Softwr

Inventory · head to head

Quartzy vs Vend

Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

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

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vend logo

Vend

Inventory

Cloud-based POS and retail management for stores

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vend has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Vend limited equipment selection with vendor-recommended hardware often being substandard quality
  • They diverge on capability: Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Vend covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quartzy and Vend actually diverge.

Attributes where Quartzy and Vend differ
AttributeQuartzyVend
Starting price$50/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month by user tierUnknown
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Vend

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer management
  • Employee management
  • Sales analytics
  • Mobile POS
  • Multi-location support
  • Reporting

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 Vend
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot Vend
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot Vend
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot Vend

Vend

  • Unifying inventory across physical stores and online channelsnot Quartzy
  • Managing multi-location sales with centralized customer datanot Quartzy
  • Processing transactions and loyalty rewards in single systemnot Quartzy
  • Gaining real-time visibility into store-level sales performancenot 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.

Vend

  • Limited equipment selection with vendor-recommended hardware often being substandard quality
  • eCommerce feature restricted to higher-tier plans only
  • 24/7 phone and email support not included in all plans
  • Now integrated into Lightspeed Retail X-Series, potentially confusing for existing Vend customers

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

Vend

Free
  • Lean$69/month
    • Single register
    • Basic inventory management
  • Standard$119/month
    • Multi-outlet management
    • Promotions

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 Vend if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want inventory management.
Vend review

Questions people ask

Is Quartzy or Vend better?
Neither clearly leads. Quartzy starts at $50/month and Vend at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quartzy or Vend?
Vend has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for Quartzy and Free for Vend.
Does Quartzy or Vend run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Vend for free?
Yes. Vend has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quartzy starts at $50/month.
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 Vend is typically brought in for.
What can Quartzy do that Vend cannot?
Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking. Vend covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer management, Employee management.

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.

Vend: What is Vend's current pricing structure?

Vend pricing includes Lean at $69/month for single-register operations, Standard at $119/month for multi-outlet management and promotions, and Advanced plans at custom pricing for enterprise needs.

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.

Vend: Does Vend have a free trial?

Yes, Vend offers a 30-day free trial without credit card requirement for testing the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

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

Vend: What payment providers does Vend integrate with?

Vend integrates with multiple payment providers including Stripe, PayPal, Worldpay, Moneris, iZettle, Tyro, and Smartpay for credit card processing.

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.

Vend: Does Vend support eCommerce integration?

Yes, Vend supports eCommerce integration, but it is only available on Advanced and Multi-Outlet plans, not on the base Lean plan.

Source
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