SHSelfHostIndex

frePPLe 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?
FR frePPLe Open-source ERP for accounting, sales and inventory VS OP OpenBoxes Open-source inventory and supply chain management
FeaturefrePPLeOpenBoxes
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score81 · Excellent82 · Excellent
CategoryCRM & Business AppsCRM & Business Apps
LicenseMITMPL-2.0
LanguageC++Groovy
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM2,048 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 749★ 900
First released20082011
ReplacesSAP, Oracle SCMSAP, NetSuite

What are frePPLe and OpenBoxes?

frePPLe

FrePPLe is an open-source production planning, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization tool that complements ERP systems. It helps manufacturers and distributors plan supply with a web-based planning workbench.

  • Production planning
  • Demand forecasting
  • Inventory optimization
  • Web planning workbench

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

frePPLe vs OpenBoxes: key differences

FrePPLe is written in C++, while OpenBoxes is built with Groovy. Licensing differs — MIT for frePPLe versus MPL-2.0 for OpenBoxes. FrePPLe is the more established project (first released 2008), while OpenBoxes arrived in 2011.

Why pick each one

Choose frePPLe if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in C++

Watch out for

  • Steep learning curve
  • Best paired with an ERP
frePPLe details

Choose OpenBoxes if…

  • Released under the MPL-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Groovy
OpenBoxes details

Frequently asked questions

Is frePPLe or OpenBoxes better?

Neither is universally better. OpenBoxes has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are frePPLe and OpenBoxes free and open-source?

Yes. frePPLe is licensed under MIT and OpenBoxes under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run frePPLe and OpenBoxes with Docker?

frePPLe: yes. OpenBoxes: yes.

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