-intuitive integration
- Customization costs
Why I picked Odoo
We selected Odoo for its outstanding adaptability and the breadth of its integrated applications. Unlike competitors such as OroCRM, which excels in scalability for growing businesses but lacks a fully integrated ERP system, Odoo offers a unified solution that spans sales, inventory, accounting, and more. This all-in-one functionality provides businesses with a seamless experience, reducing the need for third-party integrations and extra costs.
While SuiteCRM shines with its vibrant community support, Odoo’s community is also robust and extends to a large marketplace of modules, giving it a slight edge in flexibility. Odoo’s modular, scalable design means businesses can start with a small number of apps and scale up as needed, rivaling VTiger in terms of customization potential. However, Odoo may have a steeper learning curve compared to HubSpot, which stands out for its ease of use, particularly for small teams. Still, for businesses seeking a comprehensive, open-source CRM/ERP solution with long-term scalability and flexibility, Odoo is hard to beat.
Odoo is more than a CRM, it is an all-in-one solution that combines finance, HR, sales, and other software. Known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, Odoo can automate every aspect of your business.
The platform’s comprehensive features, modular design, and flexibility have skyrocketed it to one of the most popular CRMs in 2023. Users can add or remove applications based on their needs and its highly scalable design allows the suite to grow with the business.
Built on open source code, Odoo offers an open source model known as the Community Edition and open core model called the Enterprise Edition.
CRM: As part of its ERP system, Odoo offers a built-in CRM that helps manage leads, opportunities, customer interactions, and data all in one place, enabling businesses to streamline sales processes efficiently.
Modular Architecture: Odoo’s modular system provides a vast range of apps that can be integrated and customized to fit specific business needs, making it highly adaptable for businesses of all sizes.
Suite of Apps: Odoo includes an integrated suite of AI-powered applications that handle HR, project management, accounting, marketing, e-commerce, inventory, manufacturing, and more, offering a comprehensive business management solution.
Scalability: Odoo is designed to scale with your business, allowing companies to start with a small set of apps and gradually expand their usage as their needs evolve, making it ideal for growing businesses.
Customizability: Odoo’s open-source nature allows for extensive customization, enabling businesses to modify workflows, reports, dashboards, and apps to suit specific requirements without being locked into rigid frameworks.
User-Friendly Interface: Despite its powerful capabilities, Odoo is designed with usability in mind, offering an intuitive, user-friendly interface that makes it easier for teams to adopt and use the system effectively.
Cloud and On-Premise Deployment: Odoo provides flexibility in deployment, offering both cloud-based solutions and on-premise installations, allowing businesses to choose the model that best fits their IT infrastructure.
Strong Community Support: Odoo benefits from a large, active community of developers and users who contribute to the continuous improvement of the platform, providing access to shared modules, troubleshooting, and support.
- Open source (Community Edition): Free
- Open core (Enterprise Edition): $6-$25/month per app
Which software is right for your business?
Advantages of open source code
For businesses of every size, there are myriad advantages to opting for open source CRM solutions.
Businesses can tailor the CRM to their specific needs as they have access to the source code. This allows for more flexibility in meeting unique requirements.
Open source CRMs are also generally more affordable than proprietary alternatives. There are no licensing fees and users can benefit from the contributions of a large community of developers. Open source projects offer the benefit of a robust development community, resulting in a strong and reliable CRM platform.
Advantages of proprietary software
While open source CRMs offer numerous benefits, there are some advantages to using proprietary CRM solutions. Each business is unique and must find what works best on an individual basis.
Proprietary CRM vendors can provide dedicated customer support, including technical assistance and troubleshooting. Community support is available with open source CRMs but can be slow and less efficient than assistance from established software vendors.
Proprietary CRMs also come with regularly scheduled updates and upgrades. Regular updates promise quick bug fixes and enhanced security — crucial elements for businesses that lack the in-house technical expertise to manage software updates. Businesses could arguably use more resources on handling updates and integrations than would be used with a monthly subscription for proprietary software.
Many essential features and tools are readily available with proprietary CRMs. These platforms are specifically designed to cater to individual business needs. These features can save businesses a significant amount of time in customization and configuration.
Looking for the latest in CRM solutions? Check out our CRM Software Buyer’s Guide.
How we choose our top picks
At TechnologyAdvice, we assess a wide range of factors before selecting our top choices for a given category.
To make our selections, we rely on our extensive research, product information, vendor websites, competitor research and first-hand experience. We then consider what makes a solution best for customer-specific needs.
For our Top Open Source CRM list, we looked at 20 options before whittling them down to the five that cover all accounting needs for startups all the way up to enterprises.
Featured partnersFeatured Partners: CRM
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is an open source CRM?
Open source CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is developed and distributed under an open source license, allowing users to access and modify the application’s source code.
What are the benefits of open source CRM?
Small and medium-sized businesses can benefit greatly from open source CRM software because it is free to use and modify while offering the same functionality as expensive proprietary CRM software without the cost.
Is there a free open source CRM?
Yes, several open-source CRMs offer free versions, including SuiteCRM, VTiger, and Odoo. These platforms provide core CRM functionalities for free, with optional paid features or services such as hosting, support, and premium modules.
Does Google have a CRM system?
Google does not offer its own CRM system. However, many CRM platforms, such as HubSpot and VTiger, integrate seamlessly with Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Drive) to streamline workflows.
Is Odoo CRM really free?
Yes, Odoo offers a free version of its CRM as part of its open-source community edition. However, additional apps, hosting, and support services may require payment.
Does Office 365 have a free CRM?
Office 365 does not have its own free CRM. However, third-party CRM platforms like HubSpot and VTiger integrate with Office 365, allowing users to manage customer data alongside their existing Microsoft tools.
