Part-DB Review, Pricing & Features

Part-DB is a free, open-source inventory system for electronic parts. See features, self-hosting setup, pros, cons and alternatives like InvenTree.

Category
ERP & Business Management
Pricing
Open Source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2016
Headquarters
Not publicly disclosed (primary maintainer based in Germany)
Web AppAPIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted

Overview

Part-DB is a free, open-source inventory management system purpose-built for electronic components rather than general retail or warehouse stock. It is primarily developed by Jan Bohmer under the GitHub handle jbtronics, and the current server-based version is built on PHP and the Symfony framework.

The project is popular in the maker, hackerspace and small hardware-engineering communities, particularly in Europe, and is distributed both as source code you deploy on a web server and as a Docker image for simpler self-hosted setups.

Key Features

Part-DB lets users catalog parts by category, footprint, manufacturer and multiple stock locations, attach datasheets and images to each part, and track price-break information across suppliers. Projects can group parts into a bill of materials (BOM) to track what a given build requires or has used.

The system includes barcode and label generation for parts and storage bins, a group-based permissions system with two-factor authentication (Google Authenticator and WebAuthn/U2F), and a responsive interface that works on desktop, tablet or phone, along with support for at least eight languages.

Pricing

Part-DB has no commercial pricing tiers or paid plans. It is entirely free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, and there is no official managed cloud version.

The only costs involved are whatever server or hosting infrastructure a user chooses to run it on, since Part-DB must be self-hosted via PHP/Symfony or the provided Docker image.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source (AGPL-3.0) with no paid tiers
  • Purpose-built for electronic component metadata, unlike generic inventory tools
  • Supports multiple databases (MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite) and ships as a Docker image
  • Strong permission system and two-factor authentication for shared or makerspace inventories
  • Active multi-language support reflecting a strong European maker community

Cons

  • Requires self-hosting and basic server administration skills; no official managed cloud version
  • Interface and workflows are utilitarian, aimed at technical users rather than casual consumers
  • Smaller contributor base than larger open-source inventory projects, which can slow feature development
  • No built-in e-commerce, procurement automation, or supplier API integrations out of the box
  • Documentation is comprehensive but assumes familiarity with self-hosted web app deployment

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Part-DB free?

Yes, it is completely free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license.

What is Part-DB used for?

Managing inventory of electronic components, including stock locations, pricing, datasheets and bills of materials.

Who maintains Part-DB?

It is primarily developed by Jan Bohmer (jbtronics) along with open-source contributors on GitHub.

Can I self-host Part-DB?

Yes, it runs on PHP/Symfony with MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL or SQLite, and is also available as a Docker image.

Does Part-DB support barcodes?

Yes, it can generate and print barcodes and labels for parts and storage locations.

Is Part-DB good for makerspaces?

Yes, its group-based permissions system is designed for multiple users sharing a common inventory, such as hackerspaces.

What languages does Part-DB support?

At least eight, including German, English, Russian, Japanese, French, Czech, Danish and Chinese.

How is Part-DB different from InvenTree?

Both are open-source self-hosted inventory tools; Part-DB is more narrowly focused on electronic component metadata like footprints and datasheets, while InvenTree targets broader manufacturing and stock management.

Related Tools