CRM Comparison

Folk vs Capsule (2026)

Folk is a modern, contact-first CRM with enrichment and outreach; Capsule is a simple, affordable CRM for SMBs. Here's how to choose between Folk and Capsule.

Folk CRM

Contact-based CRM that replaces spreadsheets. Built for teams managing relationships — hiring, fundraising, partnerships.

Pricing Free plan, paid from $20/mo
Our rating 4.5/5
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Capsule CRM

Clean, lightweight CRM for small businesses. Contact management, sales tracking, and integrations without the clutter.

Pricing Free plan, paid from $18/mo
Our rating 4/5
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TL;DR

  • Pick Folk if you want a beautiful, contact-first CRM that pulls people straight from LinkedIn and the web, enriches them automatically, and lets you send personalised email sequences without a separate tool.
  • Pick Capsule if you want a dependable, low-cost CRM that any non-technical SMB can adopt in an afternoon, with contacts and a simple pipeline at the centre and nothing to configure.

Pricing

Capsule is the cheaper starting point and the only one with a real free tier — 2 users and 250 contacts at $0, then Starter around $18/user/mo and Growth around $36, with Advanced and Ultimate above that. Folk skips a free plan and opens at roughly $25/user/mo on Standard, climbing to about $40 on Premium, with message-credit limits that scale by tier. For a bootstrapped business that just needs to track relationships, Capsule costs less. Folk's higher price buys enrichment credits and outreach that would otherwise be separate subscriptions.

Data model / Core approach

Both are contact-first rather than deal-first, but they express it differently. Capsule organises around People and Organisations, with Opportunities and Cases layered on top, plus custom fields and tags — tidy and predictable. Folk treats contacts as living, enrichable records grouped into flexible lists, and its standout is the folkX browser extension that scrapes profiles from LinkedIn, Twitter, and company sites in one click. Folk also auto-enriches emails and job titles. If your work is networking-heavy — agencies, VC, partnerships, recruiting — Folk's model fits the grain. If you just need a clean address book with deals attached, Capsule is plenty.

Pipeline and sales workflows

Capsule's pipeline is its strongest feature: drag opportunities through stages, attach values and close dates, and get a milestone-based forecast that a small team understands instantly. Folk's pipelines are lighter and newer, leaning on lists and custom fields rather than a deep forecasting engine. Where Folk pulls ahead is the front of the funnel — building targeted lists, enriching them, and pushing email sequences directly from the CRM. Capsule wins for managing deals you already have; Folk wins for finding and warming new ones.

Email and integrations

Folk's email game is the differentiator: native two-way sync plus built-in sequences with merge fields, so you prospect and follow up inside the CRM. Capsule connects to Gmail and Outlook, offers templates and a Bcc capture address, and relies on Transpond (its sibling marketing tool), Xero, QuickBooks, and Zapier for the rest. For accountancy and bookkeeping links common to SMBs, Capsule's native integrations are genuinely handy. For outbound relationship-building, Folk is the more complete package out of the box.

Who should pick what

  • Agencies, founders, and VCs who live in LinkedIn and email → Folk.
  • Non-technical SMBs wanting an affordable, no-fuss CRM → Capsule.
  • Teams that want enrichment and email sequences in one tool → Folk.
  • Businesses that need a free tier or tight accountancy integrations → Capsule.

Bottom line

Folk and Capsule both put contacts first, but they serve different instincts. Capsule is the safe, inexpensive workhorse for a small business that wants its CRM to stay quietly out of the way. Folk is the modern, networking-native tool for people who treat relationships as the pipeline and want enrichment plus outreach built in. If price and plain simplicity matter most, choose Capsule; if your growth comes from working a network, Folk earns its premium.

Try them yourself

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Frequently asked questions

Is Folk or Capsule better for small teams?
Capsule is easier for a traditional small business that just wants contacts, tasks, and a basic pipeline. Folk suits small teams that live in LinkedIn and email and want enrichment plus outreach baked in. If nobody on the team is technical, Capsule wins on simplicity.
How much do Folk and Capsule cost?
Folk starts around $25/user/mo (Standard) and rises to roughly $40 (Premium) and beyond, billed annually. Capsule keeps a free tier (up to 250 contacts, 2 users), then Starter near $18/user/mo and Growth near $36. Capsule is cheaper at the entry point.
Does Capsule have a free plan?
Yes. Capsule offers a genuine free plan for up to 2 users and 250 contacts, with basic contact and opportunity management. Folk does not have a permanent free plan, only a trial, so Capsule is the better choice if a $0 tier is a hard requirement.
Can you migrate from one to the other?
Yes, both import and export contacts via CSV. Moving from Capsule to Folk is straightforward because Folk's import tools are strong. Going the other way works too, though Folk's enrichment data and email-sequence history won't carry over cleanly. Pipelines usually need to be rebuilt by hand.