Salty vs Twenty
The managed agent-native CRM vs the open-source CRM.
Salty and Twenty are two of the most developer-friendly CRMs available, and both ship a native MCP server — the choice comes down to managed-vs-self-hosted and the pricing model. Twenty is the leading open-source CRM (AGPL-3.0, ~51k GitHub stars), self-hostable for free or run on Twenty Cloud at $9–$19/user/mo, with both REST and GraphQL APIs and a full UI. Salty is a managed, UI-less, agent-native CRM priced per API call ($20/mo for 100,000 calls) with no per-seat fee. Choose Twenty if you want open-source code, self-hosting, and a human-usable UI; choose Salty if you want a zero-ops managed backend that agents drive, with per-call pricing instead of per-seat.
Salty vs Twenty: at a glance
A head-to-head on the dimensions that matter when AI agents — not human reps — are the primary users of your CRM.
| Dimension | Salty | Twenty |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | AI agents (agent-native, no UI) | Developers & teams wanting an OSS CRM + UI |
| Hosting | Managed cloud (zero ops) | Self-host (free) or Twenty Cloud |
| Pricing model | Per API call — no per-seat fee | Per user (cloud) or free (self-host) |
| Entry price | $20/mo (Solo, 100k calls) | $0 self-hosted · $9/user/mo cloud (Pro) |
| Official MCP server | Native — 15 tools, OAuth 2.1 | Yes — native MCP server (Twenty 2.0) |
| API | REST API (OpenAPI 3.1) | REST + GraphQL |
| Webhooks | HMAC-signed, built-in | Webhooks supported |
| Open source / self-host | No (managed; SDK/CLI are MIT) | Yes — AGPL-3.0, Docker |
| Human UI | None (inspection-only admin) | Full CRM UI (pipelines, views) |
What is Salty?
Salty is a developer-first CRM built for AI agents instead of human reps. It exposes one workspace through four programmatic surfaces — a REST API (OpenAPI 3.1), a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server with 15 tools, a CLI, and HMAC-signed webhooks — and prices on API calls rather than per seat. There are no kanban boards, dashboards, or integration marketplace; the agent does the work and Salty is the database underneath.
What is Twenty?
Twenty (twenty.com) is the leading open-source CRM, positioned as "the open alternative to Salesforce, designed for AI." It is self-hostable via Docker under AGPL-3.0, offers unlimited custom objects and a TypeScript Apps framework for extension, and in version 2.0 added a native MCP server plus AI Agents. Enterprise features live in a separately licensed twenty-ee package.
Pricing: Salty vs Twenty
Twenty pricing as of June 2026. Verify current figures on the vendor’s pricing page (linked in sources below).
- Free$0500 API calls/mo · 10 records · demo tier (no schema edits, custom objects, or webhooks)
- Solo$20/mo100,000 API calls/mo · 25,000 records · every feature
- Pro$99/mo1,000,000 API calls/mo · 250,000 records · every feature
Pricing is per API call, not per seat — every MCP tool call and REST request counts as one call; admin/billing actions are exempt. Overage is $1 per 10,000 calls (and $0.50 per 1,000 records over cap). There is no per-user fee, so a fleet of agents costs the same as one.
- Self-hosted (Community)$0AGPL-3.0, Docker Compose, no license fee
- Pro (Cloud)$9/user/moCustomization, custom apps, AI Agents
- Organization (Cloud)$19/user/moRow-level permissions, SAML/OIDC SSO
Twenty Cloud is per user/month (yearly billing discounts ~25%); the self-hosted Community Edition is free under AGPL-3.0. Enterprise features are in the separately licensed twenty-ee package — review the license for commercial use.
When to choose Salty
- You want a zero-ops managed backend — no Docker, Postgres, or upgrades to run.
- Your users are AI agents and you want per-call pricing with no per-seat fee.
- You want no human UI at all — a pure programmable system of record.
- You prefer a closed managed service over AGPL-3.0 copyleft obligations.
When to choose Twenty
- You want open-source code you can read, fork, and self-host for free.
- You need a GraphQL API or a full human-usable CRM UI with pipelines and views.
- You want to extend the CRM in TypeScript via the Apps framework.
- Data residency or control requires running the CRM on your own infrastructure.
The bottom line
Twenty is the best pick when you want open-source, self-hosting, a GraphQL API, and a real CRM UI — and you’re comfortable owning the ops (or paying per user on Twenty Cloud) and AGPL-3.0 terms. Salty is the best pick when you want none of that ops or UI: a managed, agent-native backend priced per call that your agents drive through REST and MCP. Both ship native MCP; the real fork is open-source-self-host versus managed-per-call.
Salty vs Twenty: FAQ
- Is Salty open source like Twenty?
- No. Twenty is open-source (AGPL-3.0) and self-hostable via Docker; Salty is a managed cloud service (its TypeScript SDK and CLI are MIT-licensed, but the CRM itself is hosted). If open-source and self-hosting are requirements, Twenty is the better fit; if you want zero ops, Salty is.
- Do both Salty and Twenty have an MCP server?
- Yes. Twenty added a native MCP server in version 2.0 that exposes the full data model over OAuth, and Salty ships a native MCP server with 15 curated tools. Both let Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor read and write records.
- Which has the better API?
- It depends on your needs. Twenty offers both REST and GraphQL (GraphQL is its richest surface). Salty offers a single REST API documented with OpenAPI 3.1, plus MCP and a CLI. If you specifically need GraphQL, Twenty wins; if you want a managed REST + MCP backend with no ops, Salty wins.
- Is Twenty cheaper than Salty?
- Self-hosted Twenty has no license fee (you pay for your own infrastructure and operations). Twenty Cloud is $9–$19/user/mo. Salty is $20/mo for 100,000 API calls with no per-seat fee. For a few human users, self-hosted Twenty can be cheapest; for many agents with no ops appetite, Salty’s flat per-call price is often lower total cost.
Sources
Twenty facts above are drawn from official sources, verified June 22, 2026.
The CRM your agents can run.
REST API, MCP server, CLI, and signed webhooks — priced per call, not per seat.