I've spent a great deal of time searching for the right inventory management system for my work. I want the system to be relatively simple, straightforward, with only the necessary bells and whistles. Perhaps, even more important to me is the ability to modify the system to suit my needs. It's rare to find an off-the-shelf product that can be modified or enhanced to suit needs.
Fortunately, there are several open-source projects on GitHub related to Inventory Management System projects. Similar to WordPress, the project I have selected is written in PHP and uses a MySQL/MariaDB database.
https://github.com/siamon123/warehouse-inventory-system
The OSWA-Inv system provides a clean, web-based interface for managing product inventory. It tracks quantities, buying prices, and selling prices — exactly what's needed for small business inventory management without unnecessary complexity.
Key Features
- Web-based interface accessible from any device
- Track product quantities in real-time
- Manage buying and selling prices
- Simple product creation workflow
- PHP and MySQL/MariaDB backend
- Open source and self-hosted
Perfect for Raspberry Pi
One of the best aspects of this system is how well it runs on low-power hardware. I've successfully deployed OSWA-Inv on a Raspberry Pi, making it an ideal solution for small businesses, nonprofits, or personal projects that need inventory tracking without relying on cloud services or expensive subscriptions.
The lightweight nature of PHP and MySQL means even a Raspberry Pi 3 can handle multiple users and thousands of products without performance issues.
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Want More?
I've written follow-up guides covering the improvements and modifications I've made, including deployment steps for Raspberry Pi and a full production-ready build:
- Using a Raspberry Pi for your own Inventory Management System
- Self-Hosted Inventory Management for Nonprofits: A Complete Build — database schema, PHP CRUD patterns, and authentication from the ground up
- CoreConduit Inventory System — Complete Deployment Guide — the production evolution with order management, audit trails, and role-based access