CRM migration

Migrate from AdOrbit to Twenty CRM

Field-level mapping, validation, and rollback between AdOrbit and Twenty CRM. We move data and schema; workflows are rebuilt natively in Twenty CRM.

AdOrbit logo

AdOrbit

Source

Twenty CRM

Destination

Twenty CRM logo

Compatibility

58%

7 of 12

objects map 1:1 between AdOrbit and Twenty CRM.

Complexity

BStandard

Timeline

3-5 weeks

Rollback included Accuracy guarantee Field-level validation

Overview

What this migration involves

Moving from AdOrbit to Twenty CRM is a migration from a media-publishing-specific CRM and ERP hybrid into a self-hosted, open-source CRM built in TypeScript with REST and GraphQL APIs. AdOrbit's object model is structured around Advertisers, Contacts, Ad Tickets, Orders, and media inventory slots that do not have direct Twenty CRM equivalents. We audit the full AdOrbit schema during scoping, design a custom object and field architecture in Twenty to receive the media-specific records, sanitize all CSV exports for AdOrbit's comma-scrubbing requirement, and run bulk imports in dependency order. Twenty's self-hosted deployment means there are no per-seat cloud fees, though hosting infrastructure costs apply. Workflows, automation sequences, and the AdOrbit advertiser self-service portal configuration do not migrate as code; we deliver a written inventory of these for the customer to rebuild in Twenty or a connected tool. Freelancer records and subscription billing data migrate as People or custom objects depending on the destination schema design agreed during scoping.

Field-level fidelity

Every standard and custom field arrives verified.

Schema-aware mapping

AI proposes the map; you confirm before any record moves.

Relationships preserved

Parent–child, lookups, and ownership stay linked.

Full activity history

Calls, emails, meetings — with original timestamps.

Attachments & notes

Documents, uploads, and inline notes move with the record.

Why teams make this switch

Two sides of the same decision

Leaving

AdOrbit logo

AdOrbit

What's pushing teams away

  • Custom-only pricing with no published per-seat or tier cost creates friction for teams evaluating budget and causes churn when a renewal quote exceeds expectations.
  • Setup and training require significant time investment, with some reviewers noting it took weeks to fully onboard before the platform delivered value.
  • The interface and feature set are described by some alternatives as dated compared to newer publishing-focused SaaS tools, leading teams with modern UX expectations to look elsewhere.
  • Enterprise-tier features like QA sandbox, custom BI reporting, and InDesign integration are gated behind higher-cost plans, limiting functionality for mid-market publishers on lower tiers.

Choosing

Twenty CRM logo

Twenty CRM

What's pulling them in

  • Top open-source CRM on GitHub with 40.6K stars, giving teams full source code access and infrastructure ownership without per-feature licensing surprises.
  • Free self-hosting under AGPL-3.0 means unlimited users and custom objects for the cost of cloud infrastructure alone, typically $20–100/month.
  • Pricing page explicitly mocks competitors for charging add-on fees for API access, webhooks, and workflows — transparency that resonates with RevOps teams burned by Salesforce.
  • Unlimited custom objects and fields with no price impact, letting teams shape the data model to their business rather than forcing business into rigid schemas.
  • Modern TypeScript/React/PostgreSQL stack means developer-led teams can extend, self-host, or integrate without fighting legacy architecture.

Object mapping

How AdOrbit objects map to Twenty CRM

Each row shows how a AdOrbit object lands in Twenty CRM, including any object-level transformations, lookup resolution, or schema-design dependencies.

Typical mapping — final map is confirmed during the sample migration step.

AdOrbit

Contact

maps to

Twenty CRM

People

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Contacts map directly to Twenty CRM People. The AdOrbit contact's email, phone, job title, address, and custom fields migrate to the corresponding Twenty People fields. The contact's linked Company (advertiser/vendor) reference resolves via the company mapping. We sanitize all field values before CSV staging per AdOrbit's comma-scrubbing requirement.

AdOrbit

Advertiser (Company)

maps to

Twenty CRM

Company

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Advertiser records map to Twenty CRM Company. The Advertiser-Contact relationship is preserved through the Company-People relationship in Twenty. Classification (advertiser/vendor/partner) from AdOrbit's company type field maps to a custom picklist field that we add to the Twenty Company object during schema pre-build.

AdOrbit

Ad Ticket

maps to

Twenty CRM

Custom Object (Ad Ticket)

lossy
Fully supported

Ad Tickets are media-specific records without a native Twenty CRM equivalent. We create a custom object named Ad Ticket in Twenty's Data Model with fields for ticket type (print/digital/service), status, publication reference, placement details, CPM/fixed pricing terms, and attachment URLs. Ticket type taxonomies and custom ticket fields from AdOrbit map to corresponding custom fields on the Twenty Ad Ticket object.

AdOrbit

Order

maps to

Twenty CRM

Opportunity

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Orders (which flow from Proposals) map to Twenty CRM Opportunity. The order's pricing terms (fixed, CPM, hybrid), billing schedule, and e-signature status migrate to Opportunity fields. Media-specific line items from the order require a custom line item approach: we map the primary line item to Opportunity fields (name, amount, close date) and document remaining line items as a structured note attachment for the customer's admin to configure in Twenty.

AdOrbit

Proposal

maps to

Twenty CRM

Opportunity

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Proposals map to Twenty CRM Opportunity with a status field reflecting the proposal lifecycle (Draft, Sent, Accepted, Lost). Proposal pricing terms, validity dates, and e-signature status migrate as Opportunity custom fields. Accepted proposals that generated Orders carry the linked Order reference in a custom Opportunity field.

AdOrbit

Freelancer

maps to

Twenty CRM

People (custom record)

1:many
Fully supported

AdOrbit Freelancer Management records (Professional and Enterprise tiers) contain rate, assignment, and billing data. Freelancer contact details migrate as Twenty People records. Rate and assignment data migrate to custom fields on the People record (freelancer_rate__c, freelancer_assignment__c). The customer's admin decides whether to flag active freelancers via a custom status picklist or via a separate custom Freelancer object.

AdOrbit

Subscription

maps to

Twenty CRM

People (with subscription properties)

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Subscription Management records (billing frequency, subscriber status, recurring amount) migrate as People records with subscription-related fields in custom properties. The subscriber's contact information is primary; billing details migrate as custom fields on the People record or to a subscription-specific custom object if the customer requests a separate table.

AdOrbit

Publication

maps to

Twenty CRM

Custom Object (Publication)

lossy
Fully supported

Publications and MagBuilder Layouts define print layout context for ad tickets. Publication metadata (name, frequency, circulation, layout specs) migrates as a custom Publication object in Twenty. Layout files export from AdOrbit via file sharing (FTP or Dropbox) and transfer as ContentDocument attachments linked to the Publication record.

AdOrbit

Media Inventory

maps to

Twenty CRM

Custom Object (Inventory Slot)

lossy
Mapping required

Digital Media and Inventory Module tracks available ad slots and placements. These non-standard CRM objects migrate as a custom Inventory Slot object in Twenty with fields for placement name, slot type, dimensions, availability status, and associated Publication reference. Availability data is preserved as of migration date; live inventory sync requires post-migration configuration with the customer's ad ops tool.

AdOrbit

Invoice / AR

maps to

Twenty CRM

Note (reconciliation document)

lossy
Fully supported

Twenty CRM does not include a native billing or accounts receivable module. Invoice records and open AR aging data migrate as Note records with structured fields (invoice_number__c, amount__c, status__c, aging_days__c) attached to the relevant Company or People record. The customer sets up a separate accounting integration post-migration for live invoice management.

AdOrbit

Vendor

maps to

Twenty CRM

Company

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Vendor records (personnel/vendor/subscriber classification) map to Twenty CRM Company with a vendor classification flag. Vendor-specific fields (tax code, payment terms) migrate as custom Company fields. Vendor records are imported alongside advertiser and partner company records using the bulk CSV workflow.

AdOrbit

User / Owner

maps to

Twenty CRM

User

1:1
Fully supported

AdOrbit Users with role-based permissions and sales rep assignments on orders and tickets map to Twenty CRM Users. Owner references on Contacts, Companies, and Opportunities resolve via the User mapping table by email match. Unresolved owners are held in a reconciliation queue for the customer's admin to provision before record import continues.

Gotchas + challenges

What specifically takes care here

Platform-specific issues from each side, plus the pair-specific challenges that don't show up on either platform's page on its own.

AdOrbit logo

AdOrbit gotchas

Medium

5-user minimum floor applies across all tiers

Medium

CSV imports require comma scrubbing and sheet staging

Low

Export logic routes ticket files by status

Low

Billing module connects to ERP at additional cost

Low

API is RESTful but not publicly rate-documented

Twenty CRM logo

Twenty CRM gotchas

High

Import order is enforced and critical

High

Export limited to 20,000 records and visible columns only

Medium

Soft-deleted records count toward uniqueness and trigger restores

Medium

API rate limits cap at 200 req/min on Organization tier

Low

No native email sequences — follow-up cadences require external tools

Pair-specific challenges

  • Ad Tickets and media inventory lack native Twenty CRM equivalents

    AdOrbit's Ad Tickets and Media Inventory objects are media-publishing-specific records with no direct mapping to Twenty CRM's standard People, Companies, and Opportunities schema. We create custom objects (Ad Ticket, Publication, Inventory Slot) in Twenty's Data Model before any data import, mapping ticket types, placements, pricing terms, and status fields to custom fields on these objects. The customer must approve the custom object design during scoping. Without pre-built custom objects, the Ad Ticket and inventory data cannot be imported correctly.

  • CSV import requires comma scrubbing before staging

    AdOrbit's Historical Data Tool stages uploaded CSVs as Sheets before importing into live records. Commas within field values break the cell structure, and AdOrbit's documentation explicitly instructs replacing commas with semicolons before upload. We sanitize all CSV outputs during data preparation, replacing commas within quoted field values with semicolons before staging. Direct API injection bypasses the Sheet staging but requires coordination with AdOrbit's undocumented rate limits during discovery.

  • Twenty CRM has no native billing, invoice, or AR module

    Twenty CRM does not include invoice generation, accounts receivable tracking, or contract-to-cash workflow features. AdOrbit's finance module records (Invoices, AR aging, payment history) cannot migrate as live financial records. We migrate invoice and AR data as structured Note records with invoice_number__c, amount__c, status__c, and aging_days__c fields attached to the relevant Company or People record for historical reference. Live billing requires a separate accounting tool integration post-migration.

  • Freelancer records and subscription data require schema design decision

    AdOrbit Freelancer Management (Professional and Enterprise) and Subscription Management records carry billing-specific data (rates, billing frequency, subscriber status) that does not map directly to Twenty's standard People object. We map freelancer contact details to People and rate/assignment data to custom fields on People. Subscriptions migrate as People with subscription properties in custom fields. The customer chooses during scoping whether to use a single People record with flags or a separate custom Freelancer/Subscription object for a cleaner data model.

  • User provisioning must precede all record imports in Twenty

    Twenty's documentation explicitly requires that users exist in the system before importing records with owner or assignee references. AdOrbit owner IDs on Contacts, Ad Tickets, Orders, and Opportunities must resolve to Twenty User IDs. We extract all distinct owner emails during discovery, reconcile against Twenty User provisioning, and hold unresolved owners for the customer's admin to create before the record import phases begin. Any records with missing OwnerId references are imported as unassigned and flagged in the reconciliation report.

Migration approach

Six steps for a successful AdOrbit to Twenty CRM data migration

  1. Discovery and schema pre-design

    We audit the full AdOrbit instance: Contacts, Companies, Ad Tickets, Orders, Proposals, Publications, Media Inventory, Freelancers, Subscriptions, Vendors, and custom ticket fields. We confirm the user's seat count and flag the 5-user minimum if the team is below that threshold. For each AdOrbit object we identify whether it maps to a Twenty standard object, a custom object we must pre-create, or a Note-based reconciliation record. We produce a written schema design document showing the target Twenty object, its custom fields, and the mapping logic for customer approval before any data preparation begins.

  2. Data export and CSV preparation

    We export data from AdOrbit in CSV format using the Historical Data Tool for each object. All exported CSVs undergo comma-scrubbing: commas within quoted field values are replaced with semicolons per AdOrbit's documented requirement before Sheet staging. We stage each CSV separately (Companies first, then People, then Opportunities, then Ad Tickets, then custom objects, then Notes and Attachments) and run deduplication passes to remove duplicate contact and company records before import. Ticket assets and publication layout files export via the configured AdOrbit file sharing destination (FTP or Dropbox) and are staged for transfer separately.

  3. Twenty CRM workspace preparation

    We create all required custom objects (Ad Ticket, Publication, Inventory Slot, Freelancer if selected) in Twenty Settings → Data Model before any CSV import. We create all custom fields on standard and custom objects, matching types (text, number, date, select) to the AdOrbit source fields. We then invite all team members who appear as owners in the AdOrbit data and wait for invitations to be accepted, so that User records exist before owner references are resolved. This step follows Twenty's documented requirement that users must be present before data import.

  4. Bulk import in dependency order

    We import records into Twenty in strict dependency order: Users (verified pre-provisioned), Companies (from AdOrbit Advertisers, Vendors, and Partners), People (from AdOrbit Contacts, Freelancers, Subscribers), Opportunities (from AdOrbit Orders and Proposals with AccountId and OwnerId resolved), Ad Tickets (custom object with Publication and Company lookups resolved from prior import phases), custom objects (Publications, Inventory Slots), and Notes (invoice/AR historical records, ticket conversations). Each phase emits a row-count reconciliation report before the next phase begins.

  5. File and attachment transfer

    AdOrbit ticket assets and publication layout files are transferred from the configured export destination (FTP or Dropbox) to Twenty. We apply the ticket status rule (Non-Final exports all uploads until marked final, Final exports only after status is set, All exports on every upload) during scoping to avoid pulling premature or incomplete assets. Files are attached to the relevant Ad Ticket or Publication record in Twenty as ContentDocument records.

  6. Cutover, validation, and handoff

    We freeze AdOrbit writes during cutover, run a delta migration of any records modified during the migration window, then designate Twenty CRM as the system of record. We validate record counts, spot-check 25-50 records against the AdOrbit source, and deliver a migration summary report. We do not rebuild AdOrbit workflows, automation sequences, or the advertiser self-service portal as these require a different configuration model in Twenty. We deliver a written inventory of AdOrbit automations, self-service portal settings, and workflow triggers for the customer's admin to rebuild in Twenty or a connected tool. We provide a one-week hypercare window for reconciliation issues.

Platform deep dives

Context on both ends of the pair

AdOrbit logo

AdOrbit

Source

Strengths

  • Covers the entire contract-to-cash cycle in one platform for advertising-based publishers.
  • Built specifically for publishing workflows, not adapted from a horizontal CRM template.
  • Advertiser self-service portal reduces back-and-forth on order approval and payment.
  • Direct integrations with Google Ad Manager and Broadstreet for ad ops automation.
  • Strong customer support ratings with live chat available on Silver and Gold support tiers.

Weaknesses

  • Pricing is custom-only with no published per-seat rates, complicating budget planning.
  • Requires a minimum of 5 users on all plans, making it costly for small publishers.
  • Implementation and training involve significant time investment before the platform delivers value.
  • Reporting dashboards have limited customization in lower tiers, per user feedback.
  • API documentation is minimally public, requiring discovery requests to map migration endpoints.
Twenty CRM logo

Twenty CRM

Destination

Strengths

  • AGPL-3.0 open-source license with full source code on GitHub — no vendor lock-in, no sunset risk.
  • Unlimited users and unlimited custom objects on self-hosted, with no feature gating based on headcount.
  • REST and GraphQL APIs available on all paid tiers, not locked behind an enterprise add-on fee.
  • MCP server and webhooks shipped as standard features, not premium upgrades.
  • Modern PostgreSQL-backed data model that developer teams can query, extend, and self-host.

Weaknesses

  • Recent v1.0 release means limited production hardening compared to CRMs with multi-year operational track records.
  • No native email sequencing or sales engagement tools — follow-up cadences require a separate platform.
  • No native two-way email sync or inbox integration, requiring third-party connectors for full activity logging.
  • Self-hosting 'free' pricing hides real infrastructure and DevOps costs that stack up over time.
  • Workflow automation is functional but lacks the complexity needed for sophisticated multi-step sales motions.

Complexity grading

How hard is this migration?

Standard CRM migration. 1 of 8 objects need a mapping; the rest are 1:1.

B

Overall complexity

Standard migration

Derived from compatibility, mapping clarity, API constraints, and data volume across AdOrbit and Twenty CRM.

  • Object compatibility

    B

    1 of 8 objects need a mapping; the rest are 1:1.

  • Field mapping clarity

    C

    Field mapping is derived from defaults — final spec confirmed during the sample migration.

  • Timeline complexity

    B

    8-object category — typical timelines run 2–7 days end-to-end.

  • API constraints

    B

    AdOrbit: Not publicly documented — rate limits are assessed per-org during migration discovery.

  • Data volume sensitivity

    B

    AdOrbit doesn't expose a bulk API — REST + parallelization used for high-volume runs.

Estimator

Estimate your AdOrbit to Twenty CRM migration cost

Rule-based pricing — no per-record fees, no manual quotes. Migrations over 2M records are scoped individually.

Step 1

What are you migrating?

Pick a category, then your source and destination platforms.

Category

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about AdOrbit to Twenty CRM data migrations

Answers to the questions buyers ask most during AdOrbit to Twenty CRM migration scoping. Not seeing yours? Book a call.

Can't find your answer?

Walk through your AdOrbit to Twenty CRM migration with a real engineer — 30 minutes, free, written quote within 24 hours.

Book a free 30 minute consultation

Most migrations land between three and five weeks for accounts under 15,000 People, 3,000 Companies, and no Ad Tickets or media inventory. Migrations with Ad Tickets, Orders, Publications, freelancer records, and media inventory slots (requiring custom object architecture and multi-stage CSV preparation) move to eight to twelve weeks. Data cleanliness is the primary timeline variable; organizations with clean, deduplicated exports with consistent field formatting complete faster than those with large volumes of duplicate or inconsistently formatted records.

Adjacent paths

Related migrations to explore

Ready when you are

Move from AdOrbit.
Land in Twenty CRM, intact.

Tell us record counts and timeline. We'll come back with a written quote inside 1 business day — no commitment, no sales pitch.

Accuracy guarantee Rollback included Quote in 1 business day