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:

• Stable: No unexplained crashes, restarts, or timeouts

• Scalable: Can support growth in users or data without reinstallation

• Secure: Hardened OS, TLS/SSL, properly configured permissions

• Performant: Pages load quickly, operations execute without delays

• 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):

• CPU: 1 vCPU or 2 GHz single-core processor

• RAM: 2 GB

• Storage: 20 GB SSD

• Network: 100 Mbps minimum

• OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 or Debian 12

For small business production use (3–10 users):

• CPU: 2 vCPUs or dual-core 2.4 GHz+

• RAM: 4–8 GB

• Storage: 50–100 GB SSD or NVMe (depending on document usage)

• Network: 1 Gbps preferred

• OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or Rocky Linux 9

For enterprise-grade usage (10+ users or heavy modules):

• CPU: 4 vCPUs or higher

• RAM: 16–32 GB ECC

• Storage: NVMe with RAID 1 or 10 (for performance and redundancy)

• Network: 1–10 Gbps, dedicated IP

• 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

• 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:

• OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or Debian 12

• Web Server: Apache 2.4.57 or Nginx 1.25+

• PHP: 8.1 or 8.2 (Dolibarr 17+ is fully compatible)

• 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 or xtrabackup

• 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, or Grafana for advanced dashboards

• logwatch or goaccess 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)

• OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Small Company (2–10 users)

• 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.