Carbon

Overview

Carbon brings ERP, MRP, MES and QMS into one system for discrete manufacturers, linking product rules and material planning with shop-floor work, quality records and actual costs. It suits teams that need controlled revisions and traceability across production; its breadth is compelling, but the per-user price and commercial licensing requirements matter for smaller or self-hosting teams.

Rules can generate bills of materials, routings and quoted prices, while revision control and effectivity dates help keep configured products aligned with their applicable specifications. Multi-level BOMs, BOM comparison, change workflows and inventory integration add useful structure for manufacturers managing product changes and production planning. See Manufacturing ERP Software and Bill of Materials Software for category options.

Key features

Production planning and execution

Digital travelers, work instructions, QR and barcode tracking, and finite-capacity scheduling connect production plans to shop-floor activity. This is a strong fit for operations that need work instructions and progress tied to manufacturing records, rather than a basic inventory-only system.

Configuration and cost control

Rule-based BOM and routing generation, revision control and effectivity dates support configurable products and changing specifications. Carbon can roll up costs and produce quoted prices from product rules, useful where product variants make manual costing and documentation difficult to maintain.

Quality and traceability

First articles, nonconformances, CAPAs and calibrations link to production records, with serial and lot genealogy. That connected record trail is valuable for manufacturers that need to follow product and quality history through production.

Integrations and access

Carbon connects with tools including Onshape, SolidWorks, Slack, Jira, Linear, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, Stripe, Ramp, Okta and Microsoft Entra. Its REST API, webhooks and MCP server support custom workflows; typed client generation is documented for TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, C# and PHP. Self-hosted API keys and MCP access require a commercial license, a material constraint for teams expecting to use those interfaces with the Community edition.

Security and deployment

Carbon describes row-level security, granular permissions and complete record history. It can run in managed cloud, a customer cloud account, Docker, on-premises or an air-gapped network. The maker describes self-hosted deployment as supporting CMMC and ITAR requirements, and Enterprise BYOC deployments include inputs for an SSP, POA&M and SPRS score. Air-gapped deployment is an Enterprise feature; Enterprise engagements can also include architecture, installation, legacy migration, training and an SLA.

Pricing

Carbon has a paid model, a free plan and a 30-day trial that can be started without a sales call. Starter costs $40 a month per user, billed monthly. It includes automatic updates and backups, basic ERP, MES and QMS functionality, unlimited records, self-onboarding and community support. Unlimited records remove a common data cap, but the per-user monthly charge can add up as a production team grows.

Business costs $100 a month per user, billed monthly, with a 5 user minimum. That minimum makes it a larger commitment than Starter; the plan description does not identify additional inclusions. Enterprise has custom pricing and offers self-hosted or managed deployment, a forward deployed engineer, customizations, training and integrations, CMMC compliance, full setup and migrations, and SSO/SAML. It is the relevant tier for organizations needing that deployment and implementation support, rather than a small team seeking the lowest entry cost.

The Community edition includes core ERP, MRP, MES and QMS under AGPL-3.0. Enterprise features require a commercial agreement, and self-hosted API keys and MCP access require a commercial license, so open-source availability does not mean every deployment or integration capability is included without a paid arrangement.

Platforms

Carbon supports web, Linux, API access and self-hosting. Deployment choices span managed cloud, customer cloud accounts, Docker, on-premises and air-gapped networks; air-gapped operation is reserved for Enterprise.

Who it's for

Carbon targets discrete manufacturers in defense, aerospace, automotive, medical devices, electronics, robotics, energy, space, semiconductor and industrial equipment. It is best suited to teams that need configurable product records, shop-floor execution and quality traceability in one system. Organizations seeking a low-cost, lightweight manufacturing tool or self-hosted API access without commercial licensing should weigh those costs and terms carefully.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Configuration rules can generate BOMs, routings and quoted prices, with revision and effectivity controls for changing products.
• Pros: Production execution and quality records connect through travelers, barcode tracking, CAPAs and serial or lot genealogy.
• Pros: Managed, customer-cloud, on-premises and Docker deployment provide meaningful infrastructure choice; Enterprise adds air-gapped deployment.
• Cons: Starter is priced per user, and Business has a 5 user minimum, which can raise the cost for smaller teams.
• Cons: Self-hosted API keys and MCP access require a commercial license, limiting what Community users can do with those interfaces.
• Cons: Enterprise capabilities such as air-gapped deployment and full implementation support require custom pricing.

Alternatives

Odoo Manufacturing is worth considering when a free plan with unlimited users and Android, iOS and web access is a better fit; its One App Free plan costs nothing, while Standard and Custom have custom pricing.

Apache OFBiz is a free alternative with web and Windows platforms.

ERP5 is a free option for teams looking for self-hosted software.

Epicor Kinetic may suit buyers comparing a paid manufacturing system with platform, cloud package, concurrent-user licensing and industry-bundle choices.

Rootstock ERP offers paid Growth and Advanced plans for buyers comparing core ERP with a more advanced manufacturing plan.

SYSPRO is another paid option, available on web and Windows.

xTuple ERP is a paid alternative available on Windows, macOS and Linux.

abas ERP is a paid option spanning Android, iOS, Linux, web, Windows, API access and self-hosting.

Verdict

Carbon is a strong candidate for discrete manufacturers that need product configuration, shop-floor execution and quality traceability coordinated in one system, especially when deployment flexibility matters. Its per-user pricing, Business minimum and commercial licensing for self-hosted API and MCP access make it less attractive for small teams or users expecting unrestricted self-hosted access. Choose it for connected manufacturing control; look elsewhere if lower entry cost or license-free self-hosted APIs are priorities.