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Building an Open-Source CRM: 6 Lessons from Creating a Filament-Based Alternative
r/SaaS
7/7/2025
Content Summary
The post details the development journey of Relaticle, an open-source CRM built with Laravel and Filament. Key lessons include choosing specialized frameworks to reduce development time, managing feature creep by focusing on core features, transitioning to full open-source based on community feedback, implementing robust multi-team architecture, and adopting community-first development strategies. The project has gained traction with 220+ GitHub stars and an active Discord community. Comments highlight appreciation for technical decisions like database-level security and discussions around open-source sustainability.
Opinion Analysis
Mainstream opinions praise the technical implementation and open-source approach:
- Filament framework choice significantly accelerated development
- True multi-team isolation is seen as a key differentiator
- Full open-sourcing of Custom Fields plugin builds community trust
Controversial aspects:
- Security-focused users debate application-layer vs database-level isolation
- Some question long-term sustainability of fully open-source model
Divergent perspectives:
- Developers value technical rigor (Pest tests, PHP 8.3 features)
- Entrepreneurs emphasize community-building strategies
- Security experts advocate for enterprise-grade protections
SAAS TOOLS
| SaaS | URL | Category | Features/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaticle | https://relaticle.com | CRM | Open-source, Laravel/Filament, multi-team isolation, custom fields |
| FlowForge | [Not provided] | Kanban Board | Drag-and-drop for Filament |
| Filament | [Not provided] | Admin Panel Framework | Reduces admin panel dev time by 80% |
| Laravel | [Not provided] | Backend Framework | Improved Pest integration, performance |
| Pest | [Not provided] | Testing Framework | Architectural constraint enforcement |
| Postgres | [Not provided] | Database | Row-level security policies |
| Sentry | [Not provided] | Error Monitoring | Admin panel activity tracking |
| Vault | [Not provided] | Secrets Management | Envelope encryption for tenant data |
| Cloudflare Access | [Not provided] | Security | Admin panel protection |
| HackerOne | [Not provided] | Security | Bug bounty platform |
| PeerPush | https://peerpush.net | Marketing | Peer-powered discovery |
USER NEEDS
Pain Points:
- Feature creep delaying product launch
- Security concerns in multi-tenant data isolation
- Balancing open-source transparency with monetization
- Time-consuming admin panel development
Problems to Solve:
- Need for true workspace isolation in CRMs
- Efficient development of admin interfaces
- Building community trust through open-source
- Ensuring data security in multi-team environments
Potential Solutions:
- Strict focus on core features first
- Using specialized frameworks like Filament
- Full open-source model with community involvement
- Database-level security (RLS) and encryption
GROWTH FACTORS
Effective Strategies:
- Community-first development approach
- Open-source model for transparency and trust
Marketing & Acquisition:
- Early Discord community access for feedback
- Building complementary tools (FlowForge)
- GitHub visibility through stars and contributions
Monetization & Product:
- Transition from hybrid to full open-source model
- Potential enterprise features (security audits, SOC2 reports)
User Engagement:
- Active Discord community management
- Co-creation through open-source contributions
- Transparency in development process