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Available, on hand, fulfillable: which stock numbers to compare
Updated 16 October 2026 · 4 min read · ShelfTrue team
If Shopify and ShipBob never seem to sync, check which numbers you're comparing before anything else. Each side shows several numbers for the same product, and only some of them mean the same thing. Compare the wrong pair and you'll see differences that aren't there, or miss ones that are.
Shopify's numbers
| Number | What it counts |
|---|---|
| On hand | Everything at the location: Committed + Unavailable + Available. |
| Committed | Set aside for orders that aren't fulfilled yet. |
| Unavailable | Set aside for other reasons, like damaged units or safety stock. |
| Available | What you can sell. |
| Incoming | On its way to the location. It becomes Available once received. |
ShipBob's numbers
| Number | What it counts |
|---|---|
| On hand | Everything stocked at the warehouse. |
| Committed | Set aside for orders waiting to ship. |
| Fulfillable | On hand minus committed. |
| Sellable | Fulfillable minus exception orders. Only given for all of ShipBob's warehouses together. |
The pair to compare
Shopify Available and ShipBob Fulfillable. Both answer the same question: how many more units can go to new customers. Both leave out units already promised to orders.
Pairs that mislead
| If you compare | What goes wrong |
|---|---|
| Shopify Available with ShipBob On hand | ShipBob looks higher by every unit promised to orders, even when nothing is wrong. |
| Shopify On hand with ShipBob On hand | Shopify's on hand includes Unavailable units, and orders that haven't reached ShipBob yet count on one side only. The gap mixes real problems with settings and timing. |
| Shopify Available plus Incoming | Incoming stock isn't at the warehouse yet. Adding it hides an oversell until the delivery arrives. |
| One Shopify location with ShipBob Sellable | Sellable covers all of ShipBob's warehouses together, so it only fits if a single Shopify location stands for all of them. |
When ShipBob uses more than one warehouse
ShipBob can keep the same product in several of its warehouses. Add up the ShipBob warehouses that stand behind one Shopify location, then compare that total with the location's Available.
Worked example
| White Mug | Shopify | ShipBob |
|---|---|---|
| On hand | 20 | 14 |
| Committed | 5 | 5 |
| Unavailable | 3 | – |
| Available / Fulfillable | 12 | 9 |
On hand says Shopify is 6 higher. But 3 of those are Unavailable units Shopify isn't selling anyway. The real gap is Available 12 against Fulfillable 9: 3 mugs can be sold that ShipBob can't ship. What to check when Shopify is higher.
Related guides
- Why Shopify stock doesn't match ShipBob (and how to find which products)
- How to find paid Shopify orders that never reached ShipBob
- Shopify oversold but ShipBob has none: what to check first
- Shopify says sold out but ShipBob has stock
- ShipBob orders on hold, and why they make stock numbers differ
- How to check Shopify stock against ShipBob after Black Friday
- Shopify inventory discrepancy: how to find it, fix it and keep it from coming back
- Shopify Available vs On hand vs Committed: which number to trust
- Cin7 Core and Shopify stock don't match: what to check
- Katana and Shopify stock don't match: what to check
- Mintsoft and Shopify stock don't match: what to check
- Inventory reconciliation for a Shopify store: a routine you can keep
- How to move Shopify inventory to a third-party warehouse, step by step
ShelfTrue does this check for you. Upload your warehouse's stock file and ShelfTrue compares it with Shopify at least once an hour on paid plans. It compares the matching pair of numbers for every linked product and tells you only the differences that cost money. Coming soon: connect ShipBob directly, and ShelfTrue will read it and add up ShipBob's warehouses behind each Shopify location. We can look, but never change anything at the warehouse.
Your first check is free.
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