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ERP · head to head

Axonaut vs iDempiere

Axonaut logo

Axonaut

ERP

All-in-one French management platform for invoicing, CRM, accounting and HR

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
iDempiere logo

iDempiere

ERP

Community-governed open source ERP, CRM and supply chain built on Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only iDempiere has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Axonaut base price of EUR 38/month covers only 1 user; every additional user costs EUR 29.99/month more, so team pricing scales linearly with no volume discount tier shown; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Axonaut and iDempiere actually diverge.

Attributes where Axonaut and iDempiere differ
AttributeAxonautiDempiere
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows

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 Axonaut

Nothing recorded that iDempiere does not also cover.

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.

Axonaut

  • Creating and sending invoices with automated payment collectionnot iDempiere
  • Centralizing customer contacts and tracking sales opportunitiesnot iDempiere
  • Managing project profitability through team time trackingnot iDempiere
  • Automating leave management and HR functions for teamsnot iDempiere
  • Connecting to Shopify and WooCommerce for integrated operationsnot iDempiere

iDempiere

  • A distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user ERP licence that scales with headcount.not Axonaut
  • 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 Axonaut
  • 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 Axonaut
  • 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 Axonaut

Where each one falls short

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

Axonaut

  • Base price of EUR 38/month covers only 1 user; every additional user costs EUR 29.99/month more, so team pricing scales linearly with no volume discount tier shown
  • Discounted monthly rates require paying 1, 2 or 3 years upfront in full rather than a recurring discount on monthly billing

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

Axonaut

On request
  • Monthly$undefined/month
  • Annual$undefined/year

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 Axonaut if

Nothing in the data separates Axonaut from iDempiere on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Axonaut review

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.
iDempiere review

Questions people ask

Is Axonaut or iDempiere better?
Neither clearly leads. Axonaut starts at On request and iDempiere at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Axonaut or iDempiere?
iDempiere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Axonaut and Free for iDempiere.
Does Axonaut or iDempiere run on more platforms?
Axonaut runs on Web. iDempiere runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
Can I use iDempiere for free?
Yes. iDempiere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Axonaut starts at On request.
What is Axonaut best used for?
Axonaut is most often used for creating and sending invoices with automated payment collection, centralizing customer contacts and tracking sales opportunities, managing project profitability through team time tracking, automating leave management and hr functions for teams. Of those, creating and sending invoices with automated payment collection and centralizing customer contacts and tracking sales opportunities are not what iDempiere is typically brought in for.
What can Axonaut do that iDempiere cannot?
iDempiere covers Application dictionary, OSGi plug-in architecture, Multi-organisation accounting, Materials management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Axonaut: Does Axonaut offer a free trial?

Axonaut offers a 15-day free trial with no long-term commitment required, allowing users to test the platform before purchasing.

Source
iDempiere: 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.

Axonaut: What currencies does Axonaut accept for billing?

Axonaut displays pricing in EUR in the French interface, excluding VAT.

Source
iDempiere: 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.

iDempiere: 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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