ox_inventory vs qb-inventory: Which Is Better?

The inventory is the most load-bearing system on your server — nearly every script touches it, and swapping it later means touching all of them. For QBCore servers the choice usually comes down to ox_inventory vs qb-inventory. Here's an honest comparison, including what the migration actually costs.

The quick answer

Most of the modern FiveM community has moved to ox_inventory, and for new servers it's the stronger choice. But this is the single hardest system to migrate later, so it's worth understanding *why* before you commit either way.

The API difference, in code

Every script that gives, takes or checks an item talks to the inventory. Here is the same operation in both.

qb-inventory, through QBCore's player object:

local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)

-- give
Player.Functions.AddItem('bandage', 3)
TriggerClientEvent('inventory:client:ItemBox', source, QBCore.Shared.Items['bandage'], 'add')

-- take
Player.Functions.RemoveItem('bandage', 1)

-- check
local item = Player.Functions.GetItemByName('bandage')
if item and item.amount >= 1 then
    -- has at least one
end

ox_inventory, through exports:

-- give (returns false if it did not fit)
local ok = exports.ox_inventory:AddItem(source, 'bandage', 3)

-- take
exports.ox_inventory:RemoveItem(source, 'bandage', 1)

-- check
local count = exports.ox_inventory:Search(source, 'count', 'bandage')
if count >= 1 then
    -- has at least one
end

Three things matter in that comparison:

• ox_inventory returns success. AddItem tells you whether the item actually fit. qb-inventory's older signature does not, which is how servers end up silently voiding items when a player's inventory is full.
• No manual item box. qb-inventory needs a separate client event to show the pickup notification. ox_inventory handles it.
• Weight and slots are enforced server-side. Both have weight, but ox_inventory refuses the operation rather than trusting the client's view of it.

Metadata is the real dividing line

qb-inventory has basic item info. ox_inventory has proper per-item metadata, and once you use it you cannot go back:

exports.ox_inventory:AddItem(source, 'weapon_pistol', 1, {
    serial = 'VPR-4471-X',
    durability = 100,
    registered = 'John Doe',
})

That unlocks things servers actually want: weapon serial numbers police can run, durability that degrades, ID cards carrying the owner's name, evidence bags tied to a case number, water bottles that remember they are half empty. Two items in the same slot type carry different data.

If your roleplay depends on any of that, the decision is already made.

Security

This is the part nobody thinks about until they get duped.

ox_inventory validates on the server: item moves, weight limits, stash access, shop purchases. The client asks and the server decides. It also handles concurrent access to the same stash, which is where a surprising number of duping exploits live — two players opening one stash at the same moment.

qb-inventory has improved over time, but it has a longer history of dupe exploits, and older forks still circulating carry them. If you installed qb-inventory from a random GitHub fork rather than the official repo, assume it has known holes.

A dupe exploit does not just cost items. It destroys your economy overnight and there is rarely a clean rollback.

Performance

Neither inventory should be a frame-rate problem. Measure rather than assume:

resmon 1

Open a full inventory, drag items around, open a large stash. Watch the number while the UI is open — inventories cost almost nothing when closed, and the closed number tells you nothing useful.

The genuine performance difference is in the database. ox_inventory batches saves; qb-inventory has historically written more often. On a 64-player server with a slow MySQL host, that shows up as periodic hitching. Our oxmysql connection guide covers diagnosing the database side.

What migrating actually costs

This is the honest part. Switching inventories is not like switching target systems — it touches your data, not just your code.

What you have to do:

1. Convert every item definition. qb-inventory uses qb-core/shared/items.lua. ox_inventory uses its own data/items.lua with a different shape. Conversion scripts exist, but check the output.
2. Migrate player inventory data. Your players' existing items live in the database in qb-inventory's format. This is the risky step — take a backup you have actually tested restoring.
3. Update every script that touches items. Grep first:

`` grep -rl "AddItem\|RemoveItem\|GetItemByName" resources/ ``

That is your real scope. On an established server it is often 40+ resources.

1. Rebuild shops and stashes. They are configured differently.
2. Re-test every job. Anything that hands out or consumes items — police evidence, mechanic parts, medical supplies.

Realistic timeline: a weekend for a small server, considerably longer for an established one with custom scripts. Do it during a planned downtime, not live.

The bridge option: ox_inventory ships with a QBCore compatibility bridge that maps the common QBCore inventory calls onto ox_inventory. It gets most scripts working without edits and is the sane way to start. Check the bridge's current coverage against the version you install — it handles the common calls well, but scripts reaching into qb-inventory internals directly will still need work.

Head to head

| | ox_inventory | qb-inventory | |---|---|---| | Item metadata | Full (durability, serials, custom) | Basic | | Server-side validation | Strong | Weaker historically | | Modern script compatibility | Expected by most | Decreasing | | Weapon attachments | Yes | Limited | | Stashes / shops / trading | Built in | Basic | | Setup on QBCore | Needs bridge/config | Native | | Active maintenance | Yes | Slower | | Migration difficulty | — | Hard to leave |

Which should you choose?

Choose ox_inventory if:

• You are building a new server. There is no reason to start anywhere else.
• Your roleplay needs metadata — weapon serials, durability, evidence, IDs.
• You intend to buy or install modern scripts, most of which assume it.
• You want the stronger security posture.

Stay on qb-inventory if:

• Your server is established, stable, and the grep above returns dozens of resources.
• You have no need for metadata and no dupe problems.
• You do not have a maintenance window big enough to do the migration properly.

The thing not to do is start a migration you cannot finish. A half-migrated inventory — some scripts on the bridge, some converted, item data in two shapes — is worse than either endpoint. Plan it as one piece of work with a rollback.

What this means for buying scripts

Check which inventory a script expects before you buy. Most modern, well-built scripts target ox_inventory, and running it simply gives you more to choose from. A script that supports both is doing extra work on your behalf.

At Viper Development, our scripts are built for the modern ox stack including ox_inventory, and detect QBCore, QBox or ESX automatically so they drop into whichever setup you run. Browse our scripts →.