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Inventory · head to head

Quartzy vs Zoho Inventory

Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

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

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

Zoho Inventory

Inventory

Complete inventory and order management system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho Inventory 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.; Zoho Inventory free plan limited to 25 products and 50 orders per month
  • They diverge on capability: Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Zoho Inventory covers Multi-channel selling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Quartzy and Zoho Inventory differ
AttributeQuartzyZoho Inventory
Starting price$50/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month by user tierUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: 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 Zoho Inventory

  • Multi-channel selling
  • Inventory sync
  • Order management
  • Purchase orders
  • Barcode management
  • Email integration
  • Automated workflows
  • Zoho ecosystem

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

Zoho Inventory

  • Multichannel order managementnot Quartzy
  • Inventory trackingnot Quartzy
  • Fulfillment automationnot Quartzy
  • Supplier managementnot 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.

Zoho Inventory

  • Free plan limited to 25 products and 50 orders per month
  • Advanced automation features require higher-tier plans
  • Limited customization compared to enterprise solutions

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

Zoho Inventory

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho Inventory review.

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 Zoho Inventory if

  • You need multi-channel selling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want inventory sync.
Zoho Inventory review

Questions people ask

Is Quartzy or Zoho Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. Quartzy starts at $50/month and Zoho Inventory at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quartzy or Zoho Inventory?
Zoho Inventory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for Quartzy and Free for Zoho Inventory.
Does Quartzy or Zoho Inventory run on more platforms?
Quartzy runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zoho Inventory runs on Web.
Can I use Zoho Inventory for free?
Yes. Zoho Inventory 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 Zoho Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can Quartzy do that Zoho Inventory cannot?
Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking. Zoho Inventory covers Multi-channel selling, Inventory sync, Order management, Purchase orders.

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.

Zoho Inventory: Does Zoho Inventory have a free tier?

Yes, Zoho Inventory offers a perpetual free plan limited to 25 products and 50 orders per month, ideal for small businesses just starting out.

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.

Zoho Inventory: What sales channels does Zoho Inventory integrate with?

Zoho Inventory integrates with major online marketplaces including Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and WooCommerce, with automatic stock and order syncing across all integrated channels.

Source
Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

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

Zoho Inventory: Can Zoho Inventory manage multiple locations?

Yes. The free plan supports up to two locations, with paid plans supporting multiple warehouses and locations for larger operations.

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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