by Andy Green

As your eCommerce store grows, a great inventory management system can make a huge difference. An inventory management system can help with the growing pains of scaling your eCommerce store, help you maintain a high level of service and keep everything running smoothly.

As your eCommerce store grows, a great inventory management system can make a huge difference.

An inventory management system can help with the growing pains of scaling your eCommerce store, help you maintain a high level of service and keep everything running smoothly.

So picking the right tool for your store is vital.

With so many options out there, we’ve put together a comparison of the top platforms on the market. With contributions from the platforms themselves, this guide should help you choose the right system, whether you’re shipping thousands of packages a week, or just planning for the future.

TradeGecko

TradeGecko

TradeGecko is a well known inventory platform, and for good reason...

Pros

A powerful inventory platform that will help you manage orders and control stock as your business scales.

It offers the ability to manage retail and wholesale channels, as well as take control of your brick-and-mortar store as well.

This flexibility continues with many customisation options, allowing you to control everything from setting custom branding to implementing bespoke price lists.

Being such a popular platform, you’ll also find a great list of integrations here, with everything from Shopify and Amazon, to Xero and Quickbook covered.

Challenges

While TradeGecko is certainly a great option if your store is implementing an inventory system for the first time, there are some missing features that could be deal breakers for some retailers with more complex needs.

Trade Gecko isn’t suitable for manufacturers, neither can it handle dropshipping.

If you’re using Shopify POS, TradeGecko will integrate seamlessly, but for other POS providers, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Finally, for marketplace sellers, integrations with eBay and Etsy are big omissions.

Sellbrite

Sellbrite

Sellbrite offers some great functionality, and with a lower entry price than some other options.

Pros

Getting started with Sellbrite is quick and simple, with one-to-one onboarding support from the Sellbrite team.

Once you’re up and running, you’ll find support for multi-warehousing and integrated shipping tools. Sellbrite also has the eBay and Etsy integrations missing from TradeGecko, so marketplace sellers may find Sellbrite a good option.

Challenges

  • Pricing is based on order numbers, so the base rate of $90pm starts to climb once your store has more than 50 orders a month. This means Sellbrite can become quite expensive.

ShipHero

ShipHero

According to ShipHero, the platform is all about “solving the multiple app, spreadsheet and manual process challenges that business owners and their teams face.”

This means ShipHero takes a more expansive approach than some other options, accounting for everything from inventory to order creation. If you’re looking for a single platform to account for all of your eCommerce business’ inventory, fulfillment and returns management, ShipHero may be the platform for you.

Pros

ShipHero makes returns simple by allowing customers to arrange their own order returns, managing the whole process for you.

Unlike some options, there are also no fees placed on order numbers, so you’ll only pay a fixed cost, and entry pricing is comparable other leading platforms.

Challenges

If you’re only looking for a basic inventory management solution, ShipHero may be a little too advanced. Some of its features such as multi-warehousing and automation are geared towards larger retailers.

There’s a wealth of great features here, but if you’re not planning on making use of them, looking at a cheaper option may be a better idea.

Brightpearl

Brightpearl

For high-growth and enterprise retailers, Brightpearl is usually near the top of the list...

Pros

When it comes to Brightpearl, real time inventory tracking makes managing large order volumes and logistics simple.

Included CRM software and warehouse management also makes this a great option for fast growing retailers.

Brightpearl also has integrated cash-flow and accounting capabilities for easier management, along with real time reporting and profitability analysis.

Challenges

Brightpearl is best suited for mid-size retailers and above, so smaller stores are best looking elsewhere.

Brightpearl’s system is also cloud-based so if your internet connection is down, you won’t be able to access the platform.

Ordoro

Ordoro

Voted best shipping software of 2017, Ordoro is a great option for smaller eCommerce stores, and could be an ideal entry point into inventory management.

Pros

An all-in-one solution, Ordoro does a great job of handling both inventory and shipping processes.

Barcode scanning makes managing your inventory simple, while automation should improve your inventory workflow.

Ordoro also has great integrations with leading marketplaces and platforms like Amazon and Shopify.

According to Ordoro themselves:

“Ordoro’s a one-stop app for handling all matters related to orders -- that means tracking inventory quantities, re-supplying, shipping orders, and much more. While most solutions just do one or the other, we’re a hub for managing both shipping and inventory.”

Challenges

  • If your store is using an enterprise platform, Ordoro may not be right for you. Aimed more at smaller and growing stores, Ordoro doesn’t have the feature set or scalability for larger retailers. There are only two packages available, and more advanced analytics are absent.

Veeqo

Veeqo

If you’re looking for a flexible, scalable platform that can evolve as your business grows, Veeqo may be worth taking a look at.

Pros

The setup process for Veeqo is quick, with simple pricing that scales all the way from smaller retailers up to enterprise ecommerce plans.

Support for multi-warehousing and integration with major channels like Amazon means Veeqo should suit the needs of growing and large stores.

Veeqo places a big emphasis on streamlining processes and efficiency, so it could save some serious time and money for your business.

Challenges

If you’re looking for custom integrations, you’ll have to opt for Veeqo’s top plan, so stores with more specific needs may need to look at other options if you have a tighter budget.

There are also limited marketplace integrations with Veeqo, with some big names like Etsy missing.

Orderhive

Orderhive

When it comes to Orderhive, you have an inventory tool that works seamlessly with a huge range of integrations. Everything from Amazon to Xero and Fedex is covered.

Pros

For smaller or growing stores, Orderhive could be a great starting point.

Pricing starts as low as $50pm, and there are unlimited orders on all plans, so you won’t be constrained as your sales rise.

Orderhive’s large number of integrations makes it the perfect companion for organising your store’s processes as you grow, streamlining management, inventory, accounting and everything in-between.

Challenges

While there’s no limit to your orders, you are constrained in the amount of integrations you can connect on smaller packages.

Larger retailers may also find a more enterprise focused platform like Brightpearl more suitable.

Stitch Labs

Stitch Labs

The final inventory management system, Stitch Labs, is focused around high growth brands, paying particular attention to helping your store’s processes hold up as you grow.

Pros

Fast growing eCommerce brands can put pressure on their inventory system quite quickly, and Stitch Labs aims to address this with custom built workflows and processes.

The platform allows you to build in automations and workflows specific to your store, automating common tasks and taking some of the strain off your staff.

You’ll also find everything expected of a great inventory tool like real time order syncing, multi-warehousing and shipping integrations.

Challenges

Stitch Labs’ pricing may be out of reach for small retailers.

A lack of UK or EU customer support services could also prove to be a challenge for some retailers.

Your Next Steps…

So there you have it, our comprehensive comparison of the leading eCommerce inventory management tools available for your store.

Each have their key strengths, as well as their weaknesses, so your next step should be to:

  • Assess the suitability of each platform for your business.
  • Get in touch with a few platforms that fit well and arrange demos.
  • Try and negotiate a discount.

If you’d like to find out more about how Statement can help build your eCommerce store alongside your inventory management system, feel free to get in touch with our team.

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