The best replacement for an open-source CRM depends on how much control over hosting you want to keep. Decide that first: run it yourself, take an ERP-style suite with a CRM module, or hand the servers to a hosted vendor. Then import a real batch of your contacts into two or three options before you commit.
Open source is the reason most people pick SuiteCRM, and it's usually the reason they look around too. Some want even more control, some want a wider business suite, and some are tired of looking after servers. Here are nine alternatives, in no particular order, grouped by how they're run rather than by brand size.
How much self-hosting do you want to keep?
The product you're leaving leads with open source and gives you a choice between hosting it yourself and having someone else host it for you. That flexibility is easy to take for granted until you move. Most CRMs only give you one of those options, so the first filter isn't features at all. It's who runs the server.
Be honest about why you chose open source. If it was about owning your data and your code, you'll want a project you can install on your own machines. If it was mostly about avoiding lock-in, an open-source core with a hosted service on top may be enough. And if you never touched the code anyway, a hosted CRM could save you hours of upkeep every month.
One naming point saves confusion. SugarAI is the new name of SugarCRM, so older reviews and forum threads will use the old name. They're the same company.
Nine CRMs compared by hosting model
| Tool | How it's run | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Bigin by Zoho CRM | Simple hosted CRM | Leads, deals, calls and WhatsApp in one simple place |
| CiviCRM | Open-source non-profit CRM | Charities, NGOs and advocacy groups |
| Corteza | Open-source low-code platform | Shaping your own CRM on an Apache-licensed base |
| Dolibarr | Open-source ERP and CRM | Quotes, invoices, orders and contacts in one web suite |
| Frappe CRM | Open-source sales CRM | Leads, deals, email and WhatsApp for sales teams |
| Insightly | Hosted CRM | Pipeline tracking with lead scoring and follow-ups |
| Krayin CRM | Self-hosted Laravel CRM | PHP teams self-hosting leads and customer records |
| SugarAI (formerly SugarCRM) | Hosted AI sales CRM | Sellers working from CRM and ERP data |
| Vtiger | All-in-one CRM, open-source core | Marketing, sales and support on one customer record |
Three ways to run your next CRM
Open-source projects you install yourself. Krayin CRM, Frappe CRM, Dolibarr and Corteza are open-source projects you can run on your own server. They're not interchangeable, though. Krayin is a Laravel CRM, so it'll feel familiar to PHP developers. Frappe's tool is aimed at sales teams working leads and deals. The third is really an ERP with CRM inside it, and the fourth is a low-code platform, so you'll be building more of the CRM yourself. CiviCRM also sits in this camp, but it's written for non-profits, NGOs and advocacy groups, so its records are built around supporters rather than sales deals.
An open-source core with a hosted product. Vtiger sells a hosted, all-in-one CRM and says it's built around an open-source core. That middle ground suits teams who like the idea of open code but don't want to patch servers on a Sunday night.
Hosted CRMs with no self-hosting angle. Insightly, Bigin by Zoho CRM and SugarAI (formerly SugarCRM) are hosted products. You won't install them anywhere. In return, upgrades, backups and uptime are someone else's job. Bigin is the lightest of the three, while the other two lean into pipeline data, lead scoring and AI-suggested next steps.
The nine CRMs, A to Z
Listed alphabetically, in no particular order of preference.
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Best for: Small businesses wanting a simple hosted CRM for leads, deals, emails, calls and WhatsApp, which the vendor says you can start in minutes, with AI built in.
CiviCRM
Best for: Non-profits, NGOs and advocacy groups who want an open-source constituent relationship manager, pitched by the vendor as the CRM for organising and engaging supporters.
Corteza
Best for: Teams happy to build their own system on an open-source low-code platform under the Apache v2.0 licence, which the vendor presents as a Salesforce alternative.
Dolibarr
Best for: Small firms that want CRM plus quotes, invoices, products, orders and an agenda in one web-based open-source ERP suite.
Frappe CRM
Best for: Sales teams wanting an open-source CRM for leads, deals, email and WhatsApp in one place, with unlimited users in the vendor's own description.
Insightly
Best for: Growing companies that want a hosted CRM which tracks pipeline data, auto-scores leads, sends follow-ups and builds marketing campaigns.
Krayin CRM
Best for: Developers and PHP shops who want a free, self-hosted open-source CRM built on Laravel for leads, customers and sales.
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SugarAI (formerly SugarCRM)
Best for: Sales organisations wanting a CRM that turns issues and opportunities in CRM and ERP data into suggested next steps, as the vendor describes it.
Vtiger
Best for: Teams lining up marketing, sales and support on shared customer data, using an all-in-one CRM the vendor says is built around an open-source core.
A five-step import test for your contacts
A CRM demo always looks tidy because the sample data was built for it. Your data won't be. Before you commit to anything, run this on each shortlisted option.
- Export a few hundred real contacts, with companies, notes and custom fields, exactly as they sit today.
- Import them into the trial or test install without cleaning them first. Messy data is the point.
- Check that custom fields, phone formats and owner assignments came across, and note anything that broke.
- Rebuild one live deal or case from start to finish and see how many clicks it takes.
- Export the data back out again. If getting it out is painful, that's the lock-in you were trying to avoid.
My advice if open source is why you're here
Don't swap one CRM for another just because the new one has a nicer dashboard. Pick the hosting model first, then the tool. If your team has someone who enjoys looking after servers, the self-hosted projects give you the most control, and you can move again later because your data's on your own machine. If nobody wants that job, go hosted and stop pretending you'll patch it. The ERP-style suites only make sense if you'll use the invoicing and orders side as well, so be strict about that.
Non-profits are the exception to all of this. A CRM built around donors and supporters will fit better than any sales CRM bent into shape. For more options in this space, see my guide to free CRM software and my list of open-source CRM alternatives to Twenty.
Questions to put to each project or vendor
- Who installs updates, and how much warning do you get before a breaking change?
- Can you export every record, including notes and attachments, in a format another CRM can read?
- Is the open-source edition the same product as the hosted one, or a cut-down version?
- Where does the community or support team answer questions, and how active is it?
- Which email and calendar tools does it connect to without an extra add-on or a plugin you'll have to maintain?
Do you make an open-source or hosted CRM? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free open-source alternative to my current CRM?
Yes. Several CRMs on this list are free and open source, and you can install them on your own server. You'll still need someone to host, back up and update them, so free software isn't the same as no effort.
What's the difference between open source and an open-source core?
Open source means the whole product's code is published and you can run it yourself. An open-source core means part of the product is open, while the hosted service you buy adds features on top that may not be in the public code.
Should a small business self-host its CRM?
Only if someone on the team is comfortable running a server, applying updates and taking backups. If that person doesn't exist, a hosted CRM is usually the safer choice.
Can I move my data out of an open-source CRM later?
Usually, yes, because you control the database. Test an export early anyway, because custom fields and notes don't always come out in a tidy format.
Is an ERP with a CRM module better than a standalone CRM?
It's better if you'll use the quotes, invoices and orders side every week. If you only need contacts and deals, a standalone CRM is simpler to learn and to run.
Do I need a different CRM for a charity?
Not always, but a CRM built for supporters, members and campaigns saves a lot of workarounds compared with a sales CRM. Requirements for donor data vary, so check the rules that apply where you operate.
