The InvenTree Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about InvenTree in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
InvenTree
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source parts and stock management you host yourself
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among inventory management tools, read from InvenTree’s own pages.
Made by InvenTree · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from InvenTree’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on InvenTree’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 65 of the 72 other inventory management tools we grade
InvenTree is an open-source inventory system for tracking parts, suppliers, stock locations and bills of materials. It is a web server you deploy yourself, and it can be extended with plugins and connected to other software. The project is run by contributors and is not sold as a subscription.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about InvenTree, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You deploy and maintain it yourself, which means a server, updates and reading the docs.
- 1
Best for a free, self-hosted parts and stock system
InvenTree is open source under the MIT licence and tracks parts, suppliers, stock locations and bills of materials.
- 2
It is free
InvenTree has no paid plan at all. The whole system is open source under the MIT license and free to run on your own server.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Parts organized in categories
Parts sit in structured categories so an inventory can be arranged to fit how a business or hobby shop works.
- 5
Supplier management
Suppliers and supplier items can be created, edited or deleted and linked to any part.
- 6
Stock levels
Shows current stock for a part, for a particular location, or as required by an individual build.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 65 of 72
That is against the other inventory management tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
InvenTree is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
InvenTree at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- InvenTree
- Category
- Inventory Management
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for a free, self-hosted parts and stock system
InvenTree is open source under the MIT licence and tracks parts, suppliers, stock locations and bills of materials. You run the server yourself, support comes from public issue trackers, and the project says it is built in spare time with no fixed release dates.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free 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. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole system is MIT licensed with no paid tier to hit. The cost is the server and your time. |
| Features | B | Parts 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. |
| Ease of use | D | You deploy and maintain it yourself, which means a server, updates and reading the docs. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with a plugin system and connections to other software. There is no hosted version from the project. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who InvenTree is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Hobbyists, labs and small manufacturers with someone who can run a server
- Teams that want to read and change the source code
- Parts-heavy work that needs a bill of materials
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
InvenTree is free to use.
Free 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.
Self-hosted
$0
The full open-source system under the MIT license, which you host and maintain yourself.
The free plan
The whole system is open source under the MIT license and free to run on your own server.
Read from inventree.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source parts and stock management you host yourself. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, inventory.
Parts in categories, suppliers, stock levels, bills of materials, plugins and several ways to deploy.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
InvenTree is made by InvenTree.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
65/72
Other inventory management tools it is graded above
InvenTree's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 65 of the 72 other inventory management tools we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 72 of 72) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
InvenTree has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 73 inventory management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. InvenTree’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 8 of 72
- AFree plan and trialAbove 72 of 72
- BFeaturesAbove 41 of 72
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 72
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 14 of 72
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 44 inventory management tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. InvenTree is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
InvenTree is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 65 of the 72 other inventory management tools we grade.
What you could make
- Inventory: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. InvenTree’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Snipe-IT, Sortly, BoxHero and MRPeasy
The 4 tools InvenTree is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Snipe-IT
Free plan · from $39.99/mo
Open-source IT asset management you host yourself or have hosted.
- Snipe-IT also covers reports and barcode scanning.
- 3.0GPA
Sortly
Free plan · from $49/mo
Phone-first inventory app for tracking equipment, tools and supplies.
- Only Sortly lists iOS and Android apps.
- InvenTree is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Sortly also covers barcode scanning and qR codes.
- 2.6GPA
BoxHero
Free plan · from $24/mo
Barcode-based inventory tracking for small teams.
- Only BoxHero lists iOS and Android apps.
- InvenTree is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- BoxHero also covers reports and barcode scanning.
- 2.2GPA
MRPeasy
Free trial · from $49/mo
Cloud MRP and inventory software for small manufacturers.
- InvenTree has a free plan. MRPeasy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only MRPeasy lists iOS and Android apps.
- InvenTree is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is InvenTree free?
Yes. InvenTree is free to use.
How much does InvenTree cost?
InvenTree lists one plan. Self-hosted: $0.
What platforms does InvenTree work on?
InvenTree is available on Web.
Does InvenTree have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. InvenTree is listed for Web.
Does InvenTree have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. InvenTree is listed for Web.
Is InvenTree open source?
Yes. InvenTree is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes InvenTree?
InvenTree is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to InvenTree?
The closest alternatives to InvenTree in our directory are Snipe-IT, Sortly, BoxHero and MRPeasy.
How does InvenTree compare with other inventory management tools?
InvenTree's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 65 of the 72 other inventory management tools we grade, and level with 3.
Is InvenTree good value for money?
ToolGPA grades InvenTree C for value for money. InvenTree has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of InvenTree?
InvenTree is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 65 of the 72 other inventory management tools we grade.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from InvenTree’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from InvenTree's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by InvenTree. Prices change, so check inventree.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- InvenTree, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/inventree
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "InvenTree: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/inventree
Know someone choosing between inventory management tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/inventree/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded inventory management tools after InvenTree, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Inventory Management Insider's GuideEvery one of the 73 inventory management tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Inventory Insider's GuideOnline inventory and order management from Zoho, with a free plan3.4 GPA
- Sortly Insider's GuidePhone-first inventory app for tracking equipment, tools and supplies3.0 GPA
- Busy Insider's GuideGST accounting and inventory software for Indian small businesses2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what InvenTree’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. InvenTree is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by InvenTree. Prices and plans change: check inventree.org before you buy.