EspoCRM vs Twenty
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | EspoCRM | Twenty |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,382 | ★ 57,290 |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Salesforce, HubSpot | Salesforce, HubSpot |
What are EspoCRM and Twenty?
EspoCRM
EspoCRM is a fast, lightweight, open-source CRM for managing contacts, leads, opportunities, and customer relationships. It targets small and mid-sized businesses wanting a responsive CRM. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Responsive single-page interface
- Customizable entities and layouts
- Workflow automation
- Email and calendar integration
Twenty
Twenty is a modern, open-source CRM designed as a flexible alternative to Salesforce with a clean, customizable interface. It targets startups and teams wanting an open CRM. It is deployed via Docker.
- Modern customizable CRM
- Flexible data model
- Keyboard-driven UI
- API and webhooks
EspoCRM vs Twenty: key differences
EspoCRM is written in PHP, while Twenty is built with TypeScript. EspoCRM is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Twenty. EspoCRM is the more established project (first released 2014), while Twenty arrived in 2023. Twenty has the considerably larger community, at 57,290 GitHub stars versus 3,382.
Why pick each one
Choose EspoCRM if…
- Fast and responsive
- Highly customizable
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Advanced extensions are paid
- Smaller ecosystem
Choose Twenty if…
- Clean modern interface
- Customizable objects
- Active development
Watch out for
- Young project
- Some features still maturing
Frequently asked questions
Is EspoCRM or Twenty better?
Neither is universally better. Twenty has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are EspoCRM and Twenty free and open-source?
Yes. EspoCRM is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Twenty under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EspoCRM and Twenty with Docker?
EspoCRM: yes. Twenty: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, EspoCRM or Twenty?
EspoCRM has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Twenty. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.