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ERP · head to head

iDempiere vs Yonyou

iDempiere logo

iDempiere

ERP

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yonyou logo

Yonyou

ERP

Chinese enterprise digital transformation platform spanning PaaS and SaaS services

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.; Yonyou no pricing is published anywhere on the site for any of its three tiered products (YonBIP, YonSuite, Chanjet); the only path to cost is a phone sales line or a contact form for a custom quote and demo
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which iDempiere and Yonyou actually diverge.

Attributes where iDempiere and Yonyou differ
AttributeiDempiereYonyou
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, WindowsWeb

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 iDempiere

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

Only in Yonyou

Nothing recorded that iDempiere does not also cover.

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 Yonyou
  • 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 Yonyou
  • 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 Yonyou
  • 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 Yonyou

Yonyou

  • Finance and accounting management for enterprisesnot iDempiere
  • Human resources and payroll processingnot iDempiere
  • Supply chain and procurement managementnot iDempiere
  • Manufacturing and production planningnot iDempiere
  • Project and asset managementnot 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.

Yonyou

  • No pricing is published anywhere on the site for any of its three tiered products (YonBIP, YonSuite, Chanjet); the only path to cost is a phone sales line or a contact form for a custom quote and demo
  • Product selection depends on company size tier (large enterprise, growth stage, small/micro) rather than a single scalable plan, so buyers must first identify which of the three separately branded products applies to them

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

Yonyou

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Yonyou review.

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 Yonyou if

Nothing in the data separates Yonyou from iDempiere on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Yonyou review

Questions people ask

Is iDempiere or Yonyou better?
Neither clearly leads. iDempiere starts at Free and Yonyou at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, iDempiere or Yonyou?
iDempiere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for iDempiere and On request for Yonyou.
Does iDempiere or Yonyou run on more platforms?
iDempiere runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, Windows. Yonyou runs on Web.
Can I use iDempiere for free?
Yes. iDempiere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yonyou 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 Yonyou is typically brought in for.
What can iDempiere do that Yonyou cannot?
iDempiere covers Application dictionary, OSGi plug-in architecture, Multi-organisation accounting, Materials management.

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.

Yonyou: How much does Yonyou cost?

Yonyou does not publish pricing on its website. Contact sales at 4006-600-577 or use the contact form to request pricing. The company offers tailored solutions for large enterprises, growing companies, and small businesses.

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.

Yonyou: What ERP solutions does Yonyou offer?

Yonyou offers YonBIP for large enterprises, YonSuite for mid-market SaaS applications, and Chanjet for small and micro enterprises. All integrate AI, data, and process capabilities.

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.

Yonyou: How long has Yonyou been in business?

Yonyou has 38 years of market presence in the Asia-Pacific region and positions itself as globally leading in ERP solutions.

Source
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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