Keep your sales, marketing, and support teams on the same page with open source CRM software.
Is your customer data scattered? Is there no synergy between your marketing, sales, and support teams? Are you having a hard time identifying customer needs? If your answer to these questions is yes, then customer relationship management software could be of use to you.
CRM software acts as a centralized repository of customer-related information for all business departments. Therefore, it helps you identify customer needs accurately and offer personalized services.
If you’re looking for a CRM tool that can be customized according to your business needs, then open source software is the right choice. It gives you the flexibility to tweak the software code as needed as well as the freedom to sell the final product.
To help you make the right decision, we’ve compiled a list of the three best open source CRM software (listed alphabetically) based on user reviews and ratings. (Read how we selected these products.)
1. Bitrix24: Provides two-step authorization
Bitrix24 is a CRM platform that lets you manage leads, engage with clients, and close deals. It gives you complete control over the sales process—from capturing and converting leads to preparing bills and invoices.
Bitrix24 uses one-time passwords (OTPs) for two-step authorization. Only users who enter the correct OTP, in addition to the account password, can access the system. You can also set up custom backup rules to create reserve copies of your data.
Open source Bitrix24 CRM has no limit on the number of processes you can run or CRM entities you can create. You can customize the source code to add or remove features, personalize the software interface, and increase data security. There's also no restriction on the type of third-party integrations you can avail.
This free open source CRM tool is capable of handling a large number of processes and requests. It can also be scaled up to include more users.
Bitrix24’s support options include FAQs, how-to videos, and an online ticketing system. It also offers training courses and product documentation.
Key Features
- Account management
- Activity dashboard
- News feed
- Agenda management
- Application tracking
- Attendance tracking
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
Device compatibility
Screenshots
Task management in Bitrix24
2. Odoo: Provides a real-time view of campaign KPIs
Odoo is a free open source CRM system that allows you to capture leads, connect with customers, and generate sales reports. It offers an intuitive user interface that provides a complete view of sales activities.
Using the Odoo CRM tool, you can identify where your leads are coming from and score them based on the number of page views, average time on page, and localization. You can also acquire leads via an online chatbox.
With the contact management feature, you can create an address book for your clients and customers and share it with the CRM team. You can set customer preferences based on language, delivery methods, financial data, and more, and view the full history of their activities.
The tool’s reporting feature includes a customizable dashboard and lead analysis. These options help visualize your sales team's KPIs and evaluate the ROI of your marketing campaigns. They also let you review team and campaign performance in real time and compare it with monthly targets.
Odoo’s support options include tutorials, product documentation, and a question and answer forum. The customer support team can be reached by filling out an online form. Open source Odoo software can be downloaded for free from the company’s official website.
Key Features
- 360-degree feedback
- Accounting
- Agile methodologies
- Application tracking
- Approval workflow
- Audit management
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
Device compatibility
Screenshots
Server backup in Odoo
3. Vtiger CRM: Allows multichannel communication
Vtiger CRM is an Agile CRM platform that provides unified customer data management to help marketing, sales, and support teams stay on the same page. It also offers a mobile CRM app for Android and iOS devices so you can work on the go.
With Vtiger, you can manage marketing activities across channels, including social media and websites. This, in turn, helps attract ideal customers and gain maximum returns on lead generation campaigns. You can also leverage social and email marketing capabilities to develop customer relations.
The software routes incoming leads to dedicated teams to help serve customers better. You can track the progress of leads and generate insights using the advanced automation and artificial intelligence feature.
You can manage contacts, view active deals, automatically convert emails into tickets, and create tables and charts. You can also allow multichannel communication, as the software is integrated with phone, email, and SMS channels.
Vtiger’s support options include articles, FAQs, tutorials, e-books, and webinars. Its customer support team can be reached through a call. Open source Vtiger CRM is based on the Mozilla Public License and can be deployed on Linux and Windows systems.
Key Features
- Campaign management
- Customer support
- Forecasting
- Knowledge management
- Lead capture
- Lead distribution
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Screenshots
Conversion insights in Vtiger CRM
How to choose the right open source CRM software
Before you make up your mind, here are some points to consider to find the best open source CRM software:
Open source licensing and restrictions: Open source software solutions are classified under various licenses: General Public License, Lesser General Public License, Affero General Public License, and more. Each license has its own restrictions, which may become a hindrance. Therefore, before shortlisting a CRM tool, understand the license classification and obligations it carries.
Developers' skills and experience: Certain open source CRM solutions have complex functionalities, resulting in complex development codes. It could be possible that your developers don’t have the skills required to work on such codes. So, look for a solution your developers are comfortable working with.
Available documentation: Open source software tools have two types of documentation: user documentation and developer documentation. The former generally describes how to use the system, while the latter describes how to add or change the code. Check for the availability of these documentation types, as they will give you a sound idea of the quality and support you will get with your selected open source Agile CRM software.
Common questions to ask while selecting open source CRM software
You'll find what you're looking for when you know what to ask. To help you, here are a few questions you should ask vendors before selecting an open source CRM solution:
What is the level of security?
An open source software platform may not have strong security if there aren't many developers actively working and fixing the code. This could mean the software is vulnerable to cyberattacks and data thefts. Ask the vendor about the security patches of the software and possible ways to improve them.
What are the available support options?
Usually, open source software offers support via community/public groups and user forums. However, not all forums and groups actively post updates. Some open source software tools also have third-party paid support. When purchasing, check these support options with the vendor and understand the cost of getting paid support.
Is the software compatible?
Many open source software tools require specialized hardware and drives that are only available from the equipment manufacturer. This will lead to additional costs. Ask the vendor if their solution is compatible with your current hardware and drivers.
How did we choose these products? We didn’t—you did
To find your ideal software match, you need information you can trust—so you can save time, stay on budget, and focus more energy on growing your business. It’s why we vet and verify all our user reviews and recommend only the tools endorsed by people like you.
In other words, our product recommendations are never bought or sold, or based on the opinion of a single individual—they’re chosen by your peers, reflecting the views and experiences of our independent base of software reviewers.