Best Inventory Management Software of 2026
The best inventory management software supports all of your business’s sales channels, streamlines order management and generates detailed reports.
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Zoho Inventory
Best for Free inventory management software
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299.
Promotion
14-day free trial
Learn more on Zoho Inventory's website
Pros
- Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
- Free plan includes invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
- Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
Cons
- Free plan caps users at one, purchase orders at 20 and sales orders at 50.
Square POS (inventory feature)
Best for Small retail shops
Starting at
$0
Free plan; $49 Plus plan; $149 Premium plan.
Promotion
30-day free trial
on Square's website
Pros
- Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
- Square Handheld POS system comes with a built-in barcode scanner.
- Easy to navigate.
Cons
- Coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.
- Fewer inventory reports than some competitors.
Lightspeed POS (inventory feature)
Best for High-volume retail stores
Starting at
$109/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $179, $339.
Promotion
14-day free trial
on Lightspeed's website
Pros
- Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
- Generate unlimited barcode labels.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
- 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Must subscribe to Plus plan for 24/7 phone support.
- Contract required for discounted pricing.
Sortly
Best for Mobile inventory tracking app
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, $299, custom.
Promotion
14-day free trial
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.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include low-stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
- Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
SalesBinder
Best for Inventory tracking across unlimited locations
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299.
Promotion
30-day free trial
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.
Backbar
Best for Bar and restaurant inventory management
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149.
Promotion
One-month free trial
of the Essential or Professional plan.
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
Best for Manufacturing companies
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $299, custom.
Promotion
N/A
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.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
- Free plan includes unlimited users and locations.
- Use Katana Shop Floor add-on app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
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Default Zoho Inventory
Best for Free inventory management software
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299.
Promotion
14-day free trial
on Zoho Inventory's website
Pros
- Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
- Free plan includes invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
- Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
Cons
- Free plan caps users at one, purchase orders at 20 and sales orders at 50.
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, 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 invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
- Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
Cons
- Free plan caps users at one, purchase orders at 20 and sales orders at 50.
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, 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 invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
- Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
Cons
- Free plan caps users at one, purchase orders at 20 and sales orders at 50.
Square POS (inventory feature)
Best for Small retail shops
Starting at
$0
Free plan; $49 Plus plan; $149 Premium plan.
Promotion
30-day free trial
on Square's website
Pros
- Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
- Square Handheld POS system comes with a built-in barcode scanner.
- Easy to navigate.
Cons
- Coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.
- Fewer inventory reports than some competitors.
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, set up low stock alerts and add product details (like size or color) to each item. For more time-saving capabilities, like purchase order management 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.
- Square Handheld POS system comes with a built-in barcode scanner.
- Easy to navigate.
Cons
- Coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.
- Fewer inventory reports than some competitors.
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, set up low stock alerts and add product details (like size or color) to each item. For more time-saving capabilities, like purchase order management 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.
- Square Handheld POS system comes with a built-in barcode scanner.
- Easy to navigate.
Cons
- Coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.
- Fewer inventory reports than some competitors.
Lightspeed POS (inventory feature)
Best for High-volume retail stores
Starting at
$109/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $179, $339.
Promotion
14-day free trial
on Lightspeed's website
Pros
- Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
- Generate unlimited barcode labels.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
- 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Must subscribe to Plus plan for 24/7 phone support.
- Contract required for discounted pricing.
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 Core 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.
- 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Must subscribe to Plus plan for 24/7 phone support.
- Contract required for discounted pricing.
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 Core 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.
- 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Must subscribe to Plus plan for 24/7 phone support.
- Contract required for discounted pricing.
Sortly
Best for Mobile inventory tracking app
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, $299, custom.
Promotion
14-day free trial
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.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include low-stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
- Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
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.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include low-stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
- Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
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.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include low-stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
- Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
SalesBinder
Best for Inventory tracking across unlimited locations
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299.
Promotion
30-day free trial
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.
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.
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.
Backbar
Best for Bar and restaurant inventory management
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149.
Promotion
One-month free trial
of the Essential or Professional plan.
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.
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.
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
Best for Manufacturing companies
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $299, custom.
Promotion
N/A
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.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
- Free plan includes unlimited users and locations.
- Use Katana Shop Floor add-on app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
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.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
- Free plan includes unlimited users and locations.
- Use Katana Shop Floor add-on app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
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.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
- Free plan includes unlimited users and locations.
- Use Katana Shop Floor add-on app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
Jump to
How we select the best inventory management software
How does inventory management software work?
How much does inventory management software cost?
Find the best inventory system for your small business
How to choose inventory management software
How can inventory software benefit your small business?
What are the different types of inventory management software?
Table of Contents
How we select the best inventory management software
Our writers and editors looked at more than 25 inventory management software programs. We started with POS systems that offer their own built-in inventory tracking capabilities. Inventory tracking is nice to have, but it’s not absolutely vital for every business. If your POS or accounting software already comes with the tracking capabilities you need, it’s not worth paying for a separate solution.
Then, we weighed standalone inventory management software for small businesses. We prioritized options that have affordable monthly plans (no more than around $100 per month). In-depth products like Cin7 Core are useful, but too expensive for the average small business. That’s why we removed it from the list.
We also nixed solutions like Brightpearl that have quote-based pricing. You shouldn’t have to spend the additional time reaching out for an estimate. If a company isn’t disclosing average monthly pricing, it’s probably high.
From there, we selected inventory management solutions with the following features:
- Real-time inventory tracking. This means the software updates inventory levels in real time as sales and returns happen. You don’t need to manually refresh anything.
- Inventory reporting. All our picks have basic inventory reporting. At the very least, you can see what’s in stock and determine its value. As you scale plans, you typically get access to more advanced analytics.
- Purchase order management. The options above have varying degrees of purchase order management capabilities. Some, like Sortly, just let you create purchase orders. Others, like Lightspeed, let you create a purchase order directly from a report.
- Third-party integrations. POS and/or accounting integrations are a must if you want to avoid manual data entry.
- Barcoding. All of the products above let you create and scan barcodes in at least one of their plans. This is a big time saver for businesses with large amounts of inventory.
How does inventory management software work?
Inventory management software tracks how many items you have in stock and how many you’ve sold. It also helps you keep tabs on each item's location.
After signing up for an account online, you add your inventory items to the system or import a list. From there, you may fill out purchase orders and track sales from within the software.
You’ll need to integrate your inventory software with your POS system to ensure sales data flows back and forth. You should also integrate it with your accounting software. Inventory is a current asset and appears on your balance sheet.
More sophisticated inventory management software will forecast stock levels based on previous sales. And it can tell you how much inventory you should order and when. This helps guarantee your most in-demand products are in stock. But it also prevents you from overstocking items that don't sell as well.
» MORE: SKU vs. UPC
How much does inventory management software cost?
Specialized inventory management software can cost well over $100 per month. But there are also lots of free inventory software options. Most products offer a range of plans and pricing. 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. Businesses that ship orders may need a product with 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.
Find the best inventory system for your small business
Select the integrations, reports and features you need below to find the right match:
How to choose inventory management software
Follow these steps to select the best inventory management software for your business.
1. Decide whether you need a standalone solution
Check which inventory features your current software offers. If you're just looking for the basics, your accounting or POS solution might have you covered. Or it may have a higher-tier plan with what you need.
All of Square's plans, for example, include low-stock alerts. Its paid plans also have cost of goods sold reporting and barcode label printing.
2. Consider additional costs
Most inventory software companies offer a range of plans for different budgets. Businesses with specialized needs should expect to pay at least $100-$300 per month. We recommend taking advantage of software demos to make sure the product is a good fit before you commit.
3. Check for industry specificity
Some businesses have more complex inventory needs than others. Those often include manufacturing companies, restaurants and businesses with multiple locations.
Certain products, like Backbar, are made specifically for restaurants and bars. Others, like Cin7 Core, serve businesses in many industries. Examples include health and beauty, manufacturing, retail and wholesale and distribution.
4. Confirm sales channel integrations
Lots of businesses have more than one sales channel. That could be your own online store, another online marketplace (like Etsy) and a brick-and-mortar location. You want to be able to track how much inventory is being bought and replenished for each of them. This can also help you gauge which channel attracts the most sales.
Your inventory management software should also sync with your accounting software. That way, you can keep tabs on how much you spend on inventory (and how it impacts your business's overall value). The same goes for your POS software. It's where you log sales, and that inevitably impacts stock levels.
How can inventory software benefit your small business?
Inventory management software can save your business time and money in a variety of ways. For example, ordering too much inventory can be a costly mistake. It could lose value or even expire if it sits on the shelf for too long. At the same time, you don't want to run out of popular inventory and lose out on sales.
Inventory management software can help solve this by doing the following:
- Calculating reorder points.
- Forecasting inventory levels.
- Speeding up inventory counts with barcode scanners.
- Automating purchase orders.
- Streamlining order fulfillment and 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.
What are the different types of inventory management software?
Stand-alone software
This software's primary purpose is tracking inventory. And it's often more advanced than the inventory features that come with POS or accounting software.
Standalone inventory tracking software can help businesses track hundreds of items and variations. It can also keep track of the raw materials used to produce them. This is particularly useful for manufacturing companies or retail businesses that bundle multiple products.
POS software
POS systems often come with standard inventory management tools. Some popular examples include Square Retail POS and Lightspeed Retail POS. These tools can be sufficient for straightforward retailers. Plus you'll save money by not subscribing to an additional software product.
» MORE: Best inventory POS systems
Accounting software
Some accounting software has built-in inventory management tools. These are worth considering before subscribing to a separate, stand-alone inventory tracker. Examples include especially scalable products like QuickBooks Enterprise. Other options like QuickBooks Online and Xero also offer basic inventory tracking features.
