Overview

Carbon is an integrated ERP, MRP, MES and QMS for discrete manufacturers that need product rules, production work and quality records connected. Its strongest fit is a shop managing configurable products and traceability-sensitive production; the main trade-off is that self-hosted API and MCP access require a commercial license.

Rule-based product configuration, revision control and rolled-up costs make Carbon more compelling for manufacturers with changing product specifications than for businesses seeking a general-purpose accounting or inventory system. It also offers managed and self-hosted deployment, though air-gapped operation is an Enterprise feature.

For broader category comparisons, see Manufacturing ERP Software and Bill of Materials Software.

Key features

Configuration and production

Carbon can generate bills of materials, routings and quoted prices from product rules, with revision control and effectivity dates. Multi-level BOMs, BOM comparison and change workflows help teams keep configuration changes visible; rolled-up costs connect those specifications to cost planning. This is a useful combination for engineered products, but its value depends on having rule-driven processes to manage.

Digital travelers, work instructions, QR and barcode tracking, and finite-capacity scheduling carry plans onto the shop floor. The point is not just to record production, but to tie execution to defined product and routing information.

Quality, traceability and integrations

First articles, nonconformances, CAPAs and calibrations link to production records, with serial and lot genealogy. That makes Carbon a stronger fit where quality events must be traced through production than a tool focused only on planning or accounting.

Integrations include Onshape, SolidWorks, Slack, Linear, Jira, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, Stripe, Ramp, Okta and Microsoft Entra. Its REST API, webhooks and MCP server support integration work; typed client generation is documented for TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, C# and PHP.

Deployment and controls

Carbon runs in managed cloud, a customer cloud account, Docker, on-premises or an air-gapped network. Community edition core ERP, MRP, MES and QMS are under AGPL-3.0, while Enterprise capabilities require a commercial agreement. Self-hosted API keys and MCP access also require a commercial license, a material constraint for teams expecting those interfaces to be part of a community deployment.

The maker describes row-level security, granular permissions and complete record history, and lists ITAR-ready deployment, AS9100, ISO 13485, 21 CFR Part 11 and SOC 2 controls. Self-hosted deployment is described as supporting CMMC and ITAR requirements; Enterprise BYOC deployments include inputs for an SSP, POA&M and SPRS score. These controls make Carbon relevant to regulated manufacturing, though specific deployment and licensing needs should be matched to the selected agreement.

Pricing

Carbon is paid software with a 30-day trial that can be started without a sales call. The Community edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0, but commercial licensing is needed for Enterprise features and for API keys and MCP access on self-hosted deployments.

Starter — 40.00 USD per month, billed per user, monthly. Includes automatic updates and backups, basic ERP, MES and QMS functionality, unlimited records, self-onboarding and community support. It is the clearest entry point for a small team willing to onboard itself; unlimited records do not mean unlimited seats, since pricing is per user.
Business — 100.00 USD per month, billed per user, monthly. Requires a five-user minimum. It therefore starts at 500.00 USD per month for five users before any other terms, making it less suitable for a small shop that only needs a few accounts.
Enterprise — custom pricing. Includes self-hosted or managed deployment, a forward deployed engineer, customizations, training and integrations, CMMC compliance, full setup and migrations, and SSO/SAML. This is the relevant tier for organizations that need those services or compliance and deployment options, but it requires a commercial quote.

The free Community edition offers the core suite, but does not remove the commercial-license requirement for self-hosted API and MCP access. Enterprise air-gapped deployment is also a paid feature.

Platforms

Carbon supports web, Linux, API and self-hosted use. Deployment choices extend to managed cloud, customer cloud accounts, Docker, on-premises and, for Enterprise, air-gapped networks.

Who it's for

Carbon is built for discrete manufacturers, including defense, aerospace, automotive, medical-device, electronics, robotics, energy, space, semiconductor and industrial-equipment makers. It is especially well suited to operations where configurable BOMs, controlled revisions, shop-floor execution and quality genealogy need to work together. A team that mainly needs a basic ERP, or expects unrestricted self-hosted API access under the community license, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pro: Configuration rules can generate BOMs, routings and quotes, with revision control and effectivity dates—useful when product variants and specification changes affect production.
Pro: Production, quality events and serial or lot genealogy are linked, giving traceability-sensitive manufacturers a connected record of work.
Pro: Managed, customer-cloud and on-premises deployment options accommodate different operating environments, with Enterprise adding air-gapped deployment.
Con: Self-hosted API keys and MCP access require a commercial license, limiting what community users can build around their deployment.
Con: Business has a five-user minimum, which makes its per-user monthly price a significant commitment for smaller teams.
Con: The Community edition is under AGPL-3.0, while Enterprise features require a commercial agreement; organizations should assess that boundary before relying on self-hosting.

Alternatives

Cetec ERP is another paid option with a free trial and API, self-hosted and web platforms; choose it if you want to compare a different manufacturing ERP offering.
Exact Online offers web-based paid plans and a free trial, including accounting, CRM, bank feeds and invoicing in its Essentials tier; it may suit a buyer prioritizing those business functions over Carbon's manufacturing workflow scope.
Odoo Manufacturing has a free plan with unlimited users and Android, iOS and web support; consider it if a free, multi-device starting point matters more than Carbon's stated manufacturing and traceability focus.
Epicor Kinetic is a paid option available across cloud, API, mobile, web, Windows and self-hosted platforms, with selectable platform cores, cloud packages, concurrent-user licenses and industry bundles.
Global Shop Solutions ERP is another paid ERP with broad platform support and pricing tailored to the company, billed upfront plus ongoing quarterly cost.
abas ERP is a paid alternative available on web, mobile, API and self-hosted platforms; its implementation costs vary with users, process complexity, migration, functions and adjustments.
Genius ERP uses custom pricing that varies by shop size, user count, hosting model and required features, making it an alternative to compare when those factors drive selection.
SYSPRO offers paid cloud ERP packages priced around selected capabilities, and is worth comparing if a package-based cloud approach is preferred.

Verdict

Choose Carbon if your discrete-manufacturing operation needs configurable product rules, shop-floor execution and quality genealogy in one system, especially when deployment flexibility matters. Its central advantage is the connection between specifications, production and traceability; look elsewhere if you need a low-commitment multi-seat Business plan or self-hosted API and MCP access without a commercial license.

	Carbon	Rootstock Manufacturing Cloud ERP
Free trial	Yes
Paid from	$40/mo
Platforms	api, Linux, self-hosted, Web	Android, api, iOS, Web
Free plan	No
Paid from	40 /user/mo
Revision control	Yes	Yes
Multi-level BOMs	Yes	Yes
BOM comparison	Yes
Change workflows	Yes	Yes
Inventory integration	Yes	Yes
Deployment	hybrid	cloud

Carbon vs Rootstock Manufacturing Cloud ERP

Carbon

Rootstock Manufacturing Cloud ERP