What is an Open-SourceCRM?
When software is referred to as “open source,” it means that its “source code,” or the code that allows the application to run freely, is freely available to the public. Users may share, modify, and redistribute this source code according to their requirements. The notion is that if any developer can go beneath the hood and change the program’s functionality, the software will grow more helpful and error-free over time.
On GitHub or other platforms, developers collaborate to solve issues, add functionality, or alter existing ones. Companies may engage developers to customise an open-source CRM solution of their choosing, resulting in a platform that is tailored to their exact requirements.
Open Source CRM software
Open Source CRM systems are often Linux-based (as opposed to the more common Mac/Windows support) and incorporate freely accessible software such as the Apache webserver and PHP. Any software that is licenced under the open-source Initiative that is OSI-compliant can be incorporated into a CRM platform and utilized commercially.
Customer support, pipeline management, market automation, and contact management are all important aspects of open-source customer relationship management. Nevertheless, there are major variations between the two types to consider.
We go through everything in detail here.
The dilemma of whether to open source or not to open source has always been there. At least it is if you’re attempting to pick a CRM for your company.
In terms of pricing, complexity, upkeep, and general user-friendliness, both
open source and proprietary CRM software have their advantages and disadvantages.
Which one should you use to make your job easier? Which customer
relationship management software is ideal for your business?
As is customary, the answer is a little complex, but we’ll break it down for you.
The Advantages of Open Source CRM Software
The open-source trend that surrounds CRM may appeal to some. Contributing to open source might seem like you’re manipulating the system, or just generating something unique, thanks to its feeling of reciprocal community and freedom to develop rather than just buying Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics and calling it a day. Others may see open-source software development as a time-consuming side project which takes them away from their main business.
However, one advantage of open-source CRM systems is that they tend to have more extensive connectors. You may also create the precise integration you desire, free of vendor constraints. If you’re looking for long-term flexibility
and scalability, open-source is the way to go.
Another highly practical reason to choose open-source tools is their cost—they’re usually free or reasonably priced, and software licenses are less likely to include time-based commitments. You’d be paying a lot of money if
you signed up for a year with a proprietary CRM and then decided it wasn’t right seven months in. With most open-source tools, this would not be the case.
But now after reading this, you might be wondering Hmm well what kind of Open-Source CRM will be best for you. Well, no need to worry as we have got you covered. We have already listed some of the best Open-source CRM which are out there based on their performance, Flexibility, and some other criteria too which will help you out to pick the best Open-Source Software for your Business/ Organizations to better suit your needs in the best manner as possible.
So without any further ado let’s get started:
Here are the Open Source CRM’s we are going to explore one by one.
- SuiteCRM
- OroCRM
- Odoo
- CiviCRM
- FinCRM.com
#1) SuiteCRM
SuiteCRM is a server-based Customer Relationship Management program that is free and open source. It’s written in the PHP programming language. Open-source CRM is frequently used as a replacement for commercial CRM software from large businesses, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. SuiteCRM is a derivative of SugarCRM, a prominent customer relationship management (CRM) system.
Benefits:
SuiteCRM is a sales, service, and marketing platform with configurable modules, layouts, and relationship-building capabilities that will delight your IT department as well (if you have one). This CRM also features a real-time
dashboard, which means that when new data comes in, fresh numbers provide deeper insights into pipeline indicators, open project statuses, and cash flow.
You may use it for basic or sophisticated projects because of its endless
modular customizability and add-ons. It also runs on every major operating system, including Windows, OS X, Ubuntu, Android, and iOS.
It’s one of the most approachable open-source systems on the market, with a short learning curve and a simple setup.
Price :
- Pure SuiteCRM is free.
- Starter plan (recommended for 1-10 users) priced at $123 (billed as £95)
per month, billed annually. - Business plan (recommended for 5-50 users) priced at $430 (billed as
£332.50) per month, billed annually. - The premium plan (recommended for 10-150 users) is $614 (billed as
£475) per month, billed annually. - A 30-day free trial is also available for all SuiteCRM. Both for OnDemand
hosted solution plans.
#2) OroCRM
OroCRM is an open-source Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system featuring sophisticated customer management capabilities, reporting & analytics, and a slew of additional CRM features. OroCRM is an open-source CRM platform that has been designed to be extremely flexible to satisfy any
company’s demand. Customer management features, sophisticated reporting and analytics, and a variety of complementing third-party connectors are all included in the solution. Customers can use the product in either a SaaS/cloud or an on-premise setting. OroCRM is the finest solution for exploiting customer data, establishing connections, and growing sales, whether a firm is a huge multi-national corporation or a mid-sized store.
Benefits:
OroCRM is known for being the most adaptable open source CRM. It’s built on the popular and extensively used Symfony2 PHP framework for web development. As a result, many open source developers find it simple to grasp Oro’s code and make new adaptations, making it very simple and cost-effective to adapt the platform to your requirements.
Integrations with Zendesk, MailChimp, and a variety of other essential applications are also a great touch.
Price :
- The Open-source edition is free.
For Enterprise Edition access, contact the seller.
#3) Odoo
Odoo is the most popular open-source CRM software, with over 5 million usersOdoo CRM makes it simple for sales teams to keep track of their most important leads and prospects. To improve their total sales success, users may customize their sales cycle, take control of their statistics/forecasts, and even develop marketing campaign automation.
Odoo CRM allows users to generate more leads than ever before. They can also track down information from phone conversations and meetings. By integrating emails from all contacts straight into this completely integrated
application, sales teams may assess the quality of their prospects, make faster choices, and save time.
UTM fields are also provided as optional fields in their most recent version (Odoo 14). Users may also control recurring income and renewal periods. You may also convert emails in your Outlook mailbox into leads and keep track of
their content as internal notes. Users may now search for leads and opportunities based on phone numbers as well. Odoo’s user-friendly Kanban view allows users to manage their opportunities pipeline in just a few easy steps. Users obtain a visual representation of their sales funnel, as well as information about their next actions, fresh messages, greatest opportunities, and projected earnings.
Odoo CRM’s unique marketing campaign system automates lead generation, follow-up, and special offers. Users can also use specified rules to decide automatic actions. The following are some of Odoo CRM’s major features: a Kanban view to manage the sales possibilities pipeline, a clear picture of the
next stages and activities to complete, automated lead creation based on incoming emails (or straight from a website), and users’ ability to use their email client.
Benefits:
With a modular design that allows you to mix and match different functionalities, Odoo is all about ‘extensible architecture.’ Odoo CRM’s open-source Community Edition integrates with the vendor’s 10,000+ apps, all of
which are set up to work together effortlessly.
If you work in a supermarket, restaurant, or other brick-and-mortar business, you should know that Odoo offers a great point-of-sale app. Point of sale data can easily flow into your supply chain management, email marketing, and sales
operations when combined with other Odoo apps.
Price :
- The Open-source edition is free.
- Paid add-ons are also available.
#4)CiviCRM
CiviCRM is a non-profit open-source program. Non-profits are often obligated to accomplish one crucial thing, and that is establishing and maintaining a relationship with their partner constituents. It requires a little more than
merely gathering constituents to do this.
It’s all about maintaining excellent ties with your fans over time, according to statistics. During extended lengths of time to address this, CiviCRM created a powerful web-based, open-source, and simple to use CRM system.CRM should
be used to meet the highest expectations of everybody who utilizes it.CiviCRM, unlike proprietary software, pays attention to its users and each other update responds to the actual requirements of those who utilize it.
Benefits:
At a price that can’t be beaten, you get excellent event registration and membership administration. Best of all, it integrates with and complements our clients’ websites.
CiviCRM is a free open-source CRM designed for non-profits, associations, and civic groups. CiviCRM is a user-friendly CRM with full-featured CRM capabilities
including contact management, accounting integration, case management, and email marketing. It is meant to be adaptable to a wide range of purposes.
Price:
- It is Completely Free.
DigitalCRM
FinCRM.com is open source CRM software for managing a company’s customer and prospective customer relationships and interactions. It helps the organisation in improving customer service or supporting client retention, as well as increasing revenue through the use of analytics.
Advantages of FinCRM.com:
CRM frequently involves the use of technology to organise, automate, and synchronise a company’s service, sales, and marketing functions. Customer complaints can be resolved, prospects can be tracked, opportunities can be closed, sales processes can be automated, and a complete view of your customers’ lifecycle can be presented with FinCRM.com.
Conclusion
Open source may appeal to you more than a free or paid closed source CRM, depending on your requirements and what you want to do with it.
If you’re a small business owner seeking certain functionality, open-source CRM software may be the way to go. However, if your company is doing something more “typical” in a well-defined industry, requires more
complicated tools, and/or requires highly responsive product support; a feature-rich proprietary solution designed specifically for your requirements could be a better choice.
Hope this article will help you in finding the right CRM Software.