The best warehouse management software depends on the size of your operation: a full WMS suits 3PLs and busy fulfilment warehouses, while a small stockroom or online shop is often better served by an inventory and order app. Here are ten options in no particular order, covering both kinds, with what each free plan or trial includes.
Not every business that searches for warehouse software runs a warehouse. Some have a busy back room, some ship online orders from a unit, and some are 3PLs storing stock for dozens of clients. The right tool for each is very different, and buying a full warehouse system for a stockroom is as painful as running a 3PL on a spreadsheet.
So this list mixes true warehouse management systems with inventory and order tools that suit smaller operations, and I'll say which is which. It's alphabetical and in no particular order, with every description taken from the maker's own website, re-checked today. One honest warning on the free column: for two of the multichannel tools, the free plan covers shipping, not the inventory features.
Warehouse and inventory tools side by side
Yes means the maker's site lists a free plan you can keep, which may be limited to shipping, orders or SKUs. Trial only means a time-limited trial. No means the route in is a demo or a quote.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensiv | Warehouse management system | 3PLs and fulfilment warehouses | No |
| Fishbowl | Inventory and warehouse software | Small manufacturers and distributors | No |
| inFlow | Inventory management app | Small stockrooms and wholesalers | Trial only |
| Katana | Inventory and MRP software | Makers selling across channels | Yes |
| Logiwa | Cloud WMS | Growing 3PLs wanting unlimited users | No |
| Ordoro | Ecommerce shipping and inventory | Online sellers shipping their own orders | Yes |
| Sortly | Visual inventory app | Small stockrooms tracking items | Yes |
| Veeqo | Multichannel order software | Ecommerce sellers shipping multichannel | Yes |
| Wasp Inventory | Barcode inventory software | Warehouses scanning stock with barcodes | No |
| Zoho Inventory | Stock and order software | Small sellers starting with a free plan | Yes |
Ten systems for stockrooms, warehouses and 3PLs
Extensiv
Best for: 3PL providers and businesses running their own warehouses that want a dedicated warehouse management system, arranged through a demo.
Fishbowl
Best for: Small manufacturers and distributors wanting inventory tracking, warehouse operations and manufacturing in one system, set up through a demo.
inFlow
Best for: Small businesses and wholesalers wanting inventory management software, tried free for 14 days with no credit card.
Katana
Best for: Product makers selling on several channels who want inventory and manufacturing together, starting on a free plan for up to 30 SKUs.
Logiwa
Best for: Growing 3PLs wanting a cloud warehouse management system with unlimited users, arranged through a demo.
Ordoro
Best for: Online sellers wanting shipping, inventory and dropshipping tools, where the free plan covers shipping for 100 orders a month and other apps have a trial.
Sortly
Best for: Small stockrooms wanting visual inventory tracking with barcodes and folders, on a free plan with a 14-day trial of the bigger plans.
Veeqo
Best for: Ecommerce sellers wanting multichannel shipping, where the free plan covers shipping with unlimited orders, users and warehouses, and inventory sits in trial plans.
Wasp Inventory
Best for: Warehouses wanting barcode-based inventory control in the cloud or on their own servers, on annual plans arranged through a demo or a quote.
Zoho Inventory
Best for: Small sellers wanting inventory and order management, starting on a free plan for one user and a set number of orders, with trials of bigger plans.
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OSHA's three-year forklift evaluation rule
If you run a warehouse in the US, this is a date worth putting in your system. OSHA's standard for powered industrial trucks says an evaluation of each forklift operator's performance must be carried out at least once every three years.
What that means day to day: three years is long enough for a renewal to slip past unnoticed, especially with staff turnover. If your warehouse system, or the HR tool next to it, can store each operator's training and evaluation dates, set a reminder well before each one lapses. Outside the US the rules differ, but the habit of tracking dates per person travels well.
A true WMS or an inventory app?
- Full WMS: locations, picking, packing and multi-client billing for 3PLs. Built for volume and many hands.
- Inventory and order apps: stock levels, orders and channels in one place. Often plenty for a small unit.
- Shipping-first tools: labels and carriers first, inventory as an add-on. Check what the free plan really covers.
- Barcode-led systems: scanning at every step keeps counts honest in a busy stockroom.
Moving stock control off spreadsheets
- Count your SKUs, locations and daily orders, so you know which kind of tool you need.
- Do a full stock count before you import anything, so the new system starts clean.
- Label shelves and bins, then label products if they don't already carry barcodes.
- Connect your sales channels and carriers one at a time.
- Run picking and packing on the new system for a week alongside your old method.
- Add staff training dates, including forklift evaluations if they apply, so nothing lapses.
Faster dispatch is often the point of all this, and my guide to speeding up ecommerce deliveries covers what to fix next. For US training cards, see whether an OSHA 10 card expires.
Do you make warehouse management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice for warehouse software
Be honest about your size before you book demos. If you're a 3PL or a busy fulfilment warehouse with many pickers, a full WMS is worth the setup time. If you're a small business shipping from a back room, start with an inventory or order app on a free plan or trial, and move up only when you outgrow it.
Read the free plan details closely, because in this category free often means shipping only. And whichever you choose, start with a clean stock count.
Frequently asked questions
What is warehouse management software?
Software that tracks stock locations, receiving, picking, packing and shipping, so a warehouse knows what's where and what goes out next.
What's the difference between a WMS and inventory software?
A WMS manages the physical warehouse: bins, pick routes and staff tasks. Inventory software focuses on stock levels, orders and channels.
Is there free warehouse management software?
Some inventory and shipping tools have free plans, usually limited by orders, users or SKUs. Full warehouse systems for 3PLs are generally arranged through a demo.
Do I need barcodes?
Not on day one, but they make counts far more accurate once you've got more than a few hundred items.
How often must forklift operators be evaluated in the US?
OSHA says each operator's performance must be evaluated at least once every three years.
Can one system handle several warehouses?
Many can. Check how each tool handles transfers between sites and stock held for different clients.
