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ERP · head to head

iDempiere vs ProShop ERP

iDempiere logo

iDempiere

ERP

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ProShop ERP logo

ProShop ERP

Manufacturing

Web based ERP, MES and quality system written inside a working CNC machine shop

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only iDempiere has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; ProShop ERP it runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • They diverge on capability: iDempiere covers Application dictionary, ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which iDempiere and ProShop ERP actually diverge.

Attributes where iDempiere and ProShop ERP differ
AttributeiDempiereProShop ERP
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, WindowsWeb, Windows
CategoryERPManufacturing

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 iDempiere

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

Only in ProShop ERP

  • Integrated quality management
  • Digital travellers
  • Job costing
  • Capacity scheduling
  • Tool crib and gauge control
  • Purchasing and inventory

What people use each for

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

iDempiere

  • A distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user ERP licence that scales with headcount.not ProShop ERP
  • 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 ProShop ERP
  • 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 ProShop ERP
  • 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 ProShop ERP

ProShop ERP

  • A machine shop pursuing or holding AS9100 registration that currently maintains quality records separately from its ERPnot iDempiere
  • A high mix low volume shop where every job has different routings and paper travellers keep going missingnot iDempiere
  • A contract manufacturer needing material certification and lot traceability from receipt through to shipped partnot iDempiere
  • A shop with 1990s machines that wants shop floor data capture through operator kiosks because the controllers cannot be readnot iDempiere

Where each one falls short

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

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.

ProShop ERP

  • It runs on a Microsoft stack with Internet Information Services and SQL Server, so a shop choosing on premises deployment needs a Windows server and someone to maintain it, which is not what buyers expect when they hear browser based.
  • The software is opinionated and expects the shop to adopt its processes, so a shop determined to keep its existing habits gets a poor result and blames the tool.
  • Everything depends on operators entering time and status at each operation, and a shop that cannot enforce that discipline ends up with costing and scheduling data that nobody trusts.
  • It is not a machine monitoring product and does not read controllers, so spindle utilisation and automatic cycle counting require a separate product such as a monitoring platform.
  • The partner ecosystem is very small, so implementation, training and any customisation come from the vendor, and there is no market of independent consultants to fall back on or to price against.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ProShop ERP

On request
  • ProShop ERP$undefined/year
    • ERP, MES and quality management
    • On premises or vendor hosted deployment
    • Implementation and training services

Which should you pick?

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

Choose ProShop ERP if

  • You need integrated quality management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want digital travellers.
ProShop ERP review

Questions people ask

Is iDempiere or ProShop ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. iDempiere starts at Free and ProShop ERP at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, iDempiere or ProShop ERP?
iDempiere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for iDempiere and On request for ProShop ERP.
Does iDempiere or ProShop ERP run on more platforms?
iDempiere runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows. ProShop ERP runs on Web, Windows.
Can I use iDempiere for free?
Yes. iDempiere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ProShop ERP starts at On request.
What is iDempiere best used for?
iDempiere is most often used for a distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user erp licence that scales with headcount., 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., a team needs heavy customisation of screens, fields and approval workflows that must survive version upgrades, which the application dictionary makes possible without forking., 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.. Of those, a distributor wants multi-organisation, multi-currency accounting and warehouse costing without a per-user erp licence that scales with headcount. and 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. are not what ProShop ERP is typically brought in for.
What can iDempiere do that ProShop ERP cannot?
iDempiere covers Application dictionary, OSGi plug-in architecture, Multi-organisation accounting, Materials management. ProShop ERP covers Integrated quality management, Digital travellers, Job costing, Capacity scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

ProShop ERP: Is it cloud software?

It is browser based and can be vendor hosted, but many customers run it on their own Windows server, which carries the usual infrastructure obligations.

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.

ProShop ERP: Does it replace my accounting system?

No. It handles costing and purchasing and integrates with QuickBooks or similar for the general ledger.

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.

ProShop ERP: Will it work with old CNC machines?

Yes, because it takes operator input at kiosks rather than reading machine controllers. That is a strength for shops with older equipment.

iDempiere: Which database does it need?

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

ProShop ERP: Is it suitable for process or batch manufacturing?

No. It is built for discrete machining and fabrication with routings and travellers.

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