If you are comparing WP Inventory Manager vs ATUM, the right choice depends on whether your inventory workflow is built around WooCommerce. ATUM is designed for WooCommerce stock management, while WP Inventory Manager is built for WordPress inventory catalogs, asset tracking, equipment rental, parts catalogs and internal inventory workflows that do not need a shopping cart.
Which WordPress inventory plugin is right for your site?
The main difference: ATUM requires WooCommerce
ATUM requires WooCommerce. Its full name is “ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management and Stock Tracking.” Without WooCommerce installed and active on your site, ATUM will not run. It is a WooCommerce extension, not a standalone inventory tool.
WP Inventory Manager requires nothing but WordPress. It runs on any WordPress site, with WooCommerce installed, without it, or on a site that has never touched an online store. It is completely independent.
If you are not running a WooCommerce store, the decision is simple: WP Inventory Manager is the better fit because it works as a standalone WordPress inventory system.
When ATUM is the better choice
ATUM is the better choice if you already run a WooCommerce store and need deeper stock control for products, orders and suppliers. Its Stock Central dashboard gives store operators a central place to review product quantities, low-stock status, supplier details and stock value.
For example, an online retailer processing many orders each week may need purchase orders, manufacturing workflows and barcode scanning. In that case, ATUM can make sense because the inventory workflow starts inside WooCommerce.
Best for: WooCommerce store operators managing a large product catalog with an order-driven fulfillment workflow.
When WP Inventory Manager is the better choice
WP Inventory Manager is the better choice if you need inventory management in WordPress without building a full WooCommerce store. You can track items, quantities, categories and custom fields, then display a searchable catalog on the front end with a shortcode.
That distinction matters because WooCommerce ties inventory to products, carts, orders and checkout. If your inventory does not revolve around online sales, you may not need that extra ecommerce layer.
For example, a gym might track treadmills, kettlebells and resistance bands for member use. None of those items are for sale, so the site does not need product pages, carts or payments. Instead, WP Inventory Manager lets the gym create item records, organize them into categories and show a browsable front-end catalog.
Best for: Businesses tracking physical inventory outside the context of an online store: equipment, tools, assets, rental items, donated goods, or any inventory that isn’t tied to checkout.
Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
| Feature | WP Inventory Manager | ATUM |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WooCommerce | No | Yes |
| Works without an online store | Yes | No |
| Free core version | Yes | Yes |
| Custom inventory fields | Yes | No (uses WooCommerce product fields) |
| Front-end inventory display | Yes – shortcode | No standalone display |
| Multi-location stock | Yes – Locations Manager add-on | Yes – Multi-inventory (Premium) |
| Low-stock email alerts | Yes – Pro ($79/yr) | Yes – Free tier |
| Purchase orders | No | Yes – Premium |
| Customer reservation system | Yes – Reserve Cart add-on | No |
| Paid tier pricing | From $79 per year (Pro) or $199 per year (All Access) | From ~$14.99 per month (Premium add-ons) |
Who Should Choose WP Inventory Manager
- You don’t have WooCommerce installed. ATUM will not activate without it. WP Inventory Manager works on any WordPress site.
- Your inventory is not tied to online sales. Equipment, tools, assets, rental items, donated goods – if there’s no checkout involved, WPIM is built for this and ATUM is not.
- You need a customer-facing display. WPIM renders your catalog on the front end via shortcode. Visitors can browse and filter without a WooCommerce product page.
- You need custom fields. WPIM lets you add any data point to an inventory item: serial numbers, condition, supplier, last service date. ATUM uses WooCommerce’s fixed product fields.
- You want a lighter setup. WooCommerce adds checkout flows, payment gateways, and shipping zones. If you don’t need any of that, WPIM keeps your site clean and focused.
Who Should Choose ATUM
ATUM is the stronger choice if your primary concern is managing a large WooCommerce product catalog as part of an active ecommerce operation. Its Stock Central dashboard, purchase order support, and supplier management are genuinely valuable for an online retailer managing hundreds of SKUs with an order-driven workflow.
If WooCommerce is already the backbone of your business and you need more visibility into stock movement at the product level, ATUM extends that system well.
Getting Started With WP Inventory Manager
Install the plugin from the WordPress plugin repository or directly from wpinventory.com/downloads. Once active, the WP Inventory menu appears in your WordPress admin. From there:
- Go to WP Inventory > Inventory Items to add and manage your stock records.
- Go to WP Inventory > Categories to organise items into groups.
- Add the inventory shortcode to any page to display your catalog on the front end.
- Go to WP Inventory > Settings to configure low-stock alerts and user access (Pro required for email alerts).
The free version covers item tracking, categories, custom fields, and front-end display. Upgrade to Pro ($79 per year) for low-stock email alerts and quantity history, or to All Access ($199 per year) for multi-location tracking, a customer reservation system, and advanced search.
Browse all options at wpinventory.com/add-ons.
