can i fork it?

Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Salesforce · 🤝 crm

Salesforce vs Corteza

A self-hosted business-app suite with records, pages, workflows, charts, and enterprise-grade amounts of configuration. Here is how Corteza ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Salesforce ($25/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.

Open-Source Alternative

Corteza

$0.00/mo · Apache-2.0

Salesforce vs Corteza Specification Matrix

facts verified 2026-08-10

DimensionSalesforce (Paid)Corteza (Replacement)
Monthly Price$25 / mo$0 / mo
1-Year Cost (1 seat)$300 / yr$0 / yr (Save $300)
1-Year Cost (5 seats)$1,500 / yr$0 / yr (Save $1,500)
1-Year Cost (10 seats)$3,000 / yr$0 / yr (Save $3,000)
Source & LicenseProprietary SaaSopen source Apache-2.0
Where It RunsVendor CloudSelf-host (your server)
PlatformsWeb / Cloud
webself-hostedself-host, real ops
GitHub Stars—★ 2.2k (active mar 2026)

Deep Dive: Switching from Salesforce to Corteza

Trade-offs, installation & data architecture

The Catch vs Salesforce

What you trade away

Corteza is a record-and-workflow suite, not a pixel-flexible public web-app designer, so a consumer-facing Bubble product will look and behave much more constrained.

Installation

How to deploy Corteza

Docker Compose with a configured MySQL or PostgreSQL database

Day-2 Operations & Setup

What it takes to run

Docker, a database, secrets, persistent-volume permissions, and a reverse proxy/TLS are the first operational hurdle

Data Ownership

Where your data lives

Records and configuration live in the configured SQL database; uploaded attachments live in the server persistence directory

Build vs Fork Verdict: NOT REALLY (use a free alternative, save the tokens)

Why fork Corteza instead of vibe-coding a Salesforce clone?

Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Salesforce or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 5 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Odoo Community or ERPNext.

Salesforce vs Corteza FAQ

Is Corteza a good free alternative to Salesforce?+

Yes. Corteza is a verified open-source (Apache-2.0) replacement for Salesforce. A self-hosted business-app suite with records, pages, workflows, charts, and enterprise-grade amounts of configuration.

What is the catch when switching from Salesforce to Corteza?+

Corteza is a record-and-workflow suite, not a pixel-flexible public web-app designer, so a consumer-facing Bubble product will look and behave much more constrained.

How much do you save switching from Salesforce to Corteza?+

Salesforce costs $25/mo ($300/yr) per seat, whereas Corteza is $0/mo. Switching saves $300/yr for a solo user, $1,500/yr for a 5-person team, and $3,000/yr for a 10-person team.

How do I install or self-host Corteza instead of Salesforce?+

Install: Docker Compose with a configured MySQL or PostgreSQL database. Setup: Docker, a database, secrets, persistent-volume permissions, and a reverse proxy/TLS are the first operational hurdle

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