Blog Ecommerce 21 best inventory management apps for Shopify [2023]
24 October, 2023

21 best inventory management apps for Shopify [2023]

Creating a Shopify store is an excellent first step if you’re a product seller looking to expand your reach and gain new customers. For small businesses and individual product sellers, Shopify allows you to build a customized store in a centralized and easy-to-use dashboard, but what do you do once you start seeing growth from your store?

Many online retailers run into this issue with their Shopify store, so as a result, Shopify integrated with over 300 apps for managing inventory — including Cin7. The best inventory management apps for Shopify allow you to take a hands-off approach to inventory management, so you don’t have to take time away from growing your business to update spreadsheets and product information.

With hundreds of apps available, it can be daunting to determine which is the best for your business. Stay with us as we break down the 21 best inventory management apps for Shopify and their use cases.

The 21 best inventory management apps for Shopify

  1. Cin7
  2. QuickBooks Online
  3. Extensiv Order Manager 
  4. Katana Cloud Inventory
  5. Thrive by Shopventory
  6. ShipBob Fulfillment
  7. Stocky
  8. LitCommerce 
  9. ShipHero Fulfillment
  10. Stock Sync 
  11. Sellbrite
  12. Inventory Planner Forecasting 
  13. Netsuite ERP Connector 
  14. Brightpearl
  15. EasyScan: SKU and Barcode
  16. Back in Stock + Restock Alerts 
  17. Quick Scan
  18. SC Order Tags & Flows
  19. SkuHarmony
  20. SimpleSync
  21. Realtime Stock Sync & Building
Methodology: To create our list, we weighed qualities such as number of features, different pricing plans, and user reviews. We additionally sought to include apps that serve different business types with varying inventory needs.

1. Cin7

Best for: Connecting inventory management with e-commerce 

Cin7 makes selling products through Shopify a breeze. By automating different Shopify processes and simplifying sending orders to warehouses and 3PLs, you can sync inventory across all your sales channels and warehouse locations — removing the need for manual updating.

Cin7’s integration lets you connect your inventory management with your online marketplace, sales channels, stock locations, warehouse management systems, and more. With all these processes centralized into a single source of truth, Cin7 makes it easy to grow, regardless of where and what you sell.

Cin7’s Shopify integration takes the manual effort out of inventory management so you can sell more and grow faster. It does so by:

  • Automatically downloading customer information and orders
  • Updating stock in real-time
  • Batching orders into single transactions
Pros Cons
Automatically updates with latest purchases Not ideal for enterprise organizations
Automatically imports orders into Xero or QBO
Allows you to sell stock from all branches or only specific branches

Price: 

  • Core: Starting at $325/month
  • Omni: Starting at $999/month

2. QuickBooks Online

Best for: Managing cash flow

Like Cin7, QuickBooks Online allows businesses to integrate orders and payouts into your Shopify store. By doing so, the platform eliminates the need to manually keep track of incoming and outgoing stock and sales.

With sales information in one centralized location, QuickBooks gives you full visibility into your profitability, making it easier to visualize your cash flow.

Pros Cons
Automatically updates Steeper learning curve than some competitors
Prioritizes products based on traffic Lacks the functionality of a full Inventory Management Software solution.
Manages payouts across sales channels

Price: Starting at $30/month

3. Extensiv Order Manager

Best for: Managing order fulfillment

Formerly Skubana, Extensiv Order Manager is designed to give users a “central hub” for inventory, sales, fulfillment strategies, and more. Extensiv allows you to automate monotonous inventory tasks so you can dedicate more time to sales and growth.

Additionally, Extensiv’s integration lets you expand other marketplaces while syncing inventory across platforms. However, this suite of features comes at a higher price tag than competitor apps.

Pros Cons
Allows custom order manipulation rules More expensive than competitors
Includes real-time dashboards with analytics

Price: Starting at $1,000/month

The three best inventory management apps for Shopify next to a man in a yellow hard hat holding a tablet.

4. Katana Cloud Inventory

Best for: Connecting manufacturing processes with inventory management

Used largely by manufacturing companies, Katana helps Shopify users avoid stockouts by offering a centralized view of your inventory processes in a single platform.

Katana helps create scalable inventory processes by issuing purchase orders based on material requirements and reorder points. You can also integrate Katana with software like QuickBooks to connect inventory management, sales, and accounting all together.

Pros Cons
Easily manages manufacturing and production planning Costlier than some competitors
Automatically creates work orders from sales Less detailed reporting than competitors

Price: Starting at $129/month

5. Thrive by Shopventory

Best for: Connecting physical and online stores

Thrive can be an effective solution for small businesses looking to connect their brick-and-mortar location with their Shopify store. With Thrive, you can manage inventory at both your online store and physical storefronts. Additionally, Thrive connects with Square, Clover, and Google Shopping, allowing you to reach new customers with your e-commerce store.

Pros Cons
Equipped with reporting by location Doesn’t organize products by SKU
Allows you to connect multiple Shopify accounts Standard version doesn’t include demand forecasting

Price: Starting at $99/month

6. ShipBob Fulfillment

Best for: Expediting shipping processes

For e-commerce brands, ShipBob’s Shopify app allows both DTC and B2B brands to easily pick, pack, and ship orders to customers all over the world.

With the Shopify integration, ShipBob guarantees businesses same-day shipping, a personalized customer experience within the app, and in-house managed B2B/EDI compliance.

Pros  Cons
Real-time order syncing Delays in tracking
Responsive customer service Costlier than competitors

Price: Available upon request

7. Stocky

Best for: Generating reports through stock analytics

Using Stocky can be advantageous for existing Shopify customers because Shopify purchased the app in 2020. Because of this, it comes free with Shopify POS Pro Subscriptions.

Beyond the cost factor, Stocky helps users track and adjust inventory levels and perform automatic inventory counts. You can also get detailed analytics reports showing your products’ performance.

Pros  Cons
In-depth reporting through stock analytics Users report inaccuracy with the forecasting feature
Automatic product recommendations based on profitability Users report inaccuracy with inventory counting

Price: Included with Shopify POS Pro Subscription

8. LitCommerce

Best for: Syncing orders across multiple channels

LitCommerce lets businesses manage over 20 sales channels in a single dashboard, including TikTok Shop, Amazon, Etsy, Google Shopping, eBay, and more. With the app, you can create custom product listings and sync them between Shopify and your desired channels.

While all these channels are available through the platform, the most advanced plan only allows you to use up to seven channels, and the free plan only allows up to two.

Pros  Cons
Listing templates so you can easily create product listings Lacks comprehensive inventory management functionality
Lets you easily edit product listings Only allows two sales channels in the free version

Price: Starts for free

9. ShipHero Fulfillment

Best for: Load-balancing inventory between locations

ShipHero’s Shopify fulfillment app helps e-commerce brands gain pre- and post-shipment visibility into shipments as well as manage inventory across up to eight North American locations.

Beyond that, ShipHero promises a 3.5-day shipping speed and uses product data to make load-balancing decisions for your brand. With an emphasis on strategic order fulfillment, ShipHero’s platform can benefit small businesses looking to grow quickly and reduce waste.

Pros  Cons
Includes a native iOS app Users report long response times from customer service
Connects to USPS, FedEx, and more

Price: Starting at $1,995/month

10. Stock Sync

Best for: Syncing inventory with sales

Stock Sync strives to support companies in managing inventory by syncing inventory levels across sales channels, providing automated inventory updates, and helping product sellers save time overall.

While Stock Sync won’t necessarily create detailed inventory reports, it allows you to easily import and export inventory data to CSV, XLS, Google Sheets, and more. However, you won’t get the detailed insights from your product data that you might get from a more robust solution.

Pros  Cons
Centralized dashboard for performance tracking Less robust reporting capabilities
Automated scheduling for inventory updating

Price: Starts for free

11. Sellbrite

Best for: Branching out to new marketplaces

Sellbrite is another Shopify app for product sellers that allows them to expand their reach to large online marketplaces, like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Walmart. With Sellbrite’s Shopify app, users can control their products within the Shopify system but sell them on various other online marketplaces.

Unlike some competitors, Sellbrite gives you access to unlimited channels with its free plan. However, if you use the free plan, you’re limited to 30 orders a month.

Pros  Cons
Automatic syncing across sales channels Users report issues with eBay syncing
Allows you to include inventory from all warehouse locations

Price: Starts for free

12. Inventory Planner Forecasting

Best for: Demand forecasting

Inventory Planner Forecasting allows multichannel sellers insights into forecasting and product analysis so you can make smarter reordering decisions.

Inventory Planner Forecasting helps you accurately meet customer demand and limit excess inventory by syncing sales history with vendor lead time and sales channels. It can be an effective choice for product sellers in industries that experience seasonal demand.

Pros  Cons
Automatically creates reports based on inventory performance Users report slow customer service
Sets automatic reorder alerts

Price: Starting at $249.99/month 

13. NetSuite ERP Connector

Best for: Connecting inventory with finance and accounting

The NetSuite ERP connector is designed for enterprise-level product sellers looking to connect accounting and finance with inventory management and sync product, customer, and inventory capabilities.

By automating order fulfillment and simplifying monotonous accounting and financial tasks, the NetSuite EPR Connector offers a more hands-off approach to inventory management for large organizations with more complex inventory needs.

Pros  Cons
Automatically sends orders to 3PLs, vendors, or warehouses Less effective for SMBs
Manages inventory across multiple warehouses

Price: Starting at $83.25/month

14. Brightpearl

Best for: Connecting warehouse management with inventory

Brightpearl’s Shopify app allows easy order management, accounting, warehouse management, returns, and more in a single platform

With the Shopify integration, Brightpearl allows users to create a personalized storefront with full visibility into the purchasing process. Additionally, the app allows for advanced reporting, demand planning, and insight into other consumer trends.

Pros  Cons
Automated inventory management tasks Users report a less intuitive interface than competitors
Manages product prices in the currency of your specific location

 

Price: Available upon request

15. EasyScan: SKU and Barcode

Best for: Generating reports through barcode scanning

While EasyScan isn’t an end-to-end inventory management software solution like some other apps listed, it’s an effective app for picking and packing orders as well as barcode scanning.

EasyScan lets customers easily scan products, create reports on items scanned, and assign barcodes and SKUs to your products. You can also print custom packing slips and inventory reports, limiting the steps needed to get products out the door.

Pros  Cons
Updates inventory by scanning barcodes or SKUs Less comprehensive than end-to-end inventory management apps
Allows you to create orders by scanning barcodes

Price: Starting at $9.99/month

16. Back in Stock + Restock Alerts

Best for: Notifying customers of restocks

Back in Stock + Restock Alerts allows you to better communicate with customers by sending automated alerts when products are back in stock. Beyond restock notifications, the app allows you to create customized email marketing campaigns and get insights into the most wanted out-of-stock products.

For individual product sellers, Back in Stock + Restock Alerts can help businesses understand product prioritization effectively, but note that it won’t automate reordering for you.

Pros  Cons
Automated conversion tracking Free version lacks email marketing capabilities
Customizable emails and themes

Price: Starts for free  

17. Quick Scan

Best for: Stocktaking

Similar to EasyScan, Quick Scan equips users with a barcode scanner that allows you to create and fulfill orders simply by scanning the product’s barcode. Then, businesses can use that information to make smarter and more informed reordering decisions.

While Quick Scan can uncover helpful product information with a single scan, you’ll still have to manually set reorder levels.

Pros  Cons
Easy to install Less advanced capabilities than some competitor products
Speeds up stocktaking and delivery process

Price: Starting at $5/month 

18. SC Order Tags & Flows

Best for: Managing manufacturing processes

SC Order Tags & Flows works specifically to automate order management tasks, by allowing you to create order tags that automatically trigger specific order management actions, like adding, removing, delaying, or backdating orders.

With SC Order Tags & Flows, you can tailor a personalized dashboard to suit your business needs. You can also connect the app with shipping partners to fully see your order management process.

Pros  Cons
Connect with other automation apps, like Zapier Free version only allows 10 orders per month
Uses backdate tags to gather product and sales data

Price: Starts for free

19. SkuHarmony

Best for: Connecting Square and Shopify

SkuHarmony works specifically for Shopify and Square, so product sellers don’t have to juggle inventory between the two POS systems.

By connecting the two systems, product sellers never have to worry about miscues between the two platforms. When a product sells on Square, it’s automatically marked as sold on Shopify.

Pros  Cons
Remove the necessity to make manual changes on Square and Shopify apps Limited to Square and Shopify
Adjusts inventory in real-time

Price: Starting at $49.99/month

20. SimpleSync

Best for: Managing identical SKUs

Like SkuHarmony, SimpleSync works in a specific niche: managing inventory that shares the same SKU. SimpleSync allows you to sell physically similar products through different product pages while seamlessly tracking your stock.

To use it, you need to create two product pages within your Shopify store, designate them with the same SKU, and then SimpleSync manages the rest automatically. SimpleSync can be especially useful for clothing retailers selling unisex clothing on both men’s and women’s product pages.

Pros  Cons
Allows you to sell identical products through different product pages Struggles to handle larger inventory quantities
Allows you to set stock to product level

Price: Starting at $10/month

21. Realtime Stock Sync & Bundling

Best for: Bundling products into single transactions

Trunk’s Shopify app, Realtime Stock Sync & Bundling, allows companies to visualize their inventory management processes in a centralized platform — connecting sales channels and keeping bundles and SKUs synced in your Shopify store.

Realtime Stock Sync & Bundling works with Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Square POS, QuickBooks, and more. It works particularly well at bundling

Pros  Cons
Equipped with bundling and knitting to track components Lacks the advanced capabilities of some direct competitors
Automatically syncs stock levels

Price: Starting at $35/month

Benefits of using an inventory management app for Shopify

If you’re growing a business on Shopify, it’s important to ensure you have a plan for managing your stock as you grow. Enter inventory management software. With a comprehensive solution, you’ll be able to seamlessly:

A list of three benefits of Shopify inventory management apps next to two men working on a computer

1. Track stock levels

Running out of stock can be a disaster for product sellers. Not only does this mean missing out on sales, but it also creates the opportunity to lose repeat customers if you don’t have their favorite products in stock.

An inventory management software tracks your stock levels in real time. You’ll get alerts when stock levels are low so you can quickly replenish and get back to meeting customer demand.

2. Forecast demand

When you identify and prepare for periods of shifting demand, you can get an edge over competitors with too much or too little inventory. An inventory management software helps you forecast demand so you can adequately prepare by increasing your stock or reordering less to avoid manufacturing waste.

3. Stay on top of cash flow

Managing all of your inventory across multiple sales channels is hard enough. And when business is booming, you’re left to manage your inflow of cash from your Shopify store. By connecting sales, inventory management, and more with accounting software, you can spend less time updating spreadsheets and more time selling products.

How to choose an inventory management app for Shopify

Your budget, company size, and specific inventory needs will likely inform the inventory management app you ultimately choose. However, certain key features often make some inventory management apps stand out from the pack. Some of these include:

  • Automatic updates: Inventory management apps should update your Shopify store automatically when products are dispatched.
  • Integrations: Look for an app that helps you scale your business by integrating with other marketplaces and 3PLs.
  • Order fulfillment: Prioritize apps that automatically route orders directly to your warehouse or 3PL.

Grow your Shopify store with Cin7

Cin7 was named the best inventory management software by Forbes and Investopedia because of our ability to empower smaller product sellers to grow quickly.

Cin7’s comprehensive integration can help you reach new customers, seamlessly manage e-commerce orders, and gain control over your industry — allowing you to grow your Shopify store with ease.

Start a free trial of Cin7 today.

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