# Inventory Planner alternative: stock and cash in one place

> Looking for an Inventory Planner alternative? What the Shopify app does, what Keel HQ does differently, what it doesn't do, and how to move your suppliers over.

Source: https://keelhq.io/alternatives/inventory-planner · Published 2026-10-30 · Last verified 2026-10-30

**Status (2026-10-30):** Inventory Planner is still available. Its Shopify App Store listing, developed by Inventory Planner by Sage, shows the Essentials plan at $119.99 a month with a 14-day free trial. This page is for brands that want something different, not for a shutdown. (https://apps.shopify.com/inventory-planner-essentials)

**TL;DR:** Inventory Planner is a working forecasting and purchase order app for Shopify, and it isn't going away. Keel HQ is a different shape: reorder points from your trailing 90-day sales pace, purchase orders whose payments land in a 14-week cash forecast, and no statistical demand forecast. You upload Inventory Planner's purchase order and replenishment exports and review them before anything saves; there is no live connection.

Everything about Inventory Planner below comes from its Shopify App Store listing ([Inventory Planner Essentials](https://apps.shopify.com/inventory-planner-essentials), accessed 2026-10-30). Check the listing for current plans, because prices change.

## What Inventory Planner does

Syncs sales history and stock details from Shopify.

Sales forecasting you can filter, sort and adjust by variant.

Reorder suggestions and purchase order management.

Low stock, out-of-stock and replenishment reminders.

The listing shows the Essentials plan at $119.99 a month with a 14-day free trial (checked 2026-10-30). If you need a demand forecast you can tune by variant, that is a real reason to stay.

## Side by side

|                 | Inventory Planner                        | Keel HQ                                           |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Demand forecast | Sales forecasting, adjustable by variant | None. Reorder points use the trailing 90-day pace |
| Purchase orders | Purchase order management                | Purchase orders with a payment schedule           |
| Cash            | Not on the listing                       | PO payments feed a 14-week cash forecast          |
| Price           | $119.99 a month, Essentials (2026-10-30) | See [pricing](/pricing)                           |

The Inventory Planner column only reports what the listing says.

## Why brands pick Keel HQ

**Stock and cash together.** A purchase order's deposit and balance dates land in the [cash forecast](/features/cash), so a big reorder shows up as the cash it takes.

**Supplier terms in one place.** Lead time, minimum order quantity (MOQ) and payment terms per supplier, with a reorder-by date per product. See [inventory](/features/inventory).

## Moving over

Keel HQ reads files you export from Inventory Planner. There is no live connection to it. Nothing here is imported until you review it.

**Add your suppliers first**

Keel HQ's file presets don't read supplier payment terms, so start from a spreadsheet of your suppliers. Open **Inventory → Settings**, find the **Suppliers** card and click **Import**. Choose **Your own spreadsheet: Suppliers**, with **Supplier name**, **Lead time (days)**, **MOQ**, **Currency**, **Payment terms** and **Email**. Review, then click **Import**. Each imported purchase order copies its supplier's payment terms, and those payments feed the [cash forecast](/features/cash).

**Import your open purchase orders**

In Inventory Planner, open the stock order and choose **Actions › Export**. The columns follow what the page shows, and the gear icon sets them.

In Keel HQ, open **Inventory → POs** and click **Import**, which opens **Inventory → Import**. Under **What is this file?** choose **Inventory Planner purchase orders (CSV)**, click **Choose file**, check the **Columns** card, then **Review import**. The preset reads the PO reference, vendor, ordered and received quantities, cost price and the created, shipment and expected dates. Orders that are received in full or cancelled are left out. Orders come in with their supplier's payment schedule. The review lists each payment with a **Paid already** box; tick the ones you've paid so they stay out of the cash forecast.

**Check the columns** The Inventory Planner presets weren't built from a real export. They match common header names, so confirm each mapping in the **Columns** card before you review. Nothing saves until you click **Import** on the review. Importing the same file again adds nothing twice.

**Import supplier and lead time per SKU**

In Inventory Planner, open **Replenishment**, turn on the **SKU**, **Vendor** and **Lead time** columns, then **Export**. In Keel HQ, on **Inventory → Import**, choose **Inventory Planner replenishment (CSV)**. It reads each SKU's vendor, lead time, MOQ and reorder point where the file has them. SKUs that aren't in your catalog are left out and listed.

**Check the reorder points**

Reorder points are computed from the trailing 90-day sales pace unless the file carried one. Open a product in **Inventory → Catalog** to see its **Reorder Point** and **Reorder By**.

## What Keel HQ doesn't do

No statistical demand forecast, and no per-variant forecast adjustments.

No live connection to Inventory Planner. You upload its exports. The import presets weren't built from a real export, so you confirm the column mapping each time.

Keel HQ doesn't email purchase orders to suppliers.

Keel HQ is in private beta, with a waitlist.

## FAQ

### Is Inventory Planner shutting down?

Not that we found. Its Shopify App Store listing was live when we checked on 2026-10-30. This page is for brands choosing a different tool.

### Can I import my Inventory Planner data into Keel HQ?

Yes, as files. Under Inventory → Import, choose Inventory Planner purchase orders (CSV) for open purchase orders, or Inventory Planner replenishment (CSV) for each SKU's vendor, lead time, MOQ and reorder point. Suppliers and their payment terms come from your own spreadsheet. There is no live connection to Inventory Planner, and you review everything before it saves.

### Does Keel HQ forecast demand like Inventory Planner?

No. Keel HQ's reorder point is the trailing 90-day sales pace times the supplier's lead time plus your safety days, or a fixed number you set on the product. If a seasonal ramp matters, you adjust by hand.

### How much does Keel HQ cost?

See the pricing page for the current plans. The listing prices on this page for other tools are as of 2026-10-30.

## Sources

- [Inventory Planner Essentials](https://apps.shopify.com/inventory-planner-essentials), Shopify App Store (accessed 2026-10-30)