Best Free Inventory Software of March 2023
Free inventory software and apps can keep track of stock, but watch out for limits on features like user access and integrations.
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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 software provides some combination of these basics, with additional capabilities sprinkled in around things like multiple sales channel management and point-of-sale 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, what type of businesses might choose them and their standout features.
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 software provides some combination of these basics, with additional capabilities sprinkled in around things like multiple sales channel management and point-of-sale 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, what type of businesses might choose them and their standout features.
Best Free Inventory Software
Product | Best for | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Zoho Inventory | Best for Overall free inventory software | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $79, $129, $199, $299, $399. | 14- | |
![]() Square for Retail Learn more on Square for Retail's secure website | Best for Free retail inventory software | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, custom. | 30- | Learn more on Square for Retail's secure website |
![]() Sortly | Best for Free inventory app | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, custom. | 14- | |
![]() SalesBinder | Best for Tracking inventory across multiple locations | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99. | 30- | |
![]() Stockpile by Canvus | Best for Free inventory tracker with unlimited items and users | $0 Free. | N/A |
Our pick for
Overall free inventory software

Zoho Inventory

Starting at
$0Additional pricing tiers (per month): $79, $129, $199, $299, $399.
Promotion
14-Our pick for
Free retail inventory software

on Square for Retail's secure website
Square for Retail

Starting at
$0Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, custom.
Promotion
30-on Square for Retail's secure website
Our pick for
Free inventory app

Sortly

Starting at
$0Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, custom.
Promotion
14-Our pick for
Tracking inventory across multiple locations

SalesBinder

Starting at
$0Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99.
Promotion
30-Our pick for
Free inventory tracker with unlimited items and users

Stockpile by Canvus

Starting at
$0Free.
Promotion
N/AHow to choose free inventory management software
Consider the following factors and weigh them in the context of your business to discover which free inventory software is the right fit for your company’s needs.
Multi-channel management
If you run a retail brick-and-mortar 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, but Stockpile by Canvus, for example, is not.
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.
Number of users
How many people will need access to your inventory management app? Free 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.
Budget
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.
Features
Free inventory trackers typically come with fewer features than paid options, usually including a combination of the following: basic reporting, low stock alerts, some digital labeling and scanning capabilities and mobile functionality.
Some free 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 you and find a product that offers at least a majority of them. Don't expect everything for free.
Even plans with many free features also come with 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.
Last updated on March 6, 2023
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Free Inventory Software of March 2023
- Zoho Inventory: Best for Overall free inventory software
- Square for Retail: Best for Free retail inventory software
- Sortly: Best for Free inventory app
- SalesBinder: Best for Tracking inventory across multiple locations
- Stockpile by Canvus: Best for Free inventory tracker with unlimited items and users