Django-CRM 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 | Django-CRM | Dolibarr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,426 | ★ 7,652 |
| First released | 2016 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Salesforce, Zoho CRM | SAP, Salesforce |
What are Django-CRM and Dolibarr?
Django-CRM
Django-CRM is a free, open-source customer relationship management application built with Django. It manages leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities with a straightforward web interface for small teams.
- Lead and contact management
- Opportunity pipeline
- Account tracking
- Django-based
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
Django-CRM vs Dolibarr: key differences
Django-CRM is written in Python, while Dolibarr is built with PHP. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while Django-CRM arrived in 2016. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,652 GitHub stars versus 2,426.
Why pick each one
Choose Django-CRM if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Watch out for
- Basic reporting
- Manual data entry
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 Django-CRM or Dolibarr better?
Neither is universally better. Dolibarr has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Django-CRM and Dolibarr free and open-source?
Yes. Django-CRM is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Dolibarr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django-CRM and Dolibarr with Docker?
Django-CRM: yes. Dolibarr: yes.