Unleashed Software vs. Dear Inventory

Looking for inventory management software? Here's how Unleashed Software and Dear Inventory stack up.

Mark Hammersley

Mark Hammersley

Last updated 2o July 2020


Unleashed Software

3.7  Stackupp rating


Pricing from

$ 259.00 / month

Free Plan?

Trial


Best for

small and medium-sized retailers and manufacturers.

Dear Inventory

3.8  Stackupp rating


Pricing from

$ 199.00 / month

Free Plan?

Yes


Best for

medium-sized retailers with upwards of five employees. If you’re looking for inventory management software that’s more powerful than a small-business app but not as complex as a fully-fledged enterprise platform, then Dear Inventory could be ideal for you.

Unleashed Software or Dear Inventory: Which is best?

Can't decide between Unleashed Software and Dear Inventory?

Find the best platform for you with our side by side comparison of Unleashed Software and Dear Inventory. See how each platform stacks up across ease of use, features, integrations, support and value for money.

Let the comparison begin. Don't worry, we'll guide you.

Is Unleashed Software right for you?

Unleashed is a popular inventory management solution for small and medium-sized retailers and manufacturers in the UK. If you’re looking for access to a UK support team and a library of integrations tailored to British ecommerce companies, then Unleashed is well worth considering.

In terms of features, Unleashed has everything you would expect in an inventory management app, including stock, reorder, and delivery management tools, analytics, automation tools, barcode scanning, materials and assembly tracking, and more. Features are spread pretty evenly to cover retail and manufacturing functionality, so it’s definitely suitable for both camps.

All of that said, there are a few downsides. Not all ecommerce platforms are supported and native integrations with third-party marketplaces like Etsy and eBay are lacking (although you can make up for this to an extent with the OneSaaS integration).

Advantages

  • Overall, the platform is well-priced.
  • Excellent set of features.
  • Unlimited warehouses, currencies, and transactions.

Drawbacks

  • Not all ecommerce platforms are supported.
  • There are hidden costs, such as compulsory onboarding assistance for the first three months at £119/month and an extra monthly charge for premium support.
  • Support is only via email and community if you don’t want to pay extra

you’re a UK-based retailer or manufacturer that needs a comprehensive inventory management solution with access to a UK support team.

Is Dear Inventory right for you?

Dear Inventory - which brands itself as an ERP or “enterprise resource planning” solution - is a popular inventory management app that caters largely to a client base of medium-sized companies. As far as enterprise solutions go, we found Dear Inventory to be one of the more competitively-priced options on the market.

Retailers have access to everything they’d expect, including inventory, reorder, and delivery tools, third-party integrations, analytics, automations (such as reorder alerts), and syncing across multiple sales channels like eBay and Etsy.

Because Dear Inventory is a solution for stores moving relatively large amounts of stock, it includes a comprehensive package of features for managing manufacturing tasks and multiple warehouses.

Dear Inventory also includes a dedicated POS, payment processor, and API.

Advantages

  • Competitively priced.
  • Excellent and comprehensive set of features.
  • 24/7 customer support.

Drawbacks

  • The dashboard can be overwhelming for inexperienced users.
  • Reporting tools are a little clunky.
  • Help documentation could be better organized.

you’re a medium-sized retailer, wholesaler, or manufacturer that needs an advanced solution that doesn’t come with the hassle and complexities of an enterprise app.

Ease of Use

Our first comparison criteria, ease of use. Why? Because it’s the most important.

Think about it. You don’t want to invest a lot of your precious time setting up an online store and tweaking the design only to find out that it’s a pain in the butt to manage day to day.

We take a look at how simple the Unleashed Software and Dear Inventory platforms are to run.

How easy is Unleashed Software to use?

Rated 4.5/5 for Ease of Use

Unleashed is a cloud-hosted solution and access is through a browser app. It’s a good option for companies that don’t want the hassle of maintaining desktop software.

All in all, the Unleashed dashboard is fairly intuitive and easy to use. It follows a traditional format, with a left-hand menu providing access to the management areas for order processing, customer details, production processes, integrations, and analytics.

What Unleashed Software customers are saying...

“Using Unleashed I finally have a process for everything inventory related in my business from purchasing, manufacturing, through to pick/pack/dispatch/invoice and everything in between.”
“Unleashed is a necessity for small businesses growing in the e-commerce industry.”
"Outstanding. We went live with Xero and Unleashed on October 1, 2018. We chose both on the basis of their respective features, and the tight integration."

How easy is Dear Inventory to use?

Rated 4/5 for Ease of Use

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.

What Dear Inventory customers are saying...

“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.”
Unleashed Software is our winner for ease of use

Unleashed Software Features

Rated 4/5 for Features

Unleashed has a very large set of features and is suitable for both manufacturers and retailers. The platform has everything users need to run a store efficiently. Main features include inventory, reorder, and management tools, analytics, POS, barcode scanning, materials and production tracking, warehouse connectors, and a reasonably extensive library of integrations. The one big downside is that native integrations with third-party marketplaces like Etsy and eBay aren’t available.

Retailers looking for a solution accessible from mobile devices will feel very at home with Unleashed. The Apple and Android apps are suitable for a range of tasks, including displaying online catalogs, checking stock, and making sales (both online and offline). It’s a great tool for sales teams and one of the best inventory management mobile apps we’ve seen.

Training and customer service are also excellent. UK businesses will benefit from fast email support on UK hours, with the option to upgrade to premium phone and live chat support for an extra £119/month. Team members also have access to “Unleashed University”, which is a structured and in-depth set of training materials for new users.

On the reporting front, Unleashed offers a comprehensive collection of twenty-one reports, covering areas like purchases, sales, reorders, and so on. Analytics functionality can further be extended with integrations.

Dear Inventory Features

Rated 4/5 for Features

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.

It's a draw!

Unleashed Software Integrations

Rated 3/5 for Integrations

We were a little disappointed with the Unleashed integrations library. The “App Marketplace” isn’t anywhere near as extensive as some other solutions we’ve reviewed. It’s not terrible - and for many businesses it will be entirely sufficient - but it’s not brilliant either.

Unleashed also relies quite heavily on “connector” integrations like Zapier and OneSaaS, which allow users to link up with third-party apps via an intermediary service, rather than syncing directly. Functionality is sometimes limited by this approach. What’s more, features that retailers may consider essential, such as a point-of-sale system, are only provided through integrations, which often incurs extra costs. It would have been nice to see more in-house Unleashed options for retailers that want to take advantage of additional functionality.

Magento and Shopify are the only ecommerce platforms which are natively supported. Further compatibility, for example with WooCommerce and BigCommerce, is provided through OneSaaS. On the accounting front, both Xero and Intuit Quickbooks are available.

A point-of-sale system is available through Vend or Shopify POS, both well-respected solutions. Shipping is managed with the ShipStation integration. Finally, Unleashed offers an in-house app for building a B2B ecommerce portal, which is a nice extra. Users can also take advantage of a mobile app, downloadable on either Apple or Android.

Dear Inventory Integrations

Rated 3/5 for Integrations

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.

It's a draw!

How much do they cost?

Everyone’s favourite topic - pricing. Let's dive in to see if Unleashed Software or Dear Inventory offers better value for money.

How much does Unleashed Software cost?

Rated 3.5/5 for Pricing

We thought that Unleashed was very affordable. Retailers will appreciate the custom pricing model (the monthly cost increases for every extra user), along with annual discounts and a 14-day free trial.

The one downside is that there are the additional “hidden” costs for premium support and a compulsory onboarding fee of £139/month for the first three months.

The entry-level “Medium” plan, which includes three users, costs £149/month when paid annually or £159/month when paid monthly. Every extra user costs approximately £50/month on all plans. The “Large” plan is £299/month and is suitable for between eight and twenty users. The “Large Plus” plan costs £519/month and accommodates upwards of twenty users.

How much does Dear Inventory cost?

Rated 4.5/5 for Pricing

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.

Dear Inventory is our winner for cost

Help and Support

If things go wrong (and they often do) you need to know someone’s there to help get you back on track. So, how does Unleashed Software's and Dear Inventory's support measure up?

How good is Unleashed Software support?

Rated 3.5/5 for Help and Support

On the whole, support is good. Unleashed customer service teams are available from GMT 8 AM to 6 PM, which will be of benefit to retailers based in the UK who might not be able to access direct support from companies based in other countries. Email and community/forum support are included on all plans. For help via phone or live chat, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium support package, which costs an extra £119/month and has a four-month minimum term.

The big downside in the pricing structure is the inclusion of compulsory “managed onboarding”, which essentially hikes up the monthly price by £139 for the first three months.

How good is Dear Inventory support?

Rated 3.5/5 for Help and Support

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.

It's a draw!

The Bottom Line

The final say. Let's wrap up our thoughts on each platform.

Unleashed Software: Our Verdict

On the whole, we were very impressed with Unleashed. It’s definitely not suitable for certain kinds of retailers, especially those that process high volumes of sales on third-party marketplaces and use unsupported ecommerce platforms. But other retailers will find it ideal. If you’re based in the UK, run manufacturing as well as retail, and require a high-quality mobile app to manage sales and orders, then Unleashed is well worth considering. Despite some semi-hidden costs, it’s also one of the best-priced solutions available. Many retailers will appreciate the custom subscription model.

If you’re thinking about giving it a whirl, just make sure that your ecommerce platform is supported first. And don’t forget to take advantage of the free trial.

Dear Inventory: Our Verdict

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.

Overall, we found Dear Inventory to be the better inventory management platform.

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