Skubana vs. Ecomdash

Skubana is a browser app with a fairly typical user interface design. A central login page links to management dashboards for orders, shipments, inventory, analytics, and so on.

We thought that Skubana’s interface was reasonably intuitive and easy-to-use. It’s not the most straightforward on the market, and there is a slight learning curve, especially when it comes to the analytics dashboard. That said, it’s by no means the worst.

"It's a fantastic platform that has helped us leverage multiple additional technologies."

"It takes a little bit of time to fully learn everything about Skubana, I'm sure we still have a lot to learn."

"It takes a little bit of time to fully learn everything about Skubana, I'm sure we still have a lot to learn."

Ease-of-use is the one area where Ecomdash doesn’t perform well. The interface is outdated and the features aren’t particularly well-organized. While the dashboard follows a typical layout, with a sidebar with links to dedicated areas for managing orders, shipping, analytics and so on, the workflows and organization of input fields do take a little getting used to.

The one upside, however, is that Ecomdash offers extensive support and training materials. So while there is a slight learning curve, users are supported throughout the process.

"The software is so capable that it also has a huge learning curve (we’ve been at it several years and still learn new things), and the interface isn’t very modern, nor is it mobile-friendly."

"Wonderful experience. Would never switch."

"The software takes time to learn and understand. The best part is the support you get from the support team."

On the surface, Skubana’s feature-kit appears less comprehensive than many of its competitors. There’s no mobile app, native barcode scanning, POS, or accounting integrations.

But it’s important to remember that the platform has been designed with multichannel retailers in mind. For this specific group, few other platforms come close to providing the same level of functionality.

Among the most notable features are the individual channel reporting tools, the API for building custom integrations, automation bots which can be used to manage inventory on third-party marketplaces, and advanced options for organizing parent-child and bundled products.

Skubana also excels on the training front. Users have access to onboarding consultants (full onboarding takes between four and six weeks), long-term client success managers, and a complete and highly-praised support package.

The analytics tools also rank among the best in the industry. Retailers can access a myriad of metrics, including turnover for specific channels, fulfillment rates, carrying costs, inventory age, and more. There are dedicated features for calculating customer value, keeping on top of accounting tasks, and maintaining a big-picture view across multiple stores.

Finally, all Skubana servers are run using AWS (Amazon Web Servers) and are fully secure. Reviews indicate that software is well-maintained from a technical standpoint and suitable for scaling companies.

Ecomdash has a broad set of features, with more or less everything you would expect from an inventory management app. Functionality includes SKU mapping, custom order alerts, extensive multichannel tracking, bundled product options, fulfillment tools, and more. Ecomdash also offers a mobile app on Android and Apple, but its functionality is limited to barcode scanning.

New users can take advantage of a myriad of training tools, including a resources library, webinars, and regular demos. Ecomdash also offers a variety of well-priced training packages, covering onboarding support, dropshipping guidance, and dedicated coaches. Support is completely free and the team can be reached via phone, email, and live chat.

So what about analytics? The reporting options are fairly comprehensive. They’re not quite as advanced as what you might find in an enterprise app, but they’re perfectly adequate for small and medium retailers. Along with basic sales and inventory reports, users can also access data about taxes, trends, and the performance of individual listings. Apps are available in the integrations library to supplement the core analytics.

Overall, we were very impressed with the features, level of support, and reporting tools. Ecomdash lacks a little bit of the nuance of enterprise-focused solutions like Skubana, but it’s not far-off. Store-owners and managers will be hard-pressed to find a similar package of features at the price point on offer.

Skubana relies quite heavily on third-party integrations to supplement its core feature-set. Barcode scanning and POS, for example, are only available through connectors. The downside to this approach is that it incurs extra costs because users have to pay for separate services.

While the Skubana integrations library is fairly solid, it’s not the best we’ve seen. Accounting apps for Xero and Quickbooks were notably absent, although Zapier makes up for this to an extent.

Where Skubana really shines, on the other hand, is in relation to omnichannel selling. A variety of EDI tools (SPS, eZCom, B2BGateway, etc.) enable retailers to sync up with practically any third-party marketplace, and native integrations are offered for Amazon, eBay, Groupon, Houzz, Jet, Newegg, Sears, Target, and Walmart. On the shopping cart front, 3dcart, BigCommerce, Magento, Shopify, and Shopify Plus are supported.

Skubana also offers an excellent array of its own integrations with shipping providers, including DHL, Endicia, FedEx, and UPS.

On the whole, while the integrations library might not be the most comprehensive we’ve reviewed, we were left with the impression that it’s been uniquely designed for multichannel retailers. If you sell on various marketplaces, you simply won’t find a more extensive set of connectors.

Ecomdash offers an extensive integrations library, with connectors for accounting apps, fulfillment services, shopping carts, and, of course, a variety of third-party marketplaces.

On the accounting front, both Quickbooks and Xero are supported with in-house integrations. Retailers torn between Skubana and Ecomdash should remember that Skubana doesn’t offer in-house accounting connectors.

As many would expect, Ecomdash excels when it comes to support for third-party marketplaces. A huge number of integrations are provided, including for Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, Google Shopping, Jet, Rakuten, Sears, and others. The integration with SPS Commerce also provides further EDI functionality.

Numerous shipping and fulfillment integrations are also available, with DHL, UPS, and FedEx all covered (among others).

Interestingly, Ecomdash has also built connectors for several drop-shipping providers (such as Hicks and The Wholesale House). These will be useful to retailers that want to offer additional products to their customers.

Finally, a large number of shopping carts are supported, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. We were pleased to see connectors for some smaller ecommerce platforms and site builders like Sitey and SiteBuilder.com.

All in all, we were very impressed with the integrations library. Small and independent retailers that don’t have much development expertise will find the process of connecting to different marketplaces trouble-free.

Skubana is aimed at medium and large sellers dealing with high volumes. Pricing begins at $999/month. At this price-point, we feel that it isn’t suitable for smaller retailers unless they require an inventory management solution designed to sync with multiple marketplaces. For these independent retailers, a number of cheaper options are available.

It’s important to keep in mind that Skubana is the best multichannel platform on the market. The custom pricing model is also very competitive when compared to other providers, and there are no long-term contracts. If you’re considering opting for Skubana, get in touch for a free demo before making a decision.

We liked Ecomdash’s pricing structure and thought that smaller retailers in particular would find it appealing.

Ecomdash uses a custom pricing model that’s based on a store’s volume of sales rather than the number of users or tiered access to different features. Over time, this can result in significant savings. An unlimited number of employees can use the software.

Plans start at $60/month for fewer than one hundred sales. The highest-level plan for stores with between 6,000 and 10,000 sales costs $350/month. Above this amount, users will need a custom plan.

A free trial and annual discounts are available. Onboarding assistance costs $99.

Fewer than 100 orders per month: $60/month. 101 to 500 orders: $90/month. 501 to 1000 orders: $135/month. 1001 to 3000 orders: $190/month. 3001 to 600 orders: $250/month. 6001 - 10,000 orders: $350/month.

Customer support, which is via email (with a turnaround time of twenty-four hours), is generally very good. Users praise both the high level of technical assistance and the responsiveness of the customer service team when alerted to bugs and other backend issues. The FAQs and support documentation is also very extensive.

Skubana provides new users with a dedicated onboarding manager to help them get up and running as quickly as possible. In addition to this, retailers can access a “client success” representative who will help them to take full advantage of the platform.

The one downside is that Skubana doesn’t offer live chat or phone support, which could come in useful when time-sensitive problems arise.

The customer service package offered by Ecomdash is one of the best we’ve come across. Support is via phone, live chat, and email, with availability from 8 AM to 7:30 PM EST.

On top of this, Ecomdash also offers several additional paid services to users. These include onboarding support, assistance with setting up dropshipping on your store, and direct one-to-one training.

User reviews of customer support are very positive on the whole. It would have been nice to see 24/7 availability, and the additional cost of an onboarding manager isn’t fantastic, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better package at this price-point - it even beats some enterprise support offerings.

Skubana isn’t for everybody. If you’re a small online retailer, or if you only sell through one store, then there are other options available with more functionality and better pricing. Skubana also relies quite heavily on integrations.

If, on the other hand, you’re a reasonably high-volume multichannel seller, then Skubana is easily the best solution on the market, and it’s the small details that make the difference. Along with obvious tools like marketplace integrations and multichannel analytics, Skubana also provides less obvious features. These include bundled product options, management of different SKUs for identical products (which can be an issue when using marketplaces), and automation bots for streamlining workflows.

Customer support is excellent, so if you’re thinking about purchasing a subscription, get in touch with the company and ask for a free demo.

Ecomdash occupies a very clear position in the market. It’s a multichannel solution aimed at small and medium businesses.

While there are better options for companies with a single store, and although enterprise multichannel sellers will likely benefit from a more advanced app like Skubana, smaller retailers will struggle to find a better solution, either in terms of functionality or cost.

Standout features include the extensive integrations library, access to multiple support channels, and a custom pricing structure that allows for unlimited users. If you’re thinking about opting for Ecomdash, don’t forget to take advantage of the free trial and video product demos.