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Developer Tools · head to head

Frappe vs Tryton

Frappe logo

Frappe

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tryton logo

Tryton

ERP

Modular open source ERP in Python with a five year support window on major releases only

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.; Tryton ordinary series are supported for only one year, so any deployment not pinned to a long term support major version needs a funded upgrade project every twelve months, which is the largest hidden cost of running Tryton.
  • They diverge on capability: Frappe covers DocType modelling, Tryton covers Modular installation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Frappe and Tryton actually diverge.

Attributes where Frappe and Tryton differ
AttributeFrappeTryton
Pricing modelPer month by site or serverOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted
CategoryDeveloper ToolsERP

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 Tryton

  • Modular installation
  • Double entry accounting
  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory and supply chain
  • Sales and purchasing
  • Desktop and web clients
  • Multi-company
  • Project management

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

Tryton

  • A small European manufacturer that wants bills of materials and routings without a per user ERP subscriptionnot Frappe
  • A company with in-house Python developers that intends to extend the data model rather than configure a closed productnot Frappe
  • An organisation that will not adopt an open core product because it expects features to migrate to a paid edition over timenot Frappe
  • A distributor needing multi-company books in one database with analytic accounting on topnot 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.

Tryton

  • Ordinary series are supported for only one year, so any deployment not pinned to a long term support major version needs a funded upgrade project every twelve months, which is the largest hidden cost of running Tryton.
  • There is no vendor to buy support from, only a list of independent service providers, so procurement teams that require a single accountable supplier with an SLA have to construct one themselves.
  • The module ecosystem is far smaller than Odoo or ERPNext, so region-specific tax rules, payroll and industry add-ons frequently have to be written rather than installed.
  • Out of the box reporting is thin and there is no built-in business intelligence layer, so most deployments end up exporting to an external tool to get management reporting.
  • Documentation and community discussion are functional but sparse compared with commercial ERPs, which lengthens implementation for teams that have not worked with Tryton before and makes hiring experienced consultants harder.

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

Tryton

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • GPL-3.0-or-later licence with no per user cost
    • All official modules included
    • Series released every six months

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 Tryton if

  • You need modular installation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted.
  • You also want double entry accounting.
Tryton review

Questions people ask

Is Frappe or Tryton better?
Neither clearly leads. Frappe starts at Free and Tryton at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Frappe or Tryton?
Frappe starts at Free and Tryton at Free.
Does Frappe or Tryton run on more platforms?
Frappe runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Tryton runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted.
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 Tryton is typically brought in for.
What can Frappe do that Tryton cannot?
Frappe covers DocType modelling, Role and field permissions, Built-in REST API, Background jobs. Tryton covers Modular installation, Double entry accounting, Manufacturing, Inventory and supply chain.

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.

Tryton: What licence is Tryton under?

The platform and official modules are GPL-3.0-or-later. There is no paid enterprise edition.

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.

Tryton: How long is a release supported?

Series are released every six months and supported for one year. Major versions get five years of long term support, so pin to an LTS release unless you can fund annual upgrades.

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.

Tryton: Is there a hosted version from the project?

No. The foundation lists independent service providers who offer hosting and support commercially.

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.

Tryton: How does it differ from Odoo?

Tryton has no open core split, so there is no paid edition holding back features, but the module ecosystem and partner network are much smaller.

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