OpenBOM Review: Overview, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2025

Lost track of your BOM data—again?

If you’re evaluating OpenBOM, you probably spend too much time chasing scattered spreadsheets, updating product structures, and fixing version mix-ups between engineering and procurement.

Here’s the painful truth: disconnected BOM data leads to daily rework, delays, and avoidable mistakes that stall your production flow and frustrate everyone involved.

That’s where OpenBOM’s cloud-based platform stands out by centralizing product data, syncing directly with your CAD tools, and making real-time collaboration a reality—even if your team or suppliers are spread everywhere.

In this review, I’ll show you how OpenBOM can finally keep your product information accurate and up-to-date across design, sourcing, and production.

You’ll see how this platform handles BOM management, CAD integration, change tracking, item cataloging, pricing, and where it sits among current alternatives in this OpenBOM review.

By the end, you’ll know if this is the tool with the features you need to truly take control of your product data.

Let’s dive into the analysis.

OpenBOM Overview

OpenBOM provides a cloud-native Bill of Materials and PLM solution. I see them as being laser-focused on streamlining complex product data for modern manufacturing and engineering teams.

From my research, they clearly serve engineering and manufacturing teams, especially small to medium-sized businesses that are often priced out or overwhelmed by traditional PLM systems. Their entire platform is built for accessibility and faster adoption.

The company’s consistent product updates are impressive, particularly with their broad CAD integrations. As you’ll see in this OpenBOM review, these developments directly improve data accuracy for your projects, reducing costly errors.

Unlike enterprise giants like Arena or Windchill, OpenBOM positions itself around an intuitive, spreadsheet-like user experience. I get the sense it was built by people who actually understand the daily frustration of managing BOMs manually.

They work with a wide range of hardware companies—from agile startups to established OEMs—who need to connect distributed teams, contractors, and suppliers on a single, reliable platform that everyone can actually use.

Strategically, their current priority is on enabling real-time collaboration across the entire supply chain. This directly aligns with the market’s demand for a single source of truth from initial design through procurement.

Now let’s examine their core capabilities.

OpenBOM Features

Product data chaos slowing your production?

OpenBOM solutions are designed to eliminate the complexity of product data management, offering an integrated approach from design to manufacturing. These are the five core OpenBOM solutions that address critical pain points.

1. BOM Management

Still struggling with spreadsheet BOMs?

Manual Bill of Materials creation is error-prone, hard to share, and creates version control nightmares. This causes significant delays.

OpenBOM’s intuitive BOM management makes navigating single or multi-level BOMs simple. I found the Excel-like interface highly familiar, streamlining data extraction and sharing. This solution centralizes product structure, reducing manual errors.

Your team gets a single source of truth for product data, minimizing costly mistakes and accelerating your production planning.

2. CAD Integrations

CAD data transfers causing headaches?

Manually moving design data from CAD to BOMs wastes time and introduces errors. This disconnect seriously delays downstream processes.

OpenBOM’s robust CAD integrations automate data capture from popular tools like SolidWorks and Fusion 360. From my testing, this eliminates manual data transfer entirely, generating CAD-neutral formats. It ensures your BOMs are perfectly synchronized.

You can effortlessly bridge design and manufacturing, ensuring accurate part information and speeding up product development.

3. Real-time Collaboration

Is team collaboration stuck in the past?

Sharing product data often involves emailing attachments, leading to outdated versions. This creates communication silos, slowing critical decisions.

What I love about OpenBOM is its patented real-time collaboration, much like Google Docs. Multiple users can concurrently edit BOMs. Granular user permissions ensure secure sharing, enhancing communication for distributed teams.

Your team gains unparalleled operational efficiency through live data sharing, ensuring everyone works with the most current information.

4. Item Management & Catalogs

Inconsistent part data causing chaos?

Tracking product items across various spreadsheets makes procurement and production planning difficult. This leads to costly inventory mistakes.

OpenBOM’s Item Management and Catalogs solution centralizes all item details – part numbers, descriptions, supplier info. Here’s what I found: it streamlines inventory tracking significantly, ensuring consistent, readily available data.

You’ll achieve precise inventory control and procurement planning, reducing errors and ensuring components are available.

5. Change Management & Revision Control

Product changes creating version nightmares?

Managing engineering changes without a formal system leads to confusion, rework, and potential production errors. Tracking revisions becomes a manual task.

This is where OpenBOM shines, with automated change tracking and item revisions. While some advanced ECO processes might be desired, it offers controlled revision creation via change orders. It maintains a history log.

You gain a clear audit trail and controlled process for modifications, reducing errors and ensuring approved, up-to-date designs.

You’ll appreciate how these OpenBOM solutions work together, providing a unified product data management platform. This ensures your entire product lifecycle is synchronized from design to manufacturing.

OpenBOM Pricing

Sticker shock from software prices?

OpenBOM pricing offers a clear tiered structure, allowing you to choose the best fit for your team’s size and needs. This approach aims to provide transparent costs while supporting various operational scales, from individual users to large enterprises.

Plan	Price & Features
Free	Free for individual users • Limited features • Basic BOM exploration • Good for personal projects
Team	$100/user/month OR $3,500/team/year • Starts at 3 concurrent licenses • Collaborative workspace for digital BOMs • Connects engineering to inventory • RFQ and purchasing capabilities • Monthly subscription available
Company	$150/user/month OR $8,500/company/year • Starts at 5 concurrent licenses • Collaborative workspace for PLM/Change Management • PDM/PLM capabilities for governance • Controlled revision and change orders • Monthly subscription available
Enterprise	Contact Sales for custom pricing • Advanced tools and security • Custom hosting options • Extensive ERP/CRM/PLM integrations • REST API usage • Private AWS hosting

1. Value Assessment

Solid value for your budget.

From my cost analysis, OpenBOM’s tiered pricing model ensures you pay for the features you truly need, avoiding unnecessary expenses. What I found regarding their pricing is how it balances advanced PLM features with affordability for growing teams. Your investment directly translates into streamlined product data and collaboration, preventing costly errors.

This means your budget gains predictability while enhancing operational efficiency from design to manufacturing.

2. Trial/Demo Options

Evaluate before you commit.

OpenBOM offers a generous 14-day free trial, providing full access to single-user features, and a free plan for individual users. What stood out is how you can truly test core functionalities and see how it integrates with your workflows before making a financial commitment. It lets you get comfortable with the platform’s capabilities first.

This helps you evaluate its fit and validate ROI without the pressure of an immediate purchase decision or full pricing.

3. Plan Comparison

Choose the right fit.

The Team plan is excellent for smaller groups needing collaborative BOMs, while the Company plan introduces essential PDM/PLM and change management. What impresses me is how the Enterprise tier provides customizability for large-scale operations with complex integration requirements. The jump in pricing aligns with increased functionality.

This careful segmentation helps you match your OpenBOM pricing to actual usage requirements and long-term strategic goals.

My Take: OpenBOM’s pricing structure is designed to scale with your business, offering clear value propositions at each tier. It’s particularly well-suited for companies growing into more mature PLM needs.

The overall OpenBOM pricing reflects measurable value for your product development journey.

OpenBOM Reviews

Real users, real insights.

This section dives deep into OpenBOM reviews, analyzing hundreds of user experiences to provide a balanced perspective. I’ll break down common praise points, frequent complaints, and overall sentiment to help you decide.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users are largely satisfied.

From my review analysis, OpenBOM consistently garners “Great” user sentiment, averaging 4.2 out of 5 stars across nearly 700 G2 reviews. What I found in user feedback is how positive experiences often cite immediate value, especially for teams transitioning from less structured methods.

This widespread approval suggests OpenBOM effectively meets core BOM and data management needs for many users, delivering tangible improvements.

2. Common Praise Points

Simplicity and collaboration impress.

What stands out in user feedback is the consistent praise for OpenBOM’s intuitive, Excel-like interface and robust CAD integrations. Review-wise, I noticed users frequently highlight the real-time collaboration feature’s efficiency, comparing it to Google Docs for its ability to streamline teamwork.

This means you can expect quicker adoption and seamless data flow from design to manufacturing, boosting your team’s productivity.

3. Frequent Complaints

Some notable limitations exist.

While generally positive, OpenBOM reviews frequently mention certain limitations, particularly regarding change management sophistication. What users often report are occasional performance lags with large BOMs, and the fully cloud-based nature means no offline access, which can be a drawback for some.

These issues aren’t typically deal-breakers but suggest checking your specific needs, especially for complex ECOs or offline work.

Overall, OpenBOM reviews reveal a powerful, user-friendly tool that significantly streamlines BOM processes for many. My analysis shows consistent patterns of positive user outcomes outweighing common complaints, making it a strong contender.

Best OpenBOM Alternatives

Choosing the right PLM/BOM tool is tough.

The best OpenBOM alternatives include several powerful options. Each excels in different scenarios, making your choice depend on specific business needs, budget, and integration priorities.

1. Arena PLM & QMS (by PTC)

For highly regulated industries and integrated QMS.

Arena offers comprehensive PLM with an integrated QMS, ideal for regulated sectors like medical devices. What I found comparing options is that Arena provides robust regulatory compliance features, crucial for formalized change management. This alternative suits businesses needing deep document control.

Choose Arena when your business requires extensive QMS capabilities and highly formalized ECO processes for enterprise-level PLM.

2. PTC Windchill

Scaling PLM for large, complex operations?

Windchill is a robust, enterprise-grade PLM designed for large organizations with complex, cross-departmental activities. From my competitive analysis, Windchill excels in deep ERP integrations and workflows, offering extensive functionality for lifecycle oversight. This alternative manages product development at significant scale.

Opt for Windchill if your large enterprise needs a highly mature PLM solution with sophisticated workflow automation and detailed product intelligence.

3. Autodesk Fusion Manage

Deep integration with Autodesk CAD tools?

This cloud-based PLM excels at unifying data within the Autodesk ecosystem, especially for those already using Autodesk design tools. You’ll find it provides strong CAD integrations and configurable workflows. Alternative-wise, its strength is native Autodesk system integration, streamlining change orders.

This is a strong choice if your organization heavily uses Autodesk CAD software and requires robust PLM workflows within that specific ecosystem.

4. Duro

Agile hardware teams needing rapid deployment?

Duro is specifically designed for agile hardware teams, particularly electro-mechanical products, emphasizing rapid onboarding and intuitive change orders. I found it offers excellent customer support and up-to-date sourcing data. This alternative provides extremely rapid setup for hardware companies, especially for electro-mechanical needs.

Consider Duro if you are an agile hardware company seeking quick deployment, intuitive change processes, and excellent support for electro-mechanical development.

The best OpenBOM alternatives offer diverse strengths. Your ultimate choice depends on your specific business size and operational complexity, not just feature lists. Carefully evaluate your priorities.

Setup & Implementation

OpenBOM implementation: simpler than you think.

This OpenBOM review details its refreshingly straightforward implementation. As a cloud-native solution, it sets realistic expectations, guiding you through deployment challenges and preparation for success.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Expect a quicker, simpler startup.

OpenBOM’s SaaS nature significantly eases deployment, scoring high on setup ease. From my implementation analysis, most businesses achieve quick BOM structure setup, often within weeks, facilitated by remote CAD integrations. Your specific setup complexity depends on data migration needs and existing system structure.

Plan for data consolidation and define your core BOM structures early to ensure a smooth initial implementation phase.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Cloud-native means less IT overhead.

As a multi-tenant cloud solution, OpenBOM minimizes your local hardware and software requirements. What I found about deployment is that seamless CAD integrations are a major strength, handling both desktop and cloud CAD systems without heavy IT involvement. This reduces typical PLM integration headaches.

Ensure your team is ready for CAD connector setup. Focus on data cleanliness, not infrastructure, for this phase.

3. Training & Change Management

User adoption still needs a plan.

While intuitive, OpenBOM still requires user training to maximize its potential, especially for advanced features like ECOs. From my analysis, successful change management prevents productivity dips as users transition from old processes. OpenBOM provides documentation and courses, but hands-on practice is key.

Budget time for dedicated training sessions and identify internal champions to foster adoption and support fellow team members.

4. Support & Success Factors

Vendor support is a key ally.

OpenBOM’s support team is well-regarded, offering responsive and helpful assistance during your implementation journey. What I found about deployment is that leveraging their expertise accelerates your progress, especially for small businesses needing guidance. Proactive engagement with their resources is crucial.

Define clear project goals and designate a dedicated internal lead to interface with OpenBOM support, ensuring consistent progress.

Overall, OpenBOM implementation offers an accessible path to PLM. Its cloud-native design means faster deployment and quicker value realization for your team. Consider OpenBOM for effective product data management.

Who’s OpenBOM For

Is OpenBOM the right fit for your business?

This OpenBOM review section helps you analyze if this cloud solution truly aligns with your business profile, team size, and specific product development workflows, guiding you to a confident decision.

1. Ideal User Profile

Perfect for growing manufacturing and engineering teams.

OpenBOM shines for small to mid-sized manufacturing and engineering teams moving beyond spreadsheets. From my user analysis, its intuitive, Excel-like interface makes it incredibly easy for less technical teams to adopt. You’ll find it ideal if you prioritize straightforward setup and immediate productivity gains.

These users succeed by leveraging OpenBOM’s simplicity to centralize product data and boost real-time collaboration without a steep learning curve.

2. Business Size & Scale

Optimal for startups and growing SMEs.

OpenBOM particularly suits startups, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and growing businesses seeking an affordable, scalable BOM/PLM solution. What I found about target users is that it’s a cost-effective solution with flexible pricing that supports incremental growth from a few users to larger, collaborative teams.

You’ll know it fits if you’re transitioning from basic tools and need a cloud-based system that scales with your product complexity.

3. Use Case Scenarios

Excels in design-to-manufacturing data flow.

OpenBOM excels in centralizing product data, managing BOMs, and streamlining workflows from design to manufacturing. User-wise, its seamless CAD integrations significantly reduce manual data entry, creating a single source of truth for all product information across your supply chain.

This is ideal if your priority is accurate BOMs, efficient change tracking, and real-time collaboration for design and production teams.

4. Who Should Look Elsewhere

Not for highly complex PLM requirements.

OpenBOM may not be ideal if your business requires highly formalized, comprehensive out-of-the-box Engineering Change Order (ECO) processes or extremely advanced security. From my user analysis, larger enterprises needing sophisticated compliance features might find OpenBOM’s standard offerings less robust than high-end PLM solutions.

Consider comprehensive PLM platforms if your operational scale demands extensive, bespoke change management or deep security controls.

Overall, your OpenBOM review journey should determine if your current operational scale and product data management needs align with its strengths. The answer to who should use OpenBOM centers on balancing simplicity with your growth requirements.

Bottom Line

Is OpenBOM right for your business?

This OpenBOM review thoroughly assesses its capabilities, uncovering the true value proposition for various manufacturing and engineering teams looking to streamline product data management.

1. Overall Strengths

OpenBOM excels at core product data management.

The software’s intuitive, Excel-like interface and real-time collaboration features make it incredibly user-friendly, fostering efficiency across distributed teams. From my comprehensive analysis, seamless CAD integrations significantly reduce errors and manual data entry, providing a single source of truth from design to manufacturing.

These strengths directly translate to improved efficiency, reduced errors, and a quicker time to market for your products.

2. Key Limitations

Certain areas could benefit from more robust features.

While effective, OpenBOM’s change management features, like ECO processes, aren’t as sophisticated as higher-end PLM solutions. Based on this review, performance may occasionally lag with very large BOMs, and some advanced security features aren’t standard, potentially adding costs.

These limitations are not necessarily deal-breakers but warrant careful consideration based on your specific operational scale and security needs.

3. Final Recommendation

OpenBOM earns a strong recommendation for growing teams.

You should choose this software if your business is transitioning from spreadsheets, values real-time collaboration, and needs robust CAD integration without enterprise-level complexity. From my analysis, it offers excellent value for scaling manufacturers seeking a cost-effective, cloud-based BOM and PLM solution that simplifies data.

My confidence in recommending OpenBOM is high for small to mid-sized businesses focused on efficiency and data accuracy.

This OpenBOM review confirms its significant value for the right organizations seeking to centralize and manage product information effectively.