Twenty CRM vs Salesforce: Full Detailed Comparison

Choosing the wrong CRM wastes more than money — it wastes momentum. According to Salesforce, sales teams spend only 28% of their week actually selling, with the rest consumed by administrative tasks and wrestling with software that was supposed to help them close deals faster. 

And over half of all CRM implementations never deliver the outcomes teams expected. There are clear reasons why Salesforce CRM projects underperform from poor scoping to overengineering to ignoring user adoption entirely.

That productivity crisis explains why the CRM market is projected to reach USD 163.16 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 14.6% — and why a new wave of challengers is emerging.

On one side: Salesforce, the undisputed market leader for 12 consecutive years, commanding 21% market share and serving 90% of Fortune 500 companies. On the other: Twenty CRM, the open-source alternative backed by Y Combinator (S23), built by former Airbnb founders who got tired of the Salesforce tax.

This guide compares both CRMs across features, pricing, technical architecture, limitations, and which teams each platform actually serves best. By the end, you’ll know exactly which CRM fits your budget, team size, and growth trajectory — and what it actually costs to run each one.

What is Salesforce CRM?

Salesforce is the world’s largest CRM platform, founded in 1999 and serving over 150,000 companies globally. It pioneered cloud-based SaaS, commands 20.7% of the CRM market according to IDC, and serves over 90% of Fortune 500 companies. For over a decade, Salesforce has been the default answer to “which CRM should we use?”

How Salesforce works

Salesforce isn’t a single product. It’s a sprawling ecosystem of interconnected clouds, each targeting a different business function:

Product	Function
Sales Cloud	Lead management, opportunity tracking, forecasting
Service Cloud	Customer support, case management
Marketing Cloud	Email campaigns, customer journeys, marketing automation
Einstein AI	Predictive analytics, lead scoring, generative AI
Agentforce	Autonomous AI agents for sales and service

Customization happens through three layers: declarative tools like Flow Builder and Lightning App Builder (point-and-click configuration), Apex (Salesforce’s proprietary programming language), and AppExchange — a marketplace with over 6,000 third-party applications.

What Is Twenty CRM?

Twenty CRM is a modern, open-source CRM platform built to do what Salesforce does for core sales operations — without the licensing costs, vendor lock-in, or compounding complexity.

Founded in 2023 by Thomas Colas des Francs, Félix Malfait, and Charles Bochet — three co-founders who previously built Luckey (acquired by Airbnb) — Twenty emerged from firsthand frustration with how expensive and rigid traditional CRMs had become.

The company has raised $5.5 million from Y Combinator (S23 batch), Runa Capital, Automattic, and individual investors including Mathilde Collin (Front founder), Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot founder), and Sergei Anikin (former CEO/CTO at Pipedrive). As CEO Félix Malfait told TechCrunch: “CRM is the biggest software market overall, because it covers marketing, customer support, operations — a CRM does everything.”

How Twenty CRM works

Twenty implements a dynamic object system similar to Salesforce’s architecture — everything (contacts, companies, deals, custom entities) functions as an extensible object. The difference: there are no artificial caps on objects or fields, and the entire system runs on infrastructure you control.

The technical stack is modern and intentionally mainstream: React and TypeScript on the frontend, NestJS (Node.js) on the backend, PostgreSQL for the database, Redis for caching, and BullMQ for task management. The monorepo structure uses Nx for organized development.

Why this matters for your business: Salesforce customization requires Apex developers — a proprietary language where Salesforce consultants’ rates range from $100–$250/hour. Twenty customization uses React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL — skills that millions of developers already have. Your hiring pool is dramatically larger and your hourly rates are dramatically lower.

Best suited for: Startups, SMBs with under 200 users, tech-savvy teams, digital agencies, consulting firms, SaaS companies, and any organization that prioritizes data ownership, cost transparency, and modern developer experience over plug-and-play convenience.

Quick Comparison: Twenty CRM vs Salesforce at a Glance

Before the deep dive, here’s the fast answer. This table shows where each platform wins and where it falls short.

Feature	Twenty CRM	Salesforce	Winner
Contact & Deal Management	✓ Full	✓ Full + account hierarchies, CPQ	Salesforce
Custom Objects/Fields	✓ Unlimited	✓ Capped (200 objects on Enterprise)	Twenty CRM
Kanban & List Views	✓	✓	Tie
Email & Calendar Sync	✓	✓	Tie
Mobile App	◐ PWA + native in dev	✓ Full native + offline	Salesforce
REST API	✓ Unlimited calls	✓ Daily limits apply	Twenty CRM
GraphQL API	✓	✗	Twenty CRM
Workflow Automation	◐ Webhooks + external tools	✓ Advanced (Flow Builder)	Salesforce
Native Reporting	◐ Via Metabase/Grafana	✓ Drag-and-drop builder	Salesforce
AI Features	◐ External AI via open API	✓ Einstein + Agentforce	Salesforce
App Marketplace	✗	✓ 6,000+ apps	Salesforce
Open Source	✓ AGPLv3	✗ Proprietary	Twenty CRM
Self-Hosting	✓ Full control	✗	Twenty CRM
Data Ownership	✓ Your infrastructure	✗ Salesforce servers	Twenty CRM
Free Tier	✓ Unlimited users (self-hosted)	◐ 2-user max	Twenty CRM
Monthly Billing	✓	✗ Annual only (Pro+)	Twenty CRM
Compliance Certs	◐ SOC 2 in progress	✓ SOC 1/2/3, HIPAA, FedRAMP	Salesforce
Total Cost (50 users)	~$17K-$27K/year	~$236K-$418K/year	Twenty CRM

Score: Twenty CRM wins 8 categories. Salesforce wins 7 categories. 2 ties.

The scoreboard is close on features — but dramatically different on cost. Salesforce wins on depth and maturity in specific areas (automation, reporting, AI, mobile, compliance). Twenty wins on flexibility, cost, data control, and developer experience. Let’s examine how each feature actually performs in practice.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison: Which Platform Delivers More Value

CRM features look impressive on marketing pages. What actually matters is how the platform performs in daily use and whether teams adopt it. Here’s a practical comparison of Twenty CRM and Salesforce where it counts.

Feature 1: Contact and pipeline management

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
It takes a minimalist approach. Every contact links to a company record with a clean activity timeline. Deals appear as cards on a Kanban board with drag-and-drop movement.  The experience is fast—no page reloads, instant updates, and unlimited custom fields without admin intervention.	It offers enterprise-grade management with account hierarchies, territory assignment, opportunity splits, CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote), and Einstein Opportunity Scoring.  Forecasting allows managers to roll up pipeline data and track accuracy over time.

Verdict: Salesforce wins for complex B2B with multi-level accounts and team selling. Twenty wins for straightforward sales cycles prioritizing speed and simplicity.

Feature 2: Customization and extensibility

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
The open-source advantage means technical teams can modify the core application itself. API-first design (GraphQL + REST) enables any integration. Limitation: Visual workflow builders aren’t available yet—customization requires technical resources.	It offers declarative customization through Lightning App Builder, Flow Builder, and Schema Builder. AppExchange extends functionality with 7,000+ pre-built applications. Trade-off: Customization creates Salesforce complexity. Organizations often accumulate technical debt, making changes increasingly difficult.

Verdict: Twenty wins for developers wanting full control. Salesforce wins for no-code/low-code customization needs.

Feature 3: Automation and workflows

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
It currently relies on event-driven architecture—webhooks fire when records change, and Zapier integration connects to 5,000+ applications. Native workflow automation is planned for 2026.	Its Flow Builder is industry-leading. Without code, administrators can auto-assign leads, send email alerts, create approval processes, and guide users through complex data entry. Einstein Automate adds AI-powered recommendations.

Verdict: Salesforce wins decisively on automation today. Organizations needing sophisticated workflows should factor in Twenty’s current limitations.

Feature 4: Reporting and analytics

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
Foundational reporting with filtered views, CSV export, and API access for BI tools like Metabase or Tableau. Enhanced reporting is a 2026 priority.	Comprehensive native reporting with drag-and-drop report builder, real-time dashboards, scheduled email delivery, and Einstein Analytics for advanced visualization.

Verdict: Salesforce wins on native reporting. Twenty requires external tools for advanced analytics.

Feature 5: Mobile experience

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
Responsive web app + PWA	Mature, full-featured mobile app
Native iOS/Android apps (offline access) in development	Offline access, push notifications, mobile layouts, Einstein Voice

Verdict: Salesforce has a significant mobile advantage for field sales teams.

Feature 6: AI and intelligence features

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
No built-in AI features; external AI can be integrated via API	Strong AI suite with Einstein AI: lead scoring, opportunity scoring, Einstein GPT, Agentforce
AI is external only	Agentforce adoption slower than expected; premium AI adds ~$50–$75+ per user/month

Verdict: Salesforce dominates AI capabilities—at significant additional cost.

Feature 7: Security and compliance

Twenty CRM	Salesforce
Focus on data ownership; self-hosted deployments give full control over data location. Open-source transparency enables security audits. SOC 2 certification in progress; HIPAA and FedRAMP not available.	Extensive certifications: SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP, GDPR, PCI DSS. Salesforce Shield (premium) adds encryption and audit trails.
Security posture depends on deployment and internal controls	Note: 2025 saw major security incidents through social engineering—security relies on user practices

Verdict: Salesforce wins for compliance certifications. Twenty wins for data sovereignty priorities.

Features matter but so does what you pay for them. Let’s examine the real costs.

Detailed Pricing Comparison: Twenty Vs Salesforce

The pricing page is the beginning of the conversation, not the end. What follows is what each platform actually costs once you factor in everything required to get a working CRM into production.

Twenty CRM: what you actually pay

Plan	Monthly Cost	What’s Included
Self-Hosted	$0	Full platform, unlimited users; you manage infrastructure
Cloud	~$18/user	Managed hosting, automatic updates, support
Enterprise	Custom	Priority support, dedicated infrastructure, SLA

No feature gates at any tier. Custom objects, GraphQL API, webhooks, email sync, permissions — everything works on every plan, including the free self-hosted option. There’s no moment where you discover a critical capability is locked behind an upgrade.

Self-hosted infrastructure costs: Cloud hosting for a 50-user team runs $50-$300/month depending on provider and specs (AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner). Add 2-8 hours/month of DevOps maintenance. Annual infrastructure cost: roughly $1,200-$4,800.

Implementation cost: TaskRhino’s Twenty CRM services typically range from $10,000-$30,000 depending on complexity — covering data migration, pipeline configuration, Metabase reporting setup, workflow automation, and user training. This is a one-time cost.

50-user example (cloud): Licensing: $12 × 50 × 12 = $7,200/year Implementation (Year 1): $15,000 Year 1 total: ~$22,200 Year 2+ ongoing: ~$7,200/year

Salesforce pricing

The pricing page shows licensing. Everything else — and it’s the majority of your spend — only surfaces during implementation or after you’ve signed contracts.

Plan	Monthly Cost/User	Key Features
Starter Suite	$25	Basic CRM (325-user max)
Pro Suite	$100	Forecasting, quoting
Enterprise	$165	Full customization, workflows
Unlimited	$330	Premier support, advanced features
Einstein 1 Sales	$500+	Full AI capabilities

Hidden Costs to include while planning a budget:

Those are just the license fees. Salesforce hidden costs go far beyond what appears on the pricing page:

• Implementation: $50,000-$200,000+ Enterprise Salesforce implementations run 3-12 months. Consulting partners charge $100-$250/hour depending on seniority and specialization. A mid-complexity implementation with data migration, custom workflows, and integrations commonly lands at $75,000-$150,000.
• Premier Support: $21,000-$31,500/year Standard Salesforce support is online case submission with no guaranteed response time. Most organizations discover they need Premier (20-30% of license fees) after their first critical issue goes unresolved for days. On $105,000 in Enterprise licenses, that’s $21,000-$31,500/year.
• Storage overages: $10,000-$42,000/year Enterprise Edition allocates 10GB of data storage plus small per-user increments. Exceed it and Salesforce charges $125/month per 500MB block — effectively $250/GB/month. Organizations with several years of CRM data routinely hit storage limits. Twenty CRM’s self-hosted option means storage costs are whatever your cloud provider charges — typically $0.02-$0.10/GB/month.
• Ongoing administration: $70,000-$150,000/year Companies with 50+ Salesforce users typically need 1-3 full-time administrators to manage releases, troubleshoot integrations, maintain automations, train new users, and handle the complexity that accumulates in every mature instance. These aren’t optional hires — they’re required to keep the system functional.
• Required add-ons: $30,000-$90,000+/year Features you might assume are included often aren’t. Einstein AI ($50-$75+/user/month), Salesforce Shield for encryption and audit trails ($50+/user/month), CPQ ($75-$150/user/month), and Marketing Cloud ($1,250-$4,000/month per org) all carry separate pricing.
• Training: $2,500-$8,000/person Salesforce-specific training programs for admins and developers. Because Apex is proprietary, these skills don’t transfer from general development backgrounds — you’re training people in a vendor-specific ecosystem

The pricing gap is significant but cost isn’t everything. The right choice depends on your team size, timeline, and how much you value built-in automation, ecosystem depth, and enterprise-grade support.

Which CRM Is the Smarter Choice for Enterprises: Twenty Vs Salesforce

Not every organization needs an enterprise-grade CRM. The smarter choice depends on your priorities: cost, speed, complexity, and compliance.

When Twenty CRM Is the better fit

Twenty CRM delivers the most value when your needs are straightforward, your budget is limited, and control matters:

Your budget needs to go further. You need contact management, pipeline tracking, email sync, custom objects, and API integrations — without spending $236K+/year. Twenty’s self-hosted option costs $0 in licensing for unlimited users. Even the cloud plan at $7,200/year for 50 users is a fraction of any Salesforce tier.

You’re a startup or SMB under 200 users. If your sales process doesn’t require CPQ, multi-level account hierarchies, territory management, or revenue scheduling, Twenty covers what you actually use daily — faster, cleaner, and at a fraction of the cost.

Data ownership is non-negotiable. Self-hosted means your PostgreSQL database sits on infrastructure you control. Your customer data never touches a vendor’s servers. No vendor can hold it hostage during contract negotiations. No surprise storage overages on your invoice. For organizations with data residency requirements (Canadian data sovereignty, GDPR compliance), this is a fundamental advantage.

You have technical resources or an implementation partner. Twenty is not plug-and-play. Your team needs comfort with Docker, PostgreSQL, and API integrations — or a partner like TaskRhino who handles implementation, data migration, Metabase reporting, and workflow automation so you don’t have to.

Speed matters more than feature count. Twenty CRM implementations typically complete in 2-6 weeks. Salesforce enterprise implementations run 3-12 months. If you need a working CRM this quarter, not next year, that timeline difference is decisive.

You’re upgrading from spreadsheets or a basic tool. Moving from Excel, Google Sheets, or a lightweight CRM into a real system with structure, automation potential, and collaboration features is Twenty’s sweet spot. You get meaningful capability uplift without enterprise overhead.

Integration flexibility is critical. Salesforce API limits create bottlenecks for integration-heavy teams. If your business runs on interconnected tools and needs unlimited API access, Twenty’s unrestricted API architecture eliminates an entire category of problems. 

You want to avoid long-term complexity debt. You want to avoid long-term complexity debt. Every Salesforce customization adds maintenance burden. Every flow, trigger, and custom object requires ongoing testing, documentation, and admin oversight — it’s a core reason why companies are leaving Salesforce for open-source CRM. Twenty’s simpler architecture means the system you build in Year 1 doesn’t become a burden in Year 3.

When Salesforce CRM Is the better fit

Salesforce costs more for a reason. The investment is justified when your business needs exceed basic CRM functionality and require enterprise-grade features and scale.

You’re a genuine enterprise with complex operations. Account hierarchies spanning dozens of subsidiaries, team selling across territories, revenue scheduling, CPQ workflows, and multi-currency support are areas where Salesforce’s 25 years of enterprise development show. No other platform matches this depth.

Specific compliance certifications are mandatory. HIPAA for healthcare, FedRAMP for government, PCI DSS for payment processing — if your procurement team requires these certifications on the vendor’s platform, Salesforce is one of few CRMs that qualifies. This is non-negotiable for certain industries.

You need built-in AI capabilities today. Predictive lead scoring, opportunity scoring, generative AI, and autonomous agents are available and working in Salesforce now. If AI-driven sales intelligence is a competitive requirement — not a future nice-to-have — Salesforce delivers it natively, albeit at $50-$550+/user/month premium.

Your budget supports the full investment. Not just $175/user/month in licensing — the $236,000-$418,000+/year total cost including implementation, support premiums, admin staff, training, storage, and add-ons. Organizations that budget only for licensing consistently face painful surprises.

You need industry-specific solutions. Financial Services Cloud, Health Cloud, Manufacturing Cloud, Nonprofit Cloud, and Education Cloud provide pre-built data models, workflows, and compliance features that would take significant effort to recreate on any platform.

Marketplace depth matters. Over 6,000 AppExchange apps mean you can extend Salesforce in almost any direction — document generation, e-signatures, project management, advanced analytics. Just budget for the $10-$100+/user/month these apps typically charge.

The final verdict: If you value speed, control, and affordability, Twenty CRM is the smarter enterprise choice. If you need complex workflows, compliance, and deep ecosystem support, Salesforce remains the industry standard

How TaskRhino Makes Twenty CRM Enterprise-Ready

Twenty CRM provides the open-source foundation. TaskRhino makes it production-ready.

The gap between “open-source CRM you can download” and “CRM your sales team uses every day to close deals” is where most organizations get stuck. Pipeline logic needs to match your actual sales motion. Data models need to reflect your business processes without creating technical debt. Reporting needs to surface the metrics that drive decisions. Email synchronization needs to map communications to the right records reliably.

TaskRhino handles all of this:

• Implementation: Full Twenty CRM deployment including data model design, pipeline configuration, permission structures, and user training. Most implementations complete in 2-6 weeks — not 3-12 months.
• Salesforce-to-Twenty migration: End-to-end migration including data normalization, deduplication, validation, field mapping, and rollback planning. We’ve mapped every standard Salesforce object to its Twenty CRM equivalent and know exactly which elements require rebuilding versus direct migration.
• Reporting and analytics: Metabase and Grafana setup with custom dashboards that deliver the pipeline visibility, forecasting, and performance tracking your team needs — without Salesforce’s reporting add-on costs.
• Workflow automation: n8n and Zapier configurations that replace Salesforce Flows for record-triggered automations, notifications, and cross-system data synchronization.
• Managed services: Ongoing support, monitoring, updates, and optimization so your team focuses on selling while we keep the CRM running.

TaskRhino doesn’t sell CRM software. We deliver Salesforce replacement done right — using Twenty CRM as the foundation and our implementation expertise as the bridge.