ERPNext
Free, open-source ERP covering accounting, invoicing, stock, manufacturing, CRM and projects from one system.
- Starting price
- Free (self-hosted, open source); managed Frappe Cloud hosting from $5 / month
- Free trial
- Free and open source to self-host at no cost
- Commercial use
- Yes
Overview
ERPNext is a free, open-source ERP released under the AGPL-3.0 license that covers accounting, invoicing, stock and warehouse management, manufacturing, CRM, procurement, projects and HR from a single system. Built by Frappe on an API-first architecture, it exposes a REST API and connects to services such as Shopify, PayPal and Stripe. It can be self-hosted at no license cost or run as managed hosting on Frappe Cloud, which uses compute-based pricing rather than per-user fees. It is aimed at small and mid-sized businesses looking for an alternative to proprietary suites.
Our take
The question with ERPNext is not what it covers but who runs it. Self-hosting costs nothing in licences and quite a lot in attention, so the honest comparison is against a managed subscription plus the salary of whoever would otherwise keep it patched. Frappe Cloud removes that, and at that point the appeal is the absence of per-user fees rather than the openness itself. Where it wins outright is a company that will not put its ledger in someone else's hands; where it loses is a team with no appetite for operating software.
Key Facts
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Starting price | Free (self-hosted, open source); managed Frappe Cloud hosting from $5 / month Self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0. Frappe Cloud uses compute-based pricing that scales with usage, not per-user fees. |
| Free trial | Free and open source to self-host at no cost |
| Commercial use | Yes |
| API | Yes, REST API |
| Hosting | Cloud (Frappe Cloud) or on-premise (self-hosted) |
Screenshots
Placeholders. They are replaced as soon as the vendor sends material, and both open the same short form.
Features
- Project costing
- Yes, via the Projects module with tasks, timesheets and expense tracking
- Invoicing
- Yes, sales orders, invoicing and pricing rules with full accounting
- Digital receipt capture
- No, not in core. The manual creates a Purchase Invoice by hand, from a Purchase Order or a Purchase Receipt, or on a recurring schedule for a supplier that bills the same amount each period; invoice OCR comes from third-party apps on the Frappe Cloud marketplace rather than from ERPNext itself
- Reporting and controlling
- Yes, general ledger, financial statements and multi-currency reporting
- Time tracking
- Yes, timesheets in the Projects module
- Integrations and API
- Yes, REST API with an API-first architecture
Integrations
- Shopify
- PayPal
- Stripe
Deployment and Support
- Deployment
-
- Cloud (SaaS)
- Browser-based
- On-premise
- Support
-
- Email helpdesk
- Community forum
- Onboarding
-
- Documentation and knowledge base
- Video tutorials
- Live online demos and webinars
- Company size
-
- Small and mid-sized
Pros and Cons
Strengths
- Open source under AGPL-3.0, with no per-user or license fees
- Broad module coverage: accounting, invoicing, inventory, manufacturing, CRM and projects
- Self-host for free or run managed on Frappe Cloud
- API-first with a REST API and integrations such as Shopify, PayPal and Stripe
Limitations
- Self-hosting requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance
- Managed hosting and advanced support are paid
Pricing
-
Self-hosted
$0
Open source under AGPL-3.0. Self-host on your own server with no license or per-user fees.
-
Frappe Cloud
$5
Per month, from. Managed hosting on Frappe Cloud with compute-based pricing that scales with usage, not per user.
Alternatives and Comparisons
FAQ
- Is ERPNext really free?
- Yes. ERPNext is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license and can be self-hosted at no license or per-user cost. Managed hosting on Frappe Cloud and professional support are paid options.
- Can ERPNext be hosted in the cloud?
- Yes. You can self-host ERPNext on your own server or run it as managed hosting on Frappe Cloud.
What users say
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