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Excel vs CRM: Why Hungarian SMEs switch to self-hosted Twenty CRM

Aug 13, 2026

Excel to CRM — why it matters

If you run a small or medium business, your customer data lives in one or more Excel sheets, email folders and your head. This «system» works fine while the business stays small — but every growing SME eventually hits the wall: Excel does not track the customer journey, does not remind and does not sync with your website or booking system.

What a CRM fixes

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) keeps every customer touchpoint in one place: contacts, quotes, orders, email history and tasks. Compared to it, a spreadsheet is:

  • — tatic** — no auto-tracking, no reminders;
  • — iloed** — everyone edits their own copy, quickly out of sync;
  • — rror-prone** — a misplaced row wipes a customer record;
  • — ot automatable** — the next step (callback, quote, invoice) never happens on its own.
    • class="my-2 text-[#8fa399] leading-relaxed">A modern CRM solves this and, set up well, works for you.

    Why SETEBOSSTUDIO?

    Our stack is a self-hosted Twenty CRM + n8n automation engine on your own server:

  • Data stays on **your server** (GDPR, no cloud lock-in).
  • Workflows (website → CRM sync, client reminders, lead capture) run on **our n8n engine** — we keep them alive.
  • For **29.000 Ft/month** (from 149.000 Ft setup) you get full maintenance, backups, updates and support.

    • FAQ

    ❓ What is a CRM and why not just use Excel?
    ↳ A CRM keeps every client touchpoint — contacts, visits, bookings, callbacks — in one place and auto-reminds you. With Excel you track everything by hand; with a CRM the system remembers for you.
    ❓ How much does a Twenty CRM set-up cost in Hungary?
    ↳ At SETEBOSSTUDIO, Twenty CRM setup starts at 149.000 Ft, then 29.000 Ft/month. No hidden SaaS fees, all features live on your own server.
    ❓ What is included in the 29.000 Ft monthly fee?
    ↳ Daily uptime, daily backups, version updates (Twenty/n8n), your custom workflows (client reminders, website-sync, lead capture) and business-hours support (Mon-Fri 8-17).
    ❓ What happens if I stop paying?
    ↳ The CRM and data stay yours (no lock-in), but the automated workflows (reminders, sync, capture) stop — they run on our engine. Easy to restart with a new campaign.
    ❓ What's the benefit of self-hosted CRM for a Hungarian practice?
    ↳ Mainly: data never leaves your server (GDPR safety), and a deleted client never re-appears in your calendar — critical for privacy. Plus auto-reminders for recall slots and callbacks.