What is OpenMES?

OpenMES is a free Manufacturing Execution System for small and mid-sized manufacturers. It provides real-time production visibility with work order tracking, batch production, process templates, and a drag-and-drop production planner with Gantt views. Operators use a tablet-optimized PWA interface with offline support for step-by-step guidance. The system includes an issue/Andon system, analytics with OEE reporting, and immutable audit logs for compliance. Machine connectivity is built in via MQTT, Modbus TCP/RTU, and OPC UA protocols, plus webhooks and a REST API for ERP integration. Optional modules add barcode packaging stations and ERP connectors. Deployment is a single Docker Compose stack (Laravel + PostgreSQL) with an automated installer. The core is AGPL-3.0 licensed with a dual-licensing model for commercial use.

Should you self-host OpenMES?

OpenMES scores 47/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #4 of 4 in Industrial IoT. It has 178 GitHub stars.

It shipped 10 stable releases in the past year. The latest, v0.27.0, came out on 14 October 2026. New versions land roughly every 4 days.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. An official Docker image is available. It is AGPL-3.0-licensed and written mostly in PHP.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is LinuxCNC (63/100, 2 512 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See OpenMES vs LinuxCNC side by side.

Features

Analytics & Reporting
ERP Integration Modules
ISA-95 Alignment
Issue & Andon System
Machine Connectivity
Module/Hook System
Operator Interface
Packaging Module
Production Planning
REST API
Security & Compliance
Two-factor authentication
Work Order Management

How to configure OpenMES

ADMIN_EMAIL
ADMIN_PASSWORD
ADMIN_USERNAMEadmin── Konto admina (tworzone automatycznie przy pierwszym starcie) ──────────────
── Konto admina (tworzone automatycznie przy pierwszym starcie) ──────────────
APP_DEBUGfalse
APP_ENVproduction── Tryb pracy ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── local → tryb deweloperski (logi debug, błędy na ekranie) production → tryb produkcyjny (logi error, błędy ukryte)
── Tryb pracy ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── local → tryb deweloperski (logi debug, błędy na ekranie) production → tryb produkcyjny (logi error, błędy ukryte)
APP_TIMEZONEEurope/Warsaw── Plant timezone ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Used by EVERY timestamp: screens, reports, shift boundaries and scheduled jobs. Set the plant's timezone, not the server's — otherwise a day's report covers different hours than the shift that was worked. Defaults to UTC. The installer asks for this too, and stores the answer in the database, which is what the applicati
── Plant timezone ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Used by EVERY timestamp: screens, reports, shift boundaries and scheduled jobs. Set the plant's timezone, not the server's — otherwise a day's report covers different hours than the shift that was worked. Defaults to UTC. The installer asks for this too, and stores the answer in the database, which is what the applicati
APP_URLhttp://localhost
DOMAINlocalhost── Domena i HTTPS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Produkcja z domeną → Caddy automatycznie pobiera certyfikat Let's Encrypt Lokalne testy → zostaw localhost (HTTP, bez certyfikatu)
── Domena i HTTPS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Produkcja z domeną → Caddy automatycznie pobiera certyfikat Let's Encrypt Lokalne testy → zostaw localhost (HTTP, bez certyfikatu)
POSTGRES_DBopenmmes── Baza danych ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
── Baza danych ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
POSTGRES_PASSWORD
POSTGRES_USERopenmmes_user