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ERP · head to head

Dolibarr vs Really Simple Systems

Dolibarr logo

Dolibarr

ERP

Modular open source ERP and CRM for very small businesses, installable on shared hosting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
R

Really Simple Systems

CRM

Easy CRM for small businesses

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dolibarr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Really Simple Systems the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 October 2019 listed four CRM tiers billed annually: Free at $0 for up to 2 users, Starter at $14 per user per month, Professional at $30 per user per month, and Enterprise at $46 per user per month (each roughly 7 to 10 percent higher if billed monthly); the Marketing add-on was $22 per month for up to 5,000 emails and Advanced Marketing scaled to 50,000 emails per month, though this capture is over five years old
  • They diverge on capability: Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Really Simple Systems covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dolibarr and Really Simple Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where Dolibarr and Really Simple Systems differ
AttributeDolibarrReally Simple Systems
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, AndroidWeb
CategoryERPCRM
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: 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 Dolibarr

  • Module toggles
  • Third-party management
  • Quotes to invoices
  • Stock and warehouses
  • Double-entry accounting
  • Projects and time
  • Point of sale
  • DoliStore

Only in Really Simple Systems

  • Contact management
  • Sales pipeline
  • Task management
  • Email integration
  • Reporting
  • Zapier
  • Google Workspace
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

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 Really Simple Systems
  • 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 Really Simple Systems
  • An association or nonprofit needs membership, subscription and donation tracking alongside ordinary invoicing without paying per member.not Really Simple Systems
  • 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 Really Simple Systems

Really Simple Systems

  • Sales managementnot Dolibarr
  • Contact trackingnot Dolibarr

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Really Simple Systems

  • The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 October 2019 listed four CRM tiers billed annually: Free at $0 for up to 2 users, Starter at $14 per user per month, Professional at $30 per user per month, and Enterprise at $46 per user per month (each roughly 7 to 10 percent higher if billed monthly); the Marketing add-on was $22 per month for up to 5,000 emails and Advanced Marketing scaled to 50,000 emails per month, though this capture is over five years old

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Really Simple Systems

$15/month
  • Essential$15/month
    • Contact management
    • Task tracking
  • Professional$25/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Sales pipeline
    • Reporting
  • Professional Plus$35/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Advanced customization

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Really Simple Systems if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
Really Simple Systems review

Questions people ask

Is Dolibarr or Really Simple Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Dolibarr starts at Free and Really Simple Systems at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dolibarr or Really Simple Systems?
Dolibarr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Dolibarr and $15/month for Really Simple Systems.
Does Dolibarr or Really Simple Systems run on more platforms?
Dolibarr runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android. Really Simple Systems runs on Web.
Can I use Dolibarr for free?
Yes. Dolibarr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Really Simple Systems starts at $15/month.
What is Dolibarr best used for?
Dolibarr is most often used for 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., a french or spanish small business needs vat handling and accounting exports that match local practice out of the box rather than after configuration., an association or nonprofit needs membership, subscription and donation tracking alongside ordinary invoicing without paying per member., 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.. Of those, 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. and a french or spanish small business needs vat handling and accounting exports that match local practice out of the box rather than after configuration. are not what Really Simple Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Dolibarr do that Really Simple Systems cannot?
Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Third-party management, Quotes to invoices, Stock and warehouses. Really Simple Systems covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Task management, Email integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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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