For physical inventory that is actually used

Capture quickly.Keep the model explicit.

Eight examples of how the same open inventory system can model tools, household objects, company assets, lending equipment, collections, school devices, vehicle stock, and lab hardware.

Capture at the object

photos and codes reduce later transcription

Choose the stock model

quantity and serial tracking stay distinct

Operate it yourself

MIT-licensed code, Docker, PostgreSQL, and OpenAPI

Real-world views

Physical context. Actual interface.

The photographs show real working environments. The interface images are direct captures from the running web application with purpose-made demo content — no generated scenes and no recreated mockups.

Real photographyReal capture · demo content

A real electronics workbench with a soldering iron and circuit board — Electronics workbench

Direct capture of batch entry in the Open Inventory web application with demo content — Batch entry in the web application

A person checking parcels in a real warehouse setting — Parcel inspection in a warehouse

Direct capture of an inventory detail page in the Open Inventory web application with demo content — Inventory detail with stock and location

Tools arranged inside a real service vehicle — Tools in a service vehicle

Sorting boxes containing screws, nails, and wall plugs in a real workshop — Organised parts storage

Eight concrete operating contexts

One codebase, different inventory rules.

Each page describes data choices, a capture workflow, relevant features, iPhone use, and the limits of the use case. The examples use mock data and do not imply a separate industry edition.

A team working together at a real workshop bench

Real photographyWorkshop and shared equipment

Makerspace

Track machines, hand tools, and consumables with codes, locations, and an append-only movement history.

A man checking printed labels on moving boxes

Real photographyHousehold and shared belongings

Family

Document boxes, rooms, manuals, and warranties without turning a household inventory into permanent spreadsheet work.

A laptop, smartphone, payment terminal, calculator, and documents on a real office desk

Real photographyAssets and growing teams

Startup

Assign equipment, count prototype parts, receive purchase orders, and integrate the inventory through a scoped REST API.

Sorted small-parts containers in a real workshop

Real photographyShared material and volunteers

Club and lending group

Catalogue shared equipment, document issues and returns, and split permissions between members and maintainers.

Real photographyObjects and documented provenance

Collection

Document objects with ordered media, custom fields, relationships, locations, translations, and portable data access.

Several tablets on desks in a real classroom

Real photographyLoan devices and specialist rooms

School

Capture tablets, experiment kits, and room equipment, then record lending and recurring inventory checks.

A person opening or closing a robust tool case

Real photographyVehicles and job sites

Trades

Track vehicle stock, power tools, and consumables from a phone, with explicit transfers and replenishment data.

A person using a pipette at a real laboratory bench

Real photographyTest equipment and prototyping

Lab

Organise instruments, components, and prototype parts with serial data, locations, relationships, and an open API.

Shared technical basis

Start with capture. Add structure when it earns its place.

Camera capture lowers the cost of the first record. Typed fields, stock transactions, assignments, labels, and APIs are available when the workflow needs more precision.

Reviewable assistance

Image analysis can propose titles, descriptions, types, and tags. A user reviews the result before relying on it.

Codes and transaction history

QR, barcodes, quantity stock, serialised units, and dated movements resolve to the same inventory model.

Native iOS client

The SwiftUI app covers camera capture, lookup, scanning, stock operations, and optional RoomPlan workflows.

MIT Open Source

Application code, iOS source, migrations, and OpenAPI live in the repository. Docker runs them on infrastructure you control.

MIT licensedSelf-hostedNo industry-specific black box

Your records, your server, and inspectable code.

Clone the repository, run the Docker stack, inspect the API contract, and decide which optional external services are appropriate for your installation.

Start with Docker Browse the code