OpenBoxes

Overview

Developed at Partners In Health after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, OpenBoxes was designed to help track medical supplies across facilities in resource-scarce settings. It has also been adapted for distribution and other supply-chain operations. Its breadth makes it more suitable for organizations coordinating stock movement than for teams seeking only a basic inventory ledger.

Inventory can be tracked by facility and bin, with lot or serial numbers and expiration dates. Multi-warehouse support makes that structure useful across locations, especially where traceability and shelf life matter. OpenBoxes is open source under the Eclipse Public License and can be used and modified without user-license fees; the trade-off is that a free deployment still needs hosting and operational ownership.

Key features

Inventory and fulfillment

Purchase orders and supplier management connect with requisitions, picking, packing and shipment tracking. These workflows can serve organizations that need to coordinate replenishment and dispatch alongside stock control, rather than maintain separate tools for each step. Cycle counting and barcode scanning support stock checks and item handling.

Reporting and integrations

Built-in reports cover consumption, stockouts, expirations, transactions, stock analytics and quantities on hand. This range helps teams monitor both routine movement and shortages or aging stock. REST API, webhooks, ERP integration and EDI support provide ways to connect the system with other operations; named integrations include n8n, OpenFn, Boomi, Crowdin and DHIS2.

Access and mobile workflows

Audit trails, Superuser, Manager and Read-only roles, location-based access restrictions and LDAP authentication address accountability and access control across facilities. The mobile-optimized interface supports barcode scanning, inventory lookups, receiving and shipping, so staff can handle selected workflows away from a desktop.

Pricing

The Community Self-Hosted plan costs 0.00 USD per free. It allows unlimited users, with hosting and storage on the organization’s own server and no minimum term. This is the best fit for teams able to run the infrastructure themselves; it avoids user-license charges but does not provide managed hosting or a service-level guarantee.

Shared OpenBoxes Lift costs $75.00 USD per month, billed from $75 per month. It supports up to 10 users, 10 GB storage, a 99.0% uptime SLA, 1k API calls/hour and 30 days of backups. It suits smaller teams that want managed service and a defined uptime commitment, but its user, storage and API limits may constrain broader use.

Dedicated OpenBoxes Lift costs $899.00 USD per month, billed from $899 per month, with a 12-month minimum term. It includes up to 50 users, 100 GB storage, a 99.5% uptime SLA, 25k API calls/hour and 60 days of backups. It is aimed at larger deployments needing more capacity and a stronger uptime commitment, but the term is a significant commitment.

Enterprise OpenBoxes Lift has custom pricing, custom user and storage allowances, a 99.9% uptime SLA, 24/7 support including holidays and 90+ days of backups. It fits organizations requiring tailored capacity and round-the-clock support. Community support is free; managed support with guaranteed service levels is available through Lift.

Platforms

OpenBoxes supports web, Android, iOS, API and self-hosted deployments. It can run in the cloud or on-premise. Cloud use requires consistent internet connectivity; offline capability on-premise requires suitable hardware and staff, so disconnected operation is not a low-effort deployment choice.

Who it's for

Healthcare and disaster-relief organizations are the clearest fit, particularly those tracking medicines and supplies across facilities. Warehouse and distribution teams can also use its inventory and fulfillment workflows. Organizations without hosting expertise, dependable connectivity or budget for managed support should weigh the operational demands before adopting it.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Unlimited users on the free self-hosted plan make broad staff access possible without per-user license fees.
• Pros: Facility, bin, lot or serial, and expiration tracking gives teams useful control over where stock is and what may need attention.
• Pros: Procurement, fulfillment, reporting and mobile workflows cover more of the supply chain than stock recording alone.
• Cons: Self-hosting shifts infrastructure and upkeep to the organization, and offline on-premise use needs both hardware and staff.
• Cons: Managed plans impose user, storage and API limits; Dedicated also requires a 12-month minimum term.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, see Order Fulfillment Software and Warehouse Management Software.

Choose ZhenHub if its stated sales-order, tracking, warehouse, user, integration and label allowances better match your operation. Orders Now is a free, web-based alternative. Sentry WMS is a free option for web and Android, as is the separately listed Sentry WMS.

Linnworks uses paid custom pricing based on order volume and required features, which may suit buyers seeking pricing shaped around those needs. SPS Analytics is a paid, supplier-focused platform with contact-sales pricing. Tecsys Elite is a paid web-based WMS for complex distribution operations. Unicommerce Uniware is a paid option available on web, Android and iOS.

Verdict

OpenBoxes is a strong choice for healthcare, relief and distribution organizations that need detailed multi-site inventory records and connected procurement and fulfillment. Its free, unlimited-user option is compelling for teams able to host and maintain the system themselves. Look elsewhere if you need a low-effort offline setup, or choose a Lift plan only if its limits and terms fit your service requirements.