No money, no time? CiviCRM Spark
Yesterday I said that if you have no budget of money or time, it might not be worth digging in with CiviCRM.
I should amend that.
The CiviCRM project does offer a very inexpensive hosted version of CiviCRM called CiviCRM Spark.
It's a hosted service, so you don’t have the responsibility of hosting it and handling security udpates; but you also don't get a lot of the benefits of running it on your own site: things like infinite flexibility and tight integration with your website CMS.
Still, for some people that's actually a good thing. Too much flexibility sometimes equates to having enough rope to tie yourself in knots.
From the website:
Spark is a lightweight hosted version of CiviCRM that offers you quick setup, zero administration, and most of the power of CiviCRM with some limitations.
It is built and intended for small to medium-sized organizations that are dipping their toes into the CRM space for the first time or that want to take control of their data and their systems.
Spark offers an enormous amount of functionality at a ridiculously low price. As cool as that sounds, it’s equally important to understand what Spark isn’t:
- Not a replacement for the full download version of CiviCRM
- Not a replacement for CiviCRM support provided by the community
- Not open to complex customizations unique to your organization
If you or someone you know needs a CRM that's built from the ground up for community-driven organizations, but there's just no time or money to justify running your own system, this is a great alternative.
All the best,
A.
P.S. There are a few other services offering fully hosted versions of CiviCRM, though not at such low price points as CiviCRM Spark. Still, they’ve all been around for a while, so someone must think they’re a good deal. You might want to check them out: