The honest version of "free garment ERP"
Search "free garment ERP" and you get vendor pages selling 14-day trials, GitHub repos abandoned in 2019, or generic ERP forks that have never seen a sewing floor. None of these is what factory owners actually need.
The honest answer in 2026 is split. The math layer of a garment factory ERP is genuinely free — and open source. We published it ourselves: AQL sampling, DHU, line efficiency, fabric consumption, CMT cost, SMV, piece-rate, bundle ID. 8 packages on npm and PyPI, MIT licensed, no signup, no usage limits.
The hardware + UX + integration layer is not free — and never will be in any meaningful sense. Printer integration, biometric attendance, real-time supervisor alerts, cheap-Android-phone operator UX that handles 8-hour shifts — these require active maintenance against real factory conditions. Free tools rarely survive 6 months on a real factory floor.
This page covers what is genuinely free, what is not, and how to make the right tradeoff for your factory's size.
The 8 free open-source packages
Each package is production-tested in our own Nepal CMT factory and published independently. Install with npm install or pip install — no account needed.
What you get free vs. what costs money
| Capability | Free (our 8 packages) | Paid Scan ERP |
|---|---|---|
| AQL sampling calculation | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| DHU + benchmark classification | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| Line efficiency math | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| Fabric consumption (knit + woven) | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| CMT cost + country comparison | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| SMV / SAM calculation | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| Piece-rate earnings math | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| Bundle QR generation | ✓ free | ✓ included |
| Operator scanning UX (cheap Android phones) | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| Real-time WIP dashboard | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| Label printer integration (TSC, Brother) | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| Biometric attendance (ZKTeco) | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| ESP32-CAM hardware scanner firmware | ✗ not available free | ✓ included |
| Supervisor alerts (WhatsApp, FCM) | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| Pi-based edge cache (internet drop tolerance) | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| Buyer DPP / BSCI / Sedex export | ✗ build yourself | ✓ ready |
| Production support + updates | ✗ community only | ✓ included |
When "free garment ERP" actually works
Free + DIY makes sense in three scenarios:
- Under 30 machines. Excel + WhatsApp + our free packages is enough. Bundle loss is small enough to absorb. Payment disputes resolve verbally.
- Building a software product (not running a factory). If you are a developer building a garment-industry tool, our packages are the math layer — integrate them with your own UI.
- Pilot / POC stage. Test the workflow with our free calculators before committing to a paid ERP. If it does not work with the math alone, paid software will not save it either.
When free garment ERP stops working
Free stops working when you cross any of these thresholds:
- Above 30-50 machines — supervisor cannot count bundles manually fast enough.
- 3+ lines running simultaneously — WIP visibility breaks down without live dashboard.
- Operator payment disputes — happens monthly at 50+ machines.
- Buyer reporting requirements — DPP, BSCI, BGMEA compliance need structured data export.
- Multiple shifts — attendance + payroll across shifts becomes a reconciliation nightmare.
- Internet drops — Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia factories all need edge cache.
At this point most factories either build a custom solution (typically $30K-80K project + 6-12 months) or buy an ERP ($100-2,000/month). Building is usually a mistake — the hidden integration work (printers, biometric, ESP32, Pi, WhatsApp bot) eats 80% of the budget. Buying integrated ERP is the realistic answer.
Try the free tools first
Before committing to anything, run our free calculator hub on your factory's actual numbers:
- AQL calculator — check your shipment sample plan vs. what your buyer expects.
- DHU calculator — measure your defect rate and see where you sit on the benchmark.
- Full AQL lookup tables — sample sizes for every lot + level + AQL combination.
If the math layer covers your needs, install the packages and build. If you need the full data + hardware automation stack, see the automation roadmap.