How should I build integrations?

[ndbroadbent]

Hi there, I'm a SaaS founder and software engineer. I'm interested in integrating Twenty with a lot of different services that I use, including Intercom and Stripe.

What is the best way to go about this? Should I just fork the repo and add these as new features? I've heard that a plugin system is planned, but is there an alpha version ready to use?

Or should I just create a custom object for Stripe customers / subscriptions and Intercom contacts / conversations and build an external service to sync data via the API?

Thanks!

---

EDIT: The custom objects seem to work really well! The only thing I'm missing is a way to get Intercom conversations to show up next to the Emails tab:

[ramzeta]

Hi! Great question. Yes, you can absolutely build cost analysis, budgeting, and forecasting capabilities in Twenty using its flexible data model customization. Here's how to set it up on a tight budget:

Why Twenty Works for Consultants

Twenty is completely free (open-source), and you can extend it to match your exact consulting workflow without paying for specialized tools like PilotEasy.

Implementation Guide

1. Custom Objects for Financial Tracking

Navigate to Settings → Data Model and create these objects:

Object: "Projects"

Track individual client projects with financials:

Field Name	Type	Purpose
projectName	Text	Project identifier
client	Relation	Link to Company object
estimatedCost	Currency	Budgeted amount
actualCost	Currency	Real spending
variance	Formula	actualCost - estimatedCost
estimatedHours	Number	Planned time
actualHours	Number	Time tracked
hourlyRate	Currency	Billing rate
revenue	Formula	actualHours * hourlyRate
profitMargin	Formula	((revenue - actualCost) / revenue) * 100
status	Select	Active, Completed, On Hold
startDate	Date	Project start
endDate	Date	Project deadline

Object: "Expenses"

Detailed cost tracking:

Field Name	Type	Purpose
description	Text	What was purchased
amount	Currency	Cost
category	Select	Labor, Software, Travel, etc.
project	Relation	Link to Projects
date	Date	When incurred
receipt	File	Attachment
billable	Checkbox	Can charge to client?

Object: "Budgets"

Client-level financial planning:

Field Name	Type	Purpose
client	Relation	Link to Company
fiscalYear	Text	e.g., "2025"
totalBudget	Currency	Annual budget
spent	Formula	Sum of related expenses
remaining	Formula	totalBudget - spent
forecastedSpend	Currency	Projected total
status	Select	On Track, At Risk, Over Budget

2. Cost Analysis Setup

Using Twenty's Data Model:

1. Create relationships:

   • Projects → Company (many-to-one)
   • Expenses → Projects (many-to-one)
   • Budgets → Company (many-to-one)

2. Use formula fields for automatic calculations:

   Variance = Actual Cost - Estimated Cost
   Budget Utilization = (Spent / Total Budget) * 100
   ROI = ((Revenue - Costs) / Costs) * 100
   

3. Budgeting Process

Step-by-step workflow:

1. Create Budget record for each client at year start
2. Set totalBudget amount
3. Create Projects linked to that client
4. Estimate costs in each project
5. Track Expenses as they occur
6. Monitor variance via formula fields

Budget alerts using Workflows (available in Twenty):

• Trigger: When spent reaches 80% of totalBudget
• Action: Send email notification
• Navigate to Settings → Workflows to set this up

4. Forecasting Implementation

Manual forecasting approach:

Create a "Forecasts" object:

Field Name	Type	Purpose
client	Relation	Company
quarter	Select	Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4
projectedRevenue	Currency	Expected income
projectedCosts	Currency	Expected expenses
actualRevenue	Currency	Real results
actualCosts	Currency	Real spending
accuracy	Formula	Variance %

Simple forecast calculation:

Average monthly spend × remaining months = Forecasted total

Use the Notes feature to document assumptions and methodology.

5. Reporting & Analysis

Available in Q4 2025 (per roadmap):
Twenty is adding native custom reports and dashboards. Until then:

Current workarounds:

Option A: GraphQL API + External Tool
Export data using Twenty's API and analyze in Google Sheets:

// Fetch all projects
query {
  projects {
    edges {
      node {
        projectName
        estimatedCost
        actualCost
        variance
        profitMargin
      }
    }
  }
}

Then visualize in Sheets, LibreOffice Calc (free), or Metabase (open-source).

Option B: Views & Filters (Built-in)
Use Twenty's table views with:

• Filters: Show only "At Risk" budgets
• Sorting: Order by profit margin
• Grouping: Group projects by client

Access these via the View controls in the top bar.

6. Example Setup (15 minutes)

Quick start for your first client:

1. Add client in Companies

2. Create Budget record:

   • Client: [Select company]
   • Fiscal Year: "2025"
   • Total Budget: $50,000

3. Create Project:

   • Project Name: "Financial Process Optimization"
   • Client: [Select company]
   • Estimated Cost: $5,000
   • Estimated Hours: 40
   • Hourly Rate: $150

4. Add Expenses as they occur:

   • Description: "Research software subscription"
   • Amount: $99
   • Category: Software
   • Project: [Link to project]
   • Billable: Yes

5. Monitor in table view:

   • Filter by client
   • See variance auto-calculated
   • Track budget remaining

Cost Comparison

Solution	Cost	Flexibility
Twenty (Self-hosted)	$0 (open-source)	Full customization
Twenty (Cloud)	Free tier available	Full customization
PilotEasy	~$50-200/month	Limited to their features
Generic CRM	$25-100/user/month	Not designed for consultants

Additional Free Tools Integration

Enhance Twenty with free tools:

• Time Tracking: Toggl Track (free) → manually input hours to Twenty
• Invoicing: Invoice Ninja (open-source, can integrate via API)
• Accounting: GNUCash (free) for actual bookkeeping

Limitations to Note

• No built-in dashboards yet (coming Q4 2025)
• Manual data entry until you set up automations
• No AI-powered forecasting (would need custom ML integration)

Resources

• Twenty Data Model Guide
• Formula Fields Documentation
• Workflows Setup
• API for exports

Next Steps

1. Install Twenty (self-hosted or cloud free tier)
2. Create the custom objects above
3. Input your first client's data
4. Iterate based on your specific needs

Twenty's beauty is that you own your data and can customize infinitely without recurring fees - perfect for a consultant starting with a tight budget!

Let me know if you need help setting up any specific part!