Tine is an open-source groupware and CRM suite with email, calendar and tasks. See Tine's pricing, self-hosting options and how it compares to alternatives.
Tine, formerly branded Tine 2.0, is an open-source groupware, CRM and business collaboration suite developed by German software company Metaways Infosystems GmbH. It bundles the applications most organizations rely on for daily collaboration, including shared email, calendars, address books and task management, alongside a built-in CRM module, into a single self-hosted or hosted web application.
The project originated from discussions within the eGroupware open-source community in 2007. Metaways funded two developers to build a new MySQL-backed implementation with access control lists and a redesigned interface, and released the first public version on October 30, 2008. The name Tine 2.0 was a playful nod to This is not eGroupWare, emphasizing that it was a fresh, independent rewrite rather than a fork of the existing eGroupware codebase.
Tine is released under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPLv3), and its developers publish the full source code of every standard application, including those bundled in the commercially supported Business Edition, rather than reserving features for a closed enterprise tier. This makes it a fully open-source alternative to proprietary groupware suites for organizations that want to self-host and audit their collaboration software.
Tine's core groupware modules cover shared email over IMAP, calendars, address books and task management, all accessible through a browser-based JavaScript client backed by a PHP and SQL server. These modules are designed to work together, so a calendar event can be linked to a contact or a task can be tied to a CRM record.
Beyond basic groupware, Tine includes a built-in CRM module for tracking leads, contacts and sales activity, plus optional modules for file sync and share, time tracking, and light project or ticket management, positioning it as a broader business collaboration platform rather than just an email and calendar tool.
Because the complete source is AGPLv3-licensed, organizations can self-host Tine on their own infrastructure with no per-user licensing fee, audit or modify the code, and choose from independent commercial partners for paid support, or subscribe directly to Metaways's own hosted SaaS packages for a managed alternative.
Tine's self-hosted Business Edition is free to download, install and run under the AGPLv3 license, with no per-user or per-feature license cost; commercial partners offer paid support and maintenance contracts for organizations that want guaranteed response times.
Metaways also runs a directly hosted SaaS version with tiered monthly packages: the base Groupware package starts at roughly 12.90 euros per month, excluding VAT, for a small number of user accounts, email inboxes and storage, with additional users and storage billed incrementally, and higher packages, including Pro and a Sync and Share add-on, priced separately for teams that want extra functionality.
Tine, formerly Tine 2.0, is an open-source groupware, CRM and business collaboration suite that bundles email, calendar, contacts, tasks and CRM into one web application, developed by Metaways Infosystems GmbH.
Yes, Tine's self-hosted Business Edition is free to download and run under the AGPLv3 license. Metaways also offers a paid hosted SaaS version with monthly pricing that starts around 12.90 euros per month.
Tine 2.0 was originally a playful backronym for This is not eGroupWare, signaling that the project was an independent new codebase rather than a fork of the earlier eGroupware suite it grew out of discussing.
Tine is developed and maintained by Metaways Infosystems GmbH, a software company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
Yes, Tine includes a built-in CRM module for tracking contacts, leads and sales activity alongside its groupware features.
Yes, Tine can be self-hosted on your own PHP and SQL server infrastructure at no license cost, since the full Business Edition source code is published under AGPLv3.
Tine is released under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPLv3).
Tine originated from discussions within the eGroupware community but was built as an independent rewrite rather than a fork, with its own MySQL-backed architecture and interface first released in 2008.