Guide · Open source

How to use laravel-crm: install Krayin CRM with Laravel

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

laravel-crm is the Composer package behind Krayin CRM, a free, open-source customer relationship management system built with the Laravel PHP framework and Vue.js. It tracks customers, leads and sales across the customer lifecycle, and it is aimed at small and mid-sized businesses that want to host their own CRM. This guide walks through the requirements, the install commands from the project README, and the first login.

Krayin CRMkrayin/laravel-crm · ★ 24.1k · MIT Install options & downloads

Quick start

1Check requirements. Confirm PHP 8.3+, Composer 2.5+, MySQL 8.0.32+ or MariaDB 11.4 LTS+, Apache 2 or NGINX, and 3 GB RAM.
2Create the project. Run composer create-project to create the laravel-crm project.
3Configure .env. Set APP_URL to your domain and configure the Mail and Database parameters.
4Run the install command. Run php artisan krayin-crm:install.
5Prepare for production. Run composer install --no-dev to remove developer dependencies on a server.
6Log in. Open /admin/login on your domain and sign in with the admin account.

What laravel-crm is and who it suits

Krayin CRM is a self-hosted CRM for managing customers, leads and sales. The README describes it as aimed at small businesses and enterprises, and it includes an admin panel and a dashboard. It is released under the MIT License, so the framework is free to use.

It fits teams that have PHP or Laravel developers and want to customize a CRM, or organizations that want to avoid recurring per-seat SaaS fees. It is a poor fit for non-technical users who need a hosted tool with no setup.

Good fit: small and mid-sized businesses that want a self-hosted CRM.
Good fit: developers building CRM features on the Laravel package structure.
Poor fit: teams without server administration skills.

Check the requirements before you install

You need a server with a PHP runtime, Composer, a database and a web server. The README lists the minimums below.

PHP 8.3 or higher
Composer 2.5 or higher
MySQL 8.0.32 or higher, or MariaDB 11.4 LTS or higher (the README recommends 11.8 LTS for MariaDB)
Apache 2 or NGINX web server
RAM of 3 GB or higher

Install laravel-crm with Composer

Create the project with Composer using the command from the README. Then open the .env file in the project root and set APP_URL to your domain. Also configure the Mail and Database parameters in the same file.

Next, run the Krayin install command.

composer create-project
php artisan krayin-crm:install

Run it locally or on a server

For a local test, clear the routes and start the built-in development server. The README uses php artisan serve for this.

On a server, the README says to remove developer dependencies before going to production. Open the entry point you configured in your browser, or add an entry to your hosts file if you have not done so.

php artisan route:clear
php artisan serve

Remove developer dependencies for production

The README warns that you should uninstall developer dependencies before running in production mode. Use the command below.

composer install --no-dev

Log in to the admin panel

The admin login is at /admin/login on your domain. The README lists a default email and password in its install section. Change these credentials as soon as you sign in, because the README publishes them openly.

http(s)://example.com/admin/login
email:admin@example.com
password:admin123

What people use it for

Tracking customers, leads and sales across the customer lifecycle.
Running a CRM on your own server instead of paying per seat for a SaaS tool.
Adding custom CRM features on top of the Laravel package structure.
Using the admin panel and dashboard to manage your sales team's pipeline.

Frequently asked questions

Is laravel-crm free?

Yes. The README says Krayin CRM is fully open source under the MIT License and will always be free. You still pay for your own server, hosting and any paid extensions or managed hosting you choose.

What are the requirements for laravel-crm?

The README lists PHP 8.3 or higher, Composer 2.5 or higher, MySQL 8.0.32 or higher or MariaDB 11.4 LTS or higher, an Apache 2 or NGINX web server, and 3 GB of RAM or more.

How do I install Krayin CRM?

Run composer create-project, set APP_URL and the Mail and Database values in .env, then run php artisan krayin-crm:install. The README gives these commands in this order.

Can I host Krayin CRM without setting up a server?

The README points to Krayin CRM Cloud Hosting, a fully managed paid service where the team sets up and configures the CRM on your domain. The README does not describe pricing, so check the Krayin website for details.

How does Krayin CRM compare to Odoo or SuiteCRM?

The source lists Odoo, SuiteCRM, Twenty and EspoCRM as comparable projects, but it does not compare features or performance. Test the features you need against each option before choosing one.

Why does the README say to remove dev dependencies?

The README says to run composer install --no-dev before production because developer dependencies are not needed on a live server.

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Our verdict

Choose laravel-crm if you have PHP and Laravel skills, a server to run it on, and want a free, self-hosted CRM you can customize. Pick a hosted SaaS CRM or the managed Krayin Cloud Hosting option if you need the setup handled for you, or a broader platform like Odoo if you need features beyond the short list in the README.

Install options & downloads