AltFreeStack
CRM & Supportdocker-readypermissive-license100% FOSSπŸ”΄ Full Β· ~2GB

ERPNext: Open Source alternative to SAP Business One in 2026

ERPNext (by Frappe) covers accounting, inventory, manufacturing, CRM and HR in a single business management suite, with functional coverage comparable to a full commercial ERP but 100% open source.

License GPL-3.040.1k starsWebsite GitHub Repository

Audit Snapshot

View notes β†’
  • License β€” Matches GitHub

  • GitHub β€” Active

  • Latest release β€” v15.122.0 Β· 6 days ago

  • Docker Compose β€” Partial

  • Production β€” Not production-tested by AltFreeStack

ERPNext vs. SAP Business One

Pros

  • Functional coverage comparable to a full commercial ERP
  • Backed by Frappe, with over a decade of active development

Things to consider

  • Steep learning curve given the number of modules
  • Needs more server resources than a simple CRM

Quick Docker installation guide

Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide β†’

πŸ’‘ Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?

  • On the official cloud: a recurring monthly fee and usage limits on SAP Business One.
  • On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
docker-compose.yml
services:
  erpnext:
    image: frappe/erpnext:v15.121.6
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      DB_HOST: erpnext-db
      DB_ROOT_PASSWORD: change-me-mariadb-root-password # REQUIRED: generate a random secret before first run
      ADMIN_PASSWORD: change-me-admin-password # REQUIRED: generate a random secret before first run
      SITE_NAME: localhost # CHANGE THIS TO YOUR DOMAIN
    volumes:
      - erpnext_sites:/home/frappe/frappe-bench/sites
    depends_on:
      - erpnext-db
      - erpnext-redis
  erpnext-db:
    image: mariadb:10.6
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: change-me-mariadb-root-password # must match DB_ROOT_PASSWORD above
    volumes:
      - erpnext_db_data:/var/lib/mysql
  erpnext-redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
  erpnext_sites:
  erpnext_db_data:

πŸš€ Deploy in 1 command

Recommended for beginners

Copy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything β€” no nano, no pasting code blocks.

curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=erpnext" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.sh

This docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project β€” last commit today.

This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub β†’

Technical profile

License
GPL-3.0
Category
CRM & Support
Replaces
SAP Business One, NetSuite
Tech stack
PythonFrappe FrameworkMariaDB

Under the hood

Database

MariaDB

Language

Python (Frappe Framework)

Platforms

Web Β· Mobile (iOS/Android)

Key features

  • Accounting, inventory, CRM and HR in a single suite
  • Built-in manufacturing and quality control
  • Self-service portal for customers and vendors
πŸ’Ύ Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)

As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update β€” that's the only thing you need to back up.

1. Create a compressed backup on the server

tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data

2. Download it to your computer

From your computer's terminal (not your server's):

scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./

3. Restore in case of emergency

tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz
🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL

Step 1 β€” Set up the DNS

In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:

Type
A
Name/Host
@ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
Content/Value
Your server's public IP

Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.

Step 2 β€” Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy

One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates β€” Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.

Create a file called Caddyfile:

yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}

Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy