Corteza CRM vs Django-CRM vs Twenty

All three are free, open-source, self-hostable CRMs aimed at technically capable teams who want to avoid per-seat SaaS pricing and vendor lock-in, but they…

Corteza CRM

Free / Open Source (self-hosted); optional paid support from Planet Crust · From Free

Best for: Organizations that want a free CRM built into a broader low-code platform they can deeply customize (data model, fields, workflows) beyond a typical CRM's fixed schema.

Django-CRM

Free / Open Source · From Free

Best for: Python and Django-savvy teams that want built-in mass email marketing bundled into a free, self-hosted CRM without paying for a separate email tool.

Twenty

freemium · From Free (self-hosted); Cloud Pro from $9/user/month

Best for: Technical teams that want a modern, actively developed CRM with an optional low-cost managed cloud option and AI-assisted setup, not just a self-hosted-only tool.

At a Glance

 Corteza CRMDjango-CRMTwenty
Primary categoryCRMCRMCRM
RatingNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFree / Open Source (self-hosted); optional paid support from Planet CrustFree / Open Sourcefreemium
Starting priceFreeFreeFree (self-hosted); Cloud Pro from $9/user/month
Free planYesYesYes
Free trialNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsNot documentedWebWeb
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documentedYes
Public APIYesYesYes

Standout Differences

Only one with official managed cloud hosting

Twenty offers Cloud Pro ($9/user/month) and Cloud Organization ($19/user/month) plans for teams that don't want to self-host, while Corteza CRM offers only optional paid hosting through Planet Crust and Django-CRM has no managed hosting option at all.

Twenty, Corteza CRM, Django-CRM

Built-in email marketing sets Django-CRM apart

Django-CRM bundles mass email marketing and mailing-list functionality directly into the CRM, a feature many open-source CRM competitors lack natively.

Django-CRM

Low-code customization depth

Corteza CRM inherits the full low-code data-model, field, and workflow customization of the broader Corteza platform, going beyond a typical CRM's fixed schema.

Corteza CRM

Twenty has the youngest but fastest-growing community

Founded in 2023 and backed by roughly $5.5 million in funding, Twenty has grown to roughly 44,000 to 50,000 GitHub stars, the most visible momentum of the three.

Twenty

Licensing differs

Corteza CRM uses the permissive Apache 2.0 license, while Django-CRM and Twenty use the copyleft AGPL-3.0/AGPLv3 license, which requires open-sourcing modifications offered as a hosted service.

Corteza CRM, Django-CRM, Twenty

Feature-by-Feature

Core CRM

FeatureCorteza CRMDjango-CRMTwenty
Lead and deal pipeline trackingAvailableAvailableAvailable
Built-in lead scoring or sales forecastingAvailableNot documentedNot documented
Built-in email marketingNot documentedAvailableNot documented

Customization and Architecture

FeatureCorteza CRMDjango-CRMTwenty
No-code custom objects and fieldsAvailableNot documentedAvailable
Developer SDK or extension frameworkLimitedLimitedAvailable

Hosting and Reach

FeatureCorteza CRMDjango-CRMTwenty
Free self-hostingAvailableAvailableAvailable
Official managed cloud hosting optionLimitedUnavailableAvailable
Multi-language interfaceNot documentedAvailableNot documented

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Corteza CRM

Community (Self-Hosted) — Free N/A

Django-CRM

Self-Hosted (Open Source) — Free Free forever

Twenty

Self-Hosted (Community) — Free N/A
Cloud Pro — $9/user/month Annual
Cloud Organization — $19/user/month Annual

Pros & Cons

Corteza CRM

Pros

  • Free and open source with no per-seat licensing fees, unlike Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM
  • Fully customizable data model, fields, and workflows via the underlying Corteza low-code platform
  • Includes built-in sales automation, lead scoring, and forecasting out of the box
  • Self-hosting keeps customer and sales data entirely within the organization's own infrastructure

Cons

  • Requires self-hosting and DevOps capability, unlike turnkey SaaS CRM products
  • Smaller feature depth and third-party marketplace than dedicated commercial CRMs like HubSpot or Salesforce
  • Fewer native integrations with popular marketing and support tools out of the box
  • Smaller community and documentation base than mainstream CRM platforms

Django-CRM

Pros

  • Completely free with no per-user or licensing fees
  • Full self-hosted data ownership avoids vendor lock-in
  • Deep customization potential for Python/Django developers
  • Production-stable and used in real business deployments

Cons

  • Requires Django/Python expertise to install, customize, and maintain
  • No official managed cloud or SaaS hosting option
  • AGPL-3.0 license requires open-sourcing modifications used as a network service
  • Smaller support community than commercial CRMs like HubSpot or Salesforce

Twenty

Pros

  • Fully open source under AGPLv3 with free, unlimited self-hosting
  • No vendor lock-in and full data ownership when self-hosted
  • Modern, developer-friendly architecture built on TypeScript
  • Active, fast-growing open-source community with frequent updates
  • Transparent, affordable cloud pricing compared to legacy CRMs

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance
  • AGPLv3 license requires open-sourcing modifications if redistributed as a hosted product
  • Younger platform with a smaller feature set than mature CRMs like Salesforce
  • Fewer native third-party integrations than long-established CRM platforms

Use Cases

Choose Corteza CRM: Organizations that want a free CRM built into a broader low-code platform they can deeply customize (data model, fields, workflows) beyond a typical CRM's fixed schema.
Choose Django-CRM: Python and Django-savvy teams that want built-in mass email marketing bundled into a free, self-hosted CRM without paying for a separate email tool.
Choose Twenty: Technical teams that want a modern, actively developed CRM with an optional low-cost managed cloud option and AI-assisted setup, not just a self-hosted-only tool.

Corteza CRM

  • Free Self-Hosted CRM — Small and mid-sized businesses adopt Corteza CRM to get full CRM functionality without recurring per-seat SaaS fees.
  • Customizable Sales Pipeline Management — Organizations with non-standard sales processes use Corteza CRM's low-code customization to tailor fields and workflows to their exact process.
  • Salesforce Replacement — Organizations looking to move off Salesforce for cost or data-control reasons adopt Corteza CRM as an open-source, self-hosted alternative.

Django-CRM

  • Developer-Led CRM Deployments — Python/Django development shops adopt Django-CRM as a self-hosted CRM they can extend to match internal workflows.
  • Cost-Conscious Small Businesses — Small businesses and freelancers avoid per-seat SaaS CRM costs by self-hosting Django-CRM instead.
  • Data-Ownership-Focused Teams — Organizations with compliance or data-residency needs self-host Django-CRM to keep full ownership of customer data.

Twenty

  • Self-hosted CRM for data-sensitive organizations — Organizations with strict data residency or privacy requirements self-host Twenty to keep full control of customer data.
  • Custom CRM development for technical teams — Engineering teams use Twenty's SDK and open codebase to build a CRM tailored precisely to their sales process.
  • Cost-conscious CRM replacement — Growing companies switch from expensive per-seat CRMs like Salesforce to Twenty's lower-cost cloud or free self-hosted plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all three of these CRMs really free?

Yes, all three can be self-hosted for free with no per-seat licensing fee: Corteza CRM (Apache 2.0), Django-CRM (AGPL-3.0), and Twenty (AGPLv3, with all core Pro-level features included in the free self-hosted version).

Which one has the easiest path to a hosted version if I don't want to run my own server?

Twenty is the only one with a published, self-serve managed cloud plan (Cloud Pro at $9/user/month or Cloud Organization at $19/user/month). Corteza CRM offers optional paid hosting through Planet Crust, while Django-CRM has no official managed hosting option at all.

Which CRM is best if I want built-in email marketing without a separate tool?

Django-CRM includes mass email marketing and mailing-list functionality directly in the CRM, which is unusual among open-source CRM competitors and can replace a standalone email tool for basic campaigns.

Do these require developer expertise to run?

Yes, all three are self-hosted-first products. Django-CRM specifically requires Python and Django expertise to install and maintain, Corteza CRM requires Docker or Kubernetes familiarity, and Twenty, while offering a cloud option, still requires technical setup for anyone self-hosting it.

Which CRM has the most active development and community?

Twenty, founded in 2023, has grown fastest, reaching roughly 44,000 to 50,000 GitHub stars and about $5.5 million in funding, giving it more visible momentum than the more established but smaller Corteza CRM and Django-CRM communities.

How do their licenses affect reselling a modified version?

Corteza CRM's Apache 2.0 license is permissive and allows redistribution or white-labeling. Django-CRM and Twenty both use AGPL-licensed code, which requires releasing source code for any modified version offered as a hosted service, unless a commercial license is purchased, which Twenty offers.

Read the full Corteza CRM review · Read the full Django-CRM review · Read the full Twenty review