There is no free vendor-management platform — Gatekeeper, Tropic, Vanta, Venminder and Vendr (now Vertice) all quote — so free vendor management means a database you shape yourself: Airtable (1,000 records, 5 editors), Baserow (3,000 rows hosted or unlimited self-hosted, MIT), NocoDB (1,000 records cloud or unlimited self-hosted), Notion, ClickUp, monday, or the supplier modules of Odoo, Dolibarr and ERPNext. SecurityScorecard’s free account rates your own domain, not your vendors’. Prices are USD and were checked on 23 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free vendor tool that fits
- A supplier register five people can edit: Airtable Free — 1,000 records per base, 5 editors, 100 automation runs a month.
- More rows, or on your own server: Baserow — 3,000 rows hosted free, unlimited self-hosted under MIT.
- Supplier records tied to POs and bills: Odoo Purchase (one app free, unlimited users) or Dolibarr and ERPNext self-hosted.
- Many collaborators on onboarding checklists: ClickUp Free Forever — unlimited members, 60 MB storage, 5 automation rules.
- Your own security rating for free: SecurityScorecard free account — rates your domain, not your vendors.
Which vendor management tools tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every tool below holds a supplier register for free with no end date. The database tools cap records (Airtable 1,000 per base, NocoDB cloud 1,000, Baserow 3,000 per workspace) or editors (Airtable 5, NocoDB 3, monday 2) and leave you to model approvals and renewals as fields and automations. The ERP modules (Odoo, Dolibarr, ERPNext) give supplier master data with purchasing attached, with no record caps, at the price of one app or a server. None of them scores vendor risk.
The purpose-built category is absent: Gatekeeper, Tropic (from $3,083 a month), Vanta, Venminder, ProcurePort and Smartsheet have no free plan; Vendr’s platform is now Vertice with no free tier; UpGuard sells a trial with Vendor Risk from $1,750 a month; Whistic and SecurityScorecard offer free profiles or self-ratings rather than vendor management. We list SecurityScorecard for what its free account actually does.
The table shows the record and editor caps and the Free Score. Open a row for licence, approvals, the upgrade trigger and the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A |
Free forever | 1,000 records/base · 5 editors · 100 runs/mo | No | 84 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Open source | 3,000 rows hosted · unlimited self-host · MIT | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| O |
Free forever | One app free · unlimited users | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| N |
Open source | 1,000 records cloud · 3 editors · self-host unlimited | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Free forever | Unlimited members · 60 MB · 5 automation rules | No | 68 | Scorecard ↓ |
| D |
Open source | Self-hosted · GPL-3+ · suppliers & POs | No | 68 | Scorecard ↓ |
| E |
Open source | Self-hosted · GPL-3.0 · cloud from $5 | No | 64 | Scorecard ↓ |
| N |
Free forever | Solo unlimited · team block cap · 10 guests | No | 60 | Scorecard ↓ |
| Z |
Free forever | 1 custom app · prices unlabelled | No | 54 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Free forever | 2 seats · 3 boards | No | 50 | Scorecard ↓ |
| S |
Free forever | Your own domain only · unlimited users | No | 46 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 23 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free vendor tool plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1A
AirtableUS · a relational base for small teams: 1,000 records, 5 editors, 50 commenters, 1 GB attachments and 100 automation runs a month freeFree forever1,000 records/base · 5 editors · 100 runs/moNo card84⌄
- What’s free
- Free plan: 1,000 records per base, 5 editors or creators per workspace, 50 commenters, unlimited read-only users, 1 GB attachments per base, 100 automation runs a month, 75 automations per base
- Hard limits
- 1,000 records · 5 editors · 100 automation runs · extensions unsupported · Interface Designer is Team and above
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- A 1,001st vendor record, a sixth editor, or interfaces
- Cheapest paid step
- Team $20/user/month billed annually
- Best free for
- A procurement team of five keeping contracts, owners and renewal dates on a few hundred suppliers
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · support.airtable.com and airtable.com/pricing
2B
BaserowNetherlands · an open-source Airtable alternative: 3,000 rows and 2 GB per workspace hosted free, or self-host with no limits under MITOpen source3,000 rows hosted · unlimited self-host · MITNo card80⌄
- What’s free
- Hosted Free: 3,000 rows per workspace, 2 GB storage, 500 external app users, 2,000 automation credits a month; self-host free forever
- Hard limits
- 3,000 rows per workspace hosted · the premium and enterprise code directories may carry different licences (not verified)
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- A 3,001st row hosted — or self-host and there is none
- Cheapest paid step
- Premium $10/user/month billed yearly ($12 monthly)
- Best free for
- A register bigger than Airtable’s cap, or one that has to live on your infrastructure
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · baserow.io/pricing and the GitLab LICENSE file (MIT)
Why it ranks here. Three times Airtable’s rows free and an exit to unlimited self-hosting; fewer integrations and a smaller template library keep it second.
3O
Odoo PurchaseBelgium · supplier master data with price lists, RFQs, tenders and blanket orders, free for unlimited users as your single hosted appFree foreverOne app free · unlimited usersNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- One App Free: unlimited users on one hosted app with dependent apps included; Purchase holds suppliers, price-list imports, RFQs, tenders and blanket orders
- Hard limits
- One app · a second app, Studio or extra companies moves you to Standard · vendor risk scoring not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No. ‘No credit card required’ is stated on the Purchase page.
- Upgrade trigger
- A second app
- Cheapest paid step
- Standard $31.10 or $38.90 per user/month (billing period unlabelled)
- Best free for
- A company that wants suppliers and purchasing in one place with no seat cap
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · odoo.com/pricing-plan and odoo.com/app/purchase
Why it ranks here. Supplier records that actually connect to orders and prices, free for everyone in the company; the one-app rule and the lack of contract or risk fields keep it behind the databases for pure vendor management.
4N
NocoDBUS · a spreadsheet interface over Postgres or MySQL: 1,000 records and 3 editors on the free cloud, or unlimited self-hosted under a fair-code licenceOpen source1,000 records cloud · 3 editors · self-host unlimitedNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- Cloud Free: 3 editors plus 10 commenters, 1,000 records, 1 GB storage, 1,000 API calls a month, 100 automation runs, 1 extension, 1 interface; Community self-hosted: unlimited records, storage and seats
- Hard limits
- Cloud: 1,000 records, 3 editors, 1,000 API calls · the Sustainable Use License is fair-code, not OSI open source
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Records or API calls on cloud
- Cheapest paid step
- Plus $12/seat/month billed annually ($15 monthly), or unlimited seats at $108/month annual
- Best free for
- A supplier database on a database you already run
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · nocodb.com/pricing and github.com/nocodb (Sustainable Use License)
Why it ranks here. Ideal when the vendor list should live in your own Postgres; the cloud free tier is smaller than Airtable’s and the licence is source-available.
5C
ClickUpUS · Free Forever with unlimited members and tasks, 60 MB storage, basic custom fields and five automation rulesFree foreverUnlimited members · 60 MB · 5 automation rulesNo card68⌄
- What’s free
- Free Forever: unlimited members, unlimited tasks, 60 MB storage, basic custom field manager, 5 active automation rules and 100 executions
- Hard limits
- 60 MB · full custom fields marked as trial · 5 rules and 100 executions
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Storage, custom fields or automations
- Cheapest paid step
- Unlimited $7/user/month billed yearly ($10 monthly) — the page also shows newer tiers; verify before buying
- Best free for
- Vendor onboarding checklists that many people tick off
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · clickup.com/pricing (tier naming in transition on the page)
Why it ranks here. Unlimited seats is the draw; the custom-field limits on Free make contract and approval fields awkward, and 60 MB holds very few signed PDFs.
6D
DolibarrFrance · suppliers, contacts and purchase orders in a GPL-3+ ERP you host yourselfOpen sourceSelf-hosted · GPL-3+ · suppliers & POsNo card68⌄
- What’s free
- Third-party management for customers, prospects and suppliers with contacts, plus purchase order management
- Hard limits
- Self-hosted · no vendor risk scoring stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- Hosting
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated (third-party hosts)
- Best free for
- Supplier and contact records tied to POs and bills on a small firm’s own hosting
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · github.com/Dolibarr README (GPL-3+)
Why it ranks here. Unlimited and explicit about licence and features; a vendor register inside an ERP, which is more and less than a vendor-management tool.
7E
ERPNextIndia · supplier records inside a full GPL-3.0 ERP; scorecards exist in the product but are not stated on the pages we readOpen sourceSelf-hosted · GPL-3.0 · cloud from $5No card64⌄
- What’s free
- Suppliers managed under order management in a 100% open-source ERP
- Hard limits
- Self-hosted for free · supplier scorecard and risk features not stated on the vendor page
- Time limit
- None self-hosted
- Card required
- No for self-host.
- Upgrade trigger
- Managed hosting
- Cheapest paid step
- Frappe Cloud sites from $5/month
- Best free for
- A company already planning on ERPNext
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · github.com/frappe/erpnext
Why it ranks here. Scored on what the README states, which for suppliers is one word; the product does more.
8N
NotionUS · databases with custom properties for a solo buyer’s supplier list and contract notes; multi-member workspaces hit a block limitFree foreverSolo unlimited · team block cap · 10 guestsNo card60⌄
- What’s free
- Free: unlimited blocks for a solo workspace, limited for 2+ members, 10 guests, 5 MB uploads, databases with custom properties, 1 chart
- Hard limits
- Block cap for teams · 10 guests · 5 MB uploads · no row count stated · approvals and risk not native
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- A team hitting the block limit
- Cheapest paid step
- Plus $10/member/month billed monthly
- Best free for
- One buyer’s supplier notes with contracts linked
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · notion.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Fine alone, cramped for a team, and 5 MB uploads rule out most signed contracts.
9Z
Zoho CreatorIndia · a free edition for one custom app — enough to build a bespoke vendor-approval app for a solo user; paid prices could not be confirmedFree forever1 custom app · prices unlabelledNo card54⌄
- What’s free
- Free Edition for individuals or small teams starting with one custom app; 15-day trial of paid plans
- Hard limits
- One app · record limits not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- More apps or users
- Cheapest paid step
- Not clearly stated — the page shows unlabelled figures
- Best free for
- Building a vendor onboarding form with approval logic yourself
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · zoho.com/creator/pricing
Why it ranks here. Powerful if you build it; the free edition’s record caps and the paid prices could not be read, so it is scored low on verification.
10M
monday.comIsrael · two seats and three boards free, with automations starting on the Standard planFree forever2 seats · 3 boardsNo card50⌄
- What’s free
- Free: up to 2 seats and 3 boards
- Hard limits
- 2 seats · 3 boards · items, storage and automations not listed for Free · plans start from 3 users
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- A third seat or a fourth board
- Cheapest paid step
- Basic $9/seat/month billed annually, three-seat minimum
- Best free for
- A two-person vendor tracker
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · monday.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. The tightest free tier here; two people and three boards is a demo.
11S
SecurityScorecardUS · a free-forever account that rates your own domain’s security, with alerts and a questionnaire response tool; monitoring vendors is paidFree foreverYour own domain only · unlimited usersNo card46⌄
- What’s free
- Free forever: a security rating for your own domain, digital footprint, issue prioritisation, score-change alerts, questionnaire response, self-monitoring dashboard, unlimited users
- Hard limits
- Own domain only · monitoring other organisations is priced by number of organisations
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Rating a vendor
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated — contact sales
- Best free for
- Answering a customer’s security questionnaire, not assessing suppliers
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · securityscorecard.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Listed because ‘free vendor risk’ searches land here; the free account looks inward, not at your vendors.
Which free vendor tool has no credit-card requirement?
Odoo states no card; the open-source projects need nothing. Airtable, Baserow, NocoDB, ClickUp, Notion, Zoho Creator, monday and SecurityScorecard do not state it. Nothing here auto-converts.
The friction is modelling: every database tool above makes you build the approval status, contract expiry and owner fields yourself, and only Airtable and Baserow give enough free automation runs to send renewal reminders from them.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free vendor tool fits your situation?
Five-person procurement team
Airtable Free.
Bigger register, or must self-host
Baserow.
Suppliers tied to purchasing
Odoo Purchase.
Existing Postgres, want a UI
NocoDB.
Many people, simple onboarding checklists
ClickUp Free.
Solo buyer
Notion.
Need to answer a customer’s security questionnaire
SecurityScorecard free.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, keeping a supplier register with contacts, contracts, approval status and renewal dates that several people can maintain. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 23 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections to the Kurums editorial team.
How did we verify these free tiers?
We opened each vendor’s pricing page or repository and recorded record, row and editor caps, automation allowances, licence and the paid step. Baserow’s MIT licence comes from its repository LICENSE file; NocoDB’s Sustainable Use License is fair-code rather than open source. Zoho Creator’s paid prices could not be confirmed. Smartsheet, Gatekeeper, Tropic, Vanta and Venminder were excluded as having no free plan; Vendr because its pricing now redirects to Vertice with no free tier; ProcurePort because its pricing could not be reviewed.
Prices are USD.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free vendor management system?
No purpose-built one. Airtable (1,000 records, 5 editors), Baserow (3,000 rows hosted, unlimited self-hosted) and NocoDB give you a free database to build one; Odoo, Dolibarr and ERPNext include supplier records with purchasing.
Is Gatekeeper or Vendr free?
No. Gatekeeper is quote-based; Vendr’s platform is now Vertice, whose pricing page lists no free plan. Vendr’s site still offers free SaaS price checks, which is benchmarking rather than vendor management.
Which free tool scores vendor risk?
None. SecurityScorecard’s free account rates your own domain; rating other organisations is paid. UpGuard’s Vendor Risk starts at $1,750 a month.
How many records does Airtable allow free?
1,000 per base, with 5 editors per workspace, 1 GB of attachments per base and 100 automation runs a month.
Is Baserow open source?
Its repository’s LICENSE file is MIT; the premium and enterprise directories may carry different terms. NocoDB uses a fair-code licence that is not OSI open source.
Can I use Odoo for suppliers free?
Yes — the Purchase app as your single free app holds suppliers, price lists, RFQs and POs for unlimited users. Adding a second app moves you to the paid Standard plan.
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