Modern open-source CRM apps for small sales teams
These projects focus on the core sales job of tracking leads, contacts and a deal pipeline, and they have current-looking interfaces. Most install with Docker or a standard web stack in an afternoon.
Twenty is a self-hosted CRM for contacts, companies and deal pipelines that lets you add your own record types and workflows, and it includes an API. It feels closest to the hosted CRMs many teams already know, which makes it a good first choice for a startup sales team. Its licence is listed as “Other”, so read the terms if you plan to resell it.
Frappe CRM runs on the Frappe framework, a Python platform for business apps, and manages leads, deals and follow-ups, with hooks for WhatsApp and phone systems. It suits teams that sell by phone or chat, and it fits neatly beside other Frappe apps. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
Krayin is a CRM built with Laravel, a PHP framework, for tracking leads, contacts, quotes and sales activity on a kanban board. It is a sensible pick for agencies with PHP developers who want to customise it. It uses the MIT licence.
Atomic CRM is a starter CRM built with React and Supabase, a hosted Postgres database service, covering contacts, companies, deals and notes. Treat it as a base for developers to shape around their own process rather than a finished product. It uses the MIT licence.
NextCRM is a Next.js CRM for small teams that covers accounts, contacts, opportunities, projects, invoices and documents in one app, and its GitHub description also lists an email client and AI features. It suits teams with JavaScript developers who want a modern codebase to extend. It uses the MIT licence.
Relaticle is a Laravel CRM with custom fields and an API that AI agents can read and update. Choose it if you plan to let automation or AI assistants keep records up to date. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
BottleCRM, published as Django-CRM, combines leads, contacts, opportunities, support cases and invoices in one app built on Django. It suits small firms that want sales and basic support together. It uses the MIT licence.
Django CRM, a separate project with a similar name, adds tasks, email marketing and reports to the usual deal tracking. It suits a small team or a freelancer who wants sales and task management in one place. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
Established CRMs with sales, marketing and support in one
These projects have been around for years and cover more than sales. Expect more settings to learn and a classic PHP hosting setup.
SuiteCRM covers sales pipelines, marketing campaigns, quotes and support cases, and it is often named as a Salesforce alternative. It suits mid-sized companies that want one system for every customer-facing team. Plan for real setup and admin time. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
EspoCRM handles leads, accounts, opportunities and cases, with an entity manager that lets admins add fields and record types without code. It is lighter than SuiteCRM and easier to run on modest hosting, which makes it a strong all-round choice. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
OroCRM is built on the Symfony PHP framework and aimed at business-to-business (B2B) selling, with customer data, sales processes and marketing lists. Consider it if you already use other Oro products. Its licence is listed as “Other”.
Fat Free CRM is a Ruby on Rails CRM with leads, campaigns, contacts and opportunities for small teams. It suits teams that already run Rails apps and want something they can read and change. Its licence is listed as “Other”.
CRM inside a wider business suite
Pick one of these when you also need invoicing, stock or HR, so customer records connect to the rest of the business.
Odoo Community edition is a suite of business apps, including CRM, sales, accounting and e-commerce. It suits growing companies that want everything in one system, though some apps and features are reserved for the paid Enterprise edition. Its licence is listed as “Other”.
Dolibarr is a modular ERP and CRM for small firms, freelancers and foundations, covering invoices, stock, HR and accounting. ERP stands for enterprise resource planning, which means running the back office in one tool. Dolibarr is simpler to host than Odoo. It uses the GPL-3.0 licence.
Ever Gauzy is a business management platform with HR, time tracking, invoicing and CRM, aimed at agencies and studios that bill for time. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
CRMs for nonprofits and personal relationships
CiviCRM is built for nonprofits and handles donors, members, events, mailings and case work. It runs inside a website platform such as WordPress or Drupal, so it suits charities that already have one. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
Monica is a personal CRM for remembering details, conversations and reminders about friends, family and business contacts. It is not a sales tool, but it is a good fit for freelancers and anyone who networks a lot. It uses the AGPL-3.0 licence.
What running a self-hosted CRM involves
A free and open source CRM costs nothing to download, but hosting it is your job. You need a server or a hosting plan, a database, regular backups and a routine for security updates. You also need to set up outgoing email so the CRM can send messages without landing in spam. Customer records are personal data, so restrict access and follow the privacy laws that apply to you.
A note on licences: AGPL-3.0 projects require you to share your changes if you let other people use a modified version over a network. That rarely matters for internal use, but it does matter if you sell the CRM as a service.
How to choose an open-source CRM
The best open-source CRM is the one your team will actually keep up to date, so favour a simple tool over a long feature list. Each project’s GitHub page shows recent activity, which helps you judge whether it is well maintained.
- Startup or small sales team: try Twenty first, or EspoCRM if you prefer a mature PHP app.
- Agency with in-house developers: Krayin or Relaticle for Laravel, Atomic CRM or NextCRM for React.
- You need marketing and support as well as sales: SuiteCRM or EspoCRM.
- You also need invoicing and stock: Odoo for a large suite, Dolibarr for a lighter one.
- Nonprofit: CiviCRM.
- Personal contacts: Monica.
Whichever open-source CRM software you choose, import a sample of real contacts and run a week of normal work in it before you move everything across. Open-source customer relationship management gives you control over your data, and a trial run shows whether the tool fits the way your team sells.