JobBOSS² On-Prem Alternative: When Your Vendor Goes Cloud-First
ECI positions JobBOSS² as cloud-first. On-premise is still offered, but for businesses that are, in ECI's words, "unable to move." If you run JobBOSS² on your own server, that wording tells you which way the product is heading, and it's worth deciding where you want to be before the vendor decides for you.
Traveler's Shop Server is an on-prem system built to stay on-prem: the whole system on a fanless box on your LAN, $4,250 one-time with unlimited users, or $6,500 for Shop Server Defense with a hardened configuration for CUI and ITAR work. Traveler is pre-launch, and the Shop Server ships after Traveler Cloud. JobBOSS² has the largest installed base in the segment. Details are at /shop-server.
| Feature | Traveler | JobBOSS² (on-prem) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat per shop: $109/mo Cloud, or one-time Shop Server ($4,250; Defense $6,500) | Per-user licensing |
| Entry price | $109/mo, or $1,090/yr | From ~$3K/yr (reported) |
| Per-seat pricing | No — unlimited users on every edition | Yes — ~$85–150/user/mo or ~$3K/user/yr (reported estimates vary) |
| Implementation | None — self-serve setup, no implementation fee | ~$5K–40K (erpresearch) to $20K–100K+ (other reports) |
| Minimum users | None | Not published |
| Quoting | Quantity breaks, routed or fast quotes, bar-stock math, last-3 material prices, online acceptance | Included in the ERP |
| Job travelers | Generated from the quote, QR code per op, cloned from the last run on repeats | Included in the ERP |
| Scheduling | What's-late / what's-next list at launch; drag-drop board with TV mode planned | Included; users reported no drag-and-drop (2024) |
| Quality / FAI / certs | Gage cal, quality logs, C of C; FAI/AS9102, NCR/CAPA, audit binder in development — included in price | Via uniPoint QMS integration (~$150/user/mo, separate vendor) |
| QuickBooks | One-way push of invoices and customers (QuickBooks Online; Desktop via connector) | Not published |
| On-prem option | Yes — Shop Server $4,250 or Shop Server Defense $6,500, one-time, on your LAN (ships after Cloud) | Yes, for businesses "unable to move" — vendor is cloud-first |
| CMMC / CUI posture | No CMMC claim; Shop Server Defense designed to support 800-171 controls | Claimed "CMMC 2.0 ready" (2023) |
| Contract terms | Monthly or annual; one-click full export on every edition | Not published |
Traveler is in early access; its column is committed launch pricing and design. Competitor details come from published pricing and public user reports — corrections welcome.
What cloud-first means for an on-prem shop
When a vendor describes on-prem as the option for customers who can't move, on-prem is being supported, not invested in. That's a common pattern in this segment, and it isn't a reason to panic. It is a reason to ask ECI, in writing, how long on-prem JobBOSS² will get updates and support and on what terms.
The other half of the on-prem cost is the server itself: on-prem JobBOSS² runs on hardware you provide and maintain. Traveler's Shop Server ships as the hardware, preloaded. You plug in power and ethernet, scan a QR code, and create the owner account.
Owning it vs licensing it per seat
Reported JobBOSS² pricing varies by source: earlier reports put it around $85–150 per user per month, and an erpresearch estimate puts it near $3,000 per user per year with implementation of $5,000–40,000. Either way, the cost scales with every login.
The Shop Server is $4,250 one time for the whole shop with unlimited users and 12 months of updates. An optional $59 a month continuity plan adds signed updates, nightly encrypted offsite backup, remote app access, and support. Shop Server Defense is $6,500 one time with an optional $99 a month plan. Either box keeps working if you never pay us another dollar.
Reading 'CMMC ready' claims carefully
ECI described JobBOSS² as "CMMC 2.0 ready" in 2023. Treat any claim like that, ours included, with care: CMMC assesses your whole environment, not an application, and as of October 2026 CMMC Phase 2 requirements are suspended pending a DoD review. What still applies where it's in your contracts is DFARS 252.204-7012, NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2, and SPRS self-assessment scores.
Traveler doesn't claim CMMC compliance. Shop Server Defense is designed to keep CUI on hardware you own and to ship with an 800-171 control mapping and SSP template excerpt that say plainly what the box covers and what stays your responsibility. The box is in your CUI scope, and you still own the controls around it.
Moving your data
Traveler plans a dedicated JobBOSS² CSV importer plus free white-glove migration for shops leaving ECI systems. Customers, parts, and open orders move cleanly; job history is the part to scope early.
And on the way out of Traveler, if it ever comes to that, one-click full export gives you CSV and every PDF in a documented schema on every edition. On the Shop Server, the data is physically yours already.
When JobBOSS² (on-prem) is the better pick
Stay on JobBOSS², on-prem or by moving to its cloud, if it runs your floor reliably, your team knows it, and you value staying with the vendor that has the largest installed base in the category. That's especially true for larger shops or shops that need the uniPoint QMS integration today. The Shop Server is pre-launch; switching only makes sense if ownership, price, or the cloud-first direction is a real problem for you.
Want this handled without the spreadsheet?
Traveler Cloud is quote-to-invoice for small machine shops at $109/month flat, unlimited users. It's in early access — leave your email and we'll bring you in by wave. No sales calls.
Free, no signup: 5-Year Cost: Cloud vs On-Prem Shop Software →
Straight answers
▸Is JobBOSS² still available on-premise?
Yes. ECI positions JobBOSS² as cloud-first and offers on-prem for businesses "unable to move." Ask ECI for its on-prem support and update commitments in writing.
▸How much does on-prem JobBOSS² cost?
Official pricing isn't published. Reported estimates range from about $85–150 per user per month to about $3,000 per user per year, with implementation from roughly $5,000 to well over $40,000 depending on the source and scope.
▸Is JobBOSS² CMMC compliant?
ECI described it as "CMMC 2.0 ready" in 2023. No software is CMMC compliant on its own; CMMC assesses your company's whole environment. The same goes for Traveler, which makes no CMMC claim.
▸Can I move my JobBOSS² data to a Traveler Shop Server?
That's the plan: a JobBOSS² CSV importer plus free white-glove migration for shops leaving ECI systems. The Shop Server ships after Traveler Cloud; you can reserve one now at no cost.