CRM systems are usually pain, compromises, and five-figure bills. Salesforce is the industry standard, but its interface is stuck in 2010, and its pricing is in the stratosphere. Twenty offers an alternative.
Twenty is an open-source CRM built on a modern stack (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL). The interface is minimalistic, dark, and panel-oriented. It looks more like Notion than Salesforce — and that’s a compliment.
Core Functions
- Contacts and Companies — with custom fields, tags, notes
- Deals — kanban board, stages, amounts, probabilities
- Tasks — linked to contacts and deals, deadlines
- Timeline — history of client interactions: emails, calls, meetings
- API and Webhooks — integration with external services
Filtering is powerful: you can build complex segments based on any fields. Export to CSV. Import from other CRMs.
Self-Hosting
Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, Redis. Requirements — 2 GB RAM. Setup is straightforward, but email integration requires configuration: you need to connect a mail server for sending and IMAP/OAuth for receiving emails.
Customization
Twenty is built on a modular architecture. You can create custom objects, fields, and relationships. The GraphQL API provides access to all data. Frontend components can be extended via a plugin system (in active development).
What’s Missing
No built-in email campaigns. No marketing automation. Reporting is basic — there are few custom dashboards and charts. No mobile app.
Verdict
Twenty is the best open-source CRM for teams that have outgrown Google Sheets but aren’t ready to pay –150 per user per month. Ideal for B2B sales in companies of up to 100 people.