Materials Inventory vs Publish or Hide Products Xfor Shopify (2026)
Materials Inventory and Publish or Hide Products X both aim to optimize inventory, but they address fundamentally different needs. Materials Inventory focuses on manufacturers and makers, providing robust tools for managing raw materials, tracking costs, and calculating profitability. Its core strength lies in connecting raw material inventory to finished product inventory, preventing stockouts, and facilitating purchase order generation. It targets businesses deeply involved in production and assembly. Publish or Hide Products X, on the other hand, focuses on controlling product visibility across multiple channels based on inventory levels or schedules. It's designed to prevent overselling, manage product launches, and automate product availability updates across various sales channels, including social media. This app is geared towards merchants concerned with omnichannel sales and marketing.
At a Glance
Materials Inventory
49 reviews
Publish or Hide Products X
7 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
Publish or Hide Products X
Chameleon App auto-hides or republishes products across all channels based on inventory or schedule.
Key Features
- Automatically hide products across all channels in real-time based on inventory.
- Schedule product hide/unhide actions with flexible timing for better control.
- Supports multi-channel visibility, including social media and online store.
- Use excluded tags to keep selected products visible even when out-of-stock.
- Schedule future product launches across all channels with ease.
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 5/5 | 4.9/5 |
Rating Materials Inventory5/5 Publish or Hide Products X4.9/5 | ||
| Reviews | 49 | 7 |
Reviews Materials Inventory49 Publish or Hide Products X7 | ||
| Target Merchant | Manufacturers and Makers | Omnichannel Retailers |
Target Merchant Materials InventoryManufacturers and Makers Publish or Hide Products XOmnichannel Retailers | ||
| Core Functionality | Raw Materials & Product Inventory Management | Product Visibility Control |
Core Functionality Materials InventoryRaw Materials & Product Inventory Management Publish or Hide Products XProduct Visibility Control | ||
| Primary Benefit | Accurate cost tracking & profitability analysis | Prevention of overselling & automated product updates |
Primary Benefit Materials InventoryAccurate cost tracking & profitability analysis Publish or Hide Products XPrevention of overselling & automated product updates | ||
| Inventory Trigger | Updates product inventory based on raw materials. | Hides/Publishes products based on inventory levels. |
Inventory Trigger Materials InventoryUpdates product inventory based on raw materials. Publish or Hide Products XHides/Publishes products based on inventory levels. | ||
| Key Feature: Purchase Orders | Custom Purchase Order Creation | N/A |
Key Feature: Purchase Orders Materials InventoryCustom Purchase Order Creation Publish or Hide Products XN/A | ||
| Cross-Channel Support | Shopify Only | Multi-channel including social media |
Cross-Channel Support Materials InventoryShopify Only Publish or Hide Products XMulti-channel including social media | ||
| Scheduling | Purchase Orders | Schedule Product Publishing/Hiding |
Scheduling Materials InventoryPurchase Orders Publish or Hide Products XSchedule Product Publishing/Hiding | ||
| Alerts | Low Inventory Alerts | N/A |
Alerts Materials InventoryLow Inventory Alerts Publish or Hide Products XN/A | ||
| Visibility Control | Inventory Visibility | Schedule/Inventory Based Hide/Publish |
Visibility Control Materials InventoryInventory Visibility Publish or Hide Products XSchedule/Inventory Based Hide/Publish | ||
Our Verdict
For manufacturers and makers seeking granular control over raw materials, cost tracking, and production profitability, Materials Inventory is the clear winner. Its features are specifically designed for managing complex inventory relationships within a manufacturing context. The higher rating and larger number of reviews also suggest a more established track record. However, if the primary goal is managing product visibility across multiple channels based on inventory or scheduled releases, particularly for merchants selling through social media, Publish or Hide Products X is the more suitable choice. Its focus on omnichannel sales and automation provides a valuable solution for merchants seeking to streamline their marketing and prevent overselling in a broader context.
Common Questions
Which app is better for tracking the cost of goods sold?
Materials Inventory is better suited for tracking the cost of goods sold (COGS) because it allows you to track raw materials costs and product profitability directly. Publish or Hide Products X does not provide this functionality.
Can I use both apps together?
Potentially, but there might be overlap. Materials Inventory manages inventory based on raw materials, while Publish or Hide Products X controls visibility based on inventory or schedule. It would depend on the specific needs of your business, and how you plan to use each app's features. You would want to avoid conflicts in setting inventory levels and visibility rules.
Which app is easier to set up?
Without user feedback on ease of setup, it's difficult to definitively say. However, Publish or Hide Products X, with its simpler focus on hiding/publishing products, *might* be easier to initially configure. Materials Inventory, with its more complex feature set related to raw materials and cost tracking, likely requires more involved setup. This is speculative based on features, not user reviews.
Does Publish or Hide Products X manage raw materials?
No, Publish or Hide Products X focuses solely on managing product visibility and does not offer any features for managing raw materials inventory.
Is Materials Inventory useful if I don't manufacture my own products?
No, Materials Inventory is specifically designed for manufacturers and makers. If you don't manage raw materials, you won't benefit from its key features.
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