Where ERPNext is strong
Let's be fair — ERPNext earns its place. Its real strengths:
- No licence fee — open-source (GPLv3), so you can modify it as far as you like
- Large global community and an active partner ecosystem
- Broad inventory, accounting and HR modules out of the box, including multiple units of measure per item with conversion factors
SteelERP vs ERPNext — side by side
| Dimension | SteelERP | ERPNext |
|---|---|---|
| Licence cost | Subscription: Starter Rs 10,000/month (up to 10 users, 1 stockyard); larger plans quoted | No licence fee; host on your own server or on Frappe Cloud (plans from $5 per site per month) |
| Other costs | GST and a one-time setup fee, charged separately | Hosting, plus any implementation or customisation work agreed with your partner |
| Steel-trade flows | Built in: lorry-wise delivery sub-orders by kg / metre / piece, coil ledger and coil allocation, partial mill receipts against purchase advices | General-purpose modules; steel-specific flows are configured or custom-built |
| Piece ↔ weight units | Lines in kg, metre or piece; per-piece weight converts pieces to tonnage | Multiple units of measure per item with conversion factors |
| Ordered vs actual weight | Ordered weight and actual loaded weight on every line; the challan and bill use the actual figure, and weight entries made during loading are recorded in the audit log | Depends on your configuration; ask your Frappe partner |
| Setup | Cloud account provisioned for you; no server to set up | Depends on hosting choice and the scope of customisation |
| GST / TCS / Tally | CGST/SGST/IGST on each line from HSN codes; TCS report; two-way Tally link (API + webhook) | GST through the open-source India Compliance app; a Tally Migration tool imports Tally data |
| Maintenance | Managed by SteelERP on AWS Mumbai (ap-south-1), separate database per customer | Self-hosted: you run servers and updates. Frappe Cloud: hosting managed, customisations yours |
| Customisation ceiling | Configurable within the product | Effectively unlimited (open-source) |
| Free trial | 7-day live sandbox | 14-day free trial on Frappe Cloud; self-hosting is free |
| Best fit | Steel traders wanting it to 'just work' | Teams with in-house / partner dev capacity |
Comparison compiled in good faith from public information and product capabilities as of 2026. ERPNext is a trademark of Frappe Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; SteelERP is not affiliated with or endorsed by Frappe. ERPNext details are taken from public sources as of September 2026 (ERPNext pricing, licence, units of measure, selling in different units, India Compliance). Hosting and partner pricing vary — verify directly with Frappe or your partner.
The verdict
See SteelERP on your own stockyard
Try the live sandbox free — no credit card. Plans from Rs 10,000/month.
Try Live Sandbox Get a QuoteGST (18%) & one-time setup charged separately. No lock-in · Full data export on exit.
SteelERP vs ERPNext — FAQs
Is ERPNext free for a steel trader?
The ERPNext licence is free — it is open-source software. You still pay for hosting (your own server, or Frappe Cloud from $5 per site per month) and for any implementation or customisation work to fit steel-trade flows. SteelERP is a subscription: the Starter plan is Rs 10,000/month for up to 10 users and one stockyard, with GST and a one-time setup fee charged separately.
Does ERPNext handle piece-to-weight conversion?
Yes. ERPNext lets you list several units of measure on an item with a conversion factor, for example buying in kilograms and selling in numbers. SteelERP adds a loading step for steel: each order line carries an ordered weight and an actual loaded weight, and the challan and bill use the actual figure.
Which is faster to set up?
It depends on how much you need to customise. SteelERP is a cloud service with steel-trade flows already built, so there is no server to set up. An ERPNext timeline depends on the hosting choice and the scope agreed with your partner or in-house team.
Can SteelERP be customised like ERPNext?
Not to the same degree. SteelERP is configurable within the product — print formats and document branding, roles and warehouse scoping — but it is not open source. If unlimited customisation is your priority, ERPNext is the better fit.
More comparisons & resources
SteelERP vs Lighthouse ERP · SteelERP vs ERPNext · SteelERP vs Tally · Steel ERP by city · Top steel trading cities in India