Our Verdict…

We like Acctivate because of its effective inventory management, order processing, and manufacturing capabilities. The system syncs directly with QuickBooks, allowing for efficient data migration. Acctivate acts as a light ERP system with a more affordable cost and can be deployed on-premise or cloud-based.

On the other hand, Acctivate won’t be a good fit for service-based companies or businesses that don’t use QuickBooks. The high number of customizations can also present a steep learning curve for new users.

9.1
Our Rating
based on our expert editorial analysis
9.5
User Rating
based on 8 user reviews
Best for: Small to midsize product-based distributors, online retailers, and manufacturers with annual revenue between $5M and $20M. It’s a good option for companies outgrowing QuickBooks or manual spreadsheets that don’t want to jump into an ERP.
Not a good fit for: Service-based businesses, such as HVAC and plumbing, that prioritize inventory at their core. It’s also not a good fit for companies that want to move off of QuickBooks or currently use a different accounting software.
Pros:
  • Provides batch tools through the order manager to track process workflows
  • Integrates directly with QuickBooks for easy data migration
  • Can handle millions of SKUs for scalability
Cons:
  • Does not support RFID scanning
  • One user must manually sync data for QuickBooks Desktop
  • Steep learning curve due to high customization amount
Starting Price
$10,995 (perpetual license)
Price Range Learn More
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
  • Developer Alterity, Inc
  • Client OS Windows
  • Deployment Cloud or On-Premises

What Is Acctivate Inventory Management?

Acctivate is an inventory management software that connects directly with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. It functions as a light ERP, with features such as inventory management, omnichannel sales, manufacturing, lot/serial control, and order processing. After demoing Acctivate, we found it a good in-between for small to midsize businesses who outgrow manual spreadsheets but don’t require a full ERP system.

Our Ratings

Usability - 7 UI design is modern and similar to QuickBooks for familiarity; tabbed interface makes moving between screens efficient; strong global search function with several filters; can be a high learning curve due to many customizations; UI can become cluttered with many functions on one screen.
Support - 10 Offers phone and email ticket support; knowledge base documentation and training webinars provided; in-house virtual onboarding that can be completed in 60-90 days.
Scalability - 9 Supports a large amount of data for growing companies; several integration options like Shipstation and Hubspot; companies can quickly outgrow the system and will require an ERP with more advanced features.
Security - 10 Includes user permissions and admin control of data; activity is tracked to create an audit trail; can be installed on-premise to keep data out of the cloud.
Value - 9 Plans start at $5,000-$10,000/year with one-time initial licensing fees of $6,000-$10,000; competitive pricing compared to alternatives like Fishbowl Inventory; features not available in starter plan can be purchased a la carte, so businesses can add features without fully upgrading; fees are added on top of existing QuickBooks monthly subscription which has been steadily increasing.
Performance - 10 Clicking into modules and inputting data is fast and responsive; no noticeable lag switching between tasks and modules.
Key Features - 9 Streamlined inventory tracking and omnichannel order processing; provides traceability for food and beverage manufacturers; companies can cost by lot number for specific costing; lacks RFID scanning, and hardware is limited to Android scanners.

Who Uses Acctivate Inventory Management?

Acctivate is used by small to midsize businesses with $5-$200M in annual revenue. Its main industries are product-based distributors, manufacturers, and online retailers that require streamlined inventory management. It is the next step for businesses that want to stay on QuickBooks for accounting and need better inventory tracking but don’t require a full ERP. Acctivate also supports food and beverage manufacturers with full traceability and lot/batch tracking.

What Features Are Missing?

  • RFID Scanning: Acctivate does not support RFID Scanning. Businesses that use this type of scanning will have to switch to another scanning form, such as linear barcodes.
  • Automatic Sync With QuickBooks Desktop: If businesses are using QuickBooks Desktop, one user will have to manually sync data between Acctivate and Desktop. This is not true for QuickBooks Online, as it can automatically sync two-way.

Acctivate Pricing

All features in the professional and enterprise plans are available a la carte for businesses in the starter plan. Additional users can be purchased at $600/user.

Plan Pricing Features
Starter $5,000/year subscription $5,995 one-time initial license fee Starter Plan Features include:
  • 1 user
  • Inventory management
  • Sales automation
  • Customer management
  • Warehouse automation
  • Business management
Professional $8,000/year subscription $9,995 one-time initial license fee Includes all Starter Plan features, plus:
  • 5 users
  • Manufacturing/assemblies
  • Advanced bin-location control
  • AtaTax integration
  • 1x standard web store integration
Enterprise $14,000/year subscription $13,995 one-time initial license fee Includes all Professional Plan features, plus:
  • 10 users
  • EDI management
  • Mobile warehouse management
  • Unlimited web store integrations

Is Acctivate an ERP?

No, Acctivate is not an ERP, though it does have similar features. The main difference is ERPs have built-in accounting, whereas Acctivate integrates directly with QuickBooks. However, its features do overlap with full ERPs, like inventory and warehouse management, manufacturing, and order processing.

Alternatives

★★★★★
★★★★★
(25)
Fishbowl Inventory
Fishbowl Inventory Screenshot
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$4,395 (perpetual license)
Client OS
Windows, macOS
Deployment
Cloud or On-Premises
What We Like
Competitive pricing; does not require a subscription
Integrates with QuickBooks
Can function as a light MRP system
What We Don’t Like
Somewhat steep learning curve
Transactions do not post to QuickBooks in realtime; manual or scheduled sync only
Customizations can lead to difficult support scenarios
★★★★★
★★★★★
(1)
Cin7 Core
Cin7 Core Screenshot
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$349/month
Client OS
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
What We Like
Intuitive user interface with logical navigation
Several different automation options to streamline workflows like eCommerce and order processing
Real-time inventory tracking and order processing
What We Don’t Like
Initial integrations and training can be time-consuming
Accounting only through QuickBooks or Xero
Lacks complex manufacturing functions like traceability and full process support
★★★★★
★★★★★
(4)
inFlow Inventory
inFlow Inventory Screenshot
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$89/month
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
What We Like
Audit trails that highlight abnormal behaviors
Base package includes sales and purchasing
Unlimited user accounts to track transaction processing
What We Don’t Like
Difficult for multiple warehouses
Limited integrations
No lot code tracking

Summary

Acctivate Inventory Management is an effective solution for product-based distributors, manufacturers, and online retailers. It streamlines omnichannel inventory tracking, manufacturing, warehouse management, and sales order processing. These features work together with QuickBooks’ accounting capabilities to create a light ERP at a competitive price. It serves as a good middle ground between manual spreadsheets and a complete ERP.

However, we wouldn’t recommend Acctivate for startups with less than $5M in annual revenue, as the system may be overkill for their needs. Also, businesses must use QuickBooks with this system, so companies utilizing other accounting software will need to look elsewhere.

Acctivate Inventory Management
★★★★★
★★★★★
(8)
Acctivate Inventory Management software is primarily a real-time inventory management and high-volume order fulfillment solution. It’s best suited for small to mid-sized distributors, manufacturers, and online retailers using QuickBooks. The software offers seamless integration with QuickBooks, efficient purchasing, and reordering modules, and solid customer history and reporting capabilities.
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$10,995 (perpetual license)
Client OS
Windows
Deployment
Cloud or On-Premises

User Reviews of Acctivate Inventory Management

Tony H
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★
Ease-of-Use
★★★★★
★★★★★
Customer Support
★★★★★
★★★★★

Great program for QuickBooks Online users

June 29th, 2023 • Product Experience: trial only • Roles: Purchaser & End User

This system had some great functionalities for inventory and order management. If you are on QuickBooks Online you can see a tremendous improvement from the base Quick Books system. Their system is intutive and easy to use so we were impressed with the demo.

However, we are already on QuickBooks Enterprise and their inventory capabilities are very similar to what Acctivate had to offer. So we ended up just sticking with our current systems for now.

Pros

Great program for QuickBooks Online users

Cons

Not the best fit for QB Enterprise users

Anonymous
  • 11-50 employees
  • Annual revenue $1M-$10M
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★
Ease-of-Use
★★★★★
★★★★★
Customer Support
★★★★★
★★★★★

Integration with Quickbooks Desktop

February 24th, 2023 • Product Experience: still implementing • Role: End User

We are still in the implementation phase, just having launched the software, and as expected are having to work through some issues. However the support team at Acctivate has been very responsive in helping us through the learnign curve. We also found their ability to work with Quickbooks Enterprise, Desktop version, a primary selling point. All the other systems we spoke wth pushed us to the Online version which we were not willing to compromise on.

Pros

Integration with Quickbooks Desktp

Tom Cooper
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★

Provides me visibility into the business through QuickBooks integration

December 3rd, 2021 • Roles: Purchaser & End User

The greatest way Acctivate provides me visibility into the business is through its integration with QuickBooks because I use QuickBooks for financial reporting. Knowing that I have an inventory software package that’s accurate and gives me the information I need in QuickBooks is very assuring.

Azure Sessums
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★

Acctivate Inventory Management Review

December 3rd, 2021 • Roles: Purchaser & End User

I think that QuickBooks and Acctivate work very well together. For what we do, we could not have just one, we had to have both.

Anonymous
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★

Our efficiency, process, transparency, and communication improved dramatically

December 3rd, 2021 • Roles: Purchaser & End User

Our efficiency, process, transparency, and communication with our warehouse improved dramatically. Now, I can literally see what my warehouse is doing based on the workflow status. I can observe the process of the pick and respond to customers in a timely fashion with needed packaging information. I go into my reports, I pull my invoices for the day, I can see what was shipped, when it was shipped, it seamlessly puts it in tracking and the tracking syncs to our web store. That process has been awesome.

Hershel Belkin
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★

The biggest thing in Acctivate is the immediacy

October 8th, 2019 • Roles: Purchaser & End User

The biggest thing in Acctivate is the immediacy – the ability on the phone to tell people whether it’s in stock or not, what the price is, what the price breaks are, and to take the order interactively with the person on the phone.

By the time they hang up the phone, we’ve already emailed them a confirmation of their order. That process with our old system would be at least a day.

Gregory Callas
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★

Almost one day's worth of labor saved

October 8th, 2019 • Roles: Purchaser & End User

If we had to manually type everything, it’d take an additional couple of minutes for each order. You’re talking 400 minutes, which is an extra 6.6 hours. That’s almost one day’s worth of labor saved with Acctivate’s shipping workstation integration per week.

Anonymous
Overall
★★★★★
★★★★★

ACCTivate! is realtime so we always know what is where

October 23rd, 2014 • Roles: Purchaser & End User

ACCTivate! is easy to use and has lots of features in addition to inventory management. The CRM tools are great and the reporting is very flexible. I like the dashboards too.

Pros

ACCTivate! is realtime so we always know what is where. Our sales team used to sell things that were out of stock and now they know when they are placing the order if it is available. It also tells us when we need to reorder & we can do it very easily & quickly. I used to have to rekey our eCommerce orders and now they just come in and we process them from the main system. It's much quicker and when a customer calls we can see the history and help them easier. We really like ACCTivate! and have found them very helpful whenever we needed anything.