Best Shopify inventory management: a practical guide

How it works

Built around the shelf you are looking at

Illustration of a variance report card with one flagged row before it is applied

1. Can you check a count before quantities change?

Start with a shelf that has caused a real problem. In a clothing store, that might be a rail where similar sizes keep getting mixed together. Ask each app to demonstrate the path from counting those items to changing the inventory quantities. Try these steps in Binly: Choose a shelf, section or whole store. Count with a phone camera or USB barcode scanner.

Review the variance report.
Apply the count to Shopify with one tap.
Several people can count at once.

Review the variance report. Investigate unexpected differences. Apply the count to Shopify with one tap. Several people can count at once. For comparison, check the review point carefully. You need to understand what changes during scanning and what waits for your decision. Do not judge the workflow only by how quickly the first barcode reads. The harder test is whether your team can spot a doubtful result and check the physical stock before applying it.

Illustration of an open delivery box being scanned unit by unit

2. Does receiving handle an incomplete delivery?

A homeware store orders plates and bowls, but only the plates arrive. Use that situation in your evaluation. Ask how the app records the actual delivery and how the remaining items are handled when they turn up later. Binly supports purchase orders with receiving, partial deliveries and per delivery cost. Receiving by scan works inside a purchase order or on its own: scan every unit, each scan adds one, then write the new quantities to Shopify with one tap.

For any competing app, follow the process beyond creating a neat purchase order.
Work through a mixed box and a missing item.
Check whether the person who normally unpacks stock understands the result.

For any competing app, follow the process beyond creating a neat purchase order. Work through a mixed box and a missing item. Check whether the person who normally unpacks stock understands the result. A receiving routine needs to match what arrived, even when the supplier has split the order or changed the delivery cost.

Illustration of a purchase order card with a partially received delivery row

3. Does replenishment reflect supplier lead times?

Imagine a food store where local honey and imported coffee both look low. They may need different ordering decisions because their suppliers take different amounts of time to deliver. A useful comparison asks what information sits behind the replenishment suggestion. Binly provides reorder points, email low stock alerts and reorder suggestions that use real supplier lead times from past deliveries.

For larger teams with more demanding planning needs, include forecasting suites in the evaluation.
Ask every vendor to demonstrate your actual planning problem, such as buying for a seasonal range.
A reorder suggestion and a detailed forecasting requirement should be evaluated against the decisions your team.

That is a practical fit for merchants who want supplier history to inform day to day replenishment. For larger teams with more demanding planning needs, include forecasting suites in the evaluation. Inventory Planner is a forecasting and planning option to consider. Ask every vendor to demonstrate your actual planning problem, such as buying for a seasonal range. A reorder suggestion and a detailed forecasting requirement should be evaluated against the decisions your team needs to make.

Illustration of a receipt with a landed cost calculation and a changed supplier price

4. Can you explain delivery costs at month end?

A beauty retailer receives the same bottle at a changed supplier price, then gets the invoice late. Use that sequence to test how each tool helps the person responsible for costs. The quantity on the shelf is only part of the inventory record you care about. Binly includes supplier price lists, cost change alerts, late invoice flags, weighted average cost and month end COGS.

It also supports per delivery cost on purchase orders.
Ask to see the full example from delivery through the month end figures.
A report title is not enough to establish fit.

It also supports per delivery cost on purchase orders. These are concrete features to inspect during a trial. Ask to see the full example from delivery through the month end figures. Check that you understand what the numbers mean and what work remains for your team. A report title is not enough to establish fit. The useful test is whether you can follow the changed cost without reconstructing the delivery from memory.

Illustration of three people each counting a different part of a shop floor

5. Does the scope match your locations and operations?

A retailer with two shops may mainly need accurate location stock and transfers. A larger team coordinating a more complex operation may need a broader system. Write down that scope before deciding what the best inventory management software for Shopify means for you. Binly supports multiple locations, transfers between them and Shopify POS stores. It is worth evaluating when your work centers on counts, receiving, purchasing and stock decisions within that setting.

If your requirements extend beyond Binly's documented workflows.
Bring a specific example, such as a transfer between stores alongside your wider operational needs.
Ask vendors to demonstrate the complete job instead of assuming a familiar feature name covers.

Larger teams should also consider broader inventory suites such as Cin7. If your requirements extend beyond Binly's documented workflows, Binly is not a fit until those requirements are verified. Bring a specific example, such as a transfer between stores alongside your wider operational needs. Ask vendors to demonstrate the complete job instead of assuming a familiar feature name covers every part of it.

Illustration of a small shelf with a free plan badge and a phone scan

6. Will the plan, support and transition suit your team?

Picture an owner moving from Stocky while still receiving deliveries each morning. A comparison should include the existing records, the plan needed for daily work and who answers when something is unclear. These details affect the switch as much as the feature list. Binly imports saved Stocky CSV files for suppliers, purchase orders and receipts. Stocky shut down on August 31, 2026.

Binly's email support is answered by the developer, and installation includes a 7 day Pro trial.
Binly fits a shortlist for hands-on Shopify stock work.
For advanced forecasting or broader operational requirements, compare Inventory Planner and Cin7 against your needs too.

Binly's email support is answered by the developer, and installation includes a 7 day Pro trial. This is Binly's guide, so treat the recommendation as a starting point to test. Binly fits a shortlist for hands-on Shopify stock work. For advanced forecasting or broader operational requirements, compare Inventory Planner and Cin7 against your needs too. Choose based on demonstrated fit, including plan limits and your support expectations.

Start to finish

From install to your next reorder

Choose

Choose a shelf, section or whole store.

Count

Count with a phone camera or USB barcode scanner.

Review

Review the variance report.

Apply

Apply the count to Shopify with one tap.

Inside Binly

See the screen behind the workflow

Click a tab to see that screen inside Binly.

Counting a shelf with live variance while scanning

Size grid view for counting variants by size

Reorder suggestions grouped by supplier with lead times

A purchase order with receiving and a partial delivery

A cost change alert comparing supplier prices

Pricing

Simple, honest pricing

Binly offers Free for small shops, Starter at $19/month or $190/year, Pro at $39/month or $390/year, and Growth at $99/month or $990/year. There is a 7 day Pro trial on install. A typical small retailer should assess Free first, then Starter if paid access is needed, confirming its required features before choosing Pro or Growth. Cancel any time, with no contracts.

Recommended for you

Free

Start counting today.

$0

free forever, no card

Barcode stocktakes on your full catalog
Live variance in units and dollars
Low stock alerts by email
No credit card required

Add Binly to Shopify

Starter

Everything a single location store needs.

$19/mo

or $190/yr

Up to 500 products, one location
Unlimited stocktakes with barcode scanning
Purchase orders, suppliers and receiving
Barcode and price label printing

Start 7-day free trial

Pro

For larger or multi location stores.

$39/mo

or $390/yr

Everything in Starter, plus

No catalog cap, every product you have
All your locations plus stock transfers
Landed cost and weighted average cost
Inventory value report (CSV)

Start 7-day free trial

Growth

For stores that live by their purchase orders.

$99/mo

or $990/yr

Everything in Pro, plus

Supplier price lists and cost change alerts
Order by dates from real supplier lead times
Month end COGS pack
Done for you Stocky migration

Start 7-day free trial

Prices in USD, billed through Shopify. Change or cancel any time, no contracts.

FAQ

Questions people ask before they install

Is an inventory app worth it if I already use Google Sheets?

List the manual work your spreadsheet creates. If you repeatedly copy counts into Shopify or reconcile partial deliveries, test an app against those jobs. Binly offers reviewed counts, one tap count updates and purchase order receiving. Keep the spreadsheet if it serves your needs; choose an app when its demonstrated workflow solves a specific problem.

What should a Shopify POS store look for?

Test physical counting, receiving and location handling with the people doing those tasks. Binly works with Shopify POS stores, supports multiple locations and includes transfers. For any app, bring an example from your store, such as stock held behind the register or a delivery split between days, and follow it through.

Should I choose phone scanning or a USB barcode scanner?

Choose around the job your staff perform. A phone may suit walking shelves, while a USB barcode scanner may suit a fixed counting area. Binly supports both for stock counts. During your comparison, use your own representative products and check the count review process as well as the scan itself.

When should I consider Inventory Planner or Cin7 over Binly?

Consider those larger options when advanced forecasting or broader inventory operations drive the buying decision. Binly's stated fit is Shopify counts, receiving, purchasing, costs and replenishment work. Use the six criteria here and require a demonstration of your specific needs. Do not infer a capability from the size or name of a product.

Which Shopify inventory app is best for a small store?

There is no useful universal winner without knowing the store's work. If you need phone counts, receiving and purchase orders, Binly belongs on your shortlist. Test one shelf and one delivery, then check plan access and cost. A tool that fits those ordinary tasks deserves more weight than a long list of features you will not use.

Choose the best Shopify inventory management for your store

Built around the shelf you are looking at

1. Can you check a count before quantities change?

2. Does receiving handle an incomplete delivery?

3. Does replenishment reflect supplier lead times?

4. Can you explain delivery costs at month end?

5. Does the scope match your locations and operations?

6. Will the plan, support and transition suit your team?

From install to your next reorder

See the screen behind the workflow

Simple, honest pricing

Questions people ask before they install

Try it on a real shelf today