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Manufacturing · head to head

OpenBOM vs Poseidon Systems

OpenBOM logo

OpenBOM

Manufacturing

Cloud bill of materials and part catalogue management priced per seat, with free read-only users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Poseidon Systems logo

Poseidon Systems

Manufacturing

Oil debris and fluid quality monitoring for gearboxes and drivetrains, not vibration

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenBOM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: OpenBOM pricing has three axes, editing seats plus data record count plus per-seat CAD add-ins at $25 to $45 each, so the real annual cost is well above the advertised per-seat figure.; Poseidon Systems sensors must be plumbed into the lubrication circuit, so installation needs a shutdown, a mechanical fitter and pressure-rated connections, which puts the retrofit cost well above a magnetically mounted vibration sensor.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenBOM covers Multi-level BOMs, Poseidon Systems covers Metallic wear debris detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenBOM and Poseidon Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenBOM and Poseidon Systems differ
AttributeOpenBOMPoseidon Systems
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, APIWeb, Cloud, On-premise

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

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 OpenBOM

  • Multi-level BOMs
  • Part catalogue
  • CAD add-ins
  • Change management
  • Free read-only users
  • REST API

Only in Poseidon Systems

  • Metallic wear debris detection
  • Fluid quality sensing
  • Trident FQMS
  • Inline installation
  • Remote data access
  • Defence drivetrain heritage

What people use each for

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

OpenBOM

  • A hardware startup replacing a shared BOM spreadsheet before its first contract manufacturing runnot Poseidon Systems
  • A contract manufacturer sharing structured BOMs with customers who should see but not edit themnot Poseidon Systems
  • An electronics team pulling BOMs straight out of Altium and mechanical CAD instead of retyping themnot Poseidon Systems
  • A small manufacturer that needs part numbering and revision discipline but cannot fund a PLM projectnot Poseidon Systems

Poseidon Systems

  • A wind farm operator monitoring gearbox wear debris, where a gearbox replacement offshore costs far more than instrumenting the whole fleetnot OpenBOM
  • A marine operator watching propulsion reduction gear for water ingress and metallic wear between dry dockingsnot OpenBOM
  • A mining company monitoring slow-speed mill and conveyor drive gearboxes where vibration analysis gives late warningnot OpenBOM
  • A defence operator needing drivetrain prognostics with a supplier that has aerospace transmission monitoring provenancenot OpenBOM

Where each one falls short

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

OpenBOM

  • Pricing has three axes, editing seats plus data record count plus per-seat CAD add-ins at $25 to $45 each, so the real annual cost is well above the advertised per-seat figure.
  • Paying yearly nearly halves the seat price, from $55 to $30 and $165 to $90, so monthly billing carries an unusually heavy penalty for teams that want flexibility.
  • Change management, revision control and CAD file management are absent from the entry Team plan, so the cheapest tier is a catalogue rather than a working PLM.
  • It lacks the approval workflows, effectivity dating and audit depth that regulated medical and aerospace suppliers need, so companies pursuing ISO 13485 or AS9100 typically migrate away.
  • Record count is metered separately and a large imported part library can push a small team into a higher data tier without adding a single user.

Poseidon Systems

  • Sensors must be plumbed into the lubrication circuit, so installation needs a shutdown, a mechanical fitter and pressure-rated connections, which puts the retrofit cost well above a magnetically mounted vibration sensor.
  • It monitors the lubricant, so it says nothing about unlubricated failure modes, structural problems, electrical faults or process conditions, and it is a complement to vibration monitoring rather than a replacement for it.
  • Poseidon Systems is a small specialist manufacturer, so a fleet-wide standardisation decision carries real supplier continuity risk and there is no second source for the same sensors.
  • The software layer is thin compared with dedicated reliability platforms, so most buyers end up feeding the data into a SCADA or historian they already run rather than using Poseidon as their monitoring interface.
  • No pricing is published for sensors, concentrators or software, and per-drivetrain costs are high enough that the business case only works on gearboxes whose failure is genuinely expensive.

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenBOM

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 2,000 data records
    • Basic BOM and catalogue management
    • Non-commercial and educational use
  • Professional Team$55/month
    • $30 per seat per month billed yearly
    • BOM management, part catalogue, inventory
    • RFQ and purchase orders
  • Company$165/month
    • $90 per seat per month billed yearly
    • Everything in Team
    • CAD file management and revision control
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Single sign-on
    • Custom integrations
    • Private or custom hosting

Poseidon Systems

On request
  • Trident condition monitoring$undefined/year
    • Priced per sensor and per monitored drivetrain
    • Mechanical installation into the lubrication circuit required
    • Data concentrator hardware required for multi-sensor systems

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenBOM if

  • You need multi-level boms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, API.
  • You also want part catalogue.
OpenBOM review

Choose Poseidon Systems if

  • You need metallic wear debris detection.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want fluid quality sensing.
Poseidon Systems review

Questions people ask

Is OpenBOM or Poseidon Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenBOM starts at Free and Poseidon Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenBOM or Poseidon Systems?
OpenBOM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenBOM and On request for Poseidon Systems.
Does OpenBOM or Poseidon Systems run on more platforms?
OpenBOM runs on Web, Windows, macOS, API. Poseidon Systems runs on Web, Cloud, On-premise.
Can I use OpenBOM for free?
Yes. OpenBOM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Poseidon Systems starts at On request.
What is OpenBOM best used for?
OpenBOM is most often used for a hardware startup replacing a shared bom spreadsheet before its first contract manufacturing run, a contract manufacturer sharing structured boms with customers who should see but not edit them, an electronics team pulling boms straight out of altium and mechanical cad instead of retyping them, a small manufacturer that needs part numbering and revision discipline but cannot fund a plm project. Of those, a hardware startup replacing a shared bom spreadsheet before its first contract manufacturing run and a contract manufacturer sharing structured boms with customers who should see but not edit them are not what Poseidon Systems is typically brought in for.
What can OpenBOM do that Poseidon Systems cannot?
OpenBOM covers Multi-level BOMs, Part catalogue, CAD add-ins, Change management. Poseidon Systems covers Metallic wear debris detection, Fluid quality sensing, Trident FQMS, Inline installation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenBOM: Is OpenBOM free?

There is a genuine free tier limited to 2,000 data records and aimed at non-commercial and educational use. Commercial teams start at $30 per seat per month billed yearly.

Poseidon Systems: Does this replace vibration monitoring?

No. Oil debris monitoring catches gear and bearing wear earlier in slow-speed and heavily loaded drives, but it sees nothing outside the lubrication circuit. Most operators run both.

OpenBOM: Do I pay for people who only look at BOMs?

No. Read-only users are unlimited and free on every paid plan, which is the main reason the total cost undercuts seat-for-seat PLM tools.

Poseidon Systems: How are the sensors installed?

Inline in the lubrication circuit, which requires a mechanical installation and a shutdown, unlike an externally mounted vibration sensor.

OpenBOM: Are the CAD add-ins included?

No. They are $25 per seat per month billed yearly, $45 monthly, and require an active Team or Company subscription.

Poseidon Systems: Is there a software-only option?

No. The software comes with the hardware; there is no route to buy the analytics and use another vendor's sensors.

OpenBOM: Can OpenBOM replace a full PLM?

For a startup, usually yes. For regulated manufacturing needing controlled workflows and full audit trails, no.

Poseidon Systems: Is Poseidon Systems still independent?

Yes. It trades under its own name from Rochester, New York, with roots in the Impact Technologies prognostics business.

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