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Best / CRM for startups

Best open-source CRM for startups

The best self-hosted startup-CRM split in the c17.io catalog is Twenty for a TypeScript pipeline (the published HubSpot / Freshsales / Close stack), EspoCRM when you want that AGPL-3.0 PHP CRM with a long self-host track record — /compare/twenty-vs-espocrm, Krayin when the team already lives in Laravel, and Agent CRM when the job is a headless pipeline for coding agents rather than a classic UI. A fuller ERP suite stays on /best/open-source-crm. This is not HubSpot's every Marketing Hub SKU.

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Ranked picks

  1. 1

    Twenty

    TypeScript CRM — the c17 HubSpot/Freshsales/Close path. /compare/twenty-vs-espocrm.

    When to pick it: A pipeline, companies, and people you can fork.

  2. 2

    EspoCRM

    AGPL-3.0 PHP CRM — /compare/twenty-vs-espocrm.

    When to pick it: A long self-host track record if Twenty is too new.

    3,518 stars in the catalog

  3. 3

    Krayin Crm

    Laravel CRM already on /best/open-source-crm. /compare/twenty-vs-krayin-crm.

    When to pick it: Teams that already live in PHP/Laravel.

  4. 4

    Agent Crm

    Headless CRM aimed at Claude and Codex rather than a classic UI.

    When to pick it: Agent-driven pipelines, not a sales desk.

    118 stars in the catalog

How they compare

ToolLicenseSelf-hostBest for
TwentyNot listedMediumA pipeline, companies, and people you can fork.
EspoCRMGNU Affero General Public License v3.0MediumA long self-host track record if Twenty is too new.
Krayin CrmNot listedMediumTeams that already live in PHP/Laravel.
Agent CrmNot listedMediumAgent-driven pipelines, not a sales desk.

Related pages

FAQ

Twenty or EspoCRM?
Twenty if you want the published startup path (TypeScript). EspoCRM if you want that PHP desk — /compare/twenty-vs-espocrm.
Where is the fuller CRM list?
/best/open-source-crm still ranks YetiForce and Aureus ERP for ERP-shaped ops.
Freshsales or Close?
Same published pipeline — /replace/freshsales and /replace/close-crm.
Are these free?
Twenty's open-source core is free to host. EspoCRM is AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting. Template users never pay c17.
How do I deploy it?
Open /stacks/twenty-crm. Persist the database. Import one CSV.

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