Hermit CRM vs Attio
Prices and features checked on .
The short answer
Choose Attio if a small team shares the CRM, or you want your own objects and records built automatically from your mailbox and calendar. Choose Hermit CRM if you work alone and want your pipeline as plain files on your own computer, readable by any AI tool without an API key. Hermit CRM is free; Attio is free for up to 3 seats, and paid plans start at €31 a seat a month.
Side by side
| Hermit CRM | Attio | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one person | Free and open source. There is no paid plan. | Free for up to 3 seats and 50,000 records. Plus €31 a seat a month billed yearly, or €39 monthly. Pro €74 a seat a month billed yearly, or €93 monthly. |
| Where your data lives | In a folder on your own computer. | In Attio's cloud. |
| Data format | Markdown files with YAML front matter: one per company, contact and conversation. Readable without the app. | Records in Attio's database, with objects and attributes you define. Export to CSV. |
| Works offline | Yes. It runs on your computer. Mail import, enrichment and Ask Hermit need the internet. | No. It is a hosted service. |
| Team use | No. It is built for one person. | Yes. Workspaces, seats and permissions. |
| AI tools | Your AI tool reads the files, runs the CLI or connects to the local MCP server. No API key, no OAuth. Ask Hermit uses the AI command line tool you already have. | Built-in AI with monthly credits per seat, an API and an official MCP server. |
| Email and calendar | BCC or forward mail to a Gmail address you choose, and it is logged on the right contact. Past meetings come from your calendar's ICS link. No inbox sync. | Gmail and Outlook sync. Contacts and companies are created from your mail and calendar. |
| History and undo | Every change is a git commit, so every earlier version is kept and can be restored. | Activity history on each record. |
| Source code | Open source, Apache License 2.0. | Closed source. |
| Runs on | macOS and Linux, in your browser. No Windows and no mobile app. | Browser, iOS and Android. |
| Setup | Download it and let your AI coding tool install it. It needs Python 3.11 and git and installs them when they are missing. | Sign up in the browser and connect your mailbox. |
| Maturity and support | Alpha software. No warranty and no support. | A mature product. Support depends on the plan. |
When Attio is the better choice
- Two or more people share the pipeline.
- You want the CRM to fill itself from your mailbox and calendar.
- You need custom objects, lists and views beyond companies, contacts and deals.
- You want a mobile app and a vendor that supports you.
- You work on Windows.
When Hermit CRM is the better choice
- You are the only one who sells, and you want no seats, plans or credits to manage.
- You want every company, contact and conversation as a file on your own disk.
- You want an AI agent to read and update the pipeline through files and a CLI, not through an API.
- You would rather log the mail that matters, by BCC, than sync your whole inbox to a vendor.
- You want every change kept in git, so you can see and undo it.
Hermit CRM is a free, open-source CRM for founders, freelancers and anyone doing their own sales. It runs on your Mac or Linux computer and keeps every company, contact and conversation as a Markdown file in a git folder on your own disk. A local web app gives you a pipeline board, a calendar of next steps, message drafts and reports. AI tools such as Claude Code, Codex or Claude Desktop can read and update the pipeline through the files, a small CLI or the built-in MCP server. It is alpha software under the Apache License 2.0, with no warranty and no support.
Moving from Attio to Hermit CRM
- In Attio, export the companies and people lists you want as CSV.
- In Hermit CRM, choose Import a spreadsheet on the home page and upload each file. It recognises Attio's column names, shows a preview, and writes nothing until you confirm.
- Custom fields you need can be added in Settings. Columns without a field are kept in the notes, so nothing is lost.
Questions
Is Hermit CRM an alternative to Attio?
For one person, yes. Both give you companies, contacts and a pipeline. Attio is a hosted CRM for teams with automatic mail sync; Hermit CRM is a free local app for one person, with the data in plain files.
Can I import my Attio data into Hermit CRM?
Companies and people, yes. Export them from Attio as CSV and import them in Hermit CRM, which recognises Attio's column names. Columns it has no field for are kept as notes.
Which works better with AI tools?
Both work with Claude and other assistants. Attio does it through its hosted MCP server and API, with your account and OAuth. Hermit CRM does it on your computer: an agent reads the Markdown files directly, or uses the CLI or the local MCP server, and every change it makes is a git commit you can undo.