9 Best Free Inventory Management Software for 2021

In a business context, inventory management is the process of tracking and controlling the flow of goods from incoming stock to outgoing orders. Inventory software helps with this by managing sales data, purchasing information, inventories in warehouses or any other location where physical objects are stored.

The “zoho inventory” is a free software that helps you manage your inventory. It also has other features such as sales tracking, invoicing, and more.

For many types of businesses—from offices to storefronts to warehouses—inventory management software makes monitoring items, equipment, and assets simple. Most free inventory management software has limitations in terms of features, however subscription options are available if you want a more complex solution. The free versions, on the other hand, are adequate for many small firms.

The best free inventory management software for small companies, according to our research, is:

• Odoo is the best software for warehouse management and dropshipping.
• Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based inventory management system. is ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as merchants.
• Square is the best app for keeping track of an endless number of things.
• Boxstorm is the best option for minimal SKU numbers and Integration with QuickBooks.
• SalesBinder is the best full-featured application for products with low availability.
• ABC inventory is ideal for high-volume retailers and manufacturers that need sophisticated inventory and workflow management.
• Stockpile is the best standalone solution for tracking basic items.
• Sortly is the best inventory management app for on-the-go.
• Controlling the situation correctly: For online order administration, the best barcode generation and pick-and-pack are essential.

Do you like to work with a classic spreadsheet? To keep track of on-hand stock, sales, purchase orders, inventory turnover, and low stock notifications, download our free inventory management worksheet.

Free Inventory Workbook to Download

The Methods We Used to Assess Free Inventory Management Software

Only forever-free inventory systems were examined, and those that are cloud-based, simple to use, and provide price plans or add-ons tailored to SMBs were preferred. We also looked at the free plan constraints for each program, such as the maximum quantity of inventory items and the number of users covered. Important features like real-time and multi-location monitoring, the ability to perform mobile inventory counts and granular inventory, and the sorts of reports it can generate were also given points (such as COGS).

We also looked at how well each program performs in sectors other than retail, whether it can manage many warehouses or sales channels, what integrations each system supports, and customer support availability.

For a more complete description of our assessment criteria, go through the tabs below:

40% of the overall score

We emphasized software with flexible pricing and add-on options that can scale with your company. We also gave points to systems that provide a free plan with an unlimited number of users and inventory items.

30% of the overall score

Inventory capabilities including real-time tracking (which includes barcoding, batch, serial, and RFID tracking), low-stock and reorder notifications (using EOQ), multi-location and warehouse monitoring, mobile inventory counts, and granular inventory management received a higher ranking (kitting and assembly, variants, etc.) We also looked at whether they had purchase order, vendor, and centralized multichannel management capabilities. Finally, we looked at whether each system had CRM capabilities or can be integrated with popular CRM software.

15% of the overall score

Platforms that are cloud-based, give 24/7 customer service, and provide online training, forums, or assistance manuals received full marks. We also looked at its compatibility with common accounting, ecommerce, marketplace, and point-of-sale (POS) applications.

15% of the overall score

We looked at the general quality of each system’s features, as well as whether or not there are any standout features, and whether or not it is a good value for the money. Finally, we took into consideration our own personal experience with each system and interactions with its customer service professionals, as well as reviews and the personal experiences of other small company owners.

*Percentages based on total score

Do you need more functionality? If you believe your company may profit from a program that doesn’t have any constraints, check out our list of the top inventory management software.

Odoo: The Best Free Inventory Management Software for Dropshipping and Warehouses

Odoo

4.21 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Forecasting inventory
• Customer and sales portal
• Automated bid requests and order points

What Isn’t There

• There are no modifications available.
• There are no connectors; only other Odoo applications are supported.

Pricing and Limits for the Odoo Free Plan:

• Users: Countless
• Locations: There are no limits.
• Items: Countless
• Transactions are limitless.
• Paid Plans: $36 per month if used in conjunction with other Odoo applications.

Odoo’s inventory management app is available for free as a stand-alone application. The inventory app alone has practically all of the features you’ll need for basic inventory management. There is, however, a charge to link other Odoo products. Odoo is a wonderful solution for warehouses and dropshippers with high-volume sales since it has no constraints on users, locations, or commodities.

Odoo received a 4.21 out of 5 rating in our review, with strong scores for its limitless allotment of users, products, transactions, and warehouse locations, even on the free plan. The lack of accessible connectors kept the app from receiving a perfect score.

Features of Odoo’s Free Inventory

You may view all actions from the dashboard, including delivery orders, receptions, dropshipping, and keeping track of backorders and laid products. (Image from of Odoo.com)

• Organizes and manages digital goods and consumables.
• Inventory management with two entries (items are moved rather than removed)
• There are no limits on the number of items, users, or locations.
• Zones, rows, shelves, and other places are included.
• Scannable barcodes
• Counting in cycles
• Transfer stock, scrap goods
• Customized product or supplier notifications
• Inventory operations should be planned based on product availability or order forecasts.
• Request for quotations that is automated
• Tracking via barcode or serial number
• Fields that may be customized, expiry dates, and numerous measurement units
• FIFO, LIFO, Average Cost, Landed Costs, and other valuation methods are available.

On an Android smartphone, a look at Odoo’s mobile app. Inventory is only one of Odoo’s many apps. (Image courtesy of Google Play)

When Should You Upgrade?

Odoo Inventory is completely free as long as it’s your sole Odoo app. If you need to connect other features like accounting or purchase orders, you’ll need to upgrade and utilize other Odoo apps. Because it’s only meant to connect with other Odoo apps like Sales, Purchase, and Accounting, your options are restricted, and if you do add these apps, you’ll be paid a subscription fee for Inventory as well as the other apps. This may quickly pile up.

The Best Free Inventory Management Software for Growing Businesses is Zoho Inventory.

Zoho Inventory

3.98 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Cloud-based
• Possibilities for kitting
• Tools for managing shipments
• Integrations with ecommerce

What Isn’t There

• Limits on sales and purchase orders
• There is no support for a bill of materials (BOM), pick lists, or bin IDs.
• There is no forecasting and just FIFO costing is supported.

Pricing and Limits for the Zoho Inventory Free Plan:

• There are two users.
• One location
• The number of items/products is limitless.
• Monthly transactions: 50 orders
• Paid plans start at $79 per month and are billed on a monthly basis.

Zoho Inventory’s free plan includes a variety of inventory capabilities that will allow your organization to expand. Low-stock notifications, kitting and packaging options, and different connections with ecommerce systems, CRMs, and payment gateways are all available. It also has shipping options, such as the ability to print packing slips and create mailing labels.

Zoho Inventory received a 3.98 out of 5 rating in our review, with our experts giving it a flawless score for its simplicity of use. Zoho’s free plan limitations, including restrictions on sales orders, shipping labels, and shipment tracking, as well as the lack of real-time and multi-location tracking, kept it from receiving a better grade. Overall, Zoho is a terrific value for money, and it came out on top in our review of the best inventory management software for small companies.

Zoho Inventory has a number of free inventory features.

When you connect into your Zoho Inventory account, the dashboard is the first thing you’ll see. It displays a summary of your company’s sales and stock, including sales orders produced to date, top-selling goods, stock acquired from your vendor for the specified time, and more. (Image courtesy of Zoho.com)

• Bundling and gathering of items
• Tracking serial and batch numbers
• Management of sales orders
• Invoicing
• Shipping and packaging
• Scannable barcodes
• Drop shipments and backorders
• Templates for purchase orders
• Generate SKUs
• Points should be rearranged.
• Apps for iOS and Android

The dashboard view of the Zoho Inventory mobile app. (Image courtesy of Zoho.com)

When Should You Upgrade?

Even on premium subscriptions, Zoho Inventory has restrictions on sales orders. Upgrade to the first premium tier if you need to monitor several warehouses, support various currencies, and create bespoke views for your processes. The most basic package is $79 per month and has a monthly order maximum of 1500, three users, and two warehouses. The cost of additional warehouses is $96 per year.

Square is the best free inventory management app for businesses with unlimited products.

Square

3.79 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Platform that is simple to use
• There are no limits to the number of goods available, including size and color variations.
• Online, mobile, and in-store sales are all synced.

What Isn’t There

• Features that are relatively simple
• There are no features for suppliers, buying, or barcodes.

Limitations of the Square Free Plan:

• Users: Countless
• Locations: There are no limits (though cross-location item tracking is not supported)
• Items: Countless
• Transactions are limitless.

Square is the greatest free point-of-sale (POS) system for small companies, and it also comes with a full suite of inventory management capabilities for an infinite number of items and users. It also has an ecommerce platform, which we think is great for stores. Square is ideal for merchants that want to manage inventory for free and sell in-store, online, through invoicing, or on their phones.

On our inventory management ranking, Square received a 3.79 out of 5 rating. For simplicity of use, cost, and our expert rating, it received the top marks. The absence of kitting and bundling capabilities, buy ordering, and vendor management were the main factors that precluded Square from scoring better.

Overall, if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution for your storefront company (ecommerce, point-of-sale, and inventory), we suggest Square.

Features of Square’s Free Inventory

From the Square Dashboard or the Point-of-Sale app, you can quickly and simply manage data like names, quantities, and pricing. (Image courtesy of Square)

• Create product or item classifications.
• Each item should include a photo, a description, and an SKU number.
• Colors and sizes are examples of item modifications that may be added and tracked.
• Import and manage a large number of items.
• Create low-stock warnings that are sent out automatically.
• Reports may be downloaded or exported to a spreadsheet that can be printed.
• There are no limits on the number of items, users, or locations that may be created.

When Should You Upgrade?

Advanced inventory functions like as kitting or bundling (linking numerous distinct components or goods under one SKU), purchase order management, vendor management, COGS tracking, and cross-location inventory tracking are not available in Square’s free edition. You’ll need to subscribe to Square for Retail for $60 per month to get these capabilities. To see why Square POS is the best free inventory management software for shops, read our entire Square POS review.

Ecommerce and QuickBooks Integrations are best with Boxstorm.

Boxstorm

3.24 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• QuickBooks integration
• API, many integrations
• App for mobile devices

What Isn’t There

• Items and transactions are limited.
• There are no variations.
• There will be no kitting or bundling.

Pricing and Limits for the Boxstorm Free Plan:

• There is one user.
• One location
• Number of items: 25
• Monthly transactions: 100
• Paid Subscription: $79 per month

Boxstorm is a fully featured and user-friendly interface created by Fishbowl Inventory that connects with ecommerce and QuickBooks. It’s great for small companies because of the limitations on item counts and transactions, but it also has a reasonably priced premium plan if you outgrow the free version.

On our inventory management ranking system, Boxstorm received a 3.24 out of 5 rating. It got excellent grades for inventory features including barcoding, cycle counting, and automatic reordering, but its transaction and inventory item constraints kept it from getting a better score.

Features of Boxstorm’s Free Inventory

Here’s an example of the Sales module in Boxstorm. You may customize things like tax rates and discounts for each consumer. Sale, miscellaneous sale, miscellaneous credits, remarks, and per-line discounts are all examples of sales order line items. (Image courtesy of Fishbowlinventory.com)

• Barcoding
• Each item may have up to five images.
• Scan a list of things and take action on all of them (ex: location change)
• Orders for sales and purchases
• Set minimum and maximum stock levels, and get stock notifications through email.
• Counting in cycles
• Processing of returns
• Low-inventory reordering is automated.
• QuickBooks Online, Shopify, BigCommerce, Stripe, and Shippo all have native connectors.
• Custom integrations are possible via the API.

When Should You Upgrade?

Boxstorm’s free plan includes all of the subscription plan’s functionality, thus upgrading is only necessary if you need to manage more transactions or products. For $79 per month, the premium subscription includes limitless locations, goods, and transactions for one user. You can add extra users for $9 per month if you need them.

SalesBinder is the best free inventory management software for businesses with a small number of products.

SalesBinder

3.18 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• There is a monthly limit of 100 records.
• Variations, photographs, and categories are all available.
• Management of Customer Relationships

What Isn’t There

• There are no integrations.
• Only a few things are available.
• There is no mobile app available.

Pricing & Limits for SalesBinder’s Free Plan:

• There is one user.
• Monthly output: 100 recordings (records are inventory items, accounts, or orders)
• The cost of a paid plan starts at $9 per month.

SalesBinder has a user-friendly UI with plenty of customization options. Its free plan has a monthly record limit, but its sophisticated inventory recording and monitoring tools, as well as sales and customer relationship management features, making it an excellent choice for firms with few goods.

In our review, SalesBinder received a 3.18 out of 5 rating. It did well in the areas of inventory characteristics and expert score. If SalesBinder didn’t have any product or user constraints, it would have gotten a higher score.

Features of SalesBinder’s Free Inventory

Inside your SalesBinder dashboard, here is an example view of an inventory item. You may check your item’s supplier, selling price, stock, any backorders from purchase orders, and the item’s projected delivery date. (Image courtesy of SalesBinder)

• Each item has five photographs.
• Keep track of goods based on their location.
• Kitting/bundling
• Custom fields
• Variations in the items
• Scannable barcodes
• Customer, prospect, and supplier account management
• For profit analysis, make a note of extra costs.
• Orders for goods, invoices, and estimates
• Reports on inventory and sales
• Configure user permissions

When Should You Upgrade?

Except for integrations, the free plan has all of the features of the premium plans. The only restrictions are on the number of records and users. The subscription plans are among the most cost-effective we’ve encountered for adding additional users, records, or integrations. The monthly fees vary from $9 for one user, 2,500 records, and no integrations to $99 for 100,000 records, 50 users, and unlimited integrations. It also offers price levels that include limitless records.

The Best Inventory for Manufacturing and Distribution is ABC Inventory is a company that specializes in inventory.

ABC Inventory

2.79 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Repairs, leasing, and asset management are all included.
• Multiple languages and currencies are available.
• Kitting is encouraged.

What Isn’t There

• PC only
• Only the forum can help you.
• An older user interface

Pricing and Limits for the ABC Inventory Free Plan:

• There is one user.
• Locations: There are no limits.
• Items: Countless
• Transactions are limitless.
• Paid Plans begin at a one-time charge of $435.

ABC Inventory by Almyta Systems is a locally installed system with an outdated UI that has a lot of features that make it excellent for manufacturing. It can manage many locations and warehouses, as well as sophisticated transportation requirements, enormous quantities, and a variety of supply chain models.

ABC Inventory received a 2.79 out of 5 rating in our review. Though it gets merits for being able to monitor an infinite number of goods by location, ABC Inventory is difficult to use due to its archaic UI and sluggish performance. Furthermore, there is no customer assistance outside of a community forum, the software can only be installed on PCs, and it is not compatible with any other applications.

ABC Inventory is a company that specializes in inventory Features of Free Inventory

ABC Inventory provides you with one of the user perspectives. You may give a unit ID, weight, price, and stock to your objects and classify them appropriately.

• There are no limits on the number of firms, warehouses, locations, currencies, or logos that may be created.
• There are translations in several languages (popup or in-field)
• Data may be exported to Microsoft Excel, Word, HTML, and plain text.
• Purchase orders
• Appointments at the warehouse, billing, and shipment
• Adjustments, both positive and negative
• Scanning of Barcodes
• Repairs to inventory
• Leasing of inventory
• Forecasting
• Advanced search and quick browsing
• Orders for sales and shipment
• Orders for work
• Asset management, both physical and immaterial

When Should You Upgrade?

The whole software is available for free from ABC. You must, however, acquire one of the product’s licenses if you want assistance or wish to network the software over many workstations. Free add-ons and lifetime upgrades are included with all purchased licenses.

Stockpile is the best free inventory management software for keeping track of simple inventory.

Stockpile

2.49 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• There are no restrictions on users or products.
• Support is provided at no cost.
• Simple to use

What Isn’t There

• There are no integrations.
• There will be no kitting or bundling.
• There are no sales or purchase orders.

Limits on the Stockpile-Free Plan:

• Users: Countless
• Locations: There are no limits.
• Items: Countless
• Transactions are limitless.

The Stockpile inventory system from Canvus is fully free and cloud-based, getting a 2.49 out of 5 rating in our review. Although it provides for an infinite number of items, users, locations, and other features, the real functionality is restricted to extremely basic inventory management. You can’t construct bundles, place buy orders, or program variants. It’s a wonderful approach for organizations who don’t require the sales arm and have a lot of basic goods.

Features of Stockpile-Free Inventory

A glimpse of your Stockpile dashboard’s item catalog. Per item, you may see comprehensive transactions, stock, and report charts. (Image courtesy of Stockpile)

• Base, manager, and owner are the three user tiers.
• Keep track of SKUs and UPCs, as well as location, region, and manufacturer.
• Images should be added
• Alerts on low stock prices
• There are many currencies available.
• Reports on inventory and transactions
• Support Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time; weekend help is restricted.

When Should You Upgrade?

There is no premium upgrade for Stockpile. If you believe your company may exceed Stockpile’s functionality, we suggest going with a solution like Zoho Inventory or Square, which can scale with your company.

Sortly is the best app for managing inventory both offline and on the go.

Sortly

2.21 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Built-in barcode scanning and QR code support
• There are many warehouses.
• Provides an offline mode that allows you to scan incoming and outgoing goods even if you don’t have access to the internet.

What Isn’t There

• There are no low-stock warnings.
• There are no kitting services available.
• There are no integrations.

Pricing and Limits for the Sortly Free Plan:

• There is one user.
• Number of entries: 100
• Paid subscriptions start at $39 per month.

Sortly is a cloud-based inventory management application that tracks activity, location, barcodes, and audit trails. Its standout feature, though, is its built-in barcode scanner, which lets you read barcodes and QR codes even while you’re offline. This enables you to scan inbound and outbound inventory even if your phone app isn’t connected to the internet. When you go online, it instantly syncs with your account.

Sortly received a 2.21 out of 5 rating in our inventory management study. It didn’t get high rankings since it didn’t include low-stock notifications or connectors on its free plan, but its multi-location monitoring and mobile inventory count capabilities did.

Features of Sortly’s Free Inventory

(Image courtesy of Sortly.com)

• Access through desktop and mobile apps
• Scanner inside the app
• Auto-detection of barcodes
• Scan and link barcodes from other companies.
• Check in/out things with a quick action scanner
• Custom fields may be added (limited to one)
• Each item may have up to eight photographs attached to it.
• Add your own notes and tags.
• Details on bulk editing
• Reports in CSV and PDF format
• Help center, tutorials, and weekly onboarding seminars are all available.

Sortly’s barcode generator is a useful tool (Source: Sortly.com)

When Should You Upgrade?

Even on the free plan, Sortly gives you full access to their barcode scanning mechanism. Upgrade to the Ultra plan (starting at $99/month) to get integrations, personalized barcodes, and the ability to utilize external/handheld scanners.

Right Control: For barcode generation and pick-and-pack management, this is the best option.

Right Control

2.19 OUT OF 5 I Overall Score Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Provides tools for shipping and warehouse management.
• Creating Lists
• The creation of barcodes

What Isn’t There

• Multiple warehouses are not supported.
• There is a ten-product restriction.
• It’s solely for Windows.

Pricing and Limits of the Right Control Free Plan:

• There is one user.
• Up to ten different objects may be found in your inventory.
• One warehouse
• Paid subscriptions start at £0.99 per month.

Right Control’s inventory management software features a free version that maintains stock levels, handles new sales and purchase orders, and generates invoices for invoicing. It also offers tools for shipping and warehouse management.

It received a 2.19 out of 5 rating in our review, owing to its 10-product and single-warehouse limitations. Its inventory capabilities are quite limited, but you may make picking lists and produce fresh barcodes for your items with its free plan. In our review, we gave the system good scores for these characteristics.

Free Inventory Features with Right Control

In Right Control, add a product information view. (Image courtesy of Right Control)

• Invoicing
• Dispatching
• Scannable barcodes
• Design and creation of barcodes
• Printing of barcodes
• Management of purchase and sales orders
• Returns administration
• Management of contacts
• Putting together the kit

Creating invoices (Source: Right Control)

When Should You Upgrade?

Right Control’s subscription levels provide the same benefits. The sole disadvantage of Right Control’s free plan is that it has a product limit of ten, however subscribing to its basic plan allows you to have up to 300.

Conclusion

Consider the following questions while determining which free inventory management software to use:

• Is it compatible with the platforms I’m presently using in my company?
• Is there space for expansion, such as plan upgrades?
• As a free user, what kind of assistance can I expect?

Consider point-of-sale software if you need free inventory management solutions that work with sales, such as for a retail or storefront firm (such as Square). The majority of them feature basic inventory operations or have interconnections. Standalone free inventory management software, on the other hand, is ideal for offices, warehouses, dropshippers, and shops that already utilize sales software.

While inventory management is highly dependent on a company’s product mix and demands, we found Odoo to be the best option for most small firms. The inventory app has virtually all of the features you’ll need for basic inventory management, including personalized notifications and an infinite number of users, locations, products, and transactions. To get started, go to Odoo and sign up for a free account.

Odoo is a great place to visit.

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