Material Manager vs Materials Inventoryfor Shopify (2026)
Both Material Manager and Materials Inventory target Shopify merchants needing inventory management, especially for businesses dealing with raw materials. However, Materials Inventory positions itself more specifically towards makers and manufacturers, offering features such as bills of materials, profitability tracking, and purchase order creation, which Material Manager doesn't explicitly state. Materials Inventory emphasizes real-time synchronization of raw material and product inventory, aiming to prevent overselling and stockouts, whereas Material Manager's description is more general, lacking detailed feature specifics. The higher review count for Materials Inventory suggests greater adoption and potentially wider use, even though Material Manager has a very high rating too.
At a Glance
Material Manager
10 reviews
Materials Inventory
49 reviews
Detailed Overview
Materials Inventory
Inventory management for makers & manufacturers. Create bills of materials & track profitability
Key Features
- Stop overselling: The app updates your Shopify inventory in real-time
- Plan ahead: Know your real-time inventory of bundles, products & raw materials
- Easy to use: Intuitive & easy to use so you can focus on your business
- Informative: Costs & profits per product. Full history of inventory movements
- Low inventory alerts. Thresholds dynamically adjusted. Custom Purchase Orders
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 4.9/5 | 5/5 |
Rating Material Manager4.9/5 Materials Inventory5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 10 | 49 |
Reviews Material Manager10 Materials Inventory49 | ||
| Target Merchant | General Inventory Needs | Makers & Manufacturers |
Target Merchant Material ManagerGeneral Inventory Needs Materials InventoryMakers & Manufacturers | ||
| Bill of Materials (BOM) | Not Specified | Supported |
Bill of Materials (BOM) Material ManagerNot Specified Materials InventorySupported | ||
| Profitability Tracking | Not Specified | Supported |
Profitability Tracking Material ManagerNot Specified Materials InventorySupported | ||
| Purchase Orders | Not Specified | Supported |
Purchase Orders Material ManagerNot Specified Materials InventorySupported | ||
| Real-time Inventory Sync | Implied | Explicitly Stated |
Real-time Inventory Sync Material ManagerImplied Materials InventoryExplicitly Stated | ||
| Low Inventory Alerts | Not Specified | Supported |
Low Inventory Alerts Material ManagerNot Specified Materials InventorySupported | ||
| Overselling Prevention | Not Specified | Supported |
Overselling Prevention Material ManagerNot Specified Materials InventorySupported | ||
Our Verdict
For Shopify merchants operating as makers or manufacturers who need detailed control over their raw material usage, bill of materials creation, profitability tracking, and automated purchase order generation, Materials Inventory appears to be the stronger choice. Its feature set is explicitly tailored to these needs. While Material Manager has a good rating, the lack of specific features and lower number of reviews make it a riskier choice for businesses with complex manufacturing workflows. If a merchant just needs basic inventory management, Material Manager might be suitable, but the detail provided by Materials Inventory should add a lot of value for the right type of business.
Common Questions
Which app is better for manufacturers?
Materials Inventory is the more suitable choice for manufacturers because of its explicit features, specifically regarding Bill of Materials and raw material inventory tracking.
Which app has more users?
Materials Inventory has significantly more reviews (49) than Material Manager (10), suggesting a larger user base.
Can either app help prevent overselling?
Materials Inventory explicitly states that it updates Shopify inventory in real-time to prevent overselling. It is unclear if Material Manager has the feature.
Which app is easier to use?
Both apps claim to be easy to use. However, Materials Inventory specifically calls this out with a headline that is should be Intuitive and Easy to Use.
Does either app offer profitability tracking?
Yes, Materials Inventory allows tracking of costs and profits per product. Material Manager does not mention profitability tracking explicitly.
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