ERPNext vs SmartTask: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of ERPNext and SmartTask to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
ERPNext
6.5/10
Open-source ERP from Frappe with built-in CRM for leads, opportunities, quotations and campaigns, aimed at small and mid-sized businesses that need sales tied to accounting and stock.
SmartTask
6.7/10
SmartTask is a work management platform that combines projects, time tracking, a client portal and a sales CRM for agencies and client delivery teams.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | E ERPNext | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.5/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo Sites | $6/user/mo Premium |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Self-hosted (open source) | Free Free Forever |
| Features | ||
| Built-in Calling | Not listed | |
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Customer Support Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
| Marketing Automation | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Reporting & Analytics | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| File sharing | Not listed | |
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| App integrations | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
| Dashboards | Not listed | |
| Kanban boards | Not listed | |
| Collaboration tools | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
ERPNext vs SmartTask cost by team size
ERPNext and SmartTask cost the same at every team size we checked.
| Team size | ERPNext | SmartTask |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | FreeFree Forever |
| 5 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | FreeFree Forever |
| 10 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | FreeFree Forever |
| 25 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | FreeFree Forever |
| 50 users | FreeSelf-hosted (open source) | FreeFree Forever |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
EWhy choose ERPNext
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Higher Integration score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (7/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose SmartTask
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Support score (8/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
EERPNext
Pros
- All modules are free and open source with no per-user fees, so costs scale with compute rather than headcount.
- Leads, opportunities and quotations connect directly to sales orders, invoices and stock in the same system.
- Highly customizable: reviewers praise changing forms without code, with full scripting and custom apps for developers.
- Wide set of built-in connectors, including Twilio and Exotel telephony, Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, WooCommerce and Plaid.
- Cheap managed hosting on Frappe Cloud starting at $5 a month, with a 14-day trial.
Cons
- The ERPNext CRM workspace is scheduled for removal in version 17, and Frappe recommends its separate Frappe CRM app instead.
- Reviewers say setup and integration with legacy systems require skilled technical staff.
- Reviewers report performance slowdowns with large databases.
- Reporting is described as limited by some reviewers, and the interface as dated.
- The Product Warranty covers bug fixes only, not functional support.
SmartTask
Pros
- The free plan has no cap on users, projects or guests, which is unusually generous for small teams.
- Paid plans are cheap at 6 and 11 USD per user per month on yearly billing.
- It combines project management, a sales CRM, a client portal and billable time tracking in one tool, so agencies need fewer separate apps.
- Reviewers on G2 and Capterra often praise how quickly new users learn it and how responsive support is.
Cons
- Capterra reviewers say the interface looks dated and the app can be slow to start.
- Reviewers report bugs and slowdowns, particularly in the mobile app.
- Timeline view, dashboards and time tracking require the Business plan.
- No whiteboard view and no two-way Google Calendar sync, according to reviewers.
- The vendor is very small, about 9 to 50 staff, which may concern larger buyers.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
SmartTask scores higher on our CRM criteria: 6.7/10 against 6.5/10 for ERPNext. The largest gap is in Ease of Use: 4/10 for ERPNext and 7/10 for SmartTask.
Both are free for 10 users.
Yes, both ERPNext and SmartTask have a free plan.
ERPNext is the better fit for mid-market: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 5/10 for SmartTask.
