Shopify counts your stock. It does not tell you what to reorder, when, or how much of your cash is sitting in a slow-moving size. That gap is what inventory apps fill, and which one you need depends on whether your problem is forecasting, purchasing, multi-channel sync, or simply getting supplier feeds into the store without a person retyping them.
Six apps below, sorted by that question, with what Shopify already does for free listed first — because a store with one warehouse and 40 SKUs usually needs a spreadsheet and a reorder rule, not a platform.
Summary
- Stocky — free with Shopify POS Pro: purchase orders, stocktakes, basic demand suggestions.
- Inventory Planner by Sage — the established forecasting and replenishment platform.
- Prediko — newer AI-led forecasting with a lighter setup.
- syncX: Stock Sync — supplier feeds and bulk updates in and out of the store.
- Sellbrite — listings and inventory across marketplaces.
- Shopify Marketplace Connect — Shopify’s own multi-channel connector, free.
What Shopify does natively
Stock is tracked per variant per location, with multiple locations, priority rules for which location fulfils, low-stock notifications, and inventory reports in the admin. Shopify Flow (free) can automate the simple rules: tag a product when stock drops, email the buyer, hide a product that hits zero. For a single-location store with a stable catalogue, that plus a reorder spreadsheet is a complete system.
Where it stops: no demand forecast, no purchase-order workflow with suppliers and lead times, no landed-cost view of what your stock is worth, and no reconciliation with anything outside Shopify.
1. Stocky — if you already pay for POS Pro
Stocky is Shopify’s own inventory app, included with POS Pro. It handles purchase orders, transfers between locations, stocktakes with a scanner, supplier records and simple demand suggestions based on sales history. For a retail-plus-online business it is the obvious first step, and it costs nothing extra.
The limits are real: forecasting is basic, the interface is dated, and it assumes POS Pro. CocoLash runs its counter and its storefront on one catalogue through POS, which is exactly the shape Stocky was built for.
2. Inventory Planner by Sage — forecasting and purchasing
Inventory Planner by Sage is the grown-up option: demand forecasts by variant with seasonality, replenishment recommendations that respect supplier lead times and minimum order quantities, purchase orders raised from those recommendations, open-to-buy budgeting and overstock reporting. It also handles multiple sales channels and warehouses.
It costs real money and takes a fortnight to set up properly (supplier lead times, cost prices, forecast rules). The payback is obvious the first time it stops you buying six months of a size you do not sell, or catches a stockout three weeks before it would have happened.
3. Prediko — the lighter forecasting option
Prediko covers similar ground — AI demand forecasting, purchase orders, stock health and cash-flow planning — with a faster setup and a modern interface, aimed at DTC brands rather than multi-warehouse retailers. If Inventory Planner feels like more platform than you need, start here.
4. syncX: Stock Sync — feeds, suppliers and bulk updates
syncX: Stock Sync solves a different problem: getting inventory and price updates in and out of Shopify on a schedule. CSV, XML, Google Sheets, FTP, API — supplier feeds in, your catalogue out, with mapping rules and a dry-run mode. Any brand with dropship suppliers or a wholesaler feeding stock levels ends up needing this or a custom integration.
5. Multi-channel: Marketplace Connect and Sellbrite
Shopify Marketplace Connect is Shopify’s own free connector for Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy and Target Plus: one catalogue, synced listings, orders back into Shopify. For most brands selling on one or two marketplaces it is enough, and it is maintained by Shopify.
Sellbrite does the same with more listing tooling and templates, which matters when marketplace listings need their own titles, attributes and images rather than mirroring the store. If marketplaces are the bigger half of the business, read our Shopify vs Amazon comparison and the Amazon to Shopify page before you decide which way the catalogue should flow.
Quick comparison
| App | Does | Pricing model | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocky | POs, stocktakes, transfers | Free with POS Pro | Hours | Retail + online, single system |
| Inventory Planner | Forecasting, replenishment, OTB | By orders / revenue | 1–2 weeks | Multi-location, serious purchasing |
| Prediko | AI forecasting, POs, cash view | Tiered | Days | DTC brands wanting forecasts fast |
| syncX: Stock Sync | Feeds in and out, bulk updates | By feeds / SKUs | Hours | Supplier and dropship feeds |
| Marketplace Connect | Marketplace listings and orders | Free (Shopify) | Hours | One or two marketplaces |
| Sellbrite | Marketplace listings with templates | Tiered by orders | Days | Marketplace-heavy catalogues |
Choosing by symptom
- “We keep running out of the best sellers.” Forecasting: Inventory Planner or Prediko.
- “Our cash is stuck in stock we cannot sell.” Same tools, different report — overstock and sell-through, then a markdown plan.
- “Someone retypes supplier stock every Monday.” syncX: Stock Sync.
- “Amazon oversold something we do not have.” Marketplace Connect or Sellbrite, with a single source of truth.
- “The shop floor and the website disagree.” POS Pro with Stocky, and locations configured properly.
- “Our ERP is the source of truth.” Then the answer is an integration, not an app — see custom apps and integrations.
Where inventory meets the storefront
Inventory is not only a back-office problem; it shows up in conversion. Out-of-stock variants that stay in the filter, collection pages full of unavailable products, “notify me” forms that go nowhere, and pre-orders that are really backorders all cost revenue on the front end. Two of them are theme work, one is a flow in your retention tool, and all three are the kind of thing our free CRO audit lists in priority order. For the back-office side and anything involving an ERP or a 3PL, that is internal tools and dashboards work.
FAQ
Does Shopify have inventory management built in?
Shopify tracks stock per variant per location, supports multiple locations with priority rules, and shows basic inventory reports. It does not forecast demand, raise purchase orders, or reconcile stock with suppliers and marketplaces — that is what the apps on this list add.
Is Stocky free?
Stocky is included with Shopify POS Pro, so it is free if you already pay for POS Pro. It covers purchase orders, stocktakes and demand suggestions, which is enough for many retail-plus-online businesses before they need a forecasting platform.
Which inventory app forecasts demand best?
Inventory Planner by Sage is the established forecasting platform, with replenishment recommendations and open-to-buy budgeting. Prediko is the newer AI-led alternative with a lighter setup. Both pay for themselves at the point where stockouts and overstock cost real money.
How do I sync inventory across Shopify, Amazon and eBay?
Shopify Marketplace Connect (Shopify’s own app) connects Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy and Target Plus to one catalogue, and Sellbrite does the same with listing tooling alongside. For supplier feeds and CSV or FTP updates, syncX Stock Sync is the usual answer.
