Dolibarr vs EspoCRM
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
EspoCRM
Fast and lightweight open-source CRM
| Feature | Dolibarr | EspoCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,646 | ★ 3,382 |
| First released | 2003 | 2014 |
| Replaces | SAP, Salesforce | Salesforce, HubSpot |
What are Dolibarr and EspoCRM?
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
EspoCRM
EspoCRM is a fast, lightweight, open-source CRM for managing contacts, leads, opportunities, and customer relationships. It targets small and mid-sized businesses wanting a responsive CRM. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Responsive single-page interface
- Customizable entities and layouts
- Workflow automation
- Email and calendar integration
Dolibarr vs EspoCRM: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dolibarr versus AGPL-3.0 for EspoCRM. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while EspoCRM arrived in 2014. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,646 GitHub stars versus 3,382.
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 EspoCRM if…
- Fast and responsive
- Highly customizable
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Advanced extensions are paid
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Dolibarr or EspoCRM 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 Dolibarr and EspoCRM free and open-source?
Yes. Dolibarr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and EspoCRM under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dolibarr and EspoCRM with Docker?
Dolibarr: yes. EspoCRM: yes.