Alternatives › Meerkat CRM
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Ciao! vs Meerkat CRM
Meerkat CRM, by Frederic Buchner
A free, open-source contact manager you host on your own server, with circles, a timeline of notes and activities, and recurring reminders.
Not on the App Store. A web app you run yourself with Docker; its code was last updated in September 2026.
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Ciao!
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MMeerkat CRM | |
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| What it costs | One payment $9.99 |
Free, open source |
| Free tier | 3 friends | Everything, no limit |
| Account needed | None | Yes |
| Where it runs | iPhone | Your own server, in a browser |
| Where your notes live | Your phone and your own iCloud | On the server you run |
| A creature for each friend | 15 animals, 6 moods | No |
| A weekly swipe deck | Yes | No |
Every row comes from Meerkat CRM’s own App Store listing or website, read on 2 October 2026. Nothing here is taken from another app’s reviews.
Sources: Meerkat CRM on AlternativeTo · Meerkat CRM’s website
M Where Meerkat CRM wins
- •It costs nothing, and the code is open under the MIT licence.
- •The data sits on a server you control, and contacts sync with CardDAV.
- •Circles to group people, links between contacts, and recurring reminders that can come by email. It handles everyone you know, not only friends.
Where Ciao! wins
- •Nothing to install on a server or keep running. Download it on your iPhone and add a friend.
- •A rhythm per friend, with a timer from the last time you talked, and a deck on Sunday of the friends who are due.
- •An animal for each friend, and WhatsApp, Message and Call buttons to reach them from the app.
Which one should you actually get?
Meerkat CRM is for people who already run a home server and want to own every part of their data. It is free, it is open, and it covers all your contacts. If you have never touched Docker, Ciao! asks for none of that: it is an iPhone app, and your notes go to your own iCloud.
