Folk
Lightweight relationship CRM.
why this verdict
Keep paying — OpenAI has not replaced it
OpenAI's version overlaps, but does not finish the CRM job, so this one still earns its $20/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- ChatGPT enrichment. OpenAI, May 1, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Attio, HubSpot and Notion.
- What the call is worth $240/yr
- $20/mo at the entry paid tier — $240 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- May 1, 2024
- List price
- $20/mo
- Per year
- $240
The backstory
Folk is a lightweight, relationship-focused CRM that pulls contacts from your inbox and social profiles and keeps deals and outreach organized. ChatGPT can enrich a name with public info, but that is a lookup, not a CRM. Folk survived because relationship management is ongoing workflow: pipelines, shared contexts, reminders, and team collaboration a chatbot does not persist. The living database and the workflow around it are the moat.
Escape hatches
Modern, flexible CRM with a free tier
attio.com open_in_newFull CRM with a free starter tier
hubspot.com open_in_newBuild a lightweight CRM in a workspace
notion.so open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.