CiviCRM vs OroCRM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | CiviCRM | OroCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 62 · Good |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | OSL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 779 | ★ 685 |
| First released | 2005 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Salesforce, Blackbaud | Salesforce, HubSpot |
What are CiviCRM and OroCRM?
CiviCRM
CiviCRM is an open-source constituent relationship management system designed for nonprofits and civic-sector organizations. It manages donors, members, events, and campaigns.
- Donor and member management
- Event registration
- Email campaigns
- Integrates with WordPress and Drupal
OroCRM
OroCRM is an open-source customer relationship management application designed for B2B and multi-channel sales. It offers strong reporting, segmentation, and workflow automation.
- B2B sales pipeline
- Advanced segmentation
- Workflow automation
- Detailed analytics
CiviCRM vs OroCRM: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for CiviCRM versus OSL-3.0 for OroCRM. CiviCRM is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for OroCRM. CiviCRM is the more established project (first released 2005), while OroCRM arrived in 2014. OroCRM lists first-class Docker deployment; CiviCRM does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OroCRM if…
- Released under the OSL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is CiviCRM or OroCRM better?
CiviCRM is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OroCRM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are CiviCRM and OroCRM free and open-source?
Yes. CiviCRM is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and OroCRM under OSL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CiviCRM and OroCRM with Docker?
CiviCRM: check the project docs for container support. OroCRM: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, CiviCRM or OroCRM?
CiviCRM has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for OroCRM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.