# Best open source inventory management software > The best open source inventory management system is ERPNext, with 39,821 GitHub stars, the GPL-3.0 license and a Docker image; Aureus ERP and HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia) are strong alternatives. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: ERPNext leads for small business and enterprise. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 12 inventory management software apps in the ERP & inventory category of the appsgit catalog. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source inventory management system? | | Picks | 20 | | Top pick | ERPNext (39,821 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-inventory-management | ## Top picks 10 of the 12 inventory management software apps in the ERP & inventory category, ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [ERPNext](https://appsgit.com/apps/erpnext) (39,821 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker): ERPNext has 39,821 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 6,664 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Square POS. - [Aureus ERP](https://appsgit.com/apps/aureus-erp) (12,031 stars, MIT, PHP): Aureus ERP has 12,031 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 2,329 commits in the last year; it replaces NetSuite and SAP Business One. - [HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia)](https://appsgit.com/apps/homebox-sysadminsmedia) (7,451 stars, AGPL-3.0, Go, Docker): HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia) has 7,451 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 448 commits in the last year. - [Inventree](https://appsgit.com/apps/inventree) (7,671 stars, MIT, Python): Inventree has 7,671 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 1,172 commits in the last year. - [Bigcapital](https://appsgit.com/apps/bigcapital) (3,921 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Bigcapital has 3,921 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,005 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Xero. - [Carbon](https://appsgit.com/apps/carbon) (2,686 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Carbon has 2,686 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,990 commits in the last year; it replaces SAP Business One. - [Spoolman](https://appsgit.com/apps/spoolman) (2,883 stars, MIT, Python, Docker): Spoolman has 2,883 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 649 commits in the last year. - [Part-DB](https://appsgit.com/apps/part-db) (1,787 stars, AGPL-3.0, PHP, Docker): Part-DB has 1,787 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 977 commits in the last year. - [NexoPOS](https://appsgit.com/apps/nexopos) (1,269 stars, GPL-3.0, PHP): NexoPOS has 1,269 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 401 commits in the last year; it replaces Square POS and Shopify POS. - [LedgerSMB](https://appsgit.com/apps/ledgersmb) (570 stars, GPL-2.0, Perl, Docker): LedgerSMB has 570 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 710 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Xero. ## Best for small business Ranked for small business on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites, recent commits and deploy guides. - [ERPNext](https://appsgit.com/apps/erpnext) (39,821 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker): ERPNext has 39,821 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 6,664 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Square POS. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia)](https://appsgit.com/apps/homebox-sysadminsmedia) (7,451 stars, AGPL-3.0, Go, Docker): HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia) has 7,451 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 448 commits in the last year. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Bigcapital](https://appsgit.com/apps/bigcapital) (3,921 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Bigcapital has 3,921 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,005 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Xero. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Aureus ERP](https://appsgit.com/apps/aureus-erp) (12,031 stars, MIT, PHP): Aureus ERP has 12,031 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 2,329 commits in the last year; it replaces NetSuite and SAP Business One. For small business it also scores on an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Carbon](https://appsgit.com/apps/carbon) (2,686 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Carbon has 2,686 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,990 commits in the last year; it replaces SAP Business One. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. ## Best for enterprise Ranked for enterprise on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [ERPNext](https://appsgit.com/apps/erpnext) (39,821 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker): ERPNext has 39,821 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 6,664 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Square POS. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Aureus ERP](https://appsgit.com/apps/aureus-erp) (12,031 stars, MIT, PHP): Aureus ERP has 12,031 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 2,329 commits in the last year; it replaces NetSuite and SAP Business One. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Inventree](https://appsgit.com/apps/inventree) (7,671 stars, MIT, Python): Inventree has 7,671 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 1,172 commits in the last year. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia)](https://appsgit.com/apps/homebox-sysadminsmedia) (7,451 stars, AGPL-3.0, Go, Docker): HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia) has 7,451 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 448 commits in the last year. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Bigcapital](https://appsgit.com/apps/bigcapital) (3,921 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Bigcapital has 3,921 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,005 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Xero. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. ## How this list was made - Candidates: the 12 inventory management software apps in the ERP & inventory category whose own description or topics match that job. Archived projects and projects with no commit in the last two years are left out. - Base score: GitHub stars on a log scale plus commits in the last 12 months (log scale, capped at 1,000). - Bonus points for a published Docker image, an OSI-approved open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - Each "Best for" section re-ranks the same apps with that audience's profile (for example startups add points for permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits; small business for Docker images and deploy guides). - Source-available apps can rank, but they are labelled and never described as open source. ## FAQ ### Is ERPNext free? Yes. ERPNext is open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan. ### Which open source inventory management system is best for a small business? ERPNext ranks first for small business, with 39,821 GitHub stars, the GPL-3.0 license and a Docker image; HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia) and Bigcapital follow. The small business ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites, recent commits and deploy guides on top of stars and activity. ### Which open source inventory management system is best for an enterprise team? ERPNext ranks first for enterprise, with 39,821 GitHub stars, the GPL-3.0 license and a Docker image; Aureus ERP and Inventree follow. The enterprise ranking adds points for open-source licenses and recent commits on top of stars and activity. ### Can I self-host these inventory management software with Docker? Yes, 7 of the 10 picks. ERPNext, HomeBox (SysAdminsMedia) and Bigcapital publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide. ### Are all of these inventory management software open source? All 10 apps on this list are open source. You can self-host and modify each one under its license. ## Related questions - [What is the best open source ERP?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-erp) - [What is the best open source accounting software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-accounting-software) - [What is the best open source POS system?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pos) - [What is the best open source CRM?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-crm) - [What is the best open source HR software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-hr-software) - [What is the best open source task manager?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-task-management) - [What is the best open source budgeting app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-budgeting-software) - [What is the best open source backup tool?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-backup-software) ## See also - [All ERP & inventory apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/erp-inventory) - [All accounting & invoicing apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/accounting-invoicing) - [All point of sale apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/point-of-sale) - [Open-source alternatives to QuickBooks](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/quickbooks) - [Open-source alternatives to Square POS](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/square-pos) - [Open-source alternatives to Shopify POS](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/shopify-pos) - [Open-source alternatives to Lightspeed](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/lightspeed) - [Open-source alternatives to Xero](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/xero) - [Open-source alternatives to Zoho Books](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/zoho-books) - [Odoo vs ERPNext](https://appsgit.com/compare/odoo-vs-erpnext) - [ERPNext vs Dolibarr](https://appsgit.com/compare/erpnext-vs-dolibarr) - [Open Source POS vs NexoPOS](https://appsgit.com/compare/open-source-pos-vs-nexopos) --- Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-inventory-management Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly. Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.