Dolibarr vs Corteza
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
Corteza
Low-code platform with built-in CRM and case management
| Feature | Dolibarr | Corteza |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,652 | ★ 2,165 |
| First released | 2003 | 2019 |
| Replaces | SAP, Salesforce | Salesforce, Microsoft Power Apps |
What are Dolibarr and Corteza?
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
Corteza
Corteza is an open-source, low-code platform that includes a ready-made CRM, service desk, and the ability to build custom business applications. It provides workflow automation, dashboards, and fine-grained access control.
- Built-in CRM and service desk
- Low-code app builder
- Workflow automation
- Role-based access control
Dolibarr vs Corteza: key differences
Dolibarr is written in PHP, while Corteza is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dolibarr versus Apache-2.0 for Corteza. Dolibarr is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Corteza. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while Corteza arrived in 2019. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,652 GitHub stars versus 2,165.
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 Corteza if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
Watch out for
- Resource intensive
- Learning curve for builder
Frequently asked questions
Is Dolibarr or Corteza better?
Dolibarr is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Corteza if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dolibarr and Corteza free and open-source?
Yes. Dolibarr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Corteza under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dolibarr and Corteza with Docker?
Dolibarr: yes. Corteza: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dolibarr or Corteza?
Dolibarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Corteza. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.