Carbon
What it is
Carbon brings ERP, MRP, MES, and QMS functions together for manufacturers planning materials, running production, managing quality, and tracking actual costs. It can generate bills of materials, routings, and quoted prices from product rules, with revision control and effectivity dates. Shop-floor tools include digital travelers, work instructions, QR and barcode tracking, and finite-capacity scheduling. Quality records such as first articles, nonconformances, CAPAs, and calibrations can be linked to production records, serials, and lots. Carbon targets discrete manufacturers across fields including aerospace, automotive, medical devices, electronics, robotics, energy, space, semiconductors, and industrial equipment. It integrates with tools such as Onshape, SolidWorks, QuickBooks, Slack, and Jira, and provides a REST API, webhooks, and an MCP server. Deployment can be managed cloud, customer cloud, Docker, or on-premises; air-gapped deployment is an Enterprise feature. The Community edition includes core functionality under AGPL-3.0. Starter is $40/user/mo, billed per user monthly, and a 30-day trial is listed.
For and against
For
- Combines ERP, MRP, MES, and QMS.
- Generates BOMs and routings from product rules.
- Tracks shop-floor work with QR and barcode tools.
- Links quality records with production genealogy.
- Community edition includes core functions under AGPL-3.0.
Against
- Starter requires $40/user/mo, billed monthly.
- Business requires a five-user minimum.
- Air-gapped deployment is an Enterprise feature.
- Self-hosted API keys and MCP access need a commercial license.
The verdict
Carbon covers planning, production, quality, and cost tracking in one manufacturing system, with both managed and self-hosted deployment choices. Teams should account for its per-user subscription and the commercial-license requirements for some self-hosted capabilities.
Who it suits
Carbon is aimed at discrete manufacturers that need connected materials planning, production, and quality workflows. Its listed sectors include aerospace, medical devices, electronics, robotics, and industrial equipment.
Plans and prices
Starter
Automatic updates and backups · Basic ERP, MES, and QMS functionality · Unlimited records · Self-onboarding
Read 21 Sep 2026 · carbon.ms
Business
5 users minimum
Read 21 Sep 2026 · carbon.ms
Enterprise
Self-hosted or managed · Forward deployed engineer · Customizations, training, and integrations · CMMC compliant
Read 21 Sep 2026 · carbon.ms
On the record
- API
- Carbon provides REST endpoints, webhooks and an MCP server, with typed client generation for TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, C# and PHP.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- API and AI
- Carbon provides a REST API, webhooks and an MCP server, with typed client generation documented for TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, C# and PHP.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- Carbon describes self-hosted deployment as supporting CMMC and ITAR requirements, and says Enterprise BYOC deployments include inputs for an SSP, POA&M and SPRS score.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- It can generate bills of materials, routings and quoted prices from product rules, with revision control and effectivity dates.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Carbon can run in managed cloud, a customer cloud account, Docker, on-premises or an air-gapped network; air-gapped deployment is an Enterprise feature.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The site lists Onshape, SolidWorks, Slack, Linear, Jira, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, Stripe, Ramp, Okta and Microsoft Entra among its integrations.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Limits
- For self-hosted deployments, API keys and MCP access require a commercial license.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Manufacturing
- It supports rule-based BOM and routing generation, revision control, and rolled-up costs for configured products.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The Community edition includes core ERP, MRP, MES and QMS under AGPL-3.0; Enterprise features require a commercial agreement.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Product
- Carbon combines ERP, MRP, MES and QMS to plan materials, run production, manage quality and track actual costs.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Production
- Shop-floor features include digital travelers, work instructions, QR and barcode tracking, and finite-capacity scheduling.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Quality
- Carbon links first articles, nonconformances, CAPAs and calibrations to production records, with serial and lot genealogy.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Security
- Self-hosted deployments use a Postgres database with row-level security, and the customer controls the network, encryption, backups and retention.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Self-hosted API limit
- Self-hosted API keys and MCP access require a commercial license.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Self-hosting
- Carbon can run in a customer cloud account, on-premises or air-gapped; air-gapped deployment and licensing are Enterprise features.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Support
- Enterprise engagements can include architecture, installation, legacy data migration, training and an SLA.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Target users
- Carbon says it is built for discrete manufacturers, including defense, aerospace, automotive, medical devices, electronics, robotics, energy, space, semiconductor and industrial equipment makers.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
- Trial
- The maker advertises a 30-day trial and says no sales call is required to start.carbon.ms · read 3 Oct 2026
