Wholesale distribution software manages inventory across your warehouses, processes bulk B2B orders, handles purchasing, and keeps your accounting in sync. Many distributors already run something that does most of this and do not realise it. This guide covers how to tell, what the software should be able to do, and the ten platforms worth shortlisting.
What is a Wholesale Distribution Software?
Wholesale distribution software is an application that packages core wholesale operations like inventory management, order processing, warehouse operations, logistics, and customer engagement into one unified system for improved efficiency and visibility. It serves as the nerve center for the modern wholesale distribution process.
To put this into perspective:
- Without wholesale distribution software: The wholesaler uses spreadsheets for stock counts, uses phone calls to confirm deliveries, and relies on gut instinct for reordering.
- With wholesale distribution software: Inventory levels automatically sync across warehouses, orders flow seamlessly from sales reps’ mobile devices, and delivery updates provide buyers with real-time visibility on orders.
Do you already have wholesale distribution software?
Worth settling before you shortlist anything, because a lot of distributors are shopping for something they already own.
If you already have wholesale distribution software
If you run SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, Acumatica, Infor, or QuickBooks Enterprise, you already have it. Those systems handle inventory, purchasing, and accounting, and replacing any of them is a six to eighteen month project.
So before you start comparing platforms, work out what is actually missing. For most distributors at this stage it is not inventory control. It is order capture. Orders arrive by email, phone, and PDF, and someone types them in again. Reps carry a printed catalog and ring the office to check stock. Buyers cannot see their own pricing without asking.
If that describes your situation, you are not looking for a new system. You are looking for software that adds buyer and rep ordering on top of the one you have, and integrates with it. Entry 1 in the comparison below covers that, and any platform you shortlist should already have a built connector for your system.
If you do not have wholesale distribution software yet
If you are running on spreadsheets and accounting software, you are choosing your first system, and the order matters.
Shortlist on four things: how many SKUs you carry, how many warehouses you run, whether you need lot, batch, or serial traceability for anything with an expiry date or a compliance requirement, and whether any customer trades by EDI. Those four narrow ten options down to two or three quickly.
One warning. Most of these systems will not give your buyers a place to order online or your reps a way to sell from a phone. Check that before you sign, or plan it as a second step, so it does not become a rebuild later.
What are the Key Features to Look For in a Wholesale Distribution Software?
Choosing wholesale distribution software isn’t just about ticking boxes. You need to see if it fits your precise needs and offers all the necessary capabilities. No single platform does all of the following, so use this to work out which half matters more to you.
Running your operations
- Real-time inventory intelligence: The software should offer live stock tracking across all warehouses. This ensures you always know what’s available. It should also provide automated alerts to prevent both stockouts and overstocking.
- Multi-location control: It should handle stock by warehouse, transfers between locations, and lot, batch, or serial tracking if you carry anything with an expiry date or a compliance requirement.
- Warehouse operations: Look for bin locations, directed picking, barcode scanning, and cycle counts if warehouse accuracy is your constraint.
- Purchasing and reordering: It should trigger reorders from actual demand rather than guesswork, and track supplier lead times.
- Accounting and landed cost: Check that it syncs to your ledger in real time and calculates landed cost, so your margin per SKU is accurate.
- EDI support: If any customer trades by EDI, confirm the platform handles purchase order and invoice documents and has been through compliance testing.
Selling and taking orders
- Customer-specific pricing: The software should apply per-buyer price lists, volume breaks, and contract pricing at the moment an order is placed, not afterwards.
- Dedicated mobile app for reps: The software should offer a mobile app that allows reps to access product catalogs and place orders on the spot (like in tradeshows). It should also let them capture customer information and send an order confirmation email while in the field.
- AI-powered sales assistance: The software should offer AI-driven recommendations for cross-selling and upselling opportunities. It should also offer valuable buyer insights to improve conversions.
- Buyer approval flow: The software should provide a built-in approval process for onboarding buyers or accounts. This ensures only verified organizations gain access to view the catalog and place orders. It should also offer automated notifications to streamline the approval cycle, speed up decisions, and prevent delays.
- Lead management and enrichment: The software should offer tools to capture and score leads effectively. It should also enrich them with additional data, helping sales teams prioritize the most valuable opportunities.
- Analytics and reports: The software should offer comprehensive dashboards and custom reports for tracking performance. It should also provide actionable insights into sales trends and customer behavior.
Also read:13 Best Wholesale Apps for Shopify
Top Wholesale Distribution Software You Should Consider
Here is our pick of the best wholesale distribution software you can consider adopting in your organization. The Software type column tells you what each one actually is, because the category covers everything from full ERPs to ordering platforms.
| Platform | Software type | Ideal for | Key features | G2 rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WizCommerce | B2B ordering | Distributors who already have an ERP | Seamless integrations, customizable checkouts, multiple price lists, offline order management, AI sales assistant (Kai), analytics and reporting | 4.8/5 |
| SAP Business One | ERP | Analytics | Unified order management, pricing and revenue optimization, customer data and identity management, supply chain visibility | 4.5/5 |
| Oracle NetSuite | ERP | Warehouse management | Orders management, sourcing, warehouse management, buyer management | 4.1/5 |
| QuickBooks Enterprise | Accounting-led | Blending distribution with accounting | Barcode scanning, vendor management, pricing management, inventory tracking | 4.2/5 |
| Infor CloudSuite Distribution | ERP | Multi-location support | Multi-location support, embedded analytics, Infor app integration, embedded PIM | 3.9/5 |
| Candid Wholesale | B2B ordering | Integrated communication | Payments management, integrated payments, integrated messaging, reporting and analytics | Not rated |
| B2B Wave | B2B ordering | Quote management | In-app communication, quotes, customized catalog, customized pricing | 4.8/5 |
| Acumatica Distribution Edition | ERP | Wholesale integrations | Automated cross-company transactions, matrix items, cost control, sales orders management | 4.5/5 |
| Brightpearl | Inventory management | Hybrid brands | Invoice support, inventory planner, custom price lists, smart reporting | 4.5/5 |
| HandiFox | Inventory management | Inventory control | High-volume inventory control, smart reordering, mobile access, QuickBooks sync | 4.8/5 |
1. WizCommerce:
WizCommerce is an AI-powered B2B e-commerce platform built to simplify modern B2B selling. Unlike traditional platforms, it has been designed from the ground up with the complex needs of wholesalers and distributors in mind, using the power of artificial intelligence.
It is the one entry on this list that is not trying to run your warehouse or hold your ledger. It handles the part your ERP was never built for: giving buyers a storefront with their own contract pricing, giving reps an app that keeps working at a trade show booth, and getting orders in without anyone retyping them. It integrates natively with NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, QuickBooks, Sage, Epicor, Xoro, Fishbowl, and Zoho, so your existing system stays where it is.
And that’s why you will find a wide range of features that focus on automating end-to-end wholesale workflows, right from order capture and offline support to pricing and checkout. With deep industry expertise and a strong focus on scalability, WizCommerce goes beyond just digitizing your wholesale distribution operations and delivers real-time visibility of inventory, orders, and customer activity, which helps in shaping tailored buying experiences for improved conversions.
Key features
- Seamless integrations: WizCommerce offers plug-and-play connectivity with ERPs, accounting systems, inventory tools, and e-commerce platforms for quick deployment. This ensures you can centralize operations and avoid data silos, all the while maintaining real-time accuracy across your supply chain.
- Customizable checkouts: You can build flexible checkout flows with tailored payment terms, billing, and shipping options aligned with B2B buying behaviors. This helps you accommodate diverse buyer needs and streamline complex bulk ordering processes.
- Multiple price lists: This feature lets you instantly create and toggle between customized price lists to support diverse buyer personas and deal scenarios. This, in turn, allows you to cater to retailers of different buying power, boosting conversion rates.
- Offline order management: Your reps can capture and process orders at trade shows or low-connectivity zones, with auto-sync once online. This ensures sales continuity in wholesale environments where on-the-ground order-taking is critical.
- AI-powered sales assistant (Kai): It is an in-house AI assistant that provides real-time customer insights and actionable prompts to help reps close deals faster. This enables your reps to engage buyers with the right products and offers, improving deal velocity.
- Analytics & reporting: Intuitive dashboards with lead scoring, sales performance tracking, and buyer behavior insights for data-driven decisions. You also get an intuitive dashboard with lead scoring, sales performance tracking, and buyer behavior insights for data-driven decisions. This allows your reps to identify high-value buyers and optimize sales strategies for growth.
Results distributors have seen
Turkana Foods integrated SAP in three weeks. Howard Elliott went live in 22 days, added 600-plus new buyers, and lifted revenue 15%. Toynk runs 16,000-plus SKUs and lifted average order value 20%.
When it is not the right fit
If you have no system running your inventory yet, start with one of the platforms below. WizCommerce reads stock and pricing from your system of record, so it needs one underneath it.
2. SAP:
SAP’s wholesale distribution software is a highly industry-specific solution designed to help wholesale distributors automate their end-to-end workflows related to inventory management, order processing, pricing, procurement, and customer relationship management. By digitizing these processes end-to-end, the platform allows wholesale businesses to deliver better service to their buyers and control costs. With built-in analytics, SAP helps wholesalers optimize stock levels and manage buyer relationships by responding faster to market demands.
Key features
- Unified B2B order management: You can manage orders across all sales channels through a single, configurable system. This ensures a consistent customer experience.
- Pricing and revenue optimization: You can use the platform’s data-driven insights to adjust pricing based on demand, elasticity, and business rules. This helps maximize margins and competitiveness.
- Customer data and identity management: You can maintain secure, unified customer profiles to manage identity, consent, and authentication. This enables personalized and trusted interactions.
- Supply chain visibility: You can gain near real-time insights into procurement and warehouse operations. Also, with the integrated logistics module, you can have better operational and delivery control.
3. Oracle NetSuite:
NetSuite’s wholesale distribution solution is designed to help businesses better manage their inventory and fulfillment processes. It enables centralized control of stock across multiple locations and sales channels. Through its demand-based planning capability, it helps balance inventory levels by factoring in forecasts and historical trends. With integrated fulfillment tools, you can also streamline picking, packing, and shipping to reduce costs and improve delivery timelines. This ultimately helps with maintaining customer satisfaction.
Key features
- Orders management: You can accept and manage orders across all channels, including online, offline, and EDI, within the platform. This helps in accelerating the order-to-cash cycle as orders are channel-agnostic.
- Sourcing: This capability gives you full control over procure-to-pay processes to strengthen supplier relationships and improve transparency in the procurement process.
- Warehouse management: You can use the built-in Warehouse Management System to cut overhead and boost inventory turnover. This also ensures you have higher on-time delivery rates.
- Buyer management: The platform provides your sales, support, and service teams with real-time access to customer data. This includes preferences and interactions so that consistent service across all touchpoints is ensured.
4. QuickBooks Enterprise:
QuickBooks Enterprise for Wholesale & Distribution is a software suite aimed at helping wholesalers manage everything from inventory and sales order fulfillment to purchasing and accounting in one system. It supports multiple warehouses, cloud access, vendor-management workflows, and inventory tracking across locations. The tool also offers tailored industry reports and customized functionalities for businesses with more complex needs, such as multiple sites or fulfillment demands.
Key features
- Barcode scanning: You can use the platform’s mobile barcode scanning function for picking, receiving, and cycle counts. You can also track inventory by bin or pallet across warehouses and trucks with detailed reports.
- Vendor management: This feature helps you manage all vendor information in one place, including outstanding purchase orders. You can also compare contracts, pricing, and batch-import vendor price lists for efficiency.
- Pricing management: This module helps you calculate landed costs with shipping, duties, and taxes included. You can even apply automated and category-specific pricing rules to protect margins and cut manual work.
- Inventory tracking: QuickBooks lets you track goods across warehouses, trucks, consignment, and staging areas. You can also use its multi-level location tracking feature and lot-based expiration dates to speed up fulfillment.
5. Infor CloudSuite Distribution:
Infor is a cloud-based ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) solution that also serves as a distribution management software. The platform provides workflows and role-based interfaces that align with the typical operational needs for wholesalers and distributors. Infor supports most of the critical wholesale distribution components, including inventory, warehouse, and supply chain management. It also offers pre-configured processes and AI-assisted automation to improve efficiency in day-to-day tasks.
Key features
- Multi-location support: With Infor, you can manage multiple sites or warehouses efficiently. This gives you the necessary operational oversight and centralized control across locations.
- Embedded analytics: The platform offers actionable insights through a built-in analytics module. You can use the generated insights to make strategic decisions and improve overall business performance.
- Seamless integration: Infor wholesale distribution software connects quickly with other Infor applications. This creates a cohesive and streamlined operational environment.
- Embedded PIM: The platform offers a central hub for managing and enriching product data. You can attach images, PDFs, videos, and other media while offering a flexible modeling environment to distribute your products.
6. Candid Wholesale:
Candid is a wholesale platform designed to connect buyers, sellers, suppliers, payments, and orders within a single system. It enables collaboration with sellers through storefronts, catalogs, and line sheets. An integrated CRM helps maintain clear relationships across brands, and a tiered permission system ensures that the right people have access to the right information without oversharing sensitive sales or contact data. Additionally, the platform provides real-time commission reporting and click tracking, giving businesses greater visibility into performance and sales activity.
Key features
- Payments management: You can track incoming and outgoing payments, monitor shipments and invoices in real time, and send reminders for overdue invoices to keep cash flow steady.
- Integrated payments: The platform supports multiple payment methods, including ACH, credit cards, and cash, and also credit cards via Stripe.
- Integrated messaging: You can manage all communications within Candid, from sending past-due reminders to email notifications. It ensures timely updates for customers.
- Reporting & analytics: You can generate detailed sales reports by order, customer, or product, and use selling signals to track visits to your Storefront and Catalog.
For additional reading: How to Find Wholesale Suppliers for Your Business?
7. B2B Wave:
B2B Wave is not a conventional wholesale distribution software. It is rather a suite of different tools that help in managing the wholesale selling process. For instance, there is a dedicated sales rep app that allows sales representatives to manage and place orders on behalf of buyers with permissions configured to match the accounts they’re assigned to. Then there is a B2B ordering portal where buyers can place new orders, view their order history, and reorder. Tools like these form the core of this platform.
Key features
- In-app communication: You can send and receive emails regarding order status or any other key details within the app. This keeps communication organized.
- Quotes: You can create tailored quotes by adding or removing products and adjusting prices. You can then share them via email, save them locally or in the cloud, or forward them internally.
- Customized catalog: You can personalize the buying experience by setting rules on which products customers or sales reps can view. This ensures each user sees only what’s relevant.
- Customized pricing: You can assign price lists or pricing rules so every buyer sees an individualized price. This gives you flexible control over pricing strategies.
8. Acumatica Distribution Edition:
Acumatica is a platform built to support wholesale distribution businesses by offering complete control over procurement and selling to the wholesaler. It helps them manage their supply and demand through modules for omnichannel sales, optimizing inventory levels, and an in-built WMS application to improve warehouse efficiency. The software integrates with hundreds of software such as CRMs for connecting sales data, advanced reporting tools for generating actionable insights, and accounting applications to simplify financial management.
Key features
- Automated cross-company transactions: You can manage intercompany operations by automatically generating a sales order in one entity from a purchase order in another. This reduces manual effort and smoothens cross-company workflows.
- Build matrix items: This feature simplifies product management by creating and organizing product families with attributes like size, style, or color. This makes purchasing and sales more efficient while keeping inventory easy to manage.
- Cost control: Acumatica gives you a detailed view of profitability by warehouse, product line, location, and business unit. These insights help monitor expenses and maintain tighter control across the supply and distribution chain.
- Sales orders management: This module optimizes quotes, entries, and fulfillments. You can set flexible rules to manage complex needs such as multiple warehouses, returns, credit limits, drop shipments, and order allocation across sales channels.
9. Brightpearl:
Brightpearl is a distribution software designed for both wholesale and retail businesses. The platform unifies an array of inventory and distribution processes, so that the users have an instant overview of day-to-day operations. The platform simplifies multichannel selling by automatically updating orders and inventory levels across phone, email, and webstore channels. Brightpearl also offers ready-made integrations with platforms like NuORDER, Joor, and Le New Black, so that there is a single source of truth for all order and customer-related information.
Key features
- Invoice support: Brightpearl supports different types of invoices and payment methods, such as proforma invoices, true invoices, payments on account, deposits, and part payments.
- Custom price lists: This feature lets you manage individual price lists by account, by group of accounts, or even by salesperson.
- Inventory planner: This capability of Brightpearl provides clear insights into when to reorder stock. It ensures you avoid shortages or excess and also centralizes purchase orders and supplier details in one place for easier inventory management.
- Smart reporting: Brightpearl ensures all users get a view of which clients owe payments and how long balances have been outstanding. There is also a tagging system that highlights key details such as statement dates, account status, and dunning letter references for quick follow-up.
10. Handifox:
Handifox is a wholesale distribution software with a strong focus on inventory management. The platform is used by wholesalers to automate core operations like purchasing, sales, and typical warehouse workflows. For instance, the platform automates stock counts and purchase orders to let your warehouse team focus on other critical activities. It offers both cloud-based (HandiFox Online) and on-premise (HandiFox Desktop) options.
Key features
- High-volume inventory control: The platform offers support for managing thousands of SKUs across multiple warehouse locations. This allows wholesalers to track stock in each location accurately.
- Smart reordering: This automated feature helps wholesalers replenish their stock on time to avoid stockout situations.
- Mobile access: This feature was designed mainly to enable warehouse teams to receive, pick, and ship orders faster and to reduce their reliance on desktops and other stationary setups for order management.
- QuickBooks sync: The platform offers tight integration with QuickBooks so that inventory and financial data always stay aligned.
Frequently asked questions
1. What software do wholesalers use?
Most wholesalers run two kinds of wholesale distribution software. A system that handles inventory, purchasing, and accounting, usually Oracle NetSuite, SAP Business One, Acumatica, or Infor, plus a platform for buyer ordering and rep order entry such as WizCommerce. Smaller operations often start with QuickBooks Enterprise and spreadsheets.
2. Do I already have wholesale distribution software?
If you run SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, Acumatica, Infor, or QuickBooks Enterprise, then yes. Those systems handle inventory, purchasing, and accounting. What is usually missing is buyer self-service ordering, rep order entry, and customer-specific pricing applied at the point of order, which is added on top rather than replacing what you have.
3. What is a distribution software?
Distribution software is a digital solution that helps wholesale distribution companies manage the movement of goods from suppliers to retailers. It typically includes advanced inventory tracking, order management, pricing, accounting, warehouse control, and reporting features to improve efficiency in supply chain operations.
4. What is a software that is used in a warehouse or distribution center?
Warehouses and distribution centers often use Warehouse Management Software, an ERP software, or distribution management software. All these platforms typically focus on optimizing inventory control, picking, packing, and shipping, improving accuracy and productivity across business processes.
5. How much does wholesale distribution software cost?
It depends on the type. Lighter inventory tools start in the low hundreds per month. Larger systems are usually quoted annually with a separate implementation fee that often matches or exceeds the first year of licensing. Ordering platforms are quoted on catalog size, user count, and integrations. Budget for implementation and integration, not just licensing.
6. Which wholesale distribution software integrates with NetSuite or SAP?
WizCommerce has native connectors to NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, QuickBooks, Sage, Epicor, Xoro, Fishbowl, and Zoho, with real-time inventory and pricing sync. Ask any vendor which connectors they own outright, which they route through middleware, and who fixes it when a sync fails.
7. What is the best software for wholesale distribution?
There is no single best, because the category covers different kinds of product. For running operations, cloud platforms like SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, Sage X3, or Infor CloudSuite suit mid-market and up, while Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Acumatica suit growing distributors. For a complete setup, pairing one of those with an agile front-end tool like WizCommerce helps any distributor protect margins and speed up sales.