Best Shopify low stock alert apps in 2026 (free + paid, honest reviews)
Disclosure: I built SimpleStock, one of the apps reviewed below. I’ve tried to write an honest roundup — including where SimpleStock loses to competitors. If another app is right for your store, I’ll say so. Pricing and ratings verified on the Shopify App Store as of May 2026.
Running out of stock without warning is one of the most avoidable problems in ecommerce. The right low stock alert app tells you when to reorder — before you’re already out. The wrong one either costs more than it saves or drowns you in noise until you stop reading its emails.
This is a roundup of the apps worth considering in 2026, including an honest look at the one I built. I’ll give you category winners, a full comparison table, and per-app reviews that include weaknesses.
TL;DR: Quick picks by situation
If you want a fast answer: Prediko is the best overall pick for stores that care about demand forecasting. SimpleStock is the best free option and the simplest paid upgrade for smaller stores that want clean alerts without much setup. Assisty is the best mid-tier choice for stores that want analytics alongside their alerts.
Read on if you want to see why, and where each app falls short.
What is a low stock alert? (and what is a reorder point?)
Low stock alert: An automated notification sent when a product’s inventory falls below a set threshold. The threshold can be a fixed quantity (e.g. “alert me when fewer than 20 remain”) or calculated dynamically based on sales velocity and lead time.
Reorder point: The inventory level at which you should place a new order with your supplier so that stock arrives before you run out. Formula: (average daily sales × lead time in days) + safety stock. Apps that calculate reorder points automatically save you from doing this per-SKU manually.
The full comparison table
| App | Starting price | Free tier | Lead-time aware? | Multi-location? | Alert channels | App Store rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SimpleStock | Free / $14.99/mo | Yes — 30 SKUs | Yes (vendor lead times) | Yes (Growth+) | New — unrated | Small stores, Stocky refugees on a budget | |
| Prediko | ~$49/mo | No (14-day trial) | Yes (AI-driven) | Yes | Email, in-app | 4.9/5 (~180 reviews) | Stores that need AI forecasting |
| Assisty | Free / $19/mo | Yes — limited | Yes | Yes (paid) | Email, Slack, Google Sheets | 4.9/5 (~306 reviews) | Mid-market, analytics-heavy stores |
| Inventory Planner | $299/mo | No | Yes | Yes | Email, in-app | 4.4/5 (~146 reviews) | Enterprise, 1000+ SKUs |
| Stocky | Included with POS Pro ($89/location/mo) | No | Yes | Yes | N/A — sunsetting Aug 31, 2026 | Do not start on this; it’s going away | |
| Shopify native | Free | Yes | No | Limited | N/A | Bare minimum, single-location | |
| iAlert | Free / ~$4.99/mo | Yes | No | No | Email, Slack | ~4.8/5 | Alert-only, very simple stores |
Pricing verified May 2026. Shopify App Store ratings are approximate at time of writing. iAlert pricing: check the App Store listing for current numbers — I could not fully confirm from external sources.
Per-app reviews
1. SimpleStock — clean alerts, honest scope
One-line summary: A lightweight inventory dashboard and alert app built for stores that want clear low-stock visibility without a lot of setup.
Pricing:
- Free: up to 30 SKUs, no credit card required
- Growth: $14.99/month — multi-location, vendor lead times, CSV export, reorder alerts
- Pro: $29.99/month — unlimited SKUs
Strengths:
- Genuinely free tier that covers a lot of small stores (30 SKUs handles many Shopify sellers completely)
- Vendor lead time fields so the reorder point math reflects how long your supplier actually takes
- Multi-location included at Growth tier, not locked behind enterprise pricing
- Simple to set up — under 10 minutes, no configuration maze
Weaknesses:
- No purchase order generation inside the app (can’t create POs, track received vs ordered quantities, or manage supplier invoices)
- No AI demand forecasting — reorder alerts are threshold-based, not predictive
- No Slack alerts — email only
- Relatively new — hasn’t accumulated reviews yet, so less social proof than established apps
Best for: Small and mid-sized stores (under ~500 SKUs) that used Stocky mainly for the dashboard and reorder alerts, and whose actual ordering workflow happens over email or a spreadsheet. Also a solid first stop for new stores that want to track low stock without a monthly bill.
Verdict: The most honest “starter” option in this list — limited by design, not by neglect. If you need PO workflows or AI forecasting, you’ll outgrow it.
2. Prediko — best for stores that live on forecasting
One-line summary: AI-powered inventory management with replenishment recommendations, purchase order generation, and clean reporting — built specifically for growing DTC brands.
Pricing:
- Starts at approximately $49/month for stores under a certain GMV threshold
- Scales with GMV — reportedly up to ~$349/month for stores approaching $5M GMV
- 14-day free trial, no permanent free tier
Prediko’s pricing is GMV-tiered and changes. Verify current pricing on their website before committing.
Strengths:
- AI-driven replenishment recommendations that account for sales velocity, lead times, and seasonal patterns
- Full purchase order workflow inside the app — create, send, track, and receive against POs
- Clean, modern UI — one of the better-looking inventory apps on the market
- Handles raw materials and BOM (bill of materials) for stores that manufacture or assemble products
Weaknesses:
- No free tier — 14-day trial only, then you’re paying
- Forecasting accuracy depends on having sufficient sales history; new stores or highly seasonal SKUs get less reliable suggestions
- Cost can feel steep for stores under $200K GMV who don’t rely heavily on forecasting
Best for: DTC brands that grew out of spreadsheet replenishment and want AI-assisted reorder suggestions plus proper PO management in one place. Particularly strong for stores with complex, multi-supplier catalogs.
Verdict: The best-rounded paid option in this roundup. If you’re choosing between apps and budget isn’t the constraint, Prediko is the one to beat.
3. Assisty — analytics-first, solid middle ground
One-line summary: Inventory management with AI demand forecasting and 300+ pre-built reports — the choice for stores that want alerts embedded in a broader analytics layer.
Pricing:
- Free tier: basic inventory tracking, 6 months of sales history, 3 custom reports, 1 dashboard
- Paid: from $19/month (Shopify Basic stores), scaling by Shopify plan tier
- Higher tiers unlock deeper forecasting, Google Sheets integration, and multi-location support
- Upper-tier pricing fluctuates — check their pricing page for current numbers
Strengths:
- Largest review count of any dedicated inventory management app on the Shopify App Store (~306 reviews at 4.9/5) — strong evidence of real-world satisfaction at scale
- Free tier is genuinely functional, not a crippled teaser
- 300+ pre-built reports — useful for stores that want sales analytics and inventory visibility in the same place
- Slack and Google Sheets integration on paid plans
Weaknesses:
- Tier structure can feel confusing — you may need to spend time matching your usage to the right plan before committing
- Multi-location is locked to paid plans
- More setup overhead than SimpleStock or iAlert — not the right app if you mainly want a simple dashboard and email alerts
Best for: Mid-market stores (roughly 100–1,000 SKUs) that want forecasting, analytics, and inventory alerts under one roof, and are willing to invest a bit of time in initial configuration.
Verdict: Strong competitor to Prediko at the lower end of GMV, with a real free tier that makes it low-risk to try. The review count alone signals it’s been tested at meaningful scale.
4. Inventory Planner by Sage — enterprise-grade, priced accordingly
One-line summary: Full-stack inventory planning software for high-volume merchants — forecasting, replenishment, multi-warehouse, deep analytics.
Pricing:
- Starts at $299/month for up to 1,000 orders/month and 1,000 SKUs
- Mid-tier at $599/month for 3,000 orders and 3,000 SKUs
- Enterprise pricing for larger operations reportedly starts around $1,200/month
- 12-month contracts with auto-renewal — important to know before signing
- Some users report additional costs for extra warehouses, SKUs, and integrations beyond the base plan
Strengths:
- Best-in-class demand forecasting for high-SKU, high-volume operations
- Native Shopify integration plus connections to major 3PLs and ERPs
- Handles multi-warehouse inventory routing properly
- Mature product used by 2,600+ brands, with 4.4/5 across 146 App Store reviews
Weaknesses:
- $299/month starting price is immediately disqualifying for most small and mid-sized stores
- Some users report significant price increases under Sage’s ownership
- Seasonal SKU forecasting accuracy is inconsistent — multiple reviewers flag this for products with limited or variable sales history
- The 12-month contract commitment is a real friction point if you want to evaluate before committing long-term
Best for: Merchants running $2M+ GMV with a team managing inventory, or operations spanning multiple warehouses that need capabilities beyond what Shopify’s native tooling can handle.
Verdict: Worth every dollar at the right scale. Almost certainly overkill — and an uncomfortable monthly bill — for stores under $1M GMV.
5. Shopify native — free, but limited
One-line summary: Built-in low stock threshold alerts in Shopify Admin — no app install needed, but functionality is minimal.
Pricing: Free. Included with all Shopify plans.
How it works: In Shopify Admin, you can set a low stock threshold per product variant under the Inventory section. When inventory falls below that number, Shopify sends an email alert. You can also build inventory automations via Shopify Flow (available on the Shopify plan and above).
Strengths:
- Zero cost, zero install
- Reliable — maintained by Shopify itself, won’t break on app updates
- Good enough for stores with fewer than ~20 products and simple reorder patterns
Weaknesses:
- Threshold is static (a fixed number you set manually) — no lead-time-aware reorder point calculation
- No dashboard for inventory health across your catalog
- No Slack integration
- Multi-location alerts are limited — you set thresholds per location individually with no consolidated view
- No forecasting or velocity data
Best for: Brand-new stores just getting started, or merchants with a very small catalog who want basic protection without any app spend.
Verdict: A sensible starting point, not a long-term solution. Once you hit 50+ SKUs or multiple locations, a dedicated app will save meaningful time.
6. Stocky — going away, do not start here
One-line summary: Shopify’s own inventory app, bundled with POS Pro — active installs still running, but shutting down August 31, 2026.
Pricing: Included with Shopify POS Pro ($89/location/month).
Stocky has served stores well — dashboard visibility, reorder points, purchase order management, supplier tracking. But its shutdown is confirmed and the App Store listing has been offline since February 2, 2026. You cannot install it fresh.
If you’re currently on Stocky, you have until August 31, 2026 to migrate. I covered the full migration in The Stocky Replacement Guide, including a decision tree by store type and which parts of Stocky each alternative covers.
Verdict: Do not evaluate this as a new option. If you’re already on it, read the migration guide and move before the deadline.
7. iAlert — purely for basic alert needs
One-line summary: A simple, rules-based low stock alert app — email and Slack notifications when inventory hits your threshold, nothing more.
Pricing:
- Free tier: basic email alerts
- Paid: from approximately $4.99/month for Slack integration and more granular rules
- Pricing unverified from external sources — check the Shopify App Store listing for current numbers
Strengths:
- Extremely simple to set up — if you just want an alert fired to email or Slack when stock drops below a number, this does that in minutes
- Low cost entry point
- Solid App Store rating (~4.8/5)
Weaknesses:
- No inventory dashboard or health overview
- No reorder point calculation — threshold is manual
- No lead-time awareness, no forecasting
- Not the right tool if you want to understand your inventory, only get notified about it
Best for: Very small stores or merchants who already have an inventory system elsewhere and just want a lightweight notification layer on top.
Verdict: Functional for what it is. Outgrows its usefulness quickly as your catalog or location count expands.
”Best for X” category winners
Best overall
Prediko. The most complete paid app in this roundup for stores that need AI-powered forecasting and PO management together. Strong track record, clean UI, ~180 verified App Store reviews.
Best free option
SimpleStock (free tier, 30 SKUs) or Assisty (free tier, limited). SimpleStock is simpler and faster to set up. Assisty’s free tier adds more reporting depth. Try SimpleStock if you want minimal configuration. Try Assisty if you also want analytics.
Best for small stores (under 100 SKUs)
SimpleStock — $14.99/month flat, multi-location included, no PO overhead you won’t use. Or use Shopify native if your catalog is under 20 SKUs and you just need basic threshold emails.
Best for mid-market stores (100–1,000 SKUs)
Assisty — The free tier covers early exploration, paid tiers are affordable, and the analytics depth becomes genuinely valuable once your catalog is complex enough to need more than a simple alert.
Best for enterprise stores (1,000+ SKUs)
Inventory Planner by Sage — If you’re at a scale where $299/month is a rounding error in your inventory carrying costs, Inventory Planner’s forecasting accuracy and multi-warehouse capability justify the commitment.
Best for multi-location
Prediko or Assisty — both handle multi-location properly at their paid tiers. SimpleStock includes multi-location at Growth ($14.99/month), which is worth noting for budget-conscious stores that need location-level visibility.
FAQ
What is the best free low stock alert app for Shopify?
The most practical free options are Shopify’s built-in low stock threshold (no install required, but very limited) and the free tiers of SimpleStock (30 SKUs, no card) or Assisty (limited but functional). For most stores with fewer than 30 SKUs, SimpleStock’s free tier is the fastest to set up with the most utility. Assisty’s free tier adds reporting but takes a bit more configuration.
Does Shopify have built-in low stock alerts?
Yes. In Shopify Admin, you can set a low stock threshold per product variant under the Inventory section. When stock drops below that number, Shopify sends an email alert. It’s free and requires no app install. The limitation: no inventory dashboard, no lead-time-aware reorder points, and limited multi-location support. It works for very small catalogs; it doesn’t scale well.
What replaces Stocky for low stock alerts?
Depends on how you used Stocky. If you mainly used it for the dashboard and reorder alerts, SimpleStock or Assisty are the closest lightweight replacements. If you used Stocky’s purchase order workflow, Prediko is a better match. If you’re on POS Pro and staying there, Shopify’s native inventory tools take over from Stocky automatically. Full migration details with a decision tree: The Stocky Replacement Guide.
Which app is cheapest for low stock alerts?
Shopify native is free. After that: iAlert starts at free with a paid tier around $4.99/month. SimpleStock is free up to 30 SKUs, then $14.99/month. Assisty is free up to a usage cap, then $19/month on Shopify Basic. These are the three most budget-accessible options in this roundup.
Do Shopify inventory alert apps work with multiple locations?
Most paid apps support multi-location inventory. SimpleStock includes multi-location at the $14.99/month Growth plan. Assisty includes it on paid plans. Prediko supports it. Shopify native is more limited — you set thresholds per location separately with no consolidated view. iAlert has limited multi-location support.
How do I know what threshold to set for a low stock alert?
The safest formula: (average daily sales × supplier lead time in days) + safety stock buffer. If you sell 5 units per day and your supplier takes 7 days to deliver, your reorder point is at minimum 35 units — add 20–30% as a safety stock buffer if demand is variable. Apps like Prediko and Assisty calculate this automatically from your sales history. SimpleStock lets you set vendor lead times manually and calculates a suggested reorder point per SKU.
Is Prediko worth the cost for a small store?
Honestly, probably not if you’re small. Prediko’s AI forecasting delivers real value when you have enough sales velocity to forecast against — typically stores doing meaningful daily volume across many SKUs. If your catalog is small or your sales are sparse, the forecasting suggestions will be less reliable and you’ll be paying for capability you can’t fully use. Start with Assisty’s free tier or SimpleStock instead.
Which Shopify low stock alert app is easiest to set up?
SimpleStock and iAlert are the simplest to get running — both are usable within 10 minutes of install, with minimal configuration. Prediko and Assisty take more initial setup (supplier configuration, forecast calibration) but pay off once configured. Inventory Planner often requires guided onboarding.
How to choose
The decision mostly comes down to two questions: Do you need forecasting? And do you need PO management inside the app?
If the answer to both is no — you want a dashboard and clean alerts at the lowest cost: SimpleStock or Assisty’s free tier covers it.
If the answer is yes to forecasting but you’re not at enterprise scale: Assisty at the paid tier, or Prediko if you’re willing to spend more for a better UI and more complete PO workflow.
If the answer is yes to both, and you’re running at significant scale: Prediko for growing DTC brands, Inventory Planner for true enterprise operations.
If you’re a Stocky user evaluating options ahead of the August 31, 2026 shutdown, the Stocky Replacement Guide has a fuller decision tree organized by which Stocky features you actually relied on.
Try SimpleStock (free, no credit card)
If you’re in the “dashboard and alerts” segment — especially if you’re migrating from Stocky and don’t need PO management — SimpleStock has a free plan that covers up to 30 SKUs with no commitment.
The Growth plan ($14.99/month) adds multi-location, vendor lead times, CSV export, and unlimited alerts. No POS Pro required.
- Live demo (no install): simplestock.kumostudio.dev/demo
- App Store: apps.shopify.com/simplestock
Questions about which app fits your store? Email support@kumostudio.dev — that’s me, and I’ll give you a straight answer even if SimpleStock isn’t the right fit.
よくある質問
- Q. What is the best free low stock alert app for Shopify?
- The most practical free options are Shopify's built-in low stock threshold (no install required, but very limited) and the free tiers of SimpleStock (30 SKUs, no card) or Assisty (limited but functional). For most stores with fewer than 30 SKUs, SimpleStock's free tier is the fastest to set up with the most utility. Assisty's free tier adds reporting but takes a bit more configuration.
- Q. Does Shopify have built-in low stock alerts?
- Yes. In Shopify Admin, you can set a low stock threshold per product variant under the Inventory section. When stock drops below that number, Shopify sends an email alert. It's free and requires no app install. The limitation: no inventory dashboard, no lead-time-aware reorder points, and limited multi-location support. It works for very small catalogs; it doesn't scale well.
- Q. What replaces Stocky for low stock alerts?
- Depends on how you used Stocky. If you mainly used it for the dashboard and reorder alerts, SimpleStock or Assisty are the closest lightweight replacements. If you used Stocky's purchase order workflow, Prediko is a better match. If you're on POS Pro and staying there, Shopify's native inventory tools take over from Stocky automatically.
- Q. Which app is cheapest for low stock alerts?
- Shopify native is free. After that: iAlert starts at free with a paid tier around $4.99/month. SimpleStock is free up to 30 SKUs, then $14.99/month. Assisty is free up to a usage cap, then $19/month on Shopify Basic. These are the three most budget-accessible options in this roundup.
- Q. Do Shopify inventory alert apps work with multiple locations?
- Most paid apps support multi-location inventory. SimpleStock includes multi-location at the $14.99/month Growth plan. Assisty includes it on paid plans. Prediko supports it. Shopify native is more limited — you set thresholds per location separately with no consolidated view. iAlert has limited multi-location support.
- Q. How do I know what threshold to set for a low stock alert?
- The safest formula: (average daily sales x supplier lead time in days) + safety stock buffer. If you sell 5 units per day and your supplier takes 7 days to deliver, your reorder point is at minimum 35 units — add 20-30% as a safety stock buffer if demand is variable. Apps like Prediko and Assisty calculate this automatically from your sales history. SimpleStock lets you set vendor lead times manually and calculates a suggested reorder point per SKU.
- Q. Is Prediko worth the cost for a small store?
- Honestly, probably not if you're small. Prediko's AI forecasting delivers real value when you have enough sales velocity to forecast against — typically stores doing meaningful daily volume across many SKUs. If your catalog is small or your sales are sparse, the forecasting suggestions will be less reliable and you'll be paying for capability you can't fully use. Start with Assisty's free tier or SimpleStock instead.
- Q. Which Shopify low stock alert app is easiest to set up?
- SimpleStock and iAlert are the simplest to get running — both are usable within 10 minutes of install, with minimal configuration. Prediko and Assisty take more initial setup (supplier configuration, forecast calibration) but pay off once configured. Inventory Planner often requires guided onboarding.