Which open-source CRM with ERP fits your company size and situation
Choose Odoo if you want one broad suite and can accept paid Enterprise tiers, choose Frappe CRM with ERPNext if you want a sales-led CRM tied to a full ERP on one site, and choose Dolibarr if you run a small team and want a lighter, modular back office. The pick depends on the written scope, so treat these as starting points to test against your own workflows rather than final answers. Start with headcount and the processes you need on day one: invoicing, stock, purchasing and projects are not equally important to every business, and an ERP you will not use for half of them adds run cost without value.
Your existing stack and skills often decide the shortlist before features do. Odoo is built on Python and PostgreSQL, so teams with Python and PostgreSQL operations experience have a natural path. Frappe CRM and ERPNext run on the Frappe Framework, so you need people comfortable with that framework and its bench tooling if you plan to customize beyond configuration. Dolibarr is a PHP application that runs on MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL, which suits a PHP team. Also check your edition appetite: Odoo's Community edition is LGPL-3.0, but the Enterprise source is not publicly available and needs a subscription, while Frappe CRM and Dolibarr are open source under AGPL-3.0 and GPL-3.0. Confirm the upgrade cadence too, since Odoo on-premise versions move on a fixed support window that you must plan for.
Before you pick, write the scope down and ask each vendor or partner to price against it. Confirm which modules, integrations, user counts, hosting location and upgrade obligations are in scope, and whether any customization is needed to meet your workflow. Ask for a quote that separates one-time implementation work from recurring costs such as subscriptions, hosting, backups and support retainers. DeployOpen plans, implements and supports these platforms inside your own infrastructure under fixed-scope agreements, so the same written scope is the basis for comparing options fairly.
Which option fits each company scenario
This table matches six company situations to the option that fits best, with the condition that makes each choice right and the condition that rules it out. Read each row against your own team size, existing stack and support requirements before shortlisting.
| Scenario | Best fit | Why, and when it is not the right pick |
|---|---|---|
| Small team that wants a light back office | Dolibarr | Modules can be switched on one at a time and it runs on MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL on a standard PHP web server. It is not the right pick if you need a deep CRM pipeline or a unified ERP stack with purchasing and manufacturing at scale. |
| Growing company that needs quotes, stock and purchasing alongside sales | Odoo CRM (Community or Enterprise) | The CRM app sits inside a broad suite with sales, inventory and accounting. Community is free, but on-premise use of Enterprise needs a subscription, and the Custom plan is required for on-premise hosting and custom modules. It is not the right pick if you cannot plan a major upgrade every two to three years on the Odoo release cycle. |
| Company already running ERPNext | Frappe CRM with ERPNext | Quotations and customers can flow from deals into ERPNext, but most syncing works only when both apps run on the same site. It is not the right pick if you do not want to run the ERPNext stack or if you need a standalone CRM without ERP. |
| Team that wants the broadest app catalog | Odoo | Odoo covers CRM, eCommerce, accounting, inventory, HR, manufacturing and point of sale in one suite, and the Enterprise edition adds more features. It is not the right pick if you want a small, lean footprint, since a broad catalog adds modules to configure, test and upgrade. |
| Regulated organization that needs a support contract | Odoo Enterprise or Frappe Cloud (confirm terms) | Odoo offers paid support on Enterprise, and standard support on each major release includes security updates for three years. Confirm with each vendor the support scope, response terms and whether you can self-host while buying support. It is not the right pick if your auditors expect a contract with a fixed security patch window beyond standard support. |
| Organization that must keep source code auditable and self-hosted without a vendor subscription | Dolibarr or Frappe CRM | Both are GPL-3.0 or AGPL-3.0 open source with no per-seat fee for the core. Dolibarr suits teams that want modular back office, while Frappe CRM suits teams that want a sales-focused CRM. It is not the right pick if you need Enterprise-only features, since those come from paid editions. |
How Odoo CRM, Frappe CRM with ERPNext and Dolibarr work in brief
Each option bundles CRM with back-office modules, but the license, the edition you can self-host and the way CRM connects to finance and operations differ. Read the license and edition first, then the release line you would actually run.
Odoo CRM inside Odoo Community
Odoo's Community edition is published under LGPL-3.0, and the CRM app sits in the same codebase as accounting, inventory, HR and manufacturing. The Enterprise edition is a separate, subscription-only codebase whose source is not publicly available, so treat Enterprise as proprietary, not open source. Confirm with Odoo which apps and features you need, because the Community and Enterprise editions expose different sets. Check the support window of the release you pick, since security updates run only during standard support.
Frappe CRM as a standalone app
Frappe CRM is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and was launched as a standalone app in 2023. It can run alone or pair with ERPNext, and the ERPNext integration creates quotations and customers from deals, though most syncing requires both apps on the same site. Confirm which ERPNext version your site needs, since the stable v1.x branch targets Frappe and ERPNext versions 15 and 16. Decide early whether you need the ERPNext link at all.
Dolibarr with DoliStore add-ons
Dolibarr is free software under GPL-3.0 and is built as a modular PHP application on MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL. You enable only the modules you need, covering proposals, orders, contracts, invoicing, stock and projects, and extend it through the DoliStore marketplace or the Module Builder. Before committing, confirm that each third-party add-on you rely on is maintained for the Dolibarr release you plan to run, since add-on compatibility varies by version.
Release lines and support windows
Odoo major versions carry a fixed standard support window, while Frappe CRM and Dolibarr ship on rolling release cadences. Odoo 19.0 is supported until September 2028 and Odoo 20.0 until September 2029, but Odoo's SaaS versions cannot use extended support and on-premise upgrades need an Enterprise subscription. Ask each vendor for its current support commitments in writing before you choose a version to standardize on.
How the open-source CRM with ERP options compare on capability
This table compares Odoo CRM, Frappe CRM with ERPNext and Dolibarr on license, editions, CRM features, back-office modules, database support, hosting and SaaS offers. Read a cell as what the researched facts state; where they are silent, confirm with the vendor before you shortlist. The main takeaway is that Odoo and ERPNext cover the widest back office, while Dolibarr is lighter and more modular.
| Capability | Odoo CRM | Frappe CRM with ERPNext | Dolibarr |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | LGPL-3.0 for Community; Enterprise source is not public | AGPL-3.0 for Frappe CRM; ERPNext license to confirm in its repository | GPL-3.0 |
| Editions | Community (open source) and Enterprise (subscription) | Self-hosted open source; Frappe Cloud hosted option | Free open source software; DoliCloud hosted plans |
| Leads and deals | CRM app included in Community and Enterprise | Leads and deals with Kanban and custom views | CRM and sales modules including proposals and orders |
| Calling and WhatsApp | Confirm in your edition and installed apps | Built-in Twilio and Exotel calling; WhatsApp via Frappe WhatsApp app | Confirm with the modules you enable |
| Meta lead sync and web forms | Confirm in your edition and installed apps | Meta (Facebook and Instagram) lead sync and web forms documented | Confirm with the modules you enable |
| Sales hierarchy and roles | Confirm role and record-visibility options in your edition | Sales hierarchy limits visibility; Sales User, Manager and Admin roles | Confirm permission model for your setup |
| Back-office modules | Accounting, inventory, HR, manufacturing, eCommerce, point of sale | Via ERPNext: accounting, stock, HR, manufacturing and more; confirm scope | Invoicing, stock, HR, manufacturing (MRP), point of sale, projects |
| Database support | PostgreSQL | Confirm supported database versions in the ERPNext documentation | MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL |
| Hosting options | Odoo Online, Odoo.sh and on-premise; Custom plan for Odoo.sh or on-premise | Self-hosted with installer, container image or bench; Frappe Cloud | On premises, virtual or dedicated machines, Docker, or SaaS through partners |
| SaaS offer | Odoo Online on One App Free and Standard plans | Frappe Cloud plans from 5 US dollars a month per site (Frappe CRM product page) | DoliCloud Basic and Premium plans |
Which parts of the stack are open source and which are paid
The open-source core and the paid tier are different products for each option, so the first question is which one your team would actually run. Odoo publishes a fully open source Community edition under LGPL-3.0 and a paid Enterprise edition, whose source code is not publicly available and requires a subscription or partner access. Odoo's pricing page offers three plans: One App Free (one app, unlimited users, Odoo Online only), Standard (all apps, Odoo Online only) and Custom. Only the Custom plan can be hosted on Odoo.sh or on-premise, and only Custom includes multi-company, Odoo Studio, external API access and custom modules. A team that wants self-hosted ERP with custom modules should expect to be on Custom or Enterprise, so confirm the subscription terms in writing before you commit.
Frappe CRM is AGPL-3.0 and can be self-hosted with Frappe's easy-install script, the ghcr.io/frappe/crm image, or bench. Frappe Cloud is the hosted alternative: its product page says plans start at 5 US dollars a month per site with unlimited users and no per-seat charges, billed by usage, and that customers are free to self-host or move to another provider. The cost you pay for self-hosting is in your own servers, backups and administration time rather than a license fee. Ask Frappe Cloud for current per-site pricing for your expected load, since the starting figure is a floor.
Dolibarr is GPL-3.0 free software, so the core has no license fee whether you run it on premises, on a virtual machine or with Docker. DoliCloud, which describes itself as the official Dolibarr preferred partner, offers hosted SaaS with a Basic plan at 14 euros per user per month and a Premium plan from 45 euros per month, each with a 30-day free trial. That is a vendor partner offer, not the core license, so it is a hosting decision rather than a licensing one. Label any add-on from the DoliStore marketplace separately, because its license terms can differ from the core. Confirm each module's license before you build a plan around it.
What each option asks of your team to run
Odoo is built on Python and PostgreSQL. Your team needs Python and PostgreSQL skills for any self-hosted deployment, and the choice of hosting path decides how much of the operating work stays with you. Odoo.sh and Odoo Online are the vendor-hosted routes, while on-premise deployment runs in your own infrastructure using packaged installers or source installation. The Odoo pricing page lists Odoo.sh and on-premise hosting only under the Custom plan, so confirm which plan covers the hosting path you want before you plan the work.
- Database: Odoo runs on PostgreSQL, so plan for PostgreSQL administration, backups and restores in your own environment.
- Hosting paths: Odoo.sh and on-premise are the self-hosted or managed-by-vendor options that the Custom plan covers, and Odoo Online is the vendor SaaS route.
- Upgrades: Odoo.sh and Odoo Online require major version upgrades every two years, and on-premise upgrades use an upgraded test database that should be tested before production, which requires an Enterprise subscription.
- Support windows: Odoo 20.0 has standard support planned until September 2029, and security updates are provided only during standard support, so budget for upgrade cycles on that timeline.
- Enterprise activation: On-premise Enterprise databases are activated with a subscription code, so confirm licensing with Odoo before the build starts.
Confirm with Odoo which edition and plan your modules require, and confirm the upgrade service terms for your chosen hosting path.
Frappe CRM is built on the Frappe Framework, with Python on the server and Frappe UI, a Vue-based UI library, on the front end. Teams that already run Frappe or ERPNext will find the skills transfer directly. Its stable v1.x branch is compatible with Frappe and ERPNext versions 15 and 16, so the framework version matters before you pick a release. Self-hosting has three documented paths: Frappe's easy-install script, the ghcr.io/frappe/crm image, or bench for development. Frappe Cloud is the managed route.
- Framework skills: Python and the Frappe Framework are needed for customization, and Vue and Frappe UI matter if you change the interface.
- Installation paths: Use the easy-install script or the ghcr.io/frappe/crm image for self-hosting, bench for development, or Frappe Cloud for a managed site.
- Compatibility: The stable v1.x branch targets Frappe and ERPNext versions 15 and 16, so pin your framework version to match.
- Integration design: Most ERPNext syncing works only when both apps run on the same site, which shapes your hosting layout.
- Frappe Cloud pricing: The Frappe CRM product page says Frappe Cloud plans start at 5 US dollars a month per site, billed by usage, and that customers can self-host or move to another provider.
Confirm the framework version you will run, whether CRM and ERPNext must share a site, and whether your team can maintain bench-based upgrades.
Dolibarr is a modular PHP application that runs on MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL, and it can run on any web server that runs PHP. Your team needs PHP, database administration and web server configuration skills. Dolibarr supports on-premises installs, virtual or dedicated machines, Docker, and SaaS through cloud providers and partners. The lightest path is a single virtual machine or Docker container, and the DoliCloud route moves hosting to a partner.
- Database support: The prerequisites page lists MySQL 5.7.7 or newer, MariaDB 10.3 or newer, or PostgreSQL 9.1.0 or newer, with experimental Microsoft SQL Server support.
- Web server: Apache, Nginx, Lighttpd or IIS are all listed, so match the server to your team's existing skills.
- Resources: The prerequisites page estimates about 150 MB for program files and 35 MB for an initial database, plus space for uploaded and generated documents, and recommends at least a 1 GHz CPU for 30 or more users.
- Extensions: Extra modules come from the DoliStore marketplace or your own Module Builder work, so plan who maintains custom code through upgrades.
- Hosted option: DoliCloud lists a Basic plan at 14 euros per user per month and a Premium plan from 45 euros per month, each with a 30-day free trial.
Confirm the PHP and database versions your hosting provider supports, and check that your chosen extensions are maintained for the Dolibarr release you plan to run, such as 24.0.1.
How to choose and pilot an open-source CRM with ERP
This sequence takes a team from a list of day-one modules to a tested pilot, a checked upgrade path and a written scope. Each step produces a record that a CISO, IT lead or procurement team can review before any contract is signed.
Define the day-one modules
The business owner and the head of sales or finance list the modules needed on the first day, such as leads and deals, quotes, invoices, stock, HR or projects. Separate those from modules that can wait. Record the number of users per role and which other systems must exchange data with the CRM, such as email, telephone or the accounting ledger. This is done when the list is signed by the business owner and every module has a named owner. Keep the list because it drives every later step.
Confirm license and edition per module
The IT lead and procurement check which license covers each module on the list. For Odoo, confirm whether each app needs the Community or Enterprise edition, and whether multi-company, Studio, external API access or custom modules are included in the plan that fits. For Frappe CRM and ERPNext, confirm the AGPL-3.0 terms and the version pairing with Frappe. For Dolibarr, confirm which modules are in the core and which come from the DoliStore marketplace. The step is complete when a table shows each module, its license, its edition and any paid add-on, with the source for each line.
Check hosting path and team skills
The head of platform engineering compares the hosting options against the skills already in the team. Odoo on-premise requires an Enterprise subscription for the upgrade service, while Frappe CRM and Dolibarr can run on the team's own servers, containers or a managed provider. Note the database each option uses, such as PostgreSQL for Odoo and Frappe, or MySQL and MariaDB for Dolibarr. Record who will patch the server, back up the database and restore it. The step is done when the team has a written hosting decision and a named operator for each task.
Run the pilot on a test copy
The platform team builds a test instance outside production and loads a copy of representative data. For Odoo on-premise, use database duplication with neutralization so that outgoing email and payment connectors do not reach real customers. For Frappe CRM, use a separate test site on the same bench. Sales and finance staff then run the day-one workflows end to end, including a deal that creates a quotation or invoice. The step is complete when the workflow log shows each module passing its test, and the list of defects has an owner and a fix date.
Test the upgrade path against the release calendar
Before committing, the platform team reads each candidate's support window and release cadence. Odoo's standard support is listed per major version, and SaaS versions are released every two to three months. Frappe CRM and Dolibarr publish frequent releases, so check how minor and major versions are handled. Restore the pilot database onto the next supported version in a test environment and time the steps in the log. The step is complete when the team has a dated upgrade calendar and a tested rollback procedure.
Write the scope and request the quote
The team turns the pilot results into a written scope that lists modules, environments, integrations, data migration, hardening, backup, documentation and support. DeployOpen issues its quote from that written scope, since it does not publish a price list. Scope, deliverables and timelines are agreed in writing before work starts. The step is complete when the scope document is signed by the business owner, the security lead and the IT lead.
Get vendor and partner answers in writing
Ask every vendor and implementation partner to confirm in writing the license and edition for each module, the support window for the version you will run, the upgrade service terms and any paid add-ons that the scope relies on. Ask who holds the subscription code, who pays for it and what happens if the subscription lapses. Ask for named responsibilities in a support matrix. The step is done when each answer is on file and matches the scope, and any gap is recorded as an open risk for the steering group.
What it costs to switch or upgrade later
The largest recurring cost in an Odoo deployment is keeping to a supported version. Odoo 20.0 has standard support planned until September 2029, Odoo 19.0 until September 2028, and Odoo 18.0 until September 2027, while Odoo 17.0 standard support ended in September 2026. Standard support is the only window that includes security updates, so a team that runs an older major version without a paid extended option is accepting unpatched risk. On Odoo Online and Odoo.sh, major upgrades are mandatory every two years, so the budget line for upgrades recurs whether or not you want new features. Ask the vendor or partner to confirm which extended support options apply to your hosting model before you commit to a version.
Upgrade paths differ by hosting model. Odoo's upgrade service moves a database to a newer version through an upgraded test database, which you should test before production. On-premise use of that service requires an Enterprise subscription, and the Community edition has no access to it. If you run Community, the upgrade becomes a project your own team or a partner must plan, test and document. For Frappe CRM, the ERPNext integration is the sync point to recheck after each upgrade: most syncing works only when both apps run on the same site, so an upgrade plan that touches one app must also test the other. Confirm with the vendor which Frappe CRM and ERPNext versions are compatible before you schedule a joint upgrade, since the stable v1.x branch is listed for ERPNext versions 15 and 16.
Leaving a combined CRM and ERP is harder than leaving a standalone CRM, because the same data model serves both sides. Accounts, contacts, quotations, invoices and customer records may sit in one database, so an export for a new CRM also moves finance and inventory history, and both functions change at once. Before any migration, map which records are shared, which fields the ERP depends on, and who owns each data set. Document the sync rules as well as the data, because a deal-to-quotation or deal-to-customer link is often the part no one wrote down. Ask any prospective partner to estimate the migration effort from a written data map, since no figure in this comparison covers that work.
What does open-source CRM with ERP cost to run, and who does the work?
What drives the cost of running Odoo, Frappe CRM with ERPNext or Dolibarr?
The software licence is only one line. Costs come from the edition you need, where you host it, who installs and configures it, and how many modules you switch on. Odoo's Community edition is LGPL-3.0, but the Enterprise edition needs a subscription, and only the Custom plan on the pricing page can be hosted on Odoo.sh or on-premise, with multi-company, Odoo Studio, external API access and custom modules included. Frappe CRM is AGPL-3.0 and can be self-hosted free, or run on Frappe Cloud, where plans start at 5 US dollars a month per site with no per-seat charges. Dolibarr is GPL-3.0, and hosted options through DoliCloud are priced per user. Ask each vendor or partner to price the same user count, module list and hosting model in writing.
What is one-time cost and what recurs every year?
One-time costs usually cover scoping, data migration from spreadsheets or an older CRM, configuration, custom module work, integration with email and telephony, testing and staff training. Recurring costs cover hosting, backups, monitoring, subscriptions where they apply, security patching, and the people who maintain the system. For Odoo, the Enterprise subscription and the upgrade service recur if you run on-premise. Odoo's documentation says major versions on Odoo Online and Odoo.sh are mandatory every two years, which means a recurring upgrade project. Ask the quote to split the first-year total into one-time and recurring lines, and to state what is billed monthly, annually or per user.
What does the internal team need to run an ERP-plus-CRM system?
Plan for a named business owner for each module, a technical owner who can read logs and manage the database, and someone who controls permissions and data quality. The stacks differ: Odoo is Python on PostgreSQL, Frappe CRM is built on the Frappe Framework with a Vue-based UI, and Dolibarr is PHP on MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL. A team that already runs PHP or Python web services will recognize the operating tasks faster than one that does not. Frappe CRM's ERPNext integration also works best when both apps run on the same site, so the team must understand that shared design before going live.
Can a team install and run these systems without an implementation partner?
Yes, for a small, standard setup, a team with Linux, web server and database skills can install all three from packages, containers or source. Odoo documents packaged installers and source installation, and Dolibarr lists Docker and standard web server stacks. Frappe CRM can use an easy-install script and a published container image. The harder parts are a clean data model, permissions across sales roles, integrations, backup restore testing and upgrades. Ask any partner whether they will hand over runbooks and admin training, and whether they will leave you able to run the system alone.
How long does a pilot take to set up?
No supplied fact gives a pilot duration for these platforms, so treat any number you hear as unverified. Timing depends on how many modules are in scope, how clean your customer and product data is, how many integrations must work on day one, and how many people must approve the design. Ask the vendor or partner for a written scope with named deliverables and a timeline agreed before work starts, and ask which parts of the pilot you must test yourself.
How do upgrades change the workload over time?
Upgrades are where many ERP projects lose budget. Odoo's standard support covers three years after each major release, and security updates only come during standard support. Odoo 19.0 is listed with standard support until September 2028 and Odoo 20.0 until September 2029. Odoo's upgrade service moves a database to a newer version through a test copy that must be tested before production, and it requires an Enterprise subscription for on-premise use. Frappe CRM ships frequent releases, and its v1.x branch targets Frappe and ERPNext versions 15 and 16. Dolibarr has maintained older lines such as 22.0 and 23.0 alongside 24.0. Ask for the upgrade method, test environment, rollback plan and the hours each upgrade is expected to take.
What should a written quote include before we sign?
Ask for a fixed scope listing modules, user counts, integrations, data migration sources, environments and hosting location. The quote should name the deliverables, acceptance tests, the training you will receive, documentation handed over, backup and restore testing, and who is responsible for upgrades after go-live. It should separate licence or subscription fees, hosting, one-time work and retainer support, and state any third-party costs such as telephony or messaging providers. DeployOpen plans, implements, integrates, hardens, backs up, upgrades and documents self-hosted platforms in your own infrastructure, and most engagements are fixed-scope with scope agreed in writing before work starts. Ask for the exclusions in writing too.
How DeployOpen scopes and supports an open-source CRM with ERP
DeployOpen plans, implements, customizes, integrates, hardens, backs up, upgrades, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own infrastructure. For a CRM with back office modules, that work starts with a written scope that decides which modules, data flows and hosting model are in play before any build begins.
How we scope
- Confirm which modules the CRM must share data with, such as quotes, invoices, stock or HR records.
- Record the hosting target, including cloud account, data center or air-gapped network, and who operates it.
- Agree deliverables, timelines and acceptance criteria in writing, since most engagements are fixed-scope.
How we build
- Install and configure the chosen platform and its CRM and back office modules inside your environment.
- Build the integrations and customizations listed in the scope, then test sales-to-finance data flows end to end.
- Harden the deployment and run security testing on the application, its APIs and the hosting layer before go-live.
How we hand over
- Document the architecture, configuration, module choices, upgrade path and backup and restore procedure.
- Set up test copies and a staged upgrade process, so changes are tested before they reach production.
- Train the administrators who will run the system after handover, using the documentation we delivered.
How we support
- Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as a retainer after the fixed-scope work ends.
- Ask any provider which upgrade and support windows apply to the release you choose before signing a scope.
- Retainer terms, response expectations and the cost of each upgrade should be confirmed in the written quote.
