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ERP · head to head

Dolibarr vs Zycus

Dolibarr logo

Dolibarr

ERP

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zycus logo

Zycus

ERP

Source-to-pay suite with heavy AI positioning, priced by module and quoted throughout

From
On request
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.; Zycus implementations run long and are consultant-led, so the gap between the sales demonstration and a configured live system is measured in quarters, during which the licence is already being paid.
  • They diverge on capability: Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Zycus covers Spend analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dolibarr and Zycus actually diverge.

Attributes where Dolibarr and Zycus differ
AttributeDolibarrZycus
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

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 Dolibarr

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

Only in Zycus

  • Spend analysis
  • eSourcing
  • Contract management
  • Supplier management
  • Procure-to-pay
  • Invoice processing
  • Merlin AI agents
  • Savings tracking

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

Zycus

  • A manufacturer with several ERP instances that cannot answer what it spends with a given supplier group-widenot Dolibarr
  • A procurement function running frequent reverse auctions that needs award scenario optimisation rather than a spreadsheetnot Dolibarr
  • An organisation that priced Coupa and Ariba, found the licence unaffordable, and needs comparable module coveragenot Dolibarr
  • A regulated business needing supplier risk monitoring and contract obligation tracking in one audited systemnot 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.

Zycus

  • Implementations run long and are consultant-led, so the gap between the sales demonstration and a configured live system is measured in quarters, during which the licence is already being paid.
  • The AI capability is marketed well ahead of what is typically enabled in a customer instance, and buyers should insist on seeing agentic features running on their own data before valuing them in a business case.
  • A large share of engineering and support capacity sits in India, so North American and European customers need coverage windows and escalation paths written into the contract rather than assumed.
  • The user interface across modules is inconsistent, reflecting different development eras, which raises training cost and reduces adoption among occasional requisitioners.
  • Pricing is entirely quoted and structured around spend under management, so a business whose spend grows faces increases unrelated to how much it uses the software.

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

Zycus

On request
  • Zycus Source-to-Pay$undefined/year
    • Modules licensed individually or as a suite
    • Priced by spend under management, users and modules
    • Annual subscription, multi-year terms common

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 Zycus if

  • You need spend analysis.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want esourcing.
Zycus review

Questions people ask

Is Dolibarr or Zycus better?
Neither clearly leads. Dolibarr starts at Free and Zycus at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dolibarr or Zycus?
Dolibarr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Dolibarr and On request for Zycus.
Does Dolibarr or Zycus run on more platforms?
Dolibarr runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android. Zycus runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Dolibarr for free?
Yes. Dolibarr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zycus starts at On request.
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 Zycus is typically brought in for.
What can Dolibarr do that Zycus cannot?
Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Third-party management, Quotes to invoices, Stock and warehouses. Zycus covers Spend analysis, eSourcing, Contract management, Supplier management.

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.

Zycus: Is it cheaper than Coupa or Ariba?

Usually on licence, and that price gap is the most common reason organisations shortlist it. Compare total cost including implementation, where the gap narrows.

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.

Zycus: Which module is strongest?

Spend analysis. Classifying dirty purchase data across multiple ERPs is where Zycus consistently performs well against alternatives.

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.

Zycus: How long is an implementation?

Plan for several quarters for a multi-module deployment. Phase it so one module delivers value before the rest go live.

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.

Zycus: What about support coverage?

Much of the delivery and support organisation is in India. Get the coverage hours, response times and escalation route into the contract explicitly.

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