Is Axelor or QAD better?

Neither clearly leads. Axelor starts at Free and QAD at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Axelor or QAD?

Axelor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Axelor and $2000/month for QAD.

Does Axelor or QAD run on more platforms?

Axelor runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. QAD runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.

Can I use Axelor for free?

Yes. Axelor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. QAD starts at $2000/month.

What is Axelor best used for?

Axelor is most often used for a european sme that wants erp on its own servers for data sovereignty rather than in a us cloud, a company whose processes do not fit a standard erp and that wants to model them in bpmn instead of paying for custom code, a francophone business needing a french chart of accounts and local statutory reporting out of the box, a team validating an open source erp on the free community edition with the option to move the same database onto a commercial licence later. Of those, a european sme that wants erp on its own servers for data sovereignty rather than in a us cloud and a company whose processes do not fit a standard erp and that wants to model them in bpmn instead of paying for custom code are not what QAD is typically brought in for.

What can Axelor do that QAD cannot?

Axelor covers Axelor Studio, BPM engine, CRM and sales, Accounting. QAD covers Financial management, Supply chain, Inventory management, Quality management. Both handle Manufacturing.

ERP · head to head

Axelor vs QAD

Axelor

ERP

French open source ERP and CRM with a low-code studio for changing the data model without forking

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

QAD

ERP

Cloud and on-premise ERP for manufacturers

From: $2000/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Axelor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Axelor pro requires at least ten users and Enterprise at least twenty, so a six-person company either stays on unsupported Community or pays for seats it does not have.; QAD no price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
They diverge on capability: Axelor covers Axelor Studio, QAD covers Financial management.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Axelor and QAD actually diverge.

Attributes where Axelor and QAD differ
Attribute	Axelor	QAD
Starting price	Free	$2000/month
Pricing model	Per user per month	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android	Cloud, On-premise, Web
Founded	Unknown	1979

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 Axelor

Axelor Studio
BPM engine
CRM and sales
Accounting
E-invoicing
Stock and logistics
REST API

Only in QAD

Financial management
Supply chain
Inventory management
Quality management
REST APIs
EDI
IoT integration
Third-party systems

Both cover

Manufacturing

What people use each for

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

Axelor

A European SME that wants ERP on its own servers for data sovereignty rather than in a US cloudnot QAD
A company whose processes do not fit a standard ERP and that wants to model them in BPMN instead of paying for custom codenot QAD
A francophone business needing a French chart of accounts and local statutory reporting out of the boxnot QAD
A team validating an open source ERP on the free Community edition with the option to move the same database onto a commercial licence laternot QAD

QAD

ERP for manufacturers covering production execution and schedulingnot Axelor
Supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory controlnot Axelor
Quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturingnot Axelor
Field service and enterprise asset managementnot Axelor

Where each one falls short

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

Axelor

Pro requires at least ten users and Enterprise at least twenty, so a six-person company either stays on unsupported Community or pays for seats it does not have.
Documentation, community answers and partner material are substantially richer in French than English, which slows adoption for anglophone teams and makes hiring implementers outside Europe difficult.
The AGPL licence on Community obliges you to publish modifications if you offer the software as a network service, which is a genuine blocker for anyone planning to resell a hosted version.
The implementation partner network is concentrated in France and neighbouring markets, so buyers elsewhere have few local firms to tender against and limited support timezone coverage.
It is a smaller ecosystem than Odoo or ERPNext, so there is no large third-party app marketplace, and functionality the suite lacks has to be built rather than bought.

QAD

No price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
Field service management, enterprise asset management and quality management are presented as separate functional areas rather than a single priced bundle

Pricing, plan by plan

Axelor

Free

CommunityFree
- AGPL licensed, self-hosted
- Essential ERP and CRM modules
- Forum and documentation support only
Pro$35/month
- Minimum ten users
- Commercial licence covering all business modules
- E-invoicing included
Enterprise$55/month
- Minimum twenty users
- Advanced BI and dedicated AI agents
- SSO and CAS authentication

QAD

$2000/month

Standard$2000/month
- Financial management
- Manufacturing
- Supply chain
Premium$4000/month
- Advanced modules
- Analytics
- Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Axelor if

You need axelor studio.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
You also want bpm engine.

Axelor review

Choose QAD if

You need financial management.
You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
You also want supply chain.

QAD review

Questions people ask

Is Axelor or QAD better?: Neither clearly leads. Axelor starts at Free and QAD at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Axelor or QAD?: Axelor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Axelor and $2000/month for QAD.
Does Axelor or QAD run on more platforms?: Axelor runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. QAD runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
Can I use Axelor for free?: Yes. Axelor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. QAD starts at $2000/month.
What is Axelor best used for?: Axelor is most often used for a european sme that wants erp on its own servers for data sovereignty rather than in a us cloud, a company whose processes do not fit a standard erp and that wants to model them in bpmn instead of paying for custom code, a francophone business needing a french chart of accounts and local statutory reporting out of the box, a team validating an open source erp on the free community edition with the option to move the same database onto a commercial licence later. Of those, a european sme that wants erp on its own servers for data sovereignty rather than in a us cloud and a company whose processes do not fit a standard erp and that wants to model them in bpmn instead of paying for custom code are not what QAD is typically brought in for.
What can Axelor do that QAD cannot?: Axelor covers Axelor Studio, BPM engine, CRM and sales, Accounting. QAD covers Financial management, Supply chain, Inventory management, Quality management. Both handle Manufacturing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Axelor: Is Axelor really free?

The Community edition is genuinely AGPL open source with no licence fee, but it lacks several business modules and has no vendor support, and you carry all hosting and upgrade work.

QAD: How can I get pricing information for QAD manufacturing software?

QAD does not publish standard pricing on their homepage. Pricing discussions occur during personalized consultations. Interested parties can request a demo, contact the sales team, or download brochures to discuss pricing based on specific organizational needs.

Source

Axelor: Can I upgrade from Community without losing data?

Yes, Axelor states that a Community deployment can move to Pro or Enterprise keeping its database and configuration, which is unusual among open core vendors.

QAD: What deployment options does QAD offer?

QAD provides adaptive ERP solutions for various industries including Automotive, Food & Beverage, and Life Sciences. Their offerings include connected workforce solutions and supply chain management, with implementation and advisory services available.

Source

Axelor: Do I need Java developers?

Not for most changes. Studio handles entities, views and workflows as configuration. Deep integrations and new module logic still need Java skills.

QAD: Is there a trial available for QAD software without contacting sales?

The QAD homepage does not mention a free trial or self-serve trial option. The primary engagement path is through "Request a Demo" or "Contact Sales" buttons, suggesting trial access requires sales team interaction.

Source

Axelor: Does it handle EU e-invoicing mandates?

E-invoicing is included on the paid editions, which is the main reason French customers move off Community as mandates come into force.

Axelor vs QAD

Axelor

QAD

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Axelor

Only in QAD

Both cover

What people use each for

Axelor

QAD

Where each one falls short

Axelor

QAD

Pricing, plan by plan

Axelor

QAD

Which should you pick?

Choose Axelor if

Choose QAD if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Axelor

More on QAD

Keep looking

Other head to heads