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ERP · head to head

Axelor vs Tilt

Axelor logo

Axelor

ERP

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tilt logo

Tilt

Developer Tools

Local Kubernetes development loop that rebuilds and live-updates containers on save

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Tilt docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • They diverge on capability: Axelor covers Axelor Studio, Tilt covers Live update.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Axelor and Tilt actually diverge.

Attributes where Axelor and Tilt differ
AttributeAxelorTilt
Pricing modelPer user per monthOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, AndroidLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryERPDeveloper Tools

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 Axelor

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

Only in Tilt

  • Live update
  • Tiltfile as code
  • Unified web UI
  • Selective rebuilds
  • Local and remote clusters
  • Resource dependencies
  • Extensions registry
  • Custom buttons and triggers

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 Tilt
  • A company whose processes do not fit a standard ERP and that wants to model them in BPMN instead of paying for custom codenot Tilt
  • A francophone business needing a French chart of accounts and local statutory reporting out of the boxnot Tilt
  • 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 Tilt

Tilt

  • A team of ten or more engineers whose application is fifteen microservices on Kubernetes and who currently wait on CI to test a changenot Axelor
  • An organisation onboarding new developers who want a single command that stands up the whole stack from a committed Tiltfilenot Axelor
  • A platform team giving product engineers a consistent local environment against a shared remote development clusternot Axelor
  • A codebase where one repository contains several services and rebuilding all of them on every edit is the main source of lost timenot 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.

Tilt

  • Docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • The Tiltfile is Starlark, a Python dialect, so non-trivial setups become real programs that need reviewing and maintaining, and the person who wrote yours becomes a single point of failure.
  • Live update only works when the running container can accept synced files and restart the process; compiled languages, distroless images and read-only filesystems often force you back to a full image rebuild, which removes the main benefit.
  • It assumes Kubernetes. If your development target is plain Docker Compose or serverless functions, Tilt adds a cluster you did not need and a layer of abstraction with no payoff.
  • There is no commercial support contract, no SLA and no paid tier, so when a Kubernetes version upgrade breaks something you are dependent on GitHub issues and a Slack channel rather than a vendor you can escalate to.

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

Tilt

Free
  • TiltFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • All features, no paid tier
    • Community support via the Kubernetes Slack #tilt channel

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 Tilt if

  • You need live update.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want tiltfile as code.
Tilt review

Questions people ask

Is Axelor or Tilt better?
Neither clearly leads. Axelor starts at Free and Tilt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Axelor or Tilt?
Axelor starts at Free and Tilt at Free.
Does Axelor or Tilt run on more platforms?
Axelor runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android. Tilt runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Axelor for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Tilt is typically brought in for.
What can Axelor do that Tilt cannot?
Axelor covers Axelor Studio, BPM engine, CRM and sales, Manufacturing. Tilt covers Live update, Tiltfile as code, Unified web UI, Selective rebuilds.

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.

Tilt: Is Tilt free?

Yes, entirely. It is Apache 2.0 open source with no paid tier and no licence fee.

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.

Tilt: Who owns Tilt now?

Docker, which acquired it in May 2022. It remains open source and the repository is still actively maintained.

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.

Tilt: Do I need a remote cluster?

No. It works against a local cluster such as kind, minikube or Docker Desktop, and also against a shared remote development cluster if your services are too heavy to run locally.

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.

Tilt: How is it different from Skaffold?

Both automate the build-deploy loop. Tilt puts more weight on the live-update path and a multi-service dashboard; Skaffold is more configuration-driven and closer to Google's tooling.

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