Is it worthwhile to use a free CRM?

Is it worthwhile to use a free customer relationship management system?

Every developing organization is faced with the decision of which CRM system to use. It is now the cornerstone of doing business to use software that makes marketing, sales, and customer support more efficient and effective. Especially in the face of an increasing number of consumers, none of these departments can afford to reduce the overall level of service quality.

It is difficult to be shocked by the difficulty that businesses have in selecting the appropriate software. Free CRM systems abound, and the disparities in their features and limits, as well as the incomplete licenses of free versions, only serve to exacerbate decision paralysis.

As a result, we have compiled a list of the most popular ones, along with a brief description of each. The following article will answer any questions you may have about whether CRM will be the best fit for your organization and whether it is worth your time to support free software.

If you are just getting started with CRM systems and your company’s organizational structure isn’t too complicated, you can take advantage of one of the many free solutions available on the market. You will study the fundamental functions that will educate you how to properly manage your company’s operations.

This course will teach you how to manage your customer base, create adverts, and set up automatic export and import of data into marketing platforms, among other things. A user-friendly interface, as well as the ease with which the solution may be implemented, will be convincing.

Is it true, however, that all of the features promised by the free system are truly available for free? Over time, what business strategy did the developers of ostensibly free solutions adopt in order to be able to save us in their own customer relationship management system? What is the catch, and what do you stand to gain or lose by using free software? Take a closer look at what I’m saying.

It is difficult to be shocked by the difficulty that businesses have in selecting the appropriate software.

SugarCRM

In addition to a commercial version, SugarCRM developers provide a free trial version, which allows you to become familiar with the system’s complete capability before making a purchasing decision.

We have a Polish language version of the free and unsupported package, which is called the Community Edition. We also have the option to link system panels and build a subpanel in this package.

Additional features include a search engine and options for importing and exporting customer information. Because of its widespread availability, it has served as the foundation for several revisions and even the formation of distinct, competitor customer relationship management systems.

Many entrepreneurs choose to use this CRM despite the fact that the technology is outdated because these are the most critical features available only in the subscription edition. In many browsers, this is the most significant shortcoming of SugarCRM, making it difficult or even impossible to conduct routine operations.

OpenCRX

Open source CRM entails a diverse range of writers as well as a diverse range of problem-solving approaches.

OpenCRX is a free and open-source software project. This means that its source code as well as its application programming interface (API) are completely open and freely available. Consequently, users are responsible for the software’s evolution, including the creation of new modules and the adaptation of the software to the specific demands of their respective organizations.

As a result, OpenCRM suffers from both disadvantages and advantages. Despite well-constructed programming documentation and regularly increasing functionality, the large number of CRM authors (each writing in a somewhat different style) rendered the interface unsuited for everyday use by the average user.

Furthermore, the developers have opted to develop CRM in the direction of ERP software (which is used for advanced warehouse management), which means that it will be suited for a smaller and smaller number of businesses.

OpenCRM will also present difficulties for any staff who do not communicate effectively in English. Despite the ability of translation into Polish, which is most likely automatic, the system’s operation is not straightforward and understandable.

VTiger

It distinguishes itself from other CRMs by offering the ability to integrate with a wide range of apps, including the Microsoft Office suite and e-mail systems such as Mozilla Thunderbird and Outlook. Users of paid CRMs will be unimpressed by this, as such linkages are already considered standard practice.

However, when you first launch VTiger, you may have the feeling that you have unintentionally accessed a malicious program… SugarCRM. Yes! It is not by chance that the two devices have such a similar appearance and operation.

VTiger, despite having a little more user-friendly interface than SugarCRM, suffers from incompatibility with a large number of web browsers.

Despite the fact that many users rely on this CRM because of their habits, they expose themselves to the risks associated with utilizing out-of-date technology, just as they did with SugarCRM. Because of the proliferation of data protection legislation, it is worthwhile to invest in a CRM system that is up to date and safe, as well as complying with regulatory requirements. As a result, you will be able to sleep soundly at night without worrying about any penalties.

Fat Free CRM

Fat Free CRM is a straightforward, yet limited piece of software. Despite the flawlessly crafted code, it only provides a very restricted set of CRM features, including the most fundamental.

Consequently, in addition to the lack of advanced integration and the inability to adapt to the company’s requirements, it is intended for smaller organizations rather than businesses that already service a large number of customers.

This CRM is not very popular in Poland, primarily due to the lack of a Polish language version and inadequate technical support. It’s understandable. Unfortunately, the software does not provide any means of contacting the technical department, which is something that users have come to expect.

SuiteCRM

SugarCRM’s free edition served as the foundation for the development of this relatively new program. The creators, by incorporating it into a ready-made system, have added features that are not currently available in the CRMs mentioned above. Customer problem reports are registered, interaction with Google maps is implemented, an automated wizard is implemented, and a project management module is implemented.

Many of them are still in the early stages of development and require further improvement (even the reporting function or the aforementioned project management module). Despite the fact that the creators have stated that SuiteCRM will continue to be developed, the capabilities now available are significantly more limited than those available in rival, commercial software.

Is it worthwhile to use a free customer relationship management system?

As you can see, free software that combines business process support and other features is not a viable option.

Make use of free CRM systems as an experiment and a testing ground to determine whether or not your personnel are receptive to new deployments. We also advise care when it comes to the collecting of personal data – free solutions do not provide assistance or data protection, and they frequently provide an incomplete description of the legal standards on the basis of which the CRM software processes the information belonging to your organization.

Be aware that purchasing CRM alone will not guarantee your company’s success in marketing efforts, nor will it instantly increase your company’s sales metrics or client relationships. The platform must be established, staff must be trained, and it must be tailored to your specific requirements in order to be effective in supporting the team.

Because of this, paying for solutions that are always being created, enhanced, and updated is a wise decision. Technical and substantive support is available from their developers, as is training and online courses, while partner firms such as Craftware create complementary implementations to customize the CRM for your specific requirements.

We hope that reading this information will help to clear up any confusion and assist you in making the best decision possible. If you’re still not convinced, give us a call today! We will be pleased to go through the specifics with you and provide you with advice in a particular circumstance.