Inventory Management · head to head
DEAR Inventory vs ERPNext
DEAR Inventory
Inventory Management
Complete inventory and order management system
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
E
ERPNext
Inventory Management
Open-source ERP solution for SMEs and growing businesses
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ERPNext has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: DEAR Inventory dEAR Inventory is now sold as Cin7 Core with four named tiers (Standard, Pro, Advanced, Omni) but no dollar figures are published, only an ROI calculator; 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: DEAR Inventory covers Inventory management, ERPNext covers Inventory.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DEAR Inventory and ERPNext actually diverge.
| Attribute | DEAR Inventory | ERPNext |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based | Self-hosted, Cloud, Web |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory Management).
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 DEAR Inventory
- Inventory management
- Purchase orders
- Sales orders
- Xero
- QuickBooks
- Shopify
- Amazon
- eBay
Only in ERPNext
- Inventory
- CRM
- Human Resources
- Payment gateways
- Email systems
- Custom extensions
- Third-party APIs
- User role management
Both cover
- Manufacturing
- Accounting
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
DEAR Inventory
- Manufacturing managementnot ERPNext
- Order processingnot ERPNext
- Stock controlnot ERPNext
- Financial integrationnot ERPNext
ERPNext
- Open source ERP covering accounting, inventory, manufacturing and HRnot DEAR Inventory
- Self hosting a full business management suite without per user licensingnot DEAR Inventory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
DEAR Inventory
- DEAR Inventory is now sold as Cin7 Core with four named tiers (Standard, Pro, Advanced, Omni) but no dollar figures are published, only an ROI calculator
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
DEAR Inventory
On request- Standard$249/month
- Core features
- 5 users
- Standard support
- Professional$449/month
- Advanced manufacturing
- 10 users
- Priority support
- Enterprise$849/month
- Full features
- Unlimited users
- Dedicated 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 DEAR Inventory if
- You need inventory management.
- You work on Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based.
- You also want purchase orders.
Choose ERPNext if
- You need inventory.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
- You also want crm.
Questions people ask
- Is DEAR Inventory or ERPNext better?
- Neither clearly leads. DEAR Inventory starts at On request and ERPNext at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, DEAR Inventory or ERPNext?
- ERPNext has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for DEAR Inventory and Free for ERPNext.
- Does DEAR Inventory or ERPNext run on more platforms?
- DEAR Inventory runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based. ERPNext runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
- Can I use ERPNext for free?
- Yes. ERPNext has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DEAR Inventory starts at On request.
- What is DEAR Inventory best used for?
- DEAR Inventory is most often used for manufacturing management, order processing, stock control, financial integration. Of those, manufacturing management and order processing are not what ERPNext is typically brought in for.
- What can DEAR Inventory do that ERPNext cannot?
- DEAR Inventory covers Inventory management, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Xero. ERPNext covers Inventory, CRM, Human Resources, Payment gateways. Both handle Manufacturing, Accounting, Web support.