Django-CRM vs Monica
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Monica
Personal CRM to remember the people you know
| Feature | Django-CRM | Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 66 · Good |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,426 | ★ 25,354 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Salesforce, Zoho CRM | Salesforce, HubSpot |
What are Django-CRM and Monica?
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
Monica
Monica is a personal CRM that helps you record and remember details about friends, family, and personal contacts. It targets individuals who want to nurture personal relationships. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Tracks personal relationships
- Reminders for important dates
- Notes, gifts and activities
- Contact journaling
Django-CRM vs Monica: key differences
Django-CRM is written in Python, while Monica is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Django-CRM versus AGPL-3.0 for Monica. Monica is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Django-CRM. Monica has the considerably larger community, at 25,354 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 Monica if…
- Unique personal CRM focus
- Helps maintain relationships
- Open source
Watch out for
- Not for business sales
- Development pace varies
Frequently asked questions
Is Django-CRM or Monica better?
Neither is universally better. Monica has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Django-CRM and Monica free and open-source?
Yes. Django-CRM is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Monica under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django-CRM and Monica with Docker?
Django-CRM: yes. Monica: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Django-CRM or Monica?
Monica has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Django-CRM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.