In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Quick comparison of inventory options
- 02Shopify after Stocky: what is built in now
- 03Zoho Inventory: for several channels or a real warehouse
- 04When the accounting software's inventory is enough
- 05Barcodes, stock counts and a routine that keeps numbers right
- 06When a custom inventory app makes sense
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Selling mainly on Shopify? Use Shopify's built-in inventory (Stocky closed on 31 August 2026). Selling across several channels or wholesale? Zoho Inventory from S$39 a month. Few products and simple stock? The inventory in Xero, QuickBooks Plus or Zoho Books Professional may be enough.
Quick comparison of inventory options
All prices are list prices in Singapore dollars checked on 21 October 2026. Zoho prices exclude GST; Xero's include GST; QuickBooks shows prices without stating either way.
| Option | Price (approx., Oct 2026) | Good at | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify admin + POS | Plans from S$39/month; POS Pro +S$129/month per location | Online plus shop stock, transfers, stock counts, purchase orders | Wholesale and non-Shopify channels need apps |
| Zoho Inventory | Free (50 orders); S$39 to S$329/month billed yearly | Multi-channel, multiple warehouses, bins, serial and batch tracking | Barcode generation and stock counting only from Premium |
| Xero inventory | Included in Xero plans (S$39 to S$95/month) | Simple tracked items linked to invoices and bills | Up to 4,000 tracked items; no warehouse or bin management |
| QuickBooks Online | Plus S$78.99/month, Advanced S$124/month | Quantity on hand updated from sales and purchases | Not on Simple Start or Essentials |
| Zoho Books | Professional S$30/month yearly; Elite S$150/month yearly | Inventory inside the accounts; Elite adds warehouses and serial or batch tracking | Lower plans have no stock tracking |
Prices from Shopify POS pricing, Zoho Inventory pricing, Xero pricing, QuickBooks pricing and Zoho Books pricing. Xero's Starter, Standard and Premium plans go up to S$42, S$77 and S$99 a month from 1 November 2026.
Shopify after Stocky: what is built in now
Shopify's help centre confirms that the Stocky app is no longer available as of 31 August 2026. Inventory is now managed in the Shopify admin and Shopify POS. Stocky data does not move across automatically: past purchase orders and stocktakes must be exported, and read-only access lasts at least 90 days after the cut-off.
The built-in tools now cover most small-shop needs: purchase orders, transfers between locations, bin locations, adjustments with reasons, an ABC product analysis report, and stock counts where staff count in parallel and a manager approves before quantities change. Quick count in Shopify POS handles spot checks of up to 1,000 items with optional barcode scanning.
Our guide to omnichannel POS and inventory for retail shops covers the point-of-sale side.
Zoho Inventory: for several channels or a real warehouse
Zoho Inventory suits businesses that sell through more than one channel, hold stock in more than one place, or sell wholesale. It integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce and Zoho Commerce on the sales side, and with Zoho Books, Xero and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
| Plan (billed yearly) | Price/month | Orders/month | Locations | Notable features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | S$0 | 50 | 2 | Composite items, dropshipping, backorders |
| Standard | S$39 | 500 | 2 | Customer portal, backorders, dropshipping |
| Professional | S$109 | 3,000 | 4 | Serial and batch tracking, vendor portal |
| Premium | S$169 | 7,500 | 6 | Barcode generation, stock counting, 2,000 bins per location |
| Enterprise | S$329 | 15,000 | 10 | Zoho Analytics, 5,000 bins per location |
The plan limits matter more than the headline price. Professional includes only 2 users, so a warehouse with five pickers needs add-on users or a higher plan, and stock counting arrives only on Premium.
When the accounting software's inventory is enough
If you buy and sell a modest range of products from one place, the stock features inside your accounting software can avoid a second subscription. Xero's inventory page says it manages up to 4,000 finished items, updating quantities from invoices and bills. QuickBooks' Singapore help says inventory features are only on Plus and Advanced. Zoho Books adds stock tracking from Professional, with warehouses, bins and serial numbers on Elite.
Accounting software inventory works if
- One stock location
- Under a few hundred active products
- Sales are mostly invoices, not a busy online store
- No need for bins, batches or expiry dates
You need a separate inventory app if
- Stock in a warehouse and a shop or with a 3PL
- Several sales channels drawing on the same stock
- Batch, expiry or serial number tracking
- Pickers who need barcode scanning on a phone
Barcodes, stock counts and a routine that keeps numbers right
Software only stays accurate if receiving and counting are done the same way every time. Most stock errors come from goods received but not entered, returns put back on the wrong shelf, and adjustments made without a reason.
Stock routine checklist
An ABC analysis ranks products by how much revenue or value they represent. Counting the small set of 'A' items often catches most of the money at risk without counting everything every week.
When a custom inventory app makes sense
Off-the-shelf apps fit most shops. A custom app is worth considering when your process is the product: made-to-order items with bills of materials, rental equipment that goes out and comes back, consignment stock at customer sites, or a wholesale portal where customers see their own prices and stock. Our guide to a wholesale B2B ordering portal covers that case.
Do it yourself or get help?
Trialling an app with your real product list for two weeks is the best test. Import a few hundred SKUs, receive a delivery, sell through each channel and run a count. If the numbers still agree with the shelf after that, the setup works.
If you need stock, orders, quotes and invoices in one system built around your process, our Custom Business App starts from S$4,900, works in the browser on phones, connects to Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho Books or Shopify, and the code and data are yours. If you keep Shopify and only need sales, fees and payouts to land correctly in your accounts, Sales & Payout Sync is S$490. IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience; you pay upfront, send the brief in writing and follow progress on your order page.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on where you sell. A shop selling mainly through Shopify can use Shopify's built-in inventory and POS. Businesses selling on several channels or wholesale from a warehouse usually fit Zoho Inventory. If you have one location and a small range, the inventory in Xero, QuickBooks Plus or Zoho Books Professional may be enough.
Shopify retired Stocky on 31 August 2026 and moved its features into the Shopify admin and POS. Purchase orders, transfers, stock counts with manager approval, bin locations and ABC analysis are built in. Old Stocky purchase orders and stocktakes do not migrate automatically, so export them for your records.
Yes, for simple needs. Xero tracks up to 4,000 finished items and updates quantities from invoices and bills. It does not handle multiple warehouses, bins or batch tracking, so businesses with several locations or channels usually connect a separate inventory app to Xero.
As of October 2026, Zoho Inventory's Singapore edition costs S$39, S$109, S$169 or S$329 per organisation per month billed yearly, excluding GST, with a free plan for up to 50 orders a month. Barcode generation and stock counting start on the S$169 Premium plan.
Do a full count at least once a year, ideally just before your financial year end, and cycle-count your highest-value or fastest-moving items weekly or monthly. Regular small counts catch receiving and picking errors early, so the annual count has fewer surprises.