Customermates

Open source alternative to Breakcold

228 stars
AGPL-3.0
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Nov 5, 2026

Manage contacts, deals, and conversations in an open-core CRM for small teams, with MCP support for AI agents and Docker Compose self-hosting.

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Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Customermates is for#

Sales reps doing LinkedIn and email outreach

On Customermates Cloud Pro or higher, every LinkedIn message thread and email reply appears beside the matching contact record, with no switching between apps to find conversation history. Mate can prepare draft replies each morning based on the previous thread, ready for review before the working day starts. The pipeline view shows deal value, stage, company, owner, and close date on every card.

Skip if:

Teams doing outreach at high volume with built-in sequences and automated follow-ups. Customermates has no sequence builder; a tool with sequences built in fits those workflows better.

Consultants and agencies wanting AI-ready CRM

Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor connect through 59 MCP tools to query contacts, search deals, and draft replies without leaving the AI client. Each workspace is isolated with its own data model, members, billing, API keys, and MCP connections, so an agency can maintain separate workspaces for different clients under one login.

Skip if:

Consultants who primarily need billing, invoicing, project management, or contract tracking built into the same tool. Customermates covers the relationship and conversation side; financial and project workflows require separate tools.

Privacy-conscious teams wanting self-hosted CRM

The Docker Compose self-hosting path runs the AGPL-licensed core CRM on the team's own server in under 15 minutes, per the README. MCP, the REST API, and webhooks work on self-hosted instances, so the tool connects to existing AI clients and automations without cloud dependency. No per-seat fee and no external data processing for the core CRM data.

Skip if:

Teams that need the unified inbox or Mate routines on a self-hosted instance. Those features are managed-cloud-only. If the inbox is a primary requirement, the self-hosted path delivers a capable but inbox-less CRM.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Most small-team CRMs are priced for enterprise budgets or locked into managed-cloud-only hosting, with no way to bring existing AI tooling into the workflow. As AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT become part of day-to-day work, teams want those agents to read contact records, draft replies, and update deal stages, but most CRMs provide no machine-accessible interface that works with standard AI clients. The result is manual copying between the CRM and the AI tool for every task.

A second pain hits teams doing multi-channel outreach: LinkedIn conversations, WhatsApp threads, and email replies live in separate apps, never attached to the contact record where the deal context lives. Piecing together a customer story means switching between tabs and copying notes by hand.

how Customermates solves it

How it solves it#

MCP interface for AI agents

External AI clients including Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Gemini, and Grok Bot connect to Customermates through 59 MCP tools, available on every plan including self-hosted instances. Each tool operates within the connected user's permissions, so the agent can query contacts, draft replies, create records, and update deal stages without leaving the AI client. The connection requires one JSON block in the client's MCP config and an API key created in Customermates.

Multi-channel unified inbox

On Customermates Cloud from the Pro plan, email (Gmail, Outlook, IMAP), LinkedIn (including Sales Navigator and Recruiter chats), WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram threads appear beside the matching contact. Threads are matched by email address, phone number, or LinkedIn profile, then linked to deals or organizations as needed. Each team member works in their own connected accounts on Pro; Business and higher can share whole connected accounts with the team.

Configurable data model from scratch

A new workspace starts without any preloaded lists or stages. Teams build exactly the lists, fields, and pipeline stages they need, importing records from an Excel workbook once the model is set. On Customermates Cloud, Mate can build lists, stages, a dashboard, and Knowledge Base pages from a plain-text description in a single onboarding step, within the plan's credit cap.

n8n, REST API, and webhook automation

Every plan includes a documented REST API with OpenAPI spec, webhooks for event-driven integrations, and a published n8n community node. Connect an n8n instance operated separately to trigger workflows on record changes, new messages, or deal stage moves. Customermates does not bundle n8n, keeping the two products independently operated and priced.

Self-hosting with Docker Compose

The self-hosted deployment needs two files (docker-compose.yml and .env) and one docker compose up -d command. No build step, no git clone required. The official image at ghcr.io/customermates/customermates applies migrations on start. Prerequisites are Docker Compose v2 and roughly 2 GB RAM. Self-hosted instances run the Starter feature set: core CRM, MCP, API, and webhooks, without the unified inbox, Mate, or routines.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

MCP access on every plan, including self-hostedThe 59 MCP tools that let AI agents operate the CRM are available on the free self-hosted tier, not locked behind a paid plan. Teams running Customermates on their own server can give Claude or ChatGPT structured access to their contact data, draft replies, and update records without a cloud subscription.
EU cloud database regionThe managed cloud database runs in AWS Frankfurt. For teams with GDPR obligations or clients who require European data residency, this removes the need to self-host purely for compliance reasons. Cloud plans at every tier use the EU region.
Open-core AGPL Community EditionAll first-party code outside the ee/ folder is licensed under AGPL-3.0, so self-hosters can audit the code, fork it, and run it without licensing fees. The open-core model keeps Enterprise features (SSO, whitelabeling) in a separate commercial tier while leaving the contact, deal, pipeline, and automation core freely accessible.

Trade-offs

-Unified inbox and Mate routines require CloudEmail, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram threads in the unified inbox are a Customermates Cloud feature from the Pro plan onward. Self-hosted instances have the core CRM, MCP, API, and webhooks, but no connected channel inbox, no Mate AI, and no routines. Teams that need the unified inbox must use the managed cloud, starting at €12/user/month on Pro.
-Email delivery needs an external Resend accountSelf-hosting requires a Resend API key and operator email for signup verification, password reset, and invitation emails. Resend is not bundled; teams must create a Resend account and configure it before the self-hosted instance works for multi-user setups. This is an external dependency with its own cost and DNS configuration steps.
-Commercial license covers Enterprise features in the ee/ folderFiles in the ee/ folder are under the Customermates Commercial License, not AGPL-3.0. Self-hosters running the official Docker image may use the commercial components for self-hosted operation (the Community Build permission covers this), but Enterprise features (SSO, whitelabeling) require a Commercial Agreement. Offering Customermates as a managed service to others is not permitted without a commercial license.

versus alternatives

Customermates vs alternatives#

Customermates vs Breakcold

Breakcold is a paid social CRM focused on LinkedIn engagement and email tracking for sales pipelines. Customermates offers similar contact and pipeline management with the addition of open-source self-hosting, MCP-based AI agent access, and a wider channel inbox.

Feature	Customermates	Breakcold
License	AGPL-3.0 open-core	Proprietary
Self-hosting	Yes (Docker Compose)	No
Pricing	€12/user/month Cloud; free self-hosted core	Per-seat SaaS subscription
MCP for AI agents	59 tools, all plans	Not available
Channels	Email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram (Cloud Pro+)	Email and LinkedIn
Automation	n8n, REST API, webhooks, Mate routines (Cloud)	Built-in sequences
Cloud data region	EU (AWS Frankfurt)	US-based

Customermates is the better choice when self-hosting is required for data residency or cost control, when the team wants AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) to access the CRM through MCP, or when managing client relationships across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram alongside email and LinkedIn. The AGPL core can be audited and modified, and there is no per-seat fee for self-hosted use.

Breakcold is worth considering when built-in outreach sequences, automated follow-up scheduling, and a fully managed experience are the primary requirements. Customermates has no sequence builder in its current release; teams with high-volume automated outreach may find Breakcold's built-in automations more complete. Breakcold also removes the infrastructure management burden entirely, which suits teams without technical staff to maintain a Docker deployment.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Self-hosting uses the official Docker image with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL.
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/customermates/customermates/main/docker-compose.yml -o docker-compose.yml
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/customermates/customermates/main/.env.selfhost.template -o .env
docker compose up -d
```

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaScriptTypeScript
Frameworks: NestJSNext.jsReact
Databases: PostgreSQL
Infrastructure: Docker

frequently asked

FAQ#

Can I self-host Customermates for free?

Yes. The Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 and free to run on your own infrastructure. Self-hosting uses the official Docker image at ghcr.io/customermates/customermates and requires Docker Compose v2, roughly 2 GB RAM, and an external Resend account for email delivery. There is no per-seat fee for the self-hosted core. Enterprise features (SSO, whitelabeling) are not part of the community self-hosted tier and require a Commercial Agreement.

Which features are only on Customermates Cloud?

The unified inbox (email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram), Mate (the hosted AI agent), routines, and AI setup are Customermates Cloud features. The inbox requires the Pro plan or higher; Mate and routines use the hosted AI credits included in each cloud plan. Self-hosted instances have the core CRM, MCP, REST API, webhooks, audit logging, and the n8n node, but none of the channel inbox or hosted AI features.

How does the MCP integration work?

Add a short JSON block to your AI client's MCP config pointing to https://customermates.com/api/v1/mcp with an API key created in Customermates. The client and model (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Gemini) remain on their own subscriptions; Customermates exposes 59 tools the AI client can call within the connected user's permissions. MCP is available on every plan including self-hosted instances, with no additional cost.

Is the Customermates license really open source?

The Community Edition, covering all first-party code outside the ee/ folder, is AGPL-3.0-only and OSI-approved. The ee/ folder, which holds Enterprise features (SSO, whitelabeling), uses the Customermates Commercial License. The official Docker image bundles both under a Community Build permission that allows self-hosted operation; running it as a managed service for others requires a commercial license. For teams self-hosting for internal use, the core CRM is fully AGPL and free to run, audit, and modify.

What is included in the self-hosted Starter feature set?

Self-hosted instances include: core CRM (contacts, organizations, deals, services, tasks), configurable lists and fields, pipeline views, the documented REST API with OpenAPI spec, webhooks and event-driven integrations, MCP with 59 tools for external AI clients, the n8n community node, audit logging, role-based access control, and multiple isolated workspaces per login. Not included: the unified inbox, Mate (hosted AI), routines, and AI setup. Those features require Customermates Cloud.

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