Axelor vs OpenBoxes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Axelor
Open-source ERP, CRM, and BPM platform
VS
OpenBoxes
Open-source inventory and supply chain management
| Feature | Axelor | OpenBoxes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Groovy |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 965 | ★ 871 |
| First released | 2014 | 2011 |
| Replaces | SAP, Odoo | SAP, NetSuite |
Why pick each one
Choose Axelor if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Choose OpenBoxes if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Groovy
Frequently asked questions
Is Axelor or OpenBoxes better?
Neither is universally better. Axelor has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Axelor and OpenBoxes free and open-source?
Yes. Axelor is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and OpenBoxes under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Axelor and OpenBoxes with Docker?
Axelor: yes. OpenBoxes: yes.