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Manufacturing · head to head

OpenBOM vs QAD Redzone

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
QAD Redzone logo

QAD Redzone

Manufacturing

Connected workforce platform for food and beverage plants, sold per production line with coaching included

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.; QAD Redzone licensing is per production line and per site, so a plant running many short lines pays far more than a plant with a few long ones producing the same volume, and the pricing unit is not comparable with per user or per machine products.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenBOM covers Multi-level BOMs, QAD Redzone covers Line side tablets.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenBOM and QAD Redzone actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenBOM and QAD Redzone differ
AttributeOpenBOMQAD Redzone
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, APIWeb, iOS, Android

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 QAD Redzone

  • Line side tablets
  • Crew based performance
  • Structured escalation
  • Digital quality checks
  • Coaching programme
  • Plant and network reporting

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 QAD Redzone
  • A contract manufacturer sharing structured BOMs with customers who should see but not edit themnot QAD Redzone
  • An electronics team pulling BOMs straight out of Altium and mechanical CAD instead of retyping themnot QAD Redzone
  • A small manufacturer that needs part numbering and revision discipline but cannot fund a PLM projectnot QAD Redzone

QAD Redzone

  • A food plant losing output to unrecorded short stoppages that nobody escalates during a shiftnot OpenBOM
  • A CPG manufacturer wanting crews to own line targets rather than receive them from a weekly reportnot OpenBOM
  • A plant replacing paper food safety and quality check sheets with time stamped digital recordsnot OpenBOM
  • A multi site group looking for comparable productivity reporting across plants running similar linesnot 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.

QAD Redzone

  • Licensing is per production line and per site, so a plant running many short lines pays far more than a plant with a few long ones producing the same volume, and the pricing unit is not comparable with per user or per machine products.
  • The result depends on a change programme, and where plant leadership treats it as a software rollout and skips the coaching discipline, the tablets become expensive downtime logs and the promised gains do not appear.
  • Data comes largely from crew input plus simple sensors rather than deep controller integration, so a plant expecting automatic capture from its process control system will need additional work or a different product.
  • QAD acquired it in 2022 and QAD is owned by a private equity firm, so buyers who do not run QAD ERP should ask directly how long standalone deployments remain a strategic priority and what integration commitments exist in writing.
  • It suits repetitive process lines and fits badly in low volume high mix discrete manufacturing, where crews, targets and changeover patterns do not have the regularity the model assumes.

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

QAD Redzone

On request
  • QAD Redzone$undefined/year
    • Per production line and per site licensing
    • Line side tablet application
    • Initial coaching and deployment programme

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 QAD Redzone if

  • You need line side tablets.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want crew based performance.
QAD Redzone review

Questions people ask

Is OpenBOM or QAD Redzone better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenBOM starts at Free and QAD Redzone at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenBOM or QAD Redzone?
OpenBOM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenBOM and On request for QAD Redzone.
Does OpenBOM or QAD Redzone run on more platforms?
OpenBOM runs on Web, Windows, macOS, API. QAD Redzone runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use OpenBOM for free?
Yes. OpenBOM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. QAD Redzone 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 QAD Redzone is typically brought in for.
What can OpenBOM do that QAD Redzone cannot?
OpenBOM covers Multi-level BOMs, Part catalogue, CAD add-ins, Change management. QAD Redzone covers Line side tablets, Crew based performance, Structured escalation, Digital quality checks.

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.

QAD Redzone: Who owns Redzone?

QAD acquired it in 2022. QAD itself is owned by Thoma Bravo.

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.

QAD Redzone: Is the coaching optional?

In practice no. The customers who skip it are the ones who report no measurable improvement.

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.

QAD Redzone: Does it connect to my PLCs?

It can take signals from equipment, but the model is built around crew input at line side tablets rather than deep controller integration.

OpenBOM: Can OpenBOM replace a full PLM?

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

QAD Redzone: How is it priced?

Per production line and per site, not per user, which changes the comparison against most other manufacturing software.

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