Question 1

How much does inventory optimization software cost?

Accepted Answer

buffers.ai's inventory optimization platform is priced module by module. The Replenishment module runs from $175 down to $25 per store per month depending on store count, the Forecasting module is a flat $2,000–$10,000 per month depending on how many SKUs move through your central warehouse, and the Buy Plan module is a flat $1,000 per month regardless of store count. Most customers license one or more modules for a combined monthly fee — use the calculator on this page for an exact estimate.

Question 2

How much does replenishment software cost?

Accepted Answer

The Replenishment module is priced per store, per month, in four declining brackets: $175/store for stores 1–10, $125/store for stores 11–30, $75/store for stores 31–60, and $25/store for every store beyond 60. Each bracket applies only to the stores within that range, so your blended cost per store falls automatically as you scale.

Question 3

How much does forecasting (supply and demand) software cost?

Accepted Answer

The Forecasting module — buffers.ai's AI forecasting and central-warehouse purchase-planning engine — is a flat monthly fee based on active SKU count: $2,000/month for up to 1,000 SKUs, $3,000/month for up to 6,000 SKUs, and $10,000/month for catalogs larger than 6,000 SKUs.

Question 4

What is the Buy Plan module, and how is it priced?

Accepted Answer

Buy Plan is budget-driven, periodic purchase planning — built for franchisees and multi-banner retailers who need to hit a monthly or seasonal buying budget, and it works with no sales history at all. Unlike Replenishment, it isn't priced per store: it's a flat $1,000 per month, regardless of how many stores or banners it covers. See the Buy Plan pricing section on this page for details.

Question 5

Why do we charge per store for Replenishment?

Accepted Answer

Replenishment cost tracks what actually drives the workload and the value: the number of store locations buffers.ai is automating inventory decisions for. Per-store pricing also lets the rate fall as you scale — the per-store price drops in every bracket above 10 stores, so a 200-store rollout pays a much lower blended rate per store than a 10-store pilot.

Question 6

Why is Forecasting priced by SKU count instead of by store?

Accepted Answer

Forecasting forecasts and plans purchasing at the SKU level for a central warehouse or catalog, independent of how many stores that inventory is eventually distributed to. SKU count is what drives the forecasting and backtesting workload, so it's the more accurate cost driver for that module.

Question 7

What's included in the Replenishment module?

Accepted Answer

Replenishment includes store-level restocking, Assortment (real-time, data-driven product-mix adjustment per store), New Product Introduction, Push (one-time promotional stock increases), Omnichannel allocation between online and physical stores, and the Advanced Dashboard for real-time KPI reporting.

Question 8

What's included in the Forecasting module?

Accepted Answer

Forecasting includes Backtest & Champion Selection — five forecasting algorithms backtested per SKU — the Blended Demand Build that feeds every downstream calculation, and Supply Calculation, which converts the forecast into a purchase recommendation accounting for lead time, safety stock, minimum order quantities, budget, and open commitments.

Question 9

Is there an implementation or setup cost?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a one-time setup fee of $5,000 to $30,000 may apply, scaled to the scope of your rollout (store count, SKU count, integrations, and data complexity). Contact our sales team for a fixed quote for your specific deployment.

Question 10

How long does implementation take?

Accepted Answer

Implementation timelines depend on your store count, SKU catalog, and system integrations, so we don't publish one fixed number. Talk to our team for a timeline scoped to your specific rollout.

Question 11

Can I start small?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The minimum deployment is 5 stores for the Replenishment module, and you can license Replenishment, Forecasting, and Buy Plan independently — you don't need all three from day one. As you add stores, your blended per-store rate automatically decreases at each bracket.

Question 12

Do you support franchises or multi-banner retail groups?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Buy Plan module is built specifically for this: it turns a periodic buying budget into a category-and-month purchase plan per banner, so head office can hold every location to its share of the budget. Replenishment pricing is also based on physical store count, regardless of banner or franchise ownership — every store buffers.ai manages inventory for counts toward the Replenishment tiers above. For group-wide or multi-banner commercial agreements, contact sales to discuss your structure.

Question 13

Is there a discount for paying annually?

Accepted Answer

Yes — billing annually gives you a 15% discount versus paying monthly, applied to your combined Replenishment, Forecasting, and/or Buy Plan total.

Question 14

Is there a minimum number of stores?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a minimum of 5 stores is required for the Replenishment module. There is no store minimum tied to the Forecasting module on its own.

Question 15

Can I use the Forecasting module without Replenishment, or vice versa?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Replenishment, Forecasting, and Buy Plan are all licensed independently — choose any one on its own, or combine them. When multiple modules are enabled, your monthly cost is simply the sum of each module's price.

Question 16

How are SKUs counted for the Forecasting module?

Accepted Answer

SKU count for Forecasting pricing is measured at the central warehouse/catalog level — the total number of active SKUs buffers.ai is forecasting and planning purchase orders for — not per store.

Question 17

What happens when my store count crosses into a new pricing bracket?

Accepted Answer

Brackets are marginal, like a tax bracket: only the stores within a given range are billed at that range's rate. A 45-store deployment, for example, pays $175/store for its first 10 stores, $125/store for the next 20, and $75/store for the remaining 15 — not $75/store across all 45 stores.

Question 18

What happens if I have more than 6,000 SKUs?

Accepted Answer

Any catalog larger than 6,000 SKUs is billed at the flat $10,000/month Forecasting rate, regardless of how far beyond 6,000 SKUs it grows.

Question 19

Is pricing different for retail vs. manufacturing customers?

Accepted Answer

No — the same store-based Replenishment pricing and SKU-based Forecasting pricing applies across industries. Store count and SKU count are what drive cost, not the vertical you operate in.

Question 20

Do you offer custom or enterprise pricing for very large deployments?

Accepted Answer

The published brackets already cover large deployments — 61+ stores at $25/store/month for Replenishment, and a flat $10,000/month for catalogs above 6,000 SKUs for Forecasting. For enterprise-wide commercial terms, contact sales to discuss an agreement scoped to your organization.

Question 21

How do I get an exact quote?

Accepted Answer

Use the calculator on this page for an instant estimate based on your store count and/or SKU count, or contact our sales team for a formal quote that includes any applicable one-time setup fee.

Pricing

Replenishment

Forecasting

Buy Plan

Pricing Calculator

Modules

Number of Stores

Pricing Examples

10 stores

50 stores

200 stores + 2,000 SKUs

Frequently Asked Questions

SKUs	Per month
Up to 1,000 SKUs	$2,000
Up to 6,000 SKUs	$3,000
More than 6,000 SKUs	$10,000