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Developer Tools · head to head

Frappe vs Noloco

Frappe logo

Frappe

Developer Tools

The Python web framework behind ERPNext, sold as managed hosting through Frappe Cloud

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Noloco logo

Noloco

No-Code

Client portals and internal tools built over data you already have

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Frappe has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Frappe the framework is strongly opinionated: its own ORM, templating and job queue mean general Python and Django experience transfers only partly, and onboarding a new developer takes weeks rather than days.; Noloco pricing follows user counts, and a client portal is by definition many low-activity users, so an agency with a few hundred client logins climbs the bands quickly for people who sign in twice a month.
  • They diverge on capability: Frappe covers DocType modelling, Noloco covers Row-level permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Frappe and Noloco actually diverge.

Attributes where Frappe and Noloco differ
AttributeFrappeNoloco
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month by site or serverquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsNo-Code

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 Frappe

  • DocType modelling
  • Role and field permissions
  • Built-in REST API
  • Background jobs
  • Bench CLI
  • Frappe Cloud hosting
  • App marketplace
  • Multi-tenancy

Only in Noloco

  • Row-level permissions
  • Multiple data sources
  • Client portals
  • Workflows
  • Forms and record detail pages
  • White labelling

What people use each for

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

Frappe

  • A team building an internal business application that needs permissions, audit trail and an API on day one rather than in month threenot Noloco
  • An ERPNext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administratornot Noloco
  • An Indian or emerging-market business that wants to pay for application hosting in local currency at local price pointsnot Noloco
  • A consultancy shipping custom vertical apps to clients on a shared framework with per-client site isolationnot Noloco

Noloco

  • Giving clients a branded portal onto their own records in an Airtable basenot Frappe
  • Replacing shared spreadsheets with a permissioned internal tool for an operations teamnot Frappe
  • A lightweight CRM over a PostgreSQL database that already existsnot Frappe
  • Partner or contractor dashboards where each party must see only its own jobs and documentsnot Frappe

Where each one falls short

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

Frappe

  • The framework is strongly opinionated: its own ORM, templating and job queue mean general Python and Django experience transfers only partly, and onboarding a new developer takes weeks rather than days.
  • The developer pool is small and heavily concentrated in India, so hiring Frappe experience elsewhere is slow and expensive relative to mainstream stacks.
  • Documentation is uneven in depth and lags behind releases in places, so real answers often come from reading the source or the community forum.
  • Major version upgrades of the framework have historically broken custom apps that reach past the DocType layer, so bespoke code carries a recurring maintenance cost at each upgrade.
  • Frappe Cloud recommends against its cheapest Hetzner-backed option for mission-critical production, so the headline $5 entry price is not the price of a production-grade deployment.

Noloco

  • Pricing follows user counts, and a client portal is by definition many low-activity users, so an agency with a few hundred client logins climbs the bands quickly for people who sign in twice a month.
  • Limits are inherited from the data source. Airtable record ceilings, API rate limits and slow queries appear in the portal your customers use, and no setting inside Noloco can fix them.
  • Design control is deliberately narrow. You get a consistent application shell rather than a bespoke interface, which is fine for operations and a problem for anything marketing-led.
  • It is a small vendor competing directly with Airtable Interfaces and Softr, both far larger, so roadmap pace and long-term viability are legitimate procurement questions.
  • Output is responsive web only, with no native mobile application and no offline mode, so field staff on poor connections are not served by it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Frappe

Free
  • Framework, self-hostedFree
    • MIT licensed, no licence fee
    • Install with bench on your own Linux servers
    • You carry updates, backups and security patching
  • Frappe Cloud Sites$5/month
    • Also listed at ₹410 per month
    • Shared servers with 150+ installable apps
    • Automatic updates and offsite backups
  • Frappe Cloud Servers$40/month
    • Also listed at ₹3,600 per month
    • Dedicated or shared virtual machines
    • Unlimited sites on your server

Noloco

On request
  • Noloco$undefined/year
    • Tiered plans differentiated by user counts, data sources and white labelling
    • Trial period rather than a permanent free plan
    • Higher tiers add custom domains, advanced permissions and priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Frappe if

  • You need doctype modelling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want role and field permissions.
Frappe review

Choose Noloco if

  • You need row-level permissions.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Noloco review

Questions people ask

Is Frappe or Noloco better?
Neither clearly leads. Frappe starts at Free and Noloco at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Frappe or Noloco?
Frappe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Frappe and On request for Noloco.
Does Frappe or Noloco run on more platforms?
Frappe runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Noloco runs on Web.
Can I use Frappe for free?
Yes. Frappe has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Noloco starts at On request.
What is Frappe best used for?
Frappe is most often used for a team building an internal business application that needs permissions, audit trail and an api on day one rather than in month three, an erpnext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administrator, an indian or emerging-market business that wants to pay for application hosting in local currency at local price points, a consultancy shipping custom vertical apps to clients on a shared framework with per-client site isolation. Of those, a team building an internal business application that needs permissions, audit trail and an api on day one rather than in month three and an erpnext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administrator are not what Noloco is typically brought in for.
What can Frappe do that Noloco cannot?
Frappe covers DocType modelling, Role and field permissions, Built-in REST API, Background jobs. Noloco covers Row-level permissions, Multiple data sources, Client portals, Workflows.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Frappe: Is Frappe the same as ERPNext?

No. Frappe is the framework; ERPNext is the ERP application written on it. You can run Frappe without ERPNext to build your own applications.

Noloco: Do I need Airtable to use it?

No. Airtable is the most common source but PostgreSQL, MySQL, Google Sheets, HubSpot and built-in Noloco tables all work.

Frappe: What licence is the framework under?

MIT, which is permissive and imposes no obligation to publish your changes, unlike the AGPL used by several open source ERP rivals.

Noloco: Can external clients log in without paying for seats?

Client and internal users are counted differently, but they are still counted, so a portal with many client logins moves you up the plan bands. Check the current band definitions before committing to a per-client model.

Frappe: Can I pay in rupees?

Yes. Frappe Cloud publishes the same plans in Indian rupees, ₹410 a month for sites and ₹3,600 for servers, rather than converting a dollar price at checkout.

Noloco: How is this different from Softr?

Both build portals over existing data. Noloco leans harder on permissions and multiple database sources; Softr leans on templates, speed to a first version and a bigger ecosystem.

Frappe: Do I have to use Frappe Cloud?

No, self-hosting with bench or Docker is fully supported and free. Frappe Cloud is a convenience purchase, and it funds the open source work.

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