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ERP · head to head

DEAR Systems vs OpenBravo

DEAR Systems logo

DEAR Systems

ERP

Cloud inventory management for growing businesses

From
$349/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenBravo logo

OpenBravo

ERP

Open-source-derived ERP that has narrowed its focus to retail commerce

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenBravo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DEAR Systems dEAR Systems is sold as Cin7 Core and priced on the Cin7 pricing page; OpenBravo the commercial product is a paid subscription despite the open source lineage, so buyers who assume open source means low cost find the licence conversation no different from any other vendor's.
  • They diverge on capability: DEAR Systems covers Inventory control, OpenBravo covers Retail point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DEAR Systems and OpenBravo actually diverge.

Attributes where DEAR Systems and OpenBravo differ
AttributeDEAR SystemsOpenBravo
Starting price$349/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileSelf-hosted, Web
Founded20122000

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (ERP).

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 Systems

  • Inventory control
  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Manufacturing
  • Accounting integration
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Shopify

Only in OpenBravo

  • Retail point of sale
  • Omnichannel order management
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Procurement
  • Financials
  • Modular architecture
  • Web-based interface
  • Open source lineage

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DEAR Systems

  • Inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellersnot OpenBravo
  • Manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planningnot OpenBravo
  • Syncing stock and orders with Xero or QuickBooks Onlinenot OpenBravo
  • Multi warehouse stock control across unlimited locationsnot OpenBravo

OpenBravo

  • A retail chain replacing separate point of sale and back office systems with one platform across storesnot DEAR Systems
  • A retailer needing a single view of stock across shops, warehouse and online fulfilmentnot DEAR Systems
  • An organisation that requires source code access for auditability or long term control of its own extensionsnot DEAR Systems
  • A business in Europe or Latin America where Openbravo's partner presence is establishednot DEAR Systems

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DEAR Systems

  • DEAR Systems is sold as Cin7 Core and priced on the Cin7 pricing page
  • The $349 per month Standard plan caps sales orders at 6,000 per year, includes 5 users and 2 e-commerce integrations
  • Material requirements planning requires the Pro plan at $599 per month
  • Advanced warehouse management requires the Advanced plan at $1,199 per month
  • Additional users, extra integrations, API access, forecasting and advanced automations all cost extra and are priced by the sales team
  • The Omni enterprise plan is custom priced with no published rate

OpenBravo

  • The commercial product is a paid subscription despite the open source lineage, so buyers who assume open source means low cost find the licence conversation no different from any other vendor's.
  • Development focus has narrowed towards retail commerce, so a buyer wanting a general purpose ERP for manufacturing or services is choosing a product whose investment is going somewhere else.
  • The community around the horizontal ERP is much quieter than it once was, so independent documentation, forum answers and third party modules are sparse and you are dependent on the vendor and its partners in practice.
  • The partner network is small and concentrated in particular regions, which limits your choice of implementer and leaves you exposed if the one available partner in your country is unavailable or underperforms.
  • Extending the platform requires Java and SQL skills specific to its framework, so customisation means hiring or contracting developers for a niche stack, and a heavily modified installation becomes yours to maintain across upgrades.

Pricing, plan by plan

DEAR Systems

$349/month
  • Standard$349/month
    • 5 users
    • 6000 annual sale orders
    • 2 e-commerce integrations
  • Pro$599/month
    • 10 users
    • 24000 annual sale orders
    • 4 e-commerce integrations
  • Advanced$1199/month
    • 15 users
    • 120000 annual sale orders
    • 6 e-commerce integrations
  • Omni$null/month
    • 8 users
    • Flexible annual sale orders
    • 5 e-commerce integrations

OpenBravo

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Open-source
    • Core functionality
    • Community support
  • Enterprise Support$200/month
    • Professional support
    • Updates
    • Consulting

Which should you pick?

Choose DEAR Systems if

  • You need inventory control.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want purchase orders.
DEAR Systems review

Choose OpenBravo if

  • You need retail point of sale.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Web.
  • You also want omnichannel order management.
OpenBravo review

Questions people ask

Is DEAR Systems or OpenBravo better?
Neither clearly leads. DEAR Systems starts at $349/month and OpenBravo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DEAR Systems or OpenBravo?
OpenBravo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $349/month for DEAR Systems and Free for OpenBravo.
Does DEAR Systems or OpenBravo run on more platforms?
DEAR Systems runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. OpenBravo runs on Self-hosted, Web.
Can I use OpenBravo for free?
Yes. OpenBravo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DEAR Systems starts at $349/month.
What is DEAR Systems best used for?
DEAR Systems is most often used for inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellers, manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planning, syncing stock and orders with xero or quickbooks online, multi warehouse stock control across unlimited locations. Of those, inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellers and manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planning are not what OpenBravo is typically brought in for.
What can DEAR Systems do that OpenBravo cannot?
DEAR Systems covers Inventory control, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Manufacturing. OpenBravo covers Retail point of sale, Omnichannel order management, Inventory and warehouse, Procurement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DEAR Systems: How much does Dear Systems (Cin7) cost?

Dear Systems pricing starts at $349/month for the Standard tier, $599/month for the Pro tier (most popular), $1199/month for Advanced, and custom pricing for the Omni enterprise solution.

Source
OpenBravo: Is Openbravo free?

The lineage is open source and source code is available, but the commercial retail product is sold as a subscription. Treat it as commercial software with an open codebase rather than as free software with paid support.

DEAR Systems: What features does each Dear Systems plan include?

Standard includes 5 users and 6000 annual orders. Pro (most popular) adds 10 users, 24000 orders, and MRP. Advanced provides 15 users, 120000 orders, and advanced warehouse management. Omni offers enterprise customization with flexible user and order limits.

Source
OpenBravo: Can I still use it as a general ERP?

The horizontal capability exists in the architecture, but the commercial attention is on retail. If you are not a retailer, you would be relying on parts of the product that are not where investment is going.

DEAR Systems: How many users and integrations are included in Dear Systems plans?

Standard tier includes 5 users and 2 e-commerce integrations. Pro tier includes 10 users and 4 integrations. Advanced tier includes 15 users and 6 integrations. Additional users and integrations are available as paid add-ons.

Source
OpenBravo: What skills do I need in-house?

Java and SQL for anything beyond configuration, plus familiarity with the module framework. If you have no development capacity and no intention to acquire any, the open codebase gives you nothing you will use.

OpenBravo: How do I judge the implementation risk?

By the partner, and specifically by whether there is more than one credible partner in your country. A single available implementer is a concentration risk that should be reflected in your contract terms.

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