Jun 9, 2025
Attio vs Folk: Which CRM Should You Choose in 2025?
Wondering whether Attio or Folk is the better fit for your team? This in-depth comparison helps you make the right decision based on your GTM needs, team maturity, and future scalability.
1. Introduction: Two Modern CRMs, Two Different Philosophies
Attio and Folk are two modern alternatives to traditional CRMs. Both offer clean interfaces, better UX than legacy tools, and a focus on relationships rather than rigid pipelines. But under the hood, their philosophies diverge sharply.
Folk is designed for simplicity and quick adoption. It's ideal for early-stage teams or those with very lightweight workflows.
Attio is built for scale, with a modular architecture, open API, and deep customization — ideal for RevOps, GTM, and data-driven teams.
2. Comparison Table: Folk vs Attio
Feature | Folk | Attio |
|---|---|---|
Positioning | Lightweight contact manager + basic CRM | API-first, modular, fully scalable CRM |
Best for | Early-stage startups, agencies, VC networks | Scaling startups, RevOps teams, B2B SaaS |
Interface | Very simple, user-friendly | Intuitive but highly structured |
Data modeling | Tag-based, list-based | Relational architecture (contacts, companies, deals...) |
API / integrations | Closed / limited | Open API, Webhooks, Zapier & Make compatible |
Automation | Basic (e.g., tagging, email sequences) | Advanced (auto-tagging, real-time sync, AI workflows) |
Custom objects / flexibility | Limited | Full customization (pipelines, attributes, views, permissions) |
AI capabilities | None | Built-in AI attributes + external AI integration (OpenAI, etc.) |
Scalability | Limited use cases | Designed to scale with GTM complexity and headcount |
Support & ecosystem | Small team, limited community | Fast support, rich docs, growing expert ecosystem |
Pricing | Affordable | Competitive for the power and flexibility provided |
3. Attio’s Edge: API-first, Scalable, and AI-Ready
If you're planning to scale your operations, Attio provides a robust foundation that grows with you:
Modular CRM architecture: Create custom data structures that reflect your business logic.
Open API: Easily connect with any tool in your GTM stack.
AI Attributes: Generate insights automatically (e.g., lead scoring, summaries) using built-in AI fields.
External AI integrations: Seamlessly connect with tools like OpenAI, Claude, or internal LLMs to enrich workflows.
Workflows & automations: Sync data across tools, automate processes, and reduce manual work.
With Attio, you're not locked into a fixed feature set. You build the system that matches your go-to-market engine.
4. Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Folk if:
You’re early-stage with very simple CRM needs.
You want something easy to set up with minimal onboarding.
Your use case is closer to contact management than revenue operations.
Choose Attio if:
You want a real CRM that supports sales, partnerships, and customer success.
You need custom objects, views, and automations.
You plan to scale and want full ownership of your data and workflows.
You're building a modern GTM stack around data, AI, and automation.
5. Conclusion: Tool vs System
Folk is a tool. Attio is a system.
The real question isn't just "what do I need now?" — it's "what do I want to build over the next 12 months?"
If you're serious about structuring your go-to-market machine, building automations, and leveraging AI, Attio is the clear long-term choice.
Need Help Migrating or Choosing?
At novlini, we help high-growth teams switch to Attio and build CRM architectures tailored to their GTM strategy.
Book a free 30min call with an Attio expert and design your ideal CRM setup — from day one to scale.