What Shopify inventory apps actually cost in 2026 (real pricing, no surprises)
When Stocky was free, nobody thought about inventory app pricing. Now that it’s shutting down in August 2026, you’re suddenly comparing $19/month plans to $349/month ERPs and wondering if you’re looking at the same category.
You are. The range is that wide. And the sticker price rarely tells the whole story.
I went through the actual pricing pages, fine print, and user reports for every major Shopify inventory app. Here’s what they really cost, who they’re actually built for, and where the hidden expenses sit.
The quick comparison
Before the details, here’s the overview. All prices in USD per month.
| App | Starting price | 500 SKU price | 2,000 SKU price | POs | Forecasting | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prediko | $49 | $49 | $49+ (GMV-based) | Yes | Yes (AI) | No (14-day trial) |
| Stockful | $39 | $39 | $79 | No | Yes | No (14-day trial) |
| Sensible | $29 | $29 | $29 | Partial | Yes | No (30-day trial) |
| Forthcast | $19+ | $19+ | Varies | Partial | Yes | No (trial) |
| Katana | $199 | $199 | $199 | Yes | Limited | No |
| Cin7 | $349 | $349 | $349 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Qoblex | $79 | $79 | $79-199 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Assisty | $29 | $29 | $29-59 | Yes | Yes | Free tier |
| LogiStock | $0 | $0-19 | $19-49 | Yes | Yes (AI) | Yes |
A few things jump out.
The GMV pricing trap
Prediko recently restructured their pricing. The published rate is $49/month, but that’s for stores doing under $100K in annual revenue. Their pricing tiers scale with your GMV (gross merchandise volume), and the jumps between tiers aren’t published openly. You select your revenue bracket and get a quote.
This means your inventory tool gets more expensive as your store grows, even if you’re managing the same number of SKUs. A store doing $2M/year will pay substantially more than $49/month.
For comparison: most other apps price by SKU count or features, not by how much money your store makes. If your revenue doubles but your product catalog stays the same, your inventory tool bill shouldn’t double with it.
Prediko is an excellent product. The 4.9 rating across 189 reviews is earned. But the GMV-based pricing is worth understanding before you commit.
The SKU ceiling problem
Stockful prices by SKU count: $39 for 1,500, $79 for 5,000, $149 for 15,000. Clean and predictable. But if you’re at 1,600 SKUs, you jump from $39 to $79. That’s a 100% price increase for adding 100 variants.
Sensible Forecasting avoids this by keeping pricing flat, but their PO features are lighter. You might end up pairing it with a separate tool for supplier management, which adds another subscription.
The lesson: check where the SKU ceilings are relative to your catalog. If you’re near a threshold, factor in the next tier, not the current one.
The ERP tax
Katana ($199+) and Cin7 ($349+) are legitimate operations platforms. They handle manufacturing, multi-channel selling, accounting integration, and warehouse management alongside inventory.
But most Shopify merchants who install them end up using maybe 20% of the features. If you’re a single-channel Shopify store that needs purchase orders and forecasting, paying $200-350/month for an ERP is like buying a semi truck to drive to the grocery store. It works, but you’re paying for a lot of hauling capacity you’ll never use.
The inflection point where ERPs make sense: you manufacture products, sell on 3+ channels, or need direct accounting sync (Xero, QuickBooks). Below that, a dedicated Shopify app covers the same ground for a fraction of the cost.
Where the hidden costs live
Beyond the subscription price, watch for:
Setup/onboarding fees. Some enterprise-tier apps charge $500-2,000 for implementation. Shopify-native apps generally don’t, but ask.
Per-user pricing. If your warehouse manager, purchasing agent, and owner all need access, per-user pricing adds up fast. Check whether the plan includes unlimited users or charges per seat.
Export/API limits. Some apps restrict CSV exports or API calls on lower tiers. If you need to pull data into spreadsheets or other tools, make sure your plan allows it.
Overage charges. A few apps charge per-transaction or per-PO above plan limits. One PO-heavy month can spike your bill unexpectedly.
Discount pressure for annual billing. “2 months free” sounds great, but it locks you in for a year to a tool you’ve used for 14 days. Monthly billing costs more per-month but lets you switch if the tool doesn’t fit.
What actually matters for pricing decisions
Forget the sticker price for a second. The real question is: what does this tool save me in time and money, compared to what I’d do without it?
A $49/month app that saves you 5 hours/week of manual inventory work is a bargain. A $19/month app that saves you 30 minutes/week might not be.
Calculate your current time spent on:
- Checking stock levels and deciding what to reorder
- Creating and sending purchase orders
- Receiving shipments and updating inventory
- Investigating stock discrepancies
- Pulling reports for purchasing decisions
If that total is more than 2-3 hours per week, almost any paid inventory app pays for itself. The question is which one fits your specific workflow, not which one is cheapest.
My honest recommendation
Under 100 SKUs, 1-2 suppliers: Start with a free tier (LogiStock, Assisty) or a spreadsheet. Don’t pay for something you can manage manually in 30 minutes a week.
100-1,000 SKUs, growing store: This is the sweet spot for dedicated apps. Prediko if you want the best forecasting algorithm and don’t mind GMV pricing. Stockful if you care more about reports than POs. LogiStock if you want POs + forecasting + AI at a lower price point.
1,000+ SKUs, multi-location: You need robust PO management and probably multi-location receiving. Qoblex or LogiStock Pro if you want to stay Shopify-native. Katana if you also manufacture.
$5M+ revenue, multi-channel: Consider Cin7 or a proper ERP. At this scale, the operational complexity usually justifies the cost.
Don’t pick the cheapest. Don’t pick the most expensive. Pick the one that matches your actual workflow and will still match it in 12 months when your catalog has grown.
Merchant Core builds AI-powered inventory tools for Shopify merchants. LogiStock offers a free tier, $19 Starter, and $49 Pro plan with full PO management, AI forecasting, and DDMRP buffers. Join the waitlist.