Feature roundup · Inventory tiers checked on official pages, 18–19 October 2026
Best Accounting Software with Inventory 2026: Cheapest Plan by Country
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Quick answer
Inventory is rarely on an entry plan, so the real question is which tier unlocks it and what that tier costs where you are. Zoho Books is the cheapest way in almost everywhere, from Professional (US$50, or US$40 billed annually), and its Indian edition includes inventory tracking on the free plan. MYOB includes inventory from Business Lite in Australia. QuickBooks needs Plus (US$140). Sage needs its top plan. Xero tracks up to 4,000 items natively, with an Inventory Plus add-on in the US. FreshBooks and Wave don’t offer inventory.
Prices are regular monthly prices before tax, from each provider’s official pricing page (18–19 October 2026). Selling mainly online? Our ecommerce guide covers Shopify and Amazon connections. For the full picture, see the best accounting software for small business by country.
Basic stock tracking vs full inventory
“Inventory” covers two quite different jobs, and vendors split them across tiers:
- Basic stock tracking: items with prices and quantities that update as you buy and sell, reused on quotes, invoices and purchase orders. Enough for a trades business that carries parts, or a shop with one stockroom.
- Full inventory: multiple locations, sales orders, stocktakes, large item counts and marketplace or shipping connections. Needed for wholesale, multi-site retail or high-volume selling.
| Software | Basic stock tracking | Fuller inventory |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Books | Professional | Elite: “full-fledged inventory management”, Shopify (up to 2 stores), Etsy, eBay, Amazon, shipping labels; extra locations $10/month each (US) |
| MYOB (AU) | Lite and Pro: inventory and orders, 1 location | AccountRight Plus: unlimited inventory; Premier: multiple locations |
| QuickBooks Online | Plus: track and manage inventory | Advanced adds more users and automation (not inventory-specific) |
| Xero | Up to 4,000 finished items natively | US: Inventory Plus add-on (Growing and Established); other markets via Xero App Store apps |
| Sage Accounting | UK, CA: Plus. Ireland: Accounting (€37) | South Africa: Advanced Inventory add-on (R465/month) |
Cheapest plan with inventory, by country
| Country | Cheapest | Other options |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Zoho Books Professional: $50 ($40 yearly) | QuickBooks Plus $140; Xero Growing $59 + Inventory Plus add-on (price not shown) |
| United Kingdom | Zoho Books Professional: £24 (£20 yearly) | Sage Plus £59 (unlimited users) |
| Canada | Zoho Books Professional: C$35 (C$30 yearly) | Sage Plus C$72; QuickBooks Plus C$110 |
| Australia | MYOB Business Lite: A$315/year (1 location) | Zoho Professional A$33/month (yearly billing); QuickBooks Plus A$84; MYOB AccountRight Plus A$165 (unlimited) |
| New Zealand | MYOB AccountRight Plus: NZ$100 (unlimited inventory) | Xero (native item tracking; check plan details) |
| Ireland | Sage Accounting: €37 (unlimited users) | — |
| South Africa | Zoho Books Professional: R199 (R165.83 yearly) | Sage Standard R490 + Advanced Inventory R465 |
| India | Zoho Books Free (lists inventory tracking) | Zoho paid plans from ₹899 |
Our summary from official pricing pages. Compare tools for your country in our comparison table.
Zoho Books: cheapest inventory in most countries
Zoho Books adds inventory on Professional, which Zoho describes as letting you “take on projects, track your inventory, and handle purchases”. That’s US$50 a month (US$40 billed annually), with 5 users and 10,000 invoices a year. Elite (US$150, or US$120 annually) is the full inventory tier, with marketplace connections and shipping labels. Extra stock locations cost US$10 a month each. In India, the free plan lists inventory tracking.
See our Zoho Books review.
Try Zoho Books free (partner link, opens in a new tab)
MYOB: inventory from the entry plan (Australia)
MYOB is unusual in putting inventory on its entry business plan. Australian Business Lite (A$315 a year) lists “manage inventory and orders”, and Pro (A$70 a month) adds sales orders and unlimited bank accounts. Both work from 1 location, and unlimited inventory is an A$22-a-month add-on. AccountRight Plus (A$165 a month) includes unlimited inventory and payroll, and Premier adds multiple locations and currencies. In New Zealand, AccountRight Plus (NZ$100 a month) is the plan that lists unlimited inventory.
See our Australia and New Zealand guides.
QuickBooks Online: inventory on Plus
QuickBooks puts inventory on Plus in the US, Canadian and Australian editions: US$140, C$110 or A$84 a month. Plus also brings budgets, project profitability and up to 40 classes and locations, with 5 users. It’s the most expensive route to inventory in the US, but it keeps stock, payroll bundles and bill pay in one product. See our QuickBooks Online review.
Xero: native items, plus add-ons
Xero’s Australian inventory page says you can manage up to 4,000 finished items natively, with stock levels updating as you buy and sell, and saved items prefilling quotes, invoices and purchase orders. Beyond that, Xero points to apps in the Xero App Store. In the US, Xero Inventory Plus is an add-on for Growing and Established that connects Shopify and Amazon (FBA).
See our Xero review.
See Xero’s current offer (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Sage Accounting: inventory on the top plan
Sage puts stock and inventory on Plus in the UK (£59, unlimited users) and Canada (C$72, alongside multi-currency). In Ireland it’s the €37 Accounting plan. In South Africa, Advanced Inventory is an R465-a-month add-on. See our Sage Accounting review.
Tools without inventory
FreshBooks and Wave don’t offer inventory management. They suit service businesses, but if you hold stock you’ll outgrow them. See FreshBooks vs Zoho Books if you’re weighing a service tool against one that does both.
Which one should you choose?
- Lowest cost, any country with a Zoho edition: Zoho Books Professional.
- Australia, small stock, staff on payroll: MYOB Business Lite or Pro.
- US, want stock, payroll and bill pay in one product: QuickBooks Plus.
- Several people in the books, up to 4,000 items: Xero (no per-user fees).
- UK or Ireland with many users: Sage Plus or Sage Accounting (Ireland), with unlimited users.
- Multiple warehouses or marketplaces: Zoho Elite, MYOB Premier or Xero Inventory Plus (US).
Weighing up more factors? Use our how to choose accounting software checklist.
FAQ
What is the cheapest accounting software with inventory?
In most countries it’s Zoho Books Professional: US$50 a month (US$40 billed annually), £24 in the UK and C$35 in Canada. In Australia, MYOB Business Lite includes inventory for A$315 a year. In India, Zoho Books’ free plan lists inventory tracking.
Does QuickBooks Simple Start include inventory?
No. QuickBooks adds inventory on Plus: US$140 a month in the US, C$110 in Canada and A$84 in Australia.
Does Xero have inventory management?
Yes. Xero says you can manage up to 4,000 finished items natively, with stock levels updating as you buy and sell. In the US, Xero Inventory Plus is an add-on for Growing and Established that connects Shopify and Amazon.
Do FreshBooks or Wave track inventory?
No. Neither offers inventory management, so product businesses are better served by Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB or Sage.
