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Manufacturing · head to head

OpenBOM vs Wave PLM

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
Wave PLM logo

Wave PLM

Fashion

Agile PLM solution for fashion and apparel

From
$250/month
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.; Wave PLM starter plan requires a minimum of 10 users at $120 per user per month billed annually, and the Professional plan requires a minimum of 50 users at $100 per user per month billed annually
  • They diverge on capability: OpenBOM covers Multi-level BOMs, Wave PLM covers Agile workflows.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenBOM and Wave PLM actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenBOM and Wave PLM differ
AttributeOpenBOMWave PLM
Starting priceFree$250/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, APIWindows, Mac, Web
CategoryManufacturingFashion
FoundedUnknown2016

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

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 Wave PLM

  • Agile workflows
  • Product management
  • Team collaboration
  • Real-time visibility
  • Task management
  • Document control
  • Jira
  • Slack

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

Wave PLM

  • Agile product developmentnot 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.

Wave PLM

  • Starter plan requires a minimum of 10 users at $120 per user per month billed annually, and the Professional plan requires a minimum of 50 users at $100 per user per month billed annually
  • The Wave AI add-on is priced separately from the base plan, starting at $25 per user per month billed annually

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

Wave PLM

$250/month
  • Starter$250/month
    • Core PLM
    • Basic features
  • Growth$600/month
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full suite

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 Wave PLM if

  • You need agile workflows.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Web.
  • You also want product management.
Wave PLM review

Questions people ask

Is OpenBOM or Wave PLM better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenBOM starts at Free and Wave PLM at $250/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenBOM or Wave PLM?
OpenBOM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenBOM and $250/month for Wave PLM.
Does OpenBOM or Wave PLM run on more platforms?
OpenBOM runs on Web, Windows, macOS, API. Wave PLM runs on Windows, Mac, Web.
Can I use OpenBOM for free?
Yes. OpenBOM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wave PLM starts at $250/month.
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 Wave PLM is typically brought in for.
What can OpenBOM do that Wave PLM cannot?
OpenBOM covers Multi-level BOMs, Part catalogue, CAD add-ins, Change management. Wave PLM covers Agile workflows, Product management, Team collaboration, Real-time visibility.

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.

Wave PLM: How does Wave PLM pricing scale with team size?

Starter costs $120 per user per month for 10-49 users. Professional costs $100 per user per month for 50-199 users. Enterprise pricing is custom for 200+ users. All plans are billed annually.

Source
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.

Wave PLM: What is the cost to add AI capabilities to Wave PLM?

Wave AI add-on costs starting at $25 per user per month and includes AI assistant, similarity search, product recommendations, natural language search, and AI-generated descriptions.

Source
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.

Wave PLM: What vendor collaboration features are included at each Wave PLM tier?

Starter includes 10 vendor companies, Professional includes 50, and Enterprise offers unlimited vendor companies with customizable configurations.

Source
OpenBOM: Can OpenBOM replace a full PLM?

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

Wave PLM: Does Wave PLM offer a trial period?

No trial period is mentioned; Wave PLM offers demo versions available upon request and can be deployed to cloud environments within 24 hours.

Source
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