An open source ERP for small business should start with the work you already run every day: projects, tasks, time, approvals and reports, then grow into the rest. Big all-in-one ERP rollouts often stall in small companies because they demand every module on day one. AlianHub takes the opposite route: a free, self-hosted workspace that covers project work today and is built to grow into your ERP, with AI agents doing routine work and people approving what matters.
Key takeaways
- Most small businesses do not fail at ERP because of software. They fail because of rollout size.
- Start where work already flows: projects, time and approvals.
- Open source plus self-hosting means your business data stays on your servers.
- No per-seat pricing makes it easier to put everyone in one system.
- Add structure with custom fields and roles before adding modules.
What small businesses actually need from an ERP
ERP stands for enterprise resource planning. In a large company, that means finance, inventory, HR, purchasing and production in one system. A small business usually needs a narrower slice, done well:
- One place to see all active work and who is doing it.
- Time logged against jobs, with approvals.
- Leave requests and timesheets in one queue.
- Reports on what is on track, at risk or over budget.
- Roles, so staff, contractors and clients see the right things.
If your tool covers those, you already have the core of an ERP for a services or project-based business.
Why open source matters for small business ERP
Open source is not just about cost. For an ERP, which holds the heart of your business data, it brings practical benefits.
| Concern | Closed SaaS ERP | Open source, self-hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Where data lives | The vendor's cloud | Your own servers |
| Cost as you grow | Often per seat | AlianHub has no per-seat pricing |
| Customisation | Limited to vendor settings | Source code is available to change |
| Vendor lock-in | High | Lower; you can run it yourself |
| Long-term access | Depends on the vendor | You keep the code and data |
AlianHub is licensed under AGPL-3.0. You can use, modify and self-host it freely. If you run a modified version as a public network service, you must publish your changes. Our post on the AGPL license explained covers what that means in practice.
Where AlianHub fits today
We want to be clear about scope. AlianHub describes itself as projects, tasks, time tracking, chat and reports in one workspace that grows into your ERP. It is not, today, a full accounting or inventory suite. Here is what it covers now.
Projects and views
Every project has six views: List, Board, Table, Calendar, Gantt and Workload. The Table view holds status, owner, priority, due date and custom fields in rows, which suits order and job tracking.
Time, timesheets and leave
People start a timer on a task or add time by hand, then submit a weekly timesheet. An Approvals queue holds timesheets and leave waiting for a decision, filtered by time, leave or AI proposals.
Reports
The More menu includes Portfolio, a Milestone Report, a Variance Report (actual time against estimate), a Custom Report you build from tasks or time logs, and Capacity Planning by team. See them on the workspace page.
Roles, custom fields and several companies
AlianHub has custom roles, custom fields per task and support for several companies in one instance. That last point matters if you run more than one business, or manage work for client companies.
One instance, several companies, no per-seat bill. For a small group of businesses, that changes the maths.
Industry blueprints and team packs
AlianHub's team packs provide role agents for 15 teams, set up through eight company blueprints: IT company, manufacturing, agency, e-commerce, construction, professional services, education and clinic administration.
Teams covered include sales, support, finance, purchasing, operations and logistics, production, quality and maintenance, and construction sites. Examples of agents on the site include an Invoice Preparer for finance and a Snag List Keeper for construction. Packs start paused, and the whole pack can be undone.
Tip: Switch on one team pack, not five. Let that team use it for a month before adding the next. Small rollouts survive; big ones stall.
AI agents in a small business ERP
Small businesses rarely have spare admin hours. That is where agents help, as long as they are controlled.
In AlianHub, agents have an owner, a run budget and a scope. Each sits on an autonomy level from L0 (answers only) to L3 (acts on low-risk changes and runs on a schedule). Some actions do not exist for any agent at all: deleting a project or task, anything to do with billing, removing a member, changing permissions or marking a task Done.
You can ask questions in plain words too. The site shows an example: "Which supplier orders are late this week?" answered from the projects you can open. Read more on the AI page.
How to do this in AlianHub
- Self-host with Docker Compose or try the demo. The install wizard creates the first workspace and your owner account.
- Import your projects from Jira, ClickUp, Trello, Asana, Monday.com or CSV. The import can be undone.
- Add custom fields for what you track in spreadsheets, such as budget, stage or reviewer.
- Open Team packs and switch on one pack, such as Finance or Purchasing. Its agents start paused.
- Set each agent's autonomy level (L0 to L3), daily action limit and monthly spend cap, then unpause it.
- Ask in the Ask box, for example "Which supplier orders are late this week?", and approve proposed changes in the AI Inbox.
A business scenario: a workshop that outgrew spreadsheets
A small manufacturer tracked jobs, supplier follow-ups and timesheets in separate spreadsheets. The owner chased status by phone.
With jobs in one workspace, the Ask box answers which supplier orders are late, a purchasing agent proposes follow-up tasks for approval, and timesheets and leave land in one Approvals queue. The result: fewer late orders slip through, the owner spends less time chasing, and the business can take on more jobs without adding admin.
What to check before you commit
Be honest about gaps. If you need full general ledger accounting, payroll or warehouse stock control today, check whether AlianHub covers them for your case, or run it alongside a dedicated tool. The community page and changelog show what is shipping.
FAQ
Is AlianHub a full ERP?
AlianHub covers projects, tasks, time tracking, timesheets, approvals, chat and reports, and describes itself as a workspace that grows into your ERP. Check current features against your needs, especially for accounting or inventory.
Is AlianHub free for small businesses?
Yes. It is free and open source under AGPL-3.0, with no per-seat pricing when you self-host. Paid help with hosting, customisation and support is available from Aliansoftware if you want it.
Can I run several companies in one AlianHub instance?
Yes. AlianHub supports several companies in one instance, alongside custom roles and custom fields.
Do I need a developer to self-host it?
Basic comfort with Docker helps. The Docker Compose setup takes a few commands, and an install wizard creates the first workspace and owner account.
Start small, grow on your own terms
You do not need a six-month ERP project to get one system for your business. Explore the live demo, browse the features, and self-host AlianHub free. If you want help with setup, contact the team. Share this with your operations lead.