58 Open Source Replacements for

Small Business Software

By Cynthia Harvey
August 26, 2010

Many small business owners have never heard of open source software. That's
unfortunate because in many ways small businesses are ideal environments for open
source applications.

In a small business, every dollar matters. Open source offers opportunities for
companies to cut their software costs. Even if you need paid support, you'll probably
pay less for an open source solution than for a comparable closed source solution.

In addition, many small businesses don't need all the fancy features that drive up the
prices on commercial software. In some cases, those extra features just get in the
way and make the applications more difficult to use. While many open source tools
are quite complex, others are much simpler, allowing companies to pick the level of
functionality that works for them.

In addition, many small business owners are trying to do something completely new
or do something in a different way than it's ever been done before. They need
software that can be customized or personalized to meet the unique needs of their
businesses. Open source software gives them the freedom to modify the code so that
it suits their needs.

With those benefits in mind, here are 58 open source tools that can replace the
software you might use at your small business.

Accounting
1. TurboCASH Replaces: QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree

This bookkeeping app boasts more than 80,000 users and invites users to compare
its extensive feature list to QuickBooks and Sage. Although its owners are based in
the UK, it's available in a US edition and has been localized for many other countries
and languages as well. Operating System: Windows.

2. GnuCash Replaces: Quicken

If you run a very small or home-based business and you've been using Quicken to
track your accounts, GnuCash can give you some of the additional business features
you need, like tracking customers, vendors, invoices, accounts payable and accounts
receivable. And it's compataible with Quicken and OFX formats, so you can transfer
you existing data. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

3. Front Accounting Replaces: NetSuite

If your business is large enough to have multiple users who need access to your
accounting system, FrontAccounting offers a Web-based app that also adds some
ERP features. The interface is basic but easy to use, and the site includes an
extensive wiki with lots of support. Operating System: OS Independent.

4. Phreebooks Replaces: NetSuite, QuickBooks Sage Peachtree

Another Web-based accounting and ERP package, Phreebooks is designed specifically

for small businesses. It offers a comparison chart that shows how its features
compare to Sage and QuickBooks as well as some other open source products.
Operating System: OS Independent.

5. Lazy8Ledger Replaces: QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree, Microsoft Excel

If you've been doing your accounting old-school, that is, keeping track of your books
with a paper and pencil or a simple spreadsheet, Lazy8Ledger gives you a step up.
The interface looks just like a paper-based system, so you won't have to spend any
time learning something new. It's also available in a Web-based version that can be
used by multiple users. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

6. Edoceo Imperium Replaces: QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree

This Web-based app combines basic CRM features with accounting capabilities. While
it can be accessed from any browser, you'll need a Linux server running Apache, PHP,
Zend, and PostgreSQL to host the software. Operating System: Windows, OS
Independent.

Backup
7. Areca Backup Replaces: Norton Ghost

Areca Backup offers compression, encryption, file version tracking, backup

simulation, and many other features. In addition to typical incremental, differential,
and full backup options, it also offers delta backup, which only stores the modified
parts of files. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Billing
8. jBilling Replaces: QuickTel

Used by a variety of ISPs, telecoms, ASPs, media and software companies, jBilling
makes it easy to manage even the most complicated subscription systems. It's Web-
based and completely scalable, so it can grow with your company. Operating System:
OS Independent .
Browsers
9. Firefox Replaces: Internet Explorer

According to NetApplications, almost 23 percent of people used Firefox in July 2010.

This browser from Mozilla boasts better performance, security, and customization
than Microsoft's IE. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

Compression
10. 7-zip Replaces: WinZip

This app isn't quite as fancy-looking as WinZip, but it can compress files more tightly
so that they take up less space on your drive and are easier to transmit. 7-zip can
also read and write WinZip files and many other popular compression formats.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

11. PeaZip Replaces: WinZip

PeaZip reads and writes WinZip, 7-zip and dozens of other archive file formats. It also
offers powerful search capabilities, encryption and secure deletion. Operating
System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

Content Management
12. Alfresco Replaces: Sharepoint, Documentum, Open Text

If your business is large enough to need a content management system, Alfresco

claims to be able to reduce your content management costs by up to 96 percent
compared to Sharepoint, Documentum and Open Text. It's used by a wide variety of
organizations, including the Small Business Administration. Operating System:
Windows, Linux, OS X.

13. MindTouch Replaces: Sharepoint, IBM Lotus

"The leading open source collaboration platform," MindTouch focuses on helping

companies manage "strategic content." Like Alfresco, it's geared to slightly larger
companies. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

14. Owl Intranet Knowledgebase Replaces: nGen Knowledgebase, Interspire

Knowledge Manager

Unlike Alfresco and MindTouch, Owl is aimed at smaller companies or even single
users who want to create an intranet or knowledgebase to manage documents. You
can choose the regular version or the lite version, which doesn't require a separate
database. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

15. Get Simple Replaces: Sharepoint, IBM Lotus

As you might expect from the name, this content management system prides itself
on its simplicity and usability. Its lite, database-free setup is ideal for small
businesses who don't need the full features of an enterprise-focused CMS like
Sharepoint. Operating System: Linux.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

16. SugarCRM Replaces: SalesForce.com

Sugar says it offers "CRM made simple." The open source community edition is suitable for small
businesses. You can also upgrade to a professional edition that's available on a SaaS model like
SalesForce.com. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

17. vTiger Replaces: SalesForce.com

Made for small and medium businesses, vTiger offers sales force automation, marketing
automation, customer support and service, inventory management, activity management,
reporting and dashboards. The full version is completely free, but you can also purchase a
support subscription or a Salesforce.com-style hosted version which costs $12 per user per
month. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Desktop Publishing
18.Scribus Replaces: InDesign, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Office Publisher

Many small businesses would like to save money by creating their brochures, sales sheets,
newsletters and other materials in-house, but the desktop publishing software necessary to
achieve a professional look is prohibitively expensive. Scribus fills the void with professional-
quality features without the high price tag. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

E-mail/Collaboration/Groupware
19. Collabtive Replaces: Basecamp

Collabtive is so much like Basecamp, it can even import Basecamp files. It tracks projects, tasks
and milestones with complete time tracking and reporting capabilities. Operating System: OS
Independent.

20. Evolution Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook

"The Outlook of Linux," Evolution offers group e-mail, calendar, and addressbook functionality for
the Gnome desktop. Key features include junk filtering, Web calendars, customized reminders
and advanced security. Operating System: Linux.

21. Group-Office Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook

Group-Office combines a calendar, file sharing, CRM, e-mail, project management, and some
billing features. With a paid upgrade, you can also synch your files with your mobile device.
Operating System: OS Independent.
22. phpGroupWare Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook, Sharepoint

If you're looking for a particularly flexible app, phpGroupWare includes more than 50 different
applications that you can mix and match as you like. That breadth also helps it meet the needs of
both small and large organizations. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

23. Thunderbird with Lightning Replaces: Microsoft Office Outlook

Made by Mozilla (the people behind the Firefox browser), Thunderbird is an e-mail client with a
tabbed interface, excellent search capabilities and e-mail archiving. Use it with Lightning for
calendar and to-do list capabilities that make it more like Outlook. Operating System: Windows,
Linux, OS X.

24. Zimbra Replaces: Microsoft Exchange

This client-server app includes e-mail, calendar, contact management and other collaboration
capabilities. If you use Zimbra as your mail server, you can choose to use the Zimbra desktop
client or another client like Outlook or Thunderbird. Operating System: Linux, Unix, OS X.

E-Commerce
25. Zen Cart Replaces Big Commerce, Volusion, Yahoo Merchant

Because it was designed in part by retailers, Zen Cart does an excellent job of meeting the needs
of small business owners. Even if you only have the most basic of computer skills, you can use
this app to set up your own online business very quickly. Operating System: OS Independent.

26. PrestaShop Replaces Big Commerce, Volusion, Yahoo Merchant

Used by more than 40,000 businesses, PrestaShop is lightwieght, fast, scalable and modular.
The user interface is also very intuitive, which makes it easy for customers to see your products
and helps increase your sales. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

27. Order Portal Replaces Mainstreet Commerce, Yahoo Merchant

Part of a full Web Business Suite, Order Portal caters to the e-commerce needs of mid-size,
multi-channel manufacturers, distributors, and rental companies. The full Web Business Suite
adds a dashboard, CMS, data migration, and other features. Operating System: Linux.

ERP
28. xTuple PostBooks Replaces NetSuite , Sage AccPac

The Postbooks version of xTuple handles the accounting, sales tracking, CRM, purchasing,
product definition, inventory, distribution and reporting needs of smaller businesses. Commercial
support and paid versions for larger companies are also available. Operating System: Windows,
Linux, OS X.

29. webERP Replaces NetSuite , Sage AccPac

Downloaded 5,000 times per month, this Web-based ERP offers a good alternative to NetSuite.
Particularly suited to wholesalers and distributors, it prides itself on its security, reliability and
ease of use. Operating System: OS Independent.

30. EdgeERP Replaces NetSuite , Sage AccPac

A fork of WebERP with a more community-oriented approach, EdgeERP also boasts about its
reliability and accessibility. Key features include multi-currency, multi-language, multiple
warehousing, banking, recurring orders and more. Operating System: OS Independent.

31. Openbravo ERP Replaces: NetSuite , Sage AccPac

The "world's leading web-based open source ERP," Openbravo tries to make ERP functionality
accessible to companies of all sizes. It integrates with Openbravo POS, and you can find a range
of add-ons for specific industries through Openbravo Exchange. Although the Web site pushes
the commercial editions of Openbravo products, you can still download the source code for free.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

32. Neogia Replaces: NetSuite, Sage AccPac

Unlike most ERP apps which are designed primarily for large enterprises, this
ERP/CRM/eCommerce app is specifically aimed at small to midsize companies. Its modular
design helps make it very customizable. Note: Although the application is available in English,
much of the documentation is in French or badly translated English (for example, the word for
"server" gets translated as "waiter"). Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Gateway Security Appliances

33. Endian Firewall Community Replaces: Check Point Security Gateways, McAfee, SonicWall.

You can protect your small business network without spending a lot of money by installing Endian
on an older PC to create your own gateway security appliance. It includes firewall, antivirus, anti-
spam, content filtering, VPN, proxy server and other capabilities. Endian also sells pre-configured
appliances that come with support and additional features. Operating System: Linux.

34. Untangle Lite Replaces: Check Point Security Gateways, McAfee, SonicWall.

Like Endian, Untangle comes in a free "Lite" version that allows you to make your own security
appliance. It also comes in a number of commercial versions, some of which have been
customized for the needs of education, credit union, government, small business, and other types
of customers. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Graphics/Drawing
35. Dia Replaces: Visio

If you have employees, you probably need to be able to create org charts and network diagrams
on occasion. While it doesn't have as many pre-built templates and features as Visio, Dia makes
it easy to create basic charts without spending a lot of money on software. Operating System:
Windows, Linux.
36. Gimp Replaces: Photoshop

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on Photoshop in order to create professional-looking
images. Gimp offers a full range of retouching, image enhancement, special effects, filters and
other image manipulation tools to meet almost any need. The link above works for Linux; if you
run Windows, you'll need Gimp-win. Operating System: Windows, Linux

37. Inkscape Replaces: Illustrator, CorelDraw

Like Illustrator or CorelDraw, Inkscape lets you draw your own graphics using a variety of virtual
paintbrushes and other drawing tools. It's a high-quality program suitable for graphic designers,
while still usable for those with less experience. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

38. Paint.Net Replaces: Photoshop

Originally intended as a replacement for Microsoft Paint, this app has evolved far beyond the
simple capabilities of Paint. It's not quite as advanced as Photoshop or the Gimp, but some
people find it easier to use. Operating System: Windows.

Human Resource Management (HRM)

39. Orange HRM Replaces: iVantage, iCIMS

This human resource management tool offers modules for personnel information, employee self
service, leave, time/attendance‚ benefits and recruitment. In addition to the core free version,
Orange offers paid support, training, add-ons, customization, and an SaaS version. Operating
System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X.

Office Productivity
40. OpenOffice.org Replaces: Microsoft Office

This open source office productivity suite includes word processor (Write), spreadsheet (Calc),
presentation (Impress), graphics (Draw) and database (Base) applications. It reads and writes
Office file formats, and it even creates pdfs. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

41. AbiWord Replaces: Microsoft Word

AbiWord is a full-featured word processor capable of creating documents with tables, charts,
bulleted lists, endnotes, footnotes, mail merge fields, and more. The interface is similar to
Microsoft Word and it can even save files in Word formats. Also, it also now offers online
collaboration features through theAbiCollab.net service. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS
X.

42. FreeMind Replaces: MindJet MindManager

Like MindManager, Freemind lets you create visual diagrams that show the relationship between
words and ideas—just like you would on a white board or yellow pad during a brainstorming
session. However, FreeMind's one-click "fold / unfold" and "follow link" operations make it a little
faster than the commercial product. Operating System: OS Independent.
43. Gnumeric Replaces: Microsoft Excel

Gnumeric isn't meant to be an Excel clone, but it can read Excel files. It also offers some features
Excel doesn't, like 154 exclusive functions, basic support for financial derivatives, basic support
for telecommunication engineering, and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

44.KOffice Replaces: Microsoft Office

In addition to a word processor (KWord), spreadsheet (KSpread), presentation (KPresenter) and

database (Kexi), this office productivity suite also includes vector drawing (Karbon), project
planning (KPlato), diagramming (Kivio) and painting (Krita) tools. While the interfaces are easy to
use, they are quite different than Microsoft's, so it might take a while to get comfortable with the
tools. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

45. Ubuntu Replaces: Windows

One of the most popular Linux distributions available, Ubuntu comes in both desktop and server
versions. And unlike Windows, Linux distributions come with a huge library of software included,
so you'll have access to all the apps you'll need right away—and they're free.

46. Debian Replaces: Windows

Calling itself "the universal operating system," Debian runs on mobile systems, supercomputers
and everything in between. Like Ubuntu, it's easy to use, but while Ubuntu is aimed at Linux
novices, Debian tends to be used by people with a little bit more Linux experience.

PDF Tools
47. PDFCreator Replaces: Adobe Acrobat

This tool lets you create PDF files from any application that can print. The latest version even
includes advanced features like encryption, digital signatures and PDF/A archive file creation.
Operating System: Windows.

Point-of-Sale (POS)
48. Openbravo POS Replaces: Epicor Retail Store, Retail STAR, POSitouch

With nearly 10,000 installations per month, Openbravo POS is one of the more popular open
source POS solutions available. It integrates with Openbravo ERP and supports a wide range of
point-of-sale hardware. Although the Web site pushes the commercial editions of Openbravo
products, you can still download the source code for free. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS
X.

49. Lemon POS Replaces: QuickBooks Point of Sale, AccuPOS

Lemon stores information in an open source MySQL database and offers a simple, safe,
customizable POS solution. With role-based permissions, it's suitable for small or mid-size
businesses, and it's also used successfully by micro-businesses. Operating System: Linux.
50. Floreant POS Replaces: QuickBooks Point of Sale, AccuPOS

This point-of-sale solution for restaurants makes it easy to take orders, track tables, settle tickets,
balance the drawer, track staff and more. It's used by a number of well-known restaurants,
including Denny's. Operating System: OS Independent.

Project Management
51. OpenProj Replaces: Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera

Specifically designed to replace Microsoft Project, OpenProj opens both Project and Primavera
files. It can create Gantt Charts, Network Diagrams (PERT Charts), WBS and RBS charts and
more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

52. Open Workbench Replaces: Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera

Owned by CA, Open Workbench lets you schedule projects manually or automatically, create and
manage subprojects and dependencies, associate guidelines with features, assign resources,
and track progress with a variety of charts. The Web site includes a detailed comparison of the
relative merits of Open Workbench and Microsoft Project and explains which tool works better in
various situations. Operating System: Windows.

53. GanttProject Replaces: Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera

While not quite as robust, GanttProject offers many of the same features as OpenProj and
Project. It tracks tasks, resources, milestones, dependencies, etc. Operating System: Windows,
Linux, OS X.

Server Software
54. eBox Platform/Zentyal Replaces: Windows Small Business Server

You can use Zentyal as a gateway, infrastructure manager, unified threat manager, office server
and/or a unified communication server. The 2.0 version (currently in beta) will add Web server
and FTP server capabilities, as well as many other improvements. It's based on Linux.

Time Tracking
55. TimeTrex Replaces Replicon, Tenrox Timesheet

When your small business grows to the point that it becomes difficult to track employee time with
paper forms or spreadsheets, TimeTrex offers a step up. It handles employee scheduling,
attendance, job costing and payroll. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

56. eHour Replaces Replicon, Tenrox Timesheet

This Web-based app is designed for small firms of consultants, freelancers, lawyers, etc. who
charge by the hour. It can track multiple employees working on multiple projects for multiple
clients. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Web Site Creation
57. NVU Replaces: Adobe Dreamweaver, Microsoft Expression Web

An excellent option for first-time Web site creators, NVU walks you through building a Web site in
three simple steps. It aims to make creating Web pages as easy as using a word processor.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

58. Kompozer Replaces: Adobe Dreamweaver, Microsoft Expression Web

Very similar to NVU, Kompozer offers a WYSIWYG editor that feels a lot like the Dreamweaver
interface. It claims to be "the easiest-to-use, most powerful Web Authoring System available."
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.