# EspoCRM vs Twenty (2026)

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified October 23, 2026.

> **Verdict:** Choose EspoCRM if you want a ready-made open-source CRM with leads, pipelines, marketing campaigns, and support cases that you can self-host free with every feature included, or run on managed cloud with 12x5 support. Choose Twenty if you are a technical team that wants to model your own CRM with unlimited custom objects, TypeScript apps, and a native MCP server for AI assistants, with cloud seats from $9/user/month. The deciding factor is ready-made breadth versus developer customization: EspoCRM gates nothing behind a paywall, while Twenty gates SSO and audit logs at $19/user/month.

**Choose EspoCRM if:** You want to self-host a CRM with the full feature set for free, with nothing held back for a commercial license; You need marketing campaigns and support-case tracking alongside leads, contacts, and sales pipelines; You want 2,000+ integrations, API access, and 12x5 support included on every cloud tier; You need a dedicated IP and private server without an enterprise contract: Cloud Ultimate at $69/user/month with a 10-user minimum ($690/month); You want a 30-day free trial of the managed cloud before paying

**Choose Twenty if:** You are a small team that wants cloud seats from $9/user/month, against EspoCRM's $15/user/month with a 3-user minimum; You want unlimited custom objects, fields, and views and a TypeScript Apps framework for custom logic; You want Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor to query and update CRM records through a native MCP server; You want SAML/OIDC SSO, row-level permissions, and audit logs at a published $19/user/month (Organization); You want monthly billing rather than EspoCRM's 6- or 12-month cloud terms

## At a glance

|  | EspoCRM | Twenty |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | Free tier · paid from $15/mo | Free tier · paid from $9/mo |
| License | Open source | Open core |
| Best for | organizations that want a fully self-hostable, open-source CRM with no per-user licensing fees, or a managed cloud version of the same software | technical teams who want an open-source, self-hostable CRM they can customize with custom objects instead of configuring a closed platform like Salesforce |
| Ratings | — | Product Hunt 4.6/5 (9 reviews) |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | EspoCRM | Twenty |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free self-hosted edition | Yes (AGPLv3, full feature set, no per-user fees) | Partial (AGPL-3.0 core; SSO and some enterprise features need a commercial license) |
| Cloud starting price | Yes (from $15/user/mo, 3-user minimum, billed 6 or 12 months (Basic)) | Yes (from $9/user/mo, billed monthly or yearly (Pro)) |
| Free trial | Yes (30 days on cloud) | Unknown |
| License | Yes (open source, AGPLv3; commercial license available) | Partial (open-core, AGPL-3.0 core) |
| Platforms | Partial (web app; self-hosts via Docker on Windows, macOS, or Linux) | Partial (web only, no native iOS or Android app) |
| Marketing campaigns and support cases | Yes (both built in) | Unknown |
| Custom objects, fields, and views | Unknown | Yes (unlimited from $9/user/mo (Pro)) |
| Developer extensibility | Yes (REST API on every cloud tier) | Yes (TypeScript Apps framework; REST and GraphQL APIs at 50-100 calls/min) |
| AI assistant access | Unknown | Yes (native MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor; AI agents on Pro) |
| Integrations | Yes (2,000+ on every cloud tier) | Unknown |
| Workflow automation | Unknown | Partial (50 workflow credits per year (Pro)) |
| SSO and audit logs | Unknown | Yes (SAML/OIDC SSO and audit logs from $19/user/mo (Organization)) |
| Dedicated infrastructure | Yes (dedicated IP and private server, $69/user/mo, 10-user minimum (Ultimate)) | Yes (single-tenant isolation from around $50,000/year (Enterprise)) |
| Support | Yes (12x5 support on every cloud tier) | Partial (dedicated support with SLA on Enterprise) |
| Reported adoption | Yes (50,000+ companies in 163 countries) | Unknown |
| Learning curve | Partial (moderate, assumes some technical comfort) | Partial (moderate, TypeScript for deep customization) |
| Product Hunt rating | Unknown | Yes (4.6/5 from 9 reviews (Product Hunt)) |

## EspoCRM vs Twenty pricing: which costs less?

Twenty costs less on cloud, starting at $9/user/month against EspoCRM's $15/user/month with a 3-user minimum, but EspoCRM's free self-hosted edition includes every feature while self-hosted Twenty reserves SSO and some enterprise features for a commercial license.

A 3-person team pays $27/month on Twenty Pro versus at least $45/month on EspoCRM Cloud Basic, which is billed in 6- or 12-month terms. Adding SSO and audit logs on Twenty means the Organization tier at $19/user/month. EspoCRM's higher cloud tiers buy storage and records rather than features: Enterprise is $25/user/month with a 5-user minimum, and Ultimate is $69/user/month with a 10-user minimum ($690/month) for unlimited records, a dedicated IP, and a private server. Twenty's single-tenant Enterprise tier starts around $50,000/year.

## Which is more customizable, EspoCRM or Twenty?

Twenty is built for deeper customization, with unlimited custom objects, fields, and views, a TypeScript Apps framework, and REST and GraphQL APIs, while EspoCRM ships a ready-made CRM with a REST API and 2,000+ integrations.

Twenty targets technical teams that find Salesforce too rigid: developers define the data model and write custom logic in TypeScript beyond what no-code workflow builders support, which assumes developer comfort with TypeScript. EspoCRM arrives with leads, contacts, sales pipelines, marketing campaigns, and support cases already built, on a PHP REST API backend with a single-page-application frontend. EspoCRM's interface and setup also assume some technical comfort, and both products carry a moderate learning curve.

## Which is better for AI workflows, EspoCRM or Twenty?

Twenty is better for AI workflows, with a native MCP server that lets Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor query and update CRM records, plus AI agents on its $9/user/month Pro tier.

Twenty's MCP server is aimed at teams already building agent workflows with AI tooling. The limit is automation volume: Twenty Pro meters workflow automation at 50 credits per year rather than unlimited runs. EspoCRM's strengths lie elsewhere, in its 2,000+ integrations and the REST API included on every cloud tier, which other systems can use to read and write CRM data.

## Can Twenty replace EspoCRM?

Yes, Twenty can replace EspoCRM for technical teams that want to model their own CRM, but EspoCRM's self-hosted edition includes every feature for free, while self-hosted Twenty needs a commercial license for SSO and some enterprise features.

Twenty covers custom objects, fields, views, AI agents, and API access on its Pro tier, and adds SSO, row-level permissions, and audit logs on Organization. Teams moving from EspoCRM that depend on its marketing campaigns and support-case tracking should confirm Twenty covers those workflows, since Twenty positions itself around customizing the sales pipeline. Both are web applications licensed under AGPL-3.0.

## Strengths and weaknesses

### EspoCRM

- Pro: Self-hosted edition is free under AGPLv3 with the full feature set and no per-user fees.
- Pro: Cloud and self-hosted editions run the same codebase, so no features are gated behind cloud pricing.
- Pro: 2,000+ integrations and a REST API are included on every cloud tier.
- Pro: Reports adoption across 50,000+ companies in 163 countries, spanning industries from healthcare to manufacturing.
- Con: Cloud plans have per-user minimums (3 on Basic, 5 on Enterprise, 10 on Ultimate) that raise the effective entry cost.
- Con: Self-hosting requires the organization to manage its own server, updates, and security patching.
- Con: Cloud Ultimate's $69/user/month with a 10-user minimum ($690/month minimum) is a steep jump from Basic's $15/user/month.
- Con: The interface and setup process assume some technical comfort, making it a steeper learning curve than sales-first CRMs like HubSpot.

### Twenty

- Pro: AGPL-3.0 open-source core can be self-hosted for free, avoiding per-seat SaaS costs entirely.
- Pro: Native MCP server integration lets Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor query and update CRM records directly.
- Pro: Unlimited custom objects, fields, and views on every paid tier, versus object/field caps on many closed CRMs.
- Pro: TypeScript-based Apps framework gives developers direct extensibility beyond no-code workflow builders.
- Con: Workflow automation is capped at 50 credits per year on the Pro tier rather than unlimited runs.
- Con: SSO (SAML/OIDC), row-level permissions, and audit logs are gated behind the $19/user/month Organization tier.
- Con: No native mobile app; Twenty is a web-only CRM.
- Con: Customization depth assumes developer comfort with TypeScript, a steeper learning curve than form-based CRM builders.

## Which fits your use case?

| Use case | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Organization self-hosting a complete CRM with no license costs | EspoCRM | EspoCRM's free AGPLv3 edition is the same full-featured codebase as its cloud tiers, with no per-user fees and nothing gated. |
| Engineering-led startup that wants AI agents working inside the CRM | Twenty | Twenty ships a native MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor, plus AI agents and unlimited custom objects on its $9/user/month Pro tier. |
| Three-person team on managed cloud with a tight budget | Twenty | Twenty Pro costs $27/month for 3 users, while EspoCRM Cloud Basic costs at least $45/month and bills in 6- or 12-month terms. |
| Company running sales, marketing campaigns, and customer support in one system | EspoCRM | EspoCRM includes leads, contacts, pipelines, marketing campaigns, and support-case tracking out of the box. |
| Team that needs SSO and audit logs on a published cloud plan | Twenty | Twenty's Organization tier adds SAML/OIDC SSO, row-level permissions, and audit logs at $19/user/month. |
| Company that needs dedicated infrastructure without an enterprise contract | EspoCRM | EspoCRM Cloud Ultimate includes a dedicated IP and private server from $690/month (10 users), while Twenty's single-tenant Enterprise tier starts around $50,000/year. |

## Migration FAQ

### Should I use EspoCRM or Twenty?

Use EspoCRM if you want a ready-made CRM with marketing campaigns and support cases that self-hosts free with every feature; use Twenty if you are a technical team that wants custom objects, TypeScript apps, and an MCP server for AI assistants. Twenty's cloud starts at $9/user/month and EspoCRM's at $15/user/month with a 3-user minimum.

### Is EspoCRM cheaper than Twenty?

No on cloud: EspoCRM starts at $15/user/month with a 3-user minimum, while Twenty starts at $9/user/month. Self-hosted, EspoCRM is the cheaper full package because every feature is free under AGPLv3, while self-hosted Twenty needs a commercial license for SSO and some enterprise features.

### Can Twenty replace EspoCRM?

Yes for technical teams that want to build their CRM around custom objects and AI agents. Teams that rely on EspoCRM's built-in marketing campaigns and support cases, or on fully featured free self-hosting, should confirm Twenty covers those needs first.

### Is Twenty really open source?

Yes, Twenty's core is open source under AGPL-3.0 and free to self-host, but Twenty is open-core: SSO and some enterprise features require a commercial license. EspoCRM is also AGPLv3 and includes its full feature set in the free self-hosted edition.

### Does Twenty have a mobile app?

No, Twenty is web-only with no native iOS or Android app. EspoCRM is also a web application, self-hosted via Docker or run on EspoCRM's managed cloud.

## Neither a match?

- 4 alternatives to EspoCRM: https://findalternative.to/espocrm
- 5 alternatives to Twenty: https://findalternative.to/twenty

---

Markdown mirror of https://findalternative.to/compare/espocrm-vs-twenty — findalternative.to, honestly ranked software alternatives. AI info: https://findalternative.to/ai