Twenty Review

The README describes Twenty as the open alternative to Salesforce, designed for AI, for technical teams that want to build and version their CRM like the rest of their stack. Building blocks are objects, views, workflows, and AI agents with chat, and you extend them as code. The Apps framework scaffolds with npx create-twenty-app, defines objects and views in code using the twenty-sdk, and publishes with npx twenty app:publish --private, and the repository provides agent skills for coding tools such as Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. OpenAlternative lists a custom data model, no-code workflow automation, a built-in AI chat assistant, a native MCP server, role-based permissions with row-level access on the Organization plan, and REST, GraphQL, and MCP APIs. The stack is TypeScript, Nx, NestJS with BullMQ, PostgreSQL, and Redis on the backend and React with Jotai, Linaria, and Lingui on the frontend.

The Docker Compose self-hosting guide requires Docker and Docker Compose, up to date, and at least 2 GB of RAM (it warns that insufficient memory can crash processes) and does not specify CPU. The stack is a server and a worker, a Postgres container (twenty-postgres), and Redis. A one-line install script exists, and setting VERSION to a full release tag such as v2.38.1 installs that version, since aliases like latest are not accepted. Key environment variables go in .env and must also be declared in docker-compose.yml: ENCRYPTION_KEY (generate with openssl rand -base64 32; losing it means losing access to stored secrets), PG_DATABASE_PASSWORD (a strong password without special characters such as @, /, #, or %), SERVER_URL (your public URL, kept set because blank values reach the server as empty strings), and the STORAGE_TYPE and STORAGE_S3_* variables if you use S3 (an empty STORAGE_S3_NAME breaks every upload). Compose volumes persist the database and server storage, stateless environments need external storage, and backups use pg_dump against the container, with cron and restore steps in the guide. SSL is needed for some browser features such as clipboard copy buttons. The page does not describe an upgrade procedure beyond version pinning and key rotation.

The interface follows the object, view, and record pattern of modern CRMs, with a data model you can reshape without code and an Apps framework when you need more. The built-in AI chat can query and act on records. The cloud plans cap API calls at 50 per minute on Pro and 100 on Organization. This section reflects the README, license, self-hosting guide, and pricing page; we did not deploy Twenty.

• Custom objects, fields, and relations with views
• No-code workflow automation and AI agents with chat
• TypeScript Apps framework for custom objects, logic, and UI components
• REST, GraphQL, and MCP APIs and a native MCP server
• Role-based permissions, with row-level access on the Organization plan
• SAML and OIDC SSO on the Organization plan

• The most developer-friendly open-source CRM, with a real extension framework
• A precise license: applications that interact with Twenty only through its published interfaces are not automatically covered by the AGPL and may use proprietary terms
• Fast-growing community: about 58,000 stars, up roughly 3% in a month
• Low-priced cloud plans compared with Salesforce and HubSpot, and a generous 30-day trial without a credit card

• Files whose first line reads /* @license Enterprise */ are under a commercial license, and production use needs a valid Enterprise Edition subscription for the right number of hosts and seats
• The AGPL's network clause means modified versions offered to users over a network must offer them the source, and the application exception does not cover a modified Twenty itself
• Row-level permissions and SSO need the Organization plan, and single-tenant isolation, IP allow-listing, and SCIM are Enterprise from $50k per year
• Self-hosting needs PostgreSQL, Redis, a worker, at least 2 GB of RAM, and careful secrets handling (losing ENCRYPTION_KEY locks you out of stored secrets)
• Fewer out-of-the-box sales features (quoting, forecasting, marketing automation) than the big CRMs

Cloud Pro is $9/user/month billed yearly, with full customization, custom apps, AI agents with custom skills, 50 workflow credits per year, and standard support. Organization is $19/user/month and adds row-level permissions, SAML or OIDC SSO, a custom domain, and priority support. Enterprise is from $50k per year with single-tenant isolation, IP allow-listing, SCIM provisioning, dedicated support, and an SLA. API limits are 50, 100, or custom calls per minute by plan, and there is a free trial (the FAQ mentions 30 days). The open-source core can be self-hosted at no cost, but files under the Enterprise license need a paid subscription in production.

Salesforce and HubSpot are full CRM platforms with marketing, service, and huge ecosystems, and Attio and Pipedrive are lighter, more modern options. Twenty targets technical teams that want to own and extend their CRM: you model your data, version it in code, and self-host if you wish, at a lower per-seat price. It is not a drop-in replacement for the big suites' marketing and service features, and Comp AI CRM and Macro CRM take more AI-first routes.

• Engineering-led teams that want to model and extend their own CRM
• Startups that want a low-cost Salesforce alternative with an API-first design
• Teams that want a CRM their AI agents can read and write through MCP

• Sales teams that need built-in marketing automation, quoting, and forecasting
• Organizations that need a purely permissive license or cannot use AGPL software
• Teams without technical resources to configure and extend a CRM