The Monica Personal CRM Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Monica Personal CRM in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Monica Personal CRM
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source personal CRM for friends, family and colleagues
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among CRM tools, read from Monica Personal CRM’s own pages.
Made by Monica · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Monica Personal CRM’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Monica Personal CRM’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 19 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade
Monica is an open-source personal CRM for remembering the people in your life: how you know them, what you last talked about, important dates, gifts and debts. It can be self-hosted for free with Docker or a PHP environment, or used as a hosted service at one flat account price with unlimited contacts. A rebuilt version, Monica v3, is announced for release before the end of 2026.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Monica Personal CRM, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The hosted app is plain enough to pick up, but nothing arrives on its own, so what you get out depends on how diligently you type things in.
- 1
Best for remembering the people in your own life
Monica is a personal CRM for remembering your people: how you met, family names, birthdays, gifts and debts.
- 2
Paid plans start at $7.50 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $9 / month per account, or $90 billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Self-hosted Monica: the full open-source application is free to run on your own server, with unlimited contacts and community support. You provide hosting, updates and backups.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Contact records and relationships
Each person's record holds how you met, contact details, significant others, children and pets, and links to family, partners, friends and coworkers.
- 6
Notes and journal
Private notes on each person and journal entries record what happened, so past conversations can be found without searching through messaging apps.
- 7
Reminders
Reminders for important dates and events, with birthdays filled in automatically, plus call logging so you can be prompted to get back in touch.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 19 of 48
That is against the other CRM tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
You could make this
A CRM at its plainest is a table of people and a board of deals.
Monica Personal CRM at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9 / month per account, or $90 billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of the hosted plan, no credit card required during the trial
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Monica, since 2017
- Category
- CRM Software
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for remembering the people in your own life
Monica is a personal CRM for remembering your people: how you met, family names, birthdays, gifts and debts. It's free on your own server or $9 a month hosted, with unlimited contacts. But there's no phone app yet, no integrations, so everything is typed in by hand, and a ground-up rebuild, v3, is still to come.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Hosted Monica is $9 a month, or $90 for the year, for the whole account with unlimited contacts, notes and reminders. That's below the personal CRMs it lists as rivals, where Dex asks $12 and Mesh $10, and it's free if you host it yourself. Prices may not include tax. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The full open-source app is free with unlimited contacts and no time limit, but only on your own server, where hosting, updates and backups are your job. The hosted service has no free plan, just a 30-day trial that doesn't need a card. |
| Features | C | Records for how you met, family and pets, private notes and a journal, birthday reminders, call logs, gifts and debts. It covers that job, and it's a small job: no integrations at all, so contacts arrive by vCard or CSV and everything after that is typed in by hand. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. The hosted app is plain enough to pick up, but nothing arrives on its own, so what you get out depends on how diligently you type things in. The free route means Docker or a PHP setup on a server you then look after. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A web app and nothing else. No native phone apps yet, though it works in a phone's browser, with iOS and Android promised after v3. Our listing shows no integrations whatsoever, just a REST API, which is included in the price. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Monica Personal CRM is for
- Fits if you want a private record of friends and family, not a sales pipeline
- Works for people who can run a server, as the open-source app has no license fee
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as there isn't one yet and apps are planned only after v3
- Not for you if you want contacts and emails pulled in for you, since no integrations are listed
- Tight if you want it free without running a server, because the hosted service only has a 30-day trial
- Watch out: v3 is a ground-up rebuild due before the end of 2026, and a migration path is only a stated goal
- Watch out: listed prices may exclude tax, depending on where you live
Good to know
Good for
- People who want a private record of friends and family, not a sales tool
- Self-hosters who want an open-source personal CRM with no license fee
- Anyone who wants one flat price however many contacts they have
Worth knowing
- There are no native mobile apps yet; the web app works on a phone, and iOS and Android apps are planned for after v3.
- The hosted service has no free plan, only a 30-day trial; using Monica for free means running your own server.
- Monica v3 is a ground-up rebuild expected before the end of 2026; a migration path for existing accounts is a stated goal.
- Displayed prices may exclude taxes, depending on your location.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$7.50
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Monica Personal CRM has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9 / month per account, or $90 billed yearly.
Self-hosted Monica
$0
The full open-source application on your own infrastructure, with unlimited contacts, data import and export, and community support.
Hosted Monica
$90
per year, per account ($9 if billed monthly)
Unlimited contacts, notes, reminders and journal entries, with automatic updates, managed backups and email support.
The free plan
Self-hosted Monica: the full open-source application is free to run on your own server, with unlimited contacts and community support. You provide hosting, updates and backups.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of the hosted plan, no credit card required during the trial
Read from monicahq.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
Hosted Monica is $90 a year against $9 a month, which the pricing page describes as two months free when billed yearly.
Stated on monicahq.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source personal CRM for friends, family and colleagues. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, notes, daily notes.
Records for how you met, family and pets, private notes and a journal, birthday reminders, call logs, gifts and debts.
- Contact records and relationships
- Each person's record holds how you met, contact details, significant others, children and pets, and links to family, partners, friends and coworkers.
- Notes and journal
- Private notes on each person and journal entries record what happened, so past conversations can be found without searching through messaging apps.
- Reminders
- Reminders for important dates and events, with birthdays filled in automatically, plus call logging so you can be prompted to get back in touch.
- Activities, gifts and debts
- Keep a history of meals, calls, trips and events, track gifts given or planned, and note money owed in either direction.
- Import, export and custom fields
- Contacts import from vCard and CSV files with duplicates shown before merging, records take custom fields and sections, and data can be exported at any time.
- REST API
- A REST API imports and exports contacts and automates other parts of the application. The pricing page lists API use as included, not an add-on.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Who makes Monica Personal CRM
Monica is an open-source personal CRM run by a two-person team in Montreal with hundreds of outside contributors. The code is free to self-host; the income is one hosted plan at $90 a year, which the team page says is put back into the project.
- Founded
- 2016monicahq.com
- Based
- Montrealmonicahq.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held: the team page describes two official members in Montreal and says every dollar the project makes is reinvested in it. No parent company, investor or owner is named anywhere on the site.monicahq.com
- Funding
- No funding is announced. The team page says the project generates a bit of money and that every dollar is reinvested to pay the bills and fund development; the hosted plan costs $90 a year and self-hosting is free.monicahq.commonicahq.com
- Team
- A team of 2, with hundreds of open-source contributors, headquartered in Montrealmonicahq.com
- Founders and leaders
- Regis Freyd, One of the two members named on the team pagemonicahq.com
- Alexis Saettler, One of the two members named on the team pagemonicahq.com
- Lately
- We are rebuilding Monica · Aug 30, 2026
- A new version of Monica is coming in 2026 · Aug 6, 2026
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
19/48
Other CRM tools it is graded above
Monica Personal CRM's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 19 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 42 of 48) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $7.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 2 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 CRM tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Monica Personal CRM’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 42 of 48
- BFree plan and trialAbove 37 of 48
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 48
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 48
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 48
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 CRM tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Monica Personal CRM is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
You could make this
A CRM at its plainest is a table of people and a board of deals.
What Monica Personal CRM does at its core is notes and daily notes, and that is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well. You would give up one thing, listed below, and little else. It costs $90 a year. An AI app builder starts at about $19 a month on our listings, and you only need it while you build. Monica Personal CRM is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Notes and daily notes: an app builder makes these well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- An API that other software can build on.
What this rests on. Monica Personal CRM’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Dex, Mesh, Covve and folk
The 4 tools Monica Personal CRM is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Dex
Free trial · from $12/mo
Personal CRM that syncs LinkedIn, email and calendar contacts.
- Monica Personal CRM has a free plan. Dex does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Dex lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Dex lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
Mesh
Free plan · from $10/mo
Personal CRM that builds itself from email, calendar and social.
- Only Mesh lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Mesh lists a browser extension.
- Monica Personal CRM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Covve
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Personal CRM app with reminders, notes and card scanning.
- Only Monica Personal CRM lists a web app.
- Only Covve lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Monica Personal CRM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
folk
Free trial · from $24/mo
CRM that pulls contacts from LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp.
- Monica Personal CRM has a free plan. folk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only folk lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only folk lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Monica Personal CRM free?
Monica Personal CRM has a free plan. Self-hosted Monica: the full open-source application is free to run on your own server, with unlimited contacts and community support.
How much does Monica Personal CRM cost?
Monica Personal CRM lists 2 plans. Self-hosted Monica: $0.
What platforms does Monica Personal CRM work on?
Monica Personal CRM is available on Web.
Does Monica Personal CRM offer any discounts?
Monica Personal CRM publicly lists the following: Two months free with yearly billing.
Does Monica Personal CRM have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Monica Personal CRM is listed for Web.
Does Monica Personal CRM have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Monica Personal CRM is listed for Web.
Is Monica Personal CRM open source?
Yes. Monica Personal CRM is open source, according to its own site.
Does Monica Personal CRM have an API?
Yes. Monica Personal CRM offers a public API, according to its own site.
Does Monica Personal CRM have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of the hosted plan, no credit card required during the trial.
Who makes Monica Personal CRM?
Monica Personal CRM is made by Monica. Privately held: the team page describes two official members in Montreal and says every dollar the project makes is reinvested in it.
What are the alternatives to Monica Personal CRM?
The closest alternatives to Monica Personal CRM in our directory are Dex, Mesh, Covve and folk.
How does Monica Personal CRM compare with other CRM tools?
Monica Personal CRM's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 19 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 15.
Is Monica Personal CRM good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Monica Personal CRM B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $7.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 2 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Monica Personal CRM?
A CRM at its plainest is a table of people and a board of deals. What Monica Personal CRM does at its core is notes and daily notes, and that is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Monica Personal CRM’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Monica's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-20.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Monica. Prices change, so check monicahq.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Monica Personal CRM, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/monica-personal-crm
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Monica Personal CRM: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/monica-personal-crm
Know someone choosing between CRM tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/monica-personal-crm/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded CRM tools after Monica Personal CRM, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- CRM Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 49 CRM tools we grade, compared
- HubSpot Insider's GuideFree CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite3.2 GPA
- Bigin by Zoho CRM Insider's GuidePipeline-based CRM from Zoho for small businesses2.8 GPA
- Bitrix24 Insider's GuideFlat-priced CRM with tasks, chat, video calls and a site builder2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Monica Personal CRM’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Monica Personal CRM is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Monica. Prices and plans change: check monicahq.com before you buy.