Dear Inventory vs. Ordoro

While Dear Inventory is generally very easy to use, it does take some getting used to. It’s not so much the interface that’s the issue as the range of options and features. Stock orders, for example, can be set for multiple warehouses and tied to a range of inventory accounts.

With a little familiarization however, you and your team should be up and running smoothly.

“The software can be used "out-of-the-box" after a minimal amount of setup, and can also be used in more complex installations where bespoke software development might be needed.”

“Dear lets us manage the extraordinary combination of materials, compounds and product that we manufacture on a daily basis in a straightforward manner.”

“Our overall experience is positive. It was a little bit of a learning curve, but now that we have it down, I couldn't imagine going back.”

Overall, we liked the Ordoro dashboard. It’s straightforward and easy-to-use, with a clean interface. Dedicated areas for shipping, product management, purchase orders (POs), and analytics are accessed from a central toolbar across the top of the page.

Ordoro is a browser-based app, so there’s no need to download any desktop software.

“The software linked perfectly to my couriers and made shipping simple.”

“It's unbelievably functional for the price.”

“Easy to navigate and user friendly interface.”

Dear Inventory is an entirely cloud-based app, so you won’t have to worry about any technical or maintenance tasks. The platform is fully compliant with GDPR and uses secure servers. Unfortunately, a mobile app isn’t available (either on iPhone or Android), so you can only access the interface via a desktop computer.

In terms of training, Dear Inventory provides extensive documentation and 24/7 customer service. No direct setup support is offered, unlike some other platforms that include a dedicated onboarding manager on higher-tier plans. Still, the solution is relatively easy to use out of the box, so this shouldn’t present a problem in the majority of cases.

The analytics and reporting dashboard is fairly comprehensive. Users have access to a range of reports, covering purchases, sales, inventory, finances, auditing and more. Third-party integrations can be used to extend analytics functionality, which is good for retailers that want to leverage demand forecasting, smart data insights, and other similar data processes.

Dear Inventory automation features are also worth noting. Users have access to a package of time-saving tools to streamline workflows. These include scheduled reports, if-then task automation, notifications and alerts (for both staff and customers), and a dedicated workflow dashboard.

We were very impressed with Ordoro’s feature-set. The platform shines in more or less every area, especially in regards to shipping functionality, integrations with third-party marketplaces, and minor features like bundling, custom workflows, and support for dropshipping.

Let’s kick off with the small handful of negatives. Ordoro doesn’t currently offer a mobile app, although you can access the dashboard through your mobile browser. We were also a bit dismayed by the lack of a Zapier integration. What’s more, some features, like warehouse integration, aren’t included in the core package, and will incur extra costs. It’s also worth noting that Ordoro doesn’t offer any manufacturing capabilities. Retailers that need software to manage deliveries of raw materials and production lines should look elsewhere.

On all other fronts, however, Ordoro excels expectations. All the usual features that retailers would expect, including multi-feature inventory management tools, integrations, fulfillment and reorder automation, barcode scanning, POS (point of sale), warehouse management, and more, are included.

The shipping toolkit is among the best in the industry. Retailers have access to an array of discounted prices from leading carriers, insurance, printer integration, and more.

Finally, users can take advantage of an assortment of reports and segmentation options through the analytics dashboard. These cover sales performance, shipping costs, and inventory metrics.

Our opinion of Dear Inventory’s library of integrations is a little mixed. While it’s good overall, it didn’t blow us away.

First, let’s take a look at the good points. The connectors for Xero, third-party marketplaces, and order fulfillment services have received particularly high praise from users. An integration for Zapier is also available, allowing retailers to sync up with hundreds of apps.

Notably, Dear Inventory has its own in-house POS (point of sale), B2B portal for corporate customers, API, and payments processor. All of these are big pluses for users that don’t want the hassle of managing multiple apps.

In terms of accounting, both Quickbooks and Xero are supported. Shipping connectors include ShipStation, Shippit, and Starshipit. Crossfire EDI provides electronic data exchange functionality.

But while Dear Inventory’s library of integrations is certainly satisfactory, it’s not as extensive as other solutions we’ve reviewed. In particular, the support for ecommerce platforms is lacking. Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce are all supported, but there’s no compatibility with platforms like BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Ecwid, or 3dcart (among others).

Equally, we would have preferred to see more native support for marketing tools like MailChimp and Salesforce, though the Zapier connector does go some way in making up for their absence.

If you’re thinking about opting for Dear Inventory, just make sure that you check the integration library first to make sure it includes what you need.

Ordoro has a large library of integrations. It’s not the most comprehensive we’ve seen, but retailers will find everything they need. Interestingly, Ordoro also provides a number of direct integrations with third-party marketplaces, making it a viable option for multichannel sellers. The SPS Commerce integration extends marketplace options even further.

There is also a strong focus on shipping and dropshipping functionality, and few competitors match Ordoro in this regard.

The only downside is that we would have liked to see a Zapier integration, which would allow users to connect apps which aren’t directly supported. But all in all, we couldn’t find much to complain about.

Ordoro excels when it comes to supported ecommerce platforms. Many inventory management apps that we’ve reviewed are compatible only with big brands like Shopify and Magento. Ordoro, on the other hand, syncs up with WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Volusion, 3dCart, Ecwid, and others. In terms of third-party marketplaces, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and Jet are all supported, along with some other smaller names like Reverb and Zoey.

Shipping connectors include USPS, FedEx, UPS, Canada Post, DHL, and Amazon SFP.

Users can also take advantage of Xero and Quickbooks integrations. Point-of-sale functionality is available through Shopify POS and Square.

Dear Inventory has a straightforward and competitive custom pricing model. It’s one of the cheaper enterprise-level solutions that we’ve reviewed.

Because it’s aimed squarely at medium-sized retailers, Dear Inventory is a great choice for companies that require advanced functionality without the price-tag of a broad enterprise platform.

Pricing starts at $199/month for five users and a maximum of 100,000 SKUs (product listings). Users can also opt to pay $2189 for a discounted annual subscription. Every additional user costs an extra $50/month.

A free 14-day trial is available on all plans. If you opt for the annual subscription, you’ll get a month for free.

Ordoro is a slightly mixed bag when it comes to costs. It’s an unusual solution in the sense that it’s suitable for retailers of all sizes, from independent store-owners to international brands.

Generally speaking, the complete inventory management and shipping solution, starting at $499/month, is suitable only for medium-sized and large retailers. There are more inexpensive apps on the market for smaller companies. The shipping-only solution, however, which gives users access to discounted rates and fulfilment features, is only $59/month, so may prove viable for smaller sellers.

Custom-priced plans, which include a dedicated account manager, are available for large enterprises.

Generally speaking, support from Dear Inventory is very good. The majority of users speak highly of the level of customer service, citing friendly staff and quick response times.

Dear Inventory also provides extensive documentation covering all of its features, although we felt it could be slightly better organized.

Despite the quality and 24/7 availability, however, there are a few negatives. Support is only available via support tickets, even on the most expensive plans. Users that prefer to communicate via phone or live-chat might be left feeling frustrated. Finally, Dear Inventory doesn’t offer a dedicated setup manager, which may lengthen the onboarding and implementation period for some retailers.

Ordoro support is very good on the whole. Users can access customer service via email and phone, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM CST.

Ordoro also provides extensive documentation and video guides along with a forum for developers.

Onboarding support is available on all plans but does incur an extra cost. Retailers on the enterprise-level plan, which works on a custom pricing model, will also have access to a dedicated account manager.

It would have been nice to see a live chat option, and receiving support quickly might be tricky for people outside the US, but all in all we were very impressed.

Medium-sized retailers of five employees and up should definitely consider Dear Inventory. It’s an intuitive, powerful solution that provides an array of tools to streamline everything from sales fulfillment to reordering. The feature-set is extensive and includes a POS system, barcode scanning, integrations with third-party tools, analytics, and more.

Wholesalers and manufacturers should also try out Dear Inventory. Trade sellers have access to a dedicated B2B portal for their customers, along with tools for tracking components, assigning materials, and managing multiple warehouses.

Small and independent retailers will likely benefit from a more compact solution, while enterprises may find it too limited. All other companies, however, should definitely take advantage of the free 14-day trial.

Ordoro is one of the best solutions we’ve reviewed. It has an excellent set of features, an extensive integrations library with support for a large number of ecommerce platforms, and is priced competitively. While the costs of the two main plans make it more geared toward medium-sized retailers, smaller retailers with multiple team-members may also find it fits within their budget.

Ordoro offers the best shipping management capabilities of any solution on the market in our opinion, with support for most major carriers in the US and heavily discounted rates. Smaller retailers can also opt for an inexpensive shipping-only package.

The only caveat is that store-owners outside of the US and Canada may struggle with the integrations and US-based support.