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.
Audit Snapshot
View notes βLicense 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
π‘ 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.
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:
π Deploy in 1 command
Recommended for beginnersCopy 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.shThis docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project β last commit today.
This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub βTechnical 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
πΎ 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 ./data2. 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.gzπ 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