Introduction
Attio and Folk CRM are part of a new generation of CRM tools built from the ground up to replace legacy platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot for smaller, faster-moving teams. Both launched in recent years, both target startups and modern businesses, and both emphasize clean design and ease of use over enterprise feature bloat.
But they take fundamentally different approaches to solving the CRM problem. Attio is building a flexible, data-rich platform for teams that want to scale. Folk is building an intuitive, relationship-first tool for teams that want simplicity. This comparison breaks down where each platform excels and which one is right for your team.
What Makes Them "Next-Gen"
Traditional CRMs were designed for sales managers who needed to track reps and generate reports. Attio and Folk were designed for the people who actually use the CRM every day: founders, account executives, and business development reps.
Both platforms share characteristics that set them apart from legacy tools:
- Modern interfaces built with contemporary design principles rather than retrofitted enterprise UIs
- Fast onboarding that delivers value in minutes, not weeks
- Contact-centric architecture that treats relationships as the core unit, not just deals
- Built-in enrichment that automatically populates contact and company data
Where they diverge is in depth versus simplicity. Attio offers a flexible data model with custom objects, advanced automation, and detailed reporting. Folk prioritizes speed, visual clarity, and ease of use above all else.
Pricing Comparison
Pricing is one of the most significant differences between these two platforms.
Attio pricing (billed annually):
- Free: Up to 3 users, real-time syncing, automatic enrichment
- Plus: $29 per user per month, private lists, enhanced email
- Pro: $86 per user per month, call intelligence, priority support
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, SSO, advanced security
Folk CRM pricing (billed annually):
- Standard: $20 per user per month, contact management, basic features
- Premium: $40 per user per month, deals pipeline, dashboards, email sequences
- Custom: $80 per user per month, advanced roles, API access, WhatsApp sync
Folk is 30-40% cheaper at the entry level. However, Attio offers a generous free plan for up to three users, which Folk does not. Folk only provides a 14-day trial.
There is an important catch with Folk: the deals module is not available on the Standard plan. If you need pipeline management, you must upgrade to Premium at $40 per user per month, which brings Folk closer to Attio Plus pricing. For a team of 10 users over three years, the cost difference between Folk Standard ($7,200) and Attio Plus ($10,440) adds up to $3,240 in Folk’s favor, but only if you do not need deals.
Data Model and Flexibility
This is where Attio pulls ahead significantly. Attio’s data model is closer to a database than a traditional CRM. You can create custom objects, define relationships between any record types, and build views that slice your data in virtually any way.
Attio’s enrichment is also more comprehensive. One-click enrichment fills in not just basic contact information but also company data like ARR, funding rounds, and employee count. Folk’s enrichment is limited to basic fields and, according to user reports, often fails to return company and job title data even for contacts with work emails.
For reporting, Attio offers advanced customizable reports with multiple visualization types, custom dashboards, and win probability tracking. Folk’s reporting is still in beta as of late 2025, with basic metrics only and limited customization options.
If your team needs a CRM that adapts to your specific data model and workflow, Attio is the stronger choice. If you just need clean contact management with a straightforward pipeline, Folk may be sufficient.
Collaboration Features
Both platforms are designed for team use, but they approach collaboration differently.
Folk emphasizes shared contact lists, tagging, and simple team views. Its interface makes it easy for multiple team members to see and update the same contacts without stepping on each other’s toes. Folk is particularly strong for teams that manage relationships across sales, partnerships, recruiting, and fundraising simultaneously.
Attio offers more structured collaboration with granular permissions, team-level views, and shared workspaces. Its custom objects and list views make it easier to build team-specific workflows within the same workspace. Attio also supports more advanced features like private lists on the Plus plan and role-based access on Enterprise.
For small teams of five to ten people, both platforms handle collaboration well. For growing teams that need to separate workflows by function, Attio provides more structure.
Integrations
Attio has a clear advantage in integrations. It offers a built-in automation builder with branched workflows, AI-powered actions, and deep third-party integrations. You can build multi-step automations entirely within Attio without needing external tools.
Folk’s integration ecosystem is more limited. It covers the basics like email sync and LinkedIn imports, but for workflow automation, you will likely need to add Zapier or Make at an additional cost of $20 to $60 per month. Folk does offer WhatsApp sync on the Custom plan, which is a unique feature for teams that communicate with contacts via messaging apps.
If your team relies heavily on automated workflows and needs to connect your CRM to multiple tools in your stack, Attio is the better foundation.
Best For Which Team
Based on our analysis, here is where each platform excels:
Choose Attio if you:
- Want a free plan to get started
- Need a flexible data model that adapts to your processes
- Require built-in automation without third-party tools
- Plan to scale from seed to Series A and beyond
- Want advanced reporting and custom dashboards
Choose Folk CRM if you:
- Prioritize simplicity and speed above everything
- Manage relationships across multiple functions, not just sales
- Want the lowest possible per-user cost
- Do not need advanced reporting or custom objects
- Have a team of 5 to 20 people with straightforward workflows
Final Verdict
Both Attio and Folk represent a genuine improvement over legacy CRMs for startup teams. They are faster, cleaner, and easier to adopt than traditional enterprise tools.
However, they serve different needs. Folk is the simpler, cheaper option that works well for teams managing relationships across multiple contexts. Attio is the more powerful, flexible option that can grow with a startup from early-stage through scale-up.
If you are choosing between the two, the deciding factor is usually your growth trajectory. If you expect your sales process to stay relatively simple, Folk’s lower price and clean interface make it compelling. If you anticipate needing custom data models, advanced automations, and detailed reporting within the next 12 to 18 months, starting with Attio will save you a painful migration later.
Browse our full simple CRM reviews to see how both platforms compare against other lightweight alternatives.
