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Here’re the top 7 free CRM solutions with the highest user ratings.
What is CRM Software?
Customer relationship management (CRM) software allows businesses to better manage customer interactions, support, and relationships through reliable systems and processes. It also integrates organizational processes across marketing, sales, and customer service.
Let me ask you a few questions:
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- Does your business use spreadsheets to manage customers?
- Do you want to modernize your sales operations?
- Do budget constraints prevent you from purchasing a full software suite?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need a solution ASAP. Usually, this means purchasing software or hiring consultants. However, you may not have to spend any money at all. There are many free and open source customer relationship management (CRM) solutions that offer the same functionality and benefits as a paid tool.
A free tool will offer you the productivity of using sales and CRM software without spending any money. What you need to do is search for a free or open-source CRM tool that offers the features you need to meet your long-term business needs.
And that’s where this report can help you. To help you find the right free CRM solution, we analyzed about 160 free and open source solutions on Capterra. Then, we shortlisted the seven best solutions in the market.
What does “best” mean? Each of the seven tools listed in this piece has a minimum user rating of 4.36 out of 5 from 2018 to 2019. This rating is the average overall rating for CRM solutions on Capterra. You can find our full methodology here. Products are presented in alphabetical order.
7 best free and open source CRM solutions
Jump to:
Flowlu
Freshsales
HubSpot CRM
Really Simple Systems CRM
SuiteCRM
Vtiger CRM
Yetiforce
1. Flowlu CRM
Flowlu CRM is a cloud-based tool for businesses of all sizes. Its free version offers CRM features such as lead management, contact management, quoting, invoicing, and project management.
Flowlu’s unique selling point (USP) is that it also offers a few business management features such as project management and accounting. This makes it ideal for first-time CRM software buyers who want to automate functions such as sales, marketing, customer service, and finance.
If after using Flowlu you want to upgrade, you can pay for advanced features such as API integration, access control, time tracking, cash flow management, and a knowledge base.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capterra reviewers said that the business management functionality saves time since you don’t have to toggle between different apps. They noted that the knowledge base feature is easy to use and helps the customer support staff quickly address all queries. | Some users feel that Flowlu’s task management interface could be simplified. They noted that the numerous features in the free version, such as contact management, financial management, and task management, can take some time to familiarize. |
Cost to upgrade: Apart from the free version, Flowlu has four pricing plans: Team, Business, Professional, and Enterprise. The Team edition is priced at $29 per month for up to eight users.
Most suitable for: Businesses of all sizes that are looking to manage various functions, such as sales, marketing, and finance, with the help of software.
Mobile apps: Android, iOS
Opportunity management in Flowlu
2. Freshsales
Freshsales is a CRM tool for businesses of all sizes. Its freemium plan offers contact management, lead management, email marketing, and interaction management.
The USP of the Freshsales freemium offering is the unlimited number of users and contacts. This plan also offers phone and email support.
The paid versions offer features such as sales pipeline management, SMS integration, built-in phone, workflows, multicurrency support, and a mobile app. Freshsales can be deployed on premise or on the cloud.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capterra reviewers find the integration with Microsoft Office and GSuite helpful in syncing emails and calendars. They also said that Freshsales’s interface is easy to learn and navigate. This lets them create, assign, and track tickets with ease. | Some reviewers feel that the reporting module could be made customizable. They also mentioned that it can take time to completely familiarize yourself with the upgraded version because of a high number of features in the paid plans. |
Cost to upgrade: There are four upgrade options: Blossom, Garden, Estate, and Forest. The Blossom plan starts at $19 per user per month.
Most suitable for: Businesses of all sizes that need a free solution for more than two users.
Mobile apps: Android, iOS
Lead scoring dashboard in Freshsales
3. HubSpot
HubSpot is a cloud-based CRM solution for small and midsize businesses (SMBs). Its free version includes contact management, email scheduling, live chat, and meeting management.
HubSpot’s USP is its contact activity tracking. The free version lets you track the activity of contacts on your website for up to seven days after they are added to your contact list.
HubSpot’s CRM is completely free and there are no upgrade costs. But you may need to purchase other HubSpot products, such as Marketing Hub(for marketing automation), Sales Hub (for sales automation), and Service Hub (for customer service automation), to support the CRM.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capterra reviewers said that the Kanban board functionality helps them manage deals efficiently as the dashboard shows a snapshot of all the deals. They also noted that HubSpot’s integration with Gmail and Outlook was useful in mailing out the campaigns. | Some buyers feel that the contact management functionality could be improved. For instance, HubSpot doesn’t let them add multiple email addresses to a contact or merge two companies in the database. Users also felt that HubSpot could include more detailed reports in the free version. |
Cost to upgrade: HubSpot CRM is free for all users. However, you have to pay for other HubSpot products that support and enhance the CRM’s functionality.
Most suitable for: SMBs that are currently using spreadsheets to manage customer communications and want to improve contact lists with basic CRM software.
Mobile apps: Android, iOS
Deals pipeline in HubSpot CRM (Source)
4. Really Simple Systems CRM
Really Simple Systems CRM is for small businesses. Its free version supports up to two users and includes sales pipeline management, document management, contact management, and reporting functionalities.
The free version’s USP is the API integration. It lets you connect your other applications, such as accounting and project management, and handle 50 API calls per day.
Really Simple System CRM’s paid versions offer access control, advanced reports, single sign-on, and marketing automation functionalities.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capterra reviewers like the product customizations. They can customize data fields in the contact database, accounts, opportunities, and reports. They also find the task management functionality effective in managing customer interactions. | Reviewers feel that the software’s interface could be made easier to navigate. Some also said that the reports aren’t easy to configure. |
Cost to upgrade: The vendor offers three upgrade plans: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. The Starter package is priced at $15 per user per month.
Most suitable for: Small businesses looking for a free CRM solution that integrates seamlessly with the business software they currently use.
Mobile apps: Android, iOSS
Dashboards in Really Simple Software CRM
5. SuiteCRM
SuiteCRM is an open source CRM solution for businesses of all sizes. It allows users to manage customer interactions across sales, marketing, and customer service teams.
SuiteCRM offers different open source solutions for startups, small businesses, and enterprises, making it suitable for businesses of any size and type.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capterra reviewers find the product’s features, such as contact management, project management, and billing, helpful for different departments such as sales, marketing, and finance. They also said that the reports are highly detailed and allow you to easily analyze the performance of your sales and marketing operations. | Users noted that the free version doesn’t include agents-based customer support (though you can ask questions on its community page). Some also pointed out that it requires technical skills to customize SuiteCRM’s features. |
Cost to upgrade: SuiteCRM is an open source product. It is available for free.
Most suitable for: Businesses of all sizes looking for an open source CRM software.
Mobile apps: Android, iOS
Lead management in SuiteCRM (Source)
6. Vtiger CRM
Vtiger CRM works well for SMBs and can be deployed either on-premise or on the cloud. The open source (i.e., the free) version includes contact management, marketing automation, sales automation, and customer support modules.
The open source version’s highlight is its Microsoft Outlook plug-in, which allows users to send emails and sync their calendar with Outlook.
Vtiger also offers paid cloud-based plans for managing sales, marketing, and help desk operations.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capterra reviewers said that Vtiger’s management console is easy to use and helpful in tracking and managing cases online. They also said that the open source version was easily customizable to their business’ needs. | Reviewers find the product’s email templates slightly outdated and feel that the vendor should update the templates and offer more options. Some also find the lack of Facebook and WhatsApp integrations a disadvantage because sometimes customers prefer to communicate via these channels. |
Cost to upgrade: The open source version of Vtiger is free for everyone.
Most suitable for: Businesses of all sizes looking for a CRM solution that integrates with their Microsoft Outlook account.
Mobile apps: Android, iOS
Sales opportunity tracking in Vtiger CRM
7. Yetiforce
Yetiforce is also an open source CRM solution for businesses of all sizes. It has the highest recommended rating on this list. The software helps businesses manage leads, store contacts, track meetings on their calendar, send email campaigns, and manage customer interactions.
Yetiforce maintains an active GitHub repository for tech-related queries to help tech teams customize the product.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Yetiforce is a GDPR-compliant software, which makes it ideal for businesses that have operations in the European Union. Reviewers find Yetiforce’s interface easy to customize to their requirements. | Though reviewers find the GitHub community helpful in answering their technical queries, they feel that the product documentation could be more detailed. Some also pointed out that the software can be difficult to use for employees who have limited technical proficiency. |
Cost to upgrade: Yetiforce is an open source solution, and therefore, available for free.
Most suitable for: Businesses of all sizes that have global operations, especially in Europe.
Mobile apps: Not available
Leads dashboard in Yetiforce
The final verdict: Which free or open source solution should you purchase?
After reviewing our list of free and open source CRM solutions, the next step is to find a solution that best fits your business needs. Follow these steps to find the right product for your business:
- Decide whether you need a free or open source solution. Compare each solution’s total cost of ownership (TCO) by checking the costs of implementation, data storage, training, IT staff hiring, upgrades, and other important factors.
- Ask your IT staff/consultants/third-party IT services provider whether they can implement an open source CRM on your existing network infrastructure.
- Review this list and select the features that will meet your vital business needs. Eliminate products that don’t offer the essential features.
- Compare the free usage limits (such as the number of free emails or contacts) and shortlist products based on your current requirements.
- Compare the upgrade costs of the various products and select one that will fit your budget when (or if) you upgrade the solution in the future.
If you need CRM solutions for a specific operating system, you can find CRM software for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone.
If you are currently using a free CRM solution that’s working well for you, let us know about your experience in the comments section below.
For more information on CRM systems, check out the following resources: |
Methodology
This article was updated Aug. 2, 2019. Products considered for this article fulfill the following criteria:
Free products
For the purposes of this article, we classified a product as free if:
- It offers a free, standalone version of the software.
- It is not a trial version of the software where you must purchase a paid version after a limited amount of time.
Open source products
For open source software to be evaluated for this article, the tool has to make its source code open to everyone to inspect, modify, and enhance. The source code must also have been updated (full version or small fix) within the past 12 months and must support one of the following operating systems: Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Selection criteria
The products that met the above criteria were then evaluated against our CRM software definition—customer relationship management software helps organizations manage information (e.g., contact details) about current and potential customers. CRM is a technique of putting customers at the heart of your business and using data about them to tailor a unique experience for each individual.
The software consolidates customer information in one repository so that businesses can better organize and manage relationships, automates the common processes, and provides tools for monitoring performance and productivity.
This check verified the basic CRM capabilities and appropriateness for the category. A product was classified as CRM software if it contained all the core features—contact management, interaction tracking, and lead management.
Software that met the market definition also needed a minimum of 10 reviews published on the CRM software category page between May 8, 2018, and May 7, 2019.
Disclaimer
The content in this piece provides opinions and points of view expressed by users and does not represent the views of Capterra.
Looking for Customer Relationship Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Customer Relationship Management software solutions.
Great sales managers leave nothing to chance.
At least that is one of the key takeaways from the Harvard Business Review article, “The 7 Attributes of the Most Effective Sales Leaders”.
Sales Customer Management Tools Free Tools
“Forty-three percent of high-performing sales managers responded that their sales process was closely monitored, strictly enforced, or automated [emphasis added].” In comparison, “Forty-four percent of underperforming sales managers indicated they had a nonexistent or an informal structured sales process.”
Creating an effective sales process begins with documentation. However, even when sales managers understand the importance of documenting their sales process, many fail to do it right. They slave over creating the perfect sales resources, share the resources with their sales team—and then never update or talk about the resources again. Unsurprisingly, their sales team never adopts a structured sales process and underperforms.
Here are the top seven templates every sales manager needs:
- Sales hiring checklist
- 4 week sales onboarding schedule
- Sales call script
- Call review checklist for junior reps
- Sales email templates
- Objection management template
- Meeting calculator
Let’s review why every these templates are must-haves and how you can use them to create an effective sales process that will scale your team.
Get the ultimate sales management toolkit to scale your sales team!
1. Sales hiring checklist
(Download here)
The first step to creating a sales process? Building your team.
However, hiring the right people at the right time is difficult. Hire too late and you will stunt your startup’s growth. Hire too soon and you risk burning through your startup’s cash.
The sales hiring checklist solves this by breaking the hiring process down into four manageable stages. At each stage, you will know which sales roles you need to hire for and what the ideal candidates look like.
For instance, you wouldn’t hire a VP of Sales before you have reached at least 25 sales reps. A VP of Sales is supposed to take your sales process and scale it, not create it from scratch. Anyone promising otherwise is likely a charlatan. This is just one of the things you’ll learn and be able to execute on with the sales hiring checklist.
2. 4 week sales onboarding schedule
(Download here)
The average new sales rep at a SaaS company takes 5.3 months to reach full productivity. If they have an average base salary of $60k, you will spend $26,500 training a sales rep before you break even. Repeat that math for each extra rep and the cost quickly adds up.
But what if there was a better way? A way for you to train your sales team faster and more cost effectively without sacrificing quality? There is.
The beauty of the 4 week sales onboarding schedule is that it was developed by an experienced sales manager. The exact process of training your sales team is broken down day by day, hour by hour, eliminating the guesswork. Plus, you’ll be able to modify the schedule for your own sales training process and share it with your sales team.
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Onboarding your sales reps is not something you should improvise at the last minute. How you train and onboard your sales reps will set the tone for the rest of their time at your company. Make sure they learn the right expectations and habits from the very beginning.
Sales Customer Management Tools Free Download
3. Sales call script
(Download here)
One of the easiest ways to raise your entire team’s sales IQ and performance is by using a sales script.
What typically happens in any sales team is that someone tries a different approach and discovers new best practices and tactics. They see great results with their new approach, perhaps get a clap on the back in recognition of their success—and none of their new knowledge is shared with the team.
This works well if you want an individual sales superstar. It works less well, however, if you want an all-star sales team.
A common argument against sales scripts is that they make reps sound robotic. Solution? Make your reps memorize the script. Once they know it by heart, allow them to try different approaches. This gives them the best of both worlds: the structure and confidence that comes from preparation and the creativity and freedom that comes from experimentation.
The free sales call script will help your team start off on the right foot. As your sales team tries different approaches, keep updating the script to track what works or does not work.
4. Call review checklist for junior reps
(Download here)
Having a sales script is the first step. To help your sales team get to the next level, you need a call review checklist.
The worst thing you can do is not review the calls your sales reps make. The second worst thing is to review their calls but give them feedback that is either too generic (“Keep up the good work.”) or too overwhelming (“Here’s a list of 99 things you need to improve.”).
A good call review will help your reps understand their strengths and provide them with an actionable approach to improving their weaknesses. Yet, to give good reviews, you have to get into the habit of asking the right questions and providing the right amount of feedback.
To help you with this, our call review checklist provides you with a list of seven criteria to score your reps on. There is also space to add more detailed feedback as well. Your sales team will see consistent improvement in their calling skills.
5. Sales email templates
(Download here)
Your sales team needs to know how to sell not only over the phone, but through email as well. The right email can spark a prospect’s interest, lead to a meeting, or even close a deal.
However, there is a science to sending the right email. Everything from the subject line to the body of the email itself will influence how prospects respond. Rather than allowing your sales team to send out emails that bore prospects to tears or cause prospects to immediately mark them as spam, give your reps sales email templates.
Our eight email templates cover every possible step of the sales process. This will allow your team to:
- Study the structure of emails that have already been proven to work.
- Save time by modifying existing templates and then pressing “Send”, rather than typing up each individual email.
- Use the templates as starting points to see how further tweaking the emails affect open and response rates.
Simply take the templates and make them your own.
6. Objection management template
(Download here)
Once your sales reps have gained enough experience, they should be able to handle objections in their sleep. However, you can help them reach that stage faster with the objection management template.
The idea behind the template is simple. If your sales team regularly encounters and loses deals to certain objections, plan out the best responses beforehand.
Rather than stressing out over what to say to and reaching a dead end with prospects, your sales team will be able to confidently keep the conversation going. And close more deals, of course.
7. Meeting calculator
(Download here)
You’re a manager so you need to have meetings often, right? Meetings with your sales team to discuss their progress, meetings with your boss to review quarterly goals, as well as meetings with the marketing and engineering team to discuss new software features.
Not so fast. While meetings can be great for making big decisions or conflict resolution, meetings come with hidden costs. Meetings disrupt your day and leave you with less time for the important work that will make a strong impact on your career, your teammates and your company.
According to one study, 47% of employees think meetings are the biggest waste of time in their business, and 39% admit to dozing off during them. Equally scary is how much money meetings waste. Besides paying for coffee and donuts, you are also paying people to sit in a room for one hour, disengaged and unproductive. This cost can quickly add up to several thousand dollars over the course of a year.
One way to determine the cost of holding is to use the meeting calculator. Simply enter the salaries of the meeting attendants and the length of the meeting. The calculator will tell you the exact cost of the meeting. Suddenly, sending a quick email will look a lot more appealing than spending $200 for a meeting, saving you time and money.
Treat these templates as living documents
Ready to get create a sales process that gets results and scales?
First, if you haven’t already, make sure you get the 7 templates for sales managers.
Then, with your team, go over these templates and tailor them to your sales process. You should not spend more than an hour on each document. The goal at this stage is to get started, not achieve perfection.
Finally, once a week or month, you and your team should update the templates with everything you have learned.
It's important that you update the templates with your team and do it consistently. Teamwork means that your team will have ownership in, and adopt, the templates. Consistency mean they will keep learning from the templates.
Recommended reading:
10 most common mistakes new sales managers make
Being a new sales managers is filled with triumphs and pitfalls. These are the top 10 mistakes new sales managers make, mistakes I've made so you don't have to.
Sales team management: How to inspire change from within
Your latest sales strategy isn't working. How do you, as a sales manager, convince your sales rep to accept your new strategy? It begins with you.
3 models of effective sales team organization
You're building your sales team but how should you organize your reps? Find out which type of sales team organization is best for your startup!
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