58 Open Source Replacements for Small Business Software: Page 2

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Sugar says it offers "CRM made simple." The open source community edition is suitable for small businesses. You can also upgrade to a professional edition that's available on a SaaS model like SalesForce.com. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

17. vTiger Replaces: SalesForce.com

Made for small and medium businesses, vTiger offers sales force automation, marketing automation, customer support and service, inventory management, activity management, reporting and dashboards. The full version is completely free, but you can also purchase a support subscription or a Salesforce.com-style hosted version which costs $12 per user per month. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Desktop Publishing

Many small businesses would like to save money by creating their brochures, sales sheets, newsletters and other materials in-house, but the desktop publishing software necessary to achieve a professional look is prohibitively expensive. Scribus fills the void with professional-quality features without the high price tag. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

E-mail/Collaboration/Groupware

Collabtive is so much like Basecamp, it can even import Basecamp files. It tracks projects, tasks and milestones with complete time tracking and reporting capabilities. Operating System: OS Independent.

20. Evolution Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook

"The Outlook of Linux," Evolution offers group e-mail, calendar, and addressbook functionality for the Gnome desktop. Key features include junk filtering, Web calendars, customized reminders and advanced security. Operating System: Linux.

21. Group-Office Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook

Group-Office combines a calendar, file sharing, CRM, e-mail, project management, and some billing features. With a paid upgrade, you can also synch your files with your mobile device. Operating System: OS Independent.

22. phpGroupWare Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook, Sharepoint

If you're looking for a particularly flexible app, phpGroupWare includes more than 50 different applications that you can mix and match as you like. That breadth also helps it meet the needs of both small and large organizations. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

23. Thunderbird with Lightning Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook

Made by Mozilla (the people behind the Firefox browser), Thunderbird is an e-mail client with a tabbed interface, excellent search capabilities and e-mail archiving. Use it with Lightning for calendar and to-do list capabilities that make it more like Outlook. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

24. Zimbra Replaces: Microsoft Exchange

This client-server app includes e-mail, calendar, contact management and other collaboration capabilities. If you use Zimbra as your mail server, you can choose to use the Zimbra desktop client or another client like Outlook or Thunderbird. Operating System: Linux, Unix, OS X.

E-Commerce

Because it was designed in part by retailers, Zen Cart does an excellent job of meeting the needs of small business owners. Even if you only have the most basic of computer skills, you can use this app to set up your own online business very quickly. Operating System: OS Independent.

26. PrestaShop Replaces Big Commerce, Volusion, Yahoo Merchant

Used by more than 40,000 businesses, PrestaShop is lightwieght, fast, scalable and modular. The user interface is also very intuitive, which makes it easy for customers to see your products and helps increase your sales. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

27. Order Portal Replaces Mainstreet Commerce, Yahoo Merchant

Part of a full Web Business Suite, Order Portal caters to the e-commerce needs of mid-size, multi-channel manufacturers, distributors, and rental companies. The full Web Business Suite adds a dashboard, CMS, data migration, and other features. Operating System: Linux.

ERP

The Postbooks version of xTuple handles the accounting, sales tracking, CRM, purchasing, product definition, inventory, distribution and reporting needs of smaller businesses. Commercial support and paid versions for larger companies are also available. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

29. webERP Replaces NetSuite , Sage AccPac

Downloaded 5,000 times per month, this Web-based ERP offers a good alternative to NetSuite. Particularly suited to wholesalers and distributors, it prides itself on its security, reliability and ease of use. Operating System: OS Independent.

30. EdgeERP Replaces NetSuite , Sage AccPac

A fork of WebERP with a more community-oriented approach, EdgeERP also boasts about its reliability and accessibility. Key features include multi-currency, multi-language, multiple warehousing, banking, recurring orders and more. Operating System: OS Independent.