The right replacement for an inventory and order system depends on the job that eats most of your week: making products, shipping parcels or keeping several sales channels in step. Lighter stock apps, manufacturing tools, shipping tools and retail ERPs all track stock, but each puts a different job at the centre of your business.
Moving off Cin7 is rarely about one missing feature. More often, an ecommerce or wholesale business has grown in a direction the software wasn't shaped for, and every week brings the same workaround: a spreadsheet for production, a second app for labels, or a late-night fix when two channels sell the same last unit.
So rather than hand you a ranked league table, I've grouped eight alternatives by the job they're built around. They're in no particular order, and none of them is the answer for everyone.
Making stock, selling across channels or shipping parcels
Here's the thing most comparison pages miss. Inventory tools split by what they treat as the centre of the business, and once you see that, a long shortlist gets short very quickly. Read each vendor's own home page and the emphasis is plain.
If you make what you sell. Katana leads with manufacturing and production, following goods from raw materials through to finished stock. inFlow is an inventory and order tool first, with a higher tier that adds assembly and bills of materials, so it can grow into light manufacturing rather than starting there.
If your orders come from many places. Linnworks and Brightpearl both lead with multichannel retail. The difference is weight: one is order and stock management for smaller sellers, the other is a retail ERP that's meant to run more of the business. Zoho Inventory sits nearby, with pick, pack and ship fulfilment and online store integrations named on its page.
If shipping is the daily grind. Veeqo leads with shipping, and its page title calls it free shipping software for ecommerce. Ordoro puts shipping and dropshipping together, which matters if some orders leave your shelves and others go straight from a supplier.
If you just want calmer stock control. Unleashed describes itself as stock and inventory management for growing businesses, which makes it a sensible look for wholesalers who don't need production or a full ERP.
Pick by the one job that eats most of your time, not by the longest feature list. A tool that's brilliant at production planning won't save you if your real pain is shipping two hundred parcels before the courier arrives.
Eight inventory systems compared by main job
| Tool | Main job | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Brightpearl | Selling across channels | A full retail ERP for multichannel retailers |
| inFlow | Making stock | Scanners, label printers, assembly and bills of materials |
| Katana | Making stock | Following production from raw materials to finished goods |
| Linnworks | Selling across channels | Multichannel orders and stock for smaller sellers |
| Ordoro | Shipping first | Shipping your own parcels alongside dropshipping |
| Unleashed | Lighter stock control | Dedicated stock management for growing businesses |
| Veeqo | Shipping first | Shipping, listings and stock across channels |
| Zoho Inventory | Selling across channels | Pick, pack and ship with Etsy and other channel links |
Who each inventory system is built for
Listed A to Z, in no particular order, with one line on who each one serves.
Brightpearl
Best for: Multichannel retailers ready for a full retail ERP rather than a stand-alone stock app, from a vendor that sits within Sage.
inFlow
Best for: Small businesses wanting inventory and order management with hardware scanners and label printers on offer, plus a manufacturing tier for assembly and bills of materials.
Katana
Best for: Makers who need a cloud view of production from materials to finished goods; its page names food and beverage, cosmetics, apparel and electronics among its industries.
Linnworks
Best for: Small and mid-size sellers juggling several sales channels who need multichannel inventory and order management in one place.
Ordoro
Best for: Ecommerce merchants who ship their own parcels and also dropship, and want shipping, inventory and dropshipping handled from one place.
Unleashed
Best for: Growing businesses that want dedicated stock and inventory management software; its page title invites you to try it free.
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Veeqo
Best for: Online sellers whose biggest headache is shipping, with listings, inventory and shipping handled across channels; its page title calls it free shipping software for ecommerce.
Zoho Inventory
Best for: Teams wanting online inventory with pick, pack and ship fulfilment and integrations with online stores such as Etsy built in.
Trial your shortlist with a real week of orders
Demos are built to look smooth. Your own orders aren't. Before you commit, push a real slice of trade through the two or three options left on your list:
- Export one ordinary week of orders, including the awkward ones: split shipments, returns, bundles and anything sold on more than one channel.
- Load your real product list with its variants, units and supplier codes, not a tidy sample.
- If you make products, build one bill of materials end to end and watch how stock moves from components to finished goods.
- Connect the sales channels and shipping carriers you use most, then check that stock levels match everywhere after each test sale.
- Ask the person who packs the orders to run the shipping screens for an afternoon, because they'll spot the slow steps first.
- Check how you'd get your data back out later, so the next move doesn't hurt as much as this one.
My advice for wholesale and ecommerce sellers
Start with the job, not the brand. Write down what goes wrong most often in your week: running out of components, missing a courier cut-off, or overselling across channels. That one answer usually rules out half of this list before you've opened a single trial.
If you sell mainly through one online shop, a lighter tool will often do, and my guide to Shopify inventory apps goes deeper on that setup. If you're a smaller business weighing up simpler stock options, my list of inventory software for small businesses is worth a look before you sign anything.
And if you're outgrowing inventory software altogether and leaning towards a full ERP, compare a few of the larger systems in my roundup of NetSuite alternatives. Whatever you choose, give it a full week of real orders before you move everything over. A tidy demo tells you very little; a messy Tuesday tells you everything.
Do you make inventory or order management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in an inventory system for a small business?
Look for the job you need most: production tracking if you make products, shipping tools if you post lots of parcels, or channel sync if you sell in several places. Then check it connects to the shops and carriers you already use.
Do I need an ERP or just inventory software?
Most small sellers only need inventory and order management. An ERP makes sense when you want stock, orders, accounts and channels run as one system, and you've got the time to set it up with care.
Can inventory software handle manufacturing?
Some can. Manufacturing-first tools track materials, production and finished goods, and some general inventory tools add assembly and bills of materials in a higher tier. Check how deep that goes before you rely on it.
How do I stop overselling across sales channels?
Use a system that syncs stock levels to every channel after each sale, then test it with real orders. Watch the last few units of a popular product, because that's where sync delays show up.
How long does it take to switch inventory systems?
It depends on how many products, channels and warehouses you have. Plan for importing data, connecting channels and carriers, and running both systems side by side for at least a week of real orders.
Is free shipping software good enough for a growing shop?
It can be, if shipping is your main job and the inventory side covers your channels. Check what's included on the free option and how it handles returns, multiple warehouses and the carriers you use.
