If you’re still counting stock in Excel and a full ERP feels like overkill, you’re in good company.
Below: what other owners are asking right now, and a short list of newer tools built by people who had the same problem. No sign-up, nothing to buy from us.
Sound familiar? Owners asking this week
- “What’s in the middle ground between basic inventory tools and a full ERP?” One warehouse, about 400 SKUs, some light manufacturing, needs it to sync with QuickBooks. Basic tools are too thin, ERPs are too big. — r/Entrepreneurs, 26 Sep 2026 · read the thread
- “Barcode scanners with Excel: what causes the most trouble in daily use?” — r/InventoryManagement, 26 Sep 2026 · read the thread
- “Cheap accounting software that handles inventory?” — r/smallbusiness, Dec 2025 · read the thread
One thing commenters keep saying: sort out your counting routine first. A tool makes a good routine faster; it won’t fix a messy one.
Tools worth a look
What each tool says about itself, from its own website or app listing.
TrackItWeekly
For cafés, food trucks, retail, gyms, salons and multi-location operators
- “Weekly inventory counts that turn into vendor-ready orders”
- Count with your phone camera or a Bluetooth scanner; works offline
- Works out par levels for you and drafts the order email to your supplier
- Imports your existing spreadsheet; no POS integration needed
- $19/month after a 14-day free trial, no card needed
InventoryMod
For retail, wholesale, e-commerce and small warehouses
- “Free Universal Warehouse & Inventory Management System”
- Products with SKUs and barcodes, multiple warehouses, purchase orders and receiving
- Data stays on your own device; no registration
- Web app, Chrome/Edge extension, Android app, plus a free Excel/Google Sheets template
- Free
EZstock
For Shopify stores (including those leaving Stocky)
- “Move from Stocky in minutes. Count stock, forecast demand, and reorder with purchase orders.”
- Barcode stock counts, low-stock emails, days-of-stock left, PDF purchase orders
- Imports suppliers and purchase orders from Stocky by CSV
- Free for up to 5 purchase orders a month; paid plans from $19/month
Inventory Mate
For Shopify stores that need purchase orders and forecasting
- “Shopify Inventory Planner & Purchase Orders”
- Demand forecasting, automated purchase orders, supplier portal for shipment tracking
- Cash-flow projections; connects to QuickBooks Online
- 14-day free trial, no card needed
Last checked 1 Oct 2026.
Picking between them: three questions
- Where do you sell? On Shopify → look at EZstock or Inventory Mate. Not on Shopify → TrackItWeekly or InventoryMod.
- How do you count? A weekly count and a supplier order → TrackItWeekly. Tracking every stock movement → InventoryMod.
- What’s your budget? Free → InventoryMod (or EZstock’s free tier). Paid → try a free trial first.
Building an inventory tool?
We also show makers what owners are asking for.
How we pick
First Contact is a small marketing team. We aren’t paid by any tool on this page and these aren’t endorsements. We list newer tools that solve the problem owners are asking about, using only what each tool says on its own site. Spotted something wrong, or want your tool listed? Reply to the thread where you found us.
