ERPNext vs Part-DB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Part-DB
Web-based inventory for electronic components
| Feature | ERPNext | Part-DB |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,476 | ★ 1,772 |
| First released | 2010 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SAP, NetSuite, Salesforce | NetSuite |
What are ERPNext and Part-DB?
ERPNext
ERPNext is a comprehensive open-source ERP covering accounting, inventory, manufacturing, HR, CRM, and more. It targets small and mid-sized businesses wanting an all-in-one system. It is deployed via Docker or the Frappe bench tool.
- Full ERP modules in one suite
- Accounting and inventory
- Manufacturing and HR
- Built on the Frappe framework
Part-DB
Part-DB is an open-source, web-based inventory management application for electronic components and parts. It tracks stock, suppliers, prices, and storage locations.
- Component inventory tracking
- Supplier and price history
- Storage location hierarchy
- Barcode and label support
ERPNext vs Part-DB: key differences
ERPNext is written in Python, while Part-DB is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for ERPNext versus AGPL-3.0 for Part-DB. Part-DB is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for ERPNext. ERPNext is the more established project (first released 2010), while Part-DB arrived in 2017. ERPNext has the considerably larger community, at 39,476 GitHub stars versus 1,772.
Why pick each one
Choose ERPNext if…
- Very comprehensive
- Active community
- Fully open source
Watch out for
- Complex to deploy and learn
- Resource heavy
Choose Part-DB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is ERPNext or Part-DB better?
Neither is universally better. ERPNext has the larger community, while Part-DB is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ERPNext and Part-DB free and open-source?
Yes. ERPNext is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Part-DB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ERPNext and Part-DB with Docker?
ERPNext: yes. Part-DB: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ERPNext or Part-DB?
Part-DB has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for ERPNext. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.