Acumatica
Cloud ERP platform for growing businesses across industries.
ERPNext
Open-Source ERP System for Complete Business Management
ERPNext is a comprehensive, 100% open-source ERP platform that handles accounting, inventory, manufacturing, projects, HR, and CRM in one unified system.
Overview
Complete Business Management in One Platform
ERPNext is a powerful, open-source Enterprise Resource Planning system designed to help businesses manage every aspect of their operations without the fragmentation of multiple software tools. Built on the Frappe Framework (Python and JavaScript) with a modern Vue-based interface, it delivers enterprise-grade functionality accessible to organizations of all sizes.
Unified Capabilities
The platform covers accounting and financial reporting, order management with full inventory tracking, manufacturing workflows including subcontracting and capacity planning, asset lifecycle management, and project delivery with time and budget controls. Additional modules include HR management, CRM, procurement, point-of-sale, healthcare, and support ticketing.
Flexible Deployment
ERPNext can be deployed via managed hosting on Frappe Cloud for turnkey operation, self-hosted using Docker for containerized environments, or installed manually using the bench CLI tool. The system is built for extensibility, allowing developers to customize workflows and build additional applications on the underlying Frappe Framework. Comprehensive documentation, community forums, and learning resources support both users and developers throughout implementation and daily operations.
Highlights
Integrated accounting, inventory, manufacturing, and project management modules
Built on Frappe Framework with Python backend and Vue-based modern UI
Flexible deployment: managed cloud hosting, Docker, or self-hosted installation
Extensible architecture for custom workflows and application development
Pros
- Comprehensive feature set eliminates need for multiple specialized tools
- 100% open-source under GPL-3.0 with no licensing fees
- Active community with extensive documentation and learning resources
- Modern, intuitive interface built with contemporary web technologies
Considerations
- Complexity may require learning curve for full feature utilization
- Self-hosting requires technical expertise in Python, MariaDB, and server administration
- Customization and advanced workflows may need Frappe Framework knowledge
- Resource-intensive deployment compared to lightweight single-purpose tools
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider ERPNext, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Small to mid-sized businesses seeking unified business management software
- Organizations wanting to avoid vendor lock-in and licensing costs
- Companies with technical teams capable of customization and self-hosting
- Businesses in manufacturing, distribution, retail, or project-based services
Not ideal when
- Enterprises requiring industry-specific compliance certifications out-of-box
- Organizations without technical resources for setup and maintenance
- Teams needing immediate deployment without configuration or training
- Businesses requiring only a single specialized function like basic invoicing
How teams use it
Manufacturing Operations
Track production cycles, material consumption, capacity planning, and subcontracting workflows in a centralized system with real-time inventory visibility.
Multi-Channel Retail Management
Manage point-of-sale transactions, inventory across locations, supplier relationships, and customer orders with integrated accounting and reporting.
Project-Based Service Delivery
Deliver client projects on time and budget by tracking tasks, timesheets, issues, profitability, and resource allocation in one platform.
Financial Operations Consolidation
Record transactions, manage cash flow, generate financial reports, and analyze business performance without separate accounting software.
Tech snapshot
Python80%
JavaScript17%
HTML2%
SCSS1%
CSS1%
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ERPNext and the Frappe Framework?
Frappe Framework is the underlying full-stack web application framework (Python/JavaScript) that provides the foundation. ERPNext is a complete ERP application built on top of Frappe, offering business management modules like accounting, inventory, and manufacturing.
Can I use ERPNext without technical expertise?
Yes, through Frappe Cloud managed hosting, which handles installation, upgrades, monitoring, and maintenance. Self-hosting requires technical knowledge of Python, MariaDB, and server administration.
What deployment options are available?
ERPNext offers three deployment paths: managed hosting via Frappe Cloud, self-hosted Docker containers, or manual installation using the bench CLI tool with full control over infrastructure.
Is ERPNext suitable for manufacturing businesses?
Yes, ERPNext includes dedicated manufacturing modules that handle production cycles, bill of materials, capacity planning, material consumption tracking, subcontracting, and work order management.
How is ERPNext licensed?
ERPNext is licensed under GPL-3.0, making it 100% open-source and free to use, modify, and distribute according to the terms of the license.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 31,183
- Watchers
- 31,183
- Forks
- 10,213
LicenseGPL-3.0
Repo age14 years old
Last commit6 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languagePython
Last synced 3 hours ago