What is Dolibarr used for?

Dolibarr is listed as a Finance tool on TiloBox. Review the overview, features, and official documentation on this page to decide whether it solves your specific workflow.

How do I get started with Dolibarr?

Start with the project's GitHub repository and official website for supported installation and deployment instructions. Test the setup with representative data or a small project before rolling it out more widely.

What license does Dolibarr use?

Dolibarr is listed under the GPL-3.0 license. Read the complete license text and the project's notices before using, modifying, or distributing the software.

Is Dolibarr ready for production use?

Production readiness depends on your requirements. Review maintenance activity, security practices, documentation, backup and upgrade procedures, and compatibility with your stack; then validate it in a non-production environment.

Is Dolibarr an alternative to SAP?

Dolibarr is listed as an alternative to SAP. Compare the core workflow, deployment model, integrations, and licensing against your must-have requirements before switching.

Finance Alternative to SAP Alternative to NetSuite

Dolibarr

Modern open-source ERP and CRM web software suite for small and medium businesses.

View on GitHub Visit website

LicenseGPL-3.0

GitHub stars7.5k

Last commit1 weeks ago

Tags6 topics

ErpAccountingPhpCrmInvoicingInventory

Overview

Why consider Dolibarr?

Dolibarr is an open-source ERP and CRM platform that manages invoices, contracts, inventory, orders, and payments. Its modular structure fits freelancers, foundations, and enterprises.

Guided learning

Learn Dolibarr by building

Practical setup notes, real use cases, and copy-ready examples in one focused guide.

3 min read 10 sections

In this guide10 sections

What is Dolibarr?

Dolibarr is an open-source enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software suite written in PHP and MySQL/PostgreSQL. It operates as a modular, lightweight alternative to heavy commercial ERP systems like SAP, NetSuite, and QuickBooks.

Dolibarr provides modular building blocks that businesses can enable on demand: invoicing, double-entry accounting, stock and warehouse management, point of sale (POS), project tracking, human resources (leave requests, expense reports), and supplier order management.

Who Is It For?

Freelancers & Small Businesses: Generating professional invoices, tracking client payments, and managing supplier expenses with zero licensing fees.
Wholesalers & Distributors: Managing multiple warehouse inventory levels, stock replenishments, and delivery dispatches.
Non-Profits & Foundations: Managing member subscriptions, donation receipts, and volunteer project hours.

Key Features

Modular architecture: Enable only the specific business modules you need with a single click.
Full commercial lifecycle management: Commercial proposals, customer orders, shipping dispatches, and PDF invoices.
Integrated double-entry accounting with chart of accounts and automated bank statement reconciliation.
Multi-warehouse inventory tracking with barcode scanning, lot/serial numbers, and stock valuation (FIFO/LIFO).
Complete REST API with Swagger documentation for connecting web stores (WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop).

Deploying Dolibarr with Docker Compose

yaml

1version: '3.7'

3services:

4 dolibarr:

5 image: tuxgasy/dolibarr:latest

6 container_name: dolibarr

7 restart: unless-stopped

8 ports:

9 - "8080:80"

10 environment:

11 - DOLI_DB_HOST=mariadb

12 - DOLI_DB_NAME=dolibarr

13 - DOLI_DB_USER=dolibarr

14 - DOLI_DB_PASSWORD=secure_doli_pass

15 - DOLI_ADMIN_LOGIN=admin

16 - DOLI_ADMIN_PASSWORD=secure_admin_pass

17 - DOLI_URL_ROOT=http://localhost:8080

18 volumes:

19 - ./documents:/var/www/documents

20 - ./custom:/var/www/html/custom

21 depends_on:

22 - mariadb

24 mariadb:

25 image: mariadb:10.11

26 container_name: dolibarr_mariadb

27 restart: unless-stopped

28 volumes:

29 - ./mariadb_data:/var/lib/mysql

30 environment:

31 - MARIADB_DATABASE=dolibarr

32 - MARIADB_USER=dolibarr

33 - MARIADB_PASSWORD=secure_doli_pass

34 - MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=root_secure_password

Start the instance:

bash

1docker compose up -d

Open http://localhost:8080 in your web browser and log in with your administrator credentials. Navigate to Home -> Setup -> Modules to enable specific business apps (Invoices, Proposals, Stock, POS).

Practical Use Cases

1. Inbound Proposal to Invoicing

A consulting business creates a formal customer proposal, converts it to an approved order upon client signature, and automatically generates a PDF invoice sent directly via email.

2. Multi-Store Stock Tracking

A retail chain manages inventory across three physical stores, transferring stock between branches with automated dispatch notes and stock level deduction.

3. Member Subscription Management

A non-profit foundation tracks annual member dues, automatically issuing donation certificates and payment receipts.

Troubleshooting and Limitations

Document Directory Permissions: Ensure the /var/www/documents volume has proper write permissions to allow Dolibarr to store uploaded receipts and generated PDF invoices.
Multi-Currency Rounding: When operating with multiple foreign currencies, configure exact currency decimal precision under Setup -> Limits and accuracy to avoid rounding discrepancies.

Official Resources

Official Website: https://www.dolibarr.org
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/Dolibarr/dolibarr
Documentation: https://wiki.dolibarr.org

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