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Apache OFBiz vs iDempiere
March 10, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
7★
Apache OFBiz is a suite of business applications flexible enough to be used across any industry. A common architecture allows developers to easily extend or enhance it to create custom features.
9★
iDempiere is a powerful, Tier II, open-source ERP/CRM/SCM system supported by a skilful community. The project focuses on high-quality software, a philosophy of openness and its collaborative community that includes subject matter specialists, implementors, developers and end-users.
See also:
Top 10 Online ERP software
Top 10 Online ERP software
Apache OFBiz and iDempiere are both open-source ERP systems, which means they are the kind of software that businesses install with great enthusiasm before realizing they have no idea how to use them. They handle financials, supply chains, CRM and various other acronyms that make accountants nod sagely. Both are built in Java, which ensures that only people with a deep love of suffering will ever attempt to modify them. Most importantly, they are free, which means they come with an enthusiastic community that will kindly direct you to a forum post from 2013 when you ask a question.
OFBiz, brought into existence by the Apache Software Foundation in 2001, is more of a framework than a product, which is a polite way of saying that using it involves an almost spiritual level of patience. It has no real user interface, because that would be far too convenient. Instead, businesses are expected to build their own, much like a flat-pack furniture set without the instructions. Where it does shine, however, is in e-commerce, offering an integrated online store that can, with enough perseverance, be made to work just the way you want. Possibly.
iDempiere, on the other hand, began life in Germany in 2011, inheriting the DNA of its predecessor, ADempiere, which in turn was descended from Compiere, in a lineage that suggests ERP systems reproduce through some kind of chaotic mitosis. It comes with a user-friendly interface or at least as user-friendly as enterprise software dares to be. It specializes in manufacturing and warehouse management, making it ideal for businesses that enjoy keeping track of very large boxes. It also features a modular plugin system, allowing users to install precisely the functionality they need while avoiding the ones that might make the whole thing crash.
See also: Top 10 Online ERP software
OFBiz, brought into existence by the Apache Software Foundation in 2001, is more of a framework than a product, which is a polite way of saying that using it involves an almost spiritual level of patience. It has no real user interface, because that would be far too convenient. Instead, businesses are expected to build their own, much like a flat-pack furniture set without the instructions. Where it does shine, however, is in e-commerce, offering an integrated online store that can, with enough perseverance, be made to work just the way you want. Possibly.
iDempiere, on the other hand, began life in Germany in 2011, inheriting the DNA of its predecessor, ADempiere, which in turn was descended from Compiere, in a lineage that suggests ERP systems reproduce through some kind of chaotic mitosis. It comes with a user-friendly interface or at least as user-friendly as enterprise software dares to be. It specializes in manufacturing and warehouse management, making it ideal for businesses that enjoy keeping track of very large boxes. It also features a modular plugin system, allowing users to install precisely the functionality they need while avoiding the ones that might make the whole thing crash.
See also: Top 10 Online ERP software
