Corteza vs Monica
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Monica
Personal CRM to remember the people you know
| Feature | Corteza | Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 66 · Good |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,165 | ★ 25,354 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Salesforce, Microsoft Power Apps | Salesforce, HubSpot |
What are Corteza and Monica?
Corteza
Corteza is an open-source, low-code platform that includes a ready-made CRM, service desk, and the ability to build custom business applications. It provides workflow automation, dashboards, and fine-grained access control.
- Built-in CRM and service desk
- Low-code app builder
- Workflow automation
- Role-based access control
Monica
Monica is a personal CRM that helps you record and remember details about friends, family, and personal contacts. It targets individuals who want to nurture personal relationships. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Tracks personal relationships
- Reminders for important dates
- Notes, gifts and activities
- Contact journaling
Corteza vs Monica: key differences
Corteza is written in Go, while Monica is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Corteza versus AGPL-3.0 for Monica. Monica is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Corteza. Monica is the more established project (first released 2017), while Corteza arrived in 2019. Monica has the considerably larger community, at 25,354 GitHub stars versus 2,165.
Why pick each one
Choose Corteza if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
Watch out for
- Resource intensive
- Learning curve for builder
Choose Monica if…
- Unique personal CRM focus
- Helps maintain relationships
- Open source
Watch out for
- Not for business sales
- Development pace varies
Frequently asked questions
Is Corteza or Monica better?
Monica is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Corteza if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Corteza and Monica free and open-source?
Yes. Corteza is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Monica under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Corteza and Monica with Docker?
Corteza: yes. Monica: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Corteza or Monica?
Monica has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Corteza. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.