Softwr

ERP · head to head

Global Shop Solutions vs iDempiere

Global Shop Solutions logo

Global Shop Solutions

ERP

Cloud and on-premise ERP for small manufacturers

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
iDempiere logo

iDempiere

ERP

Community-governed open source ERP, CRM and supply chain built on Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only iDempiere has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Global Shop Solutions no price or price range is published; the pricing page collects business details and returns a quote instead; iDempiere there is no vendor, so there is no support contract, no service level agreement and nobody to escalate to; you either build the skills internally or you depend entirely on a local partner whose quality you must judge yourself.
  • They diverge on capability: Global Shop Solutions covers Financial management, iDempiere covers Application dictionary.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Global Shop Solutions and iDempiere actually diverge.

Attributes where Global Shop Solutions and iDempiere differ
AttributeGlobal Shop SolutionsiDempiere
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows
Founded1985Unknown

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 Global Shop Solutions

  • Financial management
  • Inventory management
  • Order management
  • Reporting
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • QuickBooks
  • Third-party systems

Only in iDempiere

  • Application dictionary
  • OSGi plug-in architecture
  • Multi-organisation accounting
  • Materials management
  • Workflow engine
  • Report and print engine
  • No paid edition

Both cover

  • Manufacturing

What people use each for

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

Global Shop Solutions

  • ERP for discrete manufacturers running job shops and make to order productionnot iDempiere
  • Shop floor data collection and schedulingnot iDempiere
  • Running manufacturing ERP on premise, in the cloud or as SaaSnot iDempiere

iDempiere

  • A distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user ERP licence that scales with headcount.not Global Shop Solutions
  • An organisation that has been caught by an open core vendor moving features into a paid tier wants an ERP with no company that can make that decision.not Global Shop Solutions
  • A team needs heavy customisation of screens, fields and approval workflows that must survive version upgrades, which the application dictionary makes possible without forking.not Global Shop Solutions
  • A public sector or university body in Latin America or Indonesia needs a locally supportable ERP where the source and the implementation skills are both available in-country.not Global Shop Solutions

Where each one falls short

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

Global Shop Solutions

  • No price or price range is published; the pricing page collects business details and returns a quote instead
  • Licensing is by concurrent user, meaning the number of employees in the system at once, rather than by named seat
  • Cost is split into an upfront charge plus an ongoing quarterly charge rather than a single subscription
  • Graphical shop floor interfaces carry their own upfront and ongoing quarterly cost on top of the base licence
  • No minimum user count, implementation fee or contract term is published

iDempiere

  • There is no vendor, so there is no support contract, no service level agreement and nobody to escalate to; you either build the skills internally or you depend entirely on a local partner whose quality you must judge yourself.
  • It demands real Java, OSGi and PostgreSQL administration, so the running cost is a systems engineer rather than a subscription, and that engineer is harder to hire than a PHP developer.
  • The ZK-based interface is dense and dated, with a data-entry feel inherited from Compiere that staff used to modern software find hostile, which drives up training cost.
  • Localisation depends on community contribution, so tax, payroll and statutory reporting for your country may be absent, out of date or maintained by one person, and you may end up funding it yourself.
  • The documentation is a community wiki with gaps and stale pages, and much of the practical knowledge sits in forum threads and partner heads rather than in anything you can hand to a new administrator.

Pricing, plan by plan

Global Shop Solutions

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • Basic ERP
    • Inventory management
    • Financial module
  • Premium$1500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Manufacturing
    • Priority support

iDempiere

Free
  • iDempiereFree
    • Full ERP, CRM and supply chain source
    • Unlimited users and organisations
    • No enterprise edition and no feature gating
  • Implementation partner$undefined/year
    • Local partners provide installation, configuration, training and support
    • Priced per engagement, not published
    • Realistically the only viable route for a production deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose Global Shop Solutions if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want inventory management.
Global Shop Solutions review

Choose iDempiere if

  • You need application dictionary.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want osgi plug-in architecture.
iDempiere review

Questions people ask

Is Global Shop Solutions or iDempiere better?
Neither clearly leads. Global Shop Solutions starts at $500/month and iDempiere at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Global Shop Solutions or iDempiere?
iDempiere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for Global Shop Solutions and Free for iDempiere.
Does Global Shop Solutions or iDempiere run on more platforms?
Global Shop Solutions runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. iDempiere runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows.
Can I use iDempiere for free?
Yes. iDempiere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Global Shop Solutions starts at $500/month.
What is Global Shop Solutions best used for?
Global Shop Solutions is most often used for erp for discrete manufacturers running job shops and make to order production, shop floor data collection and scheduling, running manufacturing erp on premise, in the cloud or as saas. Of those, erp for discrete manufacturers running job shops and make to order production and shop floor data collection and scheduling are not what iDempiere is typically brought in for.
What can Global Shop Solutions do that iDempiere cannot?
Global Shop Solutions covers Financial management, Inventory management, Order management, Reporting. iDempiere covers Application dictionary, OSGi plug-in architecture, Multi-organisation accounting, Materials management. Both handle Manufacturing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Global Shop Solutions: How much does Global Shop Solutions cost?

Global Shop Solutions does not publish pricing online. The company uses a concurrent user model with upfront and ongoing quarterly costs. Exact pricing varies by business requirements and must be obtained through a custom quote.

Source
iDempiere: Is iDempiere the same as ADempiere or Compiere?

It shares the lineage. iDempiere forked from ADempiere in 2011 to rebuild the platform on OSGi, and it is the branch that remains actively developed.

Global Shop Solutions: What is Global Shop Solutions pricing model?

Global Shop Solutions uses a concurrent user model based on the number of employees in the system at once. Pricing includes upfront costs and ongoing quarterly payments. Software updates and support are included in the ongoing cost.

Source
iDempiere: Is there a paid or enterprise edition?

No. There is no commercial owner and no feature gating. Money is spent on implementation partners and hosting, not on licences.

Global Shop Solutions: Does Global Shop Solutions offer deployment flexibility?

Yes, Global Shop Solutions supports on-premise, cloud, or SaaS deployments with custom pricing for each option.

Source
iDempiere: What does it actually cost to run?

Nothing in licence fees, and a great deal in skills: expect a partner implementation and ongoing Java and PostgreSQL administration, which for a mid-sized company is comparable to a commercial subscription.

iDempiere: Which database does it need?

PostgreSQL or Oracle. PostgreSQL is the mainstream community choice and the one most partners deploy.

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