Homebox

Name: Homebox
Brand: Homebox

Free, self-hosted home inventory system for tracking and organizing your belongings.

softwareHome & Family Self-HostedHome InventoryOpen Source

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Our Verdict

Best for

Home users who want a lightweight, free, self-hosted system to catalog and locate their belongings.

Skip if

You need enterprise IT asset management features or a managed cloud-hosted option.

What is Homebox?

Homebox is a free, open-source, self-hosted inventory and organization application built specifically for home users rather than enterprise IT teams. It lets people catalog their belongings with custom fields, photos, and serial numbers, organize items into a location hierarchy, and generate QR codes for quick lookup, all while running efficiently in under 50MB of memory. Written in Go for speed and low resource usage, Homebox deploys via Docker with SQLite or PostgreSQL and supports item templates, flexible labels, multi-collection setups for tracking separate households or groups, CSV import/export, OIDC SSO, and a full REST API. The project (originally by hay-kot) is now an actively maintained community continuation.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentSelf-hosted

open source✅ Yes

api available✅ Yes

support optionsCommunity Discord, GitHub issues, documentation site

key integrationsOIDC SSO (e.g. Active Directory, Okta)

Key Features of Homebox

Tracks items with custom fields, photos, serial numbers, and other metadata for detailed cataloging.

Organizes belongings into a visual location hierarchy so items can be found by room, container, or shelf.

Generates QR codes for individual items to allow quick lookup by scanning a physical label.

Provides reusable item templates with default fields and values to speed up repetitive data entry.

Supports multiple separate collections within one instance, useful for tracking different households or groups.

Runs efficiently in under 50MB of memory thanks to being written in Go, making it suitable for low-power hardware.

Offers OIDC SSO integration with identity providers like Active Directory or Okta, plus a full REST API and CSV import/export.

Use Cases for Homebox

Garage and storage tracking

Catalog tools, equipment, and stored items by location so they can be found later.

Home insurance documentation

Keep photos, serial numbers, and purchase details of valuables for insurance or warranty claims.

Moving and decluttering

Track what's packed in which box using QR codes and location hierarchy during a move.

Shared household inventories

Use multi-collection support to manage separate inventories for family members or shared living spaces.

Pros & Cons of Homebox

Pros

Completely free, open source, and self-hosted with full data control
Very lightweight, runs comfortably on modest hardware
QR codes and location hierarchy make physical item lookup fast
Simple, home-user-focused design rather than enterprise complexity

Cons

Requires self-hosting via Docker rather than offering a managed cloud option
No native mobile apps, relies on the web interface
Original maintainer archived the repo, so it now depends on a community-run fork

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Homebox free?

Yes, Homebox is free and open source; you self-host it on your own server or NAS.

Is Homebox still maintained?

The original hay-kot repository was archived, but the project continues as an actively maintained community fork with regular updates.

How much hardware does Homebox need?

Very little; it's written in Go and typically uses under 50MB of memory at idle.

Does Homebox have a mobile app?

There is no dedicated native mobile app; Homebox is accessed through its responsive web interface, including QR code scanning via a phone browser/camera.

Pricing Overview

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Free

Self-Hosted

Free

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Top Alternatives & Similar Software

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HomeZada

AI-suggested

HomeZada is a cloud‑based platform that lets homeowners catalog every item in their house, track warranties, and store receipts. It also includes tools for scheduling maintenance, budgeting home projects, and monitoring property value. The service integrates with financial accounts to help users plan repairs and upgrades, and it offers mobile access for on‑the‑go updates. A free tier provides basic inventory, while premium plans add unlimited storage, advanced reporting, and priority support.

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Best For

🏠Homeowners & Families

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