Licensing decides what you may do with a CRM: run it internally, customize it, host it for clients, or build a product on top. While verifying this directory we read every project's license file, and the differences are bigger than the marketing suggests. This is general information, not legal advice.
Permissive licenses: MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD
You may use, modify and even close-source your changes. Examples in our directory: Krayin (MIT), Atomic CRM (MIT), ChurchCRM (MIT), Fat Free CRM (MIT), Corteza (Apache-2.0), koalixcrm (BSD-3-Clause). Best when you want maximum freedom, for example to build a commercial product.
Copyleft: GPL and AGPL
If you distribute modified versions, you must share the source under the same license. The AGPL goes one step further: if users interact with your modified version over a network, you must offer them the source. Examples: SuiteCRM, EspoCRM, Frappe CRM (AGPL-3.0), Dolibarr, ERPNext, Mautic (GPL-3.0). For internal company use this rarely matters. For SaaS resellers it matters a lot.
LGPL, MPL-style and OSL
Odoo Community is LGPL-3.0, OroCRM is under the Open Software License 3.0, and Vtiger's open source edition uses a Mozilla Public License 1.1 based license (the Sugar Public License). These are weaker copyleft licenses with their own conditions, so read them before redistributing.
Open core: open source plus a paid folder
Several popular projects publish most code under an open license but keep some features proprietary:
- Twenty: mostly AGPL-3.0, but some files are under a commercial license.
- Chatwoot: MIT, except the enterprise/ directory.
- Customermates: AGPL outside the ee/ directory.
- Odoo: the Community edition is open source, Enterprise is proprietary.
Open core is perfectly legitimate, but check that the features you need are in the open part.
Source-available and non-commercial: not open source
Some repositories are public but not open source in the usual sense. When we checked on 14 October 2026:
- YetiForce's LICENSE file is the "YetiForce Non-commercial License", and its GitHub repository is archived.
- NocoBase's repository carries a custom "NocoBase License Agreement".
- Erxes describes itself as source available.
- AlphOne describes itself as source-available software under a custom license.
These can still be useful products, but they are not in our directory because the promise here is genuinely free, open source software. Licenses can change, so always check the current file.
No license file at all
A public repository without a LICENSE file is not automatically open source. By default the author keeps all rights. We did not list any project that lacked a license file.
Practical rules of thumb
- Using a CRM for your own company: almost any of these licenses is fine.
- Hosting a CRM for clients or reselling it: prefer MIT/Apache, or read the AGPL carefully.
- Building a product on top: choose MIT/Apache or confirm commercial terms.
- Rebranding: some licenses (for example Cordys CRM's extra terms) require keeping logos and notices.
Each CRM page in the directory shows the license we found and any notes.