Folk vs Relaticle
Choose Relaticle when self-hosting, source access, granular custom fields, and CRM access through external AI agents are more important than Folk’s documented communication and outreach workflows. Choose Folk when the CRM must center on email/WhatsApp/LinkedIn context, enrichment, automated personalized email, and campaign tracking; equivalent Relaticle coverage for those areas is not established by the supplied docs
Decision guide
The practical reasons to choose either option, based on documented capabilities.
Choose Relaticle if
- Developer-led teams that can operate a PHP/PostgreSQL CRM and want data on their own infrastructure
- Teams building CRM integrations through REST or connecting Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, custom agents, or local models through MCP
- Organizations needing multi-workspace access controls, custom record fields, and per-field encryption
Stay with Folk if
- WhatsApp messages or LinkedIn activity must appear in relationship history; the supplied Relaticle material does not document native coverage
- Company enrichment and bulk research notes are required; comparable Relaticle functionality is not documented
- Trigger-based personalized email workflows and sent/opened/replied/bounced campaign metrics are core workflows; equivalent Relaticle automation and tracking are not documented
Deployment and operations
Relaticle is AGPL-3.0 and available as either self-hosted software or a managed service. Self-hosting supports Docker or manual deployment and requires PHP 8.5+, PostgreSQL 17+, Composer 2, Node.js 20+, and optionally Redis for development queues. Self-hosted operators pull and deploy updated Docker images themselves and receive community support; the hosted service handles maintenance and provides email support. Kubernetes support is not documented.
Migration considerations
Relaticle documents CSV import for companies, people, and opportunities, including column mapping, validation, error handling, and updating existing records. It also supports export. No direct Folk importer or preservation of Folk interaction history, automations, or campaign data is documented, so those elements require separate validation.
Feature fit
What Relaticle covers
- People and company records
- Deal or opportunity pipelines
- Custom fields and record structures
- Interaction history and notes
- AI-assisted CRM work
- REST API access
What’s different or missing
- No documented WhatsApp integration
- No documented LinkedIn activity capture
- No documented company enrichment
- No documented trigger-based email campaigns
- No documented email campaign metrics
- No documented Folk-specific importer
Project snapshot
- GitHub stars
- 1,517
- Contributors
- 7
- Language
- PHP
- Last commit
- Aug 18, 2026
- Latest release
- Aug 17, 2026
Categories: Workflow Automation, Customer Relationship Management, Business Intelligence, Data Integration, Customer Data Platforms, Marketing Automation, Customer Support, Sales Intelligence
Sources and editorial review14 linked sources
Public documentation supports this comparison. Automation assists collection and classification; editorial standards and corrections remain the responsibility of Kris.
Relaticle is a self-hosted CRM with a production-grade MCP server.
readme · github.com22 custom field types including entity relationships, conditional visibility, and per-field encryption.
readme · github.comMCP server with 32 tools, REST API with full CRUD, schema discovery for AI agents
readme · github.comClean, modern interface built with Filament 5 and Livewire 4
readme · github.comSee the Self-Hosting Guide for Docker and manual deployment instructions.
readme · github.comRelaticle is a self-hosted CRM with a production-grade MCP server. Connect any AI agent -- Claude, GPT, or open-source models -- with 32 tools for full CRM operations.
verdict · github.comMulti-workspace support with role-based permissions and 5-layer authorization. Every team member sees exactly what they should.
best for · relaticle.comManage your pipeline with custom stages, lifecycle tracking, and win/loss analysis.
shared feature · relaticle.comRich contact profiles with interaction history, notes, and linked companies.
shared feature · relaticle.comSee the [Self-Hosting Guide](https://relaticle.com/docs/self-hosting) for Docker and manual deployment instructions.
deployment · github.comUpdates Self-Hosted: You pull and deploy new Docker images yourself Hosted: Managed by Relaticle — no self-hosted maintenance required
deployment · relaticle.comRelaticle is open-source software licensed under the [AGPL-3.0 license](LICENSE).
deployment · github.comMigrate from any CRM with CSV imports. Column mapping, validation, and error handling included. Export anytime — your data is yours.
migration · relaticle.comBring companies, people, or opportunities in from a CSV file.
migration · relaticle.com
