How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Netstock is the best all-round pick for ERP-based teams, from 900 dollars a month.
- Inventory Planner by Sage suits multi-channel sellers that want forecast-led purchase orders.
- Lokad fits teams with lumpy or intermittent demand, but its Premier plans start at 2,500 dollars a month.
- Most enterprise tools in this list price by quote, so ask for a written quote that covers licences, implementation, and renewal terms.
- Inventory planning software forecasts demand and sets reorder points, while stock tracking software only records what is on hand.
What is inventory planning software, and how is it different from stock tracking?
Inventory planning software forecasts demand, sets safety stock and reorder points, and turns those numbers into purchase orders. Stock tracking software only records what is on hand, where it sits, and what has sold. The difference matters when a buyer has to decide how much to order, when to order it, and how much buffer to hold. A planning tool can say that 40 units will last nine days at current demand, that the supplier lead time is 21 days, and that an order for 180 units should be placed now. If the problem is stockouts, excess stock, and cash tied up in slow lines, planning software is the right buy.
A small distributor should pick a tool that connects fast, works with the current ERP or sales channels, and does not need a consulting project to start. Netstock Essentials and Inventory Planner by Sage fit that shape, because both are built to sit on top of existing systems and produce order advice within weeks. A multi-warehouse brand needs more: transfers between locations, container planning, multi-echelon stock logic, and promotion handling. Netstock Commercial, StockIQ, Slimstock, and RELEX cover that ground. Lokad and Logility sit further up the scale, where a dedicated planning team and a larger budget are already in place.
How much does inventory planning software cost in 2026?
Published starting prices in this list run from 750 dollars a month for StockIQ to 2,500 dollars a month for a Lokad Premier plan, with Netstock at 900 dollars a month. Five of the eight tools publish no price at all and sell by quote, which is normal in this category. A quote-only price means the buyer must budget for implementation, training, and support on top of the licence, and must compare written quotes on the same scope. Annual billing is common, and Netstock states its plans are annual subscriptions. Buyers should ask whether the quote includes all users, locations, and SKUs.
What should a buyer check before signing a contract?
A buyer should check four things before signing. First, confirm the tool connects to the ERP, ecommerce platform, or warehouse system that holds the sales and stock data, and ask how long that connection takes to build. Second, ask how the forecast is explained, because a forecast a planner cannot understand will not be trusted. Third, check how promotions, new products, seasonality, and supplier lead time changes are handled, since those are the cases where simple averages fail. Fourth, ask for the full cost in writing. A trial or a pilot on real data is worth more than a sales demo on sample data.
How does safety stock maths change the buy?
Safety stock is the buffer held to cover demand variation and lead time variation. The basic formula is safety stock equals a service factor multiplied by the standard deviation of demand during lead time. A higher service level needs a larger buffer, and a longer or less reliable lead time needs a larger buffer too. A simple tool may use a fixed buffer per SKU, while a planning tool recalculates the buffer from real demand and lead time history. A distributor with steady demand can manage with simple rules. A brand with spiky demand, long import lead times, or many locations needs a tool that models the full distribution of demand, such as Lokad or StockIQ.
A worked cost example: what safety stock really costs
Take a distributor with one SKU that sells 100 units a month, costs 20 dollars a unit, and has a holding cost of 25 percent a year. Holding one extra unit for a year costs 5 dollars. A safety stock of 50 units ties up 1,000 dollars of stock and costs 250 dollars a year to hold. If that buffer prevents four stockouts a year, and each stockout loses 200 dollars of margin, the buffer saves 800 dollars and costs 250 dollars, so it pays.
| Business shape | First pick | Why it fits | Watch out for |
| Small distributor, one warehouse, under 5,000 SKUs | Inventory Planner by Sage | Forecast-led buying advice, fast start | Quote-only pricing, ask for the full annual cost |
| Mid-market distributor on an ERP, one to five warehouses | Netstock | Published entry price, ERP connectors | Annual contract, entry price rules out very small teams |
| Multi-warehouse brand with promotions | StockIQ | Promotion planning, multi-echelon logic | Third-party reported price, confirm the quote in writing |
| European wholesaler with seasonal demand | EazyStock | ERP connectors, dedicated success manager | Quote-only pricing, annual billing by default |
| Team with lumpy or intermittent demand | Lokad | Probabilistic forecasting, dedicated scientist on Premier | Premier starts at 2,500 dollars a month, 6-month commitment |
| Retailer or wholesaler with many locations | Slimstock | Automatic replenishment, stock transfers | Quote-only pricing, implementation takes 2 to 4 months |
| Large retail chain or grocer | RELEX Solutions | Unified retail planning, replenishment, assortment | Enterprise scale and cost, quote-only pricing |
| Large manufacturer or distributor with complex networks | Logility | Inventory optimisation, demand and supply planning | Quote-only pricing, broad suite can exceed a small team needs |
Comparison table
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
| Netstock | ERP-based mid-market planning | $900/month | No |
| Inventory Planner by Sage | Multi-channel sellers and open-to-buy planning | quote | No |
| StockIQ | Distributors and manufacturers with promotions | $750/month | No |
| EazyStock | SMB and mid-market wholesalers on an ERP | quote | No |
| Lokad | Lumpy and intermittent demand | $2,500/month (Premier) | No |
| Slimstock | Multi-location replenishment at scale | quote | No |
| RELEX Solutions | Large retail chains and grocers | quote | No |
| Logility | Large manufacturers and distributors | quote | No |
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Netstock | ERP-based mid-market distributors and manufacturers | $900/month (Essentials, annual subscription) | No |
 Inventory Planner by Sage | Multi-channel sellers that need forecast-led buying advice | quote | No |
 StockIQ | Distributors and manufacturers that run promotions and multi-location networks | $750/month (Basic, third-party reported) | No |
 EazyStock | SMB and mid-market wholesalers that run an ERP | quote | No |
 Lokad | Teams with lumpy, intermittent, or hard-to-forecast demand | $2,500/month (Premier plan) | No |
 Slimstock | Retailers and wholesalers with many locations and large assortments | quote | No |
 RELEX Solutions | Large retail chains, grocers, and wholesalers | quote | No |
 Logility | Large manufacturers and distributors with complex supply networks | quote | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
#1Netstock
Best for: ERP-based mid-market distributors and manufacturers4.6/5 on
G2 (179 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit netstock.com
Starting price$900/month (Essentials, annual subscription)
Free planNo
Netstock is the top pick because it is clear about price and scope. The vendor pricing page, opened and checked on 12 November 2026, lists Essentials from 900 dollars a month, Advanced from 1,500 dollars a month, and Commercial from 2,000 dollars a month, all on annual subscriptions. Essentials suits teams moving off spreadsheets, Advanced adds seasonal planning to 24 months, and Commercial adds container packing and stock transfers. Implementation typically takes 6 to 10 weeks. Netstock assumes an ERP is the system of record, so teams without an ERP should look at Inventory Planner by Sage first.
What we like- Published starting price, connectors for more than 60 ERP systems, clear bundle structure, supplier performance tracking
Watch out for- Annual contract is required, and the entry price rules out very small businesses
#2Inventory Planner by Sage
Best for: Multi-channel sellers that need forecast-led buying advice4.4/5 on
G2 (46 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit inventory-planner.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo
Inventory Planner by Sage is the incumbent for ecommerce and multi-channel retail. The vendor homepage was opened and checked on 12 November 2026 and confirms forecasting, purchasing recommendations, reporting, and multi-location planning. The vendor does not publish a price, so the starting price here is quote. Third-party reports conflict, with one listing quoting from 249.99 dollars a month and another reporting 99 dollars a month, so neither figure is used. The strength is buying advice: the tool shows how each forecast was calculated.
What we like- Transparent forecasting, open-to-buy planning, warehouse and store transfers, support for more than 2,600 brands
Watch out for- No published price, so a buyer cannot size the cost without a sales conversation
#3
StockIQ
Best for: Distributors and manufacturers that run promotions and multi-location networks
Visit stockiqtech.com
Starting price$750/month (Basic, third-party reported)
Free planNo
StockIQ is built for teams where promotions and network shape drive the plan. The vendor homepage was opened and checked on 12 November 2026 and confirms demand planning, replenishment planning, inventory analysis, supplier performance, and promotion planning. The 750 dollar a month Basic price comes from pricing supplied by StockIQ and shown on G2, so it is third-party reported rather than taken from a vendor pricing page. Treat it as a guide only, and get a written quote. The tool models promotions and rebalances stock across locations.
What we like- Promotion planning, multi-echelon inventory support, supplier performance scorecards, AI assistant for planners
Watch out for- The vendor does not publish a price on its own site, so the 750 dollar figure must be confirmed with StockIQ before budgeting
#4EazyStock
Best for: SMB and mid-market wholesalers that run an ERP4.4/5 on
G2 (71 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit eazystock.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo
EazyStock is a cloud planning tool owned by Syncron, aimed at wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and manufacturers. The vendor pricing page was opened and checked on 12 November 2026 and confirms pricing from a standard price list based on company size and the version needed, with a free quote on request. No figure is published, so the starting price here is quote. Older third-party listings quote 750 dollars a month and higher, but those figures are stale, so they are not used.
What we like- Ready-made ERP connectors, dedicated customer success manager, training and support included, ROI calculator
Watch out for- No published price, and annual billing is the default, with monthly billing at a 10 percent fee increase
#5Lokad
Best for: Teams with lumpy, intermittent, or hard-to-forecast demand4.5/5 on
G2 (2 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit lokad.com
Starting price$2,500/month (Premier plan)
Free planNo
Lokad sells quantitative supply chain optimisation as a service, not just a packaged app. The vendor page was opened and checked on 12 November 2026 and states that Premier plans start at 2,500 dollars a month, with a 6-month commitment, because a dedicated supply chain scientist works on the account. Self-service accounts are also offered, but the vendor does not publish a separate starting price. The probabilistic engine models the full distribution of demand, which suits intermittent and long-tail SKUs.
What we like- Probabilistic forecasting, dedicated supply chain scientist on Premier plans, flat monthly fee, no per-user charge
Watch out for- Premier plans start at 2,500 dollars a month with a 6-month commitment, which rules out small teams
#6Slimstock
Best for: Retailers and wholesalers with many locations and large assortments4.7/5 on
G2 (26 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit slimstock.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo
Slimstock sells Slim4, a platform for demand forecasting, inventory optimisation, and automatic replenishment. The vendor page was opened and checked on 12 November 2026 and confirms automatic replenishment, real-time stock adjustment, purchase order creation from forecasts, and ERP integration. No price is published, so the starting price here is quote. The platform recalculates stock parameters against real-time demand and handles allocation, network balancing, and transfers between branches. Implementation typically takes 2 to 4 months.
What we like- Automatic replenishment, multi-echelon optimisation, stock transfers, more than 1,700 customers
Watch out for- No published price, and implementation typically takes 2 to 4 months, so the project needs planning time
#7RELEX Solutions
Best for: Large retail chains, grocers, and wholesalers4.6/5 on
G2 (22 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit relexsolutions.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo
RELEX Solutions is the enterprise pick for retail and grocery planning. The vendor homepage was opened and checked on 12 November 2026 and confirms a unified platform covering forecasting, inventory optimisation, replenishment, merchandising, and production planning. No price is published, so the starting price here is quote. Third-party reports conflict, with one source reporting 3,000 dollars a month and another reporting 3,000 euros a year, so neither figure is used. RELEX is built for chains with hundreds of locations, so a small distributor will find the scope too large.
What we like- Unified platform for demand, replenishment, assortment, space, and promotions, strong retail and grocery depth
Watch out for- Enterprise scale and cost, with quote-only pricing and a long implementation for large networks
#8Logility
Best for: Large manufacturers and distributors with complex supply networks4.2/5 on
G2 (131 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit logility.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo
Logility is the broadest suite in this list, covering demand planning, inventory optimisation, and supply planning. The vendor homepage could not be opened in this check, so the homepage and pricing were verified by search results only and should be spot-checked at publication. Search results confirm the vendor site at logility.com and confirm that Logility does not publish a price list, with third-party reports ranging from 100 to 500 dollars per user a month. Those figures conflict and are not used here, so the starting price is quote. Arkieva is now part of Logility.
What we like- Inventory optimisation, demand planning, and supply planning in one platform, AI-led inventory policies, broad supply chain depth
Watch out for- Quote-only pricing, and the broad suite can be more than a small planning team needs
How we picked
We started from tools that do demand forecasting, safety stock, and replenishment, not just stock counting. We checked each vendor homepage or pricing page on 12 November 2026, except Logility, whose homepage could not be opened and was verified by search only. We used a vendor-published price where one exists, used quote where the vendor publishes none, and flagged third-party reported prices. We excluded generic stock trackers and tools with no working official site. For related reading, see our guides to best inventory forecasting software, top AI demand forecasting software, best supply chain software, and best inventory management software for small business.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best inventory planning software for a small distributor?
Inventory Planner by Sage is the best fit for a small distributor that sells across channels, because it gives forecast-led buying advice and open-to-buy planning without a full ERP project. Netstock Essentials is the best fit for a small distributor that already runs an ERP, because it starts at a published 900 dollars a month and connects to more than 60 ERP systems. The choice turns on where the sales and stock data already lives.
How much should a mid-market company budget for inventory planning software?
A mid-market company should budget from 750 to 900 dollars a month for an entry plan, based on the StockIQ third-party reported price and the Netstock published price, and expect a higher figure once implementation, training, and extra locations are added. Quote-only tools can cost far more, so ask for a written quote that covers licences, implementation, training, support, and renewal terms.
Does inventory planning software replace an ERP?
No, inventory planning software does not replace an ERP. Most tools in this list sit on top of an ERP, read sales and stock data from it, and send order advice back. Netstock, EazyStock, Slimstock, and StockIQ all describe ERP integration as a core part of the product. A buyer should keep the ERP as the system of record and use the planning tool for forecasting, safety stock, and replenishment. Replacing an ERP is a separate project.
How long does it take to get inventory planning software running?
Netstock states implementation typically takes 6 to 10 weeks, while Slimstock implementation typically takes 2 to 4 months. Smaller tools can start faster when the data connection is simple and the SKU count is low. The slowest part is usually data quality: cleaning sales history, lead times, and supplier records takes longer than installing the software.
Which tool is best for lumpy or intermittent demand?
Lokad is the best fit for lumpy or intermittent demand, because its probabilistic forecasting engine models the full distribution of demand rather than a single point forecast. StockIQ is a strong alternative, because it handles promotions, new items, and unusual sales in the forecast. Buyers with steady demand do not need this depth, and a simpler tool such as Netstock or Inventory Planner by Sage will cost less and start faster.
Sources we checked (16)
- https://www.netstock.com/packages/
- https://www.netstock.com/
- https://www.inventory-planner.com/
- https://www.bigcommerce.com/apps/inventory-planner/
- https://stockiqtech.com/
- https://www.g2.com/products/stockiq/reviews
- https://www.eazystock.com/pricing/
- https://www.eazystock.com/
- https://www.lokad.com/inventory-optimization-as-a-service/
- https://www.lokad.com/
- https://www.slimstock.com/solutions/inventory-replenishment-software/
- https://www.slimstock.com/
- https://www.relexsolutions.com/
- https://www.selecthub.com/supply-chain-planning-software/relex-vs-sap-ibp/
- https://www.logility.com/
- https://sonary.com/reviews/logility/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.