--- title: What is Bizuno description: "**Audience:** bookkeeper, admin, developer · **Last updated:** 2026-06-16 · [Edit on GitHub](https://github.com/phreesoft/bizuno/edit/main/docs/01-getting-started/01-what-is-bizuno.md) # What is Bizuno **Bizuno is a full-featured, self-hosted ERP and accounting system — open source (AGPL-3.0), written in PHP, running on MySQL/MariaDB.** Double-entry books, inventory, purchasing and…" url: "https://www.bizuno.com/docs/what-is-bizuno/" updated: "2026-06-18" category: Getting Started --- # What is Bizuno **Audience:** bookkeeper, admin, developer · **Last updated:** 2026-06-16 · [Edit on GitHub](https://github.com/phreesoft/bizuno/edit/main/docs/01-getting-started/01-what-is-bizuno.md) # What is Bizuno **Bizuno is a full-featured, self-hosted ERP and accounting system — open source (AGPL-3.0), written in PHP, running on MySQL/MariaDB.** Double-entry books, inventory, purchasing and sales, CRM, quality management, and reporting in one application you run on your own server. It's the modern continuation of the PhreeBooks/PhreeSoft lineage. If you're deciding whether Bizuno fits, this page is the honest 90-second answer. --- ## What Bizuno does well | Area | What you get | | --- | --- | | **Double-entry accounting** | A real GL: chart of accounts, journals, register, reconciliation, fiscal-year close — see [PhreeBooks](/docs-category/modules-phreebooks/) | | **Sales & purchasing** | The full cycle — quotes, orders, invoices, payments, deposits, and the vendor mirror (PO → bill → pay). See [Daily Workflows](/docs-category/daily-workflows/) | | **Inventory** | Stocked goods, assemblies/BOMs, serialized items, master-stock variants, FIFO/LIFO/average costing — see [Inventory](/docs-category/modules-inventory/) | | **Contacts & CRM** | One universal contact record that can be customer, vendor, employee, lead, and more at once — see [Contacts](/docs-category/modules-contacts/) | | **Quality (ISO-9001-style)** | CA/PA tickets, audits, training, maintenance, objectives — see [Quality](/docs-category/modules-quality/) | | **Reporting & forms** | PhreeForm: a built-in report/form designer with PDF output — see [PhreeForm](/docs-category/modules-phreeform/) | | **Multi-everything** | Multiple stores, periods, and currencies in one install — see [Core Concepts](/docs/multi-store-multi-period-multi-currency/) | | **Integrations** | A [WooCommerce bridge](/docs/woocommerce-via-bizuno-api/), [EDI X12](/docs/edi-x12/), and a [REST surface](/docs/rest-api-surface/) | | **Customizable without forking** | The [`myExt/` pattern](/docs/the-myext-pattern/) — client-specific code beside the core, not in it | --- ## What Bizuno is *not* Setting expectations honestly here saves disappointment everywhere else: - **Not a SaaS you rent.** Bizuno is software you **host yourself** (or have hosted for you). That means no per-seat subscription and no vendor lock-in — but also that *you* own backups, updates, and uptime. See [Backup and restore](/docs/backup-and-restore/). - **Not a bank-feed aggregator.** There are no automatic bank connections; reconciliation is done against a statement, by hand. - **Not a full FX-accounting engine.** Bizuno *records* foreign-currency transactions and posts the GL in your home currency, but it does **not** auto-calculate realized or unrealized FX gain/loss — those are manual journal entries. See [Multi-currency](/docs/multi-currency-and-gl-settlement/). - **Not POS-first.** It has a point-of-sale journal, but it's an accounting/ERP system with POS, not a retail-checkout product with books bolted on. - **Not zero-setup.** It rewards understanding a few [core concepts](/docs-category/core-concepts/) (fiscal periods, the journal model, inventory types) before you configure a business — skipping them is the usual source of early pain. --- ## How it compares A rough orientation, not a scorecard: | vs. | The short version | | --- | --- | | **PhreeBooks 5** | Bizuno *is* its successor — same financial DNA, rebuilt architecture. There's a [built-in migration](/docs/from-phreebooks-v5/). | | **QuickBooks (Desktop/Online)** | Bizuno is self-hosted and open-source, with deeper inventory/manufacturing and quality features, but without QuickBooks' bank feeds and huge app ecosystem. No direct importer — you [start fresh](/docs/from-quickbooks/). | | **Wave / other free SaaS** | More capable for product businesses (real inventory, multi-store, EDI, quality) — at the cost of running it yourself. | | **ERPNext / larger open ERPs** | A similar "self-hosted open ERP" niche; Bizuno is PHP/MySQL and accounting-first, and lighter to stand up on ordinary LAMP hosting. | --- ## Who uses Bizuno - **Small and mid-sized businesses** that want real double-entry books without a subscription or a cloud they don't control. - **Multi-store retailers and distributors** needing per-store inventory and consolidated books. - **Light manufacturers** using assemblies/BOMs and **ISO-9001-style quality** processes. - **Accountants and consultants** serving multiple clients, who value a customizable, self-hostable platform — one install per client, with the [`myExt/` pattern](/docs/the-myext-pattern/) for per-client tweaks. - **WooCommerce sellers** keeping the storefront public and the books in a back-office Bizuno via the [bridge](/docs/woocommerce-via-bizuno-api/). --- ## Where to go next - New to ERP/accounting? Read [Core Concepts](/docs-category/core-concepts/) next — it's the section that prevents the common setup mistakes. - Ready to install? See [the ways to run it](/docs/three-ways-to-run-it/) and the install walkthroughs (Docker, LAMP/LEMP, WordPress). - Coming from PhreeBooks 5 or QuickBooks? Skim this, then go to [Migration & Upgrade](/docs-category/migration-and-upgrade/). --- ## Related - [Ways to run it](/docs/three-ways-to-run-it/) - [Core Concepts](/docs-category/core-concepts/) - [Migration & Upgrade](/docs-category/migration-and-upgrade/)