Lumina
Inventory management software

The 6 best Cin7 alternatives for scaling brands in 2026

Cin7 is an IMS first and a planning tool second. If you're a scaling brand that needs forecasting, replenishment, and cash flow more than warehouse record-keeping, here are the modern alternatives worth shortlisting — honest about trade-offs.

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

Cin7 is a strong IMS. It's a weak planning tool. Most brands don't actually need the IMS half.

  • Cin7 (both Core and Omni) is genuinely capable at multi-channel inventory record-keeping — warehouses, B2B, retailers, marketplaces. That's the half that works.
  • Demand forecasting and replenishment inside Cin7 are basic — most brands eventually bolt on a planning tool (like Lumina) on top, or run the planning in spreadsheets and use Cin7 only for stock and order ops.
  • Implementation runs 1–3 months and the licence scales fast as users and warehouses grow. For a £5–30M scaling brand, that's a lot of cost and time to absorb when you could plug a planning tool into the IMS you already have (or to Shopify directly).
  • Lumina is the closest modern alternative for brands that want planning to do the heavy lifting and let an IMS (or a 3PL system, or just Shopify) handle the stock records.
  • If you genuinely need a new IMS from scratch and value Cin7's omnichannel coverage, Unleashed and Brightpearl are also worth a look. If you already have Shopify + a 3PL and just need planning on top, skip the IMS hunt entirely.
"Cin7 became the system we maintained instead of the one we used."
— Head of Operations, Multi-channel beauty brand at (anonymous, customer interview)

How the top Cin7 alternatives compare

 Lumina
Recommended
UnleashedBrightpearlInventory PlannerNetStock
Primary product typeDemand & inventory planningInventory management system (IMS)Retail ops + IMSForecasting + replenishment for ShopifyForecasting + replenishment for ERPs
Best forScaling DTC + omnichannel brands £5–30MManufacturers, wholesalers, multi-warehouse brandsMulti-channel retail brandsShopify-first DTC brandsDistributors with NetSuite / SAP / Acumatica
Demand forecastingAI forecasting across SKU, channel, regionLimited — basic replenishment mathLimited — basic replenishment mathStrong forecasting, Shopify-tunedStrong statistical forecasting
Replenishment & POsAutomated POs with lead time + MOQ logicPO management; rules-based reorderPO management; rules-based reorderStrong PO workflowStrong PO automation
Cash flow & supplier paymentsBuilt in — supplier ledger + cash impactVia Xero integrationVia accounting integrationLimitedNot in scope
Multi-channel (Shopify + Amazon + retail)Native — built for omnichannelStrong (true IMS)Strong (retail-tuned)Shopify-first; weaker outside itERP-dependent
Integrations (ERP / IMS / 3PL)Unleashed, Xero, Cin7, Shopify, Amazon, 3PL exportsXero, QBO, Shopify, Amazon, 3PL connectorsShopify, Amazon, accounting connectorsShopify, QuickBooks, NetSuiteRequires NetSuite / SAP / Acumatica underneath
Time to live~1 week guided onboarding1–2 months1–3 months2–4 weeks2–6 months (ERP-paced)
Starting price (indicative)From £59/user/mo + modular add-onsFrom ~$349/moFrom ~$375/moFrom ~$200/moCustom (typically £15k+/yr)
1

Lumina

Best for scaling brands

AI demand and inventory planning built for scaling consumer brands. Sits on top of the IMS or 3PL system you already have — no need to migrate stock records. Forecasts demand, automates replenishment, and surfaces cash-flow risk in one connected platform.

Best for
Fast-scaling DTC, omnichannel, and FMCG brands £5–30M turnover, multi-channel (Shopify + Amazon + retail), with outsourced manufacturing and 3PLs.
Pricing
From £59/user/mo + modular add-ons. 1 week to onboard.
Strengths
  • AI forecasting that handles seasonality, promo spikes, and multi-channel demand
  • Automated replenishment with lead time + MOQ logic and supplier visibility
  • Cash flow and supplier-payment view alongside inventory — not in a separate tool
  • Sits on top of Cin7, Unleashed, Brightpearl, NetSuite — no rip-and-replace
  • Live in a week with guided onboarding — no consultants, no implementation budget
  • Modular: start with the workflow that hurts most, layer in the rest later
Trade-offs
  • Not a full IMS replacement — pairs with Cin7, Unleashed, or a 3PL system for stock records
  • Built for £5M+ scaling brands — overkill for very small Shopify shops
Who should still pick Lumina
You don't want to migrate stock records into a new IMS. You want a planning tool that respects the systems you already have — Cin7, Unleashed, Shopify, your 3PL, your accountant — and adds forecasting, automated replenishment, and cash-flow visibility without a six-month rollout.
2

Unleashed

Cloud-based inventory management system aimed at small-to-mid-market manufacturers and wholesalers. 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 — strong on stock records, batch tracking, and B2B workflows.
Pricing
From ~$349/mo
Strengths
  • Genuine IMS — solid on stock records, batch tracking, multi-warehouse, B2B
  • Strong Xero / QuickBooks integration (built by Xero-adjacent team historically)
  • Mature product with a clear focus — doesn't overreach
Trade-offs
  • Planning, forecasting, and replenishment are basic — typically paired with a dedicated planning tool
  • Less DTC-friendly than Cin7 Core out of the box
  • Implementation still takes 1–2 months
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

Multi-channel retail ops platform with order, inventory, and CRM tools bundled. Strong fit for retail-heavy brands that want a single tool for orders + stock + reporting.

Best for
Multi-channel retail brands £3–30M with significant in-store, B2B, or wholesale revenue alongside ecommerce.
Pricing
From ~$375/mo
Strengths
  • Strong retail ops focus — handles POS, returns, B2B/wholesale, and ecommerce in one
  • Mature reporting and accounting integrations
  • Order management is a genuine strength
Trade-offs
  • Demand forecasting and replenishment are basic — bolt-ons typically needed
  • Implementation 1–3 months and not cheap
  • Less ideal for pure DTC brands; the retail ops surface area is overkill
Who should still pick Brightpearl
You're a multi-channel retail brand with stores, wholesale, and ecommerce — and you'd rather have one ops platform handling orders, stock, and accounting integrations than three.
4

Inventory Planner by Sage

Long-running demand forecasting and replenishment tool tuned to Shopify-first DTC. Acquired by Sage in 2021 — strong historical product, evolving roadmap.

Best for
Shopify-only or Shopify-led DTC brands wanting forecasting and replenishment without buying a full IMS.
Pricing
From ~$200/mo
Strengths
  • Mature forecasting engine with a good track record on consumer brands
  • Solid PO workflow and reorder logic
  • Comfortable Shopify-native experience
Trade-offs
  • Shopify-first; weaker for brands with significant Amazon, retail, or B2B revenue
  • Cash flow, supplier payments, and range planning sit outside the tool
  • Sage acquisition has slowed independent roadmap velocity
Who should still pick Inventory Planner by Sage
You're a £2–10M Shopify DTC brand with one channel, one warehouse, and you want better forecasts plus a clean PO workflow — without buying Cin7's full inventory system.
5

NetStock

ERP-native demand and replenishment platform built for distributors and mid-market manufacturers. Strong forecasting, but assumes a NetSuite / SAP B1 / Acumatica ERP underneath.

Best for
Distributors and manufacturers £100M+ already running a mid-market ERP with a dedicated planning team.
Pricing
Custom (typically £15k+/yr fully loaded)
Strengths
  • Mature statistical forecasting with a long track record
  • Strong replenishment automation for B2B distribution workflows
  • Good fit when ERP is already in place and planning is the missing layer
Trade-offs
  • Requires an ERP — not a fit for scaling brands without one
  • Implementation is ERP-paced (2–6 months) and consultancy-led
  • Pricing is opaque and skews high once services are factored in
Who should still pick NetStock
You're a £100M+ distributor or manufacturer with NetSuite, SAP B1, or Acumatica in place, and you need a serious planning layer on top.
6

Spreadsheets + a 3PL system

The honest baseline. For brands that don't need a full IMS, the cheapest path is: 3PL or Shopify for stock records, spreadsheets for planning. Free, flexible, and what most brands actually default to before reaching for a tool.

Best for
Pre-£5M 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 per week as SKU count and channels grow
  • Single mistakes cost £50k+ in overstock or stockouts
  • No live connections between the spreadsheet, Shopify, and your 3PL
  • 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 would save this quarter. Revisit when complexity bites.

How we evaluated these alternatives

We chose the five paid alternatives based on the tools brands actually 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; we've tried to be fair to every other tool here, and we'd rather lose a 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
Accuracy across seasonality, promo cycles, and multi-channel demand patterns.
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 demo. We'll walk through your stack, show you the planning workflow against your real data, and tell you honestly if Lumina is the right call — or if one of the alternatives on this list fits you better.