Software · head to head
ABC Inventory vs ERPNext
E
ERPNext
Software
Open-source ERP solution for SMEs and growing businesses
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: ABC Inventory the free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024; ERPNext the software is AGPL-3.0 licensed, which imposes source disclosure obligations on anyone distributing a modified network service built on it
- They diverge on capability: ABC Inventory covers Inventory tracking, ERPNext covers Accounting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ABC Inventory and ERPNext actually diverge.
| Attribute | ABC Inventory | ERPNext |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Platforms | Windows Desktop | Self-hosted, Cloud, Web |
| Founded | 1995 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in ABC Inventory
- Inventory tracking
- Purchase orders
- Sales orders
- Multi-location
- Excel export
- Barcode printing
- Label printing
- Windows Desktop support
Only in ERPNext
- Accounting
- Inventory
- Manufacturing
- CRM
- Human Resources
- Payment gateways
- Email systems
- Custom extensions
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ABC Inventory
- Desktop inventorynot ERPNext
- Order managementnot ERPNext
- Purchasingnot ERPNext
- Stock controlnot ERPNext
ERPNext
- Open source ERP covering accounting, inventory, manufacturing and HRnot ABC Inventory
- Self hosting a full business management suite without per user licensingnot ABC Inventory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ABC Inventory
- The free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024
- The free licence excludes phone, email and online support, per the same capture of 20 November 2024
ERPNext
- The software is AGPL-3.0 licensed, which imposes source disclosure obligations on anyone distributing a modified network service built on it
- Managed hosting is priced per site and per server rather than per user, so a small team running several sites pays more than a large team on one
- Dedicated server isolation and stronger reliability guarantees start at $125 a month
- Self hosting is free but places upgrades, backups and availability entirely on the operator
Pricing, plan by plan
ABC Inventory
Free- FreeFree
- Full features
- Single user
- Basic support
- Network$199/month
- Multi-user
- Network access
- Priority support
ERPNext
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Open-source
- Full functionality
- Community support
- Cloud Hosted$50/month
- Cloud hosting
- Managed backups
- Email support
Which should you pick?
Choose ABC Inventory if
- You need inventory tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows Desktop.
- You also want purchase orders.
Choose ERPNext if
- You need accounting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
- You also want inventory.
Questions people ask
- Is ABC Inventory or ERPNext better?
- Neither clearly leads. ABC Inventory starts at Free and ERPNext at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ABC Inventory or ERPNext?
- ABC Inventory starts at Free and ERPNext at Free.
- Does ABC Inventory or ERPNext run on more platforms?
- ABC Inventory runs on Windows Desktop. ERPNext runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
- Can I use ABC Inventory for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is ABC Inventory best used for?
- ABC Inventory is most often used for desktop inventory, order management, purchasing, stock control. Of those, desktop inventory and order management are not what ERPNext is typically brought in for.
- What can ABC Inventory do that ERPNext cannot?
- ABC Inventory covers Inventory tracking, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Multi-location. ERPNext covers Accounting, Inventory, Manufacturing, CRM.