The best order management system depends on where your orders come from: a multichannel tool suits sellers on several marketplaces, a B2B ordering tool suits wholesale, and an orchestration platform suits retailers shipping from stores and warehouses. Nine options follow in no particular order.
An order management system, or OMS, pulls orders from every place you sell into one view, decides where each one ships from and keeps stock levels in step. Without one, sellers end up copying orders between tabs and overselling items they ran out of yesterday.
The nine tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from free shipping software to platforms that orchestrate orders across hundreds of stores. Every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. For the marketing side of a growing store, my guide to AI for ecommerce marketing is a good companion.
Order management systems at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version, a free tool or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightpearl | Retail operating system | Multichannel retailers and wholesalers | Not stated |
| Cin7 | Inventory management and small business ERP | Product businesses with several warehouses | Trial only |
| Fluent Commerce | AI-native order management system | Orchestrating orders across stores | Not stated |
| Kibo | Unified commerce and OMS platform | B2B and B2C orders in one OMS | Not stated |
| Linnworks | Multichannel inventory and order management | Selling on many marketplaces | Not stated |
| OrderCircle | B2B wholesale ordering software | Wholesale orders from trade customers | Trial only |
| Ordoro | Shipping, inventory and dropshipping app | Small merchants shipping their own orders | Trial only |
| Pipe17 | Order operations platform | Connecting brands, 3PLs and channels | Not stated |
| Veeqo | Free shipping and inventory software | Free multichannel shipping | Yes |
Nine order management systems to consider
Brightpearl
Best for: Multichannel merchants and wholesalers that want orders, inventory and accounting run through one retail operating system.
Cin7
Best for: Product businesses that want suppliers, warehouses and sales channels connected through inventory management, with a free trial.
Fluent Commerce
Best for: Retailers that want every order orchestrated across channels, stores and warehouses with AI decisioning.
Kibo
Best for: Retailers and B2B sellers that want distributed order orchestration across every store, warehouse and vendor.
Linnworks
Best for: Small and mid-sized sellers on several marketplaces that want orders and stock handled from one place.
OrderCircle
Best for: Wholesale brands that want trade customers to place orders online, with a free trial to set it up.
Ordoro
Best for: Small ecommerce merchants that want shipping, inventory and dropshipping on one platform, with a free trial.
Pipe17
Best for: Brands working with 3PLs that want order operations across channels and partners run as one job.
Veeqo
Best for: Ecommerce sellers who want listings, inventory and shipping managed across channels, with shipping features free for everyone.
Multichannel tool, wholesale portal or orchestration?
Multichannel tools connect your web shop and marketplaces, combine orders and sync stock. They suit small and mid-sized sellers. Wholesale ordering tools give trade customers their own portal to place repeat orders. Orchestration platforms decide the best place to fulfil each order from, such as a store, a warehouse or a supplier, which matters for retailers with many locations.
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Some tools grew out of shipping software and some out of inventory or ERP software, so check whether the part you need most is the part the tool is best at. A tool that started as shipping software may be brilliant at labels and carriers but lighter on wholesale. One that started as an ERP may handle stock and accounting well but feel heavy for a small shop.
Late orders have rules
The FTC's guide to its Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule says that if you make no shipping statement, you must have a reasonable basis for believing you can ship within 30 days. If you learn you can't ship on time, you must seek the customer's consent to the delay.
That's a good reason to want an OMS that flags orders at risk of shipping late. Spotting them early gives you time to contact customers, offer a choice and stay on the right side of the rule, rather than finding out when complaints arrive.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Which sales channels and marketplaces does it connect to?
- Does it sync stock across channels in near real time?
- Can it route orders to different warehouses or a 3PL?
- Does it handle wholesale and retail orders together?
- Can it flag orders that are at risk of shipping late?
- How does it handle returns and exchanges?
Signs you need an OMS
- You oversell regularly. Stock isn't syncing between channels.
- Orders are copied by hand. Every copy is a chance for a mistake.
- Customers ask where their order is. Nobody has one view of it.
- Returns live in a separate spreadsheet. Stock never quite adds up.
Do you make order management systems? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an OMS
Count where your orders come from and where they ship from, then choose the simplest tool that covers both. A seller on two marketplaces with one warehouse doesn't need enterprise orchestration, and a retailer with fifty stores won't be happy with a shipping plugin.
Test the awkward cases in a demo, not the easy ones: a split order, a return, a bundle and an item that's out of stock on one channel. If the tool handles those cleanly, everyday orders won't be a problem. If it doesn't, you'll be fixing them by hand every week. My piece on how 3PL logistics speeds up delivery helps if outsourced fulfilment is part of the plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is an order management system?
It's software that collects orders from every sales channel, decides how each is fulfilled and keeps inventory in step so you don't oversell.
Is an OMS the same as inventory management software?
They overlap. Inventory tools focus on stock levels; an OMS focuses on the order journey from purchase to delivery. Many tools do both.
Is there a free order management system?
One tool in the table says its shipping features are free for everyone. Check the free plan column for each one.
Do I need an OMS for one online store?
Not always. It becomes useful once you sell on several channels or ship from more than one location.
Can an OMS handle wholesale orders?
Some tools in this list are built for B2B ordering, and others handle wholesale alongside retail. Check each description.
What does order orchestration mean?
It means automatically choosing the best location to fulfil each order from, such as the nearest store or warehouse with stock.
