Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Frappe vs SolidJS

Frappe logo

Frappe

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SolidJS logo

SolidJS

Web Development

Reactive JavaScript framework with no virtual DOM

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; SolidJS much smaller ecosystem than React, so many problems have no off-the-shelf library
  • They diverge on capability: Frappe covers DocType modelling, SolidJS covers No virtual DOM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Frappe and SolidJS actually diverge.

Attributes where Frappe and SolidJS differ
AttributeFrappeSolidJS
Pricing modelPer month by site or serverOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsWeb Development

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 Frappe

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

Only in SolidJS

  • No virtual DOM
  • Components run once
  • JSX syntax
  • Small bundles

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 SolidJS
  • An ERPNext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administratornot SolidJS
  • An Indian or emerging-market business that wants to pay for application hosting in local currency at local price pointsnot SolidJS
  • A consultancy shipping custom vertical apps to clients on a shared framework with per-client site isolationnot SolidJS

SolidJS

  • Interfaces where update performance is the binding constraintnot Frappe
  • Teams comfortable with React syntax who want finer-grained reactivitynot Frappe
  • Applications where bundle size directly affects the businessnot 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.

SolidJS

  • Much smaller ecosystem than React, so many problems have no off-the-shelf library
  • The React-like syntax is misleading: components run once, and React habits produce subtle bugs
  • Smaller hiring pool and fewer learning resources than the mainstream frameworks

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

SolidJS

Free
  • SolidJSFree
    • Full library
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No usage limits

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 SolidJS if

  • You need no virtual dom.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want components run once.
SolidJS review

Questions people ask

Is Frappe or SolidJS better?
Neither clearly leads. Frappe starts at Free and SolidJS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Frappe or SolidJS?
Frappe starts at Free and SolidJS at Free.
Does Frappe or SolidJS run on more platforms?
Frappe runs on Web, Linux, Docker. SolidJS runs on Web.
Can I use Frappe for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 SolidJS is typically brought in for.
What can Frappe do that SolidJS cannot?
Frappe covers DocType modelling, Role and field permissions, Built-in REST API, Background jobs. SolidJS covers No virtual DOM, Components run once, JSX syntax, Small bundles.

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.

SolidJS: Is SolidJS free?

Yes, open source under the MIT licence.

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.

SolidJS: Is SolidJS just React without the virtual DOM?

The syntax is similar but the model is not. Solid components run once and reactivity is fine-grained, so patterns that are correct in React can be wrong in Solid.

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.

SolidJS: Why is SolidJS fast?

It compiles away much of the framework and updates individual DOM nodes directly, rather than re-rendering components and diffing a virtual DOM.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Frappe

More on SolidJS

Keep looking

Other head to heads