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ERP · head to head

Aptean vs Dolibarr

Aptean logo

Aptean

ERP

ERP solutions for manufacturing and distribution

From
$1500/month
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

  • Only Dolibarr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aptean a portfolio of industry-specific products rather than one platform, spanning ERP, TMS, PLM, EAM, WMS, MES and more, so the evaluation is which Aptean product before any feature comparison; 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: Aptean covers Financial management, Dolibarr covers Module toggles.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aptean and Dolibarr actually diverge.

Attributes where Aptean and Dolibarr differ
AttributeApteanDolibarr
Starting price$1500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (ERP).

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 Aptean

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply chain
  • Inventory management
  • Quality management
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • IoT systems

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.

Aptean

  • Industry-specific ERP for manufacturing and distributionnot Dolibarr
  • Transportation and warehouse managementnot Dolibarr
  • Product lifecycle management for food and apparelnot Dolibarr
  • Enterprise asset management and maintenancenot Dolibarr
  • EDI and payment processing alongside the core systemsnot 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 Aptean
  • 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 Aptean
  • An association or nonprofit needs membership, subscription and donation tracking alongside ordinary invoicing without paying per member.not Aptean
  • 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 Aptean

Where each one falls short

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

Aptean

  • A portfolio of industry-specific products rather than one platform, spanning ERP, TMS, PLM, EAM, WMS, MES and more, so the evaluation is which Aptean product before any feature comparison
  • Pricing is not published for any product
  • Aimed at mid-sized and large businesses rather than small operations

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

Aptean

$1500/month
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Core ERP modules
    • Manufacturing
    • Supply chain
  • Premium$3000/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Analytics
    • 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 Aptean if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
Aptean 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 Aptean or Dolibarr better?
Neither clearly leads. Aptean starts at $1500/month and Dolibarr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aptean or Dolibarr?
Dolibarr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1500/month for Aptean and Free for Dolibarr.
Does Aptean or Dolibarr run on more platforms?
Aptean runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. Dolibarr runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
Can I use Dolibarr for free?
Yes. Dolibarr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aptean starts at $1500/month.
What is Aptean best used for?
Aptean is most often used for industry-specific erp for manufacturing and distribution, transportation and warehouse management, product lifecycle management for food and apparel, enterprise asset management and maintenance. Of those, industry-specific erp for manufacturing and distribution and transportation and warehouse management are not what Dolibarr is typically brought in for.
What can Aptean do that Dolibarr cannot?
Aptean covers Financial management, Manufacturing, Supply chain, Inventory management. Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Third-party management, Quotes to invoices, Stock and warehouses.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aptean: What is Aptean's pricing?

Aptean does not publish pricing on its website. Use the Request Pricing link or contact the sales team directly.

Source
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.

Aptean: Does Aptean offer free product tours or demonstrations?

Yes, Aptean offers free interactive product tours and personalized demos that can be scheduled at your convenience.

Source
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.

Aptean: What support is included after implementation?

Aptean provides 24/7 unlimited support and expert consultation following implementation.

Source
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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