ERPNext is free, open source and broad. The licence costs nothing; the work is in hosting it, setting it up and keeping it current. This guide is for teams that would rather not do that work, and it says plainly when ERPNext is still the better choice.
ERPNext is described by its maker, Frappe, as "100% open-source", with accounting, procurement, sales, CRM, stock, manufacturing, projects, assets, point of sale, quality, support, HR and payroll, and a no-code builder. That breadth is real.
The reasons people look elsewhere are usually about running it, not about features:
If you have that person, these are not problems. If you do not, they are most of the cost.
For a straight comparison of the two best-known open-source ERPs, see Odoo vs ERPNext.
Odoo: many apps, with one app free for unlimited users on Odoo Online, and Standard and Custom plans priced per user a month. Studio (customisation), several companies, the external API and self-hosting or Odoo.sh are on Custom. Odoo also has an open-source Community edition, which you host yourself. Prices are shown in your local currency on odoo.com/pricing.
Zoho One: a bundle of Zoho's business apps. US$37 a user a month for the first year if you license every employee, or US$90 a user a month for any number of users, on annual licensing, VAT extra. A good fit if you already use Zoho apps.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Essentials US$80 and Premium US$110 a user a month, paid yearly, with Team Members at US$8; Microsoft says to contact a partner to buy. A fit for companies already on Microsoft 365.
Rebota: runs in the browser; there is no server to set up and nothing to install. After sign-up you pick your sector, and the screens for it switch on: BOQ, RA bills and site records for contractors; BOM, MRP and work orders for manufacturers; warehouses, price lists and delivery notes for traders; plus purchase, sales, payroll and double-entry accounts in one ledger. Masters and opening balances can be imported from Excel. Paid plans are priced per company with users included, shown in your country's currency on /pricing. After the 15-day trial, keep using Rebota free: 1 user, 30 GST invoices a month, stock, suppliers and cash. Upgrade only when you need more.
Read on 8 November 2026 on the makers' own pages: frappe.io/erpnext, frappe.io/erpnext/pricing, frappe.io/cloud/pricing, github.com/frappe/erpnext, odoo.com/pricing, zoho.com/one/pricing, Business Central pricing. Prices exclude tax and can differ by country.
Rebota is set up for 36 countries. India has the full statutory set. For 32 other countries the VAT or GST rates and tax-ID checks are configured and tax is worked out on every document; for the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Kenya it also lays out the return figures box by box. Each invoice, bill and purchase order can carry its own currency and exchange rate.
It does not submit returns to any tax authority, and e-invoicing is built for India only: there is no Saudi ZATCA Phase 2, no Kenya eTIMS and no Peppol connection yet. If your country requires e-invoicing from the software, check that first. Country details are on the tax and e-invoicing pages.
Stay if someone already runs it well, your custom scripts or apps matter to the business, or you need to own the code or host the data yourself. A working ERP is worth a lot, and moving from it costs time.
| Option | How you pay | Setup and hosting | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERPNext (stay) | Free licence; hosting from US$5 / ₹410 a month | You or a partner; self-host or Frappe Cloud | You have technical help or need to own the code |
| Odoo | One app free; then per user | Odoo Online; self-hosting on Custom | You want many apps and have a partner |
| Zoho One | US$37 (all employees, year 1) or US$90 a user a month | Hosted by Zoho | You already use Zoho apps |
| Business Central | US$80–110 a user a month, yearly | Bought through partners | You run on Microsoft 365 |
| Rebota | Free plan; paid plans per company, users included | Hosted by Rebota; no self-hosting | You want sector screens without a developer |
Rebota fits small and mid-sized contractors, manufacturers, traders and service firms that want one system for operations and accounts, have no developer, and do not want to run a server.
A business that needs open source, self-hosting, deep custom development, third-party apps, or e-invoicing outside India built into the software. ERPNext or Odoo fits those better.
ERPNext when you have technical help or must own the code. Odoo when you want the widest app range and have a partner. Zoho One for Zoho users. Business Central for Microsoft shops.
One person keeping simple books and a short stock list may not need an ERP yet. Once several people touch the same orders, stock and payments, spreadsheets lose track of who changed what.
For ERPNext: implementation, upgrades, custom-script upkeep and server time. For per-user products: every user you add. For any switch: data migration, retraining and rebuilt reports.
Have a developer or partner: ERPNext is excellent value. Do not: choose the product that already has your sector's screens and runs without setup work, and check it on your own data before you decide.
Before you choose, write down who will host, upgrade and fix the system for the next three years, and what that costs in money or time. Then demo each alternative on your three most common documents, using your own data, not the vendor's sample company.
