Apache OFBiz
by The Apache Software Foundation
Manufacturing ERPOpen source✓ Verified
A long-running Apache-licensed enterprise framework with a genuine MRP engine among its manufacturing components. Enormously capable and enormously demanding. This is a platform you build on, not software you install and use.
Why it is classified this way
We call this a Manufacturing ERP product. A broad business system (accounting, sales, purchasing) with a substantial manufacturing or planning module attached.
It is not labeled Full MRP because we have not verified that it explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials; and uses lead times or required dates. That is a statement about the evidence we found, not a claim that the product is weak, see the capability table and the sources below.
The six Full MRP tests, and how Apache OFBiz does on each (4 of 6)
- YesIt represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula.Evidence: cwiki.apache.org › Getting Started with Apache OFBiz Manufacturing and MRP i…(opens in a new tab)
- YesIt accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule.Evidence: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)
- YesIt nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming.Evidence: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)
- UnknownIt explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials.Not established. No evidence found yet.
- PartialIt uses lead times or required dates.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- YesIt produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations.Evidence: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab); cwiki.apache.org › Apache OFBiz for Manufacturing MRP(opens in a new tab)
These rules are applied identically to every product and enforced at build time, a record cannot be published as Full MRP unless all six pass with a source attached. Read the methodology.
Best for
- Organizations with in-house Java developers who want to own the whole stack
- Teams that need a permissive Apache license with a patent grant for commercial reasons
- Long-horizon projects where a decade of no license fees justifies a heavy build
Not a fit when
- Any small shop without a development team. This is the highest-effort option in the directory by a distance
- Anyone who needs to be running this quarter
- Buyers evaluating on features alone; the deciding factor here is implementation capacity
Pricing facts
What it costs to do manufacturing in this product.
Free to self-host
Free under Apache-2.0 with no feature gating. The real cost is implementation, and for OFBiz that cost is substantial.
Free to self-host
$0/month
No published price
This vendor does not publish pricing, so you cannot compare it against anything here without contacting them. We will not estimate a figure.
What moves the real bill
- No published price. You have to contact the vendor, which usually means a sales call.
Plans
| Plan | Price | Add-ons and setup |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hostedApache OFBiz (Apache-2.0) | Free | — |
| You install, host, back up and upgrade it yourself. | ||
Pricing detail
No license fee and no commercial edition. Implementation is the entire cost, and it is not small. OFBiz is a framework that expects Java development to reach a working configuration. Anyone comparing it on price against a $99 SaaS plan is comparing the wrong things.
Checked on August 13, 2026. Source: github.com(opens in a new tab). Prices change. Check before you buy.
Manufacturing capability
19 of 25 fields resolved. "Unknown" means we have not found first-party evidence. It is not a No.
Planning
Working out what to buy or make, and when.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | Yes | The project's wiki page on MRP internals says: "If the estimated delivery dates differ, and MRP is run, the engine treats each sales order separately and generates individual requirements." Sales orders feed MRP by their estimated delivery date, and sales forecasts are also an input.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Yes | "When the MRP engine calculates a requirement, it deducts QOH from the total demand to generate only the shortfall ." From the project's wiki page on MRP internals.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | Yes | The MRP internals page lists supply as "PO Qty (Purchase Order Quantity): Quantities of the product expected to be received from pending purchase orders." Approved production runs count as incoming supply too.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | Partial | The wiki is explicit: "For purchased components, the Apache OFBiz MRP engine does not subtract the procurement lead time when scheduling the requirement." Routing times on production tasks do move a made item's requirement start date earlier, but a buyer has to allow for supplier lead time by hand.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | Yes | "In addition to calculating how much of an item is required, Apache OFBiz's MRP engine also determines when each requirement is needed—known as the Requirement Start Date ." Proposed requirements carry a start date and a required-by date, and once approved they are converted into production runs or purchase orders.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab); cwiki.apache.org › Apache OFBiz for Manufacturing MRP(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Partial | The manufacturing wiki hub lists "Model machine availability and capacity" through work calendars, and routing times drive scheduling. No comparison of load against capacity is documented.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Apache OFBiz for Manufacturing MRP(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Production
Recipes, bills of materials, and running the work.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of materialsA list of the parts and quantities needed to make one of something. | Yes | The vendor states: "Create a new Bill of Materials by pressing the 'Create Bom' in the Bill of Materials tab as shown in Figure 7." From the project's own manufacturing walkthrough, which builds a BOM from component IDs and quantities. Checked 2026-09-14.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Getting Started with Apache OFBiz Manufacturing and MRP i…(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | Yes | "Apache OFBiz allows manufacturers to create a multi-level BOM, ensuring that all components and sub-components are included in the production process." The wiki's example is a skateboard whose deck is a sub-assembly made in-house on its own production run.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › How to Create a Bill of Materials for a Skateboard in Apa…(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of recipe or formula records, ideally with batch scaling.Know the answer? |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | Yes | The vendor states: "Now locate the production Run generated when you approved the Proposed Requirement Manufacturing Order Receipt to manufacture 5 tables with the routing tasks that we have setup earlier." OFBiz calls a manufacturing order a production run. The walkthrough generates one from an approved requirement. Checked 2026-09-14.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Getting Started with Apache OFBiz Manufacturing and MRP i…(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Yes | The vendor states: "- Link the tasks together in the sequence they need to be performed and; Make sure that all tables manufactured will default to this set of manufacturing steps. This is done using a 'Routing'." The walkthrough sets up routing tasks in sequence and makes them the default steps for the product. Checked 2026-09-14.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Getting Started with Apache OFBiz Manufacturing and MRP i…(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a shop-floor, operator, or terminal interface for reporting production.Know the answer? |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of quality inspections, checks, or non-conformance handling.Know the answer? |
Inventory & traceability
Knowing what you hold and being able to trace it.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Batch & lot traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | Partial | The wiki glossary says "InventoryItem records can be associated with a Lot to allow tracking by batch or production group." Lots exist on inventory items, but no wiki page shows a lot traced through production into finished goods.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Manufacturing Glossary and Its Representation in Apache O…(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | Partial | The project's perishable goods playbook stores an expiration date on each lot, but warns: "Critical Example: While OFBiz possesses robust inventory allocation logic, its native database parameters are optimized for FIFO (First-In, First-Out)." First-expired-first-out allocation needs custom services, and no expiry warnings are described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Apache OFBiz Executive Sandbox Playbook Perishable Goods …(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Yes | The project's feature list includes "Serialized on non serialized Inventory" (the "on" is the project's typo for "or").Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: ofbiz.apache.org › Business users(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Commerce & accounting
Costs, purchasing, storefronts, and the books.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | Yes | "Weighted-average material cost and actual production cost" is a row on the manufacturing wiki hub, with its own how-to pages.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Apache OFBiz for Manufacturing MRP(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | Yes | "Once approved, these Requirements can be converted into Purchase Orders by the procurement team within Apache OFBiz." The wiki also covers receiving against those orders.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › Understanding Internals of MRP Engine in Apache OFBiz(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | Yes | "Standard Double entry General Ledger" is on the project's feature list for business users. The ledger is built in, so no separate accounting package is needed.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: ofbiz.apache.org › Business users(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | Yes | The project's feature list includes "Fully integrated online and Point of Sales (POS) stores out-of-the-box". This is a built-in web shop sharing the same order and inventory data, not a connector to an outside storefront.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: ofbiz.apache.org › Business users(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Openness & your data
Getting data in, out, and away if you leave.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | Yes | The developer wiki says "On trunk, rest-api is a core framework component at framework/rest-api ." It exposes OFBiz services as REST endpoints with JWT authentication. On release 24.09 and earlier it is a plugin you add from ofbiz-plugins.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: cwiki.apache.org › How to implement RESTful APIs using the OFBiz rest api co…(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of outbound webhooks or event subscriptions.Know the answer? |
| MCP supportA Model Context Protocol server, letting an AI assistant read or act on this data. Useful, but it has nothing to do with whether the product plans materials. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: a first-party mcp server, or documentation of one.Know the answer? |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of csv or spreadsheet export.Know the answer? |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Yes | Self-hosted under Apache-2.0. You hold the database and the source with no restrictions on either.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: github.com › Ofbiz framework(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Deployment, licensing and your data
- Deployment
- Self-hosted, On-premise (vendor-supported)
- Licensing
- Open sourceApache-2.0
- Team sizes
- 21–50 people, 51+ people
- Manufacturing styles
- Countable assembled products, Batch & recipe products, Custom or job-shop work, Continuous process
About the licence
Apache-2.0 confirmed against the repository on 13 August 2026. Permissive, with an explicit patent grant. The most business-friendly license in this directory.
Licence: github.com(opens in a new tab)
Jobs this product qualifies for
Derived from the capability table above, not hand-assigned.
Editorial notes and cautions
Things we would want a friend to know before buying.
- OFBiz has a real MRP engine, which is rarer among open-source options than the marketing around this category suggests. It also has the steepest implementation curve here. Both facts are true at once.
- The MRP engine passes five of the six Full MRP tests on the project's own wiki. The one it fails is lead time: supplier lead time is not subtracted when dating purchased-part requirements, so buyers must allow for it themselves. Fields still unknown reflect a developer wiki that is hard to cite line by line, not evidence of absence.
- Project activity is steady, with commits within days of our check, and Apache Software Foundation governance makes abandonment unlikely.
Alternatives to Apache OFBiz
An alternative is always an alternative for a reason. There is no universal replacement.
- ERPNextSimpler for makers
ERPNext ships as a finished application a small manufacturer can configure; OFBiz is closer to a framework that asks for development work in return for control.
Evidence and verification
✓ VerifiedLast checked October 9, 2026 · 76% of capability fields resolved · 100% of those carry a source
License verified against the repository. The Full MRP tests were worked through on the wiki pages on MRP internals and MRP execution, which give the netting formula and dated worked examples. Lots, expiry, capacity, costing and the REST API come from the end-user and developer wikis; lot-to-finished-good genealogy is not shown anywhere we found.
Sources we checked (9)
cwiki.apache.org
- Apache+OFBiz+for+Manufacturing+MRP(opens in a new tab)
- Getting+Started+with+Apache+OFBiz+Manufacturing+and+MRP+in+5+Easy+Steps(opens in a new tab)
- Understanding+Internals+of+MRP+Engine+in+Apache+OFBiz(opens in a new tab)
- How+to+Create+a+Bill+of+Materials+for+a+Skateboard+in+Apache+OFBiz+in+4+Easy+Steps.(opens in a new tab)
- Manufacturing+Glossary+and+Its+Representation+in+Apache+OFBiz(opens in a new tab)
- Apache+OFBiz+Executive+Sandbox+Playbook+ +Perishable+Goods+Segment(opens in a new tab)
- How+to+implement+RESTful+APIs+using+the+OFBiz+rest api+component(opens in a new tab)
github.com
ofbiz.apache.org
What we still want to confirm
We publish our gaps rather than hiding them. If you can point us at a first-party page for any of these, we will update the record and credit the correction.
- Establish a realistic implementation-effort estimate to publish alongside the zero license fee. No first-party page gives one; the perishable goods playbook only points to "your technical team or an Apache OFBiz solution partner", so this needs partner quotes.
Still unknown: recipes & formulas, shop-floor tracking, quality controls, webhooks, mcp support, csv export.