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To choose or not to choose an open-source CRM, that's the dilemma.
Deciding which customer relationship management (CRM) system is best suited to your business or organisation is no easy task, especially considering the sheer number of options on the market today.
If you are interested in customer service and satisfaction, you need CRM software.
Now, if you’re unsure what an open-source CRM platform is all about, what the best options are in 2022, and want to discover the advantages that this type of tool brings to your company or enterprise, this article is for you.
We’ll compare the best open-source CRM software so that you can make the right choice for your business or enterprise without wasting valuable time searching for information all over the internet.
Let's get started!
Starting off simply, a CRM or Customer Relationship Management software allows businesses to interact with customers or potential buyers and manage their information. This software centralises their data, tracks interactions, manages sales activity, and more.
Why are CRMs useful? Because they allow you to learn more about your customers, increase client satisfaction, improve prospecting and selling, and be more responsive.
When it comes to open-source CRM software, they are a kind of blueprint that allows users to create their own customised system, tailored to their needs. In this sense, because the code is public, it is possible to edit and distribute freely.
Because any programmer can work on the code, the benefit of such open platforms is that the application is gradually improved until it becomes more useful and bug-free.
However, unlike most proprietary CRMs, you may need a programmer to modify the code of the open-source solution or platform. Despite this, most open source programs don’t need too many alterations to be operationally functional.
As long as you have the right people on your team, an open-source CRM platform is an excellent choice for your business!
In order to compare the following open-source CRMs, we’ve taken into account the following selection criteria:
EspoCRM is an open-source CRM for all types of companies and sectors:
Unlike Dolibarr, EspoCRM focuses mainly on customer relationship management, with advanced features and has a rather nice design for an open-source program.
Finally, the software has a cloud version subject to subscription, with various plans available.
It’ll stay free if you deploy it yourself locally. There is no limit on database size, and you can change and develop the code however you want. In its basic version, EspoCRM covers most CRM needs:
With the extensions, the Sales Pack, or the Advanced Pack (all paid versions), you can strengthen the software by adding additional modules. These include, for example:
EspoCRM allows a high degree of customisation. In particular, you can:
As far as support is concerned, all you have to do is ask your questions on the EspoCRM community forum to benefit from free support from developers or users.
The software offers support for 26 languages. It also has a sleek, modern, and responsive design.
On top of that, EspoCRM is constantly evolving, with new features released every couple of months.
Once again, the tool can be complex to learn at first...open-source software tends to be this way.
Nevertheless, its functionalities and potential to evolve will make it tempting for companies that choose to turn to free software.
Finally, many EspoCRM users emphasise its intuitiveness and ease of use (once the tool has been installed and configured), due in particular to a rather pleasant interface and navigation.
As mentioned above this open software is free for both personal and commercial use. Despite this, if you’d rather not have to deploy it on your own infrastructure the cloud version has 3 plans available.
All their cloud plans offer the full feature set including the Advanced pack extension. There is also a 30-day free trial for the Basic and Enterprise plans, and they are billed either annually or semi-annually.
Other extensions beyond the advanced pack are also available which are licensed on a per-instance basis and start with a year of upgrades.
SuiteCRM is an open-source CRM that was created as an evolution of the SugarCRM solution by using its code.
The software is more particularly intended for VSEs and SMEs, but it also works great for big organisations and companies.
There is no need to manually perform updates or manage maintenance requests thanks to the SaaS model of this application.
Whether the software is running on Linux, Mac, or Windows, Suite CRM can be used anytime, anywhere thanks to its SaaS model, all you need is a stable internet connection. This means you always have access to core functions such as account and contact management and opportunity management. The software data is stored directly at SuiteCRM, ensuring its secure storage.
The strengths of SuiteCRM:
SuiteCRM is a helpful solution for increasing sales. The software provides a clear view of the processes that affect sales and customers, as well as elements that allow you to easily spot new opportunities.
With its Open API and its extensive catalogue of plugins, SuiteCRM integrates seamlessly with other solutions, such as Outlook, WhatsApp, Zoom, Facebook, Gmail, Quickbooks, LinkedIn, and many more.
This CRM is free in its standalone version, but like other open-source options, you’ll have to pay to use the software on the cloud.
All their “On-demand” cloud plans are for unlimited users and offer a free 30-day trial after which you will be billed annually.
If your business requires more hands-on support through emails, online portals, or by phone, there are also yearly support plans available.
VTiger is an open-source CRM inspired by SugarCRM since it is an evolution created from the app’s code.
Rather modern, the tool is more particularly intended for VSEs and SMEs. While it is sales-oriented (as expected of any good CRM), it is also support and customer service-oriented. Consequently, it is a comprehensive software choice for customer relationship management in the broadest sense.
The open-source version of VTiger is free if you install it on your own servers, as well as their cloud-based version for companies that are just starting to use a CRM.
The solution includes many features to optimise your sales, but also your customer relationships, such as:
This CRM system can be built according to your needs thanks to the numerous integrations available:
You benefit from regular updates and the deployment of new features. Beyond that, VTiger has a large community of users and developers to support and evolve the tool.
This open-source solution allows fine control of user access, thanks to the assignment of roles and profiles by administrators.
The software is also available in 25 languages for international usage.
If you want to move to the cloud without paying extra, there is a Pilot version of VTiger, which is quite comprehensive in terms of features and is completely free for up to 10 users.
VTiger is known for its ease of use and its large community. It is therefore perfectly suited to young companies who wish to embark on the adventure of open-source CRM.
The tool is also very customisable and scalable, thanks to the new extensions that are regularly developed and that will complete your basic version if necessary.
As you read above, the on-premise Vtiger Community Edition is available for free, although they also have one free cloud version and two paid plans that benefit from a 15-day free trial.
Paid plans have two licence options for users: Standard users that can access all business functions of the CRM, and Single App users that have read/write access to one of five apps, and read-only access to the other four (Sales, Marketing, Help Desk, Projects, Inventory).
Software name | Target | Major strengths | Price |
EspoCRM |
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SuiteCRM |
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VTiger |
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These are some of the main advantages of choosing an open-source CRM for your business:
As we have said above, when choosing your open-source software there are many features to take into account. However, these are the most basic and relevant:
Finally, remember to choose your tool according to your needs and take into account the time you are willing to invest in developing and customising it. We all know that time is money and this factor is essential when choosing.
If you still haven't decided which CRM software to choose, we invite you to take a look at our directory of Customer Relationship Management software and evaluate all the options that Appvizer has for you.