Dolibarr vs ERPNext
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
VS
ERPNext
Open-source ERP for growing businesses
| Feature | Dolibarr | ERPNext |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,652 | ★ 39,502 |
| First released | 2003 | 2010 |
| Replaces | SAP, Salesforce | SAP, NetSuite, Salesforce |
What are Dolibarr and ERPNext?
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
ERPNext
ERPNext is a comprehensive open-source ERP covering accounting, inventory, manufacturing, HR, CRM, and more. It targets small and mid-sized businesses wanting an all-in-one system. It is deployed via Docker or the Frappe bench tool.
- Full ERP modules in one suite
- Accounting and inventory
- Manufacturing and HR
- Built on the Frappe framework
Dolibarr vs ERPNext: key differences
Dolibarr is written in PHP, while ERPNext is built with Python. Dolibarr is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for ERPNext. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while ERPNext arrived in 2010. ERPNext has the considerably larger community, at 39,502 GitHub stars versus 7,652.
Why pick each one
Choose Dolibarr if…
- Easy for small businesses
- Modular features
- Mature project
Watch out for
- Interface looks dated
- Less polished than Odoo
Choose ERPNext if…
- Very comprehensive
- Active community
- Fully open source
Watch out for
- Complex to deploy and learn
- Resource heavy
Frequently asked questions
Is Dolibarr or ERPNext better?
Neither is universally better. ERPNext has the larger community, while Dolibarr is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dolibarr and ERPNext free and open-source?
Yes. Dolibarr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ERPNext under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dolibarr and ERPNext with Docker?
Dolibarr: yes. ERPNext: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dolibarr or ERPNext?
Dolibarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for ERPNext. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.