Kōbō PLM vs Uphance
Both Kōbō and Uphance promise to centralize product development, inventory, and sales in one system. The difference? Kōbō is built for creative-first workflows; Uphance is built for wholesale-first operations.
The real question: Are you looking for a complete product lifecycle platform, or a wholesale operations system? Kōbō is a full PLM covering design through delivery. Uphance is an ERP focused on wholesale, inventory, and warehouse management.
If product development is your main challenge — tech packs, supplier collaboration, sampling — Kōbō is designed for that. If you already have product development sorted and need powerful B2B wholesale tools, Uphance may be worth considering.
At a Glance: Kōbō vs Uphance
| Feature | Kōbō PLM | Uphance |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Design-to-delivery PLM | Wholesale ERP & order management |
| Tech Pack Creation | Full featured with auto-generation | Not available |
| BOM Management | Automated & linked to costing | Basic product variants only |
| Sample Tracking | Full lifecycle with photo documentation | Not available |
| Supplier Collaboration | Built-in portal with approval workflows | Supplier purchasing only |
| Production Management | PO generation, tracking & deliveries | Cut-make-trim tracking |
| Inventory Management | Multi-location (components & finished) | Advanced WMS with barcode scanning |
| B2B Wholesale | Sales orders, linesheets, buyer portal | Full-featured B2B portal & sales app |
| CRM Features | Customer management & order history | Robust CRM with sales pipeline |
| AI Features | Image generation, AI copilot | Not included |
| Mobile App | iOS app for factories & fittings | iOS & Android (sales & warehouse) |
| Integrations | Shopify, Xero, Adobe AI, Zapier | Shopify, Xero, JOOR, ShipStation |
| Implementation Time | 1–2 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Starting Price | $140/user/month | Custom pricing (contact sales) |
What is Uphance?
Uphance is an ERP and wholesale management platform for apparel brands. It focuses on operations after product development: B2B wholesale portals, inventory management, warehouse workflows with barcode scanning, CRM, and order management.
Important: Uphance is not a PLM. It doesn't offer tech pack creation, BOM management, sample tracking, or supplier collaboration for product development. Brands using Uphance typically manage their design and development process separately — often in spreadsheets or dedicated tech pack tools.
Uphance Strengths
- Strong B2B wholesale tools & sales app
- Advanced warehouse management with barcode scanning
- Robust CRM with sales pipeline tracking
- Multi-channel order management
- Cut-make-trim production tracking
- Mobile apps for sales reps & warehouse staff
Uphance Considerations
- Traditional ERP-style interface
- Higher learning curve (more complex)
- Can feel overwhelming for design-focused teams
- No AI features for design or automation
What is Kōbō?
Kōbō is a complete product lifecycle management platform that delivers full design-to-delivery capability with a modern, design-forward interface. It replaces the patchwork of spreadsheets, email threads, and disconnected tools — giving teams one place to manage everything.
Built by a fashion founder who spent 10 years managing product development across email, WhatsApp, and 10+ spreadsheets. The goal: stop being the "human middleware" between design and production.
Kōbō Strengths
- Complete design-to-delivery platform in one system
- Modern, design-forward UI creative teams love
- AI-powered image generation & workflow copilot
- Fast implementation (1–2 weeks, self-serve)
- Transparent pricing with free supplier seats
- Mobile app for factories, fittings & trade shows
- Built by a fashion founder who lived the chaos
Kōbō Considerations
- Per-user pricing can add up for larger teams
- Basic warehouse management (no barcode scanning)
- Lighter CRM compared to Uphance
- Newer platform (fewer B2B marketplace integrations)
The Core Difference
Wholesale ERP
Uphance focuses on what happens after products are developed: wholesale sales, inventory, warehousing, and order fulfillment. It assumes you already have your product development process sorted elsewhere.
Complete PLM
Kōbō covers the full journey: from initial design through tech packs, supplier collaboration, sampling, production, inventory, and wholesale. One system for design-to-delivery — no gaps, no spreadsheets in between.
The Bottom Line
- Replace 10 spreadsheets with one dashboard
- Stop being the "human middleware" between design and production
- Use a modern UI creative teams actually enjoy
- Go live in 1–2 weeks (self-serve)
- Use AI for image generation and workflow automation
- Give suppliers portal access (no more email ping-pong)
- Run B2B wholesale with linesheets and buyer portal
- Already have product development sorted (separate PLM or spreadsheets)
- Are wholesale-heavy with 30+ retail accounts
- Need advanced warehouse management (barcode, 3PL)
- Have sales reps who need commission tracking
- Need robust CRM with sales pipeline tracking
- Are comfortable with traditional ERP interfaces
Kōbō PLM vs Uphance
Both Kōbō and Uphance promise to centralize product development, inventory, and sales in one system. The difference? Kōbō is built for creative-first workflows; Uphance is built for wholesale-first operations.
The real question: Are you looking for a complete product lifecycle platform, or a wholesale operations system? Kōbō is a full PLM covering design through delivery. Uphance is an ERP focused on wholesale, inventory, and warehouse management.
If product development is your main challenge — tech packs, supplier collaboration, sampling — Kōbō is designed for that. If you already have product development sorted and need powerful B2B wholesale tools, Uphance may be worth considering.
At a Glance: Kōbō vs Uphance
| Feature | Kōbō PLM | Uphance |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Design-to-delivery PLM | Wholesale ERP & order management |
| Tech Pack Creation | Full featured with auto-generation | Not available |
| BOM Management | Automated & linked to costing | Basic product variants only |
| Sample Tracking | Full lifecycle with photo documentation | Not available |
| Supplier Collaboration | Built-in portal with approval workflows | Supplier purchasing only |
| Production Management | PO generation, tracking & deliveries | Cut-make-trim tracking |
| Inventory Management | Multi-location (components & finished) | Advanced WMS with barcode scanning |
| B2B Wholesale | Sales orders, linesheets, buyer portal | Full-featured B2B portal & sales app |
| CRM Features | Customer management & order history | Robust CRM with sales pipeline |
| AI Features | Image generation, AI copilot | Not included |
| Mobile App | iOS app for factories & fittings | iOS & Android (sales & warehouse) |
| Integrations | Shopify, Xero, Adobe AI, Zapier | Shopify, Xero, JOOR, ShipStation |
| Implementation Time | 1–2 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Starting Price | $140/user/month | Custom pricing (contact sales) |
What is Uphance?
Uphance is an ERP and wholesale management platform for apparel brands. It focuses on operations after product development: B2B wholesale portals, inventory management, warehouse workflows with barcode scanning, CRM, and order management.
Important: Uphance is not a PLM. It doesn't offer tech pack creation, BOM management, sample tracking, or supplier collaboration for product development. Brands using Uphance typically manage their design and development process separately — often in spreadsheets or dedicated tech pack tools.
Uphance Strengths
- Strong B2B wholesale tools & sales app
- Advanced warehouse management with barcode scanning
- Robust CRM with sales pipeline tracking
- Multi-channel order management
- Cut-make-trim production tracking
- Mobile apps for sales reps & warehouse staff
Uphance Considerations
- Traditional ERP-style interface
- Higher learning curve (more complex)
- Can feel overwhelming for design-focused teams
- No AI features for design or automation
What is Kōbō?
Kōbō is a complete product lifecycle management platform that delivers full design-to-delivery capability with a modern, design-forward interface. It replaces the patchwork of spreadsheets, email threads, and disconnected tools — giving teams one place to manage everything.
Built by a fashion founder who spent 10 years managing product development across email, WhatsApp, and 10+ spreadsheets. The goal: stop being the "human middleware" between design and production.
Kōbō Strengths
- Complete design-to-delivery platform in one system
- Modern, design-forward UI creative teams love
- AI-powered image generation & workflow copilot
- Fast implementation (1–2 weeks, self-serve)
- Transparent pricing with free supplier seats
- Mobile app for factories, fittings & trade shows
- Built by a fashion founder who lived the chaos
Kōbō Considerations
- Per-user pricing can add up for larger teams
- Basic warehouse management (no barcode scanning)
- Lighter CRM compared to Uphance
- Newer platform (fewer B2B marketplace integrations)
The Core Difference
Wholesale ERP
Uphance focuses on what happens after products are developed: wholesale sales, inventory, warehousing, and order fulfillment. It assumes you already have your product development process sorted elsewhere.
Complete PLM
Kōbō covers the full journey: from initial design through tech packs, supplier collaboration, sampling, production, inventory, and wholesale. One system for design-to-delivery — no gaps, no spreadsheets in between.
The Bottom Line
- Replace 10 spreadsheets with one dashboard
- Stop being the "human middleware" between design and production
- Use a modern UI creative teams actually enjoy
- Go live in 1–2 weeks (self-serve)
- Use AI for image generation and workflow automation
- Give suppliers portal access (no more email ping-pong)
- Run B2B wholesale with linesheets and buyer portal
- Already have product development sorted (separate PLM or spreadsheets)
- Are wholesale-heavy with 30+ retail accounts
- Need advanced warehouse management (barcode, 3PL)
- Have sales reps who need commission tracking
- Need robust CRM with sales pipeline tracking
- Are comfortable with traditional ERP interfaces
One workspace to
Design, Develop & Deliver
Design collections, coordinate sampling & production, manage suppliers, process sales, and fulfill orders in one connected platform.