Cin7 is great software. It's just not built for you.
Cin7 (now called Cin7 Core and Cin7 Omni) is a full-featured inventory and order management platform. It handles manufacturing, B2B wholesale, multi-channel retail, EDI, and complex warehouse operations. For mid-market companies with $5M+ in revenue and dedicated operations teams, it's a solid choice.
But if you're a small business — say, under $2M in revenue, fewer than 20 employees, managing a few hundred to a few thousand items — Cin7 is overkill. And you're paying for that overkill.
Cin7 Core vs Cin7 Omni — which one are you looking at?
Cin7 has two products and the naming is confusing. Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Inventory) is the standalone inventory and order management platform. It starts at $349/mo for 5 users and handles multi-channel inventory, purchasing, and basic manufacturing. Most small businesses evaluating "Cin7" are looking at Core.
Cin7 Omni is the enterprise platform that adds advanced warehouse management, B2B ecommerce portals, EDI, and production planning on top of Core. Omni pricing starts higher and is typically quote-based for larger operations.
If you're searching for a Cin7 alternative, the question is: do you actually need multi-channel order management and manufacturing features? If the answer is no — if you need inventory tracking, barcode scanning, purchase orders, and low stock alerts — you're paying $349/mo for a toolset built for a business three times your size. That's where InventoryQuick at $19/mo fits.
Why small businesses look for Cin7 alternatives
The price
Cin7 Core starts at $349/month. The full Cin7 Omni platform starts higher. Both charge per-user fees on top. For a team of 5, you're easily looking at $500-700/month before any add-ons.
That's a lot of money to track inventory for a small operation. Especially when you're only using 20% of the features.
The complexity
Cin7 was designed to replace multiple systems — inventory, ordering, manufacturing, point of sale, accounting integration. That breadth comes with complexity. Setup typically takes 2-4 weeks with their onboarding team. The interface has deep menus and configuration options that make sense for power users but overwhelm small teams.
If your workflow is "receive inventory, sell inventory, reorder when low," you don't need software that also handles bill-of-materials, production scheduling, and EDI document exchange. See how InventoryQuick compares to Cin7 in a detailed feature breakdown.
The commitment
Cin7 often requires annual contracts, and the onboarding process itself represents a significant time investment. If you discover three months in that it's more than you need, you've already sunk weeks of setup time and thousands of dollars.
What you probably need instead
Most small businesses looking to leave Cin7 (or avoid starting with it) need:
That's it. No manufacturing module, no EDI, no B2B portal, no point-of-sale integration. Just clean, straightforward inventory management.
InventoryQuick vs. Cin7: honest comparison
| Feature | Cin7 Core | InventoryQuick |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $349/mo | $19/mo |
| Per-user fees | Yes | No |
| Setup time | 2-4 weeks | Under 1 hour |
| Barcode scanning | Yes | Yes (phone camera) |
| Purchase orders | Yes | Yes |
| Sales orders | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-location | Yes | Yes |
| Low stock alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Manufacturing/BOM | Yes | No |
| EDI | Yes | No |
| B2B wholesale portal | Yes | No |
| Point of sale | Yes | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes (Business+) |
Where Cin7 wins
Where InventoryQuick wins
Who should stay with Cin7
Be honest about your needs. Cin7 is the right choice if you:
Who should consider switching
InventoryQuick (or a similar lightweight tool) makes more sense if you:
How to migrate from Cin7
If you're currently on Cin7 and considering the switch:
5. Set up alerts and users — Configure low stock thresholds and invite your team
6. Run parallel for a week — Keep Cin7 active while you validate the new setup
7. Cancel Cin7 — Once you're confident, pull the plug and pocket the savings
Most businesses complete this in a single day.
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There's no shame in using a simpler tool. Cin7 is excellent at what it does — but paying enterprise prices for small business needs is just throwing money away.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to Cin7?
Yes. InventoryQuick starts at $19/mo flat with no per-user fees — that's 94% less than Cin7 Core's $349/mo starting price. You get barcode scanning, purchase orders, sales orders, multi-location tracking, and an AI assistant included. The main trade-off: InventoryQuick doesn't have manufacturing, EDI, or multi-channel retail features. If you don't need those, you save $3,960/year.
What's the difference between Cin7 Core and Cin7 Omni?
Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Inventory) is the standalone inventory and order management platform starting at $349/mo for 5 users. Cin7 Omni is the enterprise platform that adds advanced warehouse management, B2B ecommerce portals, EDI, and production planning — pricing is higher and typically quote-based. Most small businesses evaluating Cin7 are looking at Core.
Can I migrate my inventory data from Cin7 to InventoryQuick?
Yes. Export your products as CSV from Cin7 (Products > Export), then upload to InventoryQuick. The import tool auto-detects Cin7 column names and maps them automatically — SKUs, quantities, prices, categories, and locations all transfer. Most teams complete the migration in under 30 minutes. Run both systems in parallel for a week to verify, then cancel Cin7.
Related: InventoryQuick vs. Cin7 | Cin7 Migration Guide | Compare all alternatives
[Try InventoryQuick free for 7 days](/pricing). Cancel anytime, no sales call, no annual contract. Import your data, see if it fits, and keep an extra $200-300/month in your pocket.
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