Best free inventory software for small business: 4 options that are really free

Free inventory software for a small business does exist, but every free plan has a ceiling: a number of orders, a number of items or a single user. The right choice is the one whose ceiling you will not hit in the next twelve months.

How we chose: We only list options that are free without a time limit, not 14-day trials. Limits and prices were checked on each company’s official website on November 13, 2026, for the United States. This guide is based on published plans and documentation, not on paid hands-on testing. Limits change, so confirm them before you move your data.

Quick comparison

Option	Free limit	Users	Best for
Zoho Inventory, Free plan	50 orders a month, 1 location	1	Online sellers who want orders and stock in one tool
Sortly, Free plan	100 unique items	1	Knowing what you have and where it is, with photos
A spreadsheet	None	As many as you share it with	Full control at no cost, up to a few hundred products
Your store’s built-in stock tracking	Depends on your store plan	Your store’s users	Sellers with a single sales channel

1. Zoho Inventory, Free plan

Zoho Inventory is a full order and stock management tool, and its free plan is the most capable one we found for a seller.

• Free limits: 50 orders a month, 1 user, 1 location.
• Included on the free plan: composite items (bundles), dropshipping and backorders.
• Sales channels: Zoho lists connections with Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon and eBay. The pricing page does not say which plans include each one, so check before you rely on it.
• Not on the free plan: barcode generation, stock counting, and serial or batch tracking are listed from the Premium plan.

When you outgrow it: the Standard plan is $29 a month billed annually, for 500 orders a month, 3 users and 2 locations. Extra blocks of 500 orders can be added for $7.50 a month.

Choose it if you sell online, ship fewer than about two orders a day, and want room to grow in the same tool.

2. Sortly, Free plan

Sortly is a visual inventory app: items, folders, photos and a phone to look things up. It tracks what you own rather than managing sales orders.

• Free limits: 100 unique items, 1 user, 1 custom field.
• Not on the free plan: label creation with QR codes starts on the Advanced plan, and barcode labels on the Ultra plan.

When you outgrow it: the Advanced plan was shown at $24 a month for 500 items and 2 users, with a note that this is a 50% first-year discount on a $49 list price. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial.

Choose it if you have fewer than 100 products or materials and mainly need to know quantities and locations, for example craft supplies or a small stockroom.

3. A spreadsheet

A spreadsheet is still the best free inventory tool for many small shops, as long as it is built properly.

• Limits: none set by a vendor. The practical limit is your time.
• What it does well: current stock, reorder alerts, stock value, and a full history of movements.
• What it cannot do: update itself when an order comes in, or stop two people overwriting each other.

Our guide on how to make an inventory spreadsheet builds one step by step in Excel or Google Sheets, with the formulas to copy.

Choose it if you have one stock location, one person in charge of stock and up to a few hundred products.

4. Your store’s built-in stock tracking

Most store platforms and marketplaces already track a quantity for each product and reduce it with every sale. Many also send a low-stock alert.

• Limits: it only knows about sales on that one channel, and usually has no purchase orders or reorder points.
• Cost: included in what you already pay for the store.

Choose it if you sell in one place. This is the option most new sellers should use first.

What free plans leave out

Expect to pay once you need one of these:

• More than one user. Both free plans above are limited to one.
• More volume. 50 orders a month or 100 items is quickly reached by a growing shop.
• Barcodes and scanning. Usually reserved for paid plans.
• Several locations, such as a stockroom plus a fulfilment partner.
• Purchase orders and supplier management in depth.

When free is no longer enough

Tool	First paid plan	What it adds
Zoho Inventory	Standard, $29 a month billed annually	500 orders a month, 3 users, 2 locations
Sortly	Advanced, $24 a month in the first year ($49 list price)	500 items, 2 users, QR code labels
inFlow Inventory	Lite, $99 a month billed annually	2 team members, unlimited sales orders, 1 location

inFlow has no free plan, only a 14-day trial. It is included here because it is a common next step for product businesses that buy from suppliers and need purchase orders and barcodes. For the paid plans side by side, see inFlow vs Zoho Inventory vs Sortly.

Before paying, read inventory spreadsheet or inventory software for the signs that it is really time to switch.

How to choose

1. Count your products and monthly orders. Compare them with the limits in the first table, and with where you expect to be in a year.
2. Count your sales channels. One channel: use the store’s own stock tracking. Several: you need one tool that connects to all of them.
3. Decide what you need most. Order management points to Zoho Inventory. A visual list of what you have points to Sortly. Flexibility points to a spreadsheet.
4. Prepare your data first. Clean SKU numbers and a fresh stock count make any tool work better.
5. Check the export. Make sure you can download your products and stock levels, so you are free to move later.

Common questions

Is there completely free inventory software?

Yes, within limits. Zoho Inventory is free up to 50 orders a month and Sortly up to 100 items, each for one user. A spreadsheet has no limit other than your time.

What is the best free inventory software for a small online store?

For most online sellers, the stock tracking already included in the store platform is the best start. Add Zoho Inventory’s free plan or a spreadsheet when you need reorder points or sell on a second channel.

Is free inventory software safe to rely on?

A free plan from an established vendor is as reliable as its paid plans, but the limits can change. Keep a regular export of your product list and stock levels.

Can Excel be used as inventory software?

Yes. With a products sheet, a movements sheet and a stock sheet, Excel or Google Sheets can handle a small shop well. See our step-by-step guide.

Key takeaways

• Free inventory software exists, but always with limits on orders, items or users.
• Zoho Inventory’s free plan allows 50 orders a month for one user and one location.
• Sortly’s free plan allows 100 items for one user.
• A well-built spreadsheet and your store’s own stock tracking are free and often enough.
• Limits and prices were checked on November 13, 2026. Confirm them before you commit.