Hermit CRM vs Twenty
Prices and features checked on .
The short answer
Both are open source. Choose Twenty if a team shares the CRM and you can run a server with Docker, or want its hosted cloud. Choose Hermit CRM if you work alone and want the CRM on your own laptop, with no server and no database: every record is a Markdown file in git that you and your AI tools can read.
Side by side
| Hermit CRM | Twenty | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one person | Free and open source. There is no paid plan. | Self-hosting is free. Cloud: Pro $9 a user a month billed yearly, Organization $19. A 30-day trial. |
| Where your data lives | In a folder on your own computer. | On your own server, or in Twenty's cloud. |
| Data format | Markdown files with YAML front matter: one per company, contact and conversation. Readable without the app. | A PostgreSQL database, with objects and fields you define. Export to CSV. |
| Works offline | Yes. It runs on your computer. Mail import, enrichment and Ask Hermit need the internet. | Only if you run the server on your own computer. |
| Team use | No. It is built for one person. | Yes. Workspaces, members, roles 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. | REST and GraphQL APIs, and workflows. |
| 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 mailbox and calendar sync. |
| History and undo | Every change is a git commit, so every earlier version is kept and can be restored. | A timeline of changes on each record. |
| Source code | Open source, Apache License 2.0. | Open source, AGPL-3.0. Some enterprise files are under a commercial licence. |
| Runs on | macOS and Linux, in your browser. No Windows and no mobile app. | Browser, on any system. Self-hosting runs in Docker. |
| 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 for the cloud, or run it with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL. |
| Maturity and support | Alpha software. No warranty and no support. | Actively developed with a large community. Support on the cloud plans. |
When Twenty is the better choice
- A team shares the CRM.
- You want custom objects and a data model you design.
- You want full mailbox and calendar sync.
- You are comfortable running a server with Docker and PostgreSQL, or want a hosted service.
- You work on Windows, or want a CRM in the browser from any device.
When Hermit CRM is the better choice
- You work alone and want nothing to host: no server, no Docker, no database.
- You want every record as a Markdown file you can open in any editor, grep and diff.
- You want every change kept as a git commit.
- You want an AI agent to work on the files directly, or through the CLI and the MCP server.
- You prefer the Apache License 2.0 to the AGPL.
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 Twenty to Hermit CRM
- In Twenty, export your companies and people as CSV.
- In Hermit CRM, choose Import a spreadsheet on the home page and upload each file. It shows a preview and writes nothing until you confirm.
- Columns Hermit CRM has no field for are kept in the notes. Add fields in Settings if you want them as columns.
Questions
What is the difference between Hermit CRM and Twenty?
Both are open source. Twenty is a CRM for teams that runs as a server with PostgreSQL, self-hosted or in its cloud. Hermit CRM is a CRM for one person that runs on your laptop and keeps every record as a Markdown file in git.
Do I need Docker to run Hermit CRM?
No. Hermit CRM needs Python 3.11 and git, and your AI coding tool installs both when they are missing. There is no database: the data is a folder of files.
Which licence do they use?
Hermit CRM uses the Apache License 2.0. Twenty is mostly under the GNU Affero General Public License 3.0, with some enterprise files under a commercial licence.