Softwr

Inventory · head to head

SOS Inventory vs Vend

SOS Inventory logo

SOS Inventory

Inventory

Inventory management for QuickBooks Online

From
$69.95/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: SOS Inventory the Companion plan at $69.95 per month is limited to a single location and 1 custom field; Vend limited equipment selection with vendor-recommended hardware often being substandard quality
  • They diverge on capability: SOS Inventory covers Lot tracking, Vend covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where SOS Inventory and Vend differ
AttributeSOS InventoryVend
Starting price$69.95/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Cloud-basedWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20112010

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 SOS Inventory

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

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.

SOS Inventory

  • Inventory managementnot Vend
  • Job costingnot Vend
  • Manufacturing automationnot Vend

Vend

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

Vend

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

Which should you pick?

Choose SOS Inventory if

  • You need lot tracking.
  • You work on Web, Cloud-based.
  • You also want serial numbers.
SOS Inventory 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 SOS Inventory or Vend better?
Neither clearly leads. SOS Inventory starts at $69.95/month and Vend at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SOS Inventory or Vend?
Vend has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.95/month for SOS Inventory and Free for Vend.
Does SOS Inventory or Vend run on more platforms?
SOS Inventory runs on Web, Cloud-based. Vend runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Vend for free?
Yes. Vend has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SOS Inventory starts at $69.95/month.
What is SOS Inventory best used for?
SOS Inventory is most often used for inventory management, job costing, manufacturing automation. Of those, inventory management and job costing are not what Vend is typically brought in for.
What can SOS Inventory do that Vend cannot?
SOS Inventory covers Lot tracking, Serial numbers, Manufacturing, Multi-location. Vend covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer management, Employee management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Share

Related pages

More on SOS Inventory

More on Vend

Keep looking

Other head to heads