PLM Comparison · Updated May 2026
oroForge vs OpenBOM
OpenBOM launched as a cloud BOM tool for small hardware teams. Over the years it has expanded its feature set and broadened its target market — adding supplier portals, catalog management, and enterprise-tier pricing. Whether that scope still fits your team depends a lot on what stage you're at.
OpenBOM pricing model
Per user
cost grows with every seat added
10-seat OpenBOM cost
~$200–350
per month on a mid-tier plan
oroForge Team plan
$50
per month, flat — up to 10 seats
Choose oroForge if…
- You want a flat monthly price that doesn't scale with headcount
- Your team is under 15 people and needs to move fast
- You want BOM + change orders + file storage without extra modules
- You're not ready to pay for features you'll use in 18 months
Choose OpenBOM if…
- CAD sync is a day-one requirement (SolidWorks, Creo, Fusion 360)
- You need a dedicated parts catalog and supplier portal
- You have a smaller team and per-user cost is manageable
- You need CATIA or Creo integration specifically
Feature comparison
| Feature | oroForge | OpenBOM |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | OpenBOM Navigator tier: limited to 1 user, restricted features | |
| Starting price | $50/mo (10 seats) | Per user/month |
| Pricing model | Flat team pricing | Per user |
| Self-serve signup | ||
| BOM management | ||
| ECO / change orders | ||
| File storage (PDM) | OpenBOM: file attachments available, not a full PDM vault | |
| Parts catalog / inventory | OpenBOM has a dedicated catalog and inventory module | |
| Supplier collaboration | OpenBOM: supplier portal for RFQs and approvals | |
| CAD sync | Coming soon | OpenBOM: SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, Fusion 360, Onshape |
| ERP integration | OpenBOM: via REST API; native ERP connectors limited | |
| Transparent pricing | ||
| ECO toggle (enable when ready) |
OpenBOM pricing estimates based on publicly available plan pages as of May 2026. Actual cost depends on tier and seat count.
Pricing
Both oroForge and OpenBOM publish their pricing — but the structure is very different.
OpenBOM
OpenBOM charges per user per month. At 5 users on a mid-tier plan you might pay $100–$175/month. At 10 users, $200–$350/month is typical. The Navigator tier is free but limited to a single user with restricted access to team features and change workflows. Premium modules (catalog, supplier portal) may be additional.
oroForge
oroForge uses flat team pricing. The free plan covers 1 user with up to 3 BOMs — no time limit. The Team plan is $50/month for up to 10 seats ($500/year on annual billing). A 2-person team pays the same $50 as a 10-person team. Pricing is on the pricing page — no surprises.
Scope and focus
OpenBOM has grown considerably since it launched as a lightweight cloud BOM tool. Today it spans BOM management, a parts catalog, inventory tracking, supplier collaboration, CAD integrations, and enterprise-tier plans — a feature set that reflects its expansion toward larger customers.
For teams that need the full surface area — especially the supplier portal and multi-level catalog — that depth is an asset. But for a 5–15 person hardware startup that needs BOM management, change orders, and file storage, the same breadth becomes navigation overhead and pricing complexity that doesn't pay off at early stage.
oroForge is intentionally scoped to what early-stage hardware teams actually use: multi-level BOM management, ECO-based change control, and central file storage. The ECO toggle lets you turn change-control enforcement on only when your team is ready — so you don't have to configure workflows before you need them.
CAD sync: OpenBOM's clearest edge
OpenBOM has native CAD plugins for SolidWorks, PTC Creo, CATIA, Autodesk Fusion 360, and Onshape. If your engineers live in one of those tools and want BOM data to flow automatically from CAD assemblies, OpenBOM has a meaningful head start. oroForge CAD sync is in development — if that integration is a hard requirement today, OpenBOM is worth evaluating alongside the pricing tradeoff.
Frequently asked questions
How much does OpenBOM cost?
OpenBOM uses per-user pricing across its paid tiers. A team of 10 on a mid-tier plan can easily reach $200–$350/month — before adding collaborator seats or premium modules. oroForge is a flat $50/month for up to 10 seats, regardless of how many people are actively using it on a given month.
Does OpenBOM have a free plan?
OpenBOM offers a limited free Navigator tier — primarily useful for a single user exploring the product. Meaningful team collaboration, change orders, and full BOM workflows require a paid subscription. oroForge offers a permanent free plan for 1 user with up to 3 BOMs, and the Team plan is $50/month for 10 seats with no feature gating on core PLM features.
What is OpenBOM best used for?
OpenBOM is strongest for teams that need broad CAD integrations today — it supports SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, Onshape, and Fusion 360 with native plugins. It also has a robust parts catalog and supplier collaboration layer. If CAD sync is the top priority and you have budget for per-user pricing, OpenBOM is worth evaluating. For teams prioritizing simplicity, flat pricing, and fast onboarding without CAD sync, oroForge is the more accessible starting point.
How is oroForge pricing different from OpenBOM?
oroForge charges a flat $50/month for up to 10 seats — the cost doesn't scale with headcount up to that limit. OpenBOM charges per user, so as your team grows the monthly bill grows with it. For a 10-person team, oroForge is $50/month. An equivalent OpenBOM plan would typically run $200–$350/month or more.
Which is better for a hardware startup under 15 people?
For an early-stage team that needs to get PLM running quickly without budget for per-seat pricing, oroForge is the faster, cheaper path: free to start, self-serve, and up and running the same day. OpenBOM is a better fit if your engineers are already using SolidWorks or Fusion 360 and CAD sync is a day-one requirement — though you'll pay more per user to get it.
Try oroForge free — flat pricing, no seat fees
Free plan available. Team plan at $50/month for up to 10 seats. Up and running today.
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