InvenTree vs Part-DB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
InvenTree
Open-source inventory and stock management system
VS
Part-DB
Web-based inventory for electronic components
| Feature | InvenTree | Part-DB |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,623 | ★ 1,774 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | NetSuite, Fishbowl | NetSuite |
What are InvenTree and Part-DB?
InvenTree
InvenTree is an open-source inventory management system providing stock control and part tracking. It is designed for manufacturers and offers a powerful REST API.
- Stock and part tracking
- Bill of materials support
- Powerful REST API
- Plugin extensibility
Part-DB
Part-DB is an open-source, web-based inventory management application for electronic components and parts. It tracks stock, suppliers, prices, and storage locations.
- Component inventory tracking
- Supplier and price history
- Storage location hierarchy
- Barcode and label support
InvenTree vs Part-DB: key differences
InvenTree is written in Python, while Part-DB is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for InvenTree versus AGPL-3.0 for Part-DB. Part-DB is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for InvenTree. InvenTree has the considerably larger community, at 7,623 GitHub stars versus 1,774.
Why pick each one
Choose InvenTree if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 7.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose Part-DB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is InvenTree or Part-DB better?
Neither is universally better. InvenTree has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are InvenTree and Part-DB free and open-source?
Yes. InvenTree is licensed under MIT and Part-DB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InvenTree and Part-DB with Docker?
InvenTree: yes. Part-DB: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, InvenTree or Part-DB?
Part-DB has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for InvenTree. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.