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.
Our Nerdy picks for
Tracking inventory across multiple locations
SalesBinderFree inventory tracker with unlimited items and users
Stockpile by CanvusBest Free Inventory Management Software Solutions
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 Retail POS: Inventory feature Learn more on Square Retail POS: Inventory feature's secure website | Best for Free retail inventory software | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, custom. | 30-day free trial | Learn more on Square Retail POS: Inventory feature's secure website |
Sortly | Best for Free inventory app | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, custom. | 14-day free trial | |
SalesBinder | Best for Tracking inventory across multiple locations | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99. | 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 | 3.5/5 Best for Free warehouse inventory management | $0 For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $38.90, $58.40. | Monthly discount for the first 12 months. |
Our pick for
Overall free inventory software
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. The software also integrates with a variety of online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Shopify. The free plan supports up to 50 sales orders and shipping labels per month, 20 purchase orders per month, one online store integration, one warehouse and two users. These limits scale as you subscribe to higher-tier plans, but the cost of its entry-level paid plan is greater than other providers.
Pros
- Sync inventory across multiple online sales channels. Other integrations include Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online for accounting.
- Free plan includes a customer portal, dropshipping options, 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 two, purchase orders at 20, and shipping labels and sales orders at 50.
- You’ll have to pay for setup help.
Our pick for
Free retail inventory software
Square Retail POS: Inventory feature
Learn more
on Square Retail POS: Inventory feature's secure website
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $89, 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. Square for Retail’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.
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.
- Syncs stock, sales and orders, item variations and item descriptions between your POS system and online store.
- Mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- Item categories, coupons and sale prices don’t sync between Square Online and Square POS.
- Free plan does not include barcode printing, a mobile inventory counting tool, cost of goods sold tracking, stock forecasts, purchase order management and more reports.
Our pick for
Free inventory app
Sortly
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $49, $149, custom.
Promotion
14-day free trial
Sortly’s mobile 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. The app is a good fit for business owners who take stock count using mobile devices. You’ll have to upgrade to the most expensive plan, however, if you want to generate your own barcodes.
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 a QR code generator and low stock alerts.
- Free plan caps item types at 100 and allows only one user.
- No built-in e-commerce or accounting integrations.
Our pick for
Tracking inventory across multiple locations
SalesBinder
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9, $19, $49, $99.
Promotion
30-day free trial
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.
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 by Canvus
Starting at
$0
Free.
Promotion
N/A
Stockpile’s website might 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. You'll be able to import and add inventory, track stock counts, take 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.
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
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. 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, the 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.
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
Odoo
3.5
NerdWallet rating Starting at
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $38.90, $58.40.
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. This software 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.
If, however, you have need for 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. What’s most unique about Odoo is its open-source model: all of its software is developed and tested within its community of thousands of developers and business people. This model ensures all of Odoo’s tools and apps work smoothly with one another and even speeds up the development process and time to market.
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 any additional apps and tools beyond inventory.
- Customer support by email only and only available on weekdays.
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Best free inventory management software features comparison
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; paid plan is required to access e-commerce integrations. | Accounting, purchases, quality control, sales and shipping. | Yes. | Yes. |
How 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 December 5, 2023
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.
