Brightpearl vs. Sellbrite

Brightpearl is something of a mixed bag when it comes to ease of use. While the interface itself is relatively straightforward, and much more intuitive than some competitors we’ve tried, configuring settings can be cumbersome.

Tasks like creating listings, batching products, and setting up integrations, for example, require numerous manual steps.

There is a little bit of a learning curve for new users. That said, Brightpearl offers high-quality support and extensive documentation, along with the option of dedicated training.

"While Bright Pearl is easy to use, sometimes the amount of manual steps you have to take with some of the processes are tedious."

"Sometimes you have to do things by the book and can't cut corners in processes."

"Really easy to learn and manage."

Sellbrite excels when it comes to ease of use.

It’s a browser-based app with a straightforward interface. The login page contains an array of analytics widgets, and users can access dedicated pages to manage products, orders, channels, and reports from a navbar across the top of the screen.

Time-saving features like one-click marketplace integrations and listing templates are an added bonus.

"The Sellbrite application is extremely user friendly, so easy to navigate and what impressed me the most was the support team behind Sellbrite."

"Easy to use and small learning curve."

"Amazing App! Even better support!"

As a cloud-based solution geared towards larger companies, Brightpearl has an extensive array of features along with high-level reporting and inventory management tools. We couldn’t find anything major that was missing.

Brightpearl operates according to a “modular” pricing structure, so users can choose which kinds of functionality they want to pay for. In the longer-term, this may prove more cost-effective than opting for a one-size-fits-all plan.

Unusually for an inventory management app, Brightpearl also has CRM capabilities, making it possible to store and manage client details and send out notifications.

The only downsides were the lack of a mobile app and a somewhat limited selection of marketplace integrations (although this is offset somewhat by intermediary connectors like SPS Commerce). We also felt that some essential features, like POS, were omitted from the plan for smaller retailers.

In terms of order, inventory, and shipping management, Brightpearl includes multiple tools for dealing with high sales volume, including automated fulfilment rules. Users can also take advantage of multi-location and multi-currency inventory control, and warehouse features like barcode scanning.

The analytics centre allows for the creation of a variety of advanced reports covering channel-specific performance, demand forecasting, customer analysis, and more.

Finally, Brightpearl has a range of offerings for companies experiencing fast growth, including the option to move over to dedicated secure servers.

Sellbrite has a comprehensive set of features. With a robust package of inventory, reorder, and delivery tools, most retailers will find everything they need to manage stock effectively. Sellbrite also offers several time-saving extras, including one-click installs, listing templates, and selective stock pushing to set which warehouses are used to fulfill orders.

Users also have access to product variation options (size, colour, etc.), negotiated rates for FedEx, UPS, and USPS, order routing and splitting tools, and an API (on the premium plans).

Unfortunately, some features commonly found in other platforms are missing. There’s no mobile app, for example, and retailers can only access a POS through their ecommerce platform. Barcode scanning is also unsupported. Furthermore, the integrations library is somewhat limited, with the exception of the marketplace connectors.

Training, on the whole, is good, with dedicated onboarding assistance. That said, sessions are limited to 30 minutes on the lowest-priced plan and two hours on the premium plan. There are extensive resource guides and webinars for new users.

Finally, the analytics area is fairly standard, with multichannel sales and inventory reports available.

All in all, there’s nothing major to quibble about in regards to Sellbrite’s feature-kit. Our only complaint is that some features many retailers would consider essential are absent. Make sure to check that Sellbrite offers everything you need before you part with your hard-earned cash.

While the Brightpearl integrations library is good, we weren’t absolutely blown away by it. For an enterprise platform of this sort, we expected to see more native marketplace integrations and support for a wider selection of ecommerce platforms.

As a retailer, you will likely find everything that you need. And even when in-house integrations aren’t offered, third-party connectors make up for the gaps in functionality. Just make sure you check out what’s on offer before you purchase. Large companies will be pleased to hear that Quickbooks, Xero, and Avalara are all supported on the accounting front. Brightpearl also integrates with the desktop version of Quickbooks.

In terms of ecommerce platforms, Shopify, Shopify Plus, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and NuORDER are all covered.

Native integrations with third-party marketplaces Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Jet, and Newegg are provided. On the surface, this looks somewhat paltry for a dedicated omnichannel solution. And while this is true to an extent, SPS Commerce and CommerceHub significantly extend marketplace functionality. Brightpearl is built to work well with both of these integrations.

Finally, a wide range of shipping connectors is provided, including ShipStation, Hermes, DHL, Royal Mail, FedEx, UPS, Parcel Force, and others. Unlike many competitors, the selection of shipping integrations caters to UK as well as US retailers.

Sellbrite scored reasonably well on the integrations front but is outperformed by some close competitors. We felt that Ecomdash, for example, had a more extensive library.

We also disliked that there aren’t any intermediary integrations which extend the native functionality of Sellbrite in terms of linking up with more third-party marketplaces. You can only sync up with the marketplaces that Sellbrite offers. Sometimes, you even have to pay extra for these integrations, as is the case with the Amazon FBA connector.

Another downside is that Quickbooks and Xero aren’t yet supported, which may be a deal-breaker for some retailers. There’s no Zapier integration, either, so you can’t sync Sellbrite up to unsupported apps in your tech stack.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. There’s a good assortment of marketplace integrations, including Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Google, Sears, and others. In terms of shopping carts, Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce are all supported. Notably, there’s no Magento integration, but this does make sense considering that Sellbrite isn’t an enterprise solution. Finally, ShipStation is available for handling shipping.

It’s not an outstanding selection but it’s by no means shabby. Take the time to review the integrations library before you subscribe to a paid plan. If it contains everything you need, then you won’t have any issues.

Brightpearl operates a custom pricing model and doesn’t publish exact figures on its site. You’ll need to get in touch directly for a quote.

Broadly speaking, there are two plans available, although various levels of customization are available. The first plan is for retailers processing under 1500 orders per month; the second is for retailers with orders in excess of 1500 per month.

The first plan allows for five channels and five users, while the second allows for an unlimited number of both users and channels. Warehouse management and POS is only available on the higher-priced plan. No free trial is explicitly offered but it may be possible to organize one.

On the face of it, Sellbrite is one of the best-priced multichannel solutions for smaller retailers. But after doing a little digging, we found there were a few catches.

We’ll start off by saying that Sellbrite is definitely competitively priced. Plans start at $49/month for less than one hundred orders (which is the lowest entry-level price we’ve seen for this type of software) and run all the way to $399/month for up to 10,000 orders.

Sounds good, right? That is until you take into account the “hidden” costs. Adding the FBA integration to your package will set you back an additional $50. Other apps may also incur extra charges. And all your eBay listings will be branded with a “Powered by Sellbrite” badge on the entry-point plan.

So while the pricing is OK, it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Brightpearl has an excellent support package. Companies in the UK and US will benefit from dedicated customer service teams in their own countries. There’s no limit to the number of technical requests that users can make.

Phone support is available sixteen hours a day. During the remaining eight hours, users can take advantage of 24/7 email support, with an average 26 minute response time.

Brightpearl also offers extensive documentation and training videos, along with access to a community of users. Companies that need extra training, whether in relation to sales order management, accounting, or the use of integrations, can purchase additional support packages.

Sellbrite excels when it comes to help and support. If you’re looking for an app with a high-quality customer service package, then you needn’t look any further.

Along with onboarding sessions (included on all plans), users have access to email, live chat and phone (via callback) support, available 8 AM to 5 PM PT Monday to Friday.

Sellbrite also offers extensive documentation and training videos, including regular webinars.

The one slight downside (and we’re being really picky here) is that there isn’t a community of fellow users to consult. Given the speed and quality of the support on offer, however, this shouldn’t be a problem.

We were very impressed with Brightpearl. While we have a few minor quibbles - mainly due to the small number of native marketplace integrations, tedious configuration settings, and a lack of features on the lower-priced plan - overall we liked what we saw. Enterprise ecommerce companies will find everything they need with this inventory management solution.

It’s definitely geared towards larger retailers (with a minimum of one million dollars in yearly sales) and the cost of the software will be untenable for most smaller businesses. For larger online sellers, however, the modular pricing structure may prove more cost-effective than alternatives.

If you think it might be suitable for you, our advice is to get in touch and ask for a demo.

Sellbrite is very clear about its market positioning. It’s a multichannel solution aimed at small and medium retailers with up to 10,000 monthly product sales. If you fit into this category, then it’s well worth considering. If you’re an enterprise multichannel seller, on the other hand, you will likely need a more powerful solution like Skubana or Brightpearl.

While some features are missing, such as barcode scanning, POS, and accounting integrations, other aspects of the app stand head-and-shoulders above the competition. These include the customer support package, time-saving options like one-click marketplace integrations, and the intuitive dashboard.

If you think it might be the inventory management app for you, take advantage of the 30-day free trial and check out some close competitors like Ecomdash first.