Best Inventory Management App for Trades 2026: 3 Apps Compared

Many trades businesses are more digital than their stockroom suggests. According to the Bitkom study 2025, 85 percent of businesses offer at least one digital service, yet rate their own digitalization at an average school grade of 3.0 (C equivalent). In inventory management and documentation, only 7 to 10 percent use AI or automation. At the same time, 56 percent expect noticeable time savings from digital processes.

In most small businesses, inventory still runs on Excel, scraps of paper or word of mouth. Often it all hangs on the owner, or it does not run at all and sinks into chaos. Others get by with isolated tools or supplier ordering portals. For a one or two-person shop, that can work. Once a real stockroom has to be managed and several people draw from it, missing parts, extra trips and stress are built in.

Many start with Excel. But Excel hits its limits fast: stock levels are hard to maintain in long lists, and in daily work nobody logs every withdrawal by hand. The honest Excel vs. app comparison shows why that rarely works.

Most inventory apps do not fail because of missing features. They fail at the withdrawal. If your team does not book, stock levels are wrong. If stock levels are wrong, every software fails and the stockroom sinks back into chaos.

This comparison ranks three lean inventory management apps and stock programs by different core problems. There is no single winner for everyone; the right tool depends on your most expensive inventory problem. One thing upfront: this article is written for a DACH audience, and there are not many specialist providers in the German market.

How to start with inventory software

PROCESS AND STRUCTURE FIRST -> DIGITALIZATION -> AUTOMATION

Before you compare tools, you do not need a perfect stockroom. But you need a clear plan. An inventory app can remove searching, paper notes and forgotten orders. To make it work in daily operations, four things have to fit:

1. One stockroom champion. This person decides storage locations, labels, minimum stock levels and rules for withdrawals. They keep the team moving when daily work gets in the way.
2. Start with the most important area. Consumables that are constantly missing or constantly used come first. That is how your team quickly sees why the change is worth it.
3. Storage locations and labels must be visible. It does not need to be perfect. But every item needs a place and a label so it can be found faster and booked when withdrawn. The guides on organizing your stockroom and labeling shelves show how to get there.
4. Withdrawals must be easy to book. If a technician first needs training to understand the app, it will not be used. And if it is not used, nothing gets booked. Because everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, simple apps matter more than rarely used special features.

Visible label = scan possible = booking happens = stock level is right.

You do not need to rebuild the whole business. Take real items, real locations and a clear workflow: scan, withdraw, update stock, trigger replenishment. That is what an inventory management app is worth using for.

How we evaluated (methodology)

We evaluated the tools against these criteria:

1. Simplicity and acceptance: Do even the people who dislike software get along with it?
2. Barcode scan and mobile workflows: withdrawal, goods receipt and stocktaking via smartphone, without additional hardware.
3. Barcode and labels: Can the tool create labels for items and locations, or does it only read existing codes?
4. Setup and stockroom structure: Does the vendor help with storage locations, labels, item import and minimum stock levels, and is consulting or training available, remote or on site?
5. Automation: purchase suggestions, reorder point or min-max, and replenishment without manual lists.
6. Locations: main stockroom, vehicle stock, jobsites, transfers and traceability.
7. Roles and permissions: who can withdraw, order, approve.
8. Data and integrations: export, API or CSV for clean hand-offs if other systems are connected later.
9. DACH check: language, support, invoicing, contract docs (e.g. DPA) and information about data location/sub-processors (based on vendor statements).

Pricing is indicative and depends on users, modules and billing (monthly vs. yearly). Taxes may apply; for USD pricing, exchange rates are not included.

Data basis used: publicly available vendor information (e.g. feature pages, pricing pages, help docs) and our practical experience with trades inventory workflows.

What we intentionally do not claim: we did not perform full legal/GDPR reviews or security audits and cannot guarantee that data location/DPA statements fit every case.

The practical test: does it get used?

We already covered the point: inventory software rarely fails on missing features. It fails because it does not get used in daily work. Stock levels are only right when everyone joins in and understands the system. You need broad acceptance in the business.

Give the tool to two people: one who likes software and apps, and one who does not. Both should run through a normal day: find an item, book a withdrawal, put goods back, correct a wrong booking.

If only the nerd manages it, the business will not keep using the tool, no matter how good the feature list looks or what the vendor sales team tells you.

Quick pick: which inventory app fits you?

1. You want everyone on the team to see what is in stock and where it is, across several locations, and to hear about it when something runs low: repleno.
2. You want strong wholesaler interfaces (IDS, Open Masterdata): Lager im Griff.
3. You want to document tools and equipment visually, especially with photos and QR codes: Sortly.

All three can manage inventory. Choose by the problem that costs you money and nerves every day.

repleno

repleno is inventory software for small businesses and comes from Bielefeld, Germany. The core is visibility: every item has a fixed place, and everyone on the team can see what is in stock and where it is, instead of searching or asking the boss. Withdrawals are booked by smartphone right at the shelf, and stock can be tracked across several locations. Replenishment builds on top of that: when an item falls below its threshold, repleno flags the demand. Whether that turns into an order is your call. If you want, replenishment runs fully automatically.

• Fits if: people in the business keep searching and asking where material is and whether any is left, and missing parts regularly trigger extra trips to the wholesaler or rushed orders.
• Strengths: The barcode scan by smartphone books withdrawals directly at the shelf, without a handheld scanner or a vending cabinet. New items are created straight from the scan, including description and product photo, instead of manual research and data entry. Consumables and tools can both be tracked as items with a reorder point. The label designer creates QR and barcode labels from item and location data. Stock analysis and consumption reports show fast movers, slow movers and cost drivers. Sets, bills of materials and project bookings also cover more complex withdrawals.
• Multiple warehouses: Track the same item across several storage locations, each with its own stock. Vehicles and jobsites can be set up as separate locations, and stock can be transferred between them. Multiple locations are available from Go; the Free plan includes one active location.
• Onboarding: Self-service with the help center is enough to get started. If you want more, consulting, setup and training can be booked on top, remote or on site: defining stock processes and responsibilities, setting up labels and opening stock, training the team.
• Replenishment in steps: For each item you decide how far the automation goes: notify only, or send an order by email to the supplier. That takes the daily ordering work off your desk, along with collecting demands by hand. You can switch item by item, as your trust in the automation grows. Orders go by email to any supplier you like, with no vendor lock-in.
• Limitations: Bookings require an internet connection; without a connection, bookings are currently not possible (offline sync planned). No wholesaler interface yet (planned).
• Price: Free plan with no time limit, covering 25 items and one active storage location; sign-up is online, with no sales call. Above that, an item-based flat rate from EUR 49/month (Go plan, annual billing). Unlimited users are included in every plan (list price, as of 17 Jul 2026).
• DACH check: High: DACH focus. For your decision, verify DPA/GDPR docs and data location case-by-case.

"For the roughly 120 tools we now run through repleno, we would otherwise spend two to four hours a week on coordination and searching. Now it is maybe 20 minutes, and falling. I pay per company, not per user. Everyone in the company can join in without costs exploding." Tapio R., managing director of a machinery business (Capterra review, July 2026)

Lager im Griff

Lager im Griff is a German tool from Bonn. Its focus is order: centrally track materials, tools and keys, map storage locations and find things faster.

• Fits if: you need a clear inventory overview, want to manage several locations and wholesaler interfaces like IDS or Open Masterdata matter.
• Strengths: Quick setup, simple UX, Excel import/export for onboarding. Tools can be assigned to employees, so it is traceable who last had a device in use. Barcode and QR labels can be created in the software. Weekly office hour (Fri 11am) and video course for support. From Pro: Datanorm, IDS, Open Masterdata, OCI and an API with webhooks.
• Multiple warehouses: management of several sites, centrally controlled across plants, warehouses and production locations according to the vendor.
• Limitations: Focus on order and transparency. Orders are triggered manually, for example via cart and supplier price comparison. No on-site support.
• Price: Starter from EUR 289 net/year (1-3 users), Pro from EUR 789 net/year (4-10 users, incl. interfaces). Enterprise on request. Limit: up to 8,000 items. 30-day free trial (as of 21 Jul 2026).
• DACH check: High (per vendor): German provider. Verify DPA, data location and sub-processors in the vendor docs.

Sortly (visual inventory lists)

Sortly is an app for visual inventory management. It is strong when you mainly need a clear inventory list with many photos per item: tools, equipment, boxes, kits, accessories.

• Fits if: you want to find and document things, but do not expect procurement or automatic replenishment.
• Strengths: Many photos per item, QR code creation and an interface that is quick to understand.
• Limitations: Focus is tracking and documentation, not procurement. Support only in English. No on-site support.
• Price: Free plan with 100 items and one user. From about US$49/month (Advanced plan, 2 users), Ultra US$149 (5 users). Teams of 8+ users need the Enterprise plan, price on request only. List prices with monthly billing (as of 21 Jul 2026).
• DACH check: Medium. US provider: verify GDPR/DPA and data location carefully. More in our Sortly vs. repleno comparison.

Comparison table: which app fits you?

Table note: the "Cost (12 users) / month" line assumes a 12-person team with annual billing. "On request" means the vendor lists no public price for this team size. Actual costs depend on term, add-ons and conditions (as of 4 Jul 2026).

What small trade businesses really need

Most businesses do not want a new software landscape. They want to know what is in stock, where it is and when it needs to be reordered. Sounds banal. It is not. This is where businesses lose time every day: searching, asking around, double-ordering, driving back.

The tool needs this:

1. Real-time stock: Not "Excel says it should still be there", but current stock after every withdrawal.
2. Barcode scan by smartphone: Your team books withdrawals directly at the shelf. Logging it later almost never works in real daily work.
3. Labels for items and locations: The tool should be able to create QR or barcode labels. Otherwise your team can only scan where a usable code already exists.
4. Minimum stock and replenishment: The app needs to warn or trigger before material runs out.
5. Multiple storage locations: Main stockroom, shelf, vehicle or jobsite must be distinguishable if needed.
6. Process help for setup: Good vendors help with locations, labels, item import, minimum stock levels and withdrawal rules, if you have to build up processes and basics first.
7. Simple user management: All employees should be able to join in without license costs exploding.
8. Export: CSV or API so third-party tools can process your data.

Warning signs:

1. Pricing only after a sales call.
2. Features locked behind high tiers.
3. Weeks of implementation and training before the first item is booked.
4. Opaque pricing.

For an inventory problem, speed matters: set up, import real items, let the team test. If you need a large software project first, you are solving the wrong problem. A compact overview for small businesses with two to 15 people is linked here.

Checklist: questions to ask the vendor

Usually the sales team asks you the questions. Turn it around and ask every vendor on your shortlist, us included.

1. How quickly can I start with my own items and test the full workflow?
2. How do I get existing item data into the system, and what happens if the import fails?
3. Is there a barcode scan workflow for withdrawals, goods receipt and stocktaking without an extra handheld scanner? Do I have to buy additional hardware?
4. Can I create multiple storage locations and track transfers?
5. Is there a complete booking history showing who changed what and when?
6. Are there roles and approvals so not everyone can do everything?
7. Who places the orders? Are there features that take ordering work off my hands?
8. Does the tool support reorder points or min-max so warnings and replenishment run reliably?
9. Is there support in my team's language and during our working hours?
10. Do I reach a human who can decide and help, or an AI bot and then a ticket queue anyway?
11. How does the vendor handle feature requests: who decides on them, and how long does it take from request to shipping?
12. Are DPA, data location and sub-processors documented transparently?
13. Is pricing per user, per warehouse or per module, and what happens if my employee count doubles?
14. On cancellation, can I export all master, stock and movement data in full?

Scope and category

Some vendors want to sell inventory as part of a full business software suite. That can fit if you are already rebuilding quoting, projects, purchasing, staff and accounting. But if only the stockroom and consumables are causing pain, that is usually too much for the problem: broad implementation, many modules, more coordination, and often unpredictable costs through per-user licensing.

Stay with the original question: do you want to get storage locations, stock levels, withdrawals and replenishment under control? Then compare inventory management apps. The guide to inventory management without ERP shows how material stock can run without a large suite rollout.

Conclusion: which app fits you in 2026?

"Many of our businesses are currently right in the middle of a change process, so we want to make the path as easy as possible for everyone involved." Rainer Reichhold, President of the Chamber of Crafts Region Stuttgart (HWK Stuttgart)

Three tools, three focuses: repleno makes stock and storage locations visible to the whole team and flags on top when something is about to run low. Lager im Griff plays to its strength in wholesaler interfaces (IDS, Open Masterdata) and can also manage keys. Sortly documents inventory visually. repleno is our product, so please weigh our recommendation accordingly; the criteria and prices above are open to check.

In the end, usage in the stockroom matters: if your team books withdrawals, stock levels are right. And if stock levels are right, missing parts go down.

Further reading Calculate your potential ROI or read the IFH Goettingen research report on digitalization in the trades.

Before testing First read why missing material costs tradespeople thousands of euros per year, then test the inventory app that solves your biggest problem directly.

Sources:

• Bitkom/ZDH: Digitalization of the Trades 2025: representative survey of 504 trade businesses
• IFH Goettingen: Digitalization in the Trades: status quo research report