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ERP · head to head

Dolibarr vs Ivalua

Dolibarr logo

Dolibarr

ERP

Modular open source ERP and CRM for very small businesses, installable on shared hosting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ivalua logo

Ivalua

ERP

Source-to-pay on one codebase and one data model, sold to large enterprises by module

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dolibarr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dolibarr the core is deliberately shallow, so a serious requirement such as advanced manufacturing, EDI or a specific payment gateway usually means buying a DoliStore module from a third-party author, and the quality and maintenance of those modules varies widely.; Ivalua entry deployments are reported around 150,000 US dollars a year before implementation, which puts it entirely out of reach for mid-market procurement teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Ivalua covers Single data model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dolibarr and Ivalua actually diverge.

Attributes where Dolibarr and Ivalua differ
AttributeDolibarrIvalua
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

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 Dolibarr

  • Module toggles
  • Third-party management
  • Quotes to invoices
  • Stock and warehouses
  • Double-entry accounting
  • Projects and time
  • Point of sale
  • DoliStore

Only in Ivalua

  • Single data model
  • Supplier risk and onboarding
  • Contract lifecycle management
  • Direct materials procurement
  • Invoice matching and payment
  • Configurable workflow engine

What people use each for

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

Dolibarr

  • A two-person consultancy wants quotes, invoices and basic accounting self-hosted on an existing five euro a month shared hosting account with no server administration.not Ivalua
  • A French or Spanish small business needs VAT handling and accounting exports that match local practice out of the box rather than after configuration.not Ivalua
  • An association or nonprofit needs membership, subscription and donation tracking alongside ordinary invoicing without paying per member.not Ivalua
  • A small distributor wants stock, purchase orders and sales orders in one system and is willing to buy a DoliStore module rather than commission bespoke development.not Ivalua

Ivalua

  • A manufacturer that needs direct materials sourcing tied to a bill of materials, not just indirect spendnot Dolibarr
  • An enterprise whose last procurement programme failed because supplier master data could not be reconciled across modulesnot Dolibarr
  • A regulated organisation needing third-party risk screening enforced before a supplier can receive a purchase ordernot Dolibarr
  • Replacing separate sourcing, contract and invoice systems where each holds a different version of the supplier recordnot Dolibarr

Where each one falls short

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

Dolibarr

  • The core is deliberately shallow, so a serious requirement such as advanced manufacturing, EDI or a specific payment gateway usually means buying a DoliStore module from a third-party author, and the quality and maintenance of those modules varies widely.
  • Accounting was designed around French practice, and the chart of accounts, VAT model and fiscal exports need real work to satisfy accountants in the United States, the UK or Australia.
  • The interface is functional rather than designed and shows its age against Odoo, which makes internal adoption harder when staff are comparing it to consumer-grade software.
  • Upgrades between major versions can break paid third-party modules, because module authors update on their own schedules and there is no guarantee your combination will work on version 24 the day it ships.
  • Support is community forums unless you buy a partner contract, and the documentation is a wiki of uneven quality with substantial parts written in French, so English-only teams hit dead ends.

Ivalua

  • Entry deployments are reported around 150,000 US dollars a year before implementation, which puts it entirely out of reach for mid-market procurement teams.
  • Configurability requires an internal product owner and usually a systems integrator, so the total programme cost is a multiple of the licence and the failure modes are those of an ERP project.
  • Module-based licensing means capability you assumed was included, such as contract lifecycle management or supplier risk, is frequently a separate line item discovered late in the negotiation.
  • Supplier network pricing scales with active supplier count, so an organisation with a long tail of small suppliers pays for records that generate little spend.
  • The user interface prioritises configurability over ease, and casual requisitioners across the business need more guidance than a consumer-style intake tool would require.

Pricing, plan by plan

Dolibarr

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full GPL source, all core modules
    • Unlimited users
    • You provide PHP and MySQL hosting
  • Partner cloud hosting$14/month
    • Managed hosting from DoliCloud or a certified partner
    • Backups, updates and support included
    • Typically 10 to 30 euros per user per month

Ivalua

On request
  • Ivalua Source-to-Pay$undefined/year
    • Module-based licensing rather than per seat
    • User counts tiered by role category
    • Supplier network pricing driven by active supplier count

Which should you pick?

Choose Dolibarr if

  • You need module toggles.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
  • You also want third-party management.
Dolibarr review

Choose Ivalua if

  • You need single data model.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want supplier risk and onboarding.
Ivalua review

Questions people ask

Is Dolibarr or Ivalua better?
Neither clearly leads. Dolibarr starts at Free and Ivalua at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dolibarr or Ivalua?
Dolibarr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Dolibarr and On request for Ivalua.
Does Dolibarr or Ivalua run on more platforms?
Dolibarr runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android. Ivalua runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Dolibarr for free?
Yes. Dolibarr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ivalua starts at On request.
What is Dolibarr best used for?
Dolibarr is most often used for a two-person consultancy wants quotes, invoices and basic accounting self-hosted on an existing five euro a month shared hosting account with no server administration., a french or spanish small business needs vat handling and accounting exports that match local practice out of the box rather than after configuration., an association or nonprofit needs membership, subscription and donation tracking alongside ordinary invoicing without paying per member., a small distributor wants stock, purchase orders and sales orders in one system and is willing to buy a dolistore module rather than commission bespoke development.. Of those, a two-person consultancy wants quotes, invoices and basic accounting self-hosted on an existing five euro a month shared hosting account with no server administration. and a french or spanish small business needs vat handling and accounting exports that match local practice out of the box rather than after configuration. are not what Ivalua is typically brought in for.
What can Dolibarr do that Ivalua cannot?
Dolibarr covers Module toggles, Third-party management, Quotes to invoices, Stock and warehouses. Ivalua covers Single data model, Supplier risk and onboarding, Contract lifecycle management, Direct materials procurement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dolibarr: Is Dolibarr genuinely free?

Yes. The full application is GPL with no user limit and no paid edition of the core. You pay only for hosting, optional DoliStore modules and optional partner support.

Ivalua: What does the single codebase actually buy me?

One supplier and contract record used across every module, so there is no synchronisation layer to reconcile and no data drift between sourcing and invoicing.

Dolibarr: Can it run on shared hosting?

Yes, that is its main practical advantage. It needs only PHP and MySQL or MariaDB, so an ordinary cPanel account is enough.

Ivalua: What does Ivalua cost?

It is not published. Third parties report entry deployments around 150,000 USD a year and full-platform deployments above 400,000, plus implementation.

Dolibarr: How does it compare to Odoo?

Odoo is deeper and better presented but its useful modules are in the paid Enterprise edition and it needs a proper deployment. Dolibarr is thinner but free end to end and far easier to host.

Ivalua: Does it handle direct materials?

Yes, which distinguishes it from suites built primarily for indirect spend.

Dolibarr: Does it handle UK or US accounting?

Not comfortably out of the box. The accounting module reflects French conventions and needs configuration and often a local module to satisfy an accountant elsewhere.

Ivalua: Is Ivalua still independent?

Yes. It is one of the few large source-to-pay vendors not owned by a bigger enterprise software group.

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