Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Fishbowl Inventory

InvenTree is a web-based inventory management system focused on parts, assemblies, and manufacturing workflows. It helps teams track component data, stock levels and locations, BOMs, suppliers, purchasing, and production builds with traceability.

Key Features

• Parts catalog with parameters/metadata, internal part numbering, attachments, and revision history
• Stock management with locations, status, allocations, and stock tracking per part
• Bill of Materials (BOM) management for assemblies, including sub-assemblies and BOM validation
• Manufacturing/build workflows with build orders, consumption of stock, and output tracking
• Purchasing and supplier management (supplier parts, pricing breaks, manufacturer part info)
• Sales/orders support for allocating stock to customer orders (where configured)
• Barcode/label workflows (scan to find/move/consume stock; label generation)
• REST API and integrations (e.g., external tools, ERP/light automation, scripting)
• Role-based access control, multi-user operation, and audit/traceability features

Use Cases

• Electronics/mechanical labs tracking parts, reels/bins, and BOMs for prototypes
• Small manufacturers managing builds, stock consumption, and component traceability
• Makerspaces tracking shared inventory, locations, and reorder processes

Limitations and Considerations

• Feature depth is geared toward inventory/manufacturing; full ERP modules (finance/payroll) are out of scope
• Some advanced workflows may require configuration, plugins, or custom integration via the API

InvenTree is well-suited for organizations that need accurate parts data, stock control, and BOM-driven production processes. Its web UI plus API and barcode-centric workflows make it practical for both day-to-day inventory operations and lightweight manufacturing execution.