Best inventory management add-on for QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online’s built-in inventory handles basic tracking but falls short when you need assembly builds, multiple warehouse locations, lot or serial number tracking, or manufacturing workflows. If you’ve hit those limits, an add-on makes sense.
The right choice depends on what you actually need.
For light manufacturing or simple assemblies, SOS Inventory is a popular choice. It integrates directly with QuickBooks Online, handles bills of materials, work orders, and multi-location tracking. Pricing starts around $50 per month and scales based on features. Most small manufacturers find it covers their needs without overcomplicating things.
For multi-channel e-commerce, if you’re selling on Amazon, Shopify, and your own website, look at Cin7 or Ordoro. These sync inventory across platforms so you’re not overselling when stock runs low. They cost more but prevent the headache of managing inventory in multiple places.
For warehousing and distribution, Fishbowl has been around a long time and works well for businesses with significant warehouse operations. It’s more robust than SOS but also more complex and expensive. Unless you have dedicated warehouse staff, it might be overkill.
For simpler needs, inFlow is affordable and easier to learn. If you just need better reporting and light assembly tracking without full manufacturing software, it’s worth considering.
A few things matter more than which software you pick. The integration with QuickBooks Online has to be solid. Some add-ons sync seamlessly while others create duplicate entries or require constant manual cleanup. Before committing, confirm the integration actually works the way you expect.
Your chart of accounts also needs to be set up correctly for inventory. The add-on tracks quantities and movements, but your inventory and COGS tracking still needs proper configuration to make the financial reports accurate. Garbage in, garbage out.
The add-on only helps if someone actually uses it. The fanciest inventory system is worthless if your team just goes around it. Pick something your people will adopt, not the one with the most features.
Most of these offer free trials. Test them with your actual workflow before paying for a year. What looks good in a demo doesn’t always work in practice.
If you’re not sure which direction to go, start by getting your QuickBooks inventory categories and cost of goods sold tracking cleaned up first. Sometimes the native features are enough once they’re configured correctly. A small business bookkeeping service familiar with inventory can help you figure out whether you actually need an add-on or just better setup.
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