6 Best Open Source CRM Software for 2023
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
Bianca is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who specializes in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
This article is part of a larger series on CRM.
Open source customer relationship management (CRM) software lets organizations take a system’s source code and tailor it to their functionality and modular needs. Though it requires a higher level of technical knowledge to develop, businesses ensure the system will offer and integrate with everything they desire to fulfill their CRM objectives.
We evaluated dozens of paid and free open source software and identified the top six options:
- OroCRM: Best overall open source CRM; ideal for sales teams looking for the best lead management capabilities
- Odoo: Best scalable open source CRM for small businesses and startups
- Vtiger: Great choice for teams looking for an all-in-one open source CRM solution
- SuiteCRM: Top open source CRM plan for businesses wanting automation features
- X2CRM: Excellent pick for teams wanting the most robust email and website marketing tools
- CiviCRM: Great option for nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups
Not what you are looking for? Read our guide to the best CRMs for small businesses, or explore our list of the top CRM providers for startups.
Best Open Source CRM Platforms Compared
Provider | Free Plan | Starting Price for Paid Plans | Free Trial for Paid Plans | Special Features | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Yes, unlimited users | $116 per month for 5 users, billed monthly | Yes; number of days is not available | Robust lead and profile management capabilities | 24/7 support via chat, phone, and email |
 | Yes, unlimited users | $24 per user, per month for the CRM module* | 15 days | 40+ custom and scalable app add-ons | 24/5 global support via live chat, phone, and email |
 | Yes, up to 10 users | $30 per user, per month (or $20 for individual apps)* | 15 days | Sales, service, marketing, and inventory modules | 24/7 email, phone, and chat support |
 | Yes, unlimited users | £95.00 (approx. $104) per month** | 30 days | Sales, marketing, and workflow automation | 24/7 support via phone, chat, and email |
 | Yes, unlimited users | Contact provider for pricing | 30 days | Email and website marketing with A/B testing | Phone and email support during business hours |
 | Yes, unlimited users | Contact provider for pricing | Yes; number of days is not available | Modules specific for managing nonprofits | 24/7 support via contributors, sponsors, and partners |
*Based on annual billing; monthly pricing is available at slightly higher rates
**Annual billing only; pricing is based on the current exchange rate as of the date the article was written (October 2022)
OroCRM: Overall Best Open Source CRM
Overall Score:
4.43 / 5
What We Like
- Free open source plan available that offers most features
- Excellent lead and profile management capabilities
- Great feature options for enterprise sales teams, including territory and multi-organization management
What's Missing
- Expensive starting price
- No mobile application
- Limited mostly to sales and marketing features; other modules require different products
OroCRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Community Edition (Free): Open source code available for unlimited users
- Enterprise Edition: Starts at $116 per month for 5 users
- Free trial: Yes, but no indication on the number of days
*Only monthly billing option is available
OroCRM is our top recommendation for open source CRM platforms because of its ease of use, excellent feature inclusions in the free version, and 24/7 customer support. It allows businesses to manage many of their sales and marketing activities, such as tasks, calls, and calendar events. A free open source version for small businesses is available to the public. It also has an Enterprise plan, adding features for managing different teams, territories, and other organizations.
The easy-to-use lead and profile management capabilities stand out the most for this product. Users can organize, score, and filter out leads based on preset criteria and desired data fields. There’s also data enrichment and a full, 360-degree view of leads, accounts, and customers to see their information and interaction history. Lastly, you can track their journey through the sales pipeline and engage with leads and customers through email marketing tools.
Unlike some of the other CRMs on this list, OroCRM only offers sales and marketing features in the CRM system. You must purchase separate Oro products to access other modules like ecommerce and marketplace management. Odoo is an ideal alternative with pick-and-choose apps for other business functions to go with its CRM platform. Vtiger is also a solid option if you’re looking for an alternative with sales, marketing, customer service, project management, and inventory features.
OroCRM Plan Summary
Community Edition | Enterprise Edition | |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | Free | Starts at $116 per month |
Lead, Account, Opportunity, Pipeline & Case Management | ✓ | ✓ |
Reporting, Analytics & Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ |
Email Marketing | ✓ | ✓ |
Task Management With Calendar Sync | ✓ | ✓ |
Sales Territory Management | ✕ | ✓ |
Microsoft Outlook Integration | ✕ | ✓ |
Multi-organization View | ✕ | ✓ |
Record Sharing | ✕ | ✓ |
OroCRM Features
- Lead management: Tools for tracking, collecting, and enriching lead and customer data as well as monitoring sales pipeline progress, and includes a 360-degree holistic view of a profile
- Reporting and analytics: Comprehensive insights on key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance on the CRM dashboard and reporting layouts
- Multi-unit overview: Ability to track multiple business units or segmented teams through territory management or multi-organization view modules
- Account management: Full view of customers and interaction history with merging and auto-syncing data to prevent duplicates
OroCRM Customer Support
OroCRM offers 24/7 support on all channels 365 days per year for Enterprise-level users. There are also plenty of online resources available to all users. These include product documentation, user guides, and access to the Oro Academy found on the website.
Odoo: Best for CRM Scalability
Overall Score:
4.31 / 5
What We Like
- Pick and choose modular apps where you only pay for what you use
- Free open source code available
- Wide range of modules for all types of businesses
What's Missing
- Complicated pricing structure that’s dependent on apps selected
- Lacks phone support
- Free CRM option is only for cloud hosting; apps and integrations require additional costs
Odoo Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Free standard cloud hosting or self-hosting options for unlimited users (one app only)
- Standard: $7.25 per user, per month (all apps)
- Custom apps: $10.90 per user, per month (all apps)
- Free trial: 15 days
Success Packs**
- Basic: Starts at $977.50
- Standard: Starts at $1,904.00
- Custom: Starts at $3,400.00
- Pro: Starts at $6,800.00
*Based on annual billing; monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates
**One-time fees
Odoo is a robust, comprehensive open source system dedicated to helping businesses fulfill finance, sales, human resources, website, customer service, and marketing functions. Users can access standout modules, including inventory management, manufacturing, and productivity assistance apps with voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) and approval process tools.
This CRM is the best on the list for the scalability of modules and features, as businesses only pay for the modules they need and do so on a per-user, per month basis. This allows them to slowly add on what they need to fulfill their business objectives based on how many users they have at that time.
Odoo only allows cloud or self-hosting options on the free plan, meaning you get the environment and infrastructure to construct your system but not the actual CRM applications to perform activities and tasks. Vtiger is a better alternative that allows up to 10 users on its free plan, which includes functional apps like sales and project management. SuiteCRM is also a good choice that offers both downloadable and cloud hosted options.
Odoo Plan Summary
One App | Standard | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual Pricing ($/User/Month) | $0 Unlimited users | $7.25 | $10.90 |
Monthly Pricing ($/User/Month) | $0 Unlimited users | $9.10 | $13.60 |
App Inclusion(s) | One app only | All apps Odoo online | All apps Odoo online / Odoo on-premise Odoo Studio Multi-company External API (application programming interface) |
Categories | Apps |
|---|---|
Sales | CRM, sales quotations, point-of-sale (POS), subscription management, and rental processing |
Marketing | Marketing automation, email marketing, SMS (short message service) marketing, social marketing, event management, and survey management |
Services | Project management, timesheet, field service management, help desk, planning, and appointment scheduling |
Website | Website builder, ecommerce, blogging platform, community forum, learning management system (LMS), and live chat |
Finance | Accounting, invoicing, expense management, document management, and e-signature |
Inventory & Manufacturing | Inventory management, material requirements planning (MRP), product lifecycle management (PLM), purchase orders, maintenance, and quality management |
Human Resources | Employee management, recruitment management, leave management, appraisals, referral program, and fleet management |
Productivity | Group and private chat, approvals management, Internet of Things (IoT) Box, and VoIP |
Customization Tool | Odoo Studio (for creating and customizing apps) |
Odoo Features
- Sales module: CRM, sales quotations, point-of-sale (POS), subscription management, and rental processing apps
- Marketing module: Marketing automation, email marketing, SMS (short message service) marketing, social marketing, event management, and survey management apps
- Service module: Project management, time sheet, field service management, help desk, planning, and appointment scheduling apps
- Website module: Website builder, ecommerce, blogging platform, community forum, learning management system (LMS), and live chat apps
- Finance module: Accounting, invoicing, expense management, document management, and e-signature apps
- Inventory & Manufacturing module: Inventory management, material requirements planning (MRP), product lifecycle management (PLM), purchase orders, maintenance, and quality management apps
- Human Resources module: Employee management, recruitment management, leave management, appraisals, referral program, and fleet management apps
- Productivity module: Group and private chat, approvals management, Internet of Things (IoT) Box, and VoIP apps
- Customization tool: Odoo Studio (for creating and customizing apps)
- Extra integrations: Additional third-party integrations with DHL, UPS, USPS, and FedEx, along with an eBay and Amazon connector and VoIP integrations
Odoo Customer Support
Odoo has plenty of online documentation, tutorials, and education programs developers can use to create their ideal CRM. Users can schedule one-hour appointments with experts during standard business hours. You can also access unlimited support 24/5 via live chat, email, or phone.
Additional charges apply for implementation services, which include project management, business needs analysis, data import, customizations, developments, and training. Small companies with a maximum of 50 employees usually work directly with Odoo using Success Packs, detailed in the table below. Mid-size and large companies with more than 50 employees are advised to work with an Odoo partner that offers local project management services.
Success Pack Details | Basic | Standard | Custom | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Recommended For | All apps except Inventory, Manufacturing, and Accounting | Inventory, Manufacturing, and Accounting apps plus data import | Inventory, Manufacturing, and Accounting apps plus data import plus customizations | Inventory, Manufacturing, and Accounting apps plus data import plus customizations |
Pricing for New Customers (15% Off) | $977.50 | $1,904.00 | $3,400.00 | $6,800.00 |
Pricing for Returning Customers | $1,150.00 | $2,240.00 | $4,000.00 | $8,000.00 |
Dedicated Customer Success Consultant | 25 hours | 50 hours | 100 hours | 200 hours |
Project Management, Configuration & Data Importation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Email & Phone Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Onsite Consulting & App Developments | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Learn more about how this platform’s rich feature set by reading our in-depth Odoo review.
Vtiger: Best All-in-one Open Source CRM
Overall Score:
4.13 / 5
What We Like
- Free project management and marketing features included
- Optional pay-per-use module options for sales, marketing, project management, help desk, and inventory apps
- Well-designed, user-friendly interface
What's Missing
- Work order features require Enterprise plan
- Lacks essential multi-pipeline and lead scoring on free plan
Vtiger Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance*
- One Pilot: Free for 10 users
- One Professional: $20 for single app (Sales, Marketing, Help Desk, Projects, or Inventory) or $30 for all-in-one apps
- One Enterprise: $30 for single app (Sales, Marketing, Help Desk, Projects, or Inventory) or $42 for all-in-one apps
- Free trial: 15 days
*Based on annual billing; monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates
Vtiger is an all-in-one, open source solution for businesses looking for sales, marketing, project management, help desk, and inventory management capabilities. There are also options to only pay for what you need if you want to use one of the modular applications. For instance, if you just wanted the sales features, you could subscribe only to the Sales module for slightly less per month.
This open source CRM software offers a great freemium option that includes most sales, marketing, and project management features. The paid plans start at $20 per user, monthly, and users can access an array of modular capabilities for system customization and automation of sales, marketing, and service activities.
One downside of Vtiger is the work order management features that are part of the desk management app are only available on the Enterprise level plan. This feature is particularly useful for contractors who need to monitor maintenance jobs. Odoo is a better alternative with maintenance and field service add-ons for only $24 per user on a monthly basis. If you need features for managing nonprofits and political campaigns, consider using CiviCRM.
Vtiger Plan Summary
One Pilot | One Professional | One Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual Pricing ($/User/Month) | $0 | $30 | $42 |
Monthly Pricing ($/User/Month) | $0 | $42 | $58 |
Max Users | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Max Records | 3,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
One View Contact Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Project Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Email Sequencing & Template Builder | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Multiple Pipelines, Lead Scoring & Invoicing | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Internal Ticketing System & Work Order Management | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Vtiger Features
- Email marketing tools: List segmentation with email marketing capabilities that include an email template designer, reporting, and automated deployment
- Project management and team collaboration features: Full project management with tasks, milestones, and Gantt and Kanban views along with action and comments pages to collaborate with team members
- Help desk application: Customer service tools such as email-to-case, service level agreement (SLA) management, round-robin ticket assignment, and work order management
- Sales organization and automation: Contact and lead management with automated lead scoring, workflows, and document engagement
Vtiger Customer Support
Vtiger offers excellent customer service with 24/7 email support for free plan users. Paid plan users have access to 24/7 live chat and phone support across the globe. There’s also no shortage of online resources, such as webinars, tutorials, and e-books to assist open source developers and product users. You can also access the Vtiger Academy from its website.
SuiteCRM: Best for Automation Capabilities
Overall Score:
4.10 / 5
What We Like
- Free code available
- Robust workflow, activity, and sales automation options
- Notably comparable to popular CRMs like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics
What's Missing
- Lacks clarity as to which features are free and which aren't
- Difficult to set up CRM system and navigate the interface
- Paid plan is expensive
SuiteCRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Free open source code
- SuiteCRM Hosted: Starts at £95 (approx. $104) per month
- Free trial: 30 days
*Annual billing only; pricing is based on the current exchange rate as of the date the article was written (October 2022)
SuiteCRM offers both free downloadable versions and paid cloud-based plans that support an unlimited number of users. This platform provides users with an ideal solution for completing, tracking, and reporting sales and marketing activities. You can store critical sales data within the system, design personas, and create marketing campaigns to engage them through email channels.
The easily customizable automation features can be used to streamline the entire sales process and other workflows users want to complete automatically. You can also create condition-based data, tasks, notes, and meetings based on actions taken by a lead or contact. Users can configure email campaigns to target and retarget market segments. Plus, the CRM software offers automated reminders that send follow-ups to those you’ve sent invoices or quotes.
Though advanced in features, SuiteCRM lacks usability attributes when setting up and navigating the interface. Its dashboard is not intuitive and has a tendency to lag whenever you click on a button. In addition, it is difficult to install on your own, especially if you don’t have coding experience. Vtiger and Odoo are solid options for businesses that prioritize product usability.
SuiteCRM Plan Summary
Free | SuiteCRM Hosted | |
|---|---|---|
Lead, Contact & Pipeline Management | ✓ | ✓ |
Marketing Lists | ✓ | ✓ |
Sales Reporting & Dashboard Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
Activity & Case Management | ✓ | ✓ |
Automated Workflows | ✓ | ✓ |
24/7 Application Monitoring & Support | ✕ | ✓ |
Offsite Backup | ✕ | ✓ |
Online Training | ✕ | ✓ |
SuiteCRM Features
- Sales automation features: Automated capabilities for sending quotes, completing tasks, sending emails, and logging information in the CRM system
- Reporting and analytics: Customizable reports and dashboards with analytics that can use data from any module
- Configuration Studio: Feature for customizing administrative privileges and the entire CRM platform for data fields, layouts, and modules
- Campaign marketing: Customer persona and segmented-based marketing, which allows for content creation, delivery, and automating of marketing tasks
SuiteCRM Customer Support
SuiteCRM offers 24/7 support through phone, email, and live chat. There are also robust user guides with excellent follow-along formats to learn how to operate many of the features.
X2CRM: Best for Managing Marketing Campaigns
Overall Score:
3.66 / 5
What We Like
- Free code available to developers
- Robust marketing automation tools including A/B testing, drip campaign builder, and web visitor tracking
- Includes document and quote management features
What's Missing
- No transparent pricing
- Difficult to understand which features are included in which modules
- High technical skill required to set up
X2CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Open source code available
- Paid plans: Modular pricing; must contact the provider for quotes
- Free trial: 30 days
*Based on annual billing; monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates
X2CRM gives users plenty of custom solutions for organizing contacts, leads, and opportunities. Its automation capabilities provide tons of options for types of triggers that can yield specific actions related to a record, task, or marketing campaign. These workflows are configurable through drag-and-drop as well.
The marketing module of X2CRM deserves recognition for both its standard features, like email campaigns, as well as unique features, like A/B testing and visitor tracking. The email campaigns can serve long-term objectives and handle automated drip functions based on actions taken by the audience. For the website, teams can create landing pages and target content toward certain visitors, all while being able to capture leads.
The most notable disadvantage of X2CRM is the high level of technical skill needed to set it up. OroCRM and Odoo are the best CRM alternatives in the usability category for setting up, operating features, and navigating the interface.
X2CRM Plan Summary
Features | Description |
|---|---|
Campaign Management | Email designer tools including automated drip and long-term campaigns |
Website Management | Web landing page designer with content targeting and visitor tracking |
Lead Capture & Routing | Automated lead data added to CRM through website or campaigns and auto-assigned to sales reps |
Contact, Accounts & Opportunity Management | Data organization and progress monitoring for customers and leads within the CRM |
Sales Quotations | Quoting and invoicing directly from the CRM system |
Customer Service Cases | Automate case creation, routing, assignment, and reporting |
Document Management | Module for editing documents, creating templates, and storing files, including seamless integration with Google Drive |
Reporting & Analytics | Insights on sales activities, production, and progress of marketing campaigns on report or dashboard view |
Ability to automate tasks and processes using drag-and-drop builder |
X2CRM Features
- Email automation: Mass emailer designer with template storage and automated drip campaign options
- Website and content development: Landing page creator with website visitor tracking and the option to conduct A/B testing to optimize campaigns
- Workflow automation: Drag-and-drop workflow process automation with over 100 types of triggers and actions for managing records, tasks, and campaigns
- Quote management: Quote document designer with trackable proposals in real-time with invoicing and product pricing centralization
X2CRM Customer Support
X2CRM has phone and email support during business hours Pacific Time. There are also plenty of user and reference guides available on the website.
CiviCRM: Best for Nonprofits & Political Campaigns
Overall Score:
3.54 / 5
What We Like
- Free open source CRM software plan available
- Unique modular features for nonprofit contributions and membership management
- Extensive customization and configuration capabilities
What's Missing
- Lacks pricing transparency
- Not built for traditional businesses
- Outdated, clunky interface
CiviCRM Pricing at a Glance
- No clear pricing indicated, but free open source options are available
This open source CRM system was built as a project to help advocacy groups and nonprofits fulfill their mission. Most of the code is free to use, and lets organizations customize their modules to their needs while working in sync with WordPress, Drupal, or Backdrop content management system (CMS) platforms.
CiviCRM stands out for its features relevant to nonprofits. This includes modules for planning and executing events and campaign management for receiving and tracking donations. There’s also advocacy campaign management, which groups contributions, marketing, and events into one module, and basic CRM functionality for contact management and email marketing.
Because it’s a specialty CRM system meant for advocacy groups, nonprofits, and political campaigns, this is not well-suited for traditional for-profit businesses. OroCRM and Vtiger are the best alternatives on this list for multifunctional management capabilities useful for a business. Consider using Odoo if you need a wide range of modular apps, such as finance, inventory management, and human resource management.
CiviCRM Features
- Contact management: Contact overview, mapping, groups, tags, relationships, and activities with custom fields
- Email marketing: Email capabilities with list management as well as designing and distributing mass email campaigns
- Events management: Self-service registration capabilities, sign-up and attendance tracking, and promotion of events directly from the website
- Memberships: Component for defining, managing sign-ups, tracking, and reporting on members of an organization
- Accounting integrations: Back-end linking between accounting categories and the contribution pages to track account totals
- Case management: Case sequence tracking and management between personnel and contacts of an organization
- Advocacy campaigns: Modular grouping of events, mailing, and contributions into one system
- Contributions: Modular component that lets you accept and track donations as well as run fundraising campaigns and report results
Pro tip: Organizations involved in philanthropic activities, political advocacy, and community service require a special CRM program with modules for managing donations, volunteers, and communications. Use a CRM for nonprofits to manage your operations, marketing, and financial activities more effectively.
CiviCRM Customer Support
The CiviCRM support system is unique because, given that it’s an open source civic project, support is given by its contributors, partners, and sponsors—as opposed to a dedicated in-house team. They technically offer 24/7 global assistance in 13 different languages depending on your specific service needs and which content management system you use.
How We Evaluated Open Source CRMs for Small Business
To determine the best CRMs for open source code, we looked at attributes relevant to custom designing a feature-rich CRM system, such as creating modules, customizing fields, and automating processes. Robust open source development should also allow users to manage multiple business functions like sales, marketing, projects, and customer service. Lastly, we evaluated general product characteristics such as price, ease of use, and customer support.
After evaluating dozens of providers, we found that OroCRM is the best overall choice as an open source option, with an overall score of 4.43 out of 5. This platform is easy to use, and offers both free open source and paid enterprise versions. In addition, it has excellent lead and profile management features with data enrichment and email marketing capabilities.
The tabs below offer insight into our evaluation process of the best open source CRM tools:
30%
General Features
20%
Pricing
20%
Ease of Use
20%
Help & Support
10%
Expert Score
30% of Overall Score
We looked at overall features we feel are necessities in open source code, like modular, functionality, and automation customization. CRM integration options, analytics tools, and a mobile CRM app were also evaluated as they allow users widened access to features and capabilities that could be essential to their unique operation.
20% of Overall Score
Pricing took into account free CRM plan availability and various scalable pricing options that a business could purchase affordably to customize their CRM system. We also looked at the availability for a subscriber to either pay monthly or save by paying annually.
20% of Overall Score
The solutions were also evaluated on platform usability. This was analyzed in terms of the expertise required to set up an account, the ease of integrating with native or third-party CRM applications, and the skill needed to use the features. We also reviewed the overall intuitiveness of navigating the system’s interface as well as when customizing the open source code to the user’s needs.
20% of Overall Score
Extensive support and service help prevent poor user experiences users may encounter while using and customizing any of these systems. Help and support were evaluated in terms of customer service hours and the availability of support via phone, live chat, and email.
10% of Overall Score
In addition to firsthand experience with these software systems, we evaluated what users say about each product. These criteria consider how customers feel based on their reviews to gain insight into platform popularity, ease of use, and overall value for the price.
*Percentages of overall score
You May Also Like…
- Looking to tailor a CRM to your business but don’t have the development skills required for open source platforms? Check out our picks for the top customizable CRM options.
- Leverage your CRM system’s case management features to boost customer satisfaction. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to use a CRM for customer service.
- Looking for industry-specific CRM solutions? Check out this article to learn how to find a specialized CRM for your industry.
