Free PDM Software
Looking for a simple, no-cost way to better organize your design files, bills of materials, or technical documents? Free PDM software can be a practical solution to structure your product data, track changes, and streamline collaboration—without straining your budget. But do such solutions really exist?
In this article, Aletiq helps you gain a clearer view.
Aras Innovator
Aras Innovator is one of the most complete free PDM software solutions available on the market. It is a fully functional open-source PLM/PDM system that can be downloaded free of charge.It manages the creation, versioning, and distribution of all product data. Its PDM module includes a secure vault for file storage, revision history, configurable access rights, and change request management.
Aras therefore provides all the key features expected from PDM software. One of its strongest assets is that the Community Edition license is entirely free, with no restrictions on core functionalities.
The open-source community is active, and the platform can be customized to meet specific business needs. However, this flexibility comes at a cost of use: Aras requires installation on a server (Windows or Linux) with an SQL database, and demands technical expertise for configuration. Initial setup and ongoing maintenance can be complex for small teams. Moreover, free support is limited to documentation and community forums. Since 2024, the Community Edition has been restricted to 50 users; beyond that, migration to paid plans is required.
Aras Innovator is therefore suited to small organizations with IT resources (internal teams or service providers) looking for a complete PDM/PLM system without upfront licensing costs.
OpenBOM
OpenBOM can be considered among free PDM software under specific conditions: for non-commercial use or via its 14-day free trial.
The platform includes a PDM system that stores CAD files in the cloud and automatically maintains their revision history. A local client synchronizes project folders with the cloud and manages check-in/check-out, allowing multiple team members to share design files in real time.
The vendor offers two no-cost options: a 14-day full-featured trial and an unlimited personal or academic license.
In this free mode, a single administrator can invite other users via the console and use the tool for experimentation or non-commercial projects.
However, the free plan remains limited for professional use. It does not include advanced ERP integration or fine-grained access control.
OpenBOM is therefore a good entry point for experimenting with BOM management in a small team (or as a solo engineer) without heavy deployment. Still, it cannot support large teams or high data volumes without moving to a paid subscription.
Benefits and Limitations of Free PDM Software
Free PDM solutions are appealing for quickly getting started without license costs. They allow you to test the concept, structure a design database, and assess potential gains before investing in a paid solution.However, this “free” approach usually comes with technical limitations: critical functionalities for industrial deployment are often restricted to paid editions or require in-house development.
Scalability is another challenge: free offerings tend to hit their limits as the number of users or the data volume grows significantly.In short, while free PDM software can help demonstrate the value of such a system in your company, in most cases you will eventually need to switch to a paid solution. To go further, you can also check out our article on PDM software vendors, designed to give you an overview of the wider range of available solutions.
