OpenBoxes 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.
Not the right match-up?
OpenBoxes
Open-source inventory and supply chain management
VS
Part-DB
Web-based inventory for electronic components
| Feature | OpenBoxes | Part-DB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Groovy | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 871 | ★ 1,719 |
| First released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SAP, NetSuite | NetSuite |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenBoxes if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Groovy
Choose Part-DB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenBoxes or Part-DB better?
Part-DB is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenBoxes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenBoxes and Part-DB free and open-source?
Yes. OpenBoxes is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Part-DB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenBoxes and Part-DB with Docker?
OpenBoxes: yes. Part-DB: yes.