ERPNext Performance Optimization Tips from Frappe Experts

An outdated ERP is no less than a burden on revenue, decisions, and customer experience.

For teams using ERPNext in the UAE, where multi-site operations, high transaction volumes, and tight SLAs are normal, even small inefficiencies can compound quickly. Just choosing ERPNext UAE isn’t the end of the journey. Rather, it’s the start of a continuous performance path, and performance tuning is one of the biggest levers for business impact.

So, fixing the issues requires proper steps that touch the infrastructure, database, caching, background jobs, and everything.

Where The Bottlenecks Hide

Slowdowns are the result of several small problems adding up, like underpowered disks, poorly tuned MariaDB, overloaded Redis, long-running background jobs, and an accumulation of old attachments and unused customizations. Fix those areas first, and you’ll see immediate gains.

Infrastructure Rules

You need a sensible baseline including SSDs with good IOPS, a multi-core CPU, and RAM sized to let MariaDB and Redis do their job. Start with more disk and IOPS than you think you need because ERP data grows fast.

If you’re on cloud, pick plans with predictable Input/Output. And if you’re on-premises, prioritize NVMe/SSD and plan for headroom. These changes alone can reduce latency for queries and attachments.

Tune MariaDB

ERPNext runs on MariaDB/InnoDB, and the database is where the biggest wins happen.

Set innodb_buffer_pool_size to a large portion of RAM, so the database serves data from memory. Changes should be made in a custom .cnf file to survive updates.

Enable and monitor slow query logs. Fix the queries that appear repeatedly by adding sensible indexes or rewriting them.

Tune connection/thread parameters so hundreds of simultaneous users don’t queue waiting for DB access.

Let Redis Do The Heavy Work

Redis is not optional. It's the part of ERPNext that caches frequently accessed data and handles queues for background jobs. When Redis is configured correctly, you’ll be able to reduce repeated database hits and avoid long-running queues. When Redis is underpowered, your queues back up, and user actions will feel slow.

Give Redis enough memory for cache and job queues.

Separate Redis instances for caching and queuing when scaling.

Monitor Redis queues. Don't let long jobs block short ones.

Background Jobs: Design Them So They Don’t Interrupt Users

Email, report generation, and scheduled imports are all essential but should never block the user flow.

Speed Up Your ERPNext System

Improve server configuration, optimize database indexing, and reduce unnecessary custom scripts to ensure faster load times and smoother transactions. A well-tuned ERPNext system boosts team productivity and reduces operational delays.

Run multiple background workers and partition tasks by expected runtime.

Avoid running heavy batch jobs during business hours. Schedule them for off-peak windows.

Monitor and purge old job logs so the queue system stays healthy.

If saved documents are slow or scheduled reports take forever, start by inspecting the job queue.

Keep Attachments And Files Out Of Your Database Server

Large file uploads are a common source of bloat. So, move attachments to an external object store (S3-compatible storage) and deliver them via a CDN. This reduces disk usage on your app server, speeds up downloads for distributed teams, and lowers backup size and time.

The “Bench” Habits That Pay Off

Use the built-in bench commands as maintenance rituals:

bench clear-cache and bench restart clear stale state.

bench migrate, and bench update keep code, DB schema, and assets aligned.

bench build when front-end assets change.

These commands prevent subtle misconfigurations that accumulate and degrade performance.

Performance is not a single fix. It's actually a set of repeatable practices. Tune the database, use Redis properly, architect attachments smartly, keep customizations disciplined, and run bench housekeeping regularly. Treat these as operational standards, and your ERPNext instance will stay fast as your business grows.

FAQs

Why does our ERPNext feel slower now than when we first set it up?

Most systems don’t slow down overnight. What usually happens is a mix of more users, more data, more background jobs, and a database that hasn’t been tuned in a while. Over time, these small things add up, and you start noticing screens dragging or reports taking longer than they should.

How can I tell if our server or hosting is part of the problem?

If things feel slow during peak hours but the server charts look “fine,” it’s usually a hint that the disk or memory is falling short. ERPNext depends heavily on fast storage and enough RAM, so even if the CPU looks quiet, the system can still struggle.

Is it worth moving attachments out of the ERPNext server?

Yes. Attachments grow fast and end up taking a lot of space on the main server. This slows down backups and can even affect performance. Storing files in S3-compatible storage keeps the ERP solution cleaner and easier to maintain.

Do ERPNext customizations impact performance over time?

Yes, they can. A few helpful custom features are fine, but things get slow when old scripts, unused fields, or unnecessary doctypes pile up. Cleaning them out once in a while keeps the system from feeling heavy.

Upgrade Hosting & Performance Settings

Use high-performance cloud hosting, enable caching, and monitor background jobs regularly to prevent slowdowns. With the right technical setup, ERPNext can handle higher data volumes without performance issues.