head to head · open source
ERPNext vs ExpenseOwl
ERPNext has 40,868 GitHub stars, 13,377 forks, 1,822 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ExpenseOwl has 1,527 stars, 155 forks, 58 open issues and last shipped 1.0 years ago. ERPNext leads on adoption by 2,576% (40,868 vs 1,527 stars). ERPNext is written in Python under GPL-3.0; ExpenseOwl is written in HTML under MIT. ERPNext has attracted 33% as many forks as stars, ExpenseOwl 10%. ERPNext was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ERPNext | ExpenseOwl | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 41K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | HTML |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2025-10-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 13K | ⑂ 155 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ERPNext if
- You weight community size — 41K 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 ExpenseOwl if
- You want the ExpenseOwl feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches HTML
- You evaluated both and ExpenseOwl fits your workflow better
About ERPNext
ERPNext Powerful, Intuitive and Open Source ERP Live Demo Website Documentation ERPNext 100% Open Source ERP System to help you run your business. Motivation Running a business is a complex task handling invoices, tracking stock, managing personnel, and other daily operations. In a market where software is sold separately to manage each of these tasks, ERPNext does all of the above and more, for free. Key Features Accounting : All the tools you need to manage cash flow in one place, right from recording transactions to summarizing and analyzing financial reports. Order Management : Track inventory levels…
read the full ERPNext overview →
About ExpenseOwl
ExpenseOwl Why Create This? • Features • Screenshots Installation • Usage • Contributing ExpenseOwl is an extremely simple self hosted expense tracking system with a modern monthly pie chart visualization and cashflow showcase. Why Create This? There are a ton of amazing projects for expense tracking across GitHub (Actual, Firefly III, etc.). They're all incredible! I just don't find them fast and simple . They offer too many features I never use (like accounts or complex budgeting). Don't get me wrong! They're amazing when complexity is needed, but I wanted something dead simple that gives…
read the full ExpenseOwl overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ERPNext or ExpenseOwl more popular?
ERPNext has 40,868 GitHub stars and ExpenseOwl has 1,527. ERPNext has the larger community by that measure.
Are ERPNext and ExpenseOwl free?
Both are open source. ERPNext is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ExpenseOwl under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ERPNext and ExpenseOwl?
ERPNext is written in Python and ExpenseOwl in HTML. 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 ExpenseOwl?
Choose ERPNext if you want the larger community (40,868 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose ExpenseOwl if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.