Attio
A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.
A CRM built like a database: you define the objects and relations you need, and it fills them from your email and calendar rather than from forms.
Build me a CRM whose data model I define, that fills itself from my mailbox. STACK - Astro with a Node adapter, SQLite via better-sqlite3 - IMAP and CalDAV for the sync, running as a worker THE MODEL - Objects declared in a config file: name, attributes with types, and relations to other objects - Changing the config generates a migration; it never drops a column silently - Every record has an id, a created event and an append-only change log BUILDING THE GRAPH WITHOUT TYPING - Poll IMAP; for every message, extract participants and their email domains - Create or update a person per address and a company per domain, excluding a list of consumer providers - Record an interaction event per message: direction, date, subject, thread id — never the body by default CALENDAR - Read events, match attendees to people, and record a meeting interaction - Strength of a relationship is computed from interaction recency and frequency, and shown as a number with its inputs visible VIEWS - A table per object with filters, sorts and saved views - One record page showing attributes, relations and the interaction timeline PRIVACY - Message bodies are not stored unless explicitly enabled per thread; the README must say so Include a README on the config-to-migration step, the consumer-domain exclusion list, and IMAP throttling.
What you lose
- Data model flexibility: any object, any relation, without leaving the interface
- Automatic enrichment of companies and people from public sources
- Email and calendar sync that builds the relationship graph without data entry
- Real-time collaboration on records, with presence and comments
- An interface fast enough that sales people actually keep it open
If you would rather not build
- EspoCRM — open-source, mature, more traditional
- Folk — paid, similar relationship-first approach
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Twenty
$0Open-source CRM with pipelines, custom objects and a modern interface.
twentyhq/twentyfree · open source
Monica
$0Personal relationship manager: people, interactions and reminders, self-hosted.
monicahq/monicafree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
51/100
Verdict kinda at 51: the mailbox-to-graph idea is the good part and it is buildable in a weekend for one inbox. Enrichment from public sources and an interface fast enough to be lived in are the two things that keep it a subscription.
History
tracked since 9 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about Attio
answered from the record above
Is Attio free?
No — the plan we track is $34 a month. Plus at $34 per user per month billed monthly, $29 annually; Pro adds automations and reporting at a higher rate.
Can you replace Attio by building your own?
ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 51 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does Attio cost?
$34 a month on Plus — $408 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing Attio?
Data model flexibility: any object, any relation, without leaving the interface; Automatic enrichment of companies and people from public sources; Email and calendar sync that builds the relationship graph without data entry; Real-time collaboration on records, with presence and comments; An interface fast enough that sales people actually keep it open. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Attio?
Yes: Twenty, Monica. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
Related entries
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