Software coverage and replacement planning¶
See which kinds of software CRM-NG can take over, which modules provide the features and what to check before switching.
Needs: All modules
CRM-NG includes tools for customer management, delivery, support and business administration. This chapter helps you compare those capabilities with the applications your organization uses now. Each entry links to the instructions needed to examine a feature in more detail.
A replacement decision depends on your actual process, the installed modules and the requirements of the data you need to move. The tables describe the functions covered by CRM-NG; they do not promise that every feature of another product is available or that its commercial license is included.
Customers, sales and membership¶
| Software category | CRM-NG coverage and requirements | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| CRM and sales pipeline | Core client records, companies, leads, deals, notes and follow-up tasks. | Map existing record types, required fields, owners and sales stages. Check duplicate handling and permission boundaries. |
| Customer membership and service plans | Pro Plans, SLA v2 and included-hours billing support service terms, priority limits, discounts and monthly allowances. | Compare the exact benefits and billing rules your members receive. Service membership does not, by itself, establish a paid-content paywall or an automatic subscription-payment system. |
| Advanced customer segmentation | Core tags, segments and custom fields group contacts using saved conditions. | Keep the concepts separate: membership defines entitlements; segments select an audience; tags label records. Test the resulting audience before sending a campaign. |
| Web and lead analytics | The Lead Intelligence module relates visitor activity and sources to inquiries. | Review consent settings, identity matching, attribution and retention. Compare the reports you need rather than assuming it covers every website analytics use case. |
Projects, staff and assets¶
| Software category | CRM-NG coverage and requirements | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Project management | Pro Projects, sprints, tasks and subtasks, dependencies, templates and project billing. | Try a project with your actual task hierarchy, team, dates and billing method. Epics are not available in the reviewed build. |
| HR administration | Pro HR covers employee records, teams, leave, attendance, approvals, recruitment, performance, training, skills and employee self-service. | Review the access model for employee and pay information. Maintaining HR and compensation records is separate from running payroll or filing payroll returns. |
| Asset and inventory tracking | Core Assets and Vendors record individual equipment, stock, assignments, warranties and suppliers. | Compare your serial-number, quantity, location and assignment requirements. Check inventory-accounting behavior separately where financial stock valuation matters. |
Accounting and invoicing¶
| Software category | CRM-NG coverage and requirements | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Estimates and invoicing | Core Estimates, Invoices, Payments and Time, with Pro billing features for supported service allowances and projects. | Test line items, rates, discounts, tax treatment, partial payments and invoice balances. Online payment collection needs a separately configured processor. |
| Accounting and expense management | Pro Accounting adds purchases, supplier bills, reimbursements, journals, bank imports, reconciliation and financial reports. | Agree opening balances, account mappings, tax settings, closing dates and reporting needs with the person responsible for the books. The module does not make tax filings for you. |
Support, documents and knowledge¶
| Software category | CRM-NG coverage and requirements | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Help desk and customer portal | The Client Portal module provides ticket submission and conversations. Pro Plans and SLA v2 add membership benefits and service targets. | Test customer visibility, internal notes, response and resolution clocks, waiting statuses, discounts and company access using the intended roles. |
| Support email intake | The Email Intake module reads a connected Gmail inbox, creates or updates tickets and sends unmatched items for review. | Incoming mail is configured separately from outgoing SMTP. Check sender matching, reply threading and the handling of unknown senders. This edition documents Gmail intake. |
| Automatic staff routing and notifications | Skill-based workflow assignment uses Pro HR skills. Notifications include supported in-app, email, digest and chat routes. | Maintain the skills library, eligible staff pool and fallback behavior. Test assignment separately from message delivery; receiving an alert does not itself assign responsibility. |
| Document library and eSigning | The Client Portal module supplies templates, assigned copies, signatures and signing history. | Test your actual document layout and signer flow. Review the original and completed files, audit record and private-file access. Confirm any organization-specific signing requirements before adopting the process. |
| Knowledge base | Core Knowledge Base provides reusable articles and supported Git mirroring. | Review organization, visibility, publishing responsibilities and how staff will keep answers current. |
Email, automation and security¶
| Software category | CRM-NG coverage and requirements | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| A separate email delivery service | The bundled Email Delivery module provides supported SMTP and Gmail API transports, configuration and test delivery. | Confirm the installed edition and the provider-specific functions you need. The reviewed local bundle identifies itself as WP Mail SMTP Lite 4.9.6; a separately added Pro edition is not verified by this guide. Email delivery still requires a mail-provider account. |
| FIDO2 / WebAuthn and MFA | The Security module supports passkeys and security keys alongside authenticator codes and recovery options. | Test enrollment, required roles, grace periods, recovery and the devices your users rely on. FIDO2 security keys and WebAuthn passkeys are related sign-in capabilities within the same security area. |
| Account and web security | Security operations and core roles and permissions cover supported login policies, lockouts, bans, activity and account access. | Compare the particular controls you use. These features do not replace hosting security, backups, malware scanning or a web application firewall. |
| Workflow automation | Classic rules, the beta visual builder, supported schedules, actions and webhooks automate application work. | Test each required trigger and action, integration credentials, failure handling and run history. Check the catalogue for module-dependent actions. |
Work through one complete process¶
For a support team, a useful evaluation starts with a customer email and ends with a resolved request and an accurate bill. Use an account with the intended membership, let the configured workflow choose a staff member, check the notification, record the work and review any included hours before invoicing. The everyday examples show other processes you can use.
For each tool you hope to replace, record the features you actually use, the CRM-NG module that covers them and any gap discovered during the trial. Include data migration and export requirements in that review. A feature match alone does not establish that historical records can be imported without preparation.
Services and costs to keep in the plan¶
On CRM-NG Cloud we provide the hosting, backups and maintenance; self-hosted, those are yours. SMTP or Gmail delivery needs a provider account; Gmail intake needs access to its inbox; Stripe collection needs a payment account; chat notifications need their destination service. The optional booking integration depends on Booking Hub and any connected calendars.
Pro and optional module availability depends on the installed release, license and configuration. See Modules and feature availability and About this edition before treating an evaluation as a purchase specification. For a shorter overview, read the product guide's software comparison.