head to head · open source
ERPNext vs Bigcapital
ERPNext has 39,326 GitHub stars, 12,835 forks, 1,822 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Bigcapital has 3,898 stars, 524 forks, 214 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ERPNext leads on adoption by 909% (39,326 vs 3,898 stars). ERPNext is written in Python under GPL-3.0; Bigcapital is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. ERPNext has attracted 33% as many forks as stars, Bigcapital 13%. ERPNext was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (accounting), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| ERPNext | Bigcapital | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 3.9K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 13K | ⑂ 524 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ERPNext if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Bigcapital if
- You want the Bigcapital feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Bigcapital fits your workflow better
About ERPNext
ERPNext is a free and open source Enterprise Resource Planning system built on the Frappe Framework. It unifies core business functions—including accounting, procurement, manufacturing, CRM, HRMS, and asset management—into a single platform, eliminating the need for multiple proprietary tools. The project lives in the Python based Frappe ecosystem and is licensed under GPL 3.0.
read the full ERPNext overview →
About Bigcapital
Bigcapital is an open source accounting and inventory software project for small and medium businesses. It belongs to the business software category and the finance and accounting ecosystem, is written in TypeScript, and is released under the AGPL 3.0 license. The project describes itself as independent financial accounting with intelligent reporting, and it positions itself as an alternative to Quickbooks, Xero, and Wave.
read the full Bigcapital overview →
More in Business Software
Related comparisons
More Finance & Accounting projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Finance & Accounting field.
Frequently asked questions
Is ERPNext or Bigcapital more popular?
ERPNext has 39,326 GitHub stars and Bigcapital has 3,898. ERPNext has the larger community by that measure.
Are ERPNext and Bigcapital free?
Both are open source. ERPNext is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Bigcapital under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ERPNext and Bigcapital?
ERPNext is written in Python and Bigcapital in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ERPNext or Bigcapital?
Choose ERPNext if you want the larger community (39,326 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Bigcapital if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.