
As of 2025, Dolibarr continues to stand as one of the most widely adopted open-source ERP and CRM platforms for small to medium-sized businesses. Its flexibility, modular design, and ease of use have helped it carve out a strong presence among companies seeking affordable, customizable enterprise tools.
However, with increased adoption comes greater complexity in deployment. More businesses are self-hosting Dolibarr or hosting it in hybrid environments with VPNs, private clouds, or containers. Whether you are a freelancer setting up Dolibarr on a Raspberry Pi, or a growing company preparing a production-grade VPS, one recurring question emerges: What is the best server configuration for Dolibarr in 2025?
This article offers a complete guide to answering that question. We’ll explore server specs, hosting environments, software stacks, PHP versions, database performance tuning, networking considerations, and much more. The aim is to help you confidently choose (or improve) the right infrastructure to run Dolibarr efficiently and securely.
Understanding Dolibarr’s Architecture
Before jumping into configuration details, it’s crucial to understand how Dolibarr works behind the scenes. Dolibarr is built on the classic LAMP stack:
-
Linux: the base operating system
-
Apache (or Nginx): the web server
-
MySQL/MariaDB: the relational database
-
PHP: the scripting language powering application logic
Dolibarr’s modularity means that performance and requirements vary depending on:
-
The number of active modules (e.g., accounting, stock, manufacturing)
-
The number of users and concurrent sessions
-
Volume of data (third parties, invoices, documents)
-
Extensions and plugins
-
Third-party integrations (e.g., PayPal, Stripe, WooCommerce)
So the best server configuration depends on use case, user base, and expected growth.
Defining "Best Configuration" in 2025
The “best” configuration doesn’t mean the most expensive one. In 2025, best means:
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Stable: No unexplained crashes, restarts, or timeouts
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Scalable: Can support growth in users or data without reinstallation
-
Secure: Hardened OS, TLS/SSL, properly configured permissions
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Performant: Pages load quickly, operations execute without delays
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Maintainable: Easy to update, backup, restore, and monitor
To achieve this, both hardware and software configuration must be aligned.
Recommended Minimum Hardware Specifications (2025)
For testing or micro business use (1–3 users):
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CPU: 1 vCPU or 2 GHz single-core processor
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RAM: 2 GB
-
Storage: 20 GB SSD
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Network: 100 Mbps minimum
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OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 or Debian 12
For small business production use (3–10 users):
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CPU: 2 vCPUs or dual-core 2.4 GHz+
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RAM: 4–8 GB
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Storage: 50–100 GB SSD or NVMe (depending on document usage)
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Network: 1 Gbps preferred
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OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or Rocky Linux 9
For enterprise-grade usage (10+ users or heavy modules):
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CPU: 4 vCPUs or higher
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RAM: 16–32 GB ECC
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Storage: NVMe with RAID 1 or 10 (for performance and redundancy)
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Network: 1–10 Gbps, dedicated IP
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OS: RHEL-based or hardened Debian derivative
Hosting Environment Options
Let’s compare the common hosting types used for Dolibarr in 2025.
1. Local On-Premise Server
Ideal for companies with strict privacy or compliance needs.
Pros:
-
Full control
-
Offline availability
-
No third-party data exposure
Cons:
-
Higher setup and maintenance cost
-
Requires in-house IT
2. VPS or Cloud Hosting (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, OVH, etc.)
Most popular and flexible option for SMBs.
Pros:
-
Affordable monthly cost
-
Easy scaling and snapshot backups
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Global availability
Cons:
-
Requires Linux admin skills
-
Vulnerable to cloud provider changes or downtime
3. Dedicated Server
Ideal for companies with heavy use (e.g., manufacturing, multi-branch setups).
Pros:
-
Performance, isolation, full hardware access
Cons:
-
More expensive
-
Requires high-level management
4. Dockerized Installation (Self-managed or Kubernetes)
Used for CI/CD pipelines, multi-app orchestration.
Pros:
-
Easy to replicate environments
-
Clean deployments, rollbacks
Cons:
-
Learning curve with Docker/Kubernetes
-
Debugging container issues can be complex
Optimal Software Stack (2025)
For 2025, the recommended versions are:
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OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or Debian 12
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Web Server: Apache 2.4.57 or Nginx 1.25+
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PHP: 8.1 or 8.2 (Dolibarr 17+ is fully compatible)
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Database: MariaDB 10.6+ or MySQL 8.0+
-
Additional PHP Extensions:
php-mysql
,php-curl
,php-mbstring
,php-xml
,php-zip
,php-gd
Use php-fpm
for better performance when using Nginx.
PHP Configuration Best Practices
Edit your php.ini
(typically found in /etc/php/8.2/apache2/php.ini
) and adjust:
Enable opcache
to improve PHP execution:
Apache or Nginx?
Apache is simpler to configure with .htaccess
support, while Nginx offers better performance under high traffic.
Use Apache if:
-
You want simplicity and compatibility with most tutorials
-
You’re not expecting high concurrent load
Use Nginx if:
-
You want leaner memory usage
-
You’re handling 100+ concurrent sessions
-
You’re using
php-fpm
for improved scaling
Database Optimization
Set up MySQL or MariaDB properly for Dolibarr performance.
MySQL Tuning Recommendations:
-
Use
InnoDB
engine -
Enable query cache (for MySQL ≤ 5.7)
-
Tune
innodb_buffer_pool_size
to 60–70% of system RAM
Example /etc/mysql/my.cnf
settings:
Restart the MySQL service after making changes.
Storage Considerations
For fast database and file performance:
-
Use SSD or NVMe
-
Use RAID 1 or 10 for redundancy
-
Mount
documents/
on a separate volume if you handle many uploads
Backup strategy:
-
Daily
mysqldump
orxtrabackup
-
Weekly full system snapshots
-
Remote and local backup destinations
Security and Maintenance Best Practices
1. Secure Web Access
-
Enable HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt (
certbot
) -
Use a reverse proxy if needed
2. Firewall
Use ufw
or iptables
:
3. Regular Updates
Set up unattended-upgrades
for security patches:
4. Fail2Ban
Protect against brute force:
5. Monitoring
Use tools like:
-
htop
,iotop
,vnstat
for system resource monitoring -
Netdata
,Zabbix
, orGrafana
for advanced dashboards -
logwatch
orgoaccess
for log summarization
Recommended Server Builds by Use Case
Freelancer or Consultant (1 user)
-
CPU: 1 vCPU
-
RAM: 2 GB
-
Disk: 20 GB SSD
-
Hosting: VPS (Hetzner CX11 or DigitalOcean Basic)
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OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Small Company (2–10 users)
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CPU: 2 vCPU
-
RAM: 4–8 GB
-
Disk: 50 GB SSD or NVMe
-
Hosting: VPS or Cloud (e.g., OVH, Scaleway)
-
Optional: S3 backup for documents
Mid-Size Enterprise (10–50 users)
-
CPU: 4 vCPU or Dedicated Intel Xeon
-
RAM: 16 GB ECC
-
Disk: 250 GB NVMe, RAID 1
-
Hosting: Dedicated server or cloud VM with snapshots
-
Optional: Load balancer and file replication
Large Installations (Multi-branch, 100+ users)
-
Cluster with web server, database, file storage separated
-
Load balancer in front (HAProxy or Nginx)
-
Docker or Kubernetes orchestration
-
32–64 GB RAM
-
Ceph, GlusterFS, or S3-compatible document storage
Final Thoughts
Dolibarr is flexible, but your infrastructure must be equally smart. Choosing the best server configuration means analyzing your use case, growth potential, and security requirements.
In 2025, the best server configuration for Dolibarr is no longer just about raw CPU power—it’s about creating a balance of speed, stability, and maintainability. Whether you're hosting it on a budget VPS or a dedicated server cluster, proper planning and tuning will ensure your Dolibarr instance runs smoothly now and into the future.
If you take care of performance, security, and backups, Dolibarr will return the favor by serving as a reliable backbone to your business.