Sellbrite vs. Unleashed Software

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!"

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.

“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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.