Zoho Inventory

Overview

Zoho Inventory is a stock and order management service for businesses coordinating purchases, sales, and inventory across locations. It is best suited to teams that need barcode and batch tracking, warehouse controls, and mobile order management. Its feature mix scales from a tightly capped free tier to plans for higher order volumes and more locations, though the published prices exclude GST.

For a wider category comparison, see Inventory Management Software. Businesses selling across channels can also compare Multichannel Ecommerce Software.

Key features

Orders, stock, and warehouses

The service covers purchase and sales orders, stock alerts, and inventory synchronization. Barcode scanners can identify SKUs, serial and batch numbers, and sales and purchase orders; serial and batch tracking also covers spare parts, saleable items, and expiry dates. This goes beyond basic stock counts, making the product a stronger fit for businesses that need to trace particular units or time-sensitive inventory.

Teams can manage stock centrally across warehouses, transfer items, and produce warehouse-specific reports. Location limits rise from one on Free to ten on Enterprise, with two on Standard, four on Premium, and six on Plus. The lower tiers may suit a compact operation, but a business adding sites will need to move up the plan ladder.

Mobile work, tax, and connections

Zoho Inventory provides iOS and Android apps as well as a Windows offering, with real-time order-status updates for teams managing and fulfilling orders away from a desktop. Its GST tools include GSTINs, HSN/SAC codes, compliant invoices, automated tax calculations, e-Way bills, and delivery challans. Integrations include Amazon, Shopify, Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, Stripe, PayPal, Slack, and Google Workspace, which can make it a practical option for businesses already using those services.

Plans include API access ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 calls per day. Support is available from product experts 24x5; India contact hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST. Documentation, FAQs, forums, webinars, blogs, developer resources, and partners provide additional support routes.

Pricing

Zoho Inventory has a free plan and four paid tiers. The free plan is ₹0 per organization per month and includes 50 orders and invoices monthly, 20 purchase orders and bills monthly, one user, and one location. Those caps make it a useful entry point for a very small operation, but the order allowance can become restrictive quickly.

Standard is the step up for teams that have outgrown Free but need only two locations and three users. Premium and Plus raise order capacity and footprint for larger operations; Enterprise adds the highest listed order, location, and bin allowances, but still caps users at ten. The yearly billing option is marked as saving 20%, and listed prices exclude GST, so buyers in India should account for tax when comparing costs. A 14-day trial is available.

Platforms

Zoho Inventory is accessible through its Windows offering and iOS and Android apps. Mobile access is particularly relevant for teams that need to check order status and fulfill orders while on the move.

Who it's for

Zoho Inventory is a good fit for businesses that need order processing, barcode-enabled tracking, GST features, and multi-warehouse controls in one service, particularly if their existing workflow uses one of its listed integrations. Its tier range can accommodate different order volumes, but organizations with many users should note that the top two plans both allow ten users. Teams needing only simple stock counts, or businesses whose volume exceeds the tier caps, should compare alternatives.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Barcode support and serial, batch, and expiry tracking help businesses manage identifiable and time-sensitive stock rather than just quantities.
• Pros: Central warehouse controls, transfers, and location-specific reports support multi-site inventory work, with allowances up to ten locations.
• Pros: GST tools cover compliant invoices, tax calculations, e-Way bills, and delivery challans, useful for businesses operating under India's GST regime.
• Cons: Free is limited to 50 orders and invoices, 20 purchase orders and bills, one user, and one location, which constrains even modest teams.
• Cons: Paid prices exclude GST, so the stated monthly price is not the full cost for Indian customers.
• Cons: Enterprise's ten-user cap may not suit larger teams despite its 15,000 monthly orders and ten locations.

Alternatives

Choose OpenBoxes if a free, self-hosted option is preferable and separate hosting and operating costs are acceptable. Katana offers a permanent free tier with 30 SKUs, unlimited users, integrations, and inventory locations, making it worth comparing when SKU count is low but breadth of access matters. InvenTree is a free web, iOS, and Android alternative.

StockFlow has a free plan for 25 items, two users, and one warehouse, a possible fit for a smaller inventory. Stock It Easy is another freemium option with Windows, iOS, and Android support. Axacute offers a free two-user plan and a $25 a month Starter tier for basic warehouse inventory operations. Stockroom has a free plan capped at one location, one user, and 50 active SKUs. StockZip offers a free plan for ten items and one user, with Android, iOS, macOS, and web access.

For other accounting needs, compare SaaS Accounting Software, AI Accounting Software, Gym Accounting Software, and Salon Accounting Software.

Verdict

Choose Zoho Inventory if your business needs barcode and batch-aware stock control, order management, GST tools, and multiple warehouses, and its user and order caps fit your operation. The free tier offers a low-commitment start, while the paid plans expand capacity substantially. Look elsewhere if the monthly quotas, GST-exclusive prices, or ten-user ceiling would limit your team.