Attio
Model contacts and companies flexibly, create views, and manage a pipeline
The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Attio, model contacts and companies flexibly, create views, and manage a pipeline. The hard boundary is real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish, plus integrations, data quality, and workflow lock-in.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish
- automatic email and calendar capture
- data enrichment
- large integration ecosystem
- enterprise reporting
Why people still pay
People still pay for Attio because CRM value compounds as the system becomes the shared memory of every customer interaction and embeds itself in the rest of the stack. The recurring cost buys deduplication, permissions, imports, sync, enrichment, email capture, automations, backups, and audit history, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- A supported Node release, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for a shared deployment, and a backup destination. Begin with one workspace and explicit owner/member permissions.
- Implementation components: Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations. PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
- Scope boundary: real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish; automatic email and calendar capture
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Optional external skill: vercel-react-best-practices — Improve React and Next.js data fetching, rendering, bundle size and server performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: supabase-postgres-best-practices — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: web-design-guidelines — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: people, companies, typed custom attributes, relation edges, saved views, deals and interaction records
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Attribute type changes require a migration preview; merging contacts preserves relation and activity provenance rather than silently discarding a record.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Import two rows sharing an email and review one merge candidate; changing a currency attribute to text retains an exportable copy of original values.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Create a flexible contact directory, edit typed attributes in a keyboard-friendly grid and move deals through a stage board. Import CSV through a mapping preview and merge duplicate candidates only after review. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish; automatic email and calendar capture
Phase 2
Durable model. Model people, companies, typed custom attributes, relation edges, saved views, deals and interaction records Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Attribute type changes require a migration preview; merging contacts preserves relation and activity provenance rather than silently discarding a record.
Phase 3
Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.
Phase 4
Permissions and integration failure. Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
Phase 5
Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
Phase 6
Acceptance scenarios. Import two rows sharing an email and review one merge candidate; changing a currency attribute to text retains an exportable copy of original values. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.
WORKING SLICE Create a flexible contact directory, edit typed attributes in a keyboard-friendly grid and move deals through a stage board. Import CSV through a mapping preview and merge duplicate candidates only after review. Build this scoped Attio-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states. Architecture - Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations. - PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace. Prerequisites and limits A supported Node release, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for a shared deployment, and a backup destination. Begin with one workspace and explicit owner/member permissions. Outside this release: real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish; automatic email and calendar capture Data model and correctness people, companies, typed custom attributes, relation edges, saved views, deals and interaction records Invariant: Attribute type changes require a migration preview; merging contacts preserves relation and activity provenance rather than silently discarding a record. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record. Security and privacy Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Recovery and export Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Implementation order 1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Create a flexible contact directory, edit typed attributes in a keyboard-friendly grid and move deals through a stage board. Import CSV through a mapping preview and merge duplicate candidates only after review. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish; automatic email and calendar capture 2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model people, companies, typed custom attributes, relation edges, saved views, deals and interaction records Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Attribute type changes require a migration preview; merging contacts preserves relation and activity provenance rather than silently discarding a record. 3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record. 4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results. 5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README. 6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Import two rows sharing an email and review one merge candidate; changing a currency attribute to text retains an exportable copy of original values. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder. Acceptance Import two rows sharing an email and review one merge candidate; changing a currency attribute to text retains an exportable copy of original values. Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees. Optional agent guidance Optional external skill: [vercel-react-best-practices](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/react-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Improve React and Next.js data fetching, rendering, bundle size and server performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [supabase-postgres-best-practices](https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/supabase-postgres-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Project rule — data model: people, companies, typed custom attributes, relation edges, saved views, deals and interaction records Project rule — preserve this invariant: Attribute type changes require a migration preview; merging contacts preserves relation and activity provenance rather than silently discarding a record. Project rule — acceptance evidence: Import two rows sharing an email and review one merge candidate; changing a currency attribute to text retains an exportable copy of original values.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md
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Alternatives to building your own
TwentyA modern pipeline CRM with custom objects, views and mailbox sync; the subscription becomes a Compose file.open source↗
EspoCRMA traditional CRM that actually lets you change the data model; polished enough, but still your server.open source↗
Frappe CRMA clean leads-and-deals board with notes, tasks and email; Frappe underneath means a real server, not a toy.open source↗all 6 free alternatives to Attio →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Explore related apps
Attio pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | Up to 3 seats, 3 objects, 50,000 records; 1 email/calendar account per user; 100 seat credits/user/month + 250 workspace credits/month |
| plus | $44/user | $35/user | Up to 10 seats, 5 objects, 250,000 records; 1 email/calendar account per user; 500 seat credits/user/month + 1,500 workspace credits/month |
| pro | $99/user | $79/user | Unlimited seats, 12 objects, 1,000,000 records; 2 email/calendar accounts per user; 1,000 seat credits/user/month + 10,000 workspace credits/month |
| enterprise | — | — | Unlimited seats and objects; custom records and workspace credits; 2,500 seat credits/user/month; 3+ email/calendar accounts per userCustom quote, billed annually. |
free tierUp to 3 seats, 3 objects and 50,000 records; 100 seat credits/user/month plus 250 workspace credits/month; 1 synced email/calendar account per user
billingmonthly + annual (about 20% off); Enterprise annual only
hidden costsWorkspace-credit add-ons cost $85/$70 (monthly/annual) for 5,000, $150/$120 for 10,000, $330/$260 for 25,000, or $595/$475 for 50,000 extra credits per month; credits are split between per-seat and per-workspace pools.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Attio
Can you build your own Attio with AI?
Partly. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Attio, model contacts and companies flexibly, create views, and manage a pipeline. The hard boundary is real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish, plus integrations, data quality, and workflow lock-in.
What does the Attio build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Create a flexible contact directory, edit typed attributes in a keyboard-friendly grid and move deals through a stage board. Import CSV through a mapping preview and merge duplicate candidates only after review. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish; automatic email and calendar capture; data enrichment. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Attio prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Attio project take?
The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Attio?
real-time data model, enrichment, email sync, automations, and collaborative polish; automatic email and calendar capture; data enrichment; large integration ecosystem; enterprise reporting. People still pay for Attio because CRM value compounds as the system becomes the shared memory of every customer interaction and embeds itself in the rest of the stack. The recurring cost buys deduplication, permissions, imports, sync, enrichment, email capture, automations, backups, and audit history, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Plus plan is $44/mo per seat (monthly per user), checked 2026-08-12. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Attio?
Twenty: A modern pipeline CRM with custom objects, views and mailbox sync; the subscription becomes a Compose file. EspoCRM: A traditional CRM that actually lets you change the data model; polished enough, but still your server. Frappe CRM: A clean leads-and-deals board with notes, tasks and email; Frappe underneath means a real server, not a toy. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/attio/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.