Copper

ALMOST

A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.

A CRM that lives inside Google Workspace: it works from a Gmail sidebar and keeps records in step with mail, calendar and contacts without a separate app to open.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Build a CRM that logs itself from Gmail.

STACK
- Node worker, Postgres, Gmail and Calendar APIs, a Google Workspace add-on for the sidebar

THE SIDEBAR
- A Workspace add-on written in Apps Script, showing the record for the address in the open thread
- One field to add a note, one to change deal stage; nothing else

LOGGING WITHOUT CLICKS
- Poll the Gmail history API with a stored history id, so each pass sees only what changed
- Match a thread to a person by address, and to a company by domain
- Store address, subject, direction and timestamp; never the body

CALENDAR
- Events with external attendees become activities against those people

PIPELINE
- Deals with a stage; stage changes appended to a history table

RATE LIMITS
- Respect the Gmail quota, back off on 429, and store the history id after each successful pass so a restart resumes rather than rescans

Include the add-on, the poller and the matching rules.

What you lose

A Gmail sidebar where the CRM is where the work already happens, which is most of why people adopt it
Two-way sync with Google contacts and calendar, maintained as those APIs change
Automatic logging of mail against the right record with no one pressing a button

If you would rather not build

Streak, if the Gmail sidebar is the whole point

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

EspoCRM

Self-hosted CRM with mail and calendar integration already built.

espocrm/espocrmfree · open source

Twenty

An open-source CRM with a flexible data model.

twentyhq/twentyfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

52/100

Verdict kinda at 52. The CRM is easy; the Gmail add-on and a poller that survives quota limits are the weekend.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 dayspeak 1/day

0113 Jul18 Jul23 Jul28 Jul2 Aug7 Aug11 Aug

— views— prompt copies none yet— votes none yet

Questions about Copper

answered from the record above

Is Copper free?

No — the plan we track is $29 a month. Starter at $29 per user per month billed monthly, around $23 annually.

Can you replace Copper by building your own?

ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 52 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Copper cost?

$29 a month on Starter — $348 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Copper?

A Gmail sidebar where the CRM is where the work already happens, which is most of why people adopt it; Two-way sync with Google contacts and calendar, maintained as those APIs change; Automatic logging of mail against the right record with no one pressing a button. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Copper?

Yes: EspoCRM, Twenty. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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