1. Overview & GitHub Stats#

• URL: https://github.com/salesagility/SuiteCRM
• Stars: 4830
• License: GNU Affero General Public License v3.0
• Primary Language: PHP

2. Project Description#

SuiteCRM is a fully open-source Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that offers enterprise-grade features without the licensing costs of commercial solutions. Forked from SugarCRM in 2013, it has evolved into a robust alternative with sales automation, marketing tools, customer support, and reporting capabilities.

Unlike many CRMs that charge per user, SuiteCRM is free to use, modify, and deploy, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes. It supports custom modules, workflows, and integrations while maintaining a user-friendly interface.

3. What Software Does It Replace?#

SuiteCRM competes with:

• Salesforce (Commercial)
• HubSpot CRM (Freemium)
• Zoho CRM (Freemium)
• SugarCRM Professional (Paid)
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Commercial)

4. Core Functionality#

Key features include:

• Sales Automation: Lead, opportunity, and pipeline management.
• Marketing Tools: Email campaigns, lead capture forms, and analytics.
• Customer Support: Case tracking and ticketing system.
• Reporting & Dashboards: Customizable reports and real-time analytics.
• Mobile App: iOS and Android support.
• API & Integrations: REST API for third-party tools like Zapier, Mailchimp, and QuickBooks.

5. Pros and Cons#

Prerequisites#

• Linux Server (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended)
• LAMP Stack: Apache, MySQL, PHP 7.4+
• Composer (Dependency Manager)

Step-by-Step Setup#

1. Install Dependencies

   1
   sudo apt update && sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip
   

2. Configure MySQL

   1
   sudo mysql_secure_installation
   2
   mysql -u root -p
   3
   CREATE DATABASE suitecrm;
   4
   CREATE USER 'suiteuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'YourPassword123';
   5
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON suitecrm.* TO 'suiteuser'@'localhost';
   6
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   

3. Download SuiteCRM

   1
   cd /var/www/html
   2
   sudo git clone https://github.com/salesagility/SuiteCRM.git
   3
   sudo chown -R www-data:www-data SuiteCRM
   

4. Run the Installer

   • Access http://your-server-ip/SuiteCRM in a browser.
   • Follow the setup wizard (database details: suitecrm, suiteuser, YourPassword123).

5. Cron Jobs (Optional for Automation)

   1
   sudo crontab -u www-data -e
   2
   */5 * * * * php /var/www/html/SuiteCRM/cron.php > /dev/null 2>&1
   

Post-Installation#

• Secure with HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt.
• Back up /var/www/html/SuiteCRM and the MySQL database regularly.

Done! You now have a self-hosted CRM rivaling Salesforce. 🚀