ERPNext
Accounting, invoices, expenses, time and payment requests in one ERP; simplicity did not survive the migration.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- Installation
- Managed Frappe Cloud signup, or the supported Frappe Docker/Bench deployment
- Operational Setup
- Self-hosting is an ERP deployment rather than a desktop install: Docker or Bench, MariaDB, Redis, workers, a reverse proxy, backups, upgrades, and country-specific accounting setup.
- Where Your Data Lives
- Self-hosted companies live in MariaDB site databases with site files and attachments on the server; managed-hosting data lives in the selected Frappe Cloud site.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- ERPNext covers more accounting functions but is dramatically less simple for a freelancer, with a heavier interface and no equally polished client-facing invoicing, payments, and mobile workflow.
Replaces 9 paid apps
up to $266/mo ($3,192/yr) in subscriptions
ERPNext FAQ
Common questions
Is ERPNext free and open source?+
ERPNext is an open-source tool licensed under GPL-3.0 that runs on local or hosted. Accounting, invoices, expenses, time and payment requests in one ERP; simplicity did not survive the migration.
What paid software does ERPNext replace?+
ERPNext serves as a free replacement for 9 paid SaaS applications: FreshBooks, Harvest, Invoice Ninja, QuickBooks Online, Sage Accounting, Salesforce, SAP ERP, Xero, Zoho Books, saving up to $266/month ($3,192/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up ERPNext?+
Installation: Managed Frappe Cloud signup, or the supported Frappe Docker/Bench deployment. Setup notes: Self-hosting is an ERP deployment rather than a desktop install: Docker or Bench, MariaDB, Redis, workers, a reverse proxy, backups, upgrades, and country-specific accounting setup.
What is the catch or trade-off with ERPNext?+
ERPNext covers more accounting functions but is dramatically less simple for a freelancer, with a heavier interface and no equally polished client-facing invoicing, payments, and mobile workflow.