Bill of Materials (BOM) Software helps manufacturers and engineering teams manage product components, assemblies, and materials required to build a product. Leading platforms include
OpenBOM,
Arena PLM,
MRPeasy,
Katana MRP,
Fishbowl,
Oracle PLM Cloud,
Autodesk Fusion Manage,
Propel PLM,
PDXpert, and
Craftybase. These tools automate BOM creation, version control, procurement coordination, and manufacturing planning.
Bill of Materials software is a specialized manufacturing and product management platform used to create, organize, and manage the complete list of materials, components, and assemblies required to produce a product. A Bill of Materials acts as the “recipe” for manufacturing by detailing every raw material, subassembly, and component required to build a finished product.
Manufacturers often rely on BOM systems to ensure engineering, procurement, and production teams all work from the same product structure and materials list. Managing these processes manually with spreadsheets can lead to data errors, outdated versions, and supply chain inefficiencies. Modern BOM software solves these issues by providing centralized product data management, real-time collaboration, and version control across engineering and manufacturing teams.
Advanced BOM management platforms typically include features such as multi-level BOM structures, engineering change management, cost roll-ups, supplier collaboration, and ERP/PLM integration. These capabilities allow companies to maintain accurate product data across the entire lifecycle, from design and prototyping to production and maintenance.
Modern manufacturing environments also integrate BOM software with product lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and supply chain systems to improve visibility across product development and manufacturing processes.
This comparison evaluates Bill of Materials Software based on:
- Problem it solves (managing product components and manufacturing data)
- Core use cases (product design, manufacturing planning, procurement)
- Industry fit (manufacturing, electronics, automotive, aerospace)
- Automation capabilities (revision control, change management, cost tracking)
- Deployment flexibility (cloud PLM systems and on-premise manufacturing tools)
- •Scalability for engineering teams and enterprise manufacturing environments
| Software |
Best For |
Problem It Solves |
Core Use Cases |
Industry Fit |
Key Features |
AI Powered |
Deployment |
Free Plan |
Starting Price |
USP |
| OpenBOM |
Cloud BOM management |
Disconnected engineering data |
BOM management, procurement tracking |
Manufacturing, engineering teams |
Cloud BOM database, supplier management, cost rollups |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
$100/user/month |
Cloud-native BOM and product data management |
| Arena PLM |
Product lifecycle management |
Managing product lifecycle data |
BOM management, engineering change control |
Electronics, medical devices |
PLM integration, supply chain intelligence |
No |
Cloud |
No |
Custom |
Strong BOM lifecycle management platform |
| MRPeasy |
Small manufacturers |
Manual production planning |
BOM management, inventory planning |
SMBs, manufacturing companies |
Production planning, inventory tracking |
No |
Cloud |
No |
$49/user/month |
Affordable MRP with BOM functionality |
| Katana MRP |
Production and inventory management |
Production planning inefficiencies |
BOM management, manufacturing planning |
Manufacturers, eCommerce brands |
Production planning, inventory tracking |
No |
Cloud |
No |
$99/month |
Manufacturing ERP with visual production planning |
| Fishbowl |
Inventory integrated BOM |
Inventory and component tracking |
BOM creation, inventory control |
Manufacturing, wholesale |
Inventory tracking, QuickBooks integration |
No |
Cloud / On-Premise |
No |
Custom |
Strong inventory and BOM integration |
| Oracle Fusion Cloud PLM |
Enterprise product lifecycle management |
Managing complex product structures |
BOM management, lifecycle tracking |
Large enterprises |
Product lifecycle analytics, supply chain integration |
Yes |
Cloud |
No |
Custom |
Enterprise PLM with advanced product data management |
| Autodesk Fusion Manage |
Engineering teams |
Engineering data collaboration |
BOM management, product design |
Manufacturing, engineering |
Change control, CAD integration |
No |
Cloud |
No |
Custom |
CAD-integrated BOM management |
| Propel PLM |
Salesforce-based product management |
Disconnected product and sales data |
BOM management, product lifecycle |
Manufacturing, high-tech |
Salesforce integration, product lifecycle workflows |
No |
Cloud |
No |
Custom |
Salesforce-native PLM platform |
| PDXpert |
Engineering change management |
Tracking product revisions |
BOM revision management |
Manufacturing companies |
Engineering change control, document management |
No |
On-Premise |
No |
$1,000 license |
Strong engineering change management capabilities |
| Craftybase |
Small-batch manufacturers |
Tracking production components |
BOM tracking, manufacturing accounting |
Small manufacturers, makers |
Cost tracking, inventory management |
No |
Cloud |
No |
$39/month |
BOM and manufacturing accounting combined |
How We Evaluated the Best Bill of Materials Software in 2026 1️⃣ BOM Structure and Version Control: We evaluated platforms that support multi-level BOM structures and provide strong revision control to track product changes.
2️⃣ Engineering Change Management: We assessed tools capable of managing engineering change orders (ECOs) and product updates across development cycles.
3️⃣ Supplier and Procurement Integration: We reviewed solutions that integrate BOM data with supplier management, procurement workflows, and cost tracking.
4️⃣ Product Lifecycle Management Integration: We analyzed platforms that integrate with PLM systems to manage product data from design through manufacturing.
5️⃣ Collaboration and Data Visibility: We evaluated tools enabling cross-team collaboration between engineering, procurement, and manufacturing departments.
6️⃣ Scalability for Manufacturing Operations: We compared systems capable of supporting small manufacturers as well as large enterprise product development teams.
Decision Matrix – Choose the Right Bill of Materials Software
For cloud BOM management: OpenBOM, Arena PLM
For small manufacturers: MRPeasy, Craftybase
For production planning and manufacturing ERP: Katana MRP, Fishbowl
For enterprise product lifecycle management: Oracle Fusion Cloud PLM, Propel PLM
For engineering change management: PDXpert, Autodesk Fusion Manage
Common Bill of Materials Software Features & How They Work
Bill of materials software helps manufacturers organize product structures, parts, revisions,
engineering changes, costs, and production-ready BOM data in one controlled system.
The features below cover the core capabilities buyers should evaluate when comparing bill of materials software.
| Bill of Materials Feature |
What It Does |
How It Works |
What Buyers Should Check |
| 01BOM Creation & Multi-Level Structuring |
Builds hierarchical product structures showing assemblies, subassemblies, components, quantities, and relationships. |
Create BOM→
Add Parts→
Define Levels→
Release Structure
|
Single-level and multi-level BOM support
Drag-and-drop or bulk editing
Quantity, unit, and reference fields
|
| 02Part & Item Master Management |
Maintains standardized records for parts, materials, assemblies, specifications, and related product data. |
Create Item→
Add Attributes→
Reuse in BOMs→
Maintain Record
|
Unique part numbering and naming rules
Custom attributes and classifications
Duplicate-part detection
|
| 03EBOM & MBOM Management |
Maintains engineering and manufacturing BOM structures while keeping design and production data aligned. |
Import EBOM→
Transform for Production→
Build MBOM→
Reconcile Changes
|
EBOM-to-MBOM transformation
Structure reconciliation tools
Traceability between BOM types
|
| 04Version & Revision Control |
Tracks approved BOM revisions so teams can identify which product structure is current and what changed. |
Edit BOM→
Create Revision→
Review / Approve→
Release
|
Revision history and status controls
Effective dates and release states
Ability to compare or restore versions
|
| 05Engineering Change Management |
Controls proposed product and BOM changes through structured review, approval, and implementation workflows. |
Change Request→
Impact Review→
Approve ECO→
Update BOM
|
ECR, ECO, and ECN workflow support
Approval routing and notifications
Change history and accountability
|
| 06BOM Comparison & Impact Analysis |
Highlights differences between BOM versions, variants, or structures before changes reach downstream teams. |
Select BOMs→
Compare Structures→
Review Differences→
Assess Impact
|
Side-by-side BOM comparison
Added, removed, and changed item visibility
Downstream impact identification
|
| 07Variant & Configuration Management |
Manages product options and configurable BOM structures without maintaining a separate BOM for every variation. |
Define Options→
Apply Rules→
Generate Variant→
Release BOM
|
Option and configuration rules
Effectivity by model, date, or plant
Reusable product-family structures
|
| 08Cost Rollups & Cost Analysis |
Calculates material and assembly costs across the BOM to support estimating and cost-control decisions. |
Load Component Costs→
Roll Up Costs→
Compare Scenarios→
Review Total Cost
|
Component and assembly cost rollups
Supplier and alternate-part pricing
Cost version or scenario comparison
|
| 09Supplier & Procurement Collaboration |
Shares controlled BOM and part information with sourcing teams and suppliers involved in purchasing or production. |
Release BOM→
Share Required Data→
Review Supplier Input→
Update Sourcing
|
Supplier access and permission controls
Approved manufacturer/vendor lists
Alternate and substitute part handling
|
| 10Inventory & Material Planning Connectivity |
Connects BOM requirements with inventory and planning data to support purchasing and production readiness. |
Read BOM Demand→
Check Availability→
Identify Shortages→
Plan Supply
|
On-hand and shortage visibility
MRP or inventory-system connectivity
Lead-time and sourcing data support
|
| 11CAD, ERP, PDM & MES Integrations |
Synchronizes BOM and product data with engineering, planning, purchasing, and manufacturing systems. |
Connect Systems→
Map Data→
Sync BOMs→
Use Downstream
|
Native CAD and ERP integrations
API and import/export options
Field mapping and synchronization controls
|
| 12Compliance, Traceability & Audit History |
Preserves product records, approvals, material information, and change history for quality and compliance needs. |
Capture Product Data→
Record Changes→
Maintain Traceability→
Audit / Report
|
Complete audit trails
Material and component traceability
Compliance documents and approvals
|
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