ERPNext 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.
Not the right match-up?
ERPNext
Open-source ERP for growing businesses
VS
OpenBoxes
Open-source inventory and supply chain management
| Feature | ERPNext | OpenBoxes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Groovy |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 37,773 | ★ 871 |
| First released | 2010 | 2011 |
| Replaces | SAP, NetSuite, Salesforce | SAP, NetSuite |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenBoxes if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Groovy
Frequently asked questions
Is ERPNext or OpenBoxes better?
Neither is universally better. ERPNext has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ERPNext and OpenBoxes free and open-source?
Yes. ERPNext is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenBoxes under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ERPNext and OpenBoxes with Docker?
ERPNext: yes. OpenBoxes: yes.