Folk vs Macro
Choose Macro if you want an open-source, self-hostable workspace that combines CRM with email, chat, documents, tasks, calls, and shared AI context. Choose Folk if you want a more focused relationship CRM with documented WhatsApp and LinkedIn context, follow-up and recap assistants, and trigger-based outreach tracking. The main tradeoff is Macro’s broader operational workspace and deployment control versus Folk’s CRM
Decision guide
The practical reasons to choose either option, based on documented capabilities.
Choose Macro if
- Teams replacing separate CRM, email, chat, document, and task tools with one linked workspace
- Organizations requiring an AGPL-3.0 codebase that can be self-hosted or extended
- Gmail or Google Workspace teams that want contact and company records tied directly to email and internal discussions
Stay with Folk if
- WhatsApp messages or LinkedIn activity must appear in relationship history; supplied Macro sources do not document either channel
- Trigger-based email campaigns, filters, monthly credit controls, and open, reply, bounce tracking are required; equivalent Macro coverage is not documented
- Dedicated inactive-conversation follow-up suggestions or on-demand relationship recaps are essential; Macro documents general agents and shared memory, but not these specific assistants
Deployment and operations
Macro is AGPL-3.0 and supports self-hosting. The hosted service is the project’s current primary focus, runs on AWS, and includes managed platform approvals and a SOC 2 Type II audit. Local installation uses a Docker Compose stack; the repository describes 42 deployable services, so self-hosters should plan for materially more operational maintenance than a single-service CRM. No Kubernetes support is documented in the supplied facts.
Feature fit
What Macro covers
- Contact and company records
- Deal pipelines and customizable stages
- Custom CRM properties
- Email synchronization and relationship context
- Company enrichment
- AI-assisted email work
What’s different or missing
- No documented WhatsApp history
- No documented LinkedIn activity history
- No documented trigger-based outreach campaigns
- No documented campaign delivery analytics
- No documented Folk CRM importer
- No documented dedicated follow-up or recap assistants
Project snapshot
- GitHub stars
- 3,704
- Contributors
- 23
- Language
- Rust
- Last commit
- Aug 19, 2026
- Latest release
- Aug 19, 2026
Categories: Sales Intelligence, Customer Relationship Management, Workflow Automation, Marketing Automation
Sources and editorial review13 linked sources
Public documentation supports this comparison. Automation assists collection and classification; editorial standards and corrections remain the responsibility of Kris.
Macro is a unified workspace for teams: email, chat, docs, tasks, agents, calls, and CRM — @-linked together with shared AI memory.
repository description · github.comCRM | Customer and contact objects, custom properties, email sync, enrichment.
readme · github.comKanban board and customizable deal stages, list view, saved views, shareable views, personal and team views, etc.
readme · github.com@mentioning a Company/Contact creates a bidirectional link between that message and the record.
readme · github.comMacro runs in any modern browser, with an iOS app for your phone.
readme · github.comTo run the full app on your machine, follow Running locally.
readme · github.comdocker/ local Compose stack
readme · github.comMacro is a unified workspace for teams: email, chat, docs, tasks, agents, calls, and CRM — @-linked together with shared AI memory.
verdict · github.comCustomer and contact objects, custom properties, email sync, enrichment.
shared feature · github.comKanban board and customizable deal stages, list view, saved views, shareable views, personal and team views, etc.
shared feature · github.comYes, under our AGPL license, though the hosted version is our primary focus today. The hosted version has the iOS app, Apple/Google/GitHub approvals, runs on AWS, and maintains a SOC 2 Type II audit.
deployment · macro.com├── services/ 42 deployable services, workers, and Lambda handlers
deployment · github.com├── docker/ local Compose stack
deployment · github.com
