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ERP · head to head

ADempiere vs DonorPerfect

ADempiere logo

ADempiere

ERP

Community-run open source ERP forked from Compiere, with no vendor behind it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DonorPerfect logo

DonorPerfect

Nonprofits

Comprehensive donor management software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ADempiere has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ADempiere there is no company behind it, so there is no support contract to buy, no SLA, no escalation path and no roadmap commitment; if your implementation partner leaves the market you own the problem entirely.; DonorPerfect the pricing page publishes only a 'starting at $99/month' figure and asks for a custom quote for the Core, Plus and Pro tiers
  • They diverge on capability: ADempiere covers Application dictionary, DonorPerfect covers Donor database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADempiere and DonorPerfect actually diverge.

Attributes where ADempiere and DonorPerfect differ
AttributeADempiereDonorPerfect
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryERPNonprofits
FoundedUnknown1995

Identical on both: 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 ADempiere

  • Application dictionary
  • Financial accounting
  • Order to cash and procure to pay
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Manufacturing
  • Point of sale
  • Workflow engine
  • Java and PostgreSQL stack

Only in DonorPerfect

  • Donor database
  • Campaign management
  • Event management
  • Grant tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • QuickBooks
  • Salesforce
  • Constant Contact

What people use each for

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

ADempiere

  • A manufacturer in Latin America with an existing ADempiere consulting partner that needs localised tax and accounting behaviour a global vendor will not buildnot DonorPerfect
  • A company that wants to modify ERP screens and document workflows without a vendor change request, using the application dictionary rather than codenot DonorPerfect
  • An organisation with a hard requirement to keep financial data on its own servers under its own control with no cloud dependencynot DonorPerfect
  • A systems integrator building a vertical ERP product on a permissive base it can fork and ship without paying a licence feenot DonorPerfect

DonorPerfect

  • Donor management and gift tracking for small and mid sized nonprofitsnot ADempiere
  • Running online donation, event and membership forms tied to a donor databasenot ADempiere

Where each one falls short

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

ADempiere

  • There is no company behind it, so there is no support contract to buy, no SLA, no escalation path and no roadmap commitment; if your implementation partner leaves the market you own the problem entirely.
  • The official website adempiere.net does not resolve, which strands most of the historic documentation and tutorials that search engines still point at and makes onboarding a new developer considerably harder.
  • The last conventional stable release, 3.9.4, is from January 2023, so despite ongoing GitHub activity a buyer evaluating on release cadence sees a project moving slowly.
  • iDempiere, a later fork of the same codebase, absorbed much of the developer community, so ADempiere competes for contributors with its own descendant and is the smaller of the two ecosystems.
  • The interface and the Java Swing heritage feel dated, and staff coming from a modern cloud ERP will need training and will complain; expect resistance from finance and warehouse users during rollout.

DonorPerfect

  • The pricing page publishes only a 'starting at $99/month' figure and asks for a custom quote for the Core, Plus and Pro tiers
  • QuickBooks integration, crowdfunding, moves management, batch gift entry and ReadySetAuction are all withheld from the entry Core tier
  • Custom API access is available only on the top Pro tier
  • Enterprise direct mail segmentation and enterprise reports and graphs are Pro tier only
  • Scheduled reports are capped at 5 on Plus and 100 on Pro, and are unavailable on Core
  • Phone support is Pro tier only; Core and Plus get chat support
  • The bundled Constant Contact account is the Lite version on Core

Pricing, plan by plan

ADempiere

Free
  • Community editionFree
    • GPL v2 licensed, no licence fee
    • Full ERP, CRM, supply chain and POS modules
    • Self-hosted on your own infrastructure

DonorPerfect

On request
  • Express$80/month
    • Donor database
    • Gift tracking
  • Professional$175/month
    • Campaign management
    • Grant tracking
    • Prospect research

Which should you pick?

Choose ADempiere if

  • You need application dictionary.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want financial accounting.
ADempiere review

Choose DonorPerfect if

  • You need donor database.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want campaign management.
DonorPerfect review

Questions people ask

Is ADempiere or DonorPerfect better?
Neither clearly leads. ADempiere starts at Free and DonorPerfect at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADempiere or DonorPerfect?
ADempiere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ADempiere and On request for DonorPerfect.
Does ADempiere or DonorPerfect run on more platforms?
ADempiere runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted. DonorPerfect runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use ADempiere for free?
Yes. ADempiere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DonorPerfect starts at On request.
What is ADempiere best used for?
ADempiere is most often used for a manufacturer in latin america with an existing adempiere consulting partner that needs localised tax and accounting behaviour a global vendor will not build, a company that wants to modify erp screens and document workflows without a vendor change request, using the application dictionary rather than code, an organisation with a hard requirement to keep financial data on its own servers under its own control with no cloud dependency, a systems integrator building a vertical erp product on a permissive base it can fork and ship without paying a licence fee. Of those, a manufacturer in latin america with an existing adempiere consulting partner that needs localised tax and accounting behaviour a global vendor will not build and a company that wants to modify erp screens and document workflows without a vendor change request, using the application dictionary rather than code are not what DonorPerfect is typically brought in for.
What can ADempiere do that DonorPerfect cannot?
ADempiere covers Application dictionary, Financial accounting, Order to cash and procure to pay, Inventory and warehouse. DonorPerfect covers Donor database, Campaign management, Event management, Grant tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ADempiere: Should I choose ADempiere or iDempiere?

Look at iDempiere first. It is a later fork of the same codebase with a more active community and a modular OSGi architecture. Choose ADempiere if a specific partner or localisation you need only exists there.

DonorPerfect: What is the minimum monthly cost to use DonorPerfect?

The Core plan starts at $99/month and includes basic donor management, outreach, and stewardship features. Constant Contact digital marketing is included in every plan.

Source
ADempiere: Is ADempiere free?

The software is GPL licensed with no licence fee. The cost is implementation, customisation and permanent in-house maintenance, which for a real deployment is substantial.

DonorPerfect: What features distinguish the Plus and Pro tiers?

Plus tier adds QuickBooks integration, auction management, crowdfunding, moves management, batch gift entry, and 5 scheduled reports. Pro tier includes enterprise direct mail segmentation, unlimited scheduled reports (100), and custom API access. Exact pricing requires a custom quote.

Source
ADempiere: Is the project still alive?

Development continues on GitHub with commits into 2026, but the official website is down and the last stable release is from January 2023. Treat it as maintained rather than actively advancing.

DonorPerfect: Is there a free trial, and what does it include?

DonorPerfect offers a free practice trial with AI for Plus and Pro tiers. Free data transfers are also available from most CRM systems mentioned.

Source
ADempiere: What is the application dictionary?

It is the metadata layer inherited from Compiere that stores the definition of every window, field and validation rule as data, so you can change the application without touching source code.

DonorPerfect: Is data migration from another CRM included?

Yes, free data transfers from most CRMs are included. Expert onboarding support is available to help with setup and training.

Source
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