Materials Inventory vs NASP Connected Inventoryfor Shopify (2026)
Materials Inventory and NASP Connected Inventory both address inventory management within Shopify, but cater to different segments of merchants. Materials Inventory is specifically designed for makers and manufacturers who require robust management of raw materials, product profitability tracking, and purchase order functionality. It aims to prevent overselling and stockouts by synchronizing product inventory with raw material levels in real-time. NASP Connected Inventory, on the other hand, focuses on synchronizing stock levels across different products, variants, and bundles within Shopify, particularly supporting multi-location inventory. It allows linking items by SKU or manual selection, which is especially useful for merchants selling bundles or products with shared inventory components. The difference lies in the complexity of the inventory being managed; one focuses on the supply chain, the other on the product catalog.
At a Glance
Materials Inventory
49 reviews
NASP Connected Inventory
55 reviews
Detailed Overview
Materials Inventory
Inventory management for makers & manufacturers. Create bills of materials & track profitability
Key Features
- Stop overselling: The app updates your Shopify inventory in real-time
- Plan ahead: Know your real-time inventory of bundles, products & raw materials
- Easy to use: Intuitive & easy to use so you can focus on your business
- Informative: Costs & profits per product. Full history of inventory movements
- Low inventory alerts. Thresholds dynamically adjusted. Custom Purchase Orders
NASP Connected Inventory
Connected Inventory helps synchronise inventory quantity across products, variants and bundles.
Key Features
- Selling bundle and tracking the inventory of base products correctly
- Connect multiple products/variant’s inventory by assigning the same SKU
- Connect multiple products/variant’s inventory by manually picking
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 5/5 | 3.3/5 |
Rating Materials Inventory5/5 NASP Connected Inventory3.3/5 | ||
| Reviews | 49 | 55 |
Reviews Materials Inventory49 NASP Connected Inventory55 | ||
| Target Merchant | Makers & Manufacturers | General Shopify Merchants (especially those with bundles) |
Target Merchant Materials InventoryMakers & Manufacturers NASP Connected InventoryGeneral Shopify Merchants (especially those with bundles) | ||
| Inventory Focus | Raw Materials & Finished Goods | Products, Variants, and Bundles |
Inventory Focus Materials InventoryRaw Materials & Finished Goods NASP Connected InventoryProducts, Variants, and Bundles | ||
| Primary Function | Inventory & Profitability Tracking, Purchase Orders | Inventory Synchronization Across Products |
Primary Function Materials InventoryInventory & Profitability Tracking, Purchase Orders NASP Connected InventoryInventory Synchronization Across Products | ||
| Key Feature: Purchase Orders | Custom Purchase Orders for raw materials | Not available |
Key Feature: Purchase Orders Materials InventoryCustom Purchase Orders for raw materials NASP Connected InventoryNot available | ||
| Key Feature: Profitability Tracking | Costs & profits per product, full history | Not available |
Key Feature: Profitability Tracking Materials InventoryCosts & profits per product, full history NASP Connected InventoryNot available | ||
| Key Feature: Bundle Support | Yes, raw material bundles | Yes, focused on bundles |
Key Feature: Bundle Support Materials InventoryYes, raw material bundles NASP Connected InventoryYes, focused on bundles | ||
| Ease of Use (claimed) | Intuitive & Easy to Use | Not explicitly mentioned |
Ease of Use (claimed) Materials InventoryIntuitive & Easy to Use NASP Connected InventoryNot explicitly mentioned | ||
| Inventory Alerts | Low inventory alerts with dynamic thresholds | Not explicitly mentioned |
Inventory Alerts Materials InventoryLow inventory alerts with dynamic thresholds NASP Connected InventoryNot explicitly mentioned | ||
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Our Verdict
For manufacturers and businesses managing raw materials and finished goods, Materials Inventory offers a comprehensive solution with its profitability tracking, purchase order management, and raw material synchronization. The 5/5 rating suggests a high level of user satisfaction with these features. NASP Connected Inventory is better suited for general Shopify merchants, particularly those selling product bundles or needing to synchronize inventory across variants and locations. While the review count is slightly higher, the lower rating (3.3/5) indicates some users have experienced issues, though potentially not critical ones if the core feature of inventory synchronization is functional. Materials Inventory is the stronger choice for businesses needing BOM and raw material tracking, whereas NASP is a simpler solution for basic inventory syncing.
Common Questions
Which app is better for managing a complex bill of materials (BOM)?
Materials Inventory is explicitly designed for managing bills of materials, tracking raw material costs, and calculating product profitability. NASP Connected Inventory does not offer this level of detail.
Can both apps handle Shopify's multi-location inventory?
The description for NASP Connected Inventory explicitly mentions full support for Shopify's multi-location inventory. Materials Inventory does not explicitly mention multi-location support, so that may require additional research.
Which app is easier to set up and use?
Materials Inventory claims to be intuitive and easy to use. NASP Connected Inventory's description does not explicitly mention ease of use. The higher rating of Materials Inventory may also indicate a better user experience.
Which app is more suitable for preventing overselling?
Both apps claim to help prevent overselling by updating inventory in real-time, but Materials Inventory's raw material synchronization feature likely provides a more comprehensive approach for manufacturers.
Does either app provide purchase order functionality?
Materials Inventory provides the ability to create custom purchase orders for raw materials, helping merchants order the right amount of materials at the right time. NASP Connected Inventory does not mention purchase order functionality.
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