Looking for free inventory tracking software — is my data safe, and where are the limits?

We started on a free tier with 420 auto spare parts SKUs. At the end of month two, the second we hit the 150 transaction limit, the system blocked new waybill entries entirely. Business ground to a halt mid-month, so we had to bite the bullet and pay 650 TL a month for the standard plan. Read the fine print upfront.

The first thing to check isn't the UI, it's whether there's an export button in the settings menu. If it doesn't let you instantly download data in spreadsheet format or charges extra for exports, walk away immediately. You might also want to look into open-source alternatives hosted on a local machine.

No company provides free cloud services out of the goodness of their heart. They either slap hard usage caps and hit you with a paywall on your busiest day, or they pool and monetize your anonymized data for ad targeting. Entrusting your commercial inventory to an agreement with zero liability sounds way too risky to me.

we got sick of excel the first year too and set up a free tool but since you couldn't check stock on mobile it was basically pointless. staff just kept asking the warehouse guy on whatsapp anyway. if it doesn't have quick mobile entry don't even bother imo.

When testing free software, follow these 3 rules: 1) Run a backup test on day one and try exporting all your data. 2) Have two staff members deduct the same item simultaneously to test for conflict handling. 3) Track what percentage of the monthly transaction limit you hit during the first week and how fast.

Are you using handheld barcode scanners in your warehouse, or are items just deducted manually from a desktop computer? Also, does it need to integrate with the pre-accounting system you use for invoicing? These two factors will directly determine whether you can get away with free software or not.

Last year, right when we were doing inventory count, the server of the free web app we were using crashed. We couldn't access the system for 3 full days on the exact day of the audit, and with no support line, nobody replied to our emails. The logistics cost of 4 wrong shipments sent to customers during those 3 days ended up costing more than an annual license anyway.

If you're going to use it temporarily, export and save the stock list to your computer every Friday evening. That way even if the system shuts down out of nowhere or suddenly demands payment you'll still have up-to-date counts and your operations won't stall.

The cheap-looking path usually ends up costing more later. The harder it is to reverse a decision, the slower you should make it.

Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more.

Correct. Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

My questions are cleared up thanks. Calculate this based on total annual cost, not the monthly bill.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

This thread is archived.

There's also a measurement aspect to this. When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

I've been dealing with this for a long time. If you don't write this down from the start, it leads to arguments later.

Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

Exactly, and not many people know this. Calculate how many months you can survive without revenue, then halve that number.

Finding a new customer is more expensive than keeping an existing one. I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

I'm in the same situation that's why I'm asking. Calculate how many months you can survive without revenue, then halve that number.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

I think it's hard to be that definitive about free inventory software. Calculate this based on total annual cost, not the monthly bill.