Inventora vs Kerno
Comparison last checked October 10, 2026. Every figure comes from the two product records, each with its own sources and check dates.
The short answer
Pick Inventora if you are a maker leaving spreadsheets who sells on Etsy or Shopify and wants the lowest published price: $19 a month billed yearly, with batch traceability on every plan. Pick Kerno if you want a QA stage on each batch and batch cost with labor in it, from $59.99 a month, and do not need store connections.
Choose Inventora if
- You sell on Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Square, Wix or Squarespace and want them connected.
- You want the lowest price: Starter is $19 a month billed yearly, or $23 monthly, with two users.
- Your material list is short enough to fit inside the plan caps.
Choose Kerno if
- You want QA on each batch, with QA as a stage before a batch can complete.
- You cost labor into a batch: operations carry an hourly rate and a completed batch shows labor cost.
- You can work without exports or store connections for now; Inventora has both.
Key differences
The rows that separate these two. Unknown means we have not found evidence; it is not the same as No.
| Attribute | Inventora | Kerno |
|---|---|---|
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | $19 a monthSource: inventora.com › Pricing plans(opens in a new tab)Checked September 19, 2026 | $59.99 a monthSource: buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 |
| Billing basis | Mixed | Flat rate |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan: NoFree trial: 7 days | Free plan: YesIncubator is free for one user, and capped tightly: up to 3 product formulas, 10 batches a month, basic batch creation with ingredients, SKUs, lots and packaging, and an essential cost breakdown.Free trial: Unknown |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Unknown | YesEach batch carries QA Requirements as criteria, standard and status, for example Cold throw, scent noticeable at 12 inches after 48 hours cure, Approved.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | YesShopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Square, Wix and Squarespace are named. Paid tiers cap how many you can connect at once, two on Starter, three on Business, five on Growth.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | NoNo store connection exists.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Account settings (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Lot and batch traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | YesLots and batches are tracked. Batch traceability is listed as a Starter-tier feature, so every current plan includes it.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | YesIncluded from the Teams planBackwards from a batch, yes.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | YesThe changelog entry "Enhanced CSV Export with New Data Fields" (March 10, 2026) says: "Our latest update introduces new fields in the CSV export feature, allowing you to include 'Committed,' 'Capacity,' and 'On Order' information for a more comprehensive view of your inventory status.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | NoFour lists import and none exports.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Vendors (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | YesCost of goods sold is calculated from tracked materials and production.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | YesA completed batch shows raw material, labour and packaging cost and a total, here $21.30, $15.00 and $10.20 for $46.50, with a cost per finished unit and retail and dealer prices set as a percentage over cost.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
What it costs at your size
Entry prices leave out users, add-ons, order limits and extra locations. Put in your own numbers and both products are worked out the same way, from each vendor's published prices.
Full comparison
Every sourced field, side by side. It opens on the rows where the two differ.
Unknown means we have not found evidence. It is not the same as No.
| Attribute | InventoraInventora · record checked October 9, 2026 | KernoKerno · record checked September 23, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Product classWhat kind of system it is. | Light manufacturing | Batch / process manufacturing |
| One-line fit | The cheapest honest starting point for a maker leaving spreadsheets behind. | Built for people who make things from formulas, with batch costing, lots and QA from $59.99 a month. |
| Real cost | ||
| Pricing | From $19/moSource: inventora.com › Pricing plans(opens in a new tab)Checked September 19, 2026 | Free plan · From $59.99/moSource: buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 |
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | $19/mo | $59.99/mo |
| Billing basis | mixed | flat |
| Free plan | No | YesIncubator is free for one user, and capped tightly: up to 3 product formulas, 10 batches a month, basic batch creation with ingredients, SKUs, lots and packaging, and an essential cost breakdown. The vendor describes it as for students and hobbyists, and it is joined by applying to the Kerno Incubator Program. The formula cap is the one that bites first, because three formulas is a single small product line, not a business. |
| Evidence | ||
| Last checked | 2026-10-09 | 2026-09-23 |
| Planning | ||
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | PartialProduction tasks carry a due date, which the API docs list as "Due date (ISO 8601 format)". These are dated production tasks, not sales orders with required dates or a forecast.Source: docs.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | PartialA batch can be assigned to a customer, and the Customers module holds companies with addresses. That is the whole demand side in the account: there is no sales order, no quantity due, no due date and no forecast anywhere in the menus, so the only date a batch carries is the one you type on it. The vendor's writing about an order layer with due dates describes something the account does not yet have, and its help-center article on forecasting demand still ends "This is a sample article", so it is not counted here. A customer record was opened on 2026-09-15 to be sure: it is a company with an address and named contacts, and it carries no order, no quantity and no due date. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch creator (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Customers (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › Multi batch food order release map(opens in a new tab) |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | PartialReserved stock is checked against what is on hand. The changelog entry "Introducing Overcommitted Materials Filter" (July 1, 2025) says: "Easily manage your inventory with our new overcommitted materials filter, allowing you to identify and address materials that have been reserved beyond their available stock levels directly in the application." No calculation of what to buy or make is documented.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | YesA batch lists what it needs, and each ingredient line opens a lot picker that shows every lot on hand with its stock and lets you assign a quantity against it; the section reads Needs Attention until the lines are covered, and stock on the lot falls by what was assigned. The dashboard carries an Inventory Stockout panel. That is requirements checked against stock on hand. The prototype's finished-goods view with Total, Reserved and Available columns was not found in the account, where Finished Goods is a list of product definitions, so read the netting as material-side. The vendor's pricing page lists "Inventory reservation and reconciliation" on the Solo tier, which matches the lot assignment seen here. This is the stock-on-hand half of the netting test; the other half, orders already incoming, is the gap, recorded under incoming orders. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch editor (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Dashboard shop (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | PartialInventory status includes an On Order quantity. The changelog entry "Enhanced CSV Export with New Data Fields" (March 10, 2026) says: "Our latest update introduces new fields in the CSV export feature, allowing you to include 'Committed,' 'Capacity,' and 'On Order' information for a more comprehensive view of your inventory status." Nothing we found shows that incoming stock being counted when working out what to order.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | NoNothing incoming exists to count. A walk of every menu in the account found no purchase order, no expected receipt and no on-order quantity. The only inbound record is Add Inventory, which books stock that has already arrived with its vendor, lot number, purchase date, expiry date and cost. Kerno does not know what you have ordered until it is on the shelf. Kerno told us on 2026-09-15 that tracking incoming purchase orders is part of the v2 it is building now, which adds purchasing. No date was given, so this stays at no until an open order shows up in an account. Even then, tracking a purchase order is not the same as counting it in the plan: the netting test also needs an open order to reduce what a batch shows as short. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Account settings (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | Unknown | PartialDates exist without lead times. Batches carry a creation date, a packaged date and an expiration date; lots carry a purchase date and an expiration date; production steps carry a planned duration. No ingredient, vendor or lot record has a lead time field, and nothing works backwards from a date. Every field on the three forms was listed on 2026-09-15: a vendor holds name, contact person, account number, email, phone, two addresses, country, state, city, ZIP, payment terms and website; an ingredient holds name, secret name, unit, notes, CAS number, form, category and hazmat; a stock receipt holds ingredient, SKU, vendor, lot number, purchase date, expiration date, cost, unit and quantity. Not a lead time among them. The dates are recorded, not used: nothing takes a required date and works out when to buy or when to start a batch, and a required-date workflow of that kind would pass this test without a lead time field. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Vendors (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › Finished goods order readiness kerno(opens in a new tab) |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | PartialLow-stock reorder emails exist on the Business and Growth plans. The changelog entry "Automatic Reorders for Efficient Inventory Management" (January 9, 2025) says: "Introducing automatic reorder emails that are triggered when stock levels fall below the minimum threshold, ensuring timely restock notifications for 'Business' and 'Growth' plan users." These are threshold alerts with no dates attached.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | PartialIt flags, it does not schedule. The dashboard shows stockouts, batches in draft, batches pending QA, a production rate in batches per day and a Value at Risk figure; a batch section reads Needs Attention until its lines are covered. None of it says buy this much by this date or start this batch on that one, and there is no purchase order for such an instruction to raise. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Dashboard shop (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch editor (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Unknown | PartialThe dashboard reports Production Efficiency as a percentage, a rate in batches per day and a Workload Distribution by user, and Labor Costs define an operation, a resource such as a pouring station, and an hourly rate. Nothing compares planned work against available hours or refuses a batch the resource cannot do. The vendor's capacity worksheets are spreadsheets and name no Kerno feature. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Dashboard shop (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Labor cost (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › Candle production capacity worksheet seasonal rush(opens in a new tab) |
| Production | ||
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | PartialThe vendor states: "Made by Me (in batches) – this material is made using other materials, multiple at a time." Materials can be made from other materials, so intermediates exist. How deep the nesting goes is not stated. Checked 2026-09-14.Source: help.inventora.com › Materials(opens in a new tab) | NoOne level, with no way to nest. A product formula record holds a name, a product type and a SKU; the ingredient list lives on the batch, and the Add Ingredient picker there offers raw ingredients only, the three held in the account, with no product, formula or finished good among them. A base or premix that is itself made in a batch cannot be an ingredient of the next one, so a two-stage product is two unlinked batches. Seen in an account on 2026-09-15, in a test business with two products and four batches; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch editor (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Stock base formulas (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | YesProducts have formulas with a batch size. The changelog entry "Introducing Batch Size for Formulas" (August 8, 2025) says: "We've added a new feature to enable batch size specification within your product formulas, allowing for more accurate material calculations and planning."Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | PartialBy weight and volume, yes; scaled, not that we saw. Ingredient lines carry a quantity and a unit (6.00 lb, 6.00 oz) and packaging a piece count, and the Product Formula record itself holds only a name, a product type and a SKU, with the ingredient, packaging, step and QA lists living on the batch and copied into the next batch of that product. Entering a different batch size did not change the quantities, and the definition here includes scaling a batch up or down, so this stays short of yes until scaling is shown. Retested on 2026-09-15: typing 12 into Batch Size on a draft built at size 1 left the lines at 6.00 lb and 6.00 oz, so a quantity is what the last batch of that product used, not a function of the size you enter. Retested again on 2026-09-23 in a new test business: a Soy Wax line entered as 5.00 lb stayed at 5.00 lb when Batch Size went from 10 to 20. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Stock base formulas (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch editor (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | YesProduction is tracked through production runs and "production cards", with in-progress state and a production history. Production cards are unlimited on every listed plan.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab); inventora.com › Pricing plans(opens in a new tab) | YesA batch is the work order. It carries a number, a size, a product, an optional customer, dates and a lot number, and moves through Draft, Ready, In Progress, QA Batch and Completed, with Denied as the failure state and a Move to Ready button gating the first step. Batch Finder searches by batch number, lot number, status or customer. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch editor (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch lookup (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Unknown | YesNumbered production steps with an operation, a planned duration, an hourly rate, a description, an operator and a status, copied from the product into each batch. The Labor Costs page defines each operation against a resource, for example Pour on the pouring station at $20 an hour, so a step does name the station that does it. No capacity or calendar sits behind the station. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Labor cost (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | PartialA production board shows tasks by status, with assignees and batches. The changelog entry "Production Board Column Counts" (June 16, 2025) says: "We have introduced new visual enhancements to the production board by adding task counts to the Pending, In Progress, and Done columns." It is a task board in the main app, not a documented operator or terminal screen.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | YesSteps are assigned to a named operator, who gets a task notification and a Tasks list with Waiting, In Progress, Blocked and Done states, and the dashboard shows workload by user. The time on a step is the planned duration, not clocked time, so this is progress and completion reporting rather than time capture. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Tasks (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Dashboard shop (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Unknown | YesEach batch carries QA Requirements as criteria, standard and status, for example Cold throw, scent noticeable at 12 inches after 48 hours cure, Approved. QA sits as its own stage between In Progress and Completed, is marked Required before completion, and a failed batch goes to Denied, which the dashboard costs separately. The QA function can be switched off in Account Settings. There is no receiving inspection and no certificate of analysis. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Account settings (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Inventory & traceability | ||
| Batch & lot traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | YesLots and batches are tracked. Batch traceability is listed as a Starter-tier feature, so every current plan includes it.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab); inventora.com › Pricing plans(opens in a new tab) | YesBackwards from a batch, yes. Stock arrives as a lot with a vendor, lot number, purchase date, expiry date and cost; an ingredient line on a batch opens View SKU, which names the vendor lot consumed and the quantity taken from it; the finished batch gets its own lot number (FG-B0001), and Batch Finder searches by lot number. What you would still do by hand is the forward direction, from one supplier lot to every batch that used it, because no screen lists that. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch lookup (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); buildwithkerno.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | YesThe changelog entry "Enhanced Expiration Date Management" (February 14, 2026) says: "Easily track and manage product expiration dates throughout your supply and production processes." This is a changelog announcement. We have not seen a help article that shows the expiry fields.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | PartialDates are recorded and nothing acts on them. Every lot receipt takes an expiration date and every batch carries one (the completed batch shows Aug 2027), and the lot picker displays a lot's expiry beside its stock while you assign it. No warning fires before a date lapses and nothing blocks an expired lot from being assigned. The vendor's soap guide confirms the shape: Kerno keeps the dates and "the soap maker remains responsible for deciding". Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch editor (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › How kerno helps soap makers formulas materials cure time …(opens in a new tab) |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Unknown | NoNo serial number field exists on ingredients, lots, packaging, batches or finished goods, and Batch Finder offers batch number, lot number, status and customer as its only search fields. Traceability is at the lot and batch, not the unit. Kerno told us on 2026-09-15 that serial numbers are not on its current roadmap, though it has noted the request. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch lookup (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Commerce & accounting | ||
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | YesCost of goods sold is calculated from tracked materials and production.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | YesA completed batch shows raw material, labour and packaging cost and a total, here $21.30, $15.00 and $10.20 for $46.50, with a cost per finished unit and retail and dealer prices set as a percentage over cost. Labour comes from the step's duration times the operation's hourly rate. Account Settings choose average cost or a specific vendor's cost for ingredients, average or per-SKU cost for packaging, and whether an electricity rate enters batch cost. The vendor's guide states the method: "Recorded cost per acceptable unit = recorded batch input cost ÷ acceptable finished units". Overhead beyond electricity is not allocated and there is no cost of goods sold report. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Batch view (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Account settings (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Labor cost (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › Know product costs kerno materials production cost visibi…(opens in a new tab) |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | YesPurchases are tracked with purchase orders and invoice import.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | PartialReceiving without ordering. Vendors hold contact details, an account number, a contact person and payment terms, and Add Inventory books a receipt against a vendor with lot number, purchase date, expiry, cost and quantity. There is no purchase order to raise, send or track, so what you have ordered is not in the system until it arrives. Kerno told us on 2026-09-15 that the v2 it is building now adds purchasing, including tracking orders before the stock arrives. There is no release date yet, so this stays partial until it can be seen working. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Vendors (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Inventory (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | YesThe changelog entry "Seamless Integration with Zoho and QuickBooks" (June 30, 2025) says: "Our latest update introduces the ability to effortlessly sync your inventory data with Zoho Books and QuickBooks, providing a streamlined accounting process for your business." Only admin users can run the accounting sync; no plan restriction is stated.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | NoThere is nothing to connect. Every settings surface was opened on 2026-09-15, the business Account Settings page and the owner's Businesses, Teams and Security, Roles, Billing and Profile pages, and none of them offers an integration, a connected app or an accounting export. Batch cost is worked out in Kerno and stays there, so the journal entry is yours to make. Seen in an account on 2026-09-15; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Account settings (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Profile (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | YesShopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Square, Wix and Squarespace are named. Paid tiers cap how many you can connect at once, two on Starter, three on Business, five on Growth.Source: inventora.com(opens in a new tab); inventora.com › Pricing plans(opens in a new tab) | NoNo store connection exists. The same walk of every settings surface on 2026-09-15 found nothing for Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy or any other channel, and Finished Goods is a list of product definitions rather than listings, stock or orders. Seen in an account on 2026-09-15; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Account settings (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Finished goods (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab) |
| Openness & your data | ||
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | YesInventora publishes a REST API covering products, materials, stock levels, locations and production tasks: "All API requests require authentication using an API key." Keys are created under Settings > Developers. No webhooks are documented.Source: docs.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | UnknownStill unknown after three account walks, so treat it as absent until Kerno says otherwise. No page in the account offers API keys, a developer section or an integrations screen: business Account Settings covers batch and lot numbering, lot and SKU assignment, an electricity rate, cost methods, the secret formula switch and the QA PIN, and the five owner pages hold nothing of the kind. Loading /api/ while signed in lands on the owner dashboard. The public help center has an "Integrations & AI" category with no articles in it, and the homepage names no integration. None of that proves there is no API, which is why the field stays unknown. Checked in an account on 2026-09-23, on the site owner's login, including a new test business set up from scratch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them. |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | YesThe changelog entry "Enhanced CSV Export with New Data Fields" (March 10, 2026) says: "Our latest update introduces new fields in the CSV export feature, allowing you to include 'Committed,' 'Capacity,' and 'On Order' information for a more comprehensive view of your inventory status." Other changelog entries add CSV exports for sales, supply orders, suppliers, formulas, stock batches and cost of goods sold, one list at a time rather than the whole account.Source: changelog.inventora.com(opens in a new tab) | NoFour lists import and none exports. Vendors, Customers, Finished Goods and Labor Costs each offer Import CSV with a downloadable template, which is a real convenience for loading a shop. No list in the account has an export control, the Export button seen in the prototype's reporting area was not found, and the vendor's own guide for new users tells them to ask whether "the business export items, formulas, inventory, and production history in a usable format". Kerno confirmed on 2026-09-15 that CSV export does not exist yet and said it will add it to the roadmap, with no date. Until it ships, assume your data leaves by hand. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Vendors (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); app.buildwithkerno.com › Finished goods (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › Kerno beta join the future of product management(opens in a new tab) |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Unknown | NoNothing in the account exports anything, and the Profile page's only bulk action is Delete Account, which the page says will "permanently remove all your shops and data". We asked Kerno on 2026-09-15 and it is checking internally, with an answer to follow. Until then, ask the vendor before you load real history. Seen in an account on 2026-08-27, in a test business with one product and one completed batch; the app pages cited need a login, and an account of your own reproduces them.Source: app.buildwithkerno.com › Profile (hands-on, signed in, September 2026)(opens in a new tab); resources.buildwithkerno.com › Kerno beta join the future of product management(opens in a new tab) |
Common questions
- Is Inventora cheaper than Kerno?
- Inventora starts at $19 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (mixed billing). Kerno starts at $59.99 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (flat rate billing), and also has a free plan. They are billed differently, so which is cheaper depends on your team size. Put your own users, orders and locations into the cost calculator to see what each comes to.
- Does Inventora or Kerno have a free plan or a free trial?
- Inventora has no free plan and a 7-day free trial. Kerno has a free plan and we have no trial length on record.
- Which has lot traceability, Inventora or Kerno?
- Inventora has batch and lot tracking. Kerno has batch and lot tracking, from the Teams plan.
- Does Inventora or Kerno tell you what to order and when?
- That is the test for material requirements planning: a dated recommendation to buy or make. Inventora partly does. Kerno partly does.
- Do Inventora and Kerno work with QuickBooks, Xero or Shopify?
- Inventora: an accounting integration and an e-commerce integration. Named integrations: Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Square, Wix, Squarespace, QuickBooks and Zoho Books. Kerno: no accounting integration and no e-commerce integration.
Related
How this comparison was made
The short answer and the two lists were written by an editor for this pair. Every other row and answer is read from the two product records, which cite the vendor pages behind each claim. Nobody paid to appear here or to be placed first; the order is alphabetical. How we classify and verify.
Report a correction to InventoraReport a correction to Kerno