LedgerSMB 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.
Not the right match-up?
LedgerSMB
Integrated accounting and ERP system for small and midsize businesses,
VS
Monica
Personal CRM to remember the people you know
| Feature | LedgerSMB | Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 554 | ★ 24,983 |
| First released | 2026 | 2017 |
| Replaces | — | Salesforce, HubSpot |
Why pick each one
Choose LedgerSMB if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is LedgerSMB or Monica better?
Neither is universally better. Monica has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are LedgerSMB and Monica free and open-source?
Yes. LedgerSMB is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Monica under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LedgerSMB and Monica with Docker?
LedgerSMB: yes. Monica: yes.