Dolibarr vs iDempiere
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
iDempiere
Community-driven open-source ERP and CRM
| Feature | Dolibarr | iDempiere |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,652 | ★ 664 |
| First released | 2003 | 2011 |
| Replaces | SAP, Salesforce | SAP, Oracle ERP |
What are Dolibarr and iDempiere?
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
iDempiere
iDempiere is a fully open-source ERP, CRM, and supply chain management business suite. It is highly extensible through an OSGi plugin architecture.
- Complete ERP and CRM
- OSGi plugin architecture
- Supply chain management
- Community governance
Dolibarr vs iDempiere: key differences
Dolibarr is written in PHP, while iDempiere is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dolibarr versus GPL-2.0 for iDempiere. Dolibarr is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for iDempiere. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while iDempiere arrived in 2011. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,652 GitHub stars versus 664. Dolibarr lists first-class Docker deployment; iDempiere does not.
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Dolibarr or iDempiere better?
Dolibarr is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider iDempiere if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dolibarr and iDempiere free and open-source?
Yes. Dolibarr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and iDempiere under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dolibarr and iDempiere with Docker?
Dolibarr: yes. iDempiere: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dolibarr or iDempiere?
Dolibarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for iDempiere. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.