Dolibarr vs OpenBoxes
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
OpenBoxes
Open-source inventory and supply chain management
| Feature | Dolibarr | OpenBoxes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Groovy |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,652 | ★ 900 |
| First released | 2003 | 2011 |
| Replaces | SAP, Salesforce | SAP, NetSuite |
What are Dolibarr and OpenBoxes?
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
OpenBoxes
OpenBoxes is an open-source inventory and supply chain management system. It was designed to manage stock, track inventory, and support supply chains for healthcare facilities.
- Inventory and stock tracking
- Supply chain workflows
- Shipment management
- Reporting and analytics
Dolibarr vs OpenBoxes: key differences
Dolibarr is written in PHP, while OpenBoxes is built with Groovy. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dolibarr versus MPL-2.0 for OpenBoxes. Dolibarr is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for OpenBoxes. Dolibarr is the more established project (first released 2003), while OpenBoxes arrived in 2011. Dolibarr has the considerably larger community, at 7,652 GitHub stars versus 900.
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 OpenBoxes if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Groovy
Frequently asked questions
Is Dolibarr or OpenBoxes better?
Dolibarr is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenBoxes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dolibarr and OpenBoxes free and open-source?
Yes. Dolibarr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenBoxes under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dolibarr and OpenBoxes with Docker?
Dolibarr: yes. OpenBoxes: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dolibarr or OpenBoxes?
Dolibarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for OpenBoxes. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.