FiveM Inventory Compared: ox_inventory vs qb-inventory (2026)

Few technical decisions weigh as much on a roleplay server as the inventory. Every purchase, robbery, job delivery and item in a trunk passes through it, and nearly all your other scripts end up integrating with its exports. Choosing the right FiveM inventory early saves you the most dreaded operation in the ecosystem: migrating the items of an entire live community. This comparison looks honestly at the two big open source options, ox_inventory and qb-inventory, and at what a premium inventory has to offer to justify its price.

Why is the inventory a structural decision?

The inventory is infrastructure, not just another script. It defines how items are stored in the database, what metadata they can carry (quality, serial number, durability), how stashes and shops are created, and which API every other resource uses to give and remove items. Changing it later means touching integrations in dozens of scripts and converting data for thousands of players.

So the right question is not which UI looks nicer. It is which inventory fits your framework, your script catalogue and your plans for the next two years.

ox_inventory: the open source standard

ox_inventory, built by Overextended, is the open source reference for FiveM inventories. It requires ox_lib and oxmysql, uses a weight-based slot system, and ships with what used to be premium territory: per-item metadata, stashes, shops, weapon registration with serial numbers and item durability. Its biggest strength is design: operations are validated on the server, which removes much of the duplication exploits that have historically plagued other inventories.

It is ideal for Qbox servers, where it is the standard piece of the ecosystem, and for modern ESX servers already using the Overextended suite. It also runs on QBCore through a bridge, with more friction. Its limits, plainly: the interface is functional but sober, there is a learning curve if you come from the qb world (items and callbacks are defined differently), and older scripts written for qb-inventory need bridges or manual edits. It is an excellent, actively maintained project, but support is open source support: community and documentation, with no guarantees or hours.

qb-inventory: the native QBCore option

qb-inventory is the default inventory of the QBCore framework, and its main argument is exactly that: total native integration. On a vanilla QBCore server it works from the first boot, every script in the qb ecosystem assumes it, and the volume of tutorials, forum threads and examples is huge. For a new server it is the path of least resistance.

To be fair about its limits: it is more basic than ox_inventory. Metadata is more limited, advanced crafting and fine-grained durability need additional resources, and older versions suffered known duplication exploits, so you must run the latest official version and apply its patches. Visual and functional customisation means editing the code directly. As a starting point it does the job. As the final piece of a large server it often falls short, and many communities end up migrating.

What justifies paying for a premium inventory?

With two established free options, a paid inventory has to earn its price. Look for built-in advanced crafting with recipes, queues and progression, configurable weight and durability per item, rich ready-to-use metadata (serial numbers, drug quality, ammo per weapon), player-configurable hotbars, animations and props when using items, and a polished UI you can customise without touching code. Structurally, look for real multi-framework support (QBCore, ESX, Qbox) with maintained bridges, which protects you from a future framework migration.

What separates a serious purchase is the rest: support through Discord and tickets for when a framework update breaks something on a Saturday night, free lifetime updates, delivery through the official FiveM escrow via Tebex, and proof that the resource has been tested in production with real players. An inventory is too critical to buy without a safety net.

Which FiveM inventory should you pick? Criteria to decide

Pick the inventory that matches your framework first, then check performance, migration cost, anti-duping design and compatibility with your job scripts. Native fit usually decides vanilla QBCore, ox_inventory suits Qbox and modern ESX, and premium wins when you need crafting, metadata and guaranteed support. The sections below explain how to check each criterion.

Performance

The inventory works constantly: opens, item moves, database saves. Ask how it persists data (batched saving beats one query per move), measure its idle resmon, and above all check that opening a large stash does not freeze the client. Always test on a development server with realistic data, not three items.

Framework

Compatibility rules. On vanilla QBCore, native fit counts for a lot: see the scripts for QBCore. On Qbox, ox_inventory is the natural path, and there are scripts for Qbox built for that stack. On ESX Legacy, where the default inventory falls short for serious roleplay, almost everyone ends up on ox_inventory or a premium option; see the scripts for ESX. If you have not chosen a framework yet, decide that first: our QBCore vs ESX vs Qbox comparison will save you months of doubt.

Data migration

Each inventory stores items in its own JSON structure: slots, quantities, metadata. Moving from qb-inventory to ox_inventory, or from either to a premium one, means converting that data. Before buying, ask whether the inventory ships conversion scripts for the most common formats; good ones do. When you migrate: full database backup, conversion in a test environment, verification with real accounts, and only then production.

Security and anti-duping

Item duplication is the most destructive exploit in roleplay: one night of duping can wreck months of economy. Ask where the inventory validates its operations. The right answer is always “on the server”: the client only asks, the server decides. Distrust any inventory where moves, stack splits or handovers are resolved client-side. Also check the classic edge cases: disconnecting with the inventory open, two players using the same stash at once, and using an item at the exact moment it is dropped. Serious inventories document these protections because they were hard to build.

Compatibility with your job scripts

Your jobs create stashes, register items and reward players with objects, all through the inventory’s exports. Check that the API is documented and that your current job scripts have direct integration or an available bridge. A magnificent inventory that nothing in your catalogue talks to is an island.

How do you test an inventory before going live?

Run the same test protocol whether the inventory is free or paid: a development server with a copy of your real database and your full script set, one session for functional checks, one for hostile checks, and a resmon measurement at idle and under heavy use. Two afternoons of testing cost far less than a production rollback with your community online.

For the functional session, give and remove items from your jobs, open stashes and shops, leave items in trunks and glove boxes, and check metadata on weapons and consumables. For the hostile one, try to duplicate by dragging quickly, disconnect with the inventory open, and open the same stash from two accounts. Finish with resmon open, measuring idle consumption and consumption during intense use.

In short: qb-inventory to start fast on vanilla QBCore, ox_inventory as the solid standard for Qbox and modern ESX, and premium when you want crafting, rich metadata, a polished interface and support with guarantees from day one. Whatever your framework, make the choice before your catalogue grows around it.