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.
And no, I don’t know of any Mac CRM product that comes close to Act! Mac users: Swiftpage is listening to you and I keep hearing rumors so stay tuned. However, until the announcement comes of a new Act for Mac version I can offer you a few alternatives for using Act on your Mac. The Best Free CRM Software app downloads for Mac: ABNavigator Plaxo onCourse FileMaker Contact and Invoice Database Management Frizzix Espy Reflect Cu. Crm Free Mac; Act Crm Free Marketing Crm; Crm For Mac Software. Vedatrak CRM for Mac OS v.2.1. A fully unlocked, web-accessible, modular CRM solution that helps you achieve virtually any customer management goal. This easy to use solution developed specifically for FileMaker helps you plan work, collect structured information about your.
Let me ask you a few questions:
- 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 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.
Part 1
1. Pipeliner CRM:Features and Functions:
· Pipeliner CRM is afree CRM software for Macwhich helps the sales leaders to keep an eye on the Key Performance Indicator (KPI), easily as well as comprehensively.
· You can schedule your meeting with your customers and complete your pending activities using this software.
· Sales stages feature helps you to set milestones for your sales process so that you can take a good look at the risk factor in your sales an increase the predictability.
Pros:
· Thisfree CRM software for Mackeeps a track of all the sales activity of the user.
· Very attractive graphical design.
· One can access all the sales data offline also. Download ios on mac.
Cons
· For marketing campaigns, thisfree CRM software for Macis not very ideal.
· Processing becomes quite slow when there is a large amount of data.
· Complex functionalities for the manager.
User Reviews:
Google Contact Management Software
· Easy to Use, Saves Time. -http://www.capterra.com/customer-relationship-management-software/spotlight/125911/Pipeliner%20CRM/pipelinersales
· Fantastic CRM for Sales. -http://www.capterra.com/customer-relationship-management-software/spotlight/125911/Pipeliner%20CRM/pipelinersales
· Very useful sales application for freelancers!. –http://download.cnet.com/Pipeliner-CRM/3000-2652_4-10912036.html
Screenshot:
2.Reflect CRM Customer Database:
Features and Functions:
· Thisfree CRM software for Macis a very useful software which helps its users to set reminders for various events and also generate reports using the filtered data.
· Multiple users and mobile access can be enables using the web access mode feature.
· You can easily import Customer data and information from Outlook or any other database.
Pros
· There is a facility of maintaining unlimited tasks, events and notes for every client in thisfree CRM software for Mac.
· One installation allows you to run multiple businesses.
· Takes less than 60 second to install and run.
Cons
· The notes section does not display the notes written properly.
· Only CSV files can be used to import data automatically.
User Reviews:
· I recently set up the crm software as well as several other business programs offered by this company and so far everything works great. Easy to install and I had our 500 customer and 2000 contacts up and running in no time. A huge thank you for simplifying my life. -http://reflect-customer-database.software.informer.com/
· This software is most useful for my insurance customer data. -http://reflect-customer-database.software.informer.com/
· Needs a lot of work. -http://download.cnet.com/Reflect-Free-CRM-Customer-Database/3000-2652_4-75748373.html
Screenshots
3.Infusion Soft:
Features and Functions:
· Infusion Soft is afree CRM software for Macwhich is mainly dedicated to serve the purpose of a small business.
· Helps you create automated follow-ups, submit forms, send emails relevant to the customers and maximize the customer engagement.
· You can create an online store and maintain inventory, billings, etc., and by creating discounts and promo offers.
Pros
· Sales activities are simplified in CRM of thisfree CRM software for Mac.
Free Contact Management Software For Mac Small Business
· In marketing you can capture leads with the help of web forms.
· Automatically helps you to track delivery of a product ordered on your online store.
Cons
· This software takes time to learn and needs regular practice.
· Thisfree CRM software for Macslows down the system sometimes which can be frustrating in case of emergency work.
· Client emails that are incoming are not captured by the system.
User Reviews:
· I've been using Infusionsoft since 2007. It's a great platform to automate your business and marketing efforts.
· Flaws and all, Infusionsoft is worth it
· I love Infusionsoft. It allows me to collaborate across oceans with my marketing team with ease and confidence.
https://www.getapp.com/customer-management-software/a/infusionsoft-crm-tool-for-small-businesses/reviews/
Screenshot:
4.Sugar CRM:
Features and Functions:
· Sugar CRM is a very extensively usedfree CRM software for Macwhich has over 60000 users in more than 80 different languages.
· Google docs can be easily uploaded and shared inside the Sugar CRM interface itself.
· Allows the user to customize their home page and for the new users it has a helping wizard to know the software well.
Pros
· Sugar CRM is very easy to installfree CRM software for Mac.
· The entire stack gets integrated by the time the user clicks on the finish button.
· It does not interfere with any other software installed on our computer as it is self contained.
Cons
· There are some problems with the syncing of calendar of thisfree CRM software for Mac.
· The themes cannot be changes in accordance with the company.
· The dashboard is missing and hence it becomes difficult to take glance at your entire business.
User’s Review:
· Extremely customizable and powerful.
· Decent alternative to Salesforce.com, if on a tight budget.
· For companies that settle for less, Sugar is your CRM.
http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/ticomix-sugarcrm-profile/
Screenshots:
5. Sumac:
Features and Functions
· Sumac is one of thefree CRM software for Macwhich is mainly used for managing non-profit data.
· It helps you perform the email marketing and payment processing with ease as it is already built in the software.
· Allows you to integrate your software with an accounting software so as to manage your accounts as well.
Pros
· Thisfree CRM software for Macruns on almost every operating system or platform and hence is very versatile.
· Sumac can be very easily customized according to the organization’s need.
· Sumac provides quick responses to their user’s query and provides unmatched customer support. So now you don’t need to worry about what Sumac lacks in, you can simply raise these issues to their customer support and they will look into the matter as soon as possible.
Cons
Free Inventory Management Software For Mac
· The representation charts are not very attractive.
· Does not provide any API for the web based programs. Allows the use of HTML codes which have some limitations.
· It is difficult to send formatted emails because an HTML template needs to be built in with the help of another software and then attach that template with this email and send it through Sumac.
User Reviews:
· Great Value, Solid Program. -http://download.cnet.com/Sumac/3000-2652_4-75649675.html
· Support is excellent! Sumac was very responsive to questions and also very responsive to suggestions. -http://download.cnet.com/Sumac/3000-2652_4-75649675.html
· SUMAC wins the prize for the tech company that consistently provides patient, helpful and good advice. -https://www.getapp.com/industries-software/a/sumac/reviews/
Screenshots:
6.Prophet CRM:
Features and Functions
· This is afree CRM software for Macwhich is actually a transition of MS Outlook into a CRM software.
· Prophet synchronizes all your Outlook data with the stages, records and opportunities of so that customer data can be easily analyzed with one tool itself.
· Automated tracking is done for the emails sent, notes for the meeting, scheduled appointments, etc.
Pros
· Outlook integration in thisfree CRM software for Macserves as a great help.
· Less clustered environment because of integration with MS Outlook .
· Keeps an excellent track of notes.
Cons
· One needs to synchronize data every time in order to work on it offline.
· Takes a lot of time to load the database.
· One needs to have a lot of patience while learning this in the beginning.
User Reviews
· Great way to stay organized
· Coordinating Clients with Projects
· A great tool to organize your book of business, and pipeline.
http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/avidian-technologies-profile/
Screenshots:
7.Marketo:
Features and Functions
· Marketo is anotherfree CRM software for Macdesigned by the marketers and for the marketers which features capabilities like budget management, marketing automation, sales insight, social marketing, etc.
· It is integrated with both, Sugar CRM as well as Microsoft Dynamics CRM which helps the sales rep to get a clear picture of the lead so that they can maintain the priority on basis of this report.
· It has over 250 partners and 3000 customers who share their views, give ideas and give a direct influence to the development of the project.
Pros
· Easy customization of emails and campaigns and also cloning them.
· It can easiy collect a very large amount of data as compared to otherfree CRM software for Mac.
· They have well experienced and spontaneous customer support system.
Cons
· The email editor does not line up everything correctly.
· It has a steep learning curve and it definitely takes some time to understand the software.
· Other than English, all other languages are very poorly supported by Marketo and it becomes really difficult to deal with the names with accent.
User Reviews:
· The best Marketing Automation tool on the market
· Helping us scale up our marketing
· Marketo, absolutely a must have for any marketing org
http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/marketo-profile/
Screenshots:
8.Silver Pop:
Features and Functions
· Silver pop is a very powerfulfree CRM software for Macwhich helps the marketers to develop multi channel campaigns and deliver them.
· This software is specifically made for medium to enterprise level businesses.
· With the help of the print option, you can print your lead scoring model and use them to show it your sales people for their better understanding.
Pros of Zurmo
· Processes even the most sophisticated data.
· Handles almost everything that is needed for email marketing
· After sending the link through emails, they can be easily changed into URLs. This feature is not offered in many of thefree CRM software for Mac.
Cons
· It is not a good option for larger business or enterprises.
· The platform is a little confusing to use and needs time to load sometimes.
· Customer support is not very effective and spontaneous.
User Reviews:
· Great for SMB, only ok for Enterprise
· Silverpop: an advanced marketing automation tool
· An automation, email and marketing solution for any business
http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/silverpop-profile/
Screenshots:
9. Workbooks:
Features and Functions
· Workbooks is afree CRM software for Macmainly designed for small to mid-sized companies like healthcare, media, consultation, etc.
· Marketing automation is feature dedicated to extract data directly from the company website when they express their interest. This helps is distributing leads to the sales team.
· The support module helps the customer to submit their query or complaints through a ticket.
Pros
· The software is fully integrated and not modular and hence it helps maintain everything in a single system.
· This free CRM software for Mac is very easy to use and quite efficient at performing various tasks.
· Transition from one module to another like from order to purchase order and so on is very easy.
Cons
· Copy and paste options are not available.
· Reporting in thisfree CRM software for Macis not very efficient.
· You cannot create a replica of an existing order without the attachments.
User Reviews: Download mac os 10.9 dmg.
· Tailor and minimize it to your needs only, it can be quite bloated if you do not.
· Amazing. Would love to a shopping cart added but I love the CRM
· Utilised for general data base and sales lead tool
http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/workbooks-profile/
Screenshots:
10. HatchBuck:
Features and Functions:
· Thisfree CRM software for Macis an all in one marketing and sales management software
· Hatchbuck contains very powerful and versatile features to maintain the existing clients and also the prospective ones.
· Option is there to import contacts from Ms Outlook, linkedIn and Excel and information related to leads can be easily copied from the company’s website.
Pros
· Immediate feedback is received once your sent emails are opened by the recipients.
· You can send blast emails by keeping the subject personalized.
· Marketing and CRM integration works the best.
Cons
· Learning program takes a little time to be understood.
· The emails sent from and which are received by hatchbuck goes to the junk folder sometimes.
· The numbers of users are either 1 or 3 and not in-between.
User Reviews:
· Hatchbuck; a Better Way to Connect and Track Your Prospects
· 2 thumbs up for Hatchbuck
· Good For Small Business
http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/hatchbuck-profile/
Screenshots: