BlueSeer ERP
by BlueSeer
Manufacturing ERPOpen source✓ Verified
A free, MIT-licensed Java ERP with EDI that you install yourself on Windows or Linux, covering sales, purchasing, BOMs and routings, a weekly MRP projection, cell scheduling and a double-entry ledger.
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 nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming; uses lead times or required dates; and produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations. 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 BlueSeer ERP does on each (3 of 6)
- YesIt represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula.Evidence: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)
- YesIt accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule.Evidence: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- YesIt explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials.Evidence: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)The MRP chapter: "The MRP processor will walk through the bill of materials for any finished good item on an open sales order and calculate projected quantities based on the product of qty-per of the component in the bill of material and parent item quantity on the order." Items need the 'mrp' flag, and the engine stops at seven BOM levels.
- NoIt uses lead times or required dates.Does not meet this test. First-party evidence shows it does not do this.
- PartialIt produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
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
- Small manufacturers with someone who can install and look after a Java desktop application
- Shops that trade by EDI with larger customers and want it inside the ERP
- Buyers who want a ledger, BOMs, routings and cell scheduling without a license fee
Not a fit when
- Anyone expecting purchase order dates set from supplier lead times; the manual says the system does not do this
- Teams that want a vendor-run SaaS with published prices
- Food or cosmetics makers who need lot genealogy; the lot number is a reference field
Pricing facts
What it costs to do manufacturing in this product.
Free to self-host
The software is free under the MIT license, with "no keys, trial periods, or registration". You install, host, back up and upgrade it yourself.
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
- Onboarding fee. Training, implementation and managed hosting are quoted: "We will be happy to assess your needs and requirements and provide quotes".
- No published price. You have to contact the vendor, which usually means a sales call.
Plans
| Plan | Price | Add-ons and setup |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hostedBlueSeer (MIT) | Free | — |
| You install, host, back up and upgrade it yourself. Implementation, training and hosting are quoted by the vendor. | ||
Pricing detail
No license fee. Managed ERP hosting is quoted: "ERP hosting plans and their associated costs are typically per user based." The only prices on the site are for a separate EDI hosting service ($75 a month under 50 documents, about $270 for 50 to 5,000), which is not counted here.
Checked on September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com(opens in a new tab). Prices change. Check before you buy.
Manufacturing capability
21 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 MRP chapter: "Demand is defined as any finished good item that is assigned to an open sales order." Weekly forecasts per item and miscellaneous plan records with a due date also create demand. From the Version 7.0 manual, dated 2025-07-01.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Yes | Each item's "projected demand versus production will be calculated for a series of weeks", and components are checked for "projected usage versus on-hand quantity". MRP Browse shows demand, plan and quantity on hand by day for up to 13 weeks.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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. | Partial | Planned work orders count as supply in the projection: "a rolling addition is shown as any planned work orders compensate for the demand consumption." Open purchase orders show in the replenishment view for bought-and-sold (class A) items; the manual does not say they count as supply for purchased components.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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. | No | The manual says the item lead time "does not actively adjust or calculate purchase order due dates. Due dates are manually determined by the person entering the purchase order". Lead time only sets how far ahead the retail replenishment report looks. Version 7.0 manual.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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. | Partial | Sales-order demand, forecasts and miscellaneous plans become planned orders with a due date, shown in the scheduler and printable as work order tickets. For purchased components, MRP Browse shows projected quantities by day rather than dated buy suggestions.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Yes | The scheduler shows "an availability table that shows all cells that have availability on the date selected", based on each cell's daily capacity "less the accumulated quantity scheduled on that date".Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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 | "Bill of Material (BOM) is a phrase used to describe the components that comprise a finished good (FG) item or a work in progress (WIP) item." Each component carries a quantity per and the operation where it is consumed.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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 | "You can create BOMs with multiple depth levels by adding a WIP item as a component of the parent item." The MRP engine walks up to seven levels.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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 | Planned orders are scheduled to a work cell and printed as a work order ticket; Production Entry, or Production Entry By Plan by scanning the ticket, closes them.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Yes | "Routing codes define the operations that an item will undergo during it's life cycle", each operation at a work cell with setup hours and pieces per hour.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Partial | Production Entry By Plan lets an operator scan the work order ticket to report production, and the internal API is described for posting production from workstations. The Job Scanning chapter of the 7.0 manual reads "To be added".Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| 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 | A lot number can be entered on receipt, but "The lot number if a reference field only." Tracing is by serial number when serialized inventory is switched on, and the manual does not describe lot genealogy through production.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | Yes | With serialized inventory on, "all entries with a serial number receive an expiry date", so stock on hand is "traceable by both serial number and entry / expiration date".Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Yes | A "serialize inventory" setting segregates every receipt and issue by serial number; the receiver can generate unique serial numbers.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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 | "Standard costing is the only cost method supported within BlueSeer as of this version", built from material, labour, burden, overhead and outside service costs, with a cost roll on the BOM.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | Yes | "Purchasing and Receiving modules are provided with automatic inventory adjustments". The manual covers purchase order creation, printing and receiving.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com(opens in a new tab); blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | Yes | "Accounting module provides a double-entry General Ledger along with Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable standard modules".Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com(opens in a new tab); blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | Partial | The master data import menu lists "Order – Shopify" and "Fullfillment – Shopify" import types. That is a file import, not a live store connection.Reviewed September 19, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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 | "BlueSeer has standard API and EDI functionality". The manual documents internal API services on an embedded Jetty server for sales orders, work orders, shippers, customers and items.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com(opens in a new tab); blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(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. | Partial | The retail replenishment report has a CSV export button, and master data imports from CSV files. A general CSV export of lists is not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com › Documentation.pdf(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Yes | You run the database yourself: the downloads are SQLite or MySQL builds, and the system requirements cover a MySQL backend on your own server or cloud account, so every table is yours to back up and read.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: blueseer.com(opens in a new tab); github.com › Blueseer(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Deployment, licensing and your data
- Deployment
- Desktop app, Self-hosted
- Licensing
- Open sourceMIT
- Team sizes
- Just me, 2–5 people, 6–20 people
- Manufacturing styles
- Countable assembled products, Custom or job-shop work
About the licence
MIT license, read from the LICENSE file at the v8.0 release tag. The repository also carries a TRADEMARK_POLICY.md about the BlueSeer name, which we have not reviewed.
Licence: github.com(opens in a new tab)
Integrations
- EDI (ANSI X12)
- Shopify order import
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.
- The documentation PDF is for version 7.0 (dated 2025-07-01) while the current release is 8.0, so some chapters may lag the software. Quality and job scanning read "To be added".
- BlueSeer's MRP projects demand against stock by week and explodes the BOM, but in the 7.0 manual it does not turn lead times into order dates, so it passes three of our six planning tests.
Evidence and verification
✓ VerifiedLast checked October 9, 2026 · 84% of capability fields resolved · 100% of those carry a source
Researched 2026-09-19 from the vendor site, the Version 7.0 documentation PDF and the GitHub repository (release v8.0 of 2026-06-02; patch 8.0.15 pushed 2026-09-19). Every quote was read from the page or PDF text, not a summary.
Sources we checked (4)
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.
- Read the Quality Problem Report and Job Scanning chapters once written; both read "To be added" in the 7.0 manual.
- Check whether version 8.0 counts open purchase orders as supply for components and uses lead time to date suggestions; the 7.0 manual says lead time does not set purchase order dates.
- Get managed hosting prices, which the vendor quotes per user.
- Check recipe or formula support, webhooks and MCP.
Still unknown: recipes & formulas, quality controls, webhooks, mcp support.