Inventory management for small businesses is very challenging. In our definitive guide we discussed the 7 steps to successful inventory management. However, implementing these steps in reality requires the assistance of a robust software.
If you’re still tracking all your inventory, suppliers, and orders on a spreadsheet then it’s time you put an end to it.
Here are some of the best small business inventory management software:
Arka inventory is a cloud-based inventory and costing management solution. It helps you get control & visibility over inventories in multiple locations, track cost of goods produced and margins for each individual product SKUs, allocate service costs like transportation, understand product costs better and efficiently manage production and take right purchase & pricing decisions.
Features
Analytics platform with reports & dashboards
Bill of material setup
Cost of goods by considering moving average price
Customized integrations with applications like Auto CAD
Multi-location inventory tracking
Product purchase information from books of accounts
Production planning & management
Service cost allocation
Pricing
Arka Inventory has three different pricing plans. The sliver plan starts at $49/month. It gives access to inventory module, unlimited warehouses, and customizable reports. The Gold plan at $75/month gives access to everything in the silver plan but also includes the production module.
Erplain is a B2B inventory management solution created with wholesalers in mind. The application helps increase efficiency by automating the process of generating sales orders, purchase orders and invoices while updating your stock levels live. You can quickly identify products running low on supply and swiftly reorder them via email directly from the software. It works perfectly with all inventory management methods.
Features
Automation of sales orders
Centralized management of customers and suppliers
Product tracing by batch, lot, variant and expiry dates
Real-time sales and inventory reports
Inventory valuation
Reorder points and resupply orders
Subscriptions and recurring invoices
Warehouse management system
Wholesale & retail price levels setup with advanced price rules
Pricing
Erplain has two plans: First and Premium. The First plan starts at $59/month and the Premium plan starts at $99/month. The Premium plan has all the features whereas First plan lacks features such as multiple location tracking and sales consignment.
Zap Inventory is a multi-channel inventory management software that allows you to effortlessly monitor your stock control and order fulfillment, all in one place. You can sell and distribute products with ease while keeping everything organized and synchronized across multiple channels.
Features
Automate repetitive shipping tasks
B2B Order Management
Create & track purchase orders, plan reorders and manage suppliers
Inventory lifecycle management
KPI dashboard
Order fulfilment across multiple warehouses and sales channels
Pricing segmentation
Real-time inventory control
Pricing
They have 3 plans: Lite, Accelerator, and High Growth. Lite plan starts at $25/month, Accelerator at $67/month, and High Growth at $125/month. While most features remain the same across all plans, the order and SKU capacity varies across each plan.
Lightspeed Retail is a retail point-of-sale (POS) and inventory management system; primarily known for its ability to conduct both in-store and ecommerce management. With Lightspeed, you can complete sales both online and in your physical store with ease while constantly monitoring all of your inventory levels across multiple locations and channels in real time. You can also access powerful reports as well as integrate seamlessly with popular ecommerce platforms.
Features
Barcode scanning
Click-and-collect ordering
Custom reporting
Ease of Use Interface
One-on-one onboarding support
Payroll integration
Transfer stock between locations
Works for Retail and ecommerce
Pricing
Lightspeed Retail has three plans: Lean, Standard, and Advanced. The Lite plan starts at $69/month, Standard plan at $119/month, and Advanced plan at $199/month.
Fishbowl is a popular ERP solution for small to medium size businesses in the manufacturing and warehouse management industry. It's known for real-time inventory management, material requirements planning (MRP), work order management, job shop floor control, barcoding, bills of materials, and more. Fishbowl can be used either on-premise or hosted online.
Features
Automatic reorder points
Barcode printing and scanning
Custom fields
Multi-currency conversions
Multi-location tracking
Multilevel work orders
Multiple integrations
Pricing rules and tiers
Tracking by serial number, lot number, expiration date, and custom criteria
Pricing
Unfortunately, Fishbowl inventory does not provide pricing options. You can always try their free trial and then consult with them about the costing.
If you are a B2B wholesaler or distributor, InFlow is an ideal choice that will create efficiency and convenience. Not only does it offer inventory control with order management to make tracking easier, but also provides a comprehensive warehouse management too. A unique feature of this software solution is its integrated B2B portal providing another layer of convenience when dealing with vendors and customers alike.
Features
Abandoned cart reports
Batch payments & tracking
Fulfillment from phone
Inventory control
Public & private B2B portals
Reorder by purchase order and stock transfer
Smart scanner
Stock tracking
Pricing
Inflow starts at $89/month for their Entrepreneur plan. It has all the basic modules needed for inventory management. The next plan is a Small Business plan starting at $219/month and then the Mid-size plan at $439.
Zoho consistently makes best products for small businesses. And this time, Zoho Inventory snatches up the number one spot with its full set of inventory-oriented features. It can effectively handle multiple warehouses, ecommerce activities and orders all from just one platform! On top of that, it's customizable to fit different requirements and has an incredibly simple user interface. The best part is that it offers a completely free plan.
Features
App for Android and iOS
Composite function for kitting and batch tracking
Ease of use with intuitive navigation
Expiration monitoring and alerts
Managing perishable items
Manual or automatic purchase order creation
Real-time shipping rates
Tracking items and set reorder points
Works for Retail, dropshipping, ecommerce, manufacturers, and warehouses.
Pricing
Zoho inventory offers a lifetime free plan. It has also 5 other plans: Standard ($79/month), Professional ($129/month), Premium ($199/month), Elite ($299/month), and Ultimate ($399/month).
Sortly is one of the inventory management software for small businesses across many industries. It is budget-friendly inventory and also has easy-to-use features. The tool offers essentials such as warehouse management, barcode scanning, inventory control and reporting capabilities.
Features
Advanced user permissions
Asset Tracking
Automatic sync across all devices
Automated inventory organization
Easy inventory import
Full visual inventory system
Inventory lists
In-app scanner
Real-time reporting
Pricing
Sortly offers a free plan with all the basic inventory management features. They also have Advanced and Ultra plans priced at $29/month and $59/month.
QuickBooks is the go-to software for small business accounting and offers an exemplary inventory management system. Many of the applications mentioned in this list integrate with QuickBooks, making it an ideal solution to managing your inventories each day. SaasAnt Transactions and PayTraQer both sync effortlessly with QuickBooks to automatically update your stock reports and vendor invoices in real time. With the help of this incredible module, you can easily see how much stock is available at any given moment, accurately value your inventory, as well as manage purchase orders & vendors efficiently.
Features
Automatic calculation of product cost using first in, first out (FIFO)
Customizable reports and dashboards
Over 100+ integrations with third party inventory management apps
Product curation with images and prices
Real-time inventory valuation
Recording expenses
Run reports of best-selling items, total sales, and total taxes
Vendor management
Pricing
QuickBooks online comes in 4 different plan categories: Simple Start ($15/month), Essentials ($27/month), Plus ($42/month), and Advanced ($100/month). It also offers a 30 day free trial.
For an all-inclusive inventory, order management and manufacturing solution that makes life easier, look no further than SOS Inventory. From start to finish of the production cycle - from raw materials into finished goods including tracking serial numbers/lots/batches - they've got you covered. But what truly sets us apart is the seamless integration with QuickBooks Online.
Features
Automated order processing
Custom fields to track unique data
Customer-unique pricing
Email and text alerts
Full support for multiple locations
Integration with Shopify, ShipStation, UPS, PayPal, and more
Manufacturing and order management
Serial inventory
Track assemblies and kits
Vendor-specific costs
Pricing
SOS Inventory starts at $49/month for their Companion plan. Their Plus plan comes at $99/month and the Pro plan at $149/month.
Xero is the best alternative to QuickBooks but it's way less expensive than QBO. Xero is best known for fixed asset accounting, which is critical when it comes to inventory management. It also supports multiple third-party app integrations and most of the apps mentioned in this list.
Features
Add an inventory to an invoice
Decrease inventory for units returned to vendor
Integrates with 50+ third party inventory management apps
Record inventory
Report customization
Set up inventory Items
Track total units & costs
View stock on hand
Pricing
Xero has three different payment plans. The Starter plan starts at $25/month, Standard plan at $40/month, and Premium plan at $54/month.
Brightpearl is a retail management platform for multi-channel retailers and wholesalers. Brightpearl is specifically built for high volume transactions. But if you own a business that processes fewer than 1500 orders each month, then you can opt for the cheaper yet still useful version of this platform without sacrificing too much!
Features
Automated warehouse transfers
Automatic inventory updates across all sales channels
Data-driven demand planning
Integrated inventory planner
Order and warehouse management
Product performance analysis
Real-time insight into sales performance
Replenishment reports
Workflow automation
Pricing
Brightpearl does not provide pricing information. You may have to contact their sales team to get a quote.
Katana is tailor-made for manufacturers, offering not only bundling and kitting tools but also the capability to monitor products and supplies across all stages of production. And it doesn't stop there—Katana comes with automated workflows so that you can focus on producing quality goods swiftly.
Features
Auto-generate batch and internal barcodes
Automate customer order processes
B2B and ecommerce sales orders
Detailed inventory tracking
Manage product deadlines
Monitor on-hand stock levels
Popular POS Integrations
Simple user interface
Tracking raw materials and finished products
Pricing
Katana has three plans: Essential ($129/month), Advanced ($349/month), and Professional ($999/month). So yes, it's a bit expensive.
Veeqo is a popular inventory-management solution specifically tailored to meet the needs of retail or wholesale businesses with multi-channel selling. With its user-friendly platform, Veeqo consolidates all sales channels into one hub where you can easily monitor and control your orders, inventories, analytics reports as well warehouse stock management. Unlock greater efficiency in managing your business today with this innovative software!
Features
Analytics & forecasting
Automatic inventory updates
Barcode scanner
Discounted shipping rates and live tracking
Fulfillment using mobile device
Integrations with major shipping couriers
Inventory control
Stock counts
Pricing
Veeqo is a completely free software solution as it benefits from referring sellers to shipping carriers.
If you're an ecommerce merchant or a dropshipper, then Cin7 Orderhive is the perfect choice for streamlining your inventory management. With 5000+ ecommerce companies already using it, Orderhive offers automated purchase orders based on stock thresholds, embedded manufacturing management tools like batch coordination and serial number tracking feature, stock transfers capabilities as well as kitting options.
Features
Automated PO creation
Cloud-based inventory management
FIFO inventory rules
Fraud order handling
Free plan for Shopify users
Low stock alerts
Manage variants to bundles.
Split ordering
Pricing
Orderhive has four different pricing plans: Essentials ($125/month), Pro ($225/month), Pro Plus ($325/month), and Enterprise ($500/month).
Agiliron stands out amongst multichannel management systems due to its comprehensive inventory features like custom orders, kitting functions, assemblies, matrixed products and product substitutions. It has both B2B and B2C ecommerce store options.
Features
Account-based purchase orders
Assembly & kit products
Bulk packing slips
Centralized inventory tracking
Create and track matrix item products
Customer-specific price settings
Multiple payment solutions
Pre-set substitution products
Pricing
Agiliron offers 3 plans: Premier ($99/month), Enterprise ($199/month), and Global Enterprise ($299/month).
Ordoro not only helps streamline shipping operations, but also boasts a robust inventory management platform and automated purchasing functions. This makes it an optimal choice for dropshippers and sellers in high-volume industries who are looking to simplify supply chain management.
Features
Automated purchase tracking system
Dropshipped product inventory
Inventory cost analysis
Inventory data feeds from vendors
Kit-related products
Low-stock alerts
Products with varying quantities
Shipping integration and discounted shipping rates
Support for multiple warehouses
Pricing
Ordoro has two plans: Pro ($499/month) and Enterprise ($999/ month).
Cin7 stands out from the rest with its combined inventory management and point-of-sale system. It helps businesses optimize their stock distribution across multiple channels to avoid running out of items for sale. This is especially useful if you have both an online store and a physical location, making it easier than ever to manage without worrying about overstocking or understocking. If your business utilizes an omnichannel distribution model, then this is the perfect choice for you.
Features
Advanced and customized reporting
Affordable enterprise resource planning (ERP)
Cloud-based inventory management
Cost accounting
Demand planning and forecasting
Fully-integrated point-of-sale system
Mobile point-of-sale
Tracking and control
Pricing
Cin7 offers 3 different pricing plans: Standard ($325/month), Business ($749/month), and Advanced ($999/month).
MarketMan is an exceptional cloud-based inventory and vendor management system specifically designed for restaurants. Not only can you track expiration dates, but also create recipes when it's desired. It even has the remarkable ability to process invoices automatically! Plus, MarketMan seamlessly integrates with a number of popular POS systems while boasting comprehensive scanning and invoicing capabilities--helping make restaurant operations more efficient than ever before!
Features
App-based order management
Automated low stock alerts
Ingredient/recipe level tracking
Track in custom units (lbs, oz, size)
Manage invoices and account payable
Connect inventory controls to the menu
Pricing
MarketMan offers: Operator ($179/month), Professional ($249/month), and Ultimate ($399/month) plans.
Odoo Inventory is an open-source software with customizable features that can be tailored to your specific needs and requirements. It ensures accurate inventory control by monitoring stock levels in real time. With Odoo you can create a virtually unlimited number of different products alongside appropriate inventory planning tools.
Features
Automated RFQs and POs based on minimum stock
Fully automated replenishment
Integrated with Odoo Accounting
Real-time reports
Smart double entry inventory system
Warehouse management
Pricing
Odoo offers a free plan but to find the full pricing details, you'll have to contact their sales team directly.
Freshbooks is primarily an accounting software with a few inventory tracking features. It'es best for freelancers and small businesses who are able to manage a tiny number of items. Whether you sell just several different products or plan to start selling physical products in addition to your service business, FreshBooks helps you manage upto 2+ sales channels.
Features
Tracking inventory on Squarespace or Shopify
Review inventory for billable items
Pricing
Freshbooks is the least expensive software of this list starting at $1.50/month. Their plus and premium plans are $3/month and $5.50/month.
EZRentOut is the perfect inventory solution for all sorts of rental companies, from construction and sports equipment to audio gear or furniture. Not only does it allow you to take note of any damages caused by renters, but its helpful GPS tracking tools make it easy to locate your items. You can also use EZRentOut to track depreciation as well as services and repairs.
Features
Availability-based ordering
B2B and B2C customer management
Customized pricing
GPS tracking of items
Handles rentals and sales
Route management for deliveries
Tracks repairs
Pricing
EZRentOut offers Essential ($89/month), Growth ($179/month), Plus ($134.97/month), and Premium ($349/month) plans.
While all these inventory management tools help you in their own way, they do lack a robust automated updates of reports into your accounting software. At the end of the day, your inventory is an asset and therefore it requires to be properly accounted for.
You can use SaasAnt Transactions to automatically upload transactions and list entities. It also offers asynchronous processing to update your inventory transactions.
On the flip side, PayTraQer works perfectly with your ecommerce tools. It offers powerful automation to sync your sales, inventory and online payments into QuickBooks Online & Xero.
By using these two applications, you can automate all those nitty gritty details that your inventory management software does not update.
Try PayTraQer and SaasAnt Transactions today!