Free inventory software can offer small businesses a cost-effective way to manage their stock. But you also get what you pay for. These trackers are typically light on features, so when looking for the right software, make sure it at least supports your current operations — whether you need a mobile inventory app with a barcode scanner, access for multiple employees or low stock alerts.
The best free inventory software provides some combination of these basics, with additional capabilities like multiple sales channel management and point-of-sale (POS) and e-commerce integrations. Most also offer paid inventory management software. Check those plans as well, because as your business scales, you’ll want the ability to upgrade without having to switch providers or break your budget.
Here are some of the best free inventory software products and their standout features.
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Sponsored partner picks for
Best Free Inventory Management Software
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zoho Inventory Learn more on Zoho Inventory's secure website | Best for Overall free inventory software | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299. | 14-day free trial | Learn more on Zoho Inventory's secure website |
Square Inventory Learn more on Square Inventory's secure website | Best for Free retail inventory software | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89 per location, custom. | 30-day free trial | Learn more on Square Inventory's secure website |
Sortly | Best for Free inventory app | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, $299, custom. | 14-day free trial | |
SalesBinder | Best for Tracking inventory across multiple locations | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299. | 30-day free trial | |
Stockpile by Canvus | Best for Free inventory tracker with unlimited items and users | $0 Free. | N/A | |
Backbar | Best for Free bar and restaurant inventory management | $0 Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149. | One-month free trial of the Essential or Professional plan. | |
Odoo | 4.0/5 Best for Free warehouse inventory management | $0 For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.70. | Monthly discount for the first 12 months. |
Our pick for
Overall free inventory software
Zoho Inventory’s free plan lets you access all the core inventory management features it offers in its paid plans, just with lower limits on the number of users and things like the number of invoices, purchase orders and bills you can process. And when you outgrow the capabilities of the free plan, you have several upgrade options available.
Zoho Inventory
Learn more
on Zoho Inventory's secure website
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $99, $159, $299.
Promotion
14-day free trial
Zoho stands out from other free inventory software with a rich set of features, including options to bundle items, set reorder points, run inventory reports and dropship sales orders.
Pros
- Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
- Free plan includes invoice customization, shipping labels, backorders and item bundling.
- Free barcode, purchase order and shipping label generators.
- Mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- Free plan caps users at one, purchase orders at 20 and sales orders at 50.
Our pick for
Free retail inventory software
Square’s retail point-of-sale (POS) system is intentionally designed for retail business owners, quick to set up, easy to navigate and packed with useful inventory features — even its free plan. Retailers can trial Square’s paid Plus plan free for 30 days and easily downgrade to the free version if preferred.
Square Inventory
Learn more
on Square Inventory's secure website
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89 per location, custom.
Promotion
30-day free trial
Square for Retail has built-in free inventory software and is a great launching pad for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to expand online.Read full review
Pros
- Built-in POS system and payment processing; in-house POS hardware available.
- Unlimited items and low stock alerts.
- Weekday live chat and phone support.
- Barcode printing, mobile inventory counting tool, COGS tracking, stock forecasts and reorder recommendations in paid plans.
- Mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- Coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.
- Fewer inventory reports than some competitors.
Our pick for
Free inventory app
Sortly’s highly rated free inventory app is available on iOS and Android and includes a QR and barcode scanner along with an offline mode so you can keep working within the app even without an internet connection. The free version has limits on the number of items you can manage, users who can access the account and fields you can customize for your items, but you can upgrade to one of Sortly’s paid plans as your business needs evolve.
Sortly
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, $299, custom.
Promotion
14-day free trial
Sortly’s mobile app is a good fit for business owners who take stock count using mobile devices.
Pros
- Free plan includes an in-app barcode scanner for checking items in and out.
- Mobile app organizes inventory counts by item photo to make them easier to read.
- Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include low stock alerts and caps item types at 100.
- Must subscribe to Premium plan to integrate with QuickBooks.
- No built-in e-commerce integrations.
Our pick for
Tracking inventory across multiple locations
SalesBinder’s free inventory management software stands out for including the ability to manage inventory across multiple locations, a feature that is not always included in a free plan. The free plan also gives you access to a mobile inventory app for iOS, barcode scanning, reports and more features.
SalesBinder
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99, $199, $299.
Promotion
30-day free trial
SalesBinder offers a variety of plans to scale with your business, from small-scale to enterprise-level inventory management.
Pros
- Unlimited locations.
- Free plan includes invoicing, purchase orders, barcoding, shipment tracking and CRM features.
Cons
- Free plan is limited to one user and 100 combined accounts, unique SKUs and orders.
- You’ll need to select the Bronze plan ($19 monthly) or up to integrate with QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Zapier.
- Mobile app for iOS only.
Our pick for
Free inventory tracker with unlimited items and users
Stockpile stands out among competition in the free inventory management software space by offering not only unlimited items but also unlimited users with its “forever free” software. The software isn’t flashy by any means, but it’s a fair tradeoff for the generous lack of item, location and user limits.
Stockpile by Canvus
Starting at
$0
Free.
Promotion
N/A
Stockpile’s website may look dated, but among free inventory trackers, it’s hard to beat a product that doesn’t put a cap on the number of items you can track or how many users you can invite to collaborate.
Pros
- Unlimited users, items and locations.
- Includes inventory tracking basics, like the ability to enter sales returns and record inventory transfers.
Cons
- Not as feature-rich as some other free options. Reports are limited to inventory transactions and count lists, and there is no integration option, barcode scanning tool or ability to sync online and in-store inventory.
- No phone support.
- No mobile app.
Our pick for
Free bar and restaurant inventory management
If you run a single bar or restaurant location, Backbar offers a solid inventory management solution for free. It includes the ability to manage your inventory from a mobile device, integrate with popular restaurant POS systems like Toast and Square, generate vendor purchase orders and basic reports along with additional features.
Backbar
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers per location (per month): $99, $149.
Promotion
One-month free trial
of the Essential or Professional plan.
If you have a single location for your restaurant or bar, you can use Backbar and most of its inventory management features for free. And if your business opens more locations down the line, Backbar offers paid plans that can grow with your business.
Pros
- Unlimited number of users, even with the free plan.
- Ability to calculate pour costs and drink profits.
- Cost out up to 10 recipes.
- Access to detailed inventory and purchase reports.
Cons
- Limited to a single restaurant or bar location and only six months of reporting history for the free plan.
- Paid plan is required to access more advanced reporting options as well as priority customer support.
Our pick for
Free warehouse inventory management
For small businesses that need to track and store inventory within a warehouse, Odoo’s inventory management software may be a good fit. The free version of the app doesn’t include the full list of features (and there are many!), but it serves as a good trial ground to test and get comfortable with using the software. You can later upgrade to a paid plan to access not only the complete set of inventory features but also Odoo’s entire library of business software applications.
Odoo
4.0
NerdWallet rating Starting at
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.70.
Promotion
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months.
If you just want to use Odoo’s inventory app alone, you and an unlimited number of users can do so for free.
Pros
- Unlimited users.
- Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.
- Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.
Cons
- Paid plan is required to access the full list of features for most apps and any additional apps.
- Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Zoho Inventory
Best for overall free inventory software
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $39 per month for the Standard plan.
- $99 per month for the Professional plan.
- $159 per month for the Premium plan.
- $299 per month for the Enterprise plan.
Easily convert purchase orders to received items to automatically increase stock numbers. You can then click a button to convert the purchase order received to a bill to ensure the increased stock is also reflected in your accounting.
Creating an order for a drop shipment is as easy as a few button clicks. You can even select whether to dropship an entire sales order or only particular items within the order.
If you choose to upgrade to a paid plan and therefore have more than one user with access to the inventory software, you can easily set roles and permission levels for each user.
Why we picked it: Zoho Inventory’s free plan supports up to 50 sales orders and shipping labels per month, 20 purchase orders per month, one warehouse and one user. These limits scale as you subscribe to higher-tier plans, but the cost of its entry-level paid plan is greater than other providers. The software also integrates with a variety of online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
Square Inventory
Best for retail inventory software
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $89 per month per location for the Plus plan.
- Custom pricing available for the Premium plan.
With Square’s simple and intuitive interface, updating stock counts becomes an efficient process. Use your device’s camera or a compatible barcode scanner to select an item, then simply key in the total quantity.
Square’s customizable inventory reports let you filter by category, date range and location. You can even search and run a report on one specific item.
Why we picked it: Square for Retail’s POS software includes a wealth of inventory management features. Square’s free plan comes with an e-commerce store, and its inventory management features automatically sync stock in store and online. You need to use the Square POS and Square’s in-house payment processing, but the POS is top-rated and known for being intuitive, simple to use and affordable. If your business already uses Square POS, there’s no need to look for other inventory management options.
Sortly
Best for free inventory app
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $49 per month for the Advanced plan.
- $149 per month for the Ultra plan.
- Custom pricing available for the Enterprise plan.
Quickly and easily set stock re-order alerts within the Sortly mobile app.
A Quick Action tool within the app allows you to associate a task you frequently repeat, such as adjusting stock quantities, with an item barcode. Use the camera on your phone to scan the barcode and automatically perform the action you’ve associated with it.
Why we picked it: Sortly’s inventory management app is easy to navigate and provides a clear overview of how many items you have in stock and their value. Inventory lists incorporate photos to make scrolling less tedious, too. You’ll have to upgrade to the most expensive plan, however, if you want to generate your own barcodes.
» MORE: Best small-business apps
SalesBinder
Best for tracking inventory across multiple locations
- $0 per month for the Forever Free plan.
- $9 per month for the Starter plan.
- $19 per month for the Bronze plan.
- $49 per month for the Silver plan.
- $99 per month for the Gold and Bronze Unlimited plans.
- $199 per month for the Silver Unlimited plan.
- $299 per month for the Gold Unlimited plan.
You can easily import a list of items or customers with a .csv file. SalesBinder’s software will automatically recognize and categorize much of the data from the file to save you time and effort.
Clicking on an item in your inventory list will open an item details page that shows you useful quantity and revenue information at a glance. The activity feed provides a record of all actions associated with a particular item.
Why we picked it: The free version of SalesBinder lets you manage inventory at an unlimited number of locations, but that’s not the only reason it’s a good solution for businesses with multiple storefronts or warehouses. The product also doubles as an invoicing software and CRM tool, centralizing other tasks adjacent to inventory management. Aside from running inventory reports, you can generate reports on aged receivables, taxes and revenue, too.
» MORE: Best free invoicing software
Stockpile by Canvus
Best for free inventory tracker with unlimited items and users
$0.
In Stockpile, you can add new inventory items by manually filling in a number of fields or import a full list of inventory by uploading a .csv file.
Why we picked it: With Stockpile’s free inventory management software, you'll be able to import and add inventory, track stock counts, accept returns and more. The software also supports images and labels for inventory items, as well as transferring inventory from one location to another. Stockpile isn’t ideal for businesses that need advanced reporting or have an online store since it doesn’t include any built-in integrations, but it can be a solid fit if you just want to keep track of a large number of items across physical locations.
Backbar
Best for free bar and restaurant inventory management
- $0 per month for the Basic plan.
- $99 per month per location for the Essential plan.
- $149 per month per location for the Professional plan.
Backbar makes it simple to add and manage vendor information. You can track delivery days and times and save vendor contact information for easy reference.
Doing an inventory count in Backbar is also easy and intuitive. The software’s clean layout makes it simple to scroll your inventory list by location and update case and unit counts. Multiple employees can be logged in running inventory counts simultaneously, and the counts update in real-time.
Why we picked it: In addition to enabling you to manage your inventory from a variety of iOS and Android devices and access up to six months of audit histories, Backbar’s inventory management software integrates with some of the top restaurant POS systems: Toast, Square and Clover. The free version of the software also handles purchase orders, stores digital copies of your invoices and allows you to set reminders for placing orders. Reporting is limited to the basics, just inventory and purchase reports, with the free plan.
Odoo
Best for free warehouse inventory management
- $0 per month for use of a single app.
- $38.90 per user per month for access to all apps.
- $58.40 per user per month for access to all apps across multiple companies plus Odoo’s external API.
One click through from Odoo’s inventory dashboard will take you into a detailed view of your warehouse delivery orders, where you can dig into the details of orders that are experiencing issues and delays.
Another useful feature in Odoo’s inventory app is warehouse configuration, which allows you to set the required steps to take for each vendor for both incoming and outgoing shipments.
Why we picked it: Odoo ’s inventory app is specifically designed for warehouse inventory management and includes double-entry inventory, which enables you to easily track your stock through the full supply chain. The app allows for real-time reporting and offers a host of capabilities, including barcode scanning, inventory adjusting, dropshipping, expiration date tracking and more. The free version of the app has limited functionality and doesn’t include, for example, barcode scanning.
If you have a need for the full suite of inventory management features and/or any of Odoo’s dozens of other business apps (for finance, sales, marketing, HR and more), then you can choose a paid plan to open your access to the full library of apps that integrate seamlessly.
Supported sales channels | Integrations | Barcode scanning | Mobile app | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zoho Inventory | Online sales, plus one physical warehouse. | Accounting and e-commerce. | Yes. | Yes. |
Square for Retail | Online and in-store sales across multiple locations. | Accounting, e-commerce and POS. | Yes, but must subscribe to paid plan to print barcodes. | Yes. |
Sortly | Supports multiple physical locations, but there are no built-in e-commerce integrations. | No. | Yes, but must subscribe to Ultra plan or higher to generate custom barcodes. | Yes. |
SalesBinder | Supports unlimited physical locations, but must subscribe to Bronze plan or higher for e-commerce integration. | Must subscribe to Bronze plan or higher to access integrations for QuickBooks Online, Xero or WooCommerce. | Yes. | Yes, but only for iOS. |
Stockpile by Canvus | Supports unlimited physical locations, but there are no built-in e-commerce integrations. | No. | No. | No. |
Backbar | In-store sales; paid plan required for multiple locations. | POS. | Yes. | Yes. |
Odoo | Supports multiple physical locations, though paid plan may be required; paid plan is required to access e-commerce integrations. | Odoo's Sales app and Purchase app. | Yes, but must subscribe to paid plan. | Yes. |
At a minimum, free inventory software allows you to track how much stock you have on hand at no cost. Some products also track the raw materials or parts needed to produce the finished goods. This is important because inventory is considered an asset that businesses, especially retail ones, trade it for payment. Simple inventory tracking software should let you know which items are running low and help you predict how much stock to buy, so that you can keep up with demand.
Typically, you download free inventory software online, enter your business’s details and import a list of items to get started. From there, you may be able to send purchase orders to vendors and keep track of sales orders from within the software. Integrating the free inventory app with your existing accounting software can help reduce manual data entry.
Learn more about managing inventory
Read about the different types of inventory, along with the common strategies small businesses use to efficiently track them.
Consider the following factors and weigh them in the context of your business to determine which free inventory software is the right fit for your company’s needs.
Features
Free inventory trackers typically come with fewer features than paid options but typically include a combination of the following: basic reporting, low stock alerts, some digital labeling and scanning capabilities and mobile functionality.
Some free inventory products go above and beyond the basics by offering purchase order management, dropshipping options and item bundling. Make a list of the features that are most important to your business and find simple inventory software that offers at least a majority of them. However, don't expect to get everything you need for free.
Even plans with many free features come with some limitations. Zoho Inventory’s free plan, for example, puts caps on purchase orders and sales orders. If you know your business will surpass those limits, it’s probably worth subscribing to a paid plan or searching for an alternative.
Cost
Free inventory management software can fit into any business’s budget. But if a slightly more expensive inventory tracker saves you time that would otherwise be spent manually tracking your inventory — or prevents costly mistakes in ordering or tracking items — it may be worth the price in the long run.
Multichannel management
If you run a retail brick-and-mortar store along with an accompanying online shop, you’ll want a free inventory tracker that syncs inventory from both sources. To achieve that, it should integrate with your POS software and e-commerce software. Square is a good free inventory solution for this, while Stockpile by Canvus, for example, is not.
Number of users
How many people will need access to your inventory management app? Simple inventory tracking software will often have a small cap, sometimes allowing only a single user.
Be sure to include yourself and anyone filling or counting inventory, and maybe even your accountant. Any inventory management system — free or not — can be useless if the right people don’t have access. Additional users typically come at a cost and might require you to upgrade plans. While Stockpile by Canvus is rudimentary compared with some other free options, the fact that it allows an unlimited number of users is unique.
Other integrations
If your accounting software comes with its own inventory reports, it might be worth selecting a free inventory app that integrates with it. That way, you don’t have to worry about subscribing to a paid inventory management plan to access advanced reporting. There are other reasons your accounting software should be synced up with your inventory software, too: Inventory is an asset and appears on your balance sheet.
Last updated on July 22, 2024
Methodology
All of NerdWallet’s picks for best free inventory management software track inventory counts, offer basic reporting and include at least two of the following features at no cost:
• The ability to sync inventory from multiple sales channels, whether online, offline or both.
• A mobile app.
• Unlimited users.
• Third-party integrations.
• Barcode scanning.
• Low stock alerts.
• Purchase orders.
Some products, like Stockpile by Canvus, have an especially limited feature set but stand out for supporting things its free competitors typically do not, like unlimited items, users and locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sortly is ideal for tracking inventory for free from within a mobile app. Available for both iOS and Android, it’s easy to use, lets you attach photos to items and includes a built-in barcode scanning feature. While it stands out for its mobile features, it’s not the only inventory management software with a mobile app. Zoho Inventory also has strong mobile features.
When choosing free inventory software, keep an eye out for integrations. Your inventory software should sync with all of your sales channels so that you can centralize your data and track inventory counts both online and offline. Basic features like barcode scanning, reports and low stock alerts are also helpful tools that can save you time and ensure you always have enough inventory on hand.
The best free inventory management software for you will depend on what features you need. Do you want to be able to scan items with a handheld device? In that case, a product with a capable mobile app is a must. The software should accommodate enough users, items and locations to cover the entire scope of your business’s operations, too. And don’t forget to make sure it integrates with your existing accounting or POS software.
NerdWallet ranks Zoho Inventory as the best free option because you can use it to send invoice and purchase orders, run inventory reports, access dropshipping options, combine multiple items into a kit, integrate sales channels and more. The variety of payment gateway options is a plus, too.
