What are the best inventory management software?
Here are my picks for the best inventory management software to try this year:
1. Zoho Inventory.
Ideal for businesses looking for a cost-effective inventory management tool.
Zoho Inventory is a well-known inventory management tool that allows effective management across various channels. Additionally, Zoho helps you keep track of each unit through features like inventory management, accounting and CRM integrations, multiple shipping integrations, and more. The software is a great fit for small and medium-sized retail businesses.
Features
- Inventory Management - It allows you to group items together and helps to track the stock flow of different items.
- Extensive integration - It allows for seamless integration with main e-commerce platforms for easy monitoring of stock flows.
- Order Management - This feature allows you to easily manage orders, record deliveries, create sales and purchase orders, etc.
- Shipping options - It allows you to select the most financially and logistically suitable carrier.
- Customer and supplier management - It allows the recording of information related to suppliers and customers and facilitates personalized communication.
- Customization - You can add the required field to payment receipts, invoices, and orders.
Pricing
Zoho Inventory is an affordable inventory management platform. Paid plans start at $39 per month and go up to $239 per month billed annually.
You can get started for free with a 14-day trial.
2. QuickBooks Commerce
Ideal for mid-sized businesses that need to track sales, inventory, and assembly.
QuickBooks Commerce offers a powerful and flexible solution and is fully integrated with the QuickBooks accounting tool. So you can keep track of your inventory and, at the same time, work on things like invoicing.
In short, with features such as tax calculation, sales reports, expense tracking, and invoice management, QuickBooks Commerce simplifies accounting and improves financial management.
Features
- Advanced Inventory - This feature allows live inventory levels to be monitored and provides a powerful view of inventory management.
- Order Management - effectively streamline your order management and improve business growth.
- Advanced pricing - This feature gives you the ability to customize, automate, and control your pricing.
- Field Service Management - Provides live updates from the field.
- Accounting - Easily track invoices, taxes, expenses, sales, invoices, and more
- Advanced reports - The software puts all the essential reports at your fingertips.
Pricing
QuickBooks Commerce starts at $40 per month for the first three months.
3. SellerCloud.
The best solution for online retailers or businesses with multi-channel sales operations.
SellerCloud is another good inventory management system. It's one of the best inventory management tools for e-commerce businesses, with some of its most important features, including shipping management, scheduled lists, customer feedback management, and more.
It also offers extensive third-party integrations with various payment gateways, shopping carts, e-commerce applications, etc. For example, it is best known for its ability to connect with multiple channels such as eBay and Amazon to do better business.
Features
- Creating a catalog - SellerCloud creates a catalog for all of your products and inventory items, which will help you find specifications for all items in a single catalog.
- Inventory Management - It allows you to manage your inventory across multiple sales channels. You can also track your order from the start to when it is shipped.
- Order Management - It manages all incoming orders and other functions associated with them. It also triggers an alert in case of low stock.
- Generate reports - SellerCloud helps you generate detailed business reports to verify the performance of commercial products across multiple channels.
Pricing
The pricing plan starts from $1000 per month. However, the price may increase if you need more services for your business management needs.
4. Channel Advisor.
Great for publishing product information to attract new customers to your business.
Channel Advisor is another popular inventory management tool on this list. It not only works as inventory management software but also acts as a digital marketing assistant for your business.
Whether it's streamlining sales across over 100 platforms or tracking the buyer's journey, ChannelAdvisor is tailored to all of your e-commerce needs.
Channel Advisor is suitable for businesses looking for inventory management software that also works as a digital marketing assistant.
Features
- Synchronization with multiple channels - ChannelAdvisor works as a digital marketing tool that helps you deliver your products and content across platforms like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, and more.
- Paid marketing - ChannelAdvisor takes care of paid search marketing to help your business grow and improve conversion rates.
- Analytics and reports - ChannelAdvisor creates in-depth analytical reports to give you a better view of your business and better inventory tracking.
- Digital marketing channels - ChannelAdvisor offers digital marketing benefits to promote business sales across multiple channels to generate better profits.
Pricing
To get a price offer with Channel Advisor, you need to design your package or solution. Prices vary depending on the needs and requirements of your business.
5. Fishbowl.
The best solution for dropshipping tracking and inventory barcoding.
Fishbowl Inventory is another top-notch inventory and warehouse management system. It not only keeps track of stocks, but also manages accounting systems and FIFO tools.
While Fishbowl Inventory isn't as popular as Zoho and Quickbooks, it still makes a good impression in the inventory management tools market.
Overall, it's an affordable inventory management tool that can help you streamline all of your operations including distribution, manufacturing, sales, service, and more.
Fishbowl is appropriate if you want to integrate it with Quickbooks to manage accounting and shipping more efficiently.
Features
- Multiple sites - You can use all of its services at multiple sites in your business without any problems.
- Asset tracking - It monitors and tracks all of your inventory assets on a regular basis.
- Service Management - Fishbowl offers better service management schemes for the benefit of businesses.
- Supplier Management - Fishbowl also allows information to be stored and suppliers managed to achieve better business results.
Pricing
The price of Fishbowl inventory starts at $4,395, and the price increases depending on the type of user license you buy.
6. nChannel.
The best solution for large businesses with multiple locations and contact points.
NChannel is a cloud-based inventory management solution that helps you integrate sales with your fulfillment channel. It helps you avoid oversales by updating your inventory instantly to create a better customer experience.
While inventory management is an important part of nChannel, you can also use it to:
- Integrate the 3PL companies And dropshippers
- Reduce data processing time
- Integrate all of your retail platforms
- Customer experience management
- Supply chain management
nChannel integrates front-end sales channels as well as back-end systems like MS Dynamics, NetSuite, etc.
Features
- Product Information Management - It manages product information and stores it in a separate section so you can easily access it.
- Multi-channel SEO - You can reference company products across multiple channels to improve sales.
- Dropshipping Management - nChannel's inventory also allows dropshipping to be managed without losing any financial control.
- Order Management - nChannel Inventory also deals with order management services to manage product data, catalogs, and more.
Pricing
You will need to fill out a form with your business information to get a personalized quote.
7. Katana.
Ideal for small and medium manufacturing businesses.
Unlike the other inventory management tools on this list, katana is aimed specifically at small manufacturers or business owners to help them program or plan their production.
If you're looking for features like commodity tracking, prioritized production planning, and the automated book engine, Katana is the ideal tool for you.
In addition, it compiles all the data related to the activity for you, including sales status, warehouse status, out of stock alerts, etc.
Features
- Better productivity - It increases work efficiency and generates more sales, which translates into better productivity. With effective management efforts, you can also focus more on recruiting a more targeted audience.
- Instant inventory control - Katana offers real-time inventory control software to track products that are in stock as well as products that are out of stock. Inventory information helps you bring new products back into stock.
- Order Management - Like other inventory management tools, Katana also manages the order cycle to help you through the entire sales process. It also allows you to closely monitor the transit of the order until it is delivered.
Pricing
Katana Inventory starts at $99 per month for Essential and $299 per month for Pro. It also offers a free 14-day trial.
8. 4PS site.
Ideal for small business owners who want to manage their inventory at a lower cost.
4pSite is a cloud-based multi-channel inventory management software. It provides a single dashboard to manage all functions related to inventory management, and you can fully control it via the web. It also integrates with some of the most important online platforms like Volusion, Shopify, and others.
Features
- Inventory Management - It offers quality management of all of your inventory to allow you to cope with your business workload. It takes care of your inventory alerts, billing, shipment tracking, and provides third-party integrations to help your business grow.
- Order tracking - 4PSite also allows you to track the order to know the real location of the shipment. Tracking orders is critical when you need to answer customer questions about their delivery. It also allows you to share accurate tracking information with your customers.
- Order Management - It takes care of all incoming orders as well as the other processes associated with them. When order flows are high during peak seasons, 4PSite can handle the load without any lags or issues.
Pricing
You will need to contact the theme to get a free demonstration and a quote on the cost of their services.
9. Dear Systems.
Ideal for supporting young e-commerce businesses that want to improve their production rates.
Dear Systems is another popular name among several business inventory management tools. It is ideal for a variety of industries including e-commerce, food manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, and more.
Additionally, it automates all time-consuming functions, such as monitoring warehouse productivity, eliminating manual data entry with accounting, etc.
Features
- Inventory adjustment - Dear Systems takes care of inventory adjustment and triggers an alert when a product's inventory is low.
- Product reports - It creates detailed reports on sold out or expired products in order to track the company's investments in inventory merchandise.
- Multi-channel integration - It allows the integration of various third party applications to help you manage your business from anywhere and at any time.
- Real-time analysis - Provides instant analysis and accurate information on equity issues.
- Shipping tracking - It not only manages the order but also tracks the shipment until it is delivered to the customer's home.
Pricing
The paid plan for Dear Systems is as follows:
- Standard: $3575 per year (billed monthly)
- Manufacturing: $5575 per year (billed monthly)
- Retail: $5225 per year (billed monthly)
10. Veeqo.
Ideal for growing brands that need help managing inventory, orders, and shipping.
Veeqo is a great inventory management solution for small businesses that tracks inventory work, shipping, and order processes. It integrates with up to 16 channels and also manages multiple warehouses, takes care of bulk order tracking, and more.
Features
- Order Management - Veeqo offers an order management function that allows you to track all order inputs and outputs.
- Quick notifications - It allows for near-instant notification of inventory and other information.
- Product comparison - Veeqo has a single page that provides product comparison information for better business management.
- Multi-location functionality - Veeqo offers services that help users track inventory and manage services across multiple locations across the business without additional fees or hassles.
- Accounting integration - In the long run, accounting integration will also help your business improve productivity and increase sales.
Pricing
Pricing changes according to the number of orders processed per month. Starting with 50 orders, there are three plans whose prices are as follows:
- Accelerator: £120 per month
- High growth: £156 per month
- Premium: £200 per month
11. Ordoro.
Ideal for dropshipping businesses that want to optimize their itineraries.
Ordoro is an inventory management software that allows small businesses to save time and manage the sales process smoothly. It takes care of dropshipping and manages all the operations associated with it. In Ordoto, you'll also find unique features like batch printing of shipping labels, kitting capabilities, bar code reading, and more.
Features
- Multi-user - Ordoro is one of the most popular inventory management tools that allows multiple users to use the software.
- Multi-location - It also helps businesses operate from different locations with a single inventory management tool.
- Dropshipping - It has special functions for dropshipping, such as automatically routing dropshipping requests to your sellers, supporting a custom API integration, and more.
- Order Management - This software keeps track of all incoming orders as well as synchronizes and tracks all updates related to your inventory.
- Order tracking - Helps you track and get accurate details about where your products are located.
- Inventory alerts - It gives alerts when there is insufficient stock and also helps you prevent warehouse overstocking.
Pricing
For a limited time, the plans are as follows:
- Express: Free up to 1000 orders per month
- Pro: starting at $499 per month
- Business: Starting at $999 per month
12. Cin7.
The best solution for a tailor-made solution.
Cin7 offers a personalized way to sell, helps you manage inventory and orders when you clearly know what you want.
Take advantage of the rock-solid systems put in place to build and manage your business to increase sales, profits, and continued expansion.
CIN7 connects your items, sales channels, inventory locations, and customers to simplify your business and increase profitability.
Whether it's better control of how you sell or greater visibility into your inventory, Cin7 offers an exclusive automation platform that streamlines what most retailers do manually.
Cin7 provides an end-to-end solution for e-commerce and retail businesses by connecting all aspects of their business in one place.
Give all departments in your business (including finance, warehouse, managers, and marketing) everything they need to close orders with greater accuracy, reduce errors, and minimize hassles.
Features
- Connect your company's ordering, inventory, shipping, and accounting procedures to Cin7.
- Make shopping as easy as possible by offering customers a wide range of payment options.
- Manage your e-commerce business from one place using automated procedures to help you increase sales and profits.
- Create a pricing and quotation system that helps your customers choose the plan that works best for them.
- Showcase your products using Cin7's beautiful catalog system.
- Connect with your customers through newsletters, social media posts, and direct messages in your store.
Enjoy end-to-end control of the sales process.
Pricing
Two pricing plans are available, depending on the size of your business:
- Small businesses: $299 per month
- Business: $539 per month
13. Upserve.
The best for restaurant inventory management.
Upserve is a restaurant management software that makes it easy to streamline your business.
Whether it's inventory management, personalized point-of-sale workflows, or customer profiles, Upserve helps you improve service while ensuring order accuracy.
Upserve restaurant management software is your one-stop shop for running a successful restaurant.
With payment processing, reports, custom checkout workflows, and real-time customer profiles, you'll have everything you need to manage your restaurant.
The Upserve team offers 24/7 U.S.-based support, as well as 24/7 access to live chat and a web portal that makes it easy to manage your business.
With a cloud-based restaurant checkout, you can simplify your operations, increase productivity and profits.
Features
- You'll save 30 to 50 hours per month by eliminating processes that don't necessarily add value to your business.
- Increase sales by upselling, cross-selling, and sending personalized offers in real time.
- Treat every customer like a VIP with Upserve's beautiful guest profiles.
- Multiple sites? No problem. Easily manage and monitor multiple sites from a single account.
Pricing
There are three pricing plans, as follows:
- Core: 59
- Professional: 199
- Pro Plus: 359
What is inventory management software?
Inventory management software is a web-based application that helps businesses manage and track inventory, from the manufacturer to the warehouse to the point of sale. They also contribute to other processes such as accounting, invoicing, creating reports, fulfilling orders, tracking shipments, and more.
These inventory management tools also make it possible to monitor price changes. For example, if you buy a $100 product and the price increases to $200 a month later, your inventory will be more valuable. It also happens that the products in your inventory are lost or stolen. That's why you need inventory management software to keep track of all of these things.
With inventory management tools, you can also rely on full-time inventory tracking to ensure that no demanding product is out of stock.
What should you look for in inventory management software?
Consider the following characteristics when choosing the best inventory management software for your business.
1. Easy to use
Inventory management systems only work if you understand them. Look for a tool that you can navigate and use easily and without problems. It should have all the features you need to manage your inventory and adapt to the size of your business and the number of employees.
Many of the tools on this list have useful resources, including customer support and knowledge bases. As tools become more advanced, workflow automation is helping to make these tools more and more easy to use.
2. Accessible in several places.
If you have multiple warehouses or plan to expand to additional warehouses in the future, then you might want to use a manual inventory management tool that can take care of inventory optimization at various locations and at any time. Customer support is also a critical factor to consider before investing your money in an inventory management application.
3. Reporting and analysis.
Data is one of the most critical parts of a good inventory management system. They allow you to obtain detailed information on your stocks and on all products as part of warehouse management.
That's why it's critical to choose a tool that can collect data and present it to you in the form of concise analytical reports. It's also a good idea to look for a tool that can eliminate manual data entry tasks.
Gone are the days of using multiple spreadsheets for different providers and trying to make sense of it all at the end of the month.
4. Third-party integrations.
Chances are you're using more than one software to manage your growing business, whether online or offline. That's why it's best to choose software that can integrate with many types of other tools throughout its lifecycle, such as inventory data, asset management applications, accounting tools, and other applications that are available on mobile devices, desktops, or anything in between. If not today, in the near future, your business may need all of these tools to achieve greater warehouse productivity.
Your software should interact with and understand the following:
- Barcode scanners
- SKUs and serial numbers
- Work orders and gazetteers
- Order points for replenishment
- Inventory and stock level controls
- Customizable sales orders, repeat orders, and stock outs.
- Works with smartphones thanks to its mobile application (iOS and Android)
5. Support and training.
No matter how good the inventory management software is, it won't be of much use if you're not able to use it properly. That's why it's important to choose a tool that comes with quality customer support to help you use it and take advantage of all of its inventory management features.
6. Reliability and safety.
Choosing inventory management software that has strong security features is critical to ensure that all of your data is kept securely. Be sure to check the software's features for encryption, password management, etc.
Another great way to ensure reliability and security is to look for a tool that offers cloud-based access. With it, you can be confident that your inventory data will always be accessible, no matter where you are and no matter what device you use.
Cloud-based technology allows you to reduce downtime, increase productivity, and promote scalability.
7. User friendly interface.
Take advantage of user-friendly software that can be integrated seamlessly into the way your business already manages its inventory management process.
A user-friendly interface is one of the most sought after features of inventory management software. Be sure to check out its features, whether it can import data from other tools or not, how easy it is to use, etc.
It's also important to consider whether the software you're interested in includes all of the best practices needed to get started with the system and whether it's easy to train new employees to use it.
8. Field service management
This is the process of managing field service technicians - also known as “mobile workers” or “field agents” - who work outside of a traditional office environment.
Field Service Management (FSM) software allows businesses to know where their technicians are at all times, what work needs to be done, and how to optimize route efficiency.
Summary
To recap, this list has provided some of the best inventory management platforms to help you track your products from manufacturer to warehouse and point of sale. The reviews included key details about their key features, pros, cons, and prices.
Whether you run a retail store or a successful e-commerce business, you don't want to spend an extra day before you start managing your inventory and keeping track of each unit properly. After all, it's your product — you need to be able to control it to your advantage.
However, choosing the best inventory management tool can be subjective. It depends entirely on the needs of your business, your budget, the number of members on your team, the types of products, the number of sites, etc.
If you run a small business, I recommend tools like katana or Dear Systems.
However, if you have a mid-sized business or a large business, you can try more popular options like Zoho Inventory or QuickBooks Inventory Management.
Do your research and make a thorough comparison before making your final purchase.
