Lumina
Inventory management software

The 6 best Cin7 alternatives for scaling brands in 2026

Cin7 does everything from stock records to the warehouse floor, POS, and EDI, and it feels like it. If you need forecasting, replenishment, costs, and cashflow in a system your team will use, more than tills and EDI, here are the alternatives worth shortlisting, with the trade-offs spelled out.

Updated September 2026By Oana Bradulet, Founder, Lumina
The short version

Cin7 is heavyweight enterprise-style software. Most scaling brands need the inventory and planning half, not the tills-and-EDI half.

  • Cin7 (Core and Omni) genuinely covers everything: stock records, warehouse, orders, POS, B2B portals, EDI, manufacturing. That's the half that's real.
  • Forecasting is a separately priced add-on and replenishment is rules-based, so most brands run planning in spreadsheets or bolt a planning tool on top. And the whole thing is dense: reviews report weeks or months to feel comfortable, and brands we work with have watched it shrink into a PO and month-end tool one person maintains.
  • Implementation is a project (four to eight weeks for a standard setup, longer for complex ones) and the licence scales with users and warehouses. That's a lot to absorb if what you needed was planning.
  • Lumina is the closest modern alternative for brands that want inventory and planning in one flexible system the whole team will use: stock ledger, POs and shipments, landed costs, cashflow, forecasting, merchandising, and production planning. It connects to the systems that do fulfilment and the warehouse floor rather than trying to be them.
  • If you genuinely need a new IMS for order fulfilment, the warehouse floor, or EDI, Unleashed and Brightpearl are also worth a look. If you already have Shopify plus a 3PL and need planning on top, skip the IMS hunt entirely.
"Cin7 had every feature you could imagine, and nobody on the exec team wanted to log into it. The Shopify sync kept showing the wrong stock, so it ended up as a manual PO and month-end tool that one person maintained."
— Head of Operations, multi-channel consumer brand

How the top Cin7 alternatives compare

 Lumina
Recommended
UnleashedBrightpearlInventory PlannerNetStock
Primary product typeFlexible inventory and planning systemInventory management system (IMS)Retail operations platform (orders, inventory, accounting)Standard forecasting and replenishment toolERP-led forecasting and replenishment platform
Best forScaling DTC, omnichannel, and FMCG brands, £1–30MManufacturers, wholesalers, multi-warehouse brandsMid-market multi-channel retail brandsBrands with standard PO and replenishment needs and a planner to run itERP-led mid-market manufacturers, distributors, retailers
Demand forecastingBespoke methods per product, every channel, transparent and adjustableBasic; reorder alerts and a simple forecastVia Inventory Planner, bundledMature statistical engineStatistical on ERP data, automatic model selection
Replenishment & POsLead-time, MOQ, and container aware; custom order rulesPO management; rules-based reorderPO management; rules-based reorderStrong PO workflowMature PO automation, ERP-bound
Cash flow & supplier paymentsBuilt in: payment schedules and a cash forecastVia Xero or QuickBooks integrationBuilt-in accountingOutside the toolLives in the ERP
Landed costs & marginBuilt in: freight, duty, and extra charges per unitLanded cost tracking as part of stock valuationWithin its built-in accountingOutside the toolVia the ERP
Range planning & merchandisingMerchandising Suite (WSSI, OTB, range, allocation)Not coveredNot coveredRun alongside in spreadsheetsDistribution-style assortment
Multi-channel (Shopify + Amazon + retail)Native, every channel in one forecastStrong (true IMS)Strong (retail-tuned)Supported but configuration-heavyPossible via the ERP layer
Connects to your stackBespoke connectors: ERP, WMS, accounting, 3PLXero, QuickBooks, Shopify, Amazon, 3PL connectorsShopify, Amazon, eBay, 3PL and shipping partnersBroad connector list, Shopify-firstWidest ERP integration list
Time to liveGuided onboarding, live in weeksAn implementation projectExpert-led implementation projectSelf-serve setupUp to ~90 days (NetStock's own guidance)
Pricing (published)From £295/month + one-off setupCore $399/month, Pro $729/monthQuote-based; reported from around $1,000/monthEssentials $119.99/month; higher tiers quote-basedQuote-only, annual
1

Lumina

Best for scaling brands

Flexible inventory and planning system built for scaling consumer brands. Its stock ledger can be your inventory system of record, or it sits on top of the IMS or 3PL you already have, with no need to migrate stock records. Forecasts demand, automates replenishment, tracks landed costs, and keeps cashflow in view, in one connected system your whole team will use.

Best for
Scaling DTC, omnichannel, and FMCG brands, £1–30M, selling across Shopify, Amazon, and retail, with outsourced manufacturing and 3PLs.
Pricing
From £295/month plus a one-off setup fee. Live in weeks.
Strengths
  • Forecasting built around your range: the right method per product, your promotions and growth plans layered in, every number visible and adjustable
  • Replenishment that respects lead times, MOQs, and containers, with custom rules for how you order
  • Landed costs, supplier payments, and a cashflow forecast alongside the plan, not in a separate spreadsheet
  • Every channel in one forecast, and bespoke connections to whatever systems you run
  • Modular: start with the workflow that hurts most, add merchandising or production planning when ready
  • Guided onboarding in weeks, then a team alongside you as you grow
Trade-offs
  • Doesn't run order fulfilment, the warehouse floor, POS, or EDI; it connects to Shopify, your 3PL, or an IMS for those
  • Not for the very smallest shops where a spreadsheet still does the job
Who should still pick Lumina
You need inventory and planning your team will open every day, not a system one person maintains. You want a stock ledger, POs, landed costs, cashflow, and forecasting in one flexible system, and you'd rather connect to the tools you already have for fulfilment and the warehouse than migrate everything into an everything-platform.
2

Unleashed

A focused IMS for makers and wholesalers

Cloud inventory management system (New Zealand-based, founded 2009) aimed at small-to-mid-market manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors. The closest like-for-like IMS to Cin7 for brands that genuinely need a new system of record.

Best for
Manufacturers, wholesalers, and multi-warehouse brands that need a true IMS: stock records, batch and serial tracking, production, B2B workflows.
Pricing
Published: Core from $399/month, Pro $729/month.
Strengths
  • Genuine IMS: real-time stock across unlimited warehouses, batch and serial tracking, purchasing, production with BOMs and assemblies
  • Strong Xero and QuickBooks integration
  • Mature product with a clear focus; doesn't overreach
Trade-offs
  • Forecasting and replenishment are basic (reorder alerts and a simple forecast); typically paired with a dedicated planning tool
  • No built-in accounting, so you'll keep Xero or QuickBooks alongside it
  • Less DTC-friendly than Cin7 Core out of the box, and still an implementation project
Who should still pick Unleashed
You genuinely need a new IMS, you make or assemble product, run multiple warehouses, or have a B2B-heavy mix, and you'd rather have a focused inventory system than an everything-platform.
3

Brightpearl

Enterprise retail ops, orders first

Multi-channel retail operations platform, owned by Sage since 2022, covering order management, inventory, warehouse, fulfilment, returns, and built-in accounting, with an automation engine for order routing. Repositioned since the acquisition as an enterprise platform for mid-market retailers.

Best for
Multi-channel retail brands with significant in-store, B2B, or wholesale revenue alongside ecommerce, at a size where a sales-led enterprise contract makes sense.
Pricing
Quote-based; reviewers report entry around $1,000/month, with per-user fees on top and price rises at renewal reported since the Sage acquisition.
Strengths
  • Strong retail ops focus: order management, POS, returns, B2B and wholesale, and ecommerce in one
  • Built-in accounting (GL, AP, AR), so no separate finance tool for the basics
  • An automation engine that routes and processes orders by rules is a genuine strength
Trade-offs
  • Forecasting comes from Inventory Planner bundled in (same Sage stable), a separate product layered on rather than planning built into the core
  • Enterprise-style pricing and a sales-led, expert-implemented rollout; not aimed at smaller brands any more
  • No manufacturing module; overkill for a pure DTC brand
Who should still pick Brightpearl
You're a multi-channel retail brand with stores, wholesale, and ecommerce, big enough for an enterprise contract, and you'd rather have one ops platform handling orders, stock, and accounting than three.
4

Inventory Planner by Sage

Established, solid on POs, rigid everywhere else

Long-running forecasting and replenishment tool with a deep feature set. Acquired by Sage in 2022 via Brightpearl. Handles POs well; expects you to work its way.

Best for
Brands with standard forecast-reorder-PO needs and a planner comfortable working inside a fixed, configuration-heavy system.
Pricing
Essentials $119.99/month (single Shopify store and warehouse); higher tiers quote-based, scaling with GMV and SKU count.
Strengths
  • Mature forecasting engine with a long track record
  • Solid PO workflow, including container-aware optimisation
  • Large user base, so plenty of documentation and community knowledge
Trade-offs
  • Fixed workflows and a dense interface; anything non-standard ends up in spreadsheets around it
  • Range planning, landed costs, and cashflow sit outside the tool
  • Existing customers have reported steep price rises at renewal since the Sage acquisition
Who should still pick Inventory Planner by Sage
Your requirements are standard, you have a planner to own the system, and you're happy running range planning, cashflow, and costs elsewhere.
5

NetStock

ERP-led, built for the mid-market

Mature forecasting and replenishment platform for mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and retailers running an ERP. Strong product; assumes you already have the ERP and a planning team to operate it.

Best for
Mid-market businesses already running NetSuite, SAP Business One, Acumatica, or a similar ERP, with a dedicated demand planner.
Pricing
Quote-only, sized to inventory value and modules, billed annually, with implementation services usually on top.
Strengths
  • Strong statistical forecasting with automatic model selection, on stable, distribution-style data
  • Mature PO automation tied to ERP master data
  • Credible mid-market track record and the widest ERP integration list
Trade-offs
  • Requires an ERP underneath; wrong shape for a scaling brand without one
  • Enterprise-style: a fixed planning workflow, quote-based annual pricing, an implementation project (up to around 90 days by NetStock's own guidance)
  • Cashflow, supplier payments, and omnichannel revenue sit outside the tool
Who should still pick NetStock
You run a mid-market ERP, you have a planning team, and you have the budget for an implementation project. If that's not you, skip.
6

Spreadsheets + a 3PL system

Free, flexible, and where everyone starts

Free, flexible, and the default starting point for almost every brand. Worth saying out loud: most teams don't switch because spreadsheets are bad. They switch because the cost of a single mistake outgrew the tool.

Best for
Early-stage brands with one channel, a single planner, and a supply chain simple enough to model in a workbook.
Strengths
  • Free and infinitely customisable
  • Everyone on your team already knows them
  • No vendor onboarding to manage
Trade-offs
  • Manual rework consumes hours a week as SKU count and channels grow
  • One wrong cell can mean an overstock or a stockout that costs far more than any tool
  • No live connections to Shopify, Amazon, ERPs, or 3PLs
  • No automation, no audit trail, no exception flagging
Who should still pick Spreadsheets + a 3PL system
You're early-stage, single-channel, and a planning tool would cost more in onboarding time than it saves this quarter. Revisit when complexity bites.

How we evaluated these alternatives

We chose the five paid alternatives based on the tools brands shortlist when they look up 'Cin7 alternatives', confirmed against customer interviews across DTC, FMCG, retail, and multi-brand companies. We scored each on six criteria. We're upfront that Lumina is our product, and we'd rather lose the deal to the right alternative than win it to the wrong one.

Inventory management depth
Multi-warehouse, batch tracking, B2B / wholesale workflows, retail-channel coverage.
Demand forecasting depth
How well it handles seasonality, promo cycles, and multi-channel demand, and whether you can see and steer the forecast.
Replenishment & supplier ops
PO automation, lead-time and MOQ handling, supplier payment visibility.
Time to value
Days from kickoff to a planner trusting the system enough to run a real PO from it.
Integration footprint
Direct connections to ecommerce (Shopify, Amazon), accounting (Xero, QuickBooks), and 3PLs.
Total cost of ownership
Licence + implementation + the analyst time still spent in spreadsheets after go-live.

Frequently asked questions

See whether Lumina is a fit in 30 minutes

Book a call. We'll get to grips with your requirements, show you what Lumina could look like for your business, and tell you whether it's the right call, or whether one of the alternatives on this list fits you better.