Twenty review

A CRM you own outright, if you can run Docker

Twenty is an open source CRM that looks and feels like it was built this decade, which is not something you can say about most of the software in this category. It covers the core of CRM work: contacts and companies, a Kanban deal pipeline, custom objects and fields, workflows, and an API to wire it into the rest of your stack.

The reason it tops this list is ownership. The core is licensed under AGPL-3.0, so you can run the whole thing on your own server for nothing, with no per-seat fee and no cap on how many users or records you add. Most CRMs charge you more as you grow. Twenty charges you nothing if you host it yourself.

It is young, and it shows in the best and worst ways. The interface is clean and fast, the data model is flexible, and the project moves quickly. It also has fewer integrations and less depth than the incumbents, because it has had less time to build them.

Who should put Twenty on their own server

• Startups and technical teams that want a clean CRM without a per-seat bill
• Anyone who would rather own their data in their own database than rent a hosted plan
• Developers who want an API-first CRM they can extend and self-host

Zero to self-host, and the cloud's price starts at $9

As of July 2026, self-hosting Twenty is free under AGPL-3.0 with no license cost, no per-seat fee, and no cap on users or records. You get the full application: contacts, companies, custom objects, the pipeline, workflows, and API access.

The important caveat is that free means self-hosting. You need Docker and a PostgreSQL database, and you take on your own updates and backups. The hosted cloud, which removes all of that, has no free tier: it is a 30-day trial and then Pro at $9 per user per month, or Organization at $19 for SSO and row-level permissions.

Thin integrations and one licence caveat: Twenty's limits

The integration catalogue is thin next to Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho. If your workflow depends on a specific native connector, check that Twenty has it before you commit, because you may be building it yourself through the API.

Some enterprise-marked files in the codebase sit under a separate Twenty.com commercial license rather than the AGPL, so a fully self-hosted copy is not identical to the paid cloud. For most teams this does not matter, but it is worth knowing before you assume every feature is free to run.

And self-hosting is a real commitment, not a free lunch. Read "free if you can run Docker" literally: if nobody on your team is comfortable maintaining a server, the honest recommendation is a hosted free plan instead.

Our call, if someone on the team runs servers

If you have someone who can run a container, Twenty is the most CRM you can get for zero dollars, and it is genuinely pleasant to use rather than merely free. Own your data, add as many seats as you like, and pay nothing. If you cannot self-host, look at Zoho CRM's free plan first, because Twenty's cloud is a paid product with a trial, not a free tier.