SHSelfHostIndex

CiviCRM vs Frappe CRM

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?
CI CiviCRM CRM for nonprofits, NGOs, and advocacy groups VS FR Frappe CRM Simple, modern open-source CRM
FeatureCiviCRMFrappe CRM
CategoryCRM & Business AppsCRM & Business Apps
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguagePHPVue
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcedocker, source
GitHub stars★ 762★ 3,197
First released20052023
ReplacesSalesforce, BlackbaudHubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive

Why pick each one

Choose CiviCRM if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • Written in PHP
CiviCRM details

Choose Frappe CRM if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Vue
Frappe CRM details

Frequently asked questions

Is CiviCRM or Frappe CRM better?

Neither is universally better. Frappe CRM has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are CiviCRM and Frappe CRM free and open-source?

Yes. CiviCRM is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Frappe CRM under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run CiviCRM and Frappe CRM with Docker?

CiviCRM: check the project docs for container support. Frappe CRM: yes.

Related comparisons