PartsBox founder here. I get asked about this sometimes, so I'll answer here: I'm quite happy with open-source solutions appearing in the same problem space. I bought ECDB, but left the open-source software available on GitHub for anyone who wishes to take it further. My software will not be open-source for a number of reasons, most importantly I cannot afford to take on the chores of a project leader/maintainer. That said, I'm all for diversity, and happy to see others stepping in.
PartsBox (https://partsbox.com/) is and will remain free for hobbyists and makers. It takes quite a bit of effort to keep it that way (data sources aren't free!), but I am a hobbyist myself, and keeping a free version around was always one of my strategic goals. I don't have VCs breathing down my neck and clamoring for "hockey-puck growth", so I can keep it that way.
PartsBox (https://partsbox.com/) is and will remain free for hobbyists and makers. It takes quite a bit of effort to keep it that way (data sources aren't free!), but I am a hobbyist myself, and keeping a free version around was always one of my strategic goals. I don't have VCs breathing down my neck and clamoring for "hockey-puck growth", so I can keep it that way.