Twenty — Open-Source AI CRM (Salesforce Alternative)

What it is

Twenty is a modern open-source CRM built with NestJS, React, and PostgreSQL. It provides custom objects, kanban views, email synchronization, and workflow automation in a clean interface that prioritizes developer experience. The project is released under AGPL-3.0 and has 43,700+ GitHub stars.

Twenty targets teams that need CRM functionality without the complexity and cost of Salesforce. It is self-hostable, giving you full control over your data, and offers a hosted version at app.twenty.com for teams that prefer managed infrastructure.

How it saves time or tokens

Twenty eliminates CRM licensing costs while providing the core features most sales teams actually use. Custom objects let you model your data without paying for schema extensions. The built-in workflow automation handles follow-up sequences, deal stage transitions, and notification triggers without third-party integration tools. Self-hosting on your own PostgreSQL instance means your customer data stays within your infrastructure boundary.

How to use

1. Try the hosted version at app.twenty.com or self-host with Docker:

git clone https://github.com/twentyhq/twenty.git
cd twenty
docker compose up -d

1. Access the web interface and create your workspace.

1. Set up your pipeline stages, import contacts from CSV or existing CRM exports, and configure email sync to start managing relationships.

Example

Custom object creation through the Twenty API:

// Create a custom object for tracking partnerships
const response = await fetch('http://localhost:3000/api/objects', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Partnership',
    fields: [
      { name: 'company', type: 'text' },
      { name: 'status', type: 'select', options: ['active', 'pending', 'closed'] },
      { name: 'revenue_share', type: 'number' }
    ]
  })
});

This creates a new entity type in your CRM with custom fields, immediately available in the UI with filtering, sorting, and kanban views.

Related on TokRepo

• AI Tools for Automation — Workflow automation tools that integrate with CRM systems
• AI Tools for Marketing — Marketing tools that complement CRM data for campaign management

Common pitfalls

• Docker Compose deployment requires adequate resources. Allocate at least 4GB RAM for the full stack including PostgreSQL, Redis, and the application servers.
• Email sync requires IMAP/SMTP credentials and proper DNS configuration. Verify your email provider supports app-specific passwords if MFA is enabled.
• Migrating from Salesforce requires mapping custom objects to Twenty's schema. Plan the field mapping before starting data import to avoid duplication.
• Always check the official documentation for the latest version-specific changes and migration guides before upgrading in production environments.