About this guide
We sell one of these products. We name no winner, and the table is alphabetical. Vendor statements come from pages we read on 31 October 2026. Blank points mean those pages did not settle the matter, so ask the vendor directly.
Selection criteria
- Credit. Can you set limits and payment terms by customer, and stop or warn on a sale over the limit?
- Prices. Can you hold price lists by customer group, with discounts and timed promotions?
- Packs. Do you buy by the carton and sell by the carton or piece?
- Warehouses. Can staff see what is available, including what is already promised to other orders?
- Delivery. Are there routes, pick lists, drivers and proof of delivery? What happens to a failed delivery?
- Vans. Is each van its own stock location, with loading approval and end-of-day reconciliation?
- Field orders. Can reps take orders with no signal?
- Counter. If you also sell at a trade counter, is the POS fast with a barcode scanner, and does it close the till properly?
- Collections. Can you see ageing, send statements and match mobile money receipts?
Options to compare
Alphabetical order, not a ranking.
| Option | Strengths stated by the vendor | Often suits | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | Lists wholesale distribution among its industry solutions, with supply chain and warehouse management. | Larger distributors with a strong partner. | POS and van sales may depend on partner add-ons. Check cost. |
| ERPNext | Orders, inventory, customers, suppliers and shipments in open source. | Distributors with technical staff. | Route, van and field-sales support, and who provides it. |
| Lightspeed Retail | Retail POS with multi-location stock, transfers, purchasing and supplier ordering. | Multi-store retailers. Listed store types are retail, not distribution. | Availability and payments in your country. No African regional site was listed on the page we read. |
| Navigate | POS, sales orders, credit limits, price lists, pack sizes, dispatch with proof of delivery, van sales, offline phone orders, and accounting. | Distributors and dealers wanting these under one system. | POS needs a connection. No bin locations. Check plan modules. |
| Odoo | POS that keeps working offline, Inventory with routes, locations and barcode, and links to scales and payment terminals. | Businesses that want strong warehouse routing and POS from one vendor. | Implementation cost, and any van or route needs. |
| Zoho Inventory | Sales orders, picklists, packaging and shipping, multi-warehouse, and serial and batch tracking. | Smaller distributors and online sellers. | Monthly order limits. POS and van needs may require other tools. |
What Navigate offers distributors
- At the counter: a POS with scanning, held sales, cash, M-Pesa or card, and a shift close with a Z-report.
- Orders: quotation, sales order, delivery note and invoice, with stock availability by warehouse.
- Dispatch: routes, delivery runs, pick lists and manifests, with proof of delivery on the driver's phone covering the recipient, signature, photo and location. Part and failed deliveries have recorded reasons.
- Vans: each van is a virtual warehouse with approved loading, a POS that sells only that van's stock, end-of-day count, and variances that are never adjusted silently.
- Field reps: visits and sales orders can be captured with no signal and sent later. Orders reach the office as drafts, which are then priced and confirmed.
- Accounts: sales, stock and receipts post to the ledger. In Kenya, invoices can be signed through KRA eTIMS.
Offline: be clear what you are buying
Connectivity is a real difference between these products. Odoo says its POS keeps running offline and syncs later. Navigate's offline screens are phone visits and sales orders. Its POS and other screens need a connection. If your counters sit where the internet often fails, test this before you decide, and consider backup connectivity with any cloud product.
When not to choose Navigate
Choose Odoo if you need POS that keeps selling through internet outages, or if you need warehouse routes and storage locations within a warehouse. Choose a larger system such as Business Central if your warehouses need automation and your volume is very high, and test any claim of ours against your peak day. Choose a retail POS such as Lightspeed if you are really a multi-store retailer with little credit trade and it is offered in your market.
Where Navigate may not fit
- Navigate's POS needs a live connection. It does not sell offline.
- Navigate has no bin-level warehouse management or warehouse automation.
- Dispatch uses routes and stops you order by hand. Navigate does not claim automatic route optimisation.
- Field orders taken on the phone show indicative prices. The office confirms the final price.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between retail POS and distribution software?
Retail POS focuses on walk-in sales at a counter. Distribution software adds credit accounts, price lists, sales orders, picking, routes and delivery proof. Many distributors need both.
Can a van sell on credit in Navigate?
Only if you allow it. Vans are cash only by default, which covers cash, M-Pesa and card. Credit sales can be switched on in the van sales settings.
Does Navigate's POS work offline?
No. POS needs a connection. Only customer visits and sales orders on the phone can be captured offline.
Do we need separate software for delivery?
Not always. Some systems include routes and proof of delivery, while others need a specialist tool. If you run many vehicles with live tracking and route optimisation, compare a specialist too.