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What is Inventory Management Software?

Inventory management software is used to track inventory levels, sales processes, orders, and deliveries. It can also be utilized to generate production-related documentation such as work orders and bill of materials. Companies make use of this system to avoid overstocking of products and outages.Show more
Inventory management software offers an improved way to organize inventory information compared to spreadsheets or paper. This solution resembles distribution software because it helps distributors spend less money on inventories, thus giving them an edge over competitors. Main features of this software include order management, asset tracking, service management, and product identification. Start by checking our leader NetSuite ERP, and other recommended solutions in this category.Show less

How was this ranking made?

To devise this list of best Inventory Management Software we have checked 325 popular apps currently present on the market, analyzing their features, how easy are they are to learn, customer support, offered integrations and mobile device support using our patented SmartScoreTM rating algorithm. This ranking has been prepared by Jenny Chang, our software expert responsible for the Inventory Management Software category.

List of Top 13 Inventory Management Software

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1. NetSuite ERP

Our score: 9.6 User satisfaction: 100%

A scalable cloud ERP solution for growing medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. It offers complete control and automation options in managing financials, billing, orders, inventory, fixed assets, and revenue. It also has different modules to help you embed your inventory management efforts with other key business processes.

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2. ShipBob

Our score: 9.1 User satisfaction: 97%

A modern e-commerce fulfillment provider with services from inventory to delivery. It combines your inventory management, and other related processes together with your ecommerce portal. And, it is fitted with a comprehensive set of features including modules for product warehousing, reporting, and it even supports FBA preparation services.

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3. monday.com

Our score: 9.5 User satisfaction: 99%

An industry-leading collaboration and communication app for on-site and remote work teams. This software offers a collaboration-first interface that allows users to build Boards with a wide variety of powerful columns. With this flexibility, the software allows teams to handle any type of project. The platform also seamlessly integrates with third-party apps to ensure easier adoption.

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4. Katana

Our score: 8.9 User satisfaction: 94%

A web-based material requirements planning (MRP) software aimed at SMEs in manufacturing. It offers intuitive planning functionalities for production, sales, scheduling, and inventory control. Katana consolidates its extensive capabilities under one platform providing powerful, actionable insights. Key features include sales grid and sales and purchase order management.

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5. MarketMan

Our score: 8.9 User satisfaction: 100%

An all-in-one restaurant management system designed specifically for restaurants and supply chains. It provides comprehensive solutions for inventory management, recipe management, purchasing and order management, and expense tracking. Moreover, the software can automate payments and payment conditions.

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6. Cova

Our score: 8.7 User satisfaction: 98%

A POS solution created for the cannabis industry that specializes in enforcing compliance. Customers are required to submit verified customers’ IDs, whose information is synchronized with state traceability software like Leaf Data Systems. This makes it easy for the dispensary to generate audits and reports required by government authorities.

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7. Jotform

Our score: 9.0 User satisfaction: 100%

JotForm is a professional, fully-featured mobile form builder for companies and individuals. This user-friendly and intuitive forms builder is known for its capability in helping create innovative and personalized forms for various purposes using its smart drag-and-drop forms editor. It also allows automatic synchronization of updated forms.

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8. Ruby Has Fulfillment

Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 95%

A turnkey fulfillment solution that offers same-day fulfillment, as well as precise order and inventory management. API integration-ready, its robust warehouse management software integrates with your own order and inventory management system, giving you full visibility and control of the fulfillment process.

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9. KORONA POS

Our score: 8.6 User satisfaction: N/A

A versatile and customizable POS system suited to any business size. Offers in-depth inventory management, advanced product reporting with custom KPIs, seamless ecommerce integration, and employee management tools. Integrates with most business platforms and uses Open API for the integration of other tools and apps.

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10. Sortly

Our score: 8.5 User satisfaction: 100%

An innovative inventory tracking application that helps small business users visually organize, track, and locate items. Users can scan and update items using QR labels and barcodes for convenience and speed. Low-stock alerts and date-based reminders also help users stay on top of stock levels. Inventory access can also be controlled per user to ensure security.

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11. Zoho Inventory

Our score: 9.4 User satisfaction: 100%

Zoho Inventory is a software program that allows small and large companies to automate their order/inventory management and keep track of delivery processes. The platform fits its comprehensive features into an intuitive user interface. It is complete with useful modules ranging from order management to reporting.

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12. intuendi

Our score: 8.0 User satisfaction: N/A

A product demand forecasting software that helps you optimize your shops’ inventory.

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13. Bringg

Our score: 8.1 User satisfaction: N/A

Bringg has a set of versatile features which ensure efficient shipping services at high scalability which makes it a useful software service for businesses of most sizes.

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Inventory Management Software Guide

Table of contents

Industry Report - Inventory Management Software for 2022

CloudRank™ system is a unique algorithm that our research team uses to evaluate Inventory Management Software solutions in a detailed and accurate way. The Spring 2022 edition of the ranking was prepared by Jenny Chang, our leading expert in the field of Inventory Management Software, who has authored 1380+ product reviews in this category. The goal of CloudRank™ is to present an unbiased, multi-layered perspective on Inventory Management Software, considering a wide range of metrics and factors, and educating potential customers about both opportunities and challenges associated with each piece of software.

In order to achieve full objectivity the position in our CloudRank™ is based on:

  • Expert Score: which involves extensive analysis by our internal team which carefully examined all key elements of each software and testing it in real-life situations
  • User Score: which involves an aggregated opinion of actual users of each product whose identity was properly verified
  • Market Position: which involves general recognition of a given vendor on the market and reflects its overall popularity and reach
What do the tiers in CloudRank™ mean?

What do the tiers in CloudRank™ mean?

We’ve calculated a score for each product based on the average experience shared by our users in their product reviews and arranged the list in three tiers. You can see the methodology below on how the calculations were made.

  • Leaders: those with a User Score of 8.3 or higher; this tier includes products that are currently leaders on the market and are appreciated by both experts and actual users. They always represent the best of what the Inventory Management Software market has to offer and are all worth trying out if you’re looking for a reliable solution.
  • Contenders: those with a User Score between 7.8 and 8.3; this tier includes high-quality products that still have some minor drawbacks that prevent them from becoming leaders on the market. They always represent well-designed tools that, over time, will most likely develop into market leaders as the missing features are added.
  • Rising Stars: those with a User Score between 7 and 7.8; this tier includes products that have high-potential but still lack some crucial features or services expected from a leading solution. They are products with solid foundations and a vision that makes us eager to see what they will become as their solution improves in the future.

Regardless of their tier, all products included in our CloudRank™ are popular, quality products considered top-performers by our team of experts. Make sure you read a more detailed review of each solution to find one that will work best for your specific needs and budget.

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Rising Star
Contenders
Front-Runners

MARKET POSITION

A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.

TOTAL score

A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.

How does CloudRank™ work?

Arrow top

Market Position

A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.

Arrow right

Total Score

A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.

CloudRank™ tier

Based on product's total score.

Rising Star

Contender

Front Runners

25 Most Popular Inventory Management Software

Here is a list of all 25 Inventory Management Software solutions evaluated with our CloudRank™ analysis. We have compared their features, user satisfaction, market presence and other key factors in an in-depth analysis you can find below:

1. Square

9.19
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:9.19
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%
Worst features

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

2. monday.com

9.09
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:9.09
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Inventory Forecasting

%

Asset Tracking

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Accounting Integrations

%
Worst features

3. Zoho Inventory

8.81
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.81
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Asset Tracking

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Inventory Forecasting

%
Worst features

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

4. Vend

8.55
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.55
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%
Worst features

Asset Tracking

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Accounting Integrations

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

5. Lightspeed Retail

8.47
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.47
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%
Worst features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Stock History Reporting

%

6. NetSuite ERP

8.37
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.37
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%
Worst features

Stock History Reporting

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

7. HotSchedules

8.25
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.25
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Inventory Forecasting

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%
Worst features

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Stock History Reporting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

8. Oracle WMC

8.15
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.15
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Stock History Reporting

%
Worst features

Accounting Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Asset Tracking

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

9. Fishbowl

8.01
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:8.01
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Inventory Forecasting

%
Worst features

Stock History Reporting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

10. QuickBooks Enterprise

7.98
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.98
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%
Worst features

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

11. Odoo

7.96
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.96
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Inventory Forecasting

%
Worst features

Stock History Reporting

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

12. TradeGecko

7.88
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.88
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%
Worst features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

13. Shopventory

7.81
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.81
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%
Worst features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

14. Skubana

7.65
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.65
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Inventory Forecasting

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%
Worst features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Accounting Integrations

%

15. ServiceNow Cloud Management

7.62
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.62
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Asset Tracking

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%
Worst features

Inventory Forecasting

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

16. Stitch Labs

7.61
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.61
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Accounting Integrations

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Asset Tracking

%
Worst features

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

17. Sellbrite

7.59
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.59
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Forecasting

%
Worst features

Stock History Reporting

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Asset Tracking

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

18. ShipHero

7.57
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.57
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

eCommerce Integrations

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Low Stock Notifications

%
Worst features

Stock History Reporting

%

19. Katana

7.47
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.47
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Asset Tracking

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%
Worst features

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Stock History Reporting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

20. ShipBob

7.39
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.39
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Stock History Reporting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Low Stock Notifications

%
Worst features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

21. GEP NEXXE

7.36
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.36
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Inventory Forecasting

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Stock History Reporting

%
Worst features

22. ManagerPlus

7.11
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:7.11
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Asset Tracking

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Stock History Reporting

%
Worst features

Data Exporting/Importing

%

23. Cova

6.65
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:6.65
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Accounting Integrations

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Bundles, Kits, and Variants

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%
Worst features

Inventory Forecasting

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

24.

6.46
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:6.46
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

Stock History Reporting

%

Inventory Forecasting

%
Worst features

25. Ruby Has Fulfillment

6.25
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Our score and features analysis:

Total User Satisfaction

Total Expert Score

Market Position

} CloudRank™
Score:6.25
Customers company size

No. of employees:

1-10 11-50 51-100 100+
Best features

Centralized Inventory Database

%

Low Stock Notifications

%

eCommerce Integrations

%

Inventory Level Dashboards

%

Data Exporting/Importing

%
Worst features

Stock History Reporting

%

Our report covered 25 most popular products from the Inventory Management Software category. We’ve analyzed their features, performance, integration, customer support, pricing, and several other key buying factors and combined it with feedback from user reviews to come up with the current list of best solutions:

Square is this year’s number one Inventory Management Software CloudRank. This over a decade strong software managed to best industry giants such as NetSuite, Oracle, and more with its usability and customer support scores. Square not only serves as a point-of-sale application designed to provide businesses with a reliable and fast POS system, but it also offers an advanced and intuitive way to manage inventory. As a cloud-based POS solution, this software provides businesses with the capability to monitor and manage their inventory across different locations in real-time. It also comes with employee management features, vendor management, and more.

It has the capability to manage inventory such as changing item details like price, name, or quantity in real-time. Moreover, users can easily access and take a look at important data anytime and anywhere by simply signing in to Square Dashboard from any computer. Likewise, reports can be easily downloaded on vital business areas such as current inventory. Additionally, Square enables its users to easily update inventory quantities in bulk, receive daily stock alert emails, and quickly import thousands of products with CSV spreadsheets.

Most users of Inventory Management Software solutions confirm that in most cases these tools allow them to reach the following business goals:

  • It allowed businesses to ensure certainty in their supply chain through predictive analytics. [ 86.9% of users ]
  • It boosted sales while preventing shortages in stock. [ 87.1% of users ]
  • It effectively implemented supply chain planning. [ 86.8% of users ]
  • It enabled users to create short- and long-term forecasts based on reliable data. [ 87.4% of users ]
  • It helped in the acquisition of the best inventory to ensure customer satisfaction. [ 87.2% of users ]
  • It identified areas that need improvement by tracking inventory on a macro level. [ 86.9% of users ]
  • It improved the efficiency of inventory planners and managers. [ 87.7% of users ]

How did we select products for this Inventory Management Software report?

The Spring 2022 version of the report includes a total of 25 Inventory Management Software products that were compared and analyzed by our team. We selected them based on the following factors:

  • Popularity of a given brand in the SaaS market (based on our own market research)
  • How popular a given brand is among FinancesOnline users (based on number of mothly readers for each review page)
  • Availability of statistical data generated from user reviews of a particular product (we excluded products with not enough data to draw meaningful conclusions)
  • The current listing reflects the state of our database and research as of April 2022. An updated version of the report will be released quarterly to keep data fresh and incorporate information about shifts and changing trends in the market.

What are the current Inventory Management Software trends?

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs)

The growing demand for faster service is the main driving force behind the continued search for a faster automated order fulfillment process. As a response, businesses with large warehouses turn to robotics technology in the form of Automated Guided Vehicle or AGV and Automated Mobile Robots. Although AMRs are more advanced compared to AGVs, both share use cases, especially in the manufacturing industry. For AGVs, however, research on worldwide shipment shows that there are more AGVs deployed in non-manufacturing industries.

Source: Statista; IFR

Incorporating AI and IoT

Although these technologies are no longer fairly new in general, incorporating them to inventory management platforms is still a fresh idea. Studies, however, have revealed AI and IoT integrations are strong contenders in terms of technologies that are currently shaping the immediate future of retail.

3PL Integrations and Harnessing Big Data

Outsourcing has also been around for some time, but not in the warehouse and inventory management process. But since 2020, Third Party Logistics, or 3PL, has been predicted to grow by 15%, thanks in part to businesses focusing on minimizing operational costs. In the United States, warehousing and distribution is one of the largest 3PL markets with a forecast value growth of approximately $73 billion by 2026.

Source: Statista; Global Market Insights

Companies that deal with large amounts of physical products need a reliable and efficient inventory management tool. But since there are hundreds of such tools in the market, it can be a hard task to select the right one for your needs. This buyer’s guide describes the list of basic features of inventory management tools for small business firms or enterprises, identifies the various types of online platforms available, and helps you to easily navigate the complex selection process and choose the best Inventory Management tool for your company.

Get to know each product with free trial

A good course of action is to sign up for at least a few free trial plans or demos from popular inventory management software providers. With that method, you will have the opportunity to test the important elements and you will get a good comparison of the capabilities of the chosen programs. You will also understand what is inventory management software better. The best thing to do when looking for the best Inventory Management tools is to try services that currently have the highest SmartScore rankings and Customer Satisfaction Rating in our inventory management software reviews: TradeGecko reviewsSellbrite, Stitch Labs, Brightpearl, Contalog, and Goods Order Inventory Pro.

Targeted Businesses

Buyers of inventory management software tools can be categorized into the following types:

  • Type of Industry – Inventory software is different for different industries, such as retail, manufacturing, and distribution. Each software offers unique features for a particular industry. Even within a specific industry, there are different solutions. For instance, retail inventory apps are offered for auto parts, gas stations, restaurants, etc. However, some solutions can be used across any retail sector.
  • Company size – Inventory control needs are different for an individual store, across five or six locations, and an 80-unit franchise. Therefore, select a system suitable for your company’s size to ensure your requirements are met without needing to pay for robust features that you are not going to use.
  • Software requirements – Some companies are satisfied with a specialty inventory management solution, while others look for full-suite applications that offer other key features, such as business intelligence, supply chain management, project management, estimating, and accounting.

What are Examples of Inventory Management Software?

  • TradeGecko: A leading inventory management system offering elegant, cloud-based services for handling sales and supply chains in companies of all scales and niches.
  • Brightpearl: A popular multichannel retail management system that handles orders, inventory, customer data, and generates real-time profitability reports.
  • Zoho Inventory: A great member of Zoho’s productivity suite enabling ecommerce companies to manage inventory and keep track of their orders.
  • Financial Force ERP: A smart inventory management solution for mid-market organizations, providing also organizational solutions and streamlining communication between departments.
  • Stitch Labs: A very intuitive ecommerce tool for retailers and wholesalers, able to streamline inventory and manage orders across multiple channels.

Types of Inventory Management Software

There are many different types of inventory management software, varying from free and basic tool suites to ultra costly and accurate programs. Features can also be categorization criteria, as certain programs do nothing but list orders, while others are more robust and allow sales departments to track and categorize those orders, provide dynamic product information, and even do some custom branding. Deployment is also an important factor, which includes:

  • On-premise inventory management systems. These are covered by a single license and hosted on the client’s local server. They qualify as the most expensive ones, due to the fact that they require complex setups and occasionally, some hardware installation.
  • Software-as-a-service (SaaS) inventory management systems. These are usually paid per month and hosted on the vendor’s server. The business owner is not responsible for installation, updating, and maintenance.
  • Cloud-hosted inventory management systems. Most of these offer free basic plans and qualify as the most affordable ones due to their universal access and the fact that the client doesn’t need to update them or pay for maintenance.

There are also those products that have a hybrid deployment. Meaning, users can either choose to use the cloud-based interface or an on-premise client. These, for many, provide the most flexibility.

Key Features of Inventory Management Software

These are the main features to expect from your next inventory management system:

  • Product categorization. This feature enables you to migrate products from one group/channel to another, and to categorize them by name, type, price, supplier, supply channel, and so on. On top of that, you get to exercise full inventory control, since you can track every product, and forecast and support demand.
  • Sales/purchase orders. Inventory management software makes it possible to manage purchase and sales from a single system, ideally such is packed with order tracking, inventory controls, invoice management tools, and so on.
  • Electronic scanning. This feature is more than helpful, as it enables electronic data interchange, and caters to global selling trends. Scanning and tracking assets electronically is a whole new level of inventory control, also allowing for electronic shipment and complete warehouse tracking.
  • Automatic ordering. Automated ordering saves companies both time and efforts on managing billing and tracking their projected sales in an optimized way. This type of multichannel inventory management is welcomed by any retailer, regardless of whether he is selling only one product or many of them.
  • Dynamic product information. By dynamic product information, we actually mean access and full inventory control of your stock, and keeping a close eye on every product available. In such a way, products can be managed easily, and the sales information about them can be quickly integrated with the rest of the company’s software architecture.

Benefits of Inventory Management Software

Our detailed comparisons show that these are the three main benefits companies experience when using a solid inventory management system:

  • Efficiency and Speed. An inventory management system makes it easy to do a range of tasks from inputting data to taking inventory. It can take days to perform a manual count of inventory, but an inventory management solution can help you accomplish the task in a few hours.
  • Document Generation. Managers can use the system to automatically generate a range of documents, such as account statements, invoices, checks, and purchase orders. They can automatically order a fresh batch of products if they run low on stocks.
  • Insightful Data. An inventory management system offers insightful reports on data, such as how many units are in stock, how many have been sold, and which are the fastest-selling products.
  • Easy Collaboration. Managing warehouses and processes in different locations is a hard task. Inventory management software makes this easier by allowing for concurrent editing and real-time communication within the system. Most products also include team management features like task assignment.

Pricing Scheme

Cost is a big factor when choosing an inventory software solution. Most of the time, this is tied to the payment plan in a pricing scheme. To wit, here are the most popular pricing schemes today.

  • Free. There are open-source free software solutions available on the market, however, these might require some technical expertise. Alternatively, there are freemium options from top products that are ideal for small businesses and growing companies. You can check the FAQ section below for more information.
  • Monthly Plans. A monthly subscription plan is probably the most popular setup today. This is perfect for businesses that can’t commit long term to a platform yet.
  • Yearly Plans. Annual subscriptions are usually cheaper than monthly plans. Also, you only have to renew your subscription yearly. So, there is less hassle. However, this is only for businesses that can commit long term to a program as opting out is harder.
  • One-Time License. Some on-premise solutions are sold through one-time licenses. However, some providers require one license per machine and this can cost you a lot.

The Bottom Line

Choosing the right inventory software solution for you is a hard task. You don’t only need to take into account the pricing, feature, and benefits. You also have to mind the people that will use the software.

There are many companies out there that are not primed for digital transformation or change. However, if you are lucky, you’ll find yourself in an organization that looks to improve all the time. But, this does not save you from the birth pains of adopting a new platform.

Adopting a software solution also means adopting new workflows and roles. It also means learning new skills. This also changes your working dynamics and relationships. Thus, you need to mind that these changes will come. You don’t only get a software product. You will bring change.

The bottom line is that purchasing a new software solution is just a start. You need to put more care into this investment in order for you to see a steady stream of ROI from it.

List of Inventory Management Software Companies

Order by:

Newest
  • Newest
  • Score
  • User Score
Product name:
Category:
Smart Score:
Price:
User Satisf.
User reviews:
leafio reviews

leafio

Inventory Management Software
8.0
By quote
100%
Timly Asset Tracking Software reviews

Timly Asset Tracking Software

Inventory Management Software
8.7
€175
97%
Aravenda reviews

Aravenda

Inventory Management Software
8.0
$159
95%
SOS Inventory reviews

SOS Inventory

Inventory Management Software
8.0
$59.95
96%
ZapInventory reviews

ZapInventory

Inventory Management Software
8.1
$29
97%
TraQSuite reviews

TraQSuite

Inventory Management Software
8.0
₹7,999
94%
ProfitBooks reviews

ProfitBooks

Inventory Management Software
8.9
$15
97%
DockMaster reviews

DockMaster

Inventory Management Software
8.0
By quote
94%
Vyapar reviews

Vyapar

Inventory Management Software
9.0
$24.99
98%
Ruby Has Fulfillment reviews

Ruby Has Fulfillment

Inventory Management Software
8.8
By quote
95%
GEP NEXXE reviews

GEP NEXXE

Inventory Management Software
9.5
By quote
95%
BooksPOS reviews

BooksPOS

Inventory Management Software
8.0
By quote
95%
ShipHero reviews

ShipHero

Inventory Management Software
9.1
$1995
97%
RetailGraph reviews

RetailGraph

Inventory Management Software
8.0
By quote
100%
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader reviews

Dynamsoft Barcode Reader

Inventory Management Software
8.9
By quote
98%

Things to consider when you invest in a SaaS

Pricing details are a key consideration when you analyze SaaS vendors. Ask the provider if they offer price protection and contractual flexibility. “Shelfware” has become a major problem in SaaS licensing as buyers end up shelling out for more than they require. Plus, to get pricing predictability, buyers are forced to subscribe to long-term contracts. Make sure you don’t get saddled with perpetual licensing and get locked in for a long time with a single provider. Ask about easy exit policies that allow you to move on to another vendor if you are not happy with the services provided by the current one. Select a vendor that offers a handy standard annual termination facility as well as long-term cost protection.

Another important factor to consider is whether the cloud provider meets compliance and security requirements. Your company is accountable to employees, clients, business partners, and regulators. Therefore, you should pick a vendor that has deployed a technically sound and comprehensive security program. Map your security control requirements such as availability, integrity, confidentiality, privacy, and accountability to the provider’s capabilities. Ask the potential vendor about the processes and systems they use to protect your private data. Do they meet general as well as industry-specific compliance and security standards? Do they offer special measures to meet the unique security needs of your particular industry? Get satisfactory answers to these queries before you make the investment.

Frequently asked questions about Inventory Management Software

What is the best inventory software?

The best inventory software is NetSuite ERP. It is a scalable solution that can help businesses of different, sizes from SMEs to large enterprises. Key features include complete inventory visibility, vendor management, historical demand analysis, and a workflow approval module, among others. NetSuite ERP is a total business solution and it is packed with comprehensive features needed to run any type of inventory operation, big or small. 

The platform does not only provide users with a unified hub to centralize information and processes. It also houses all these capabilities in an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface. Businesses use NetSuite ERP to automate key operations. This saves them time and effort that they can use to grow their business further. 

What are the benefits of inventory management software?

There are many benefits of inventory software. However, the specific benefits you’ll get depends on the specific program you have and how you use it. However, there are some general benefits that software hunters generally want when adopting inventory management software solutions. Here they are below. 

  • Increase accuracy. Thanks to computer automation, all your entries will be accurate. Also, you’ll be able to minimize the risk of duplicates. 
  • Save time. Also, because of automation features, you will be able to spend more time growing your business than maintaining accurate records. You can automate key processes from order management to setting stock controls. 
  • Optimize decision making. Thanks to the native analytics and reporting tools in these platforms, managers will be able to identify areas they can improve on. Plus, many platforms now take advantage of AI so more actionable insights are available. 
  • Increase security.  inventory software tools store your data on their servers. And, these servers have top-of-the-line security measures and features. So,  you can rest assured that your important data will always be secured and safe. 
What are the features of inventory software?

Not all inventory software solutions are the same. Some of them are designed for general use. Others are quite specialized. Also, some solutions are robust modules of complete ERP or accounting suites. But, there are universal features that a decent inventory software program must possess. They are:

  • Product Categorization and Stock Controls. Platforms allow you to create, store, and update a list of your products. You can also categorize them and create tags to easily spot and search them. Moreover, these software solutions make it easy for you to manage your stocks. You can even configure them to send you or your team a notification whenever stocks for a certain product category is low. In some programs, you can even set it to create automatic orders for you.  
  • Order Management. These tools allow you to create and process orders. This set of features, including tracking tools, invoice management tools, and other related functions. 
  • Collaboration Tools. Most platforms include collaboration features that allow individuals to work together on the database. They support multiple users and even provide customizable personal dashboards. In this way, your organization will have one single source of truth when it comes to your inventory management operations. 
  • Permission-Based Roles and Approval. These platforms are easily configurable to give various degrees of access to users based on hierarchies and dependencies. This also increases security in terms of only allowing authorized personnel access to certain types of files or actions.
What is the easiest inventory software to use?

Most inventory software tools are designed for high usability. They sport intuitive user interfaces that professionals can easily understand right off the bat. But, some programs stand out when it comes to usability. Here are three of them. 

  • NetSuite ERP. This is a complete ERP software with robust inventory management capabilities. It has an intuitive interface designed to be easy to use by the average professional from the get-go. 
  • monday.com. A total business solution that is highly-customizable, highly-visual, and enjoyable to use. Its greatest strength lies in how it is easily configurable to match your specific workflow and needs thanks to its “if-then” automation. 
  • ShipBob. This easy-to-use platform combines your inventory management and other related processes with your ecommerce operations. It’s not just the interface that is easy to use but it is also how it brings disparate processes together simply that makes it highly usable. 
What is a good free inventory software?

A good free inventory software is really hard to come by. Most companies really want to monetize their developers’ efforts. There are open-source ones but they are quite technical to use. However, there are free versions of inventory software solutions that can count as good ones. One of them is Zoho Inventory.

The free plan includes 20 online orders, 20 offline orders, 20 shipping labels, and 20 shipment tracking per month. Moreover, it supports two users, one warehouse, one integrated Shopify store, and five automated modules per month. This is perfect for small operations.

Jenny Chang

By Jenny Chang

Jenny Chang is a senior writer specializing in SaaS and B2B software solutions. Her decision to focus on these two industries was spurred by their explosive growth in the last decade, much of it she attributes to the emergence of disruptive technologies and the quick adoption by businesses that were quick to recognize their values to their organizations. She has covered all the major developments in SaaS and B2B software solutions, from the introduction of massive ERPs to small business platforms to help startups on their way to success.

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