Running a service-based business means keeping up with client bookings, payments, follow-ups, and a million other things all at once.
If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be an easier way,” there’s good news.
You don’t need to be tech-savvy (or spend much money) to automate the boring stuff. Here are six free, open source workflow tools that do the heavy lifting for you without complicated setups.
1. ERPNext – The All-in-One Business Hub
Best For: Keeping everything (clients, invoices, scheduling) in one place.
What It Does: Helps with invoicing, client management, scheduling, and inventory if needed.
Why You’ll Love It: No tech skills needed.
Real-Life Use: A client books a session. ERPNext automatically adds them to your system, schedules the service, and sends an invoice.
👉 Check it out: https://erpnext.com
2. N8N – The No-Code Automation Sidekick
Best For: Automating small (but time-consuming) tasks—like sending reminders.
What It Does: Connects your email, calendar, invoices, and CRM so they all talk to each other.
Why You’ll Love It: It’s like Zapier, but free and open source (aka no sneaky fees).
Real-Life Use: Someone books an appointment, and N8N automatically sends them a confirmation email, updates your schedule, and creates a follow-up reminder.
👉 Check it out: https://n8n.io
3. Dolibarr – The Easy CRM + Billing System
Best For: Keeping track of clients, invoices, and contracts without using 10 different apps.
What It Does: Manages your customer list, sends invoices, and reminds you when payments are due.
Why You’ll Love It: Everything is super organized—no more digging through emails to find client info.
Real-Life Use: A client signs up for your service. Dolibarr automatically logs their details, generates an invoice, and sets a reminder to follow up.
👉 Check it out: https://www.dolibarr.org
4. OpenProject – The Task & Deadline Tracker
Best For: Staying on top of client projects and to-dos.
What It Does: It lets you organize projects, track progress, and set up simple automation.
Why You’ll Love It: Keeps you from forgetting deadlines (or losing track of your to-do list).
Real-Life Use: You get a new client. OpenProject automatically creates a checklist for their project, assigns deadlines, and tracks progress.
👉 Check it out: https://www.openproject.org
5. Kimai – The Time Tracking & Invoicing Tool
Best For: Freelancers and service providers who bill by the hour.
What It Does: Tracks your time on each client and automatically turns it into an invoice.
Why You’ll Love It: No more guessing how long you worked on a project.
Real-Life Use: You start working on a project. Kimai tracks your hours in the background. When you’ve finished the project, the tool generates an invoice with the click of a button.
👉 Check it out: https://www.kimai.org
6. Rukovoditel – The Customizable Business Manager
Best For: Business owners who want to set up simple automations.
What It Does: Helps you track clients, projects, invoices, and even workflows.
Why You’ll Love It: You can tweak it to work exactly how you want.
Real-Life Use: You create a simple workflow: “When a client signs up, send them a welcome email + assign a task to follow up in 3 days.”
👉 Check it out: https://www.rukovoditel.net
You don’t need fancy software (or a big budget) to run your business smoothly. These free workflow tools help you stay organized, automate tasks, and get paid on time without tech headaches. If you try one, let us know!