Best CRMs for development agencies
A dev shop is more likely than most buyers to actually use the API. Compared on what's available, at what tier, and what it costs.
Attio wins for a dev shop wanting real API and MCP access without paying for it separately: both are included from the free plan. Close wins instead for a dev shop that runs its own outbound lead generation and wants a CRM built around calling and email at volume.
The short answer
- Attio's free plan (up to 3 seats) includes a public API, webhooks and an MCP server with no separate purchase step, per attio.com/pricing.
- folk withholds its native REST API from its entry Standard tier ($24/seat/mo annual), limiting that plan to Zapier and Make integrations; the full API requires Premium at $48/seat/mo, per folk.app/pricing.
- Close includes API and event log API access on every tier from Solo ($9/user/mo) through Scale, with no separate gate, per close.com/pricing.
Dev shop CRM options compared
| CRM | Starting price | API at entry tier? | Seats | Best for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attio | Free (up to 3 seats) | Yes, full API and MCP included | Per-seat, unlimited on Pro | A dev shop wanting real programmatic access without paying for it | A shop wanting a dialer-heavy outbound tool built in |
| Close | $9/user/mo (Solo, annual) | Yes, on every tier | Per-seat, Solo capped at 1 user | A dev shop running its own outbound lead generation | A shop that wants a flexible data model over a purpose-built sales tool |
| folk | $24/seat/mo (Standard, annual) | No, only Zapier/Make at entry; full API on Premium | Per-seat | A dev shop that prospects on LinkedIn and doesn't need the API yet | A shop that wants API access without upgrading past the entry tier |
Figures checked on attio.com/pricing, close.com/pricing and folk.app/pricing, September 2026.
What each one actually offers a dev shop
Attio
The cleanest choice for a shop that wants to build its own integration between the CRM and internal tools without a separate API purchase decision: full API, webhooks and an MCP server are all part of the free plan. Its flexible data model also suits an agency tracking both clients and internal projects in one system. Not for: a shop specifically wanting a built-in outbound dialer and calling stack.
Close
Fits a dev shop running its own lead generation through cold calling and email, with a Power Dialer, Predictive Dialer, and an AI prospecting agent bundled into every tier, plus full API access from the cheapest plan. Not for: a shop whose new business comes almost entirely from referrals and inbound, where the dialer-focused tooling goes unused.
folk
A reasonable lightweight option for a shop that prospects through LinkedIn and email campaigns, but the API gate is worth knowing about up front: Standard tier customers only get Zapier and Make, not a native REST API, until they move to Premium. Not for: a shop planning to build a custom integration on the cheapest plan.
When none of these is the answer
A one- or two-person dev shop with a short, referral-driven client list doesn't need a CRM with API access at all; a project tracker with a client field covers that scale. Building or paying for integration capability before you have a repeatable sales process to automate is solving a problem you don't have yet.
Disclosure: SalesCrew is our product. Its own MCP server exposes 145 tools across every module on every tier starting at $299/month, which is more infrastructure than most small dev shops need for a sales CRM alone. It's not included in the ranking above because this comparison is about the lightest, cheapest CRM options with real API access for a small shop's budget.
Questions
- Why does API access matter more for a dev shop's CRM than for other businesses?
- A development agency is more likely than most buyers to actually build a custom integration between the CRM and its own project-tracking or invoicing tools, so a gated or thin API is a real limitation, not a hypothetical one.
- Does Close fit a dev shop's sales motion?
- Close is built around outbound calling and email, which fits a dev shop running its own outbound lead generation. A shop that wins clients mostly through referrals and inbound may get less value from its dialer-heavy feature set.
- Is folk a good fit for a small dev shop?
- folk's Standard plan at $24/seat/month (annual) is built around contact management and email campaigns with a LinkedIn extension, but its Standard tier notably has no native REST API, only Zapier or Make integrations; the full API requires Premium at $48/seat/month.
- What's the cheapest option with a real API?
- Attio's free plan includes an API and an MCP server on every tier, including free, for up to 3 seats, which is likely the cheapest way for a small dev shop to get real programmatic access.