Cin7 vs. TradeGecko

Ease of use is the one area where Cin7 doesn’t perform as well as its competitors. While the dashboard itself is relatively straightforward, the sheer number of features and tools, along with a myriad of configuration options, makes getting to grips with Cin7 a bit of a chore. Onboarding an entire team is even more of a hassle.

In its defence, Cin7 makes up for this shortcoming by offering superlative customer support and a dedicated onboarding manager for larger companies. There is an ample collection of video and written tutorials.

"It can be overwhelming. When you first land in Cin 7 there are so many buttons and options that it can overwhelm you, especially if you are new to inventory management."

“There is an expectation to learn and adapt, much the same as with any stock and business the executives stage this thoroughly. Cin7 has incredible help and documentation to assist to relieve this.”

“The implementation does take a while and there is a lot to think about how you set it up for longer term growth.”

TradeGecko is one of the best platforms we’ve sampled when it comes to ease-of-use.

The login shows a snapshot of your store’s performance, including total sales, costs, and profit. You’ll also see a breakdown of sales by channel. A simple options bar leads you to the dashboards for inventory management, orders, analytics, and so on.

The one downside is that TradeGecko only provides limited help with setup - around two hours on higher-priced plans - although the simplicity of the interface will often mean that more assistance is not needed.

“Overall it solves most of the business issues and overall we're happy with the product and with Tradegecko.”

“I really like the software and Customer support is always very helpful in every aspect.”

“I have had a few bumps along the way with Tradegecko, but overall I love it.”

Cin7 is a cloud-based browser app, so you don’t have to handle any backend tasks yourself. Users have expressed a small number of concerns relating to technical errors. But on the whole, Cin7 is quick to remedy any bugs, and the quality of support is very high.

Unfortunately, Cin 7 doesn’t offer a mobile app, so you’ll only be able to complete tasks from a desktop computer. You can use third-party tools that integrate with Cin7 that do have mobile apps, however. So, depending on your needs, some smartphone access may be possible.

On the training front, Cin7 provides a dedicated onboarding manager to help get businesses on enterprise plans up and running as quickly as possible. While there aren’t any long-term account managers, the quality and speed of support going forward are good, and there is an extensive library of training resources.

So what about analytics? Cin7 has extensive reporting facilities to streamline tasks like forecasting, restocking, inventory management, warehouse space allocation, and so on. Automation features enable retailers to take advantage of “smart insights” without having to crunch huge quantities of data.

Finally, Cin7 has implemented a number of security measures to safeguard sensitive data and ensure GDPR compliance. All team-members have unique logins (shared logins are not supported) and data is encrypted using “Transparent Data Encryption” or “TDE”. End-to-end encryption is available.

TradeGecko has a relatively large feature set. Some features, such as a native POS system, are lacking, but integrations make up for any shortcomings.

TradeGecko offers an iPad and iPhone app, which can be used to manage orders, scan barcodes, and access your catalog. Unfortunately, an Android app is not available. As a browser-based app, TradeGecko does not have an offline mode.

Support and training are generally very good, and TradeGecko provides a high level of general customer service with 24/7 email tickets. On the “Small Business” plan and above, users have access to a member of the onboarding team to ensure a frictionless setup. The “Premium” and “Pro” plans also have dedicated support managers.

The analytics dashboard includes a standard set of reports, covering sales, orders, and historical performance. Integrations are available to extend the core functionality of the TradeGecko analytics dashboard with features like demand forecasting and data insights.

Finally, TradeGecko prioritizes user privacy and data protection. It’s a fully cloud-hosted solution that runs on Amazon Web Servers (one of the most secure options available). Managers can also take advantage of permissions to restrict team members from accessing areas of the app or seeing certain types of information.

Cin7 excels on the integrations front. Large companies that want to build a fully synced and integrated tech stack will struggle to find a solution that offers more options.

Cin7 integrates with over 450 third-party apps, spanning areas like accounting, sales and marketing, shipping, logistics, analytics and more.

It’s compatible with all the main ecommerce platforms, including Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce. Equally, a broad array of marketplaces are covered, including but not limited to Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and Wayfair. EDI (electronic data interchange) links with companies like ACE Hardware, Accent, and Amazon Dropship are also offered.

A wide host of marketing tools (Salesforce, Mailchimp, Capsule, etc.) are supported, along with a complete selection of payment processors for managing transactions according to your preferences.

Finally, Cin7 provides a software developer kit (REST API) and is compatible with intermediary tools like APICAL, which is great for situations when a direct integration is not offered.

So far, so good, right? But there is one note of caution that needs to be sounded. While it’s evident that Cin7 has put a lot of effort into building out its library of integrations, it shouldn’t be taken as a given that they will all be included in whatever plan you opt for (“Starter”, “Momentum”, or “Advanced”). Cin7 doesn’t operate a straightforward tiered subscription model, opting for custom pricing instead. Users have mentioned in reviews that Cin7 sometimes charges extra for certain integrations.

Our opinion of TradeGecko’s integration library was somewhat mixed. What’s on offer is reasonable, but it’s not as extensive as some other inventory management solutions we’ve reviewed.

In terms of ecommerce platforms, TradeGecko is compatible with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Amazon, PrestaShop, eBay, BigCommerce, 3dcart, and others. If you’re using a well-known provider, then the likelihood is that you’re good to go.

Beyond this, however, TradeGecko starts to falter a little. The list of integrations with third-party marketplaces is satisfactory but not brilliant. The big players like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Walmart are all covered.

TradeGecko doesn’t have an in-house POS (point of sale) system, so you will need to opt for either Shopify POS or Lightspeed.

A good selection of 3PL, shipping, and EDI integrations are also provided. On the accounting side of things, only Quickbooks and Xero are supported. Finally, users can take advantage of additional reporting integrations to extend the functionality of TradeGecko’s native analytics tools.

If you’re thinking about opting for TradeGecko, make sure you take a look at the integrations library first to ensure that you’ll have access to all the functionality you require. While the level of support for third-party platforms is good, it’s not out of this world.

Cin7 is a touch towards the pricey side but not overly so. Rather than charge a set amount for each of the three different packages - “Starter”, “Momentum”, and “Advanced” - Cin7 works on a custom subscription model. You will need to get in touch directly to discuss pricing.

Plans start at $299/month. This price-tag will likely be too high for smaller retailers, who will find alternatives like TradeGecko or Handshake more suitable. For enterprise solutions, however, Cin7 has positioned itself competitively. And, depending on your needs, it may be the most financially-viable option (due to the custom subscription structure). Keep in mind that plans from enterprise competitor Skubana start at $999/month.

TradeGecko plans are priced very competitively. The lower-tier options are suitable for smaller retailers, and medium-sized stores will find a lot to like in the “Business” and “Premium” packages.

The downside is that the “Founder” and “Lite” plans, which cost $39/month and $59/month respectively, lack some features that many retailers would consider essential. Only one sales integration is allowed on these plans, for example, and there is no automation on the “Founder” plan. What’s more, demand forecasting and integration with FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) are only available on the “Business” plan, which costs $479/month.

Discounts are available on all plans for an annual subscription.

Support from Cin 7, which is via phone and through tickets, is excellent. Numerous reviewers attest to the quality and speed. Cin7 has also committed to continuously improve its customer service, and intends to add 24/7 availability and live chat to its support package.

Users can also choose to access a dedicated onboarding manager who will be available during the often-tricky transition period. This one-on-one help is a big plus for companies that need to train staff quickly. Cin7 has also built an extensive training library.

The one downside is that even the highest-priced enterprise plans don’t come with a dedicated support specialist after the initial set-up period.

We were very impressed with the level of customer service offered by TradeGecko. Users on all plans have access to 24/7 email support. An account manager is also assigned to subscribers on the “Small Business”, “Business”, “Premium”, and “Pro” plans. User reviews of customer service are generally very positive.

The one small downside is that onboarding managers only provide limited support - two hours on the “Small Business” plan and four hours on the “Business” plan. That said, the user interface is very easy to use and invariably only requires a minimum of training.

TradeGecko also offers extensive written and video materials. There is no community forum.

Cin7 has many excellent features, including industry-leading customer support, extensive functionality (covering all areas of inventory management), and a large library of integrations for a seamlessly connected tech stack.

It’s definitely an enterprise-level solution and will appeal to retailers that are selling in excess of 5000 units per month (as a minimum). Smaller store-owners will likely benefit from a lower-priced platform. Plans start at $299/month, which is about mid-range for this type of software. The custom pricing model also means that you may be able to make savings which wouldn’t be possible if you opt for a one-size-fits-all package.

In short, it’s a feature-rich and reasonably priced platform that medium and large retailers should certainly consider.

Despite a few flaws, TradeGecko is an excellent option for retailers that process between 50 and 5000 orders per month. Although some in-house functionality, such as a point of sale (POS) system is missing, integrations tend to plug up any shortcomings.

You’ll find everything you need in the feature-set, including connectors with third-party marketplaces, warehouse management, manufacturing materials tracking, reporting tools, barcode scanning, automation, multiple language support, and more.

Smaller businesses that need an inexpensive and straightforward solution that doesn’t sacrifice functionality should definitely consider TradeGecko. The superb 24/7customer support is also a big plus.

Larger retailers (in excess of 5000/month), on the other hand, will likely need a more powerful and customizable inventory management platform.