Best Shopify Inventory Management Apps 2025: Stocky, TradeGecko, Cin7 & More Compared

Shopify's built-in inventory tracking works for simple stores with one location and low SKU counts. But as you scale—adding products, selling across multiple channels, managing multiple warehouses, or dealing with manufacturing—Shopify's native tools become insufficient. This guide compares the best Shopify inventory management apps in 2025, breaking down features, pricing, pros, cons, and which stores should use each platform.

Quick Comparison: Top Inventory Management Apps for Shopify

1. Stocky: Shopify's Native Solution

Stocky is Shopify's built-in inventory management tool, available to stores on certain Shopify plans. It's designed specifically for Shopify and integrates seamlessly with your store data. If you want inventory management without adding third-party apps, Stocky is worth exploring first.

Key Features

Demand forecasting based on historical sales data. Stocky analyzes your sales history to predict future demand for each product. It considers seasonality, trends, and recent performance to suggest optimal reorder quantities. This prevents both stockouts (losing sales) and overstocking (tying up cash). Forecasting accuracy improves over time as Stocky learns your business patterns.

Purchase order management with supplier tracking. Create purchase orders directly in Shopify, send them to suppliers, and track order status. When inventory arrives, receive it into your system with a few clicks. Track which suppliers provide which products, lead times, and costs. Everything lives in Shopify's interface, so you don't juggle separate systems.

Low stock alerts preventing sellouts before they happen. Set minimum stock levels for each product and receive automatic alerts when inventory falls below thresholds. Catch potential stockouts early and reorder proactively. Alerts can be email notifications or visible in your dashboard. This simple feature prevents thousands in lost sales from unexpected stockouts.

Stock transfer between locations for multi-location stores. If you have multiple retail locations or warehouses, transfer inventory between them directly in Stocky. Track transfers in real-time so each location's inventory stays accurate. Optimize distribution by moving slow products from one location to where they sell faster. Multi-location management becomes manageable without complex enterprise systems.

Reporting showing inventory value, turnover, and sell-through rates. Understand which products are performing well and which are dead weight. See total inventory value (cash tied up in stock), inventory turnover rates (how quickly products sell), and sell-through percentage. These metrics guide purchasing decisions—buy more of fast movers, discount or discontinue slow movers.

Pricing

Included with Shopify Advanced plan ($399/month) and Shopify Plus. There's no additional cost for Stocky if you're already on these plans. For stores on Basic or Shopify plans, Stocky isn't available—you'll need to upgrade or use third-party apps. If you're close to upgrading anyway, Stocky can be a deciding factor.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Completely integrated with Shopify (no separate login or data sync), no additional cost on qualifying plans, native forecasting and PO management, simple interface matching Shopify's design, sufficient for many growing stores, official Shopify support.

Cons: Only available on expensive Shopify plans, limited compared to dedicated inventory systems, not suitable for complex manufacturing or extensive multi-channel selling, basic reporting compared to specialized tools, can't handle advanced workflows like kitting or bundling.

Best For

Stocky is ideal for stores already on Shopify Advanced or Plus plans that need better inventory management than Shopify's basic tracking but don't require enterprise-level features. Perfect for stores with 2-5 locations, moderate SKU counts (100-1000), and straightforward purchasing workflows. If you're on Basic or standard Shopify plans and need inventory help, third-party apps offer better value than upgrading solely for Stocky.

2. Cin7: The Multi-Channel Powerhouse

Cin7 (formerly TradeGecko for some users) is a comprehensive inventory and order management system designed for brands selling across multiple channels and managing complex operations. If you sell on Shopify, Amazon, eBay, wholesale, and retail stores simultaneously, Cin7 unifies everything.

Key Features

Centralized inventory across all sales channels (Shopify, Amazon, eBay, wholesale). Cin7 acts as your single source of truth for inventory. When a product sells on Amazon, Shopify inventory updates automatically. When you receive a wholesale order, stock levels adjust everywhere. This prevents overselling—the nightmare of selling the same item twice on different platforms. Multi-channel sync happens in real-time or near real-time.

Automated purchase orders and demand planning based on sales velocity. Cin7 analyzes which products are selling fast and suggests optimal reorder points and quantities. Set reorder rules (when stock hits 20 units, order 100 more), and Cin7 generates purchase orders automatically. Demand planning uses historical data and trends to forecast future needs, preventing both stockouts and excess inventory.

Manufacturing and assembly management for product bundling and kits. If you manufacture products or create bundles (selling sets of individual items as one SKU), Cin7 handles bill-of-materials (BOM) tracking. Track raw materials, components, and finished goods. When you sell a bundle, Cin7 automatically deducts component inventory. For manufacturers, this is essential—can't do it effectively with basic inventory apps.

B2B wholesale portal for trade customers and bulk ordering. Cin7 includes a branded B2B portal where wholesale customers log in, browse your catalog at wholesale prices, and place orders directly. Wholesale pricing, minimum order quantities, and customer-specific catalogs are built-in. This separates retail and wholesale operations cleanly while sharing the same inventory pool.

Advanced reporting on inventory valuation, profitability by SKU, and warehouse performance. See which products are most profitable (not just highest revenue—actual profit margins), total inventory value at cost, slow-moving inventory aging analysis, and warehouse efficiency metrics. These insights guide strategic decisions about which products to expand and which to phase out.

3PL and warehouse integrations for outsourced fulfillment. Cin7 integrates with third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and warehouses like ShipBob, Amazon FBA, and others. When orders come through any channel, Cin7 routes them to the appropriate fulfillment center automatically. Track inventory across multiple 3PLs from one dashboard. Essential for brands outsourcing fulfillment.

Pricing

Standard plan: $325/month for up to $250k in annual revenue. Includes core features: multi-channel inventory, PO management, basic integrations. This tier works for growing brands doing $20k-$250k annually but gets expensive as you scale. Revenue limits mean you must upgrade as you grow.

Pro plan: $599/month for up to $500k in annual revenue. Adds advanced features like demand forecasting, automated workflows, and priority support. For brands doing $250k-$500k. At this scale, the cost is justified by prevented stockouts and optimized purchasing.

Advanced plan: $999/month for higher revenue thresholds. For brands exceeding $500k annually. Includes everything plus API access, custom integrations, dedicated account management. Enterprise-grade features for larger operations. Beyond this, custom pricing for multi-million dollar operations.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Excellent multi-channel inventory sync, powerful manufacturing and assembly features, comprehensive B2B wholesale functionality, strong integrations with major platforms and 3PLs, scales from small to enterprise, good reporting and analytics, handles complex workflows.

Cons: Expensive especially for smaller stores, steeper learning curve than simpler apps, can feel overwhelming if you only need basic inventory, setup and onboarding takes time and effort, revenue-based pricing means costs jump as you grow, overkill for single-channel Shopify-only stores.

Best For

Cin7 excels for multi-channel sellers doing $100k+ annually who sell on Shopify plus Amazon, eBay, wholesale, or retail. Also perfect for manufacturers or brands that bundle/kit products—bill-of-materials tracking is essential and rare in inventory apps. If you're Shopify-only with simple workflows, Cin7 is overkill and too expensive. But for complex operations, it's one of the few platforms handling everything.

3. Skubana: For High-Volume Multichannel Brands

Skubana is built specifically for high-volume ecommerce brands selling across multiple channels. It's more than inventory management—it's a complete operations platform handling inventory, orders, purchasing, and analytics at scale. Expensive but powerful for the right businesses.

Key Features

Real-time inventory sync across unlimited sales channels. Connect Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, social commerce, and more. Skubana updates inventory across all channels instantly when sales occur anywhere. Prevents overselling even during high-volume sales events. Handles complex channel-specific logic (like Amazon's FBA inventory separately from merchant-fulfilled).

Intelligent order routing to optimize fulfillment costs and speed. When orders come in, Skubana automatically routes them to the optimal fulfillment location based on rules you set: closest warehouse to customer, lowest shipping cost, inventory availability, or custom logic. This automation saves on shipping costs and improves delivery times without manual routing decisions.

Advanced analytics showing profitability by channel, SKU, and customer. Understand which channels are most profitable (not just highest revenue—actual profit after fees and costs). See which SKUs drive profit and which are margin killers. Analyze customer lifetime value and acquisition costs by channel. Data-driven decisions optimize your entire operation.

Automated purchasing with smart reorder points and supplier management. Skubana calculates optimal reorder points based on sales velocity, lead times, and safety stock levels. When inventory hits reorder points, it generates purchase orders automatically. Manage multiple suppliers per product, compare costs, and track supplier performance (on-time delivery, quality issues).

Warehouse management system (WMS) capabilities for complex fulfillment. If you run your own warehouse, Skubana includes WMS features: barcode scanning, pick-pack-ship workflows, batch picking, wave picking, and more. Optimize warehouse operations without buying separate WMS software. For brands outgrowing simple fulfillment but not ready for enterprise WMS, this is perfect.

Pricing

Starts at $999/month for up to 1,000 orders per month. Volume-based pricing scales with order count. At 2,500 orders/month: ~$1,499. At 5,000 orders/month: ~$1,999+. This is enterprise pricing because Skubana is an enterprise platform. Only makes sense for brands doing serious volume where automation saves tens of thousands in labor and errors.

All features included—no feature gating by plan tier. Unlike some competitors, Skubana gives you everything regardless of plan. You pay for volume (order count), not features. Small high-volume brands get same capabilities as enterprise customers. Fair pricing structure for power users.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Most powerful multi-channel operations platform, excellent order routing and automation, deep analytics and reporting, handles high order volumes effortlessly, strong WMS features for self-fulfillment, great integrations with major platforms and 3PLs, scales to enterprise level.

Cons: Very expensive—only viable for high-volume sellers, significant learning curve and onboarding complexity, overkill for small/medium stores, requires commitment (not easy to test casually), setup takes weeks not hours, may need dedicated staff to manage.

Best For

Skubana is built for brands doing $1M+ in annual revenue across multiple channels with complex operations. If you're shipping 1,000+ orders monthly, selling on 3+ channels, and struggling with manual inventory and fulfillment management, Skubana automates chaos into streamlined operations. Not for small stores or single-channel sellers—you'd be paying for features you don't need. Perfect for brands scaling toward or past 8 figures.

4. DEAR Systems: For Manufacturing and Complex Inventory

DEAR Systems (now part of Cin7 but operating separately) is designed for manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers with complex inventory workflows. If you manufacture products, manage raw materials, or need advanced inventory features, DEAR handles what simpler apps can't.

Key Features

Full manufacturing management with bill-of-materials and production tracking. Define recipes/formulas for products: which raw materials in what quantities create finished goods. Track production runs from start to finish. When you manufacture a product, DEAR automatically deducts raw material inventory and adds finished goods. Track work-in-progress inventory. Essential for any manufacturing operation.

Multi-location inventory with transfer orders and stock takes. Manage inventory across multiple warehouses, retail stores, or manufacturing facilities. Transfer stock between locations with full tracking and approval workflows. Conduct physical stock counts (stock takes) and reconcile with system inventory. Location-based reporting shows which facilities are over/understocked.

Advanced purchasing with landed costs, supplier pricing, and batch tracking. Calculate true landed costs including shipping, duties, and other fees to understand real product costs. Track supplier pricing history to negotiate better terms. Batch/lot tracking for industries requiring traceability (food, cosmetics, supplements). Know exactly which batch of raw materials went into which finished products.

Integrated accounting with Xero, QuickBooks, and other platforms. DEAR syncs with accounting software so financial records stay accurate without double entry. Sales, purchases, inventory valuation, and COGS (cost of goods sold) update automatically in your accounting system. Saves hours of reconciliation and prevents accounting errors.

B2B ecommerce portal and EDI integration for enterprise customers. Create a branded B2B portal for wholesale customers to browse products, check inventory availability, and place orders. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) integration for large retailers requiring standardized electronic ordering. If you sell to major retailers, EDI is mandatory—DEAR handles it.

Pricing

Premium plan: $249/month for up to 2 users. Includes core features: inventory management, purchasing, basic integrations. Suitable for small manufacturers or wholesalers just starting. Additional users cost extra. At this tier, DEAR is competitive with other mid-range inventory systems.

Enterprise plan: Custom pricing based on users and volume. For larger operations needing advanced features, more users, and dedicated support. Typically starts around $500-800/month depending on requirements. Includes advanced manufacturing, full API access, and priority support.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Excellent for manufacturing and complex workflows, comprehensive BOM and production tracking, strong multi-location capabilities, batch/lot tracking for compliance, good accounting integrations, B2B portal and EDI for wholesale, scales from small to large operations.

Cons: Steeper learning curve than simple inventory apps, more expensive than basic options, user-based pricing adds up as team grows, may be overkill if you don't manufacture or have complex workflows, setup and configuration takes time, interface less modern than some competitors.

Best For

DEAR Systems is perfect for manufacturers, brands that create product kits/bundles, or wholesalers with complex inventory needs. If you track raw materials and finished goods, need batch tracking for compliance, or sell B2B with EDI requirements, DEAR is one of few platforms handling everything. Not necessary for simple retail arbitrage or dropshipping—you'd pay for features unused. Ideal for brands doing $250k+ with manufacturing or complex purchasing.

5. Inventora: AI-Powered Demand Forecasting

Inventora uses AI and machine learning to predict future demand and optimize inventory levels. It's not a full inventory management system—it focuses specifically on forecasting and purchasing optimization. Perfect for stores struggling with what to order and when.

Key Features

AI-driven demand forecasting accounting for seasonality and trends. Inventora's algorithms analyze your historical sales data, identify seasonal patterns, detect trends, and predict future demand for each SKU. It considers factors like day-of-week patterns, holidays, promotional impacts, and market trends. Forecasts become more accurate over time as the AI learns your business.

Automated purchase order suggestions with optimal quantities and timing. Based on forecasts, Inventora tells you exactly what to order, how much, and when. It balances stockout risk (losing sales) against overstock risk (tying up cash). Suggested orders consider supplier lead times so you reorder at the perfect moment to avoid stockouts without excess inventory sitting idle.

Low stock alerts and overstock warnings preventing inventory issues. Get alerts before stockouts happen—when projected inventory will run out given current sales velocity. Also get overstock warnings when you're carrying more inventory than forecasted demand suggests. Both save money: stockouts lose sales, overstock ties up cash and creates dead inventory.

Inventory performance analytics showing turnover, sell-through, and carrying costs. See which products turn over quickly (good) and which sit for months (bad). Calculate carrying costs (money you're losing having cash tied up in slow inventory). Identify dead stock to discount or discontinue. Performance metrics guide strategic inventory decisions.

Multi-location support for stores with multiple warehouses or retail locations. Forecast demand by location, not just overall. Optimize distribution so each location has appropriate inventory based on local demand patterns. Transfer inventory between locations proactively based on forecasts. Prevents one location stocking out while another overstocks the same product.

Pricing

Professional plan: $199/month for up to 1,000 SKUs. Includes AI forecasting, purchase order suggestions, and basic analytics. Suitable for most growing stores. Additional SKUs available at higher tiers. This is mid-range pricing for specialized forecasting—cheaper than full ERP systems, more than basic inventory apps.

Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for larger catalogs and advanced needs. For brands with 1,000+ SKUs or requiring advanced features like API access and custom integrations. Typically $400-600/month depending on SKU count and requirements.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Best-in-class demand forecasting using AI, actionable purchase order recommendations, prevents both stockouts and overstock, improves over time as it learns, good multi-location support, integrates with Shopify and other platforms, saves time on purchasing decisions.

Cons: Not a full inventory management system (no PO management, warehouse features, etc.), requires historical sales data to be effective (won't help brand new stores), AI accuracy depends on data quality, additional cost on top of other inventory tools if needed, may be overkill for stores with very simple catalogs or low SKU counts.

Best For

Inventora is ideal for stores with 100+ SKUs struggling with purchasing decisions—what to order, how much, and when. If you frequently stock out of popular items or carry too much dead inventory, forecasting solves both problems. Perfect for stores doing $50k+ monthly with growing catalogs. Not necessary for stores with under 50 SKUs or brand new stores without sales history (AI needs data to learn from).

6. Trunk: Simple Multi-Channel Inventory Sync

Trunk is the simplest solution on this list—it does one thing really well: syncs inventory across sales channels in real-time. If you sell on Shopify, Etsy, Amazon Handmade, or other platforms and struggle with overselling, Trunk solves that problem affordably.

Key Features

Real-time inventory sync across Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and more. When a product sells on any channel, Trunk instantly updates inventory everywhere else. Sell an item on Etsy, and Shopify inventory decrements immediately. This prevents overselling—the nightmare of selling your last item simultaneously on two platforms and having to cancel an order.

Bundling and kitting support for products with shared components. If you sell individual items plus bundles containing those items, Trunk tracks component inventory. Sell a bundle, and inventory for each component updates. Sell an individual component, and bundle availability adjusts. Handles complex scenarios like "Product A sold individually and also part of Bundles B and C."

Low stock alerts preventing unexpected sellouts. Set minimum thresholds for products and get alerts when inventory drops below safe levels. Simple but crucial—prevents stockouts by giving you time to reorder before selling out. Email notifications keep you informed without constant dashboard checking.

Automatic inventory adjustment and manual override options. Trunk adjusts inventory automatically based on sales, but you can manually override when needed (received shipment, found miscount, etc.). Manual adjustments sync across all channels. Flexibility to let automation handle routine updates while maintaining control when necessary.

Simple setup with no complex configuration required. Connect your sales channels, map products between platforms (Trunk helps identify matches), and you're running. Setup takes minutes, not hours or days. No training required—the interface is intuitive enough for anyone to use immediately.

Pricing

Starter plan: $35/month for up to 100 SKUs. Perfect for small shops just starting multi-channel selling. Includes all core features—no limitations except SKU count. Exceptional value compared to comprehensive inventory systems charging 10x more.

Growth plan: $49/month for up to 300 SKUs. For growing catalogs. Still incredibly affordable for what it does. At $99/month you get up to 1,000 SKUs. Even at highest tier, Trunk costs less than most inventory apps' entry plans.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Extremely affordable, dead-simple to set up and use, works perfectly for multi-channel sync, good bundling/kitting support, real-time updates prevent overselling, integrates with major platforms, no learning curve, excellent value for money.

Cons: Only handles inventory sync (no forecasting, purchasing, reporting, manufacturing), not suitable for complex operations requiring advanced features, SKU limits require upgrades as catalog grows, limited analytics and reporting, no warehouse management or advanced workflows.

Best For

Trunk is perfect for small-to-medium stores selling across multiple channels (Shopify + Etsy, Shopify + Amazon Handmade, etc.) that need reliable inventory sync without complexity or high costs. If your main problem is preventing overselling and you don't need forecasting, manufacturing, or advanced features, Trunk solves it for under $50/month. Ideal for makers, artists, and small brands doing $10k-100k monthly across multiple platforms.

Other Notable Inventory Management Apps

Additional Options Worth Considering

QuickBooks Commerce (formerly TradeGecko): Now owned by Intuit, focuses on small-to-medium businesses needing inventory plus accounting integration. Starts at $30/month. Good for businesses already using QuickBooks wanting seamless connection.

Unleashed: Cloud-based inventory system strong on manufacturing and batch tracking. Starts at $349/month. Similar to DEAR Systems but with different interface and feature focus. Good for manufacturers wanting alternatives to DEAR.

Ordoro: Inventory management combined with shipping and dropshipping features. Starts at $59/month. Ideal for stores doing both inventory management and heavy shipping volume. Jack-of-all-trades approach.

Lokad: Quantitative supply chain optimization using advanced statistics. Enterprise pricing. For large brands wanting cutting-edge predictive analytics. Overkill for most but powerful for complex supply chains.

How to Choose the Right Inventory Management App

By Store Size and Complexity

Small store (under $10k/month, single channel): Use Shopify's built-in inventory or simple apps like Trunk if multi-channel. Don't overcomplicate with enterprise tools. Focus on learning inventory basics: tracking stock, setting reorder points, basic forecasting. Free or under $50/month tools are sufficient.

Growing store ($10k-50k/month, 1-2 channels): Stocky if on Shopify Advanced/Plus, or Trunk for multi-channel sync. Consider Inventora if purchasing decisions are challenging. Still don't need enterprise features, but forecasting and automation start paying off. Budget $50-200/month.

Scaling store ($50k-250k/month, multi-channel): Cin7 or DEAR Systems depending on whether you manufacture. Need proper forecasting, multi-channel sync, and automated purchasing. At this scale, inventory mistakes cost thousands—invest in proper tools. Budget $250-600/month.

Large operation ($250k+/month, complex workflows): Skubana, Cin7 Advanced, or DEAR Enterprise. You need comprehensive systems handling inventory, orders, fulfillment, and analytics at scale. Cost is secondary to capability and preventing errors. Budget $600-2,000+/month depending on volume.

By Specific Business Needs

Manufacturing or assembly: DEAR Systems or Cin7. Need bill-of-materials tracking, raw material management, production workflows. Non-negotiable features for manufacturers.

Multi-channel selling: Trunk (simple), Cin7 (comprehensive), or Skubana (enterprise). Preventing overselling across channels is critical. Choose complexity level based on order volume and budget.

Demand forecasting focus: Inventora for AI-powered predictions, or Stocky/Cin7 for integrated forecasting. Forecasting prevents stockouts and overstock—crucial as catalogs grow.

B2B/wholesale operations: Cin7 or DEAR Systems. Need wholesale pricing, B2B portals, EDI integration, and separate wholesale workflows. Essential features for B2B business models.

Budget-conscious: Trunk for multi-channel sync, or stick with Shopify's native tools. Upgrade when inventory problems cost more than app subscriptions. Start simple and scale as needed.

Essential Features Every Inventory App Should Have

Real-time sync with Shopify (and other channels if applicable). Inventory updates must happen automatically and immediately. Manual sync or delayed updates create overselling risks and data discrepancies. Real-time is non-negotiable.

Low stock alerts preventing unexpected sellouts. Automated notifications when inventory falls below thresholds give you time to reorder before stockouts. Without alerts, you discover stockouts when customers complain—too late.

Purchase order management or at least reorder suggestions. The app should help you know what to order and when. Either automated purchase orders or clear recommendations. Guessing reorder quantities wastes money on overstock or stockouts.

Multi-location support if you have warehouses or retail stores. Track inventory separately by location. Transfer stock between locations. Location-specific reporting. Essential if you operate from multiple facilities.

Inventory reporting showing value, turnover, and performance metrics. See total inventory value (cash tied up), turnover rates (how fast products sell), and product performance. Reports guide purchasing and product decisions.

Common Mistakes When Choosing Inventory Apps

Choosing enterprise tools when you need simplicity wastes money and creates frustration. Paying $500/month for Skubana when you do 50 orders monthly makes no sense. Start simple and upgrade when you outgrow basic tools. Over-engineering early costs more and delays implementation.

Ignoring integration capabilities creates data silos and manual work. An inventory app that doesn't integrate with Shopify, your accounting software, or fulfillment services forces manual data entry and reconciliation. Always verify integrations before committing.

Not factoring in learning curve and setup time. Complex systems take weeks to implement properly. If you need inventory help immediately, simpler tools get you running faster. Consider both features and time-to-value.

Focusing solely on price ignores ROI from preventing stockouts. A $200/month app that prevents $5,000 in lost sales from stockouts pays for itself many times over. Evaluate value, not just cost. The cheapest option often costs more in lost revenue.

Not planning for scale means outgrowing your system quickly. If you're growing fast, choose a system that scales with you. Migrating inventory systems is painful—avoid switching every year by choosing appropriately from the start.

Setting Up Your Inventory Management App for Success

Essential Setup Steps

Conduct physical inventory count before implementing new system. Start with accurate baseline inventory. Count everything physically and reconcile with current system. Starting with bad data guarantees continued inventory problems. One-time effort upfront saves months of reconciliation headaches.

Set appropriate reorder points for all products based on lead time and sales velocity. Calculate: (average daily sales × lead time in days) + safety stock. Example: Product sells 5/day, supplier lead time is 14 days = reorder at 70 units (plus safety stock of 20-30%). This prevents stockouts while minimizing excess inventory.

Configure low stock alerts to trigger with enough lead time to reorder. Alert should trigger when inventory hits reorder point, giving you time to order and receive stock before selling out. Too-late alerts are useless—you've already lost sales. Test alerts and adjust thresholds as needed.

Map products correctly across all sales channels. Ensure SKUs match between Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, etc. Incorrect mapping causes inventory discrepancies and overselling. Spend time verifying mappings during setup—accuracy here is critical.

Train all team members who interact with inventory on the new system. Everyone touching inventory—warehouse staff, customer service, purchasing—needs training. Inconsistent usage creates data problems. Invest in proper onboarding even for simple systems.

Conclusion: Building Your Inventory Stack

The "best" inventory management app depends on your business model, sales channels, complexity, and budget. Shopify's native tools work for simple single-channel stores. As you add channels, SKUs, locations, or manufacturing, specialized apps become essential.

Start by identifying your primary inventory challenge: overselling across channels? Poor forecasting causing stockouts or overstock? Manufacturing complexity? Multi-location distribution? Choose apps solving your specific problems rather than buying the most popular or expensive option.

Most importantly, some inventory system is better than spreadsheets or memory. Don't get paralyzed comparing apps endlessly. Pick one matching your current needs and budget, implement it properly, and iterate. You can switch later if needed, but running without proper inventory management costs more than any app subscription.