Softwr

ERP · head to head

IFS vs OpenBravo

IFS logo

IFS

ERP

ERP for project-centric and asset-centric businesses

From
$1000/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 no price, per user rate, minimum commitment or contract term is published on the site; the only route to a figure is a demo booking; 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 covers Project 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 and OpenBravo actually diverge.

Attributes where IFS and OpenBravo differ
AttributeIFSOpenBravo
Starting price$1000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, HybridSelf-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

  • Project management
  • Field service
  • Asset management
  • Supply chain
  • Manufacturing
  • IoT sensors
  • Mobile workforce
  • Analytics

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.

IFS

  • Enterprise resource planning for asset intensive industries such as aerospace, energy and manufacturingnot OpenBravo
  • Enterprise asset management and predictive maintenancenot OpenBravo
  • Field service management and workforce schedulingnot OpenBravo

OpenBravo

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

Where each one falls short

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

IFS

  • No price, per user rate, minimum commitment or contract term is published on the site; the only route to a figure is a demo booking
  • IFS Cloud is sold as an industry specific composable suite rather than as a priced product with published editions

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

$1000/month
  • Standard$1000/month
    • Core ERP
    • Project management
    • Field service
  • Premium$3000/month
    • Advanced features
    • Extensive integrations
    • AI capabilities

OpenBravo

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

Which should you pick?

Choose IFS if

  • You need project management.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid.
  • You also want field service.
IFS 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 or OpenBravo better?
Neither clearly leads. IFS starts at $1000/month and OpenBravo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IFS or OpenBravo?
OpenBravo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for IFS and Free for OpenBravo.
Does IFS or OpenBravo run on more platforms?
IFS runs on Cloud, Hybrid. 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 starts at $1000/month.
What is IFS best used for?
IFS is most often used for enterprise resource planning for asset intensive industries such as aerospace, energy and manufacturing, enterprise asset management and predictive maintenance, field service management and workforce scheduling. Of those, enterprise resource planning for asset intensive industries such as aerospace, energy and manufacturing and enterprise asset management and predictive maintenance are not what OpenBravo is typically brought in for.
What can IFS do that OpenBravo cannot?
IFS covers Project management, Field service, Asset management, Supply chain. OpenBravo covers Retail point of sale, Omnichannel order management, Inventory and warehouse, Procurement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IFS: Why is IFS P2 Energy Solutions pricing not published?

IFS provides custom pricing based on organization size and specific needs. The website directs interested buyers to book a demo or contact the sales team rather than publishing standard rates.

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.

IFS: What is the process to get pricing information from IFS?

The website includes calls-to-action for 'Book a demo' and 'Contact us' as the primary pathways to discuss pricing and contract terms with the sales team.

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.

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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