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Dolibarr ERP/CRM: cost, fit and limits

Dolibarr ERP/CRM is an open-source business management suite maintained by the Dolibarr Association in France that covers sales, invoicing, stock, purchasing, HR and projects, and can be self-installed for free or run through a hosting partner.

What to know first

Dolibarr is free to download and install, so the core question is where it runs and who supports it. The project publishes no hosting prices; partners set their own, and the directory page shows trials from 15 to 60 days. The pages read name no AI feature. A REST API and a low-code Module Builder cover customization without vendor involvement.

Dolibarr ERP/CRM at a glance

MakerDolibarr Association, France
Free planYes
Entry priceFree (open source, self-hosted)
API accessYes
CategoryBest AI ERP Software in 2026, rank 12 of 12
Websitedolibarr.org

Who Dolibarr ERP/CRM is best for

Small businesses with technical staff

The software installs on a server, virtual machine or Docker host at no license cost, which suits a firm that already runs its own infrastructure.

Companies that want to customize modules

The Module Builder assistant makes custom modules without coding, and triggers run code on create, update or delete events, which suits teams with some developer time.

Firms that prefer a hosted trial first

Partner clouds list free trials, for example 15 days at DoliCloud and a 45-day free registration at another partner, before any fee applies.

Dolibarr ERP/CRM plans and pricing

PlanPriceWhat it includes
Self-hosted (download from dolibarr.org)Free (open source)Standard distribution for Windows, Mac, Linux and Docker, plus auto-installer packages that need no technical knowledge.
Partner cloud, one listed partner's offerFree registration for 45 days, then EUR 10 excl. VAT regardless of the number of usersA complete Dolibarr instance with an administrator account delivered, as described on the directory page.
Partner cloud, DoliCloudNot published on the directory page15-day trial, hosting with SSH, SFTP and direct MySQL access, daily data backup, version upgrades included, cancel any time.

Checked November 2026.

What Dolibarr ERP/CRM does

CRM and sales
Prospects, customers, opportunities, proposals, sales orders, contracts, subscriptions and help desk tickets live in one record, so a sale can be followed from first contact to support.
Human resources
Employees, expense reports, leave requests, timesheets and recruitment are covered, which gives smaller firms basic HR administration without adding a separate package to the stack.
Stock and purchasing
Products, stock, purchasing and shipments are handled, and manufacturing is listed as a module, so a trading or light production business can track goods through the system.
Billing and accounting
Billing and payments include bank reconciliation and double-entry accounting, so invoices and ledger entries sit next to the sales and stock data in the same suite.
Module Builder
A low-code assistant creates custom modules without coding. Projects, tasks, interventions and an agenda are also part of the suite, so field work can be scheduled alongside sales.
REST API and triggers
The project documents a REST API using standard HTTP and JSON, and triggers run code when records are created, updated or deleted, which lets outside systems react to changes.

How Dolibarr ERP/CRM handles your data

Dolibarr the software runs wherever it is installed, so data location and retention are the customer's or the partner's to set. The privacy page covers the project website, where IP addresses in technical logs are kept for a few days. The pages read do not state any model training use. Partner pages name France, Germany and the Netherlands as hosting locations for their own services, and one partner, Bloxera GmbH, states ISO/IEC 27001 for its German data center.

Where Dolibarr ERP/CRM falls short in practice

  • Hosting and support sit with others. Dolibarr publishes no hosting prices, and partner terms vary. A self-hosting company also takes on updates, backups and security, which a hosted ERP vendor normally handles.
  • No AI feature named. The pages read describe modules, a Module Builder and an API but name no AI capability, so any assistant features would have to be built or sourced separately.
  • Data terms depend on the partner. The directory lists partner-run instances, so backup, hosting region and certification differ. Only one partner states ISO/IEC 27001, and only for its own German data center.

Works with

Alternatives to Dolibarr ERP/CRM

Dolibarr ERP/CRM: common questions

Is Dolibarr really free to use?

The software is free and open source, available as a download for Windows, Mac, Linux and Docker. Costs arise only if a company pays a partner to host or support it. The project itself publishes no hosting prices, and partner fees are set by each partner.

What does a Dolibarr partner cloud cost?

It depends on the partner. The directory page shows one offer with a 45-day free registration and then EUR 10 excl. VAT regardless of user count. DoliCloud lists a 15-day trial without a price on that page, so check each partner directly.

Can Dolibarr be customized without coding?

Yes, in part. A low-code Module Builder assistant makes custom modules without coding. For developers, a documented REST API uses standard HTTP and JSON, and triggers run code on create, update or delete events in the system. Standard modules need no coding at all.

Where is Dolibarr data stored?

That depends on where it is installed. The project names no hosting region for itself, and partner pages mention France, Germany and the Netherlands for their own services. Self-hosting keeps data on the customer's own server. Partner terms can differ from this.

Who is behind Dolibarr?

The Dolibarr Association, registered as a French association and created on 2 April 2009, maintains the project. Its foundation page describes the organization, and partners handle hosting and paid services, so support quality varies. Ask each partner for its terms before signing.

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