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In this article, I share what I believe are the top 3 best inventory software for small businesses.
Regardless of the size of your business or which industry you operate in, if you have inventory, it’s best to invest in inventory management software.
However, choosing the right inventory management software can certainly be daunting.
Which is where I step in to help.
Read more: 6 Best Free Inventory Software.
Best Inventory Software For Small Business
With the right inventory tool by your side, the chore of tracking products, orders, and supplies goes from being a headache to a strategic advantage.
So, what are the top 3 best inventory software specifically tailored for small businesses?
It’s time to find out.
What Is Inventory Software?
Before we dive into my list of the top 3 best inventory software, it’s essential to understand what inventory software is and why you should be using it.
Essentially, an inventory management solution helps streamline tracking products, materials, and other components across the supply chain (from purchase to sale).
The software typically offers real-time visibility into stock levels, provides actionable analytics, and simplifies the entire purchase order process.
These online tools can be standalone products or part of point-of-sale (POS) systems, eCommerce platforms, or accounting software.
Good inventory management software should enhance operational effectiveness, elevate customer satisfaction, and boost overall financial gain.
Top 3 Best Inventory Software For Small Business
1. Zoho Inventory
Best for small-medium-sized teams looking to scale.
Zoho Inventory is an inventory management system found within Zoho’s impressive all-in-one business suite.
If Zoho is already your go-to choice for CRM, project management, or accounting needs, then Zoho Inventory could be your ideal inventory management platform.
Suitable for small to medium enterprises, Zoho Inventory shines when it comes to handling scalability.
The platform allows you to manage customers, orders, invoices, purchases, shipments, and more in one centralized location.
Some of my favorite advanced Zoho Inventory features include:
- Smart automation tools.
- Powerful tracking for the entire sales process.
- Notifications for low stock levels.
- Drop shipments capabilities.
- Batch tracking features.
- Packing slip generator.
Zoho’s incredible free plan includes one user, 50 monthly orders, and access to internal and external integrations.
Paid plans range from $79 to $399 per organization and include advanced features like more orders per month, serial number and batch tracking, barcode generation, and more.
Zoho Inventory is a great choice for those looking for a comprehensive inventory management solution that can also be integrated with other business tools!
Read more: Zoho CRM Review.
2. Square
Best for hospitality businesses and retailers.
Square Inventory is a free and dynamic inventory management product inside Square, a leading POS system specifically designed for restaurants and retailers.
The product is accessible and budget-friendly, offering an incredibly generous free plan with capabilities that go beyond those of most free inventory software systems.
You can manage your orders, subscriptions, customers, products, items, payments, reports, and more from one easy-to-use dashboard.
Plus, you’ll have access to custom sizes, materials, variations, and grouping options, and you can receive real-time alerts for stock levels and sales—all for free.
Square tailors its service to individual sectors by offering three specific free plan types.
Additionally, each plan type has two paid-tier options:
- Square for Retail: From $89 per month per location.
- Square for Restaurants: From $69 per month per location.
- Square for Appointments: From $29 per month per location.
And if that wasn’t enough, retailers and restaurateurs who already use Square for their POS needs can access Square’s inventory features at no extra cost.
A key benefit of Square is its interconnected system, which shows real-time stock updates as sales occur, whether through the mobile app or online storefronts.
This ensures that your inventory data is always current and accurate!
If you run a hospitality or retail business, you must try this free inventory software. What have you got to lose?
3. Odoo
Best for manufacturing or warehouse teams.
Odoo’s inventory management software is one of the many powerful apps within the expansive Odoo business suite platform.
Odoo’s free plan is best suited for teams with larger inventories, as you can have unlimited users and manage unlimited items and batches across multiple locations.
Additionally, Odoo can be integrated with local carriers and comes with real-time update tools, so you can always monitor your stock.
The free plan also offers many impressive tools usually found on paid plan inventory software only.
These tools include barcode scanning, a double-entry inventory system, dropshipping, low-stock alerts, serial number tracking, detailed reports, product variations, and more.
Odoo is potentially the most comprehensive free inventory management software on the market!
Plus, Odoo is a complete business suite app offering powerful HR, sales CRM, finance, website building, and marketing tools on one platform.
Odoo’s approach to pricing differentiates it from other inventory management software models.
Their ‘One App Free’ scheme means you can enjoy one app for free within the entire Odoo business suite (in this case, inventory management).
And if you’d also like to utilize other Odoo apps such as HR, finance, CRM, etc, the ‘Standard’ plan (from $7 per user per month) grants you access to the entire ecosystem.
Now, that’s what I call value for money.
If your business manages substantial inventory, Odoo is undoubtedly the perfect choice for you.
Sheetify CRM Best Inventory Software Alternative
Calling all Google users! I have good news!
I’ve developed an inventory software specifically for small and micro businesses who already use Google Workspace.
Sheetify CRM is a Google Sheets CRM template available for free and paid Google Workspace users looking to efficiently organize and monitor customer-related data.
Beyond its capacity to manage contacts, accounts, deals, and sales on one Google Sheets spreadsheet, Sheetify CRM also serves as a functional inventory management system.
With Sheetify, you can track your inventory, orders, purchases, and transactions, pinpoint shipping delays, identify top-selling items, assess product profitability, and much more.
Available for a one-time, lifetime purchase of $67, you won’t find a more cost-effective lifetime CRM solution.
Sheetify CRM completely eliminates the need to invest in any of the inventory management software options mentioned above.
So, if you want to shift back to a spreadsheet tool you know and love to manage your inventory, customers, sales, and tasks, Sheetify CRM is the solution for you.
Check out this comprehensive video below on how to use Sheetify CRM as an inventory management software
Which Inventory Software Is Best For You?
Okay, so which is the best inventory management software for your small business?
Choosing the right inventory software essentially hinges on your business type, needs, and budget.
Zoho Inventory caters to growing small or medium-sized businesses looking for an all-in-one solution to manage stocks and orders.
Additionally, Zoho is the perfect choice for teams that are already using other Zoho Apps.
With dedicated retail, restaurant, and appointment plans, Square is the best inventory software for small retail and hospitality businesses.
And Odoo’s unlimited items, locations, and users (all available on the free plan!) make it the best choice for teams with extensive inventories, such as manufacturers or warehouses.
Alternatively, Sheetify CRM (while primarily a CRM tool) also serves as an innovative way for businesses to leverage Google Sheets for inventory management.
Sheetify uses the simplicity and accessibility that Google offers to help you easily track inventory, orders, and customer data without a second thought.
Stews Final Thoughts
And that concludes this top 3 best inventory software for small business article!
If you’re still unsure which inventory software to use, I suggest trying all three options mentioned above. They all offer incredible free plans!
Ultimately, the best inventory software for you is the one that aligns perfectly with your business operations.
So, what inventory management software will you be using? Let me know below.
