NocoBase CRM Solution is Now Live — Ready for You to Explore

#opensource #lowcode #nocode

Originally published at https://www.nocobase.com/en/blog/crm-solution.

We’re excited to announce the official launch of the NocoBase CRM Solution!

As an open-source no-code platform, NocoBase has been widely used to build all kinds of business applications. Among them, CRM is one of the most common starting points—so it only made sense for us to make it the first official solution in our lineup.

You can now try it directly in our live demo environment and easily replicate it for your own needs.

👉 Try it now: https://www.nocobase.com/en/solutions/crm

Why CRM?

CRM systems are one of the most popular use cases for NocoBase. They have a clear structure, standardized workflows, and well-defined data relationships—making them a perfect showcase of NocoBase’s strengths: visual data modeling, flexible permissions, automated workflows, and built-in charts.

Even more importantly, CRM is a use case that’s been validated across a wide range of real-world scenarios by our global user base.

What’s Inside the CRM Demo?

You’ll find a fully functional CRM system where you can:

Manage customers, contacts, and organizational profiles
Customize dashboards with funnel charts, rankings, and more
Handle approvals and send emails directly within the platform
Set up reminders, automate workflows, and assign tasks
Tailor fields, relationships, permissions, and interface layouts

From data modeling to UI design to business logic, everything is configured visually—no code required.

What Commercial Plugins Are Used?

The current CRM Demo includes the following commercial plugins to provide a complete experience:

Plugin	Role in CRM	Alternative Without Plugin
Data Visualization: ECharts	Customizable charts (e.g., funnels, bar, pie)	Use the free chart plugin or embed external charts via iframe blocks
Data Table: Comments	Add comments to customers, contacts, tickets, etc.	Combine Markdown (Vditor) with list views as a workaround
Email Manager	Send and manage emails within the system (supports high-volume usage)	Basic functionality (~50%) achievable with data tables + email workflow node; attachments not supported
Backups Manager	Backup, restore, and distribute your app data	Use manual database migration as an alternative
Workflow: Approval	Supports approval flows (e.g., quotes, orders)	Use status fields with linkage rules; limited for complex workflows
Workflow: JSON Variable Mapping	Parse SQL results and assign leads to sales reps	Can use SQL stored procedures for complex logic
Workflow: JSON Query	Advanced JSON parsing for tasks after lead assignment	SQL stored procedures can be used as an alternative
Workflow: Custom Variable	Temporarily store values (e.g., customer ID after creating a service ticket)	SQL stored procedures can serve as a workaround
Action: Export records (Pro)	Export data from any table	Use the default export feature (limited capabilities)
Action: Import records (Pro)	Import data into any table	Use the default import feature as a basic alternative
Custom Variable	Display numeric badges on tab labels	⚠️ No
Template Printing	Generate printable quotes and orders	⚠️ No
History (in beta)	Track changes to data records	⚠️ No

What If You Haven’t Purchased Commercial Plugins?

Even without commercial plugins, you can still build and run a fully functional CRM using NocoBase’s core features. Here’s how to handle some of the more advanced use cases:

1. Complex Logic (e.g., Lead Assignment)

If you don’t have access to features like pre-operation events, JSON parsing nodes, or JavaScript nodes, you can shift the logic into SQL stored procedures. This works, but it can make the codebase harder to manage and complicate future migrations.

2. Change Tracking Without History Logs

Without the history log plugin, you can approximate this functionality by combining pre-operation events, query nodes, and JavaScript nodes to compare field values. However, this method is manual, complex, and may affect performance—especially for large datasets or frequent changes.

3. Basic Commenting Without Specialized Blocks

Missing features like the Comments plugin? You can recreate basic commenting using list views and Markdown fields. Check out this tutorial for an example:

👉 Using the Task Tutorial Plugin

While not as seamless, it covers most basic scenarios.

4. Other Features

Some capabilities—like custom variable, template printing, or history logs—are difficult to replicate without the respective plugins. These may require significant custom development or workarounds.

Copy It to Your Own Environment

You can copy the entire CRM system into your own NocoBase environment with just a few clicks. It’s a solid foundation to build on—add, remove, or customize any features to fit your exact business needs.

Read the guide: NocoBase CRM Demo Deployment Guide

We’ll also be publishing step-by-step tutorials that explain exactly how this CRM was built.

And this is just the start—more ready-to-use solutions are on the way, including ticketing systems, project management tools, and more.

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