Quick answer
For a small business that makes what it sells, Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) is built for the job: it tracks Raw materials, sub-assemblies, finished goods and offers Automatic COGS recalculation as material prices change, from $24/month on Pro, with recipes from the Studio plan at $49/mo. If you only count finished stock, Zoho Inventory and Sortly have free plans, and Square and Shopify include stock counts with their sales tools. Katana suits makers who turn raw materials into finished goods at a larger scale, with a free plan for up to 30 SKUs (30 active items).
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the list or the price example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
Every tool here was checked against the same five questions. For makers, the first two decide more than the price does.
- Materials tracking Whether the tool counts raw materials and supplies, not only finished products.
- Recipes or bill of materials Whether one finished product can list the materials it uses, so making a batch takes those materials out of stock.
- Cost of goods (COGS) Whether the tool works out what each product costs you to make, which you need for pricing and for taxes.
- Marketplace and store sync Whether sales on Etsy, Shopify or a market stall update the stock count without typing it in twice.
- AI features and price What the tool automates with AI, which plan that needs, and the monthly price of the cheapest paid plan.
Inventory software for small business at a glance
Each tool is shown at its cheapest paid plan, billed monthly. The source and check date for every number are listed under each tool and at the end of the page.
What each tool costs in a month
Inventory tools charge a subscription, so the useful comparison is the monthly price of the cheapest paid plan. Square is shown at Square Plus, the plan with cost of goods reports, and Shopify at Basic. With both you also pay card fees on each sale.
- Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) baseline $24 or $20/month on the Pro plan billed annually Pro, monthly $24
- Zoho Inventory $39 or $ 29 per organization / month billed annually Standard, monthly $39
- Shopify $39 or $29 a month Basic, monthly $39
- Sortly $49 or Billed at $288/yr Advanced, monthly $49
- Square $49 or Square Free with no monthly fee Square Plus, monthly $49
Prices in US dollars before tax, read on each tool's pricing page. Square is shown at Square Plus because Square Free has no monthly fee; Shopify at its Basic plan. Card fees on sales are left out.
Each inventory tool in detail
Every tool gets the same five lines: price, materials and recipes, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
Inventory software made for makers. Craftybase is now Stocksmith, with the same plans. It tracks Raw materials, sub-assemblies, finished goods, and offers Automatic COGS recalculation as material prices change.
- Price
- Pro plan $24/month, or $20/month on the Pro plan billed annually. Studio is $49/mo.
- Fees per sale
- Pro covers inventory and cost tracking for up to 25 order line items a month and one sales channel. Studio adds multi-user inventory and recipe management, and Indie lists Bill of materials & recipe management. For Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy and Faire, Stocksmith pushes updated stock levels back to the channel automatically; the Indie plan lists Manual stock sync and Business lists Automatic stock sync.
- Strong at
- Following materials into finished products and working out what each one costs to make.
- Best for
- Makers who buy supplies, make in batches and sell on Etsy or Shopify.
- Limit
- Pro is capped at up to 25 order line items a month and one sales channel. Over the limit you are automatically upgraded to the next plan.
A visual stock-counting app. You add Item Photos, sort items into Custom Folders and scan barcodes from your smartphone.
- Price
- Advanced plan $49 a month, or Billed at $288/yr. Ultra is $149 a month.
- Fees per sale
- Limits count unique items: 100 Unique Items on Free and 500 Unique Items on Advanced; quantities of a Unique Item do not count. Premium ($299 a month) can send invoices and purchase orders to your existing QBO account.
- Strong at
- Counting stock and supplies quickly from a phone, with photos and barcodes.
- Best for
- Small shops that need to know what is on the shelf.
- Limit
- Plans are capped by unique items and users, and the pricing page lists no recipes, cost of goods or Etsy and Shopify sync.
Order and stock software from Zoho, with a free plan. Its composite items are described as a way to "Turn your raw materials into finished goods", and its Etsy integration as a way to "Streamline inventory levels and sync orders".
- Price
- Standard plan $ 39 a month, or $ 29 per organization / month billed annually. There is Free 50 orders 1 user 1 location.
- Fees per sale
- Monthly order caps by plan (Free, Standard, Premium, Plus, Enterprise): 50 500 3000 7500 15000. Shopify stores per plan: 1 1 5 5 5. Amazon: "Sync Amazon orders and update stock levels".
- Strong at
- Orders, stock and assemblies in one place, with AI help from Zia: "Ask Zia anything about your inventory", "Draft and refine written content" and MCP agents.
- Best for
- Small businesses that sell finished goods across a few channels.
- Limit
- The free plan stops at its monthly order cap, and the number of connected Shopify stores depends on the plan.
Square's inventory management works with your POS and online store. Square POS includes free inventory management, with Daily stock alerts.
- Price
- There is no monthly fee on Square Free. Square Plus is $49 a month per location.
- Fees per sale
- Square Plus and Square Premium plans come with additional inventory management features, including Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) reports. Card fees on Square Free: 3.3% + 30¢ online, and in person 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free.
- Strong at
- One stock count for in-person and online sales.
- Best for
- Makers who sell at markets and fairs.
- Limit
- Recipes and bills of materials are not among the listed inventory features, and cost of goods reports need Square Plus or Premium.
An online store builder that tracks stock for each product or variant, with an inventory history of up to 180 days.
- Price
- Basic plan $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly.
- Fees per sale
- Card processing of 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic with Shopify Payments. On Basic, marketplace order sync is free for up to 50 orders a month, then 1% up to $99 a month.
- Strong at
- Stock counts tied to the store, plus Sidekick, an AI-enabled commerce assistant in the admin.
- Best for
- Makers whose main sales channel is their own online store.
- Limit
- Shopify's inventory help covers counts for products and variants, not raw materials or recipes. Makers who need those add an app or a separate tool such as Stocksmith.
Which one fits you
You make products from raw materials and sell on Etsy or Shopify.
Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase)
It tracks Raw materials, sub-assemblies, finished goods and offers Automatic COGS recalculation as material prices change, from $24/month; recipes start on Studio at $49/mo.
You only need to count finished stock and supplies.
Sortly or Zoho Inventory
Both have free plans: Sortly with 100 Unique Items, Zoho Inventory with Free 50 orders 1 user 1 location.
You assemble kits or simple products and want AI help in the tool.
Zoho Inventory
Composite items, Zia ("Ask Zia anything about your inventory") and an Etsy integration that can "Streamline inventory levels and sync orders".
You sell at markets and online.
Square
There is no monthly fee on Square Free, and Square POS includes free inventory management with Daily stock alerts.
Your own online store is your main channel.
Shopify
Stock is part of the store at $39 a month, with Sidekick, an AI-enabled commerce assistant in the admin.
You manufacture in volume from raw materials.
Katana or inFlow
Katana has a free plan for up to 30 SKUs (30 active items), and its Core plan starts at $299/month. inFlow Manufacturing's StartUp plan is $199 USD/month.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not compared on price here.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the list or the price example until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeDisclosure and method
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
The list covers five tools a small US maker can use to track inventory: one built for makers, two stock and order tools, and two sales tools with stock counts. Katana and inFlow, which suit larger manufacturing, are covered in the recommendations. No tool paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every price was read on the tool's own pricing or help page on 2 Oct 2026. Each tool's section names its source, and the full list is below.
Questions about inventory software for small business
What is the best inventory software for small business?
The best inventory software for a small business depends on what you sell. If you make products from materials, Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) tracks Raw materials, sub-assemblies, finished goods from $24/month, with recipes from Studio. If you resell or only count finished stock, Zoho Inventory and Sortly have free plans, and Square and Shopify include stock counts.
Is there free inventory management software for small business?
Free inventory management software for small business exists. Zoho Inventory has a free plan (Free 50 orders 1 user 1 location), Sortly has $0 USD/mo. with 100 Unique Items, and Square POS includes free inventory management. Katana is free for up to 30 SKUs (30 active items). Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) has no free plan, only a free 14-day trial.
What is the best craft business inventory software?
The best craft business inventory software tracks supplies as well as finished pieces. Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) is built for that case: it tracks Raw materials, sub-assemblies, finished goods and offers Automatic COGS recalculation as material prices change. Pro is $24/month for up to 25 order line items a month; recipe management starts on Studio at $49/mo.
Which inventory software has AI features?
Among these inventory tools, Zoho Inventory, Square and Shopify list AI features. Zoho Inventory's Zia lets you "Ask Zia anything about your inventory", Square offers Square AI for questions about your data, and Shopify has Sidekick, an AI-enabled commerce assistant. None of the three pages states which plan the AI needs. Stocksmith and Sortly list no AI features on their pricing pages.
Do I need inventory software if I sell on Shopify or Square?
If you sell on Shopify or Square, you already have basic inventory tracking for finished products, which is enough for many small shops. You need separate inventory software when you track raw materials, use recipes, sell on several channels at once or need the cost of goods for each item you make.