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Comparison · CRM
Keap vs Folk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Keap and Folk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:crm
Keap vs Folk: at a glance
What is Keap?
Keap is folding deeper into the Thryv platform; the v2 REST API just hit parity.
Keap publishes a regular monthly product roundup covering automations, email, branding, and reporting. The biggest single move in the last cycle is the Thryv v2 REST API reaching full feature parity with the legacy XMLRPC API, with new SDKs alongside it. Branding and copy across recent updates increasingly leads with Thryv rather than Keap, suggesting the post-acquisition merge is now visible in product surfaces.
What is Folk?
folk now pitches itself as the CRM for the agent era.
folk is a CRM for small sales teams that has spent the autumn opening its data to AI agents. A November 6 post repositions it as 'the CRM for the agent era', turning customer data into context agents act on. October added bulk create and update through folk MCP, enrichment through the API and MCP, call recording in beta and a French interface.
Keap vs Folk: editorial side-by-side
Keap
0.0CRM
Keap is folding deeper into the Thryv platform; the v2 REST API just hit parity.
◆ Current state
Keap publishes a regular monthly product roundup covering automations, email, branding, and reporting. The biggest single move in the last cycle is the Thryv v2 REST API reaching full feature parity with the legacy XMLRPC API, with new SDKs alongside it. Branding and copy across recent updates increasingly leads with Thryv rather than Keap, suggesting the post-acquisition merge is now visible in product surfaces.
◆ Where it's heading
Keap is on a steady CRM-feature cadence — scheduling, segmentation, email deliverability, automation triggers — while the underlying platform shifts under the Thryv brand and API. Developer ecosystem work (v2 REST + SDKs) signals an attempt to revive third-party integration momentum that XMLRPC was bottlenecking. Expect Keap-branded surfaces to keep narrowing as Thryv consolidates the small-business suite.
◆ Prediction
The XMLRPC API has a deprecation window coming — likely a public timeline within a quarter or two. Cross-product features (booking, reputation, marketing) will increasingly land as Thryv-branded rather than Keap-branded, accelerating the brand transition.
Folk
5.0CRM
folk now pitches itself as the CRM for the agent era.
◆ Current state
folk is a CRM for small sales teams that has spent the autumn opening its data to AI agents. A November 6 post repositions it as 'the CRM for the agent era', turning customer data into context agents act on. October added bulk create and update through folk MCP, enrichment through the API and MCP, call recording in beta and a French interface.
◆ Where it's heading
The positioning now matches what the releases have been building: MCP access, bulk writes and self-enrichment make folk a data layer agents can use. The new post states the direction but ships no new feature itself.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next releases to give agents more write actions through MCP, such as tasks or pipeline moves, to back up the new positioning.
Alternatives to Keap 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 Keap 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 adds a command panel and quick-add tasks after its agent-era repositioning.
IntegCRM
IntegCRM adds document folders, turning back to client records after two email releases.
Recent activity from Keap 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 itself as a CRM built for AI agents
- 16d agoFolkYour CRM can now enrich contacts on its own
- 18d agoFolkfolk in French
- 25d agoFolkIntroducing bulk actions in folk MCP
- 9mo agoKeapLegal/privacy footer (scraper noise)
- 10mo agoKeapDecember Product Update: Smarter Scheduling, Clearer Reporting, and Better API Visibility
- 11mo agoKeapNovember Product Update: Smarter Emails, Cleaner Branding & Enhanced Automation Tools
- 1y agoKeapOctober Product Update: Work Faster and Stay Organized with New Automation Tools
- 1y agoKeapThryv API Update: Full Feature Parity and New SDKs Now Available ⚡
- 1y agoKeapGrow 2025 Product Recap: Innovations You Need to Know
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Keap and Folk?
Both compete on the same themes — 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 Keap 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 Keap?
Top Keap alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Keap alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/keap 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 for the full list with editorial commentary on each.