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Inventory · head to head

ERPNext vs Quartzy

ERPNext logo

ERPNext

Inventory

Open-source ERP solution for SMEs and growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

Lab inventory and ordering software funded by the supply marketplace attached to it

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ERPNext has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ERPNext the software is AGPL-3.0 licensed, which imposes source disclosure obligations on anyone distributing a modified network service built on it; Quartzy the vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • They diverge on capability: ERPNext covers Accounting, Quartzy covers Inventory tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ERPNext and Quartzy actually diverge.

Attributes where ERPNext and Quartzy differ
AttributeERPNextQuartzy
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by user tier
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Cloud, WebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2014Unknown

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

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 ERPNext

  • Accounting
  • Inventory
  • Manufacturing
  • CRM
  • Human Resources
  • Payment gateways
  • Email systems
  • Custom extensions

Only in Quartzy

  • Inventory tracking
  • Request and approval
  • Quartzy Shop
  • Order tracking
  • Spend reporting
  • Barcode scanning
  • PunchOut
  • Vendor catalogues

What people use each for

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

ERPNext

  • Enterprise resource planning for small to medium businessesnot Quartzy
  • Accounting and financial managementnot Quartzy
  • Inventory and stock managementnot Quartzy
  • Supply chain managementnot Quartzy

Quartzy

  • An academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs outnot ERPNext
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot ERPNext
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot ERPNext
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot ERPNext

Where each one falls short

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

ERPNext

  • The software is AGPL-3.0 licensed, which imposes source disclosure obligations on anyone distributing a modified network service built on it
  • Managed hosting is priced per site and per server rather than per user, so a small team running several sites pays more than a large team on one
  • Dedicated server isolation and stronger reliability guarantees start at $125 a month
  • Self hosting is free but places upgrades, backups and availability entirely on the operator

Quartzy

  • The vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • Seat limits are tight, at three users on Academia and five on Industry, and exceeding them pushes you into a quoted Enterprise contract rather than a predictable per seat increment.
  • It is not a LIMS: there is no sample workflow, instrument integration, electronic lab notebook or 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, so a lab moving toward regulated work will need a second system.
  • Prices are billed annually, so the USD 250 Industry plan is a USD 3,000 upfront commitment for a five-person team, which is significant for an early-stage company.
  • Supplier catalogue coverage and pricing accuracy vary by region, and labs outside the United States frequently find their usual distributors missing or their contract pricing not reflected.

Pricing, plan by plan

ERPNext

Free
  • Community EditionFree
  • Frappe Cloud Starter$14/month
  • Frappe Cloud Standard$50/month
  • Frappe Cloud Professional$100/month

Quartzy

$50/month
  • Academia$50/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 3 users
    • Inventory tracking and request workflow
  • Industry$250/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 5 users
    • Everything in Academia
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • PunchOut integration with institutional procurement

Which should you pick?

Choose ERPNext if

  • You need accounting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
  • You also want inventory.
ERPNext review

Choose Quartzy if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want request and approval.
Quartzy review

Questions people ask

Is ERPNext or Quartzy better?
Neither clearly leads. ERPNext starts at Free and Quartzy at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ERPNext or Quartzy?
ERPNext has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ERPNext and $50/month for Quartzy.
Does ERPNext or Quartzy run on more platforms?
ERPNext runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web. Quartzy runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use ERPNext for free?
Yes. ERPNext has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quartzy starts at $50/month.
What is ERPNext best used for?
ERPNext is most often used for enterprise resource planning for small to medium businesses, accounting and financial management, inventory and stock management, supply chain management. Of those, enterprise resource planning for small to medium businesses and accounting and financial management are not what Quartzy is typically brought in for.
What can ERPNext do that Quartzy cannot?
ERPNext covers Accounting, Inventory, Manufacturing, CRM. Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ERPNext: Is ERPNext free?

Yes, ERPNext Community Edition is completely free and open source with no hidden paywalls. Everything is available to use, modify, or resell at no cost. Users can also access professional hosting through Frappe Cloud starting at USD$14 per month.

Source
Quartzy: How much does Quartzy cost?

USD 50 per month billed annually for up to three users on Academia, USD 250 per month for up to five users on Industry, and quoted pricing for unlimited users on Enterprise.

ERPNext: What is Frappe Cloud pricing based on?

Frappe Cloud pricing is compute-based rather than per-user licensing. Costs range from USD$14 to USD$108 per month depending on resource needs. The pricing advantage is that hosting costs do not scale linearly with the number of users, unlike traditional per-seat SaaS models.

Source
Quartzy: Do I have to buy supplies through Quartzy?

No, you can record orders placed elsewhere. But the Shop is how Quartzy earns beyond the subscription, and supplier credits are tied to it.

Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

No. It handles inventory and purchasing. It does not do sample workflow, instrument data or regulated electronic records.

Quartzy: What happens when we exceed the user limit?

You move to Enterprise, which is quoted rather than listed, so budget for a step change rather than an extra seat charge.

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