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Inventory · head to head

ABC Inventory vs Dolibarr

A

ABC Inventory

Inventory

Free inventory software for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dolibarr logo

Dolibarr

ERP

Modular open source ERP and CRM for very small businesses, installable on shared hosting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ABC Inventory the free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024; Dolibarr the core is deliberately shallow, so a serious requirement such as advanced manufacturing, EDI or a specific payment gateway usually means buying a DoliStore module from a third-party author, and the quality and maintenance of those modules varies widely.
  • They diverge on capability: ABC Inventory covers Inventory tracking, Dolibarr covers Module toggles.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABC Inventory and Dolibarr actually diverge.

Attributes where ABC Inventory and Dolibarr differ
AttributeABC InventoryDolibarr
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows DesktopWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
CategoryInventoryERP
Founded1995Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ABC Inventory

  • Inventory tracking
  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Multi-location
  • Excel export
  • Barcode printing
  • Label printing
  • Windows Desktop support

Only in Dolibarr

  • Module toggles
  • Third-party management
  • Quotes to invoices
  • Stock and warehouses
  • Double-entry accounting
  • Projects and time
  • Point of sale
  • DoliStore

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ABC Inventory

  • Desktop inventorynot Dolibarr
  • Order managementnot Dolibarr
  • Purchasingnot Dolibarr
  • Stock controlnot Dolibarr

Dolibarr

  • A two-person consultancy wants quotes, invoices and basic accounting self-hosted on an existing five euro a month shared hosting account with no server administration.not ABC Inventory
  • A French or Spanish small business needs VAT handling and accounting exports that match local practice out of the box rather than after configuration.not ABC Inventory
  • An association or nonprofit needs membership, subscription and donation tracking alongside ordinary invoicing without paying per member.not ABC Inventory
  • A small distributor wants stock, purchase orders and sales orders in one system and is willing to buy a DoliStore module rather than commission bespoke development.not ABC Inventory

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ABC Inventory

  • The free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024
  • The free licence excludes phone, email and online support, per the same capture of 20 November 2024

Dolibarr

  • The core is deliberately shallow, so a serious requirement such as advanced manufacturing, EDI or a specific payment gateway usually means buying a DoliStore module from a third-party author, and the quality and maintenance of those modules varies widely.
  • Accounting was designed around French practice, and the chart of accounts, VAT model and fiscal exports need real work to satisfy accountants in the United States, the UK or Australia.
  • The interface is functional rather than designed and shows its age against Odoo, which makes internal adoption harder when staff are comparing it to consumer-grade software.
  • Upgrades between major versions can break paid third-party modules, because module authors update on their own schedules and there is no guarantee your combination will work on version 24 the day it ships.
  • Support is community forums unless you buy a partner contract, and the documentation is a wiki of uneven quality with substantial parts written in French, so English-only teams hit dead ends.

Pricing, plan by plan

ABC Inventory

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full features
    • Single user
    • Basic support
  • Network$199/month
    • Multi-user
    • Network access
    • Priority support

Dolibarr

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full GPL source, all core modules
    • Unlimited users
    • You provide PHP and MySQL hosting
  • Partner cloud hosting$14/month
    • Managed hosting from DoliCloud or a certified partner
    • Backups, updates and support included
    • Typically 10 to 30 euros per user per month

Which should you pick?

Choose ABC Inventory if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows Desktop.
  • You also want purchase orders.
ABC Inventory review

Choose Dolibarr if

  • You need module toggles.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
  • You also want third-party management.
Dolibarr review

Questions people ask

Is ABC Inventory or Dolibarr better?
Neither clearly leads. ABC Inventory starts at Free and Dolibarr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABC Inventory or Dolibarr?
ABC Inventory starts at Free and Dolibarr at Free.
Does ABC Inventory or Dolibarr run on more platforms?
ABC Inventory runs on Windows Desktop. Dolibarr runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
Can I use ABC Inventory for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ABC Inventory best used for?
ABC Inventory is most often used for desktop inventory, order management, purchasing, stock control. Of those, desktop inventory and order management are not what Dolibarr is typically brought in for.
What can ABC Inventory do that Dolibarr cannot?
ABC Inventory covers Inventory tracking, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Multi-location. Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Third-party management, Quotes to invoices, Stock and warehouses.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dolibarr: Is Dolibarr genuinely free?

Yes. The full application is GPL with no user limit and no paid edition of the core. You pay only for hosting, optional DoliStore modules and optional partner support.

Dolibarr: Can it run on shared hosting?

Yes, that is its main practical advantage. It needs only PHP and MySQL or MariaDB, so an ordinary cPanel account is enough.

Dolibarr: How does it compare to Odoo?

Odoo is deeper and better presented but its useful modules are in the paid Enterprise edition and it needs a proper deployment. Dolibarr is thinner but free end to end and far easier to host.

Dolibarr: Does it handle UK or US accounting?

Not comfortably out of the box. The accounting module reflects French conventions and needs configuration and often a local module to satisfy an accountant elsewhere.

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