You’ve hit the jackpot with an ad that’s working like a dream. Products are flying out of your warehouse until… suddenly, unexpectedly, your bestseller is out of stock.
Maybe in that very same warehouse, forgotten and gathering dust, are products you ordered more than five years ago. They’re not selling, but you’re still paying for storage space.
If there’s a chance your business could find itself in those situations—or you generally waste too much time planning your inventory—it’s probably time to get some inventory management software.
A good inventory management system will help you to reorder in the right quantities and at the right times, show you which products are not shifting and give you the insights you need to make smarter inventory decisions.
This article walks you through seven options for the best inventory management software for ecommerce businesses, plus gives you tips that will help you choose the right tool for your business.
*The information about all the platforms discussed in this article was collected between 7 February 2024 and 9 February 2024. This article was written and approved by Juni and is intended as marketing material. It was last updated on February 22, 2024.
Ever get halfway through a recipe just to realise you don’t have enough of an ingredient? You could have sworn you had enough butter, but somehow, you’re caught short. Wrapping your head around your own kitchen’s inventory and stock can be hard enough—and doing so for your ecommerce business is exponentially more complicated.
It’s not just about making sure you have the right products in stock: You also need to avoid purchasing too many items that don’t sell quickly—no one wants unsold stock taking up space in their warehouse and holding up cash flow. An inventory management system can help you avoid this.
Here’s why choosing the right tool should be at the top of your inventory management checklist:
Looking at the bigger picture, strategic inventory management and tactical buying is crucial for optimising cash flow, which makes or breaks your ability to grow your business. The right inventory management software can help you understand stock levels while forecasting future demand so you can make the right buying decisions. So now, let’s take a look at the best tools.
Inventory management means different things to different people, and some of the tools you’ll find on the market are inventory tracking software for retail—not necessarily ecommerce. Others meet the needs of distributors, manufacturers and specific industries.
However, these seven tools work particularly well for ecommerce. Let’s take a closer look.
inFlow Inventory is an all-in-one inventory software tool that incorporates tracking, pricing, packing and shipping for ecommerce businesses, with integrations for a range of platforms and accounting software.
The tool keeps track of every time you receive or fulfil an order, ensuring you always have access to real-time data on your stock (which you can track across multiple warehouses). In addition to its inventory tracking features, the software helps with other key processes like barcoding, manufacturing, purchase order management and sales.
inFlow Inventory has four plan options:
Netsuite Inventory Management is part of the Oracle Netsuite enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform and integrates with other software in the range. By using historical data, the software can automatically generate tasks and alerts when an item needs to be replenished, ensuring you’re never caught with low or no stock.
The platform also comes with a built-in inventory cycle counting solution, and its Item 360 Dashboard gives you visibility over all the information you would need about your stock in one place. Just keep in mind that this solution is one of the most expensive options on this list.
NetSuite doesn’t list its pricing options, so you’ll have to reach out to sales to get a quote. Just be aware you’ll have to pay a monthly licensing fee on top of the Inventory Management module fee.
Pro tip: Netsuite integrates with Juni, meaning you can use the two platforms in unison to optimise your cash flow and keep your inventory and financial processes connected.
Veeqo markets itself as inventory management software for ecommerce—that’s clear from its features list, which includes integrations with all major ecommerce platforms. The software is actually owned by Amazon, making it a great solution for ecommerce businesses that sell on the marketplace.
In addition to inventory management features like automatic stock level updates and comprehensive inventory tracking, the software comes with shipping capabilities like label creation, order management and order scanning/packing.
Veeqo is completely free to use because the platform financially benefits from shipping volume passed to partner shipping carriers. For more information on this, refer to the Veeqo website.
Cin7 is all about automation: Multichannel inventory management (or connected inventory performance, as Cin7 defines it) is at the heart of that. There’s a focus on optimising inventory levels via just-in-time automated stock management and granular inventory tracking.
The platform helps you increase profits with its Job Costing module, plus helps you streamline purchasing and procurement with forecasting tools and simplified supplier management. While Cin7 is a good fit for ecommerce businesses, it’s also suitable for distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers.
Cin7 has four plan options:
Zoho Inventory is the web-based inventory software from Zoho’s suite of SaaS and business apps. It’s a comprehensive inventory tool for SMBs, and it boasts a clean UI. You can use the platform for processes like item management, customer lifecycle and vendor relations.
In addition to inventory management automation, Zoho Inventory comes with smart features like reporting and analytics, a SKU generator and reorder point calculations. Its built-in warehouse management features help you control the flow of stock, and multichannel selling makes it possible to consolidate all your sales onto a centralised dashboard.
Zoho Inventory has five plan options:
Sellercloud’s features go beyond those of many of the tools in this list. It includes an inventory tracking system but also a wider suite of technology, including catalogue management, purchasing and accounting. The software’s pricing reflects this wide range of functionalities.
The platform manages and monitors stock levels across multiple channels and multiple warehouses, tracking your inventory from receiving to shipping. You can also set up automated alerts to prevent backorders and late shipments, plus reserve inventory for special promotions or preferred channels.
Sellercloud doesn’t list its pricing options, so you’ll have to reach out to sales to get a quote. Just note that pricing starts at $1199/month. You can use the pricing calculator on the Sellercloud website to estimate your monthly rate.
Katana is aimed primarily at manufacturers, but because it targets small manufacturing businesses and those selling online, it also works well for ecommerce. The other key benefit of the manufacturing link is its end-to-end traceability features.
The software gives you real-time product visibility so you’re never caught short or order too much, and you can monitor stock levels across an unlimited number of locations. Katana also comes with purchase, sales order, production and warehouse management features, as well as real-time scheduling and master planning capabilities.
Katana has five plan options:
To give you a better idea of what to prioritise when selecting a tool, here’s our list of features your inventory management software should have:
And here are some “nice to have” features that come with some inventory management software to make your life easier:
Ultimately, no one can decide what inventory management software is best for your business but you. Many of the tools have similar functionality and integrations because they all cater to ecommerce businesses. Nevertheless, the right platform for your inventory might be completely different from what works for another ecommerce company.
Take these steps to make an informed decision:
Using stock management software makes your life easier with automation features like inventory tracking and predictive ordering. What’s more, these tools also help you ensure you’re spending wisely and prevent you from tying up your money in unsold inventory—meaning you can put that money to good use to run ad campaigns, reach more customers, and grow your business.
But inventory management software isn’t the only way to optimise your spending. Juni, for example, comes with expense management features that help you spend more wisely, like real-time spend overviews and detailed reporting. The platform is an answer to ecommerce businesses’ needs to centralise financial operations, giving you all the features you need to stay on top of financial admin in one place.
What’s more, Juni Capital gives you options for invoice and inventory financing for up to 2 million EUR, helping you free up your cash flow and grow your business.* With the right software, inventory management becomes seamless and error-free, and you can make sure you’re using your resources to help your business grow.
*Juni Invoices is available for EU-based companies only. Media financing is available for companies registered in NL, SE, DE, FR, ES, IT, FI and NO, upon eligibility. Fees and terms and conditions apply. Click here for more details.
Inventory management software is designed to help ecommerce businesses track and manage their inventory levels, orders, sales and deliveries. It can also be used to generate reports for inventory levels, orders and sales, ensuring that a business has the insights it needs to make informed decisions about stock levels and distribution.
If you’re looking for inventory management software that will fit the needs of your ecommerce business, some good options include:
The price of inventory management software varies depending on the size of your business and what features you need, as this will impact which platform you choose. Prices range from as low as $30 per month to over $1000, and some inventory management systems are free or offer free plans.