Developer Tools · head to head
Ansible vs iDempiere
iDempiere
ERP
Community-governed open source ERP, CRM and supply chain built on Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Ansible the open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform; iDempiere there is no vendor, so there is no support contract, no service level agreement and nobody to escalate to; you either build the skills internally or you depend entirely on a local partner whose quality you must judge yourself.
- They diverge on capability: Ansible covers Playbooks, iDempiere covers Application dictionary.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ansible and iDempiere actually diverge.
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 Ansible
- Playbooks
- Inventory management
- Module library
- Variables and templating
- Handlers
- Roles
- Async tasks
- Plugins
Only in iDempiere
- Application dictionary
- OSGi plug-in architecture
- Multi-organisation accounting
- Materials management
- Manufacturing
- Workflow engine
- Report and print engine
- No paid edition
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Ansible
- Configuration managementnot iDempiere
- Server provisioningnot iDempiere
- Application deploymentnot iDempiere
- Multi-node managementnot iDempiere
- Orchestrationnot iDempiere
iDempiere
- A distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user ERP licence that scales with headcount.not Ansible
- An organisation that has been caught by an open core vendor moving features into a paid tier wants an ERP with no company that can make that decision.not Ansible
- A team needs heavy customisation of screens, fields and approval workflows that must survive version upgrades, which the application dictionary makes possible without forking.not Ansible
- A public sector or university body in Latin America or Indonesia needs a locally supportable ERP where the source and the implementation skills are both available in-country.not Ansible
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Ansible
- The open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
- Event-Driven Ansible and the AI coding assistant are platform features rather than open source ones
- Red Hat does not publish platform pricing
- Running open source Ansible at scale means building the control plane the platform otherwise provides
iDempiere
- There is no vendor, so there is no support contract, no service level agreement and nobody to escalate to; you either build the skills internally or you depend entirely on a local partner whose quality you must judge yourself.
- It demands real Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL administration, so the running cost is a systems engineer rather than a subscription, and that engineer is harder to hire than a PHP developer.
- The ZK-based interface is dense and dated, with a data-entry feel inherited from Compiere that staff used to modern software find hostile, which drives up training cost.
- Localisation depends on community contribution, so tax, payroll and statutory reporting for your country may be absent, out of date or maintained by one person, and you may end up funding it yourself.
- The documentation is a community wiki with gaps and stale pages, and much of the practical knowledge sits in forum threads and partner heads rather than in anything you can hand to a new administrator.
Pricing, plan by plan
Ansible
Free- Open SourceFree
- Community edition
- Unlimited nodes
- Full functionality
- Ansible Automation Platform$5000/year
- Enterprise support
- Ansible Tower
- Advanced features
iDempiere
Free- iDempiereFree
- Full ERP, CRM and supply chain source
- Unlimited users and organisations
- No enterprise edition and no feature gating
- Implementation partner$undefined/year
- Local partners provide installation, configuration, training and support
- Priced per engagement, not published
- Realistically the only viable route for a production deployment
Which should you pick?
Choose Ansible if
- You need playbooks.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- You also want inventory management.
Choose iDempiere if
- You need application dictionary.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
- You also want osgi plug-in architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is Ansible or iDempiere better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and iDempiere at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ansible or iDempiere?
- Ansible starts at Free and iDempiere at Free.
- Does Ansible or iDempiere run on more platforms?
- Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. iDempiere runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
- Can I use Ansible for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Ansible best used for?
- Ansible is most often used for configuration management, server provisioning, application deployment, multi-node management. Of those, configuration management and server provisioning are not what iDempiere is typically brought in for.
- What can Ansible do that iDempiere cannot?
- Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating. iDempiere covers Application dictionary, OSGi plug-in architecture, Multi-organisation accounting, Materials management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Ansible: Is Ansible free for commercial use?
Ansible Collaborative is open source. The page describes it as 'an open source IT automation engine' and does not impose restrictions on commercial use for the open source version.
SourceiDempiere: Is iDempiere the same as ADempiere or Compiere?
It shares the lineage. iDempiere forked from ADempiere in 2011 to rebuild the platform on OSGi, and it is the branch that remains actively developed.
Ansible: What is the difference between open source Ansible and the commercial alternative?
The page references Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform as an enterprise alternative to Ansible Collaborative, but does not disclose specific differences, pricing, or feature comparisons between the two offerings.
SourceiDempiere: Is there a paid or enterprise edition?
No. There is no commercial owner and no feature gating. Money is spent on implementation partners and hosting, not on licences.
Ansible: Is there paid support available for Ansible?
The page does not disclose whether paid support contracts are available for open source Ansible or whether Red Hat offers support plans for their enterprise Ansible Automation Platform.
SourceiDempiere: What does it actually cost to run?
Nothing in licence fees, and a great deal in skills: expect a partner implementation and ongoing Java and PostgreSQL administration, which for a mid-sized company is comparable to a commercial subscription.
iDempiere: Which database does it need?
PostgreSQL or Oracle. PostgreSQL is the mainstream community choice and the one most partners deploy.
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