Lumina
Inventory planning software

The 5 best Inventory Planner (by Sage) alternatives for scaling brands in 2026

Inventory Planner is feature-rich and battle-tested, and it handles POs well. It's also rigid, and anything non-standard ends up in spreadsheets around it. Here are the alternatives worth shortlisting, ranked by fit, with the trade-offs spelled out.

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

Inventory Planner is a solid standard tool. It's not the best pick for a brand whose requirements aren't standard.

  • Inventory Planner has been around since 2012 and the engine works, but the workflows are fixed, the interface is dense, and it expects you to slot into its way of working.
  • Range planning, landed costs, cashflow, and any forecasting nuance sit outside the tool. Brands we work with run it for POs and a dozen spreadsheets for everything else.
  • Since the Sage acquisition (2022, via Brightpearl), existing customers have reported steep price rises at renewal.
  • Lumina is the closest like-for-like modern alternative: one system for forecasting, replenishment, landed costs, cashflow, and merchandising, configured to how you work, live in weeks. If you're Shopify-only and simple, look at Prediko. If you need order fulfilment, the warehouse floor, or EDI in one system, look at Cin7. If you run a mid-market ERP with a planning team, NetStock.
"Inventory Planner works well for our POs. But we run forecasting, range planning, and cashflow in a dozen spreadsheets around it."
— Managing Director, Fashion brand

How the top Inventory Planner alternatives compare

 Lumina
Recommended
Cin7PredikoNetStock
Best forScaling DTC, omnichannel, and FMCG brands, £1–30MMulti-channel sellers who need order fulfilment, warehouse, POS, or EDI in one systemSimple Shopify-only brandsERP-led mid-market manufacturers, distributors, retailers
Demand forecastingBespoke methods per product, every channel, transparent and adjustableBasic; advanced forecasting a separately priced add-onStandard forecast from Shopify sales historyStatistical on ERP data, automatic model selection
Replenishment & POsLead-time, MOQ, and container aware; custom order rulesPO management; rules-basedPO creation and trackingMature PO automation, ERP-bound
Cash flow & supplier paymentsBuilt in: payment schedules and a cash forecastVia accounting integrationCash projections from the PO calendarLives in the ERP
Landed costs & marginBuilt inLanded cost as part of stock valuationNot coveredVia the ERP
Range planning & merchandisingMerchandising Suite (WSSI, OTB, range, allocation)LimitedNot coveredDistribution-style assortment
Multi-channel (Shopify + Amazon + retail)Native, every channel in one forecastStrong (it's an IMS)Shopify; Amazon and TikTok connectors in progressPossible via the ERP layer
Connects to your stackBespoke connectors: ERP, WMS, accounting, 3PL700+ integrations; IMS replaces other systemsShopify, ShipBob, ShipHeroWidest ERP integration list
Ease of useSpreadsheet-like feel; the whole team uses itPowerful and dense; weeks or months to feel comfortableClean and simplePlanner-led
Time to liveGuided onboarding, live in weeks4–8 weeks (8–12 for complex setups)Days, self-serveUp to ~90 days (NetStock's own guidance)
Pricing (published)From £295/month + one-off setupCore from $349/month; Omni quote-onlyFrom $49/month, stepping up by revenueQuote-only, annual
1

Lumina

Best for scaling brands

Flexible inventory and planning system built for scaling consumer brands. Picks up where spreadsheets break, without forcing you into an ERP or heavyweight software. 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
  • Not for the very smallest shops where a spreadsheet still does the job
  • Doesn't run order fulfilment, the warehouse floor, POS, or EDI; it connects to the systems that do
Who should still pick Lumina
You've outgrown your spreadsheet, looked at Inventory Planner, and realised your requirements don't fit its mould. You want a planning system built around your stack, your workflows, and your cash position, with a team alongside you rather than a login.
2

Cin7

Does everything, and feels like it

Inventory management system (Core, formerly DEAR, and Omni) covering stock, orders, warehouse, POS, B2B portals, EDI, and manufacturing. Planning is the light half: advanced forecasting is a separately priced add-on.

Best for
Multi-channel sellers who need order fulfilment, the warehouse floor, tills, or a B2B portal in one system, and have an ops team to run it.
Pricing
Core from $349/month (Standard), $599 (Pro), $999 (Advanced); Omni quote-only. Forecasting and POS priced separately.
Strengths
  • Genuine IMS: stock, warehouse, orders, POS, B2B, EDI, manufacturing
  • Strong multi-channel order coverage with 700+ integrations
  • Replaces several lower-end tools at once
Trade-offs
  • Heavyweight, enterprise-style software; reviews report weeks or months to feel comfortable
  • Forecasting and replenishment are basic and secondary to inventory ops
  • Brands we work with have watched it shrink into a PO and month-end tool one person maintains
Who should still pick Cin7
You genuinely need the execution layer (fulfilment, warehouse floor, POS, EDI) in one system, you're picking foundational ops infrastructure, and you'll add planning on top.
3

Prediko

Off-the-shelf, if your brand is simple

Shopify-native planner with forecasting, PO management, raw materials, and bundles in one clean, affordable app. Right for simple brands; the template runs out when requirements don't.

Best for
Shopify-only brands with straightforward products, suppliers, and MOQs, who want to log in and go.
Pricing
From $49/month, stepping up by store revenue to $119, $199, and $349. Unlimited users and SKUs.
Strengths
  • Quick to start, clean interface, accessible price
  • Forecasting, POs, and raw materials from BOMs in one app
  • Good fit for Shopify-only demand with predictable growth
Trade-offs
  • Standard forecast you can't steer against growth targets; no landed costs; cash projections only from the PO calendar
  • Shopify-only sales data today (Amazon and TikTok connectors in progress); a 3PL-only integration list
  • Anything slightly non-standard (MOQs at multiple levels, a complex range, a second channel) ends up in spreadsheets next to it
Who should still pick Prediko
Shopify is your whole picture, your supply chain is simple, and the standard workflow covers what you need.
4

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.
5

Spreadsheets

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
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 four paid alternatives based on the tools brands shortlist when they look up 'Inventory Planner alternatives', confirmed against 28 customer interviews across DTC, FMCG, and multi-brand consumer 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.

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.
Flexibility vs rigidity
How well the tool adapts to your stack and workflow, versus how much your team has to learn its quirks.
Time to value
Days from kickoff to a planner trusting the system enough to run a real PO from it.
Integration footprint
Connections to the systems you run: ERPs and IMS (Unleashed, Cin7, NetSuite), accounting (Xero, QuickBooks), WMS and 3PLs.
Total cost of ownership
License + 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.