head to head · open source
EspoCRM vs frappe_docker
EspoCRM has 3,368 GitHub stars, 972 forks, 69 open issues and last shipped yesterday. frappe_docker has 2,565 stars, 2,718 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped yesterday. EspoCRM leads on adoption by 31% (3,368 vs 2,565 stars). EspoCRM is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0; frappe_docker is written in Python under MIT. EspoCRM has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, frappe_docker 106%. EspoCRM was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (crm), 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.
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Side by side
| EspoCRM | frappe_docker | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.4K | ★ 2.6K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | PHP | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 972 | ⑂ 2.7K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick EspoCRM if
- You weight community size — 3.4K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick frappe_docker if
- You want the frappe_docker feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and frappe_docker fits your workflow better
About EspoCRM
EspoCRM is a free, open source customer relationship management application written in PHP. It lives in the open source business software ecosystem for CRM and sales systems, and it combines a single page frontend with a REST API backend. The project describes itself as a platform for storing, organizing, and managing leads, contacts, sales opportunities, marketing campaigns, support cases, and related business information.
read the full EspoCRM overview →
About frappe_docker
Frappe Docker is the official container setup for Frappe applications, including ERPNext, CRM, Helpdesk, and other apps built on the Frappe framework. It lives in the self hosted business software ecosystem, where organizations need a repeatable way to package, run, and operate web applications without depending on a vendor hosted service. The project supplies Docker images, Docker Compose configurations, and documentation so teams can run Frappe applications on their own infrastructure.
read the full frappe_docker overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is EspoCRM or frappe_docker more popular?
EspoCRM has 3,368 GitHub stars and frappe_docker has 2,565. EspoCRM has the larger community by that measure.
Are EspoCRM and frappe_docker free?
Both are open source. EspoCRM is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and frappe_docker under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between EspoCRM and frappe_docker?
EspoCRM is written in PHP and frappe_docker in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, EspoCRM or frappe_docker?
Choose EspoCRM if you want the larger community (3,368 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose frappe_docker if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.