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ERP · head to head

IFS Applications vs OpenBravo

IFS Applications logo

IFS Applications

ERP

ERP for asset-heavy and service-heavy industries, now delivered as IFS Cloud

From
$3000/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: IFS Applications iFS Applications 10 is the older line and the current product is IFS Cloud, so an existing customer's move is a re-implementation with data migration and process redesign rather than an upgrade, and it needs its own budget and business case.; 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: IFS Applications covers Enterprise asset management, 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 IFS Applications and OpenBravo actually diverge.

Attributes where IFS Applications and OpenBravo differ
AttributeIFS ApplicationsOpenBravo
Starting price$3000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileSelf-hosted, Web
Founded19832000

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 IFS Applications

  • Enterprise asset management
  • Field service management
  • Project-based operations
  • Manufacturing
  • Maintenance, repair and overhaul
  • Supply chain
  • Regular release cadence

Only in OpenBravo

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

Both cover

  • Financials

What people use each for

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

IFS Applications

  • An aerospace or defence organisation performing regulated maintenance, repair and overhaul with full traceabilitynot OpenBravo
  • A utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain themnot OpenBravo
  • A manufacturer that services and maintains the equipment it sells and wants that revenue in the same systemnot OpenBravo
  • An engineering or construction firm running long projects where cost control and progress billing drive the financesnot OpenBravo

OpenBravo

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

Where each one falls short

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

IFS Applications

  • IFS Applications 10 is the older line and the current product is IFS Cloud, so an existing customer's move is a re-implementation with data migration and process redesign rather than an upgrade, and it needs its own budget and business case.
  • The partner and consultant pool is far smaller than for SAP, Oracle or Microsoft, so experienced implementers are scarce, expensive and concentrated in a few firms, and availability rather than price often sets your start date.
  • IFS Cloud ships on a regular release cadence, so you must fund regression testing and change communication repeatedly rather than treating an upgrade as an occasional event you can plan around a quiet quarter.
  • Deployment is commonly private cloud or on premise rather than shared multi-tenant, so infrastructure management, environment refreshes and operational responsibility remain yours or your partner's.
  • The product's depth is in asset-heavy and service-heavy industries, and outside those sectors, for example in retail or consumer goods, you would be paying for capability you do not need while competing products fit better.

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

IFS Applications

$3000/month
  • Core$3000/month
    • Financial management
    • Field service
    • Asset management
  • Premium$5500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • IoT integration
    • Priority support

OpenBravo

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

Which should you pick?

Choose IFS Applications if

  • You need enterprise asset management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want field service management.
IFS Applications 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 IFS Applications or OpenBravo better?
Neither clearly leads. IFS Applications starts at $3000/month and OpenBravo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IFS Applications or OpenBravo?
OpenBravo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3000/month for IFS Applications and Free for OpenBravo.
Does IFS Applications or OpenBravo run on more platforms?
IFS Applications 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. IFS Applications starts at $3000/month.
What is IFS Applications best used for?
IFS Applications is most often used for an aerospace or defence organisation performing regulated maintenance, repair and overhaul with full traceability, a utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain them, a manufacturer that services and maintains the equipment it sells and wants that revenue in the same system, an engineering or construction firm running long projects where cost control and progress billing drive the finances. Of those, an aerospace or defence organisation performing regulated maintenance, repair and overhaul with full traceability and a utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain them are not what OpenBravo is typically brought in for.
What can IFS Applications do that OpenBravo cannot?
IFS Applications covers Enterprise asset management, Field service management, Project-based operations, Manufacturing. OpenBravo covers Retail point of sale, Omnichannel order management, Inventory and warehouse, Procurement. Both handle Financials.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IFS Applications: Is IFS Applications still current?

No. IFS Applications 10 is the older line and IFS Cloud is the current product, which combined the separate ERP, asset management and field service products into one. Check your support dates for Applications and plan the transition explicitly.

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.

IFS Applications: Why choose IFS over SAP or Oracle?

Because asset management and field service are in the core rather than integrated alongside. If your business revolves around maintaining physical assets or dispatching technicians, that single data model removes a class of integration and reconciliation work. If it does not, the argument largely disappears.

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.

IFS Applications: What does the move from IFS Applications to IFS Cloud involve?

Data migration, reconfiguration and retraining, closer to a new implementation than an upgrade. Get a scoped estimate before committing, and be clear about how long your existing version remains supported so the deadline is a known quantity.

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.

IFS Applications: How do I manage the release cadence?

Budget for regular regression testing as a standing operational cost, automate the tests that cover your critical processes, and assign an owner for reviewing each release's changes. Organisations that treat each release as a surprise project struggle with this model.

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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