Personal CRM for Linux
A personal CRM for Linux — yes, it exists, and it's native.
"Personal CRM for Linux" is a search that usually ends in a shrug — the category lives on iPhones and in SaaS dashboards, and Linux desktops get neither. Endearist is one of the very few exceptions: it ships a native Linux app, and the architecture happens to match the Linux ethos almost line for line. Local-first means your vault is files on your own disk, the app works entirely offline, and no server is required for any feature. Sync, when you want it, is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256-GCM and speaks WebDAV — which means your own Nextcloud is a first-class backend, with Google Drive and EU-hosted Endearist Cloud as the alternatives. And the exit door is wide open: the entire vault exports to plain Markdown and CSV, greppable and diffable like everything else you keep. To be precise about what this is not: there is no self-hosted Endearist server and no CardDAV interface — the app is the software, your storage is the storage.
Using Endearist with Linux
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Install the native Linux app
Grab the Linux build from the Endearist downloads page and install it. On first launch the app creates your vault locally on disk — no account, no telemetry-driven onboarding, no server handshake. The free tier covers 25 contacts; everything works offline because offline is the architecture, not a fallback mode.
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Import from wherever your contacts live now
Export your people as vCard (.vcf) or CSV from whatever you use today — Thunderbird, Evolution, Nextcloud Contacts, an old Google takeout — and import the file into Endearist. The dedup pass merges the duplicates that accumulate across mail clients and migrations. Curate as you go: a personal CRM is for the relationships you intend to keep warm.
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Point sync at your own Nextcloud via WebDAV
This is the setup Linux users came for: enable sync, choose WebDAV, and enter your Nextcloud (or any WebDAV server) URL. The vault is encrypted on your machine with AES-256-GCM before upload — you hold the key, your server stores ciphertext, and your phone running the native Android or iOS app picks up the same vault. Your infrastructure, your data, end to end.
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Build the logging habit at the keyboard
After a call, a meetup, or a long thread, open Endearist and give the moment two sentences on the contact's timeline. Set per-contact cadences — monthly for close friends, quarterly for the wider circle — and let the reminders surface whoever has gone quiet. No streaks, no gamification; the warmth score is a quiet dashboard, not a scoreboard.
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Export to Markdown and treat your history like code
Whenever you like, export the entire vault to plain Markdown and CSV. Drop it in a git repo, grep it, back it up with the same scripts that guard the rest of your home directory. The export is a first-class feature precisely so that staying with Endearist is always a choice, never a hostage situation.
What works — honestly
| Capability | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Native Linux desktop app, fully offline | Works | A native app with the vault on your own disk — close to unique in this category, where Linux is usually not even a footnote. |
| WebDAV sync — Nextcloud as a first-class backend | Works | E2E-encrypted with AES-256-GCM before upload; your Nextcloud or any WebDAV server stores ciphertext only. Google Drive and EU-hosted Endearist Cloud also work. |
| Plain Markdown + CSV export | Works | The whole vault as readable text files — greppable, diffable, git-friendly. Your relationship history outlives any app, including this one. |
| CSV and vCard (.vcf) import with dedup | Works | Standard formats in, so Thunderbird, Evolution, Nextcloud Contacts, and Google takeouts all have a path. Dedup merges the accumulated doubles. |
| Migrating from an existing CardDAV address book | Manual | Endearist is not a CardDAV client — export your address book to .vcf (Nextcloud Contacts does this in two clicks) and import the file. One-time, not live. |
| Self-hosting an Endearist server | Not supported | There is no server component to host — by design. The app is local-first and the only thing that ever leaves your machine is an E2E-encrypted blob to storage you choose, including your own Nextcloud. |
| CardDAV server interface | Not supported | Endearist does not expose your vault over CardDAV — it's a relationship journal, not an address-book backend. vCard import/export is the supported bridge. |
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a personal CRM that works on Linux?
- Yes — Endearist ships a native Linux desktop app, which is close to unique in this category. The vault is local-first on your own disk, works fully offline, and optionally syncs E2E-encrypted via WebDAV (your Nextcloud), Google Drive, or EU-hosted Endearist Cloud.
- Can I sync Endearist through my own Nextcloud?
- Yes — Nextcloud's WebDAV endpoint is a fully supported sync backend. The vault is encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before upload, so your server only ever stores ciphertext and you alone hold the key. Phone and desktop then share the same vault over your infrastructure.
- Can I self-host Endearist?
- There's no server to self-host, which is the point: the app is local-first and complete on its own. What you can do is keep all sync traffic on your own infrastructure by using your Nextcloud or any WebDAV server as the encrypted-blob backend — Endearist's servers never need to be involved.
- Does Endearist sync between Linux and my Android phone or iPhone?
- Yes — turn on E2E-encrypted sync via WebDAV, Google Drive, or Endearist Cloud and the same vault opens in the native Android and iOS apps (and on Mac and Windows). Encryption happens on-device with a key only you hold; backends carry ciphertext only.
Last updated: 2026-06-10
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