Software & Business Software Editor · since 2020

Kernel

I'm US-based, I've daily-driven more Linux distros than I can name, and I treat software like a workshop: what does it do, what does it really cost, and what can I run myself instead. That's why I also cover the CRM, HR and ERP bills that land on a startup the day it signs its first big customer.

operating systemsLinuxself-hostingCRM softwareERP and HRISSaaS pricingopen-source softwareprivacy

Latest by Kernel

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Build

Did your AI add GPL code to your app? What MIT, Apache, GPL and AGPL require

Your AI tool pulls in packages and writes code without ever showing you a license. Here is what the four common open-source licenses ask of you, what the US Copyright Office says about who owns AI-written code, and a four-step check before you go live.

Kernel · 16h ago · 8 min

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Software

JDK 27 is out: should you upgrade, and which of the 9 JEPs matter

Java 27 shipped on 15 September 2026 with three default changes and four finished features. It is a six-month release, so the real question is whether to move from Java 25 now or wait for the next long-term one.

Kernel · 2d ago · 8 min

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Agents

AI agent keeps making the same mistake? Harness engineering, explained

The model is only one part of an agent. The loop, the tools, the permissions and the memory around it are the harness, and in 2026 OpenAI, Anthropic and Mitchell Hashimoto all described fixing agents there instead of in the prompt. Here is what that means and where the name came from.

Kernel · 3d ago · 11 min

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Business Software

Odoo pricing 2026: Community vs Standard vs Custom, and what self-hosting really costs

One app is free forever. All apps cost €19.90 to €44.90 a user a month. Here is the three-year bill at 5, 20 and 50 users, with the self-hosted route priced honestly.

Kernel · 4d ago · 11 min

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Business Software

CRM MCP servers compared: which ones let Claude and AI agents update your deals

Seven CRMs now document a vendor-run MCP server. They differ on plan gates, whether you can start read-only, and how many requests an AI can make a second.

Kernel · 4d ago · 9 min

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Business Software

Attio vs HubSpot pricing: the 3-year bill at 5, 20 and 50 seats

At list price Attio Pro is cheaper at every seat count. It flips when you need SSO, and again when both startup programs apply, because Attio's discount stops at 10 seats.

Kernel · 4d ago · 9 min

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Business Software

HubSpot vs Salesforce for startups: the 3-year bill at 5, 20 and 50 seats

Both repriced in the last month. At list, HubSpot is cheaper at every matched tier, and its startup discount cuts three years of Enterprise to $60,200 at 20 seats. Salesforce has a startup program too, but doesn't publish its discount.

Kernel · 4d ago · 10 min

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Business Software

Self-hosted CRM cost: Twenty vs SuiteCRM vs EspoCRM vs Odoo Community on a $5–10 server

The software is free. The $5 server mostly isn't, and your time definitely isn't. We priced four open-source CRMs over three years at 5 and 20 seats, against the hosted plans you'd buy instead.

Kernel · 4d ago · 11 min

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Business Software

Salesforce Core vs Advanced vs Max: what the new 2026 editions cost at 5, 20 and 50 users

Salesforce replaced Enterprise, Unlimited and Agentforce 1 on 3 September 2026. Core costs $20 a user more than Enterprise did, Advanced $45 more than Unlimited, and Max nothing more than Agentforce 1. Here is what each step adds, and the bill at 5, 20 and 50 users.

Kernel · Sep 27 · 10 min

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Business Software

What AI adds to your CRM bill: Agentforce vs Breeze vs Attio credits, priced for a 20-seat team

Salesforce bills AI in actions, HubSpot in credits that pause when they run out, Attio and Close in credit packs. We priced the same three sales workloads in each vendor's own unit, for a 20-seat team at light, medium and heavy use.

Kernel · Sep 27 · 12 min

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Business Software

Best CRM for AI startups selling to enterprise: the real cost at 5, 20 and 50 seats

Your first enterprise buyer sends a security questionnaire, and line one asks about single sign-on. We priced eight CRMs at 5, 20 and 50 seats over three years, found which plan each one needs for SAML SSO, and worked out what HubSpot's startup discount is really worth.

Kernel · Sep 27 · 13 min