Dolibarr vs frePPLe
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
frePPLe
Open-source ERP for accounting, sales and inventory
| Feature | Dolibarr | frePPLe |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 81 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,652 | ★ 749 |
| First released | 2003 | 2008 |
| Replaces | SAP, Salesforce | SAP, Oracle SCM |
What are Dolibarr and frePPLe?
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
frePPLe
FrePPLe is an open-source production planning, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization tool that complements ERP systems. It helps manufacturers and distributors plan supply with a web-based planning workbench.
- Production planning
- Demand forecasting
- Inventory optimization
- Web planning workbench
Dolibarr vs frePPLe: key differences
Dolibarr is written in PHP, while frePPLe is built with C++. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dolibarr versus MIT for frePPLe. Dolibarr is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for frePPLe. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while frePPLe arrived in 2008. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,652 GitHub stars versus 749.
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 frePPLe if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C++
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Best paired with an ERP
Frequently asked questions
Is Dolibarr or frePPLe better?
Dolibarr is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider frePPLe if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dolibarr and frePPLe free and open-source?
Yes. Dolibarr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and frePPLe under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dolibarr and frePPLe with Docker?
Dolibarr: yes. frePPLe: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dolibarr or frePPLe?
Dolibarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for frePPLe. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.