Managing inventory with spreadsheets might work when you're starting out, but it quickly becomes a liability as your Australian business grows. Overselling, stockouts, manual errors, and no visibility across channels — these problems cost real money. Dedicated inventory management software solves all of this, giving you real-time stock levels, automated reordering, warehouse management, and seamless integration with your accounting and sales platforms.
We've tested and compared five inventory management solutions popular with Australian businesses. We evaluated multi-channel support, warehouse features, Xero/MYOB integration, manufacturing capabilities, and pricing in AUD. Here's how they compare.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cin7 (DEAR) | QuickBooks Commerce | Unleashed | Fishbowl | inFlow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (AUD/mo) | $459 | $39 | $349 | Custom | Free / $110 |
| Multi-Channel Selling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Warehouse Management | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Manufacturing/BOM | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Xero Integration | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MYOB Integration | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Barcode Scanning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| B2B Portal | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Our Score | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
Cin7 (which acquired DEAR Inventory) is the most comprehensive inventory management platform available to Australian businesses. It handles everything: multi-location warehouse management, manufacturing with bills of materials, multi-channel selling (Shopify, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce), POS integration, B2B ordering portals, and detailed stock reporting.
For Australian businesses, Cin7's native Xero and MYOB integration is seamless — purchase orders, invoices, and stock valuations sync automatically. It supports GST on transactions, multi-currency for international suppliers, and has Australian-based support. If you're a product business that's outgrown basic tools, Cin7 is the platform you grow into.
Pros
- Most complete inventory platform available
- Excellent Xero and MYOB integration
- Manufacturing, warehouse, and B2B portal
- Multi-channel selling (Shopify, Amazon, eBay)
- Australian support team
Cons
- Expensive — starts at $459/month
- Complex setup and learning curve
- Overkill for very small businesses
- Interface can feel overwhelming initially
Best for: Growing product businesses that need comprehensive inventory, warehouse, manufacturing, and multi-channel management.
Visit Cin7 →Unleashed is a New Zealand-born inventory management platform that's hugely popular across Australia and New Zealand. Its Xero integration is arguably the best in the market — bi-directional sync keeps inventory, purchases, and sales perfectly aligned with your accounting. Unleashed also integrates with MYOB and QuickBooks for businesses on those platforms.
Unleashed covers multi-location inventory, manufacturing (assembly and disassembly), batch and serial number tracking, purchase order management, and a B2B e-commerce portal. Its reporting is excellent, with real-time dashboards showing stock levels, COGS, sell-through rates, and reorder points. For ANZ businesses that use Xero, Unleashed is a natural fit.
Pros
- Excellent Xero integration (best in class)
- Built for ANZ businesses
- Strong manufacturing and batch tracking
- B2B e-commerce portal
- Excellent reporting and dashboards
Cons
- Expensive for small businesses
- Multi-channel e-commerce requires add-ons
- No built-in POS
- Mobile app is limited
Best for: Australian and NZ product businesses using Xero that need strong inventory management, manufacturing, and reporting.
Visit Unleashed →Fishbowl is a powerful inventory and manufacturing solution that's been around for over two decades. It excels at warehouse management and manufacturing workflows — work orders, bills of materials, multi-level assemblies, and shop floor tracking. For Australian manufacturers and distributors, Fishbowl provides the depth that lighter platforms lack.
Fishbowl offers both cloud and on-premise deployment, which appeals to businesses with specific data sovereignty or connectivity requirements. It integrates with Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, and Shopify, and supports barcode scanning, multi-warehouse operations, and advanced pick/pack/ship workflows.
Pros
- Powerful manufacturing and warehouse management
- Cloud or on-premise deployment
- Advanced pick/pack/ship workflows
- Integrates with Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks
- Barcode scanning and lot tracking
Cons
- Opaque pricing (must request quote)
- Interface feels dated
- Steeper learning curve
- Overkill for simple retail inventory
Best for: Manufacturers and distributors who need advanced production, warehouse, and supply chain management.
Visit Fishbowl →QuickBooks Commerce — the platform formerly known as TradeGecko — was a beloved inventory tool for Australian SMBs before Intuit acquired it in 2020. It's now tightly integrated with QuickBooks Online, making it the natural choice for businesses already in the QuickBooks ecosystem. The multi-channel inventory management, order fulfilment, and demand forecasting features remain solid.
At $39/month as a QuickBooks add-on, it's significantly cheaper than Cin7 or Unleashed, making it accessible for smaller product businesses. However, the tight QuickBooks coupling means it no longer integrates natively with Xero or MYOB — a dealbreaker for many Australian businesses.
Pros
- Very affordable compared to alternatives
- Excellent QuickBooks integration
- Multi-channel inventory management
- Demand forecasting
- Clean, modern interface
Cons
- No Xero or MYOB integration
- Requires QuickBooks Online
- Limited warehouse management
- No manufacturing features
Best for: Small product businesses using QuickBooks Online who want affordable multi-channel inventory management.
Visit QuickBooks Commerce →inFlow is the most accessible inventory management tool on this list. Its free plan supports up to 100 products and one team member — enough for a small business to get started without any investment. The paid plans are also significantly cheaper than Cin7 or Unleashed, making inFlow a solid stepping stone for growing businesses.
inFlow handles core inventory needs well: stock tracking, purchase orders, sales orders, barcode scanning, and basic reporting. It integrates with Xero (but not MYOB), Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon. For Australian businesses, it supports GST on invoices and multi-currency for international purchasing. It's not as powerful as the bigger platforms, but it's a great place to start.
Pros
- Free plan for up to 100 products
- Most affordable paid plans in category
- Clean, easy-to-learn interface
- Xero and Shopify integration
- Barcode scanning via mobile app
Cons
- No MYOB integration
- No manufacturing or BOM features
- Limited warehouse management
- Reporting less detailed than rivals
Best for: Small product businesses on a budget who need simple, affordable inventory tracking with room to grow.
Visit inFlow →How We Chose These Products
We evaluated each inventory management platform across criteria important to Australian product businesses: multi-channel selling (Shopify, Amazon, eBay), warehouse management features, manufacturing capabilities, Xero and MYOB integration, barcode scanning, reporting depth, and pricing in AUD. We also considered ease of setup and the quality of Australian support.
Choosing the Right Inventory Software
The best platform depends on the size and complexity of your operations:
- If you need the most comprehensive solution: Cin7. It does everything — inventory, warehouse, manufacturing, multi-channel, B2B.
- If you're an ANZ business on Xero: Unleashed. Best Xero integration in the category.
- If you're a manufacturer: Fishbowl. Deepest manufacturing and warehouse features.
- If you're on QuickBooks and budget-conscious: QuickBooks Commerce. Affordable and tightly integrated.
- If you're just starting out: inFlow. Free plan, easy to learn, affordable to grow.