Carbon

Carbon is an open-source manufacturing system that combines ERP, MRP, MES, and QMS functions in one application. The self-hosted edition is designed for manufacturers that need production records to stay inside infrastructure they control, including defense, aerospace, and other regulated operations. It can run on-premises, inside a private cloud network, or in a fully air-gapped environment with the appropriate Enterprise license. Core business and factory records live in a Postgres database owned by the customer, rather than being copied into a vendor-controlled data store.

The scope is broad enough to replace several connected systems. ERP functions cover quotes, orders, purchasing, inventory, job costing, and accounting. MRP handles demand, supply planning, bills of materials, and routing versions. MES adds digital travelers, operator terminals, barcode tracking, and finite-capacity scheduling on the shop floor. QMS brings first article inspection, nonconformance and corrective action workflows, calibration, and serial or lot genealogy into the same records used by production. The shared schema is important because a quality event, cost, material record, and traveler do not have to be reconciled across separate databases.

Self-hosting is a central product mode, not a limited export option. Carbon publishes its Community edition under the AGPL-3.0 license, and the same codebase underlies the managed cloud service. The stack runs in Docker containers and includes the application and Postgres, with documented paths from a single host to a larger deployment. Customers can use their own object storage for drawings, attachments, and certificates. They also control the network, encryption keys, models, and backups. For teams evaluating the product, the Community edition can be run locally for free before a commercial deployment is discussed.

Carbon pays particular attention to traceability and controlled manufacturing. A user can follow a serial number through material certificates, operators, measurements, deviations, and related quality actions. Digital work instructions and unit tracking run against the customer's own deployment, so the shop floor does not depend on a connection to Carbon's cloud. Multi-entity and multi-location capabilities put currencies, charts of accounts, tax handling, consolidated books, and inter-site transfers in one database. This combination suits organizations that want operational, accounting, production, and quality context to remain linked throughout a job.

The product also exposes a developer surface, although licensing matters here. Carbon says every table can be reached through a REST endpoint, and it includes an MCP server for connecting AI agents or models to live data. API keys and the MCP server are Business features, so using them in a self-hosted deployment requires a commercial license. The same applies to some enterprise capabilities. Teams can point supported agents at the data inside their perimeter, including local models, while keeping control over what leaves the network. This is more flexible than a closed manufacturing suite, but it still calls for careful permission design and infrastructure ownership.

For compliance-sensitive deployments, Carbon frames self-hosting around CMMC and NIST 800-171 boundaries. Keeping controlled information inside a customer-managed environment can support that architecture, and Enterprise engagements may include mapped SSP, POA&M, and SPRS inputs. The company also offers deployment help, legacy data migration, custom work, training, and an SLA for regulated or enterprise programs. Carbon does not claim that installing software alone completes a compliance program. Buyers still need to secure the wider environment, define controls, operate backups, and work with an assessor as required.

Pricing reflects the split between the open-source core and commercial service. The Community edition is free to self-host under AGPL-3.0. Enterprise modules, air-gapped licensing, private modifications that do not follow the AGPL obligations, and commercially licensed Business capabilities require a paid agreement. Carbon also offers managed cloud plans, starting with a 30-day trial, but the self-hosted page is mainly for organizations that want ownership of infrastructure and data. It is strongest for manufacturers with technical resources and real traceability needs. A small team seeking a simple inventory app may find the deployment and process scope heavier than necessary.