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Inventory · head to head

Quartzy vs SOS Inventory

Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

Lab inventory and ordering software funded by the supply marketplace attached to it

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SOS Inventory logo

SOS Inventory

Inventory

Inventory management for QuickBooks Online

From
$69.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Quartzy the vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.; SOS Inventory the Companion plan at $69.95 per month is limited to a single location and 1 custom field
  • They diverge on capability: Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, SOS Inventory covers Lot tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quartzy and SOS Inventory actually diverge.

Attributes where Quartzy and SOS Inventory differ
AttributeQuartzySOS Inventory
Starting price$50/month$69.95/month
Pricing modelPer month by user tiersubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Cloud-based
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Quartzy

  • Inventory tracking
  • Request and approval
  • Quartzy Shop
  • Order tracking
  • Spend reporting
  • Barcode scanning
  • PunchOut
  • Vendor catalogues

Only in SOS Inventory

  • Lot tracking
  • Serial numbers
  • Manufacturing
  • Multi-location
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Shopify
  • BigCommerce
  • ShipStation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Quartzy

  • An academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs outnot SOS Inventory
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot SOS Inventory
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot SOS Inventory
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot SOS Inventory

SOS Inventory

  • Inventory managementnot Quartzy
  • Job costingnot Quartzy
  • Manufacturing automationnot Quartzy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Quartzy

  • The vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • Seat limits are tight, at three users on Academia and five on Industry, and exceeding them pushes you into a quoted Enterprise contract rather than a predictable per seat increment.
  • It is not a LIMS: there is no sample workflow, instrument integration, electronic lab notebook or 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, so a lab moving toward regulated work will need a second system.
  • Prices are billed annually, so the USD 250 Industry plan is a USD 3,000 upfront commitment for a five-person team, which is significant for an early-stage company.
  • Supplier catalogue coverage and pricing accuracy vary by region, and labs outside the United States frequently find their usual distributors missing or their contract pricing not reflected.

SOS Inventory

  • The Companion plan at $69.95 per month is limited to a single location and 1 custom field
  • Serial and lot number tracking, barcoding and unlimited locations require the Plus plan at $139.95 per month
  • Phone support is excluded from the Companion plan
  • Job costing, advanced manufacturing and the customer portal require the Pro plan at $194.95 per month
  • Each plan includes only 2 to 5 users and additional users cost $25 each per month
  • The 2 months free discount requires paying a year up front

Pricing, plan by plan

Quartzy

$50/month
  • Academia$50/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 3 users
    • Inventory tracking and request workflow
  • Industry$250/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 5 users
    • Everything in Academia
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • PunchOut integration with institutional procurement

SOS Inventory

$69.95/month
  • Companion$69.95/month
    • Basic inventory management
    • 2 included users
    • Additional users $25/month each
  • Plus$139.95/month
    • Labeled most popular
    • Unlimited locations
    • Serial and lot tracking
  • Pro$194.95/month
    • Advanced automation
    • Job costing
    • Advanced manufacturing

Which should you pick?

Choose Quartzy if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want request and approval.
Quartzy review

Choose SOS Inventory if

  • You need lot tracking.
  • You work on Web, Cloud-based.
  • You also want serial numbers.
SOS Inventory review

Questions people ask

Is Quartzy or SOS Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. Quartzy starts at $50/month and SOS Inventory at $69.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quartzy or SOS Inventory?
Quartzy starts at $50/month and SOS Inventory at $69.95/month.
Does Quartzy or SOS Inventory run on more platforms?
Quartzy runs on Web, iOS, Android. SOS Inventory runs on Web, Cloud-based.
What is Quartzy best used for?
Quartzy is most often used for an academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs out, a small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committed, a principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reporting, a growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stop. Of those, an academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs out and a small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committed are not what SOS Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can Quartzy do that SOS Inventory cannot?
Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking. SOS Inventory covers Lot tracking, Serial numbers, Manufacturing, Multi-location.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quartzy: How much does Quartzy cost?

USD 50 per month billed annually for up to three users on Academia, USD 250 per month for up to five users on Industry, and quoted pricing for unlimited users on Enterprise.

SOS Inventory: How much does SOS Inventory cost?

SOS Inventory offers monthly plans from $69.95 for Companion to $194.95 for Pro. Annual billing saves approximately two months of fees. Additional users cost $25/month, and external connections are $25/month each.

Source
Quartzy: Do I have to buy supplies through Quartzy?

No, you can record orders placed elsewhere. But the Shop is how Quartzy earns beyond the subscription, and supplier credits are tied to it.

SOS Inventory: Does SOS Inventory offer a free trial?

Yes, SOS Inventory offers 14 days to explore its full range of features. Users can upgrade or downgrade plans easily through account settings.

Source
Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

No. It handles inventory and purchasing. It does not do sample workflow, instrument data or regulated electronic records.

SOS Inventory: What is the difference between SOS Inventory plans?

Companion includes 2 users and basic management. Plus is marked most popular and adds unlimited locations and lot tracking with 3 users. Pro adds advanced automation and manufacturing with 5 users.

Source
Quartzy: What happens when we exceed the user limit?

You move to Enterprise, which is quoted rather than listed, so budget for a step change rather than an extra seat charge.

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