Inventory software makes it easy for businesses from offices to stores to warehouses to track products, tools, and assets. Most free inventory management software limits use or features and offer paid plans if you need more. Many small businesses, however, find the free versions sufficient for their needs.
Top 7 Free Inventory Management Software for 2020
Free Inventory Management Software | Best For |
|---|---|
SalesBinder (Best Overall) | Small businesses with limited inventory items who need a full-featured program |
Volume sellers and manufacturers needing advanced stock and workflow management | |
Warehouse management and dropshipping businesses | |
Retail stores and mobile businesses with a large number of simple items that need basic inventory across multiple locations | |
Businesses with a large number of simple items that need basic inventory across multiple locations | |
Businesses with small SKU counts seeking ecommerce capabilities and QuickBooks connectivity | |
Sellers with small SKU counts that want PC-based software |
How We Evaluated Free Inventory Management Software
Inventory management needs differ by business. Some want software to help track items in the office; others sell single or bundled products across multiple venues. We looked for free inventory management software that was easy to use and had a wide range of features. In particular, we considered:
- Paid plans: Some plans, while perpetually free, offer paid plans with more options or allow more records.
- Accessibility: Some plans are cloud-based, while others are local.
- Capacity: How many users, items, records, locations, or reports does the free plan allow?
- Product data: This includes SKUs, kits, images, customizations, and more.
- Supply: Many plans let you set low inventory alerts; some allow automated reorder.
- Sales: Can you record sales, invoices, or customer data?
- Integrations: Some programs integrate with ecommerce or other software, sometimes for an additional fee or with paid plans.
SalesBinder: Best Free Inventory Management Software for Limited Products
SalesBinder tops our list of the best free inventory software despite its monthly records limit because of the richness of features for recording and tracking inventory, plus the sales and customer relationship management features. The paid plans allow more records and start at $9 per month.
SalesBinder Strengths | SalesBinder Weaknesses |
|---|---|
100 records per month limit | No integrations |
Variations, photos, categories | Limited items |
Customer Relationship Management | No Mobile App |
SalesBinder Free Plan Pricing and Limits
- Users: One
- Items: 100 records per month (records are inventory items, accounts, or orders)
- Paid Plans start at: $9 per month
SalesBinder Free Inventory Features
- Five photos per item
- Track items by location
- Kitting/bundling
- Custom fields
- Item variations
- Bar code scanning
- Account management for customers, prospects, and suppliers
- Note additional expenses for profit analysis
- Invoices, estimates, purchase orders
- Inventory and sales reports
- Set user permissions
When to Upgrade
The free plan includes all the features of the paid plans, except for integrations. The only limits are to records and users. If you need more users, records, or integrations, the paid plans are among the most affordable we’ve seen. The paid plans range from $9 per month for one user, 2,500 records, and no integrations, to $99 per month for 100,000 records, 50 users, and unlimited integrations. It also has unlimited records pricing plans.
Read our full SalesBinder review to see why it’s one of the most highly-recommended free inventory management software.
ABC Inventory: Best Free Inventory Management Software for Manufacturing and Volume Sales
Although a locally-installed system with an older interface, ABC Inventory by Almyta Systems offers a lot of features that make it good for manufacturing. Intended for small or mid-sized businesses, it’s the most feature-rich program we reviewed.
ABC Inventory Strengths | ABC Inventory Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Includes repairs, leasing, asset management | PC only |
Multiple languages, currencies | Forum support only |
Supports kitting | Older interface |
ABC Inventory Free Plan Pricing and Limits
- Users: One
- Locations: Unlimited
- Items: Unlimited
- Transactions: Unlimited
- Paid Plans start at: $435 one-time fee
ABC Inventory Free Features
- Unlimited companies, warehouses, locations, currencies, logos
- Multiple languages with translations (popup or in-field)
- Export data to Microsoft Excel, Word, HTML, and text
- Purchase orders
- Warehouse appointments, invoicing, shipping
- Positive/negative adjustments
- Bar code Scanning
- Inventory repairs
- Inventory leasing
- Forecasting
- Fast browse and advanced search
- Sales & shipping orders
- Work orders
- Tangible and intangible asset management
When to Upgrade
ABC offers the complete software for free. However, if you need support or want to network the software across multiple workstations, you need to purchase one of its licenses. Purchased licenses also include free add-ons and lifetime updates.
For more information on when ABC Inventory is the right solution for your business, read our full ABC Inventory review.
Odoo: Best Free Inventory Management Software for Warehouses and Dropshipping
Odoo offers its inventory management app for free as a standalone product. The inventory app alone contains nearly every function you need for straight inventory processing. However, there is a fee to connect other Odoo products. With no limits on users, locations, or items, Odoo is a great choice for warehouses and dropshippers with high-volume sales.
Odoo Inventory Strengths | Odoo Inventory Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Inventory forecasting | Desktop only |
Sales and customer portal | No customizations |
Order points and automated requests for bids | No integrations |
Odoo Free Plan Pricing and Limits
- Users: Unlimited
- Locations: Unlimited
- Items: Unlimited
- Transactions: Unlimited
- Paid Plans: $36 per month if you use with other Odoo apps
Odoo Free Inventory Features
- Handles digital products and consumables
- Double-entry inventory management (items are moved rather than removed)
- Unlimited products, users, locations
- Multiple locations, including zones, rows, shelves, and more
- Bar code scanning
- Cycle counting
- Scrap products, transfer stock
- Custom alerts on products or suppliers
- Schedule inventory operations based on product availabilities or order forecasting
- Automated request for quotes
- Bar code or serial number tracking
- Custom fields, expiration dates, multiple units of measurement
- Multiple valuations: FIFO, LIFO, Average Cost, Landed Costs, and more
When to Upgrade
Odoo Inventory is free forever as long as it’s the only Odoo app you use. However, it is designed to work with other Odoo applications, like Sales, Purchase, or Accounting. If you add these applications, you will then be charged a subscription price for Inventory, plus the other apps. This can add up fast.
To learn more about why Odoo is the best free inventory management software for warehouses and dropshipping, read our full Odoo review.
Square: Best Free Inventory Management for Retailers
Square is the best free point-of-sale (POS) system for small businesses, which also includes a complete set of inventory tracking tools for unlimited products and users. Square is the best fit for retailers looking to manage inventory for free and sell in-store, online, via invoice, or mobile.
Square Inventory Strengths | Square Inventory Weaknesses |
|---|---|
User-friendly platform | Relatively basic features |
Unlimited products including variants like size and color | No supplier, purchasing, or bar code features |
Syncs across online, mobile, and in-store sales |
Square Inventory Free Plan Limits
- Users: Unlimited
- Locations: Unlimited (though cross-location item tracking is not supported)
- Items: Unlimited
- Transactions: Unlimited
Square Inventory Features
- Create product or item categories
- Add pictures, descriptions, and SKU numbers to each item
- Add and track item modifiers like colors and sizes
- Import and manage products in bulk
- Create automated low stock alerts
- Download reports or export to a printable spreadsheet
- Unlimited products, users, and locations
When to Upgrade
The free version of Square doesn’t include advanced inventory tools like kitting or bundling (connecting several unique parts or items under one SKU), purchase order management, vendor management, COGS tracking, or cross-location inventory tracking. For these features, you’ll need to upgrade to Square for Retail for $60 per month.
Read our full Square POS review to find out why it’s the best free inventory management software for retailers.
Stockpile: Best Free Inventory Management Software for Simple Inventory Tracking
Canvus’ Stockpile inventory system is completely free and cloud-based. While it allows unlimited products, users, locations, and more, the actual functions are limited to simple inventory management. You can’t program variations, make purchase orders, or create bundles. It’s a good system for businesses with a lot of simple inventory that don’t need the sales arm.
Stockpile Strengths | Stockpile Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Unlimited everything | No integrations |
Free support | No kitting/bundling |
Easy to use | No sales, purchase orders |
Stockpile Free Plan Limits
- Users: Unlimited
- Locations: Unlimited
- Items: Unlimited
- Transactions: Unlimited
Stockpile Free Features
- User levels: base, manager, owner
- Track SKUs and UPCs, location, area, and manufacturer
- Add images
- Low stock alerts
- Multiple currencies
- Inventory and transaction reports
- Support Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, limited weekend support
When to Upgrade
Stockpile does not have a paid upgrade. If you think your business may outgrow Stockpile’s features, we recommend choosing a system like SalesBinder or Square that can grow with your business.
For more information on when Stockpile is the right solution for your business, read our full Stockpile review.
BoxStorm: Best Free Inventory Management Software for Ecommerce and QuickBooks Integrations
Created by Fishbowl Inventory, BoxStorm delivers a fully-featured and user-friendly interface that integrates with ecommerce and QuickBooks. The limits on item numbers and transactions make it useful for smaller businesses, but if you grow beyond the free version, it offers an affordable paid plan.
BoxStorm Strengths | BoxStorm Weaknesses |
|---|---|
QuickBooks integration | Limited items and transactions |
Multiple integrations, API | No variants |
Mobile app | No kitting or bundling |
BoxStorm Free Plan
- Users: One
- Locations: One
- Items: 25
- Transactions: 100 per month
- Paid Plan: $79 per month
BoxStorm Free Inventory Features
- Mobile apps: Android (3.4 stars) and iOS (3.3 stars)
- Bar coding
- Up to five photos per item
- Scan items and apply action to an entire list (ex: location change)
- Sales and purchase orders
- Set min/max stock levels; email stock alerts
- Cycle counting
- Returns processing
- Automated reorder for low-inventory
- Native integrations with QuickBooks Online, Shopify, BigCommerce, Stripe, Shippo
- API available for custom integrations
When to Upgrade
Boxstorm’s free plan contains all the features of the paid plan, so the only reason to upgrade is if you need to handle more transactions or items. The paid plan offers unlimited locations, items, and transactions for $79 per month for one user. If you need more users, you can add them for $9 per month.
To learn more about why BoxStorm is the best free inventory management software for ecommerce and QuickBooks integration, read our full BoxStorm review.
inFlow: Best Free Locally-Installed Inventory Management Software for PCs
inFlow On-Premise is a popular free program because it has a clean, intuitive interface and great online support. While the free on-premise version only works for Windows PC and limits you to 100 products and customers, it’s useful for small businesses and offices.
inFlow On-Premise Strengths | inFlow On-Premise Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Allows Photos | PC-only software |
No accounting integrations | No kitting/batching |
Integrates with Shopify | 100 product and customer (total) limit |
inFlow On-Premise Free Plan Limits
- Users: One
- Sales Channel: One
- Items: 100 (total items + customers)
- Paid Plans start at: $399 per license (on-premise) or $71/month (cloud)
inFlow On-Premise Free Inventory Features
- Centralized dashboard for purchase orders and fulfillment
- Up to 15 sales/inventory reports available
- Record SKU, category, price (normal, retail, wholesale), cost, versions, and more
- Include photo
When to Upgrade
Businesses with limited inventory or sales may find the free on-premise version fulfills all their needs. If you grow beyond the number of products or customers allowed in the free version, the paid on-premise versions allow unlimited use, plus offer custom documents and support. If you need kitting or a bill of materials, you need the Premium account.
inFlow also has a cloud version that supports Mac, iOS, and Android. It integrates with online sales channels like Amazon, as well as QuickBooks Online. If you do B2B sales, the cloud version lets you create a B2B portal with private pricing.
For more information on when inFlow on-Premise is the right solution for your business, read our full inFlow On-Premise review.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for free inventory management tools that work with sales, such as for a retail or storefront business, consider point-of-sale software. Most include primary inventory functions or have integrations. However, for straight inventory management, free inventory management software works well for offices, warehouses, dropshippers, or stores that already have sales software they prefer.
For functionality, SalesBinder is the best free inventory management software. It does limit the number of records each month, but is cloud-based and has a rich feature-set. Paid plans are inexpensive and allow more records. Visit SalesBinder to sign up for free.
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