Crater Cloud OFBiz vs Dolibarr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Dolibarr
Open-source ERP and CRM for small businesses
| Feature | Crater Cloud OFBiz | Dolibarr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,125 | ★ 7,652 |
| First released | 2006 | 2003 |
| Replaces | SAP, Oracle ERP | SAP, Salesforce |
What are Crater Cloud OFBiz and Dolibarr?
Crater Cloud OFBiz
Apache OFBiz is an open-source enterprise automation suite. It bundles ERP, CRM, e-commerce, supply chain, and manufacturing capabilities in a single framework.
- ERP and CRM in one suite
- Built-in e-commerce
- Manufacturing and supply chain
- Extensible component model
Dolibarr
Dolibarr is an open-source ERP and CRM suite for small and medium businesses, covering invoicing, inventory, and contacts. It targets small companies wanting an easy all-in-one tool. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Combined ERP and CRM
- Invoicing and inventory
- Module-based activation
- Easy installation
Crater Cloud OFBiz vs Dolibarr: key differences
Crater Cloud OFBiz is written in Java, while Dolibarr is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Crater Cloud OFBiz versus GPL-3.0 for Dolibarr. Dolibarr is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Crater Cloud OFBiz. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while Crater Cloud OFBiz arrived in 2006. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,652 GitHub stars versus 1,125. Dolibarr lists first-class Docker deployment; Crater Cloud OFBiz does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Crater Cloud OFBiz if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Choose Dolibarr if…
- Easy for small businesses
- Modular features
- Mature project
Watch out for
- Interface looks dated
- Less polished than Odoo
Frequently asked questions
Is Crater Cloud OFBiz or Dolibarr better?
Dolibarr is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Crater Cloud OFBiz if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Crater Cloud OFBiz and Dolibarr free and open-source?
Yes. Crater Cloud OFBiz is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Dolibarr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Crater Cloud OFBiz and Dolibarr with Docker?
Crater Cloud OFBiz: check the project docs for container support. Dolibarr: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Crater Cloud OFBiz or Dolibarr?
Dolibarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Crater Cloud OFBiz. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.