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Looking for a Merchbees alternative
Bee, by Merchbees, is a good app with far more reviews than ours and forecasting we do not have. We are one of its competitors, so start from the assumption that we are biased, then read the parts below that we are not going to pretend away.
By Fazeel Tanveer, Founder · Last reviewed 10 September 2026
The short version
- We win on the free plan. 500 SKUs against Bee's 250.
- We are cheaper and cover more. $4.99 for 15,000 SKUs against $5.99 for 8,000, with every location included.
- Bee wins on proof. 4.8 stars from 117 reviews. We have none yet.
- Bee does more. Forecasting plus dynamic reorder quantities, at higher tiers. We do alerts only.
Bee is not the only Merchbees style alternative. Stockie, StockAlert and Stockwell all send low stock alerts to a Shopify team on different plan limits, with the full price and feature table for all four on the apps compared page. Figures here were read on 25 August 2026, with the Slack row on 3 September 2026. Switching costs you a rebuilt threshold list, a rebuilt recipient list plus a week of running both to be sure nothing was missed, so it is worth doing for a genuine gap rather than for a dollar.
On this page
Where Merchbees is ahead
The review count matters more than anything we could say about ourselves, so it goes first.
It has 117 reviews at 4.8 stars. We launched recently enough to have none. Reviews are the one signal a vendor cannot write for itself, so weigh that accordingly rather than taking our word for anything here.
It does more. Reorder quantity calculations, dynamic thresholds driven by forecasting, stock cover days, ABC reports and bulk upload, with demand forecasting from $39.99 a month. None of that exists in Stockwell at any price.
Where the two genuinely differ
| Feature | Bee, by Merchbees | Stockwell |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 250 SKUs, 1 scheduled alert | 500 SKUs, daily summary |
| Entry paid plan | $5.99 for 8,000 SKUs | $4.99 for 15,000 SKUs |
| Alerts each variant separately | Yes | Yes |
| A different threshold per variant | Yes | Yes |
| Slack alerts | On the $11.99 Advanced plan | Summary free, instant from $4.99 |
| Forecasting | From $39.99 | No |
| Proof each alert was sent | Not advertised | Yes |
| Reviews | 4.8 from 117 | None yet |
Read down the two columns and the rows split. That is the honest picture as of 25 August 2026, with the Slack row read on 3 September 2026. Bee takes the forecasting plus the review count. We take the free plan, the entry price, the price Slack starts at plus the delivery record.
The case for switching
There are two situations where moving makes sense, both narrow.
You outgrew the free plan and only want the alerts. Bee's next tier is $5.99 for capabilities most stores never open: forecasting configuration, cover days, ABC reports. If none of that is going to get used, $4.99 for 15,000 SKUs with every location included buys the part you actually wanted for a dollar less.
You need to prove the alert went out. The failure that costs money is not a wrong threshold, it is an alert nobody can confirm arrived. Stockwell keeps a record of every alert it sent and when, which turns "I never got that email" from an argument into something you can check. No other app on this comparison advertises it.
Do not switch for the forecasting. We do not have any. If reorder quantities or stock cover days are what you are shopping for, Bee is the better app and this page has served its purpose by telling you so.
The case for staying put
- You use the forecasting. Not glanced at it, acted on it. We have nothing equivalent.
- Reviews matter to you. Entirely reasonable. Bee has 117 and we have none.
Switching an alert app is cheap but it is not free: you rebuild your thresholds and your recipient list, then carry a week of running both to be sure nothing was missed. That cost is worth paying for a genuine gap, not for a dollar.
Bee and Stockwell are not the only two options here. Stockie and StockAlert cover the same job on different plan limits. The four app comparison puts all of them in one table.
If the alert is the only part you need
Stockwell watches every variant at every location, emails your team before stock reaches zero and shows you every alert it sent. Free for 500 SKUs, then $4.99 with every location included.
Get it on the Shopify App Store
Free plan covers 500 SKUs with a daily summary. Paid plans add instant
alerts and more recipients. No card needed to start.
Common questions
Is Merchbees or Stockwell cheaper?
We are, on both counts. Our free plan covers 500 SKUs against Bee's 250. Our first paid plan is $4.99 for 15,000 SKUs against Bee's $5.99 for 8,000. Bee earns its price on the forecasting tiers rather than on alert volume. Prices read on 25 August 2026.
Does Stockwell have Merchbees style forecasting?
No. Stockwell has no demand forecasting, no reorder quantity calculation and no stock cover days. It watches your stock against a threshold you set and emails you. If you want forecasting, Bee offers it from $39.99 a month and Stockie from $29.99.
Can I set different thresholds for each variant?
Yes, in both. Every variant is watched and alerted separately and each one can carry its own threshold, so sizes that sell at very different rates do not have to share a number. In Stockwell a variant left unset inherits its product's number. A product left unset inherits the store wide default.
Why does Stockwell have no reviews?
Because the app is new. Merchbees has been on the App Store far longer and has earned 117 reviews at 4.8 stars. We would rather say that plainly than pretend the gap is not there. Judge the app on its free plan, which costs nothing to try.