The best open source CRM in 2026: 7 options compared

What is the best open source CRM?

The best open source CRM for most teams in 2026 is Twenty, for its modern design and fast pace of releases. SuiteCRM and EspoCRM are the best picks if you want email campaigns built in. Odoo Community is best if you also need accounting or stock. The right choice depends on your team and your stack.

Here is the short list, with what each one does best:

An open source CRM gives you the code, so you can run it on your own server and change how it works. Every project on this list is free to download and self-host. Most also sell a hosted version, if you would rather not run servers.

How did we choose these open source CRMs?

We chose these open source CRMs by checking each one against the same five tests. We compared every project on 26 September 2026, using its own website, documentation and code repository. We left out projects with no release in the last year, and tools that are open source in name only.

• A real open source license. The core must be usable and changeable for free, in line with the Open Source Definition.
• Active development. A recent release and an active issue tracker. An old CRM that holds customer data is a security risk.
• Self-hosting that works. A documented way to run it yourself, such as Docker or a standard PHP or Python stack.
• Core CRM features. Contacts, companies, deals and a pipeline, at a minimum.
• Clear costs. A published price for any hosted plan or paid add-on.

We found that every CRM here handles contacts and deals well. The real differences are in email features, the database each one needs, and which features sit behind a paid edition.

1. Twenty: the best modern open source CRM

Twenty is a modern CRM built in TypeScript on Postgres and Redis, and shipped as a Docker image. It has a polished, fast interface that feels close to Salesforce, with custom objects and views. It is one of the most active open source CRMs, with version 2.41.0 released on 17 September 2026.

The core is licensed AGPL-3.0, but some enterprise files use a commercial license, so check which features you need. Twenty syncs Gmail and Microsoft mail and calendars, and has workflows with a "send email" step. It has no built-in email campaigns or outbound sequences. Its cloud starts at $9 per user per month, billed yearly, according to the Twenty pricing page.

• Best for: teams that want a clean, modern CRM and can run Docker.
• Watch out for: enterprise features under a separate license, and no mass email.

2. SuiteCRM: the most complete traditional CRM

SuiteCRM is one of the longest-running open source CRMs. It is licensed AGPL-3.0 and built on PHP with an Angular front end, on MySQL or MariaDB. Both of its main lines, 8.10.2 and 7.15.2, were released on 31 July 2026.

SuiteCRM covers a lot of ground: sales, service, quotes and reports. Its Campaigns module sends email marketing with open and click tracking and opt-outs, which few other CRMs include for free. The trade-off is age. The interface and the way you customise it feel older than newer tools, and it does not support Postgres. Hosted SuiteCRM is priced per server, from £130 a month billed yearly, according to the SuiteCRM hosting page.

• Best for: teams that want many features and email campaigns in one free CRM.
• Watch out for: a dated interface, and MySQL or MariaDB only.

3. EspoCRM: the easiest open source CRM to host

EspoCRM is a light, fast CRM licensed AGPL-3.0 and written in PHP. It runs on MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL, so it fits almost any hosting. Version 10.0.8 came out on 8 September 2026. For a small team that wants a simple, traditional CRM on cheap hosting, it is hard to beat.

Mass email and newsletters with tracking are part of the free core. Workflows and drip emails need the paid Advanced Pack, so check the cost if you want automation. EspoCRM's own cloud starts at £11 per user per month, with a minimum of three users, according to the EspoCRM pricing page.

• Best for: small teams that want a simple CRM on shared or low-cost hosting.
• Watch out for: automation is a paid add-on.

4. Odoo Community: the best CRM inside a full business suite

Odoo is a full business suite written in Python on PostgreSQL, with apps for CRM, accounting, inventory, HR and much more. The Community edition is licensed LGPL-3.0, while Odoo Enterprise is proprietary. CRM, email marketing and marketing automation are all available in the Community edition.

Odoo shines when your CRM needs to talk to invoicing or stock. The downside is size: it is a lot of system if you only need sales and marketing. Its lead generation feature uses paid credits. On Odoo's own hosting, one app is free with unlimited users, and the Standard plan is £18 per user per month billed yearly, according to the Odoo pricing page.

• Best for: businesses that want CRM, accounting and stock in one system.
• Watch out for: complexity, and features split between Community and Enterprise.

5. Frappe CRM: the best open source CRM for WhatsApp and calls

Frappe CRM is a clean, fast CRM licensed AGPL-3.0 and built on the Frappe Framework, in Python and Vue. It is very actively developed, with version 1.85.0 released on 23 September 2026. It ties in with ERPNext, the open source ERP from the same team.

Its strengths are communication. It has WhatsApp integration and phone integrations with Twilio and Exotel, which suit sales teams that work mostly by message and phone. It focuses on leads, deals and calls, and does not include email campaigns or sequences. Hosted Frappe CRM on Frappe Cloud starts at $5 a month for unlimited users, according to the Frappe CRM site.

• Best for: sales teams that live on WhatsApp and the phone.
• Watch out for: no email marketing built in.

6. Krayin: the best open source CRM for developers

Krayin is a CRM built on Laravel and Vue, with MySQL or MariaDB. Unlike most CRMs on this list, it uses the MIT license, which lets you change and resell it with very few conditions. Version 2.2.6 came out on 10 September 2026, according to the Krayin code repository.

That permissive license is why agencies and developers like it. You can build a custom CRM for a client on top of Krayin without the AGPL's duty to share changes to a hosted service. It covers leads, pipelines and quotes, with only basic marketing features. We found no first-party hosted plan for end users, so plan to host it yourself.

• Best for: PHP developers and agencies building custom CRMs.
• Watch out for: you host and maintain it, and marketing tools are basic.

7. Vtiger open source edition: best for existing Vtiger users

Vtiger publishes an open source edition of its CRM, written in PHP on MySQL. It uses the Vtiger Public License 1.1, which is based on the Mozilla Public License 1.1, rather than a standard license. The code lives on SourceForge instead of GitHub.

The open source edition is maintained, but slowly. Its latest release, 8.4.0, came out on 9 July 2025, and releases arrive about once a year, according to the Vtiger downloads page. The company's focus is its cloud product, which has a free plan for up to 10 users and paid plans from $12 per user per month. It makes most sense if you already know Vtiger.

• Best for: teams that already run Vtiger.
• Watch out for: slow releases and a non-standard license.

Open source CRM comparison table

The table below compares the seven open source CRMs side by side. It covers the license, the database each needs, whether email campaigns are included for free, and the cheapest hosted option. All facts come from each project's own site or code repository.

Hosted prices change often, so check each vendor's page before you buy. Self-hosting any of them is free, apart from your server and your time.

How do you choose the right open source CRM?

You choose the right open source CRM by matching it to three things: the features you need beyond contacts and deals, the stack your team can run, and the license terms you can live with. Start with the job, not the feature list, and test your top two with real data.

1. List the jobs. Do you need email campaigns, phone calls, quotes or invoicing? That alone narrows the list fast.
2. Check the stack. PHP and MySQL tools run almost anywhere. Docker and Postgres tools suit teams that already use them.
3. Read the license. AGPL-3.0 is fine for business use, but you must share changes if you offer a changed version to others as a service. MIT has no such rule.
4. Look for paid gates. Automation, advanced reports and single sign-on are common upsells.
5. Plan the upkeep. Someone must apply updates and keep backups, or you pay for hosting.

Think about data protection too. A CRM holds personal data on every lead. Under the GDPR, fines can reach 4% of yearly global turnover, so knowing where that data lives matters. The UK government's data protection guide is a clear place to start.

Where does MagpieCRM fit?

MagpieCRM is not on this list because it is not a full CRM yet. We built MagpieCRM to find verified B2B contacts and email them. It covers prospect search, email verification, contacts, lists, campaigns, forms and surveys. Deals and pipelines are coming soon.

Many teams pair an open source CRM from this list with MagpieCRM:

• Find companies and people, and reveal work emails checked with the mail server.
• Save them to lists and send campaigns from the drag-and-drop builder.
• Move qualified leads into your CRM by CSV to work the deal.

MagpieCRM is open source under AGPL-3.0 and free to self-host. Magpie Cloud starts at £10 a month, and you pay for what you need.