FAQ
Frequently asked questions about obop: status, licence, pricing, data, agents and MCP, apps, hosting, languages and how it compares.
General
What is obop?
An open-source business platform with CRM, sales, invoicing, products and contacts built in, 22 more apps in a marketplace, and a REST API, MCP server and command line generated from the same definitions. See Platform.
Is it ready for production?
Not yet. obop is in beta. Read the roadmap and the limits on Security and privacy before you rely on it.
What does it cost?
Self-hosting is free. Hosted plans are planned at €0, €49, €249 and from €899 a month per organisation. Nothing is charged during the beta. See Pricing.
Which licence?
The code is on GitHub. The final licence is not decided; the project proposes the AGPL for the core. Check the repository for current terms.
What is it written in?
Rust for the backend and Vite+ with React for the web apps. This website is built with VitePress.
Using obop
How do I add an app?
Open Customize, then Marketplace, and install one. From the command line: obop modules install-from helpdesk. You can also upload your own obop.toml. See Apps and modules.
Can I write my own app?
Yes, as one text file. There is no code tier yet, so apps cannot compute totals, generate numbers or call other systems. See the module manifest reference.
Why can't my app calculate totals?
Packages are declarative on purpose, so administrators can install them safely. Expressions and WebAssembly extensions are planned.
What happens to my data if I uninstall an app?
The commands and screens go away and the data stays in the database. Installing the app again brings the records back.
Can I change an installed app?
Raise its version and install the file again. There are no migrations: add optional fields rather than renaming.
Agents
Can an agent see my customers' emails?
Not in clear. It sees placeholder tokens such as EMAIL_1. See Masking tokens.
Can an agent post an invoice or delete a record?
It can propose either; a person approves. See The approval loop.
Does obop work with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or other tools?
obop has an MCP server over stdio and a REST API. Any MCP client that can start a local process works; see Connect over MCP. There is no remote MCP endpoint yet, so hosted instances are reached over REST.
How do I stop an agent?
There is no revoke command yet. Remove the owning user, or stop giving the token to the agent. See Safety.
Hosting and data
Where is my data?
Hosted: in a database that belongs to your instance, on PostgreSQL. Self-hosted: wherever you run it.
How do I back up?
Use your database's tools (pg_dump, snapshots) or copy the SQLite file while the server is stopped. obop has no built-in backup yet.
Can I export everything?
Your database is yours. A built-in full export is planned but not built.
Which languages is the website in?
English, German, French, Polish, Finnish, Swedish and Spanish. The application itself is in English for now. The translations on this site are machine-drafted and are being reviewed by native speakers.