# Attio alternatives: when Sashimi fits

Attio is a strong CRM for teams that work in its app, with a flexible data model and its own AI. Sashimi is an Attio alternative for people who would rather run the CRM from Claude or ChatGPT: no app to learn, one workspace per business, and no AI credits, because your own AI does the reasoning.

By Alfonso Trocolí, founder · Updated October 27, 2026

Canonical: https://sashimicrm.com/alternatives/attio

**Sashimi and Attio compared (as of October 18, 2026)**

| Criterion | Sashimi | Attio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where you work | In your AI client: Claude, ChatGPT or another MCP client. No app by default | Attio's own app, plus a hosted MCP server and Attio for Claude and Attio for ChatGPT |
| App experience | None by default; on-demand screens are coming soon, in beta | Modern app with a flexible data model |
| Built-in AI | Agents switched off during the beta; your own AI does the reasoning | Ask Attio, Custom Agents, Web Agent and call intelligence |
| How AI is paid for | Through your own Claude or ChatGPT plan. No AI credits to buy | Credits: on Plus, 500 seat credits and 1,500 workspace credits a month |
| Pricing unit | Per account at launch, with workspaces and seats included | Per seat |
| Free plan | No. Free during the private beta; a 14-day trial with no card at launch | Yes, up to 3 seats and 50k records |
| Several businesses | One isolated workspace per business, several included in one account at launch | Not covered in our research |

## What is Attio good at?

As of 2026-10-18, Attio wins on a flexible data model, a modern app and AI with MCP, which Attio claims to run at scale. Its homepage headline that day was "Welcome to agentic revenue." ([attio.com](https://attio.com)), and its own agents (Ask Attio, Custom Agents, Web Agent) and call intelligence work inside the app.

Its pricing, as of 2026-10-18 on [Attio's pricing page](https://attio.com/pricing):

- Free for up to 3 seats and 50k records;
- Plus at €31 per seat a month billed annually, or €39 billed monthly;
- Pro at €74.

AI usage runs on credits. The Plus plan includes 500 seat credits and 1,500 workspace credits a month.

## Does Attio work with Claude and ChatGPT?

Yes. As of 2026-10-18, Attio offers a hosted MCP server plus Attio for Claude and Attio for ChatGPT, and claims "30M MCP tool calls/month". Working from your AI is a real option with Attio.

Among Attio alternatives, Sashimi takes the opposite route. Attio's AI lives in its app and also reaches yours. Sashimi has no app to work in by default: its 140 tools are the product, and they are built around how a model works.

- **The schema first.** `crm_schema` gives your AI the workspace's statuses, stages, custom fields and sequences, so it uses real field keys instead of guessing.
- **Batch writes.** `create_leads`, `create_companies` and `create_deals` take up to 100 rows per call, and `update_deals` changes many deals at once.
- **Idempotent writes.** Write tools accept an `idempotencyKey`, so a retried call does not write twice.
- **Logged and scoped.** Every AI call is logged (`list_mcp_activity`), and a connection can only do what its member could do on the web, in one workspace.

The [MCP server page](https://sashimicrm.com/mcp) lists the tool families.

## When is an Attio alternative a better fit?

When your day already happens in Claude or ChatGPT and you do not want another app, when your own AI plan should pay for the reasoning, or when you sell for several businesses that must stay apart, such as a studio and a side product with different buyers.

Sashimi gives each business its own workspace, with its own records, statuses, custom fields, sequences and members, and its own connector in your AI. You ask in plain language:

- "Add a select field called Source to leads, with Referral, Event and Inbound."
- "Show my leads in the New status, newest first."
- "Move these three deals to Proposal sent."

Custom fields come in text, number, date, select and yes/no. A workspace admin's AI creates them with `create_custom_field`; other members fill them in. That is less flexible than Attio's data model, but enough for a prospecting pipeline. See [one CRM for multiple businesses](https://sashimicrm.com/use-cases/multiple-businesses) for how workspaces stay apart.

## What do I give up with Sashimi?

Mostly the app and Attio's own AI. Sashimi is a small sales-prospecting CRM, in private beta and by invitation only.

- **Working in an app.** Sashimi is used from your AI. On-demand screens are coming soon, in beta.
- **Agents and call intelligence.** Sashimi's built-in agents are switched off during the beta, and it has nothing like Attio's call intelligence.
- **Email sending out of beta.** Sequence emails leave from your own Gmail, a beta feature while Google reviews Sashimi's access.
- **Your own object types.** The record types are fixed: leads, companies, deals, tasks and activities, with custom fields on top.
- **A free plan.** Sashimi is free during the beta. At launch there is a 14-day trial with no card, then a plan per account, starting with Solo at $15 a month for 3 workspaces and 1 seat.

## How do I move from Attio to Sashimi?

Work from a spreadsheet or CSV you already have and let your AI create the records. First check that your AI plan supports custom connectors: on Claude, the Free plan allows one, and on Team and Enterprise an owner adds it for members.

1. Connect your AI with the [connection guide](https://sashimicrm.com/connect).
2. Attach the file and ask: "Create these people as leads with their companies, and skip anyone who is already here."
3. Your AI sends the rows to `create_leads`, `create_companies` and `create_deals`, in batches of up to 100 rows. Lead emails and company domains or names are checked against what exists; deals are not, so import them once.
4. Ask for `find_duplicates`; an admin then merges anything that slipped through with `merge_leads` or `merge_companies`.

Records you delete stay in the trash for 30 days, and deleting records from your AI needs an admin. Edits to existing records cannot be rolled back, so try a small file first.

More on each client: [Sashimi for Claude](https://sashimicrm.com/for/claude) and [Sashimi for ChatGPT](https://sashimicrm.com/for/chatgpt). Other comparisons are on the [CRM alternatives](https://sashimicrm.com/alternatives) page, and the idea behind Sashimi is on the [AI native CRM](https://sashimicrm.com/ai-native-crm) page.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the alternatives to Attio?

Pick by where you work, how many businesses you run and how you want to pay for AI. If you want a modern app with its own agents, Attio is hard to beat. If you work from Claude or ChatGPT and keep several businesses apart, Sashimi fits: one workspace per business, run from your own AI.

### When is an Attio alternative a better fit?

When you would rather not learn or open another app, when your own AI plan should do the reasoning instead of credits, or when you sell for several businesses that must stay apart. If your team lives in Attio's app, staying is reasonable.

### Can I run an Attio alternative from Claude or ChatGPT?

Yes. Sashimi is used from Claude, ChatGPT or another remote MCP client: you add one connector per workspace, sign in and approve. As of 2026-10-18, Attio also offers Attio for Claude and Attio for ChatGPT.

[Request beta access](https://sashimicrm.com/beta?from=alternatives-attio)