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CRM · head to head

Folk vs Scratchpad

Folk logo

Folk

CRM

The CRM that works for you, not the other way around

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Scratchpad logo

Scratchpad

CRM

Faster workspace over Salesforce for sales reps to update pipeline, take notes and manage deals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones; Scratchpad scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • They diverge on capability: Folk covers Contact management, Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Folk and Scratchpad actually diverge.

Attributes where Folk and Scratchpad differ
AttributeFolkScratchpad
Pricing modelUnknownPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, Chrome extension
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Folk

  • Contact management
  • Email tracking
  • Mail merge
  • Chrome extension
  • Tags & groups
  • Notes & activities
  • Import/export
  • Search & filters

Only in Scratchpad

  • Spreadsheet pipeline views
  • Call recorder and notetaker
  • AI field updates
  • Deal and account agent
  • Hygiene monitor
  • Notes linked to records
  • Custom prompts
  • Kanban and forecast views

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Folk

  • Contact managementnot Scratchpad
  • Sales outreachnot Scratchpad
  • Networkingnot Scratchpad
  • Recruitmentnot Scratchpad
  • Investor relationsnot Scratchpad

Scratchpad

  • A 60-rep Salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline callnot Folk
  • A rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty Salesforce recordsnot Folk
  • A sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by emailnot Folk
  • A revenue operations lead trialling AI notetaking that writes back to CRM fields before committing budget, using the free tiernot Folk

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Folk

  • No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
  • Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
  • No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
  • Limited reporting and analytics features
  • Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
  • LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
  • Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account

Scratchpad

  • Scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • AI credits are metered per user per month at 400 on Solo and 800 on Team, which means heavy notetaking use pushes teams towards Enterprise for capacity rather than for features.
  • There is no proper native mobile application, so representatives who wanted to update records from a car park between meetings are back in a mobile browser.
  • Sync with Salesforce and call processing can lag, and a pipeline view showing yesterday state during a forecast call undermines the exact meeting the tool was bought to improve.
  • It creates a second notes surface alongside native Salesforce notes, so organisations end up with deal history split across two places unless they explicitly ban one of them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Folk

Free
  • Standard$24/month
    • Pipeline management
    • Email campaigns
    • Contact enrichment
  • Premium$48/month
    • Custom objects
    • Email sequences
    • Dashboards
  • Enterprise$80/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom integrations
    • Priority support

Scratchpad

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Workspace limited to 3 views
    • 10 hours a month of call recording and notetaking
    • AI field updates
  • Solo$19/month
    • Unlimited views with sheets and notes
    • Call recorder and notetaker
    • AI field updates
  • Team$49/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • 800 AI credits per user per month
    • Gong integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited AI credits
    • White-glove agent services included
    • Enterprise security and administration

Which should you pick?

Choose Folk if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email tracking.
Folk review

Choose Scratchpad if

  • You need spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome extension.
  • You also want call recorder and notetaker.
Scratchpad review

Questions people ask

Is Folk or Scratchpad better?
Neither clearly leads. Folk starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Folk or Scratchpad?
Folk starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free.
Does Folk or Scratchpad run on more platforms?
Folk runs on Web. Scratchpad runs on Web, Chrome extension.
Can I use Folk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Folk best used for?
Folk is most often used for contact management, sales outreach, networking, recruitment. Of those, contact management and sales outreach are not what Scratchpad is typically brought in for.
What can Folk do that Scratchpad cannot?
Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Call recorder and notetaker, AI field updates, Deal and account agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?

Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.

Source
Scratchpad: Does Scratchpad work with HubSpot?

No. It is Salesforce-only.

Folk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?

Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.

Source
Scratchpad: Is the free plan usable in production?

Yes for an individual: full workspace with three views, 10 hours of recording and 100 AI credits a month. Teams outgrow it on views and credits.

Folk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?

No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.

Source
Scratchpad: Does it replace Salesforce licences?

No. Every user still needs their own Salesforce licence; Scratchpad is an interface on top.

Folk: What integrations does Folk support?

Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.

Source
Scratchpad: What are AI credits spent on?

Notetaking, summarisation, field update suggestions and agent queries. Enterprise removes the cap.

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