Sort by:
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299.
on Zoho Inventory’s website
Pros
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Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
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Free plan includes invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
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Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
Zoho Inventory
Best for Free inventory management software
Best for Free inventory management software
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299.
on Zoho Inventory’s website
Pros
-
Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
-
Free plan includes invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
-
Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
Starting at
Free plan; $49 Plus plan; $149 Premium plan.
Pros
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Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
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Unlimited items in all plans.
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Barcode printing, mobile inventory counting tool, COGS tracking, stock forecasts and reorder recommendations in paid plans.
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Easy to navigate.
Square POS (inventory feature)
Best for Small retail shops
Best for Small retail shops
Starting at
Free plan; $49 Plus plan; $149 Premium plan.
Pros
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Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
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Unlimited items in all plans.
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Barcode printing, mobile inventory counting tool, COGS tracking, stock forecasts and reorder recommendations in paid plans.
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Easy to navigate.
Pros
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Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
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Ability to customize modifiers for online vs. in-store items.
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Clover’s portable Flex POS system comes with a built-in barcode scanner.
Clover POS (inventory feature)
Best for Online ordering
Best for Online ordering
Pros
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Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
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Ability to customize modifiers for online vs. in-store items.
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Clover’s portable Flex POS system comes with a built-in barcode scanner.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $179, $339.
Pros
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Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
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Generate unlimited barcode labels.
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Create purchase orders from within the software.
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24/7 chat support in all plans.
Lightspeed POS (inventory feature)
Best for High-volume retail stores
Best for High-volume retail stores
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $179, $339.
Pros
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Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
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Generate unlimited barcode labels.
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Create purchase orders from within the software.
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24/7 chat support in all plans.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, $299, custom.
Cons
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Free plan doesn’t include low-stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
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Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
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No built-in e-commerce integrations.
Sortly
Best for Mobile inventory tracking app
Best for Mobile inventory tracking app
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, $299, custom.
Cons
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Free plan doesn’t include low-stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
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Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
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No built-in e-commerce integrations.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299.
Pros
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All plans support unlimited locations.
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Free plan includes invoicing, purchase orders, barcoding, shipment tracking and CRM features.
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Kitting and bundling add-on available.
Cons
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You’ll need to select the Bronze plan ($19 monthly) or up to integrate with QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Zapier.
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Mobile app for iOS only.
SalesBinder
Best for Inventory tracking across unlimited locations
Best for Inventory tracking across unlimited locations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299.
Pros
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All plans support unlimited locations.
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Free plan includes invoicing, purchase orders, barcoding, shipment tracking and CRM features.
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Kitting and bundling add-on available.
Cons
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You’ll need to select the Bronze plan ($19 monthly) or up to integrate with QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Zapier.
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Mobile app for iOS only.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $599, $999.
Pros
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Can accommodate businesses in multiple industries, including retail and manufacturing.
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All plans include two e-commerce integrations, plus an accounting integration.
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Track components and finished goods.
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More than 100 reports available.
Cin7 Core
Best for Industry-specific inventory plans
Best for Industry-specific inventory plans
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $599, $999.
Pros
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Can accommodate businesses in multiple industries, including retail and manufacturing.
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All plans include two e-commerce integrations, plus an accounting integration.
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Track components and finished goods.
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More than 100 reports available.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149.
Promotion
of the Essential or Professional plan.
Pros
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Unlimited number of users, even with the free plan.
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POS integrations and one-click purchase orders available in all plans.
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Ability to calculate pour costs, drink profits and recipe costs.
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Access to detailed reports on product trends, menu prices, profit and excess inventory.
Cons
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Limited to a single restaurant or bar location and only six months of reporting history for the free plan.
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Custom report tagging and QR code menu links only available in highest-tier plan.
Backbar
Best for Bar and restaurant inventory management
Best for Bar and restaurant inventory management
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149.
Promotion
of the Essential or Professional plan.
Pros
-
Unlimited number of users, even with the free plan.
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POS integrations and one-click purchase orders available in all plans.
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Ability to calculate pour costs, drink profits and recipe costs.
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Access to detailed reports on product trends, menu prices, profit and excess inventory.
Cons
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Limited to a single restaurant or bar location and only six months of reporting history for the free plan.
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Custom report tagging and QR code menu links only available in highest-tier plan.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999.
Pros
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Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.
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Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.
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Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
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Create purchase orders from within the software.
Katana
Best for Manufacturing companies
Best for Manufacturing companies
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999.
Pros
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Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.
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Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.
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Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
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Create purchase orders from within the software.
Pros
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Sync inventory across multiple channels online and in-store.
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Create automation rules for tasks like order processing and invoicing.
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Forecasting tools predict demand and make inventory recommendations.
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Also offers its own POS system, accounting and invoicing capabilities, CRM system and warehouse management software.
Brightpearl
Best for Built-in accounting features
Best for Built-in accounting features
Pros
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Sync inventory across multiple channels online and in-store.
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Create automation rules for tasks like order processing and invoicing.
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Forecasting tools predict demand and make inventory recommendations.
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Also offers its own POS system, accounting and invoicing capabilities, CRM system and warehouse management software.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $240, $420, $649, $949.
Pros
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Finale Inventory and QuickBooks Online Advanced subscriptions can be bundled.
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Offers a variety of POS and e-commerce integrations including Lightspeed, Shopify, Square, Amazon and Etsy.
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All plans include at least one virtual training session.
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Can create purchase orders from within the software.
Finale Inventory
Best for QuickBooks Online users
Best for QuickBooks Online users
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $240, $420, $649, $949.
Pros
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Finale Inventory and QuickBooks Online Advanced subscriptions can be bundled.
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Offers a variety of POS and e-commerce integrations including Lightspeed, Shopify, Square, Amazon and Etsy.
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All plans include at least one virtual training session.
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Can create purchase orders from within the software.
Jump to
What is inventory management software?
More sophisticated inventory management software will forecast stock levels based on previous sales and tell you how much inventory you should order and when. That way, you’ll have your most in-demand products in stock when you need them while also preventing an overstock of items, especially those that are less in demand.
💬 From our Nerds: Tips for setting up your inventory system
“Every business has to create categories for their inventory. Software can make doing so pretty simple — sometimes, too simple. I think things can quickly become overly complicated based on how you choose to segment products.
“My best advice? Start small. Begin by categorizing according to location, department or item type. Don’t worry about unique entries for different sizes and colors. You can usually add those options as “variants” or “variations” of existing items to simplify tracking.”
Inventory management software features
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Real-time inventory tracking . Track inventory items as they move through the supply chain and order fulfillment process. Software with this feature will immediately update when returns and sales are made, too.
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Multi-channel inventory management . Businesses that sell products in multiple places will need to centralize their sales and inventory data in one place.
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Low-stock alerts and reorder points . You can set custom
reorder points -
Purchase order management . Creating and sending purchase orders from within your inventory management software allows you to streamline the process. This can be especially helpful for businesses that use the
just-in-time inventory -
Digital labeling and barcode scanning . Counting inventory by hand takes time and is prone to human error. Scanning items’
SKU or UPC -
Kitting and/or parts and assembly tracking . Track products with multiple parts both individually and as a whole.
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Reporting . Look for reports on inventory forecasts,
cost of goods sold -
Integrations . Inventory software should integrate with your accounting software, e-commerce platform and POS system.
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Industry specifics . Restaurants have different inventory needs than retailers, for example. Finding software that caters to your unique business can help maximize profit.
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Item variants and units of measure flexibility . Businesses that sell the same shirt in multiple sizes and colors, for example, will need inventory management software that lets you record variants (like color and size), as well as descriptions.
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Order fulfillment options . Inventory management software with shipping add-ons or features helps you manage the fulfillment process end-to-end.
How much does inventory management software cost?
The more complex your business’s inventory needs, the more you should expect to pay. The following factors may impact your monthly inventory management software costs:
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How many inventory locations or warehouses your business has.
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How many items you need to track.
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The number of sales channels you need to integrate.
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How many users need to access the inventory management software.
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The number of sales orders you create per month.
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The complexity of your production process. For example, it may cost more to track both parts and finished products.
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Whether you need add-ons for shipping. Small businesses that ship orders may need a more sophisticated product that includes end-to-end order fulfillment options.
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Your payment schedule. Opting to pay annually, as opposed to monthly, will usually save you money. Just make sure you’re ready to commit to the product for an entire year if you go that route.
How to choose inventory management software
To choose the best inventory management software for your business, take these four key factors into account:
Some main features to look for, regardless of your business’s industry, include basic inventory tracking, reporting, reorder points and the ability to create purchase orders to send to vendors. Examples of more advanced features could be shipping add-ons for businesses that deliver orders to customers and inventory forecasting that calculates reorder points based on previous sales data.
Business software costs start to snowball as you subscribe to more products (and integrate them), so it’s best to choose options that can fulfill multiple purposes. Before subscribing to software specifically made for inventory management, check to make sure your existing software products, like your accounting program or POS software, don’t already meet those requirements for you.
If you determine that you need dedicated inventory management software, the question becomes whether a free option will suffice. Free versions are a great choice for very small retail businesses, in particular, but businesses in specialized industries, like manufacturing, might choose a paid alternative that’s more specific to their needs. Paid plans typically run from anywhere around $40 to more than $300 per month. And if the software doesn’t have built-in integrations, you might have to pay to integrate them through a third-party product like Zapier.
Your inventory management software needs to sync with your accounting software so that you can keep tabs on how much your business has spent on inventory and how that inventory impacts your business’s overall value. And since your POS system facilitates and tracks sales, your inventory management software should integrate with it, too. That way, the POS software will update stock counts as items are sold.
Ability to track items sold in different places
This is most applicable to businesses that sell inventory from more than one sales channel — whether it’s your own online store and another online marketplace, like Etsy, or an online store and a brick-and-mortar. You want to be able to track how much inventory is being bought and replenished for each sales channel. This can also help you gauge which channel attracts the most sales.
Benefits of inventory management software
One of the biggest benefits of inventory management software is that it can save your business time and money in a variety of ways. Ordering too much inventory can be a costly mistake if it sits on the shelf for too long and depreciates or, even worse, expires. At the same time, you don’t want to run out of popular inventory and lose out on profit.
Inventory management software can help solve this by calculating reorder points and forecasting inventory levels. It can also speed up inventory counts with barcode scanners, automate purchase orders and streamline different stages of the order fulfillment process, such as shipping.
Types of inventory management software
Stand-alone softwareMade specifically for tracking inventory and typically more advanced and scalable than the inventory management features that come with POS or accounting software. A good fit for small businesses that need to track hundreds of items, their variations and the raw materials used to produce them.
Accounting softwareSome accounting software has built-in inventory management tools that are worth considering before subscribing to a separate, stand-alone inventory tracker. For example, QuickBooks Enterprise has in-depth inventory management tools.
POS softwarePOS systems often come with basic inventory management tools. Some popular examples include Square Retail POS and Lightspeed Retail POS. If they’re sufficient for your business, you could save significant monthly costs by not subscribing to additional inventory management software.
Inventory management software FAQ
How does inventory management software work?
Is inventory management software expensive?
Last updated on May 6, 2025
Methodology
Methodology
NerdWallet evaluates inventory management software based on its features, scalability, cost, integrations and specialization. Most products include some combination of the following features:
– Granular inventory tracking.
– Reporting.
– Accounting, POS and e-commerce integrations.
– Barcode scanning.
– Purchase order management.
– Order fulfillment options or shipping add-ons.
Since inventory management software isn’t as universal as some other types of business software, we also weigh a product’s ability to fill a particular niche or accommodate a specific industry.
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