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Best Inventory Management Software of February 2023

Consider inventory management products built specifically for your industry. Usability and integrations should be top of mind.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

Inventory software automatically tracks how many products a business has in stock, how many have been sold and when to reorder. The basic inventory tools that come with accounting software products and point-of-sale systems are enough for some small businesses, but more complex businesses may require third-party apps.

Consider your industry and which stages of the supply chain you need to track, along with integrations and user interface, to choose the right solution for you.

Here are some of the best inventory management software products for small businesses.

» MORE: What is inventory and how does it work?

Best Inventory Management Software

Our pick for

E-commerce businesses

Cin7 Orderhive

Cin7 Orderhive

Cin7 Orderhive

Starting at

$95/Month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $195, $295, $500 and up.

Promotion

50% off

for three months or free 15-day trial.

Why we like it

Cin7 Orderhive helps e-commerce businesses streamline order management, inventory, shipping, manufacturing and returns processes across multiple channels. Growing businesses that could benefit from a built-in point-of-sale system, customer relationship management module and more robust reporting suite can upgrade to Cin7 plans starting at $399 per month.

Pros

  • Multichannel tracking syncs inventory online and offline.

  • Scalable; offers plans for enterprise businesses.

  • More than 30 reports available.

  • Integrates with more than 300 software products.

  • Generates barcode labels.

  • Can create workflow automation rules for order fulfillment.

Cons

  • No mobile app for iPhone users.

  • Limited number of users in all plans below the Enterprise level; can add users for $50 per month each.

  • Plans limit which types of apps you can integrate with and number of orders per month.

Our pick for

Comprehensive software suite

Brightpearl

Brightpearl

Brightpearl

Starting at

N/A

Quote-based.

Promotion

N/A

Why we like it

Quickly growing e-commerce businesses that need a holistic solution for running their retail operation might consider Brightpearl. In addition to offering e-commerce inventory and order management, the retail operating system also has an integrated CRM solution and POS system.

Pros

  • Sync inventory across multiple channels online and in-store.

  • Create automation rules for tasks like order processing and invoicing.

  • In-depth reporting on sales channels, customers, suppliers and marketing campaigns.

  • Forecasting tools predict demand and make inventory recommendations.

  • Also offers its own POS system, accounting and invoicing capabilities, customer relationship management system and warehouse management software.

  • Unlimited users.

Cons

  • Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare costs.

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

Our pick for

Basic inventory needs

Square
Shop now

on Square for Retail's secure website

Square for Retail

Square

Starting at

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, custom.

Promotion

30-day free trial
Shop now

on Square for Retail's secure website

Why we like it

Square, a top-rated POS system, is known for being intuitive, simple to use and affordable. Its inventory management features let business owners sync inventory across multiple channels, both in-store and online and is a great launching pad for brick-and-mortar businesses that already use its POS system. All plans also come with a free online store.

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.

Our pick for

More complex inventory needs

Lightspeed
Shop now

on Lightspeed Retail's secure website

Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed

Starting at

$69/Month (billed annually)

Additional pricing tiers (per month, billed annually): $119, $199, custom.

Promotion

14-day free trial
Shop now

on Lightspeed Retail's secure website

Why we like it

Lightspeed Retail is a POS system with strong, built-in inventory management features. In addition to keeping track of stock, business owners can fill out purchase orders from within the software and make bulk price changes across sales channels. They can also set up reorder points and low stock alerts and choose from a wide variety of product variations.

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.

Our pick for

B2B companies

inFlow Inventory

inFlow Inventory

inFlow Inventory

Starting at

$79/Month (billed annually)

Additional pricing tiers (per month, billed annually): $219; $439; $1,319.

Promotion

14-day free trial

Why we like it

InFlow could be 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. All plans come with two hours of one-on-one setup assistance and demos to get business owners started, and the company’s hardware lineup features a handheld scanner for businesses that need to take stock of items around the store or warehouse.

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 integrations or unlimited locations.

Our pick for

Restaurants

Restaurant365
Learn more

on NerdWallet's secure website

Restaurant365

Restaurant365

Starting at

$289/Month (billed annually)

Additional pricing tiers (per month, billed annually): $399, $489, custom.

Promotion

N/A
Learn more

on NerdWallet's secure website

Why we like it

Restaurant365 is a powerful restaurant management platform capable of recipe costing and measuring actual versus theoretical food costs. The platform has its own accounting software and can directly integrate with more than 100 POS systems. Restaurants, especially those with multiple locations, might consider the platform if they can take advantage of some of its more advanced features.

Pros

  • Built-in accounting and scheduling functions.

  • Recipe costing features, plus ability to track food waste.

  • Create purchase orders from within the software.

  • Add-ons for hiring, payroll and HR available.

  • Forecasting tools for predicting labor needs and stock.

Cons

  • Implementation fee.

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

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Desktop inventory software

QuickBooks
Learn more

on NerdWallet's secure website

QuickBooks Enterprise

QuickBooks

Starting at

$1,340/Year

Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,740; $2,140; $4,200. Prices also increase as you add users or cloud access.

Promotion

30-day free trial
Learn more

on NerdWallet's secure website

Why we like it

QuickBooks Enterprise, a desktop accounting software product with optional cloud access, comes with advanced inventory functions, including COGS tracking and the ability to switch between average costing and FIFO, in the Platinum plan and up. Business owners who already use QuickBooks Enterprise might try out its built-in inventory features before integrating with a third-party app.

Pros

  • Robust, built-in accounting system.

  • Solid inventory management solution for small businesses that prefer desktop products, though Advanced Inventory features do require an internet connection.

  • Generate barcode labels; use app to scan barcodes with mobile Android devices.

  • Advanced reporting; access to more than 200 reports.

Cons

  • Must opt for Platinum plan to access advanced inventory features.

  • Expensive; annual subscription prices rise if you need more than one user or require cloud access.

  • Limited to Windows users.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Scalable option with free plan

Zoho

Zoho Inventory

Zoho

Starting at

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month, billed annually): $59, $99, $159, $239, $329.

Promotion

14-day free trial

Why we like it

Zoho Inventory’s plans scale up according to the number of users, warehouses, orders, bills and shipping labels, meaning small businesses don’t have to pay for what they don’t need. The software is especially ideal for entrepreneurs who already subscribe to a separate product in the Zoho suite, like Zoho CRM.

Pros

  • Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels.

  • Client portal in all plans.

  • All paid plans include two hours of setup help.

  • Free barcode generator.

Cons

  • Only higher-tier plans (Professional plan and up) include automated workflows.

  • Must subscribe to most expensive plan to view real-time reports and access advanced analytics features.

» MORE: Best free inventory management software for small businesses

How to choose inventory management software

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

  • Number of users: How many users will 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.

  • 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.

  • Industry: For example, managing perishable inventory, like food, is very different from managing retail products, like clothes.

  • Integrations: Make sure your inventory software integrates with your accounting software and POS system before subscribing to it. Direct, built-in integrations are typically better than indirect integrations.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best small-business apps

Last updated on October 25, 2022

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Inventory Management Software of February 2023

  • Cin7 Orderhive: Best for E-commerce businesses
  • Brightpearl: Best for Comprehensive software suite
  • Square for Retail: Best for Basic inventory needs
  • Lightspeed Retail: Best for More complex inventory needs
  • inFlow Inventory: Best for B2B companies
  • Restaurant365: Best for Restaurants
  • QuickBooks Enterprise: Best for Desktop inventory software
  • Zoho Inventory: Best for Scalable option with free plan