Quick answer
ERPNext software is free and open source — the licence cost is zero. Real costs are hosting, implementation and support. In Australia, partner-led implementations run from about $10,000 for a basic setup to $100,000+ for complex multi-company deployments, with first-year totals of $25,000–$90,000 typical for mid-sized businesses. A focused single-function pilot can be live in four to six weeks. Our pilots start at $9,500.
We implement ERPNext and build custom Frappe apps from Melbourne. We're not the only option in Australia, and if a certified Frappe partner is a requirement for your procurement, we'll tell you that up front.
- No licence fee, ever. Self-host it or use managed hosting — compare that with per-user subscription ERP over five years.
- Comprehensive out of the box — accounting, inventory, purchasing, manufacturing, projects, HR, CRM.
- Genuinely extensible via the Frappe framework, so a custom requirement becomes a custom app rather than an impossible request.
- Not locked in. Open source means your data and configuration are yours, and any competent Frappe developer can pick it up.
- Modular adoption. Start with one function, add modules as you're ready.
It isn't right for everyone, and we'd rather say so before you spend money. ERPNext assumes reasonably standard business workflows. If your processes are highly unusual, if you need deep industry-specific functionality that a mature vertical product already provides, or if you have no internal appetite for the process discipline an ERP requires, a different platform or a custom build will serve you better. We'll tell you during discovery.
This is the difference between an ERPNext instance and an ERPNext instance your accountant will accept.
- GST — tax templates, tax categories, and correct inclusive/exclusive handling on sales and purchases
- BAS — reporting configured so the label amounts reconcile
- ABN and ABR validation on party records
- Single Touch Payroll (STP Phase 2)
- Superannuation — calculation, accrual and reporting
- Australian financial year — 1 July to 30 June configured across all reporting
- AUD base currency with multi-currency where you trade internationally
- Australian bank feeds and reconciliation workflows
- Australian data hosting for Privacy Act 1988 compliance
When ERPNext doesn't do something, the answer isn't a spreadsheet beside it. The Frappe framework lets us build proper custom apps that live inside ERPNext — your own doctypes, workflows, reports, permissions and integrations, upgrade-safe and version-controlled. This is where our software background matters: we're developers who implement ERP, not configurers who stop at the edge of the standard product.
Three options, and we'll recommend based on your compliance requirements and internal capability: Frappe Cloud managed hosting, billed on compute usage rather than per user; Australian cloud hosting we manage for you, the usual choice where data sovereignty matters; or self-hosted on your own infrastructure.
| From | Timeline | |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and fit-gap analysis | $2,500 — credited against implementation | 1–2 weeks |
| Single-function pilot | $9,500 | 4–6 weeks |
| Multi-module first phase | $25,000 | 8–12 weeks |
| Custom Frappe app | From $4,500 | 2–6 weeks |
| Data migration | Quoted after audit | — |
| Support and enhancement | From $990/month | Ongoing |
| ERPNext licence | $0 | — |
The software licence genuinely costs nothing — it's open source. Your costs are hosting, implementation and optional support. A DIY implementation with a capable technical person internally might cost $2,000–$10,000 in hosting and time. Partner-led implementations run from about $10,000 to $100,000+ depending on complexity. The licence being free is real; the implementation being free is not.
From about $10,000 for a basic single-company setup to $100,000+ for complex multi-company, heavily customised deployments. Most Australian mid-sized businesses spend $25,000–$90,000 in year one across implementation, hosting, migration and training. Our pilots start at $9,500 and multi-module first phases at $25,000.
A single-function pilot: four to six weeks. A multi-module first phase: eight to twelve weeks. A business with a straight-line buy-make-sell process, clean data and no custom app requirements can be implemented in roughly twenty working days. Custom development, poor data or multi-entity structures extend it.
Yes, once configured correctly — and that configuration is deliberate work, not a default. Tax templates, tax categories, BAS-ready reporting and the 1 July financial year all need setting up. This is the most common thing we're called in to fix after an offshore implementation.
Payroll in ERPNext needs Australian-specific configuration for STP Phase 2, superannuation and award conditions. Some businesses run payroll in ERPNext; others keep a dedicated Australian payroll product and integrate it. We'll advise based on your headcount and award complexity.
Extensively. The Frappe framework underneath it is a full application platform, so we can build custom doctypes, workflows, reports, dashboards and integrations as proper upgrade-safe apps rather than fragile hacks. That's a meaningful advantage over closed ERP products where an unusual requirement simply can't be met.
Your choice. Frappe Cloud managed hosting, Australian cloud infrastructure we manage, or your own servers. For any business handling personal or health information under the Privacy Act, we generally recommend Australian hosting.
Yes. We audit your data, quote the cleanup, then migrate in stages with reconciliation against the source system before you rely on it. We usually run both systems in parallel through at least one month-end.
We'll say so during discovery, before you've committed to an implementation. You'll still have the written specification we produced, and you're free to take it to another vendor or use it to evaluate a different platform.
Not currently — we're an independent Australian development team that implements ERPNext and builds custom Frappe apps. If certified partner status is a procurement requirement for your organisation, we'll tell you that up front and point you to the partner directory.
Ready to start?
Book a free thirty-minute call. We'll look at your current site and top competitors, tell you which package actually fits, and send a fixed-price quote within two business days.