Bitrix24
Bitrix24's blog explains MCP for small teams; still no product releases.
Comparison · CRM
Affinity vs Folk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Affinity and Folk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:mcpcrm
Affinity vs Folk: at a glance
What is Affinity?
Affinity is wiring deal data into outside AI tools while rebuilding its core list views.
The tracked source is Affinity's blog index rather than a changelog, so most of what lands here is article chrome and case studies. Underneath that, two genuine product items are visible: Affinity Lists rebuilt for faster performance with advanced filtering, and an Affinity MCP Server in beta that connects deal data to AI tools including Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini. The surrounding material — Speedinvest tracking 500+ LP relationships through automatic capture, a year-in-review post, an executive appointment — is positioning around relationship intelligence rather than shipped change.
What is Folk?
folk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks after its agent-era repositioning.
folk is a lightweight relationship CRM that widened its surface through the summer and autumn with a mobile app, Tasks, an Interactions API, an MCP connector with bulk writes, enrichment in the API and EU data residency. Call recording left beta on November 10, days after folk recast itself as 'The CRM for the agent era'. The 12 November release adds a command panel and quick-add tasks; the post gives little more detail.
Affinity vs Folk: editorial side-by-side
Affinity
0.0CRM
Affinity is wiring deal data into outside AI tools while rebuilding its core list views.
◆ Current state
The tracked source is Affinity's blog index rather than a changelog, so most of what lands here is article chrome and case studies. Underneath that, two genuine product items are visible: Affinity Lists rebuilt for faster performance with advanced filtering, and an Affinity MCP Server in beta that connects deal data to AI tools including Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini. The surrounding material — Speedinvest tracking 500+ LP relationships through automatic capture, a year-in-review post, an executive appointment — is positioning around relationship intelligence rather than shipped change.
◆ Where it's heading
Affinity is pushing on two fronts that reinforce each other: making the CRM's own surfaces fast enough to live in, and making its relationship graph reachable from whatever AI tool a dealmaker already has open. The consistent claim across the entries is automatic capture — email and meeting data collected without manual entry — which is what makes both the network mapping and the agent access worth anything. The category framing is relationship intelligence, not CRM.
◆ Prediction
The MCP server is in beta and is the obvious next thing to move; watch for it to gain write access to pipeline records rather than read-only querying, since the existing material already describes updating a pipeline from an AI tool.
Folk
5.0CRM
folk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks after its agent-era repositioning.
◆ Current state
folk is a lightweight relationship CRM that widened its surface through the summer and autumn with a mobile app, Tasks, an Interactions API, an MCP connector with bulk writes, enrichment in the API and EU data residency. Call recording left beta on November 10, days after folk recast itself as 'The CRM for the agent era'. The 12 November release adds a command panel and quick-add tasks; the post gives little more detail.
◆ Where it's heading
Releases alternate between agent access (MCP writes, API enrichment) and everyday usability for sales reps (calling, French, now shortcuts). The positioning says agents, but most shipped work still serves the person doing the selling.
◆ Prediction
Expect further MCP and API coverage of folk's objects, likely tasks and calls, so agents can act on the same loop reps use. The thin recent posts make timing unclear.
Alternatives to Affinity and Folk
Other CRM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Affinity or Folk.
Twenty
Twenty 2.58.1 stops existing accounts from joining a workspace through SSO alone.
Twenty
Twenty 2.58 rebuilds CRM permissions down to the row and adds MCP workflow steps.
GroupOffice
GroupOffice patches its 25.0 and 6.8 lines again, still with no notes.
Folk
folk now pitches itself as the CRM for the agent era.
IntegCRM
IntegCRM adds document folders, turning back to client records after two email releases.
See all Affinity alternatives → · See all Folk alternatives →
Recent activity from Affinity and Folk
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoFolkfolk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks
- 4d agoFolkPhone call recording out of beta
- 8d agoFolkfolk repositions as a CRM that feeds AI agents
- 16d agoFolkYour CRM can now enrich contacts on its own
- 18d agoFolkfolk in French
- 25d agoFolkIntroducing bulk actions in folk MCP
- 7mo agoAffinityWho knows who? How PE and VC firms use CRM network mapping to find warm introductions
- 7mo agoAffinityWho knows who? How PE and VC firms use CRM network mapping to find warm introductions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Affinity and Folk?
Both compete on the same themes — mcp, crm — within CRM. Folk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Affinity better than Folk?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Folk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other CRM products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Affinity?
Top Affinity alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Affinity alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/affinity for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Folk?
Top Folk alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Folk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/folk-crm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.