Best Inventory Management Software of 2024

The best inventory management software supports all of your business’s sales channels, streamlines order management and generates detailed reports.
Hillary Crawford
By Hillary Crawford 
Edited by Christine Aebischer

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Inventory management software replaces manual spreadsheets by automatically tracking how much inventory your business has on hand and when it’s time to reorder. You can also use it to identify top sellers and seasonal sales trends, so you know which products resonate most with your customers and when. This ultimately helps you maximize profit and minimize waste.

The best inventory management software supports all of your business’s sales channels, streamlines order management and generates detailed reports. The basic inventory tools that come with small-business accounting software and point-of-sale systems can be sufficient in some cases, but more complex operations may require stand-alone software with extra capabilities.

Here are our best inventory management software picks and what makes them stand out from the competition.

Sortly: Best for mobile inventory tracking app.

Odoo: Best for open-source inventory management software.

Salesbinder: Best for inventory tracking across unlimited locations.

Cin7 Core: Best for industry-specific inventory plans.

Zoho Inventory: Best for free inventory management software.

Square: Best for small retail shops.

Lightspeed: Best for high-volume retail stores.

inFlow Inventory: Best for B2B specialization.

Restaurant365: Best for restaurant inventory management.

Backbar: Best for bar inventory management.

Katana: Best for manufacturing companies.

Brightpearl: Best for built-in accounting features.

Finale Inventory: Best for QuickBooks Online users.

All of our picks for the best inventory management software are chosen by our editorial team, who follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the right software for your company. We independently evaluate and rate inventory management software products, scoring them on features like multi-channel sales tracking, barcoding, reporting and order management. View our full methodology.

Best inventory management software

Sortly

Sortly
Sortly

Sortly

Starting At 

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, custom.  

Our pick for: Mobile inventory tracking app.

Why we like it: Sortly isn’t the only inventory management software with a mobile app, but its app is one of the simplest. You can use it to scan QR codes and barcodes with your smartphone, upload photos of items and scroll through your inventory lists. Just know that you’ll need to subscribe to the Ultra plan or higher to generate your own barcodes. User licenses and item entry allowances also increase as you scale up. All plans, however, include offline mobile access, which lets you modify inventory counts when the internet is down. Overall, Sortly is a straightforward solution for small-business owners who want to access their inventory counts on the go.

Pros

Free plan includes an in-app barcode scanner for checking items in and out.

Mobile app organizes inventory counts by item photo to make them easier to read.

Available for iOS and Android.

Cons

Free plan doesn’t include low stock alerts and caps item types at 100.

Must subscribe to Enterprise plan to integrate with QuickBooks and create purchase orders.

No built-in e-commerce integrations.

Odoo

Odoo
Odoo

Odoo

NerdWallet Rating 
4.0
Starting At 

$0

For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $38.90, $58.40. 

Our pick for: Open-source inventory management software.

Why we like it: Odoo’s inventory app is made with warehouses in mind and lets you choose between multiple strategies for efficiently picking and packing items. You can also select the best inventory valuation method for your business (e.g., FIFO, LIFO), map out delivery routes and search for products by barcode or location. Odoo offers a collection of open-source business management apps that users with coding knowledge can modify and improve. You can subscribe to one app for free or pay a monthly fee to gain access to all apps, including ones for inventory management, accounting, invoicing and marketing.

Pros

Unlimited users in all plans.

Automates purchase orders and vendor follow-ups.

Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.

Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.

Cons

May need coding experience to get the most out of Odoo and its customizability.

Customer support by email only and only available on weekdays.

Salesbinder

SalesBinder
SalesBinder

SalesBinder

Starting At 

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299. 

Our pick for: Inventory tracking across unlimited locations.

Why we like it: Unlike some of its competitors, Salesbinder supports an unlimited number of locations, even in its free plan. This is a plus for businesses that store their inventory in multiple locations and have to frequently transfer items from one place to another. You can also add kitting and bundling capabilities to any paid plan for an extra $9 per month. This is an important feature for businesses that sell products, like furniture, that involve multiple parts and need to be assembled upon delivery. In terms of free features, all plans include customer relationship management (CRM) tools, packing lists, shipment tracking, reporting and stock transfers.

Pros

All plans support unlimited locations.

Free plan includes invoicing, purchase orders, barcoding, shipment tracking and CRM features.

Kitting and bundling add-on available.

Cons

You’ll need to select the Bronze plan ($19 monthly) or up to integrate with QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Zapier.

Mobile app for iOS only.

Cin7 Core

Cin7
Cin7

Cin7 Core

Starting At 

$349

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $599, $999. 

Our pick for: Industry-specific inventory plans.

Why we like it: Whereas some inventory management software only accommodates businesses in a particular industry, Cin7 Core can be a good fit for a variety of businesses, thanks to its robust set of features. Each of its three plans support multiple users and include accounting integrations, multi-channel order management, reporting and inventory planning tools. An optional POS add-on, along with a built-in accounting module and B2B portal, help make Cin7 Core an all-in-one solution for growing businesses. If you’re not sure which plan is right for you, start with identifying the type of business you own. There are separate plans for retailers and for manufacturers.

Pros

Can accommodate businesses in multiple industries, including retail and manufacturing.

All plans include two e-commerce integrations, plus an accounting integration.

Track components and finished goods.

More than 100 reports available.

Cons

Plans can be expensive.

Limited number of users in all plans.

Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory
Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory

Starting At 

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299. 

Our pick for: Free inventory management software.

Why we like it: Unlike many of its competitors, Zoho Inventory offers a free plan that includes a decent handful of inventory management features: You can process 50 sales orders per month, print 50 shipping labels per month, track items from one warehouse, integrate with one Shopify store and run inventory reports. All plans come with e-commerce, payment gateway and accounting integration options, too. Zoho Inventory’s plans scale up according to the number of users, warehouses, orders, bills and shipping labels, and the software is especially ideal for entrepreneurs who subscribe to other products in the Zoho suite, like Zoho CRM or Zoho Books.

Pros

Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.

Free plan includes a customer portal, dropshipping options, backorders and item bundling.

Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.

Mobile app available for iOS and Android.

Cons

Free plan caps users at one, purchase orders at 20, and shipping labels and sales orders at 50.

You’ll have to pay for setup help.

Square

Square
Square

Square Inventory

Starting At 

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, custom. 

Our pick for: Small retail shops.

Why we like it: Square is a top-rated POS system and its retail-specific platform, Square for Retail, offers inventory management features that can be sufficient for many small retail businesses. Business owners can sync inventory across multiple channels, both in store and online. All plans come with a free online store and let you offer in-store pickup and delivery options, send invoices, group items into categories, set up low stock alerts and add product details (like size or color) to each item. For more time-saving capabilities, like inventory scanning and barcode label printing, you can upgrade to the paid Plus plan.

Pros

Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.

Unlimited items in all plans.

Barcode printing, mobile inventory counting tool, COGS tracking, stock forecasts and reorder recommendations in paid plans.

Easy to navigate.

Cons

Categories, coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.

Fewer inventory reports than some competitors.

Lightspeed

Lightspeed
Lightspeed

Lightspeed Inventory

Starting At 

$89

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $149, $269, custom. 

Our pick for: High-volume retail stores.

Why we like it: Lightspeed Retail is a POS system with strong, built-in inventory management features. In addition to keeping track of stock, you can fill out purchase orders from within the software, bundle multiple items and make bulk price changes across sales channels. The system lets you set up reorder points and low stock alerts, choose from a wide variety of product variations and generate an unlimited number of barcodes, which is important for businesses that sell a high volume of items. Report customization options allow you to filter by date, outlet, supplier and brand, as well as available or low inventory. To sync your sales and inventory data with accounting software, like QuickBooks or Xero, you’ll have to opt for the more expensive Standard plan.

Pros

Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.

Generate unlimited barcode labels.

Create purchase orders from within the software.

One-on-one onboarding and a dedicated account manager included with all plans.

Cons

Lowest-tier plan doesn’t include e-commerce features.

Contract required.

inFlow Inventory

inFlow Inventory
inFlow Inventory

inFlow Inventory

Starting At 

$110

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $279; $549; $1,319. 

Our pick for: B2B specialization.

Why we like it: InFlow is a good option for B2B businesses that sell their products online and want an easy way to manage online orders and stock from one place. The inventory management system stands out for offering an online showroom in its midtier Small Business plan. The B2B portal showcases all your available products, and you can create password-protected showrooms with custom pricing for specific customers. From there, inFlow can let you know when customers abandon their online shopping carts and then automatically send reminder emails to them. All plans come with one-on-one setup assistance, and the company’s hardware lineup features a convenient handheld scanner for businesses that need to take stock of items around the store or warehouse, too.

Pros

Offers in-house smart scanner device.

Generate barcode labels.

More than 30 reports available.

Integrated business-to-business showroom for listing items online.

Cons

Must opt for more expensive plan to access unlimited locations.

Number of included integrations is limited for all plans; must pay additional monthly charge to add integrations.

Restaurant365

Restaurant365
Restaurant365

Restaurant365

Starting At 

$435

Additional pricing tiers (per month, billed quarterly): $635, custom. 

Our pick for: Restaurant inventory management.

Why we like it: While some inventory management systems can work for a variety of industries, restaurants especially can benefit from industry-specific solutions to stay on top of their perishable inventory, manage menu changes and track dish profitability. Restaurant365 is a powerful restaurant management platform that's capable of recipe costing, measuring actual versus theoretical food costs and pointing out food waste. It helps you measure demand and keep track of margins so that you can create the most cost effective menu. The platform also has its own accounting software and can directly integrate with more than 100 POS systems, giving you lots of flexibility.

Pros

Built-in accounting and scheduling functions, plus add-ons for hiring, payroll and HR.

Recipe costing features, plus ability to track food waste.

Create purchase orders from within the software.

Forecasting tools for predicting labor needs and stock.

Cons

Implementation fee.

Could be excessive for very small, single-location restaurants.


Backbar

Backbar
Backbar

Backbar

Starting At 

$0

Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149. 

Our pick for: Bar inventory management.

Why we like it: Backbar helps bars and restaurants prevent perishable inventory waste with tools like excess inventory reporting and recipe and drink costing. While you have to subscribe to a paid plan to get the most out of Backbar’s reporting and recipe costing features, its free plan still lets you set up order reminders, integrate with POS systems, add an unlimited number of users and upload invoices.

Pros

Unlimited number of users, even with the free plan.

POS integrations and one-click purchase orders available in all plans.

Ability to calculate pour costs, drink profits and recipe costs.

Access to detailed reports on product trends, menu prices, profit and excess inventory.

Cons

Limited to a single restaurant or bar location and only six months of reporting history for the free plan.

Custom report tagging and QR code menu links only available in highest-tier plan.

Katana

Katana
Katana

Katana

Starting At 

$199

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999. 

Our pick for: Manufacturing companies.

Why we like it: Created specifically for manufacturing companies, Katana’s inventory software lets you track both raw materials and finished products, set reorder points and see which items have the best profit margins. Its “insights” dashboards are easy to read and while plans can be expensive, they aren’t as costly as some competitors. When you create a purchase order with Katana, the software will take stock of your inventory from that particular vendor and let you know if you’re missing anything. Plus, the system integrates with a range of products, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Shopify.

Pros

Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.

Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.

Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.

Create purchase orders from within the software.

Cons

Additional users cost extra in all plans.

Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.

Brightpearl

Brightpearl
Brightpearl

Brightpearl

Starting At 

$0

Quote-based pricing. 

Our pick for: Built-in accounting features.

Why we like it: Brightpearl's inventory management capabilities go beyond the basics, making it a good fit for quickly growing retail businesses. You can create order processing workflows, manage separate shipping carriers for each sales channel, set up dropshipping rules and receive buying recommendations. Additionally, Brightpearl offers an integrated CRM solution and POS system so omnichannel businesses can sync offline and online sales. When it comes to accounting, you can either use Brightpearl’s own module or integrate with third-party products like QuickBooks and Xero.

Pros

Sync inventory across multiple channels online and in-store.

Create automation rules for tasks like order processing and invoicing.

Forecasting tools predict demand and make inventory recommendations.

Also offers its own POS system, accounting and invoicing capabilities, CRM system and warehouse management software.

Cons

Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare costs.

Excessive for small businesses that don’t plan to grow.

Finale Inventory

Finale Inventory
Finale Inventory

Finale Inventory

Starting At 

$99

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $240, $420, $649, $949. 

Our pick for: QuickBooks Online users.

Why we like it: All Finale Inventory plans include kitting and bundling, invoicing and serial number tracking. Each plan increases the number of users, monthly purchase and sales orders and integrations. The Silver plan comes with additional capabilities like report customization, but you’ll need to subscribe to a higher-tier plan if you want access to the Android app for barcode scanning. A unique feature of this inventory management software is that it allows you to bundle QuickBooks Online Advanced, the most expensive QuickBooks Online accounting plan, with Finale Inventory’s Silver plan or higher, so you can save some money overall. These bundles start at $570 per month or $5,700 per year.

Pros

Finale Inventory and QuickBooks Online Advanced subscriptions can be bundled.

Offers a variety of POS and e-commerce integrations including Lightspeed, Shopify, Square, Amazon and Etsy.

All plans include at least one virtual training session.

Can create purchase orders from within the software.

Cons

Must subscribe to the Silver plan or higher to integrate with QuickBooks Online.

What is inventory management software?

Inventory management software is a program that tracks how much inventory you have in stock, how much you’ve sold and where each item is located. Most products are cloud-based, so you don’t have to download anything to your computer. After signing up for an account online, you might be prompted to enter details about your business, such as its industry, currency, address and logo. Then, you’ll add all of your inventory items to the system or import a list of them. From there, you may fill out purchase orders and track sales from within the 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.

On the flipside, inventory management software can also prevent your business from buying too much product. Items that sit on the shelves for too long take up space that new products in higher demand could fill. Then, they can begin to depreciate in value or expire altogether. And if you have to sell them at a discounted rate or throw them away, you could lose money on your investment.

How to choose inventory management software

Consider the following factors to find out which inventory management software is the right fit for your company’s needs.

Industry specificity

Basic inventory management software can help your business run more smoothly, but industry-specific options will maximize efficiency. For example, managing perishable inventory, like food or cosmetic products, is quite different from managing nonperishable products, like clothes. The type of inventory you work with will dictate how long it can stay on shelves, how much of it you should order and how frequently.

Integrations

Your inventory management software should integrate with all of your sales channels — both online and in person. That means your e-commerce platforms and your POS system. On top of that, make sure it integrates with your accounting software. Inventory is considered a current asset account and appears on your balance sheet. Direct, built-in integrations are typically better than indirect integrations and you usually don’t have to pay extra for them.

Scalability

Will the inventory management software or app you choose be able to grow as your business does? The last thing you want is to have to manually reenter all your inventory if you outgrow your current system. Second, how many users will eventually need access to your inventory management software? Having to pay for extra users can add up quickly. Be sure to include yourself and anyone filling or counting inventory, and maybe even your accountant.

Cost

Cost can vary from free inventory management software to products that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month. Free or low-cost products may be adequate for small operations, but businesses with more complex inventory needs may need to opt for a more expensive option, especially if they stand to lose a significant amount of money from an inventory mistake.

How much does inventory management software cost?

Unless you choose one of a handful of free options, inventory management software can be expensive — upward of $300 per month in some cases. Less-expensive products cost closer to between $50 and $100 per month, and most offer a range of plans and prices. 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:

  • How many inventory locations or warehouses your business has. 

  • How many items you need to track. 

  • The number of sales channels you need to integrate. 

  • How many users need to access the inventory management software. 

  • The number of sales orders you create per month. 

  • The complexity of your production process. For example, it may cost more to track both parts and finished products. 

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

What features does the best inventory management software have?

Above all, the best inventory management software for you will integrate with your existing software ecosystem so that it can centralize all of your sales data. Once you check for integrations and weigh monthly costs, here are a few other key inventory management features to consider:

  • Real-time inventory tracking. This is important for businesses that need to track inventory items as they move through the supply chain and order fulfillment process. Systems with this feature will immediately update when returns and sales are made, too. 

  • Multi-channel inventory management. Businesses that sell products in multiple places will need to centralize their sales and inventory data in one place. 

  • Low-stock alerts and reorder points. You can set custom reorder points so that you’re notified when it’s time to order more inventory. Some software will even suggest or calculate reorder points for you. 

  • Purchase order management. Creating purchase orders and sending them to vendors is much more convenient when you can do it from within your inventory management software. This is especially true if you use the just-in-time inventory strategy and frequently make purchase orders to restock what’s been sold. 

  • Digital labeling and barcode scanning. Counting inventory by hand takes time and is prone to human error. Scanning items’ SKU or UPC labels is much more efficient. You can scan digital labels as inventory items get delivered and as you pack them out for shipment or sell them in store. Some software lets you use mobile devices as scanners. 

  • Kitting and/or parts and assembly tracking. Maybe you sell subscription boxes with multiple related products — together, these items make up a kit. Or, if you manufacture something like bars of soap, you might want to track raw materials and finished products. 

  • Reporting. Look for reports on inventory forecasts, cost of goods sold, inventory profitability and sales by item or product. 

  • 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. Some businesses will need to switch between units of measurement, too. Each shirt could count as an individual unit, but you might want to measure material in yards.

  • Order fulfillment options. When a customer orders something online, it has to be picked from the warehouse, packaged and shipped to the correct address. Inventory management software with shipping add-ons or features helps you manage this process end-to-end.

How can inventory management software benefit your business?

Inventory management software 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 inventory and lose opportunities to turn a profit. 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.

A more efficient inventory management system could boost your inventory turnover ratios, too. In general, a higher ratio means your business’s inventory is selling well. Products sitting on your shelves for too long, however, can drag your ratio down.

Types of inventory management software

Accounting software with built-in inventory management

Like POS systems, accounting software sometimes has built-in inventory management capabilities. Before integrating with a separate, standalone inventory tracker, it’s worth taking a look at all of the features included in your accounting software subscription to determine whether they’re adequate. For example, QuickBooks Enterprise, a locally installed accounting program, has in-depth inventory management tools.

POS systems with built-in inventory management

Oftentimes, POS systems come with their own basic inventory management tools. Some popular examples include Square Retail POS and Lightspeed Retail POS. And if they’re sufficient enough for your business, you won’t have to integrate with separate inventory management software. This could potentially save you hundreds of dollars per month.

Standalone inventory management software

Most of our picks for the best inventory management software fall within this “standalone” category. This type of software is made specifically for tracking inventory and does not typically double as accounting or point-of-sale software. You’ll need to integrate with those programs separately.

Standalone inventory management software is usually more advanced and scalable than the inventory management features that come with POS or accounting software. This makes it a good fit for small businesses that need to track hundreds of items, their variations and the raw materials used to produce them.

Inventory management software FAQ

Inventory management software helps your business avoid ordering too much or too little inventory, so that you can reduce waste and save money. It keeps tabs on how much of each item your business has and when particular products are in high demand. That way, you can make sure your shelves are stocked accordingly.

Robust, industry-specific inventory management software can cost well upward of $100 or even $300 per month. Sometimes, you can save by paying annually instead of monthly. Companies like Zoho also offer free inventory software options that can be a great launching point, as long as they integrate with your existing software ecosystem.

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.