InvenTree vs Snipe-IT (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, InvenTree grades higher than Snipe-IT: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
InvenTree grades higher on the free plan and features. Snipe-IT grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Snipe-IT
Open-source IT asset management you host yourself or have hosted
Which one is for you
Pick InvenTree if
- Fits if you are comfortable running your own server and want no licence fees
- Works for makers and small manufacturers who track parts and bills of materials
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not want to run a server, as the project lists no hosted plan
- Not for you if you need private support, since help comes through public issue trackers and docs
- Watch out: the project says it is built in spare time and has no fixed release timeline
- Tight if you want phone apps or a vendor to call, because the listing shows neither
Pick Snipe-IT if
- Fits if you run an IT team and want to track laptops, phones and licences
- Works for people comfortable running their own server who want it free
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you sell products: it has no purchase orders or sales orders
- Tight if you stay self-hosted: no email support, upgrades or backups
- Watch out: the API is capped at 120 calls a minute on Basic and 240 on Small Business
- Pricey if you want phone support: that sits on a separate $4,999.99-a-year plan
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAInvenTreeGood | 2.4GPASnipe-ITFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree outright but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server and someone to look after it, so it stays at the ordinary grade. The project sells no hosted plan. | BHosted Basic is $399.99 a year as a flat fee for the whole team, about $33 a month, inside the cheapest quarter of the category. The free edition needs your own server. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole system is MIT licensed with no paid tier to hit. The cost is the server and your time. | BSelf-hosted is free with unlimited users and assets, one person could live on it. You do the upkeep, with community support only. |
| Features | BParts in categories, suppliers, stock levels, bills of materials, plugins and several ways to deploy. The listing shows no gap in the core work of stock tracking. | CAssets, licences, labels, barcodes, alerts and a REST API. It does that job fully, but it is IT equipment, not stock for sale. |
| Ease of use | DYou deploy and maintain it yourself, which means a server, updates and reading the docs. No store rating is on record. | DNo store rating on record. The free copy needs a server you install and maintain; the hosted plans skip that. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a plugin system and connections to other software. There is no hosted version from the project. | BWeb only, but with Jamf, Intune, Google Workspace, JumpCloud, Kandji, Slack, Teams and Jira, plus an API. |
| Best for | a free, self-hosted parts and stock system | tracking IT assets and licences |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: InvenTree and Snipe-IT. How we grade
Price against what you get
InvenTree has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Snipe-IT starts at $39.99 a month and scores 2.0.
InvenTree scores higher and starts $39.99 a month lower. Of the other inventory management tools on the chart, none scores higher than InvenTree for less, and 9 score higher than Snipe-IT for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Snipe-IT also covers reports and barcode scanning.
At a glance
| InvenTree | Snipe-IT | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $39.99 per month for hosted Basic ($399.99 billed annually) |
| Free plan | The whole system is open source under the MIT license and free to run on your own server. | Self-hosted edition is free with unlimited users and assets; you run the server, and support comes from the community on GitHub and Discord. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | InvenTree | Grokability, Inc. |
| Price read from | inventree.org | snipeitapp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
InvenTree
- You deploy and maintain the server yourself; the site lists no hosted plan from the project.
- Support comes through public issue trackers and docs; private questions are generally not answered, and paid support goes through third-party developers.
- The project says it is built in spare time and has no fixed release timeline.
Snipe-IT
- Built for IT assets and licenses, not for stock levels with purchase orders or sales orders.
- The free self-hosted edition has no email support and no automatic upgrades or backups; you maintain the server.
- Hosted plans are flat fees with unlimited users, but the API is limited to 120 calls per minute on Basic and 240 on Small Business.
- Phone support, API integration help and a private Slack channel are part of a separate Enterprise Support plan, priced at $4,999.99 per year on the support page.
Key features
InvenTree
- Parts organized in categories
- Parts sit in structured categories so an inventory can be arranged to fit how a business or hobby shop works.
- Supplier management
- Suppliers and supplier items can be created, edited or deleted and linked to any part.
- Stock levels
- Shows current stock for a part, for a particular location, or as required by an individual build.
- Bill of materials
- BOM management lists the sub-parts needed to make a new part.
- Plugins and integrations
- Built to be extended: it offers several ways to connect to outside applications and to add custom plugins.
- Several ways to deploy
- Install with Docker, a one-line installer, AppJail on FreeBSD, a manual bare-metal install, or a 1-click DigitalOcean app.
Snipe-IT
- Assets, licenses and consumables
- Separate records for assets, software licenses, accessories, consumables and components, with check-in and check-out history for each item.
- Labels and barcode scanning
- Generates QR code labels and works with most handheld barcode scanners and QR reader apps, and supports quick audits.
- Alerts and notifications
- Email alerts for expiring licenses and warranties, upcoming audits, low inventory and check-in deadlines, plus Slack and Teams notifications for check-in and check-out.
- Device-management sync
- The site lists about 20 native sync adapters, including Jamf, Intune, Kandji, JumpCloud and Google Workspace, and a custom HTTP adapter for other systems.
- Access control and sign-in
- Role-based groups with granular permissions, SAML SSO, LDAP and Active Directory sync, and SCIM provisioning.
- REST API and import
- A JSON REST API for custom automation, CSV import and export, and custom fields on assets.
Plans
InvenTree
Self-hosted$0
The full open-source system under the MIT license, which you host and maintain yourself.
Snipe-IT
Self-Hosted$0
Free software that you install and maintain yourself, with unlimited users and assets and community support only.
Basic Hosting$399.99
per year, flat fee for the team ($39.99 billed monthly)
Hosted by the vendor with unlimited users and assets, automatic upgrades, server maintenance, backups, email support and a limit of 120 API calls per minute.
Small Business Hosting$999.99
per year, flat fee for the team ($99.99 billed monthly)
Adds a 240 API-calls-per-minute limit, more LDAP memory and syncs per day, and site IP restrictions.
Dedicated Hosting (small)$2,499.99
per year, flat fee for the team ($249.99 billed monthly)
A private server with VPN connectivity and server-wide IP restrictions; the page shows no API call limit, subject to hardware.
Ways to pay less
InvenTree
No public discounts listed.
Snipe-IT
- Annual discount
Save 16% with annual billing
Hosted plans are $399.99, $999.99 and $2,499.99 per year, against $39.99, $99.99 and $249.99 per month; the page says annual saves 16%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, InvenTree or Snipe-IT?
As of Nov 13, 2026, InvenTree is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $39.99 a month for Snipe-IT. InvenTree is free, and Snipe-IT starts at $39.99 per month for hosted Basic ($399.99 billed annually).
Which has a free plan, InvenTree or Snipe-IT?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both InvenTree and Snipe-IT have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.