Best Inventory Management Apps for Trades 2026: 6 Tools Compared

Quick answer (by use case, as of 24 Feb 2026): For office + inventory in one system: HERO or openHandwerk. For retail counter + inventory: Inventorum. For warehouse order and wholesaler connections: Lager im Griff. For rule-based replenishment: repleno. For visual inventory lists: Sortly. Prices start at roughly €24/month (list price).

Transparency note: repleno is our product. There are no paid placements in this article. The selection and evaluation of tools is based on clear criteria and publicly available information (e.g., feature overviews and list prices) as well as our practical experience in trades workflows (as of 24 Feb 2026). Prices and features can change; for your decision, verify the current terms and GDPR/DPA documentation of each vendor. This article is not legal advice.

Digitalization in the trades doesn’t stop at the stockroom. Many businesses start with Excel or paper lists and quickly notice that search time, stockouts and emergency supplier trips burn real money. Modern inventory apps therefore focus on smartphone scanning, clear locations, and processes that work across jobsites and vehicle stock.

In this comparison we look at inventory management apps for trades in 2026. The focus is usability, automation, and DACH suitability.

How we evaluated (methodology)

We evaluated the tools against these criteria:

1. Scanning & mobile workflow: withdrawals, goods receipt and stocktaking via smartphone.
2. Automation: purchase suggestions, reorder point or min-max, and replenishment without manual lists.
3. Locations: main stockroom, vehicle stock, jobsites, transfers and traceability.
4. Roles & permissions: who can withdraw, order, approve.
5. Data & integrations: export, API, ERP/accounting connections, at least CSV for clean hand-offs.
6. DACH check: language, support, invoicing and 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 (list prices, as of 24 Feb 2026).

Data basis used: publicly available vendor information (e.g., feature pages, pricing pages, help docs) and practical experience with trades inventory workflows (as of 24 Feb 2026).

What we intentionally don’t claim: we did not perform full legal/GDPR reviews or security audits and cannot guarantee that data location/DPA statements fit every case. Verify this before signing based on the latest vendor docs.

Mini test plan (30–60 minutes) for a fair comparison:

1. Create 20 typical items (10 consumables, 10 tools/assets) and 2 locations (main stockroom, vehicle/project).
2. Simulate 5 withdrawals via scan and 1 goods receipt (incl. correction if the wrong item was scanned).
3. Check: can you track transfers? Are there roles/approvals?
4. Check: how does replenishment happen (reorder point/min-max/purchase suggestion)? How fast is the path from “too low” to an actual order?
5. Export stock (CSV/API) and verify whether the data is reusable later.

If you want to go deeper: reorder point and min-max are different in practice. See the full comparison here: Reorder point vs. min-max.

Quick pick: Which inventory app fits you?

If you want an inventory module embedded into quotes, invoices and office workflows: HERO or openHandwerk.

If you must combine a retail counter/POS with inventory management: Inventorum.

If you need order and visibility plus wholesaler interfaces (IDS, Open Masterdata): Lager im Griff.

If you want a material management app that reorders consumables based on rules: repleno.

If you mainly need a visual inventory list for tools and equipment (photos): Sortly.

Strategic Decision: ERP Module or Specialized App?

Before comparing tools, you should clarify which core problem you want to solve. The choice between a module within a comprehensive solution and a specialized app is a strategic direction:

• Comprehensive All-in-One Solution (ERP): Here, inventory is part of the entire office system. The goal is maximum data consistency from calculation to invoicing. This path is suitable if you want to digitize your entire organization anyway and are willing to invest time in setting up more complex processes.
• Slim Specialized App (Best-of-Breed): These tools focus exclusively on stockroom workflows. The goal is maximum simplicity and speed of use. This path is suitable if you want to solve a specific problem (e.g., search times or material shortages) immediately without changing your remaining software landscape.

Experience shows: A solution is only as good as the data maintained in it. In the trades, employee acceptance often determines whether stock levels stay up to date. A system perceived as a hurdle in daily work quickly leads to inaccurate data – no matter how powerful the features are. Therefore, choose the approach that best fits your current business size and digital strategy.

HERO Software (all-in-one trades ERP)

HERO is a comprehensive trades software suite that treats the stockroom as one module among many (quotes, invoices, time tracking).

• Strengths: Everything in one system. If you already use HERO for invoicing, inventory integration is seamless.
• Target audience: Businesses looking for an all-in-one solution for office processes.
• Downside: As part of a larger system, the inventory module is often less specialized in automation than best-of-breed tools. Vehicle stock and transfers can be limited. Costs rise quickly with multiple users.
• Price: Seat-based: €69/user/month (annual billing) plus €29/month for the inventory add-on. For 5 users: ~€374/month (as of 24 Feb 2026).
• DACH check: High (based on vendor focus): DACH market and German processes; verify DPA/GDPR docs case-by-case.

Inventorum (for businesses with retail counter)

Although Inventorum comes from retail, it’s sometimes used in the trades when a POS + inventory setup is needed.

• Strengths: Mature POS system and inventory management.
• Target audience: Businesses with an attached retail counter.
• Downside: Not optimized for core trades workflows (consumables on jobsites).
• Price: Shore POS (formerly Inventorum) from ~€49/month (Basic). Package-based, not per user (as of 24 Feb 2026).
• DACH check: Good, especially when retail workflows matter most.

Lager im Griff (order and visibility)

Lager im Griff is a German tool from Bonn focused on order and visibility in the stockroom. It helps teams centrally track materials, tools and keys and find them quickly.

• Strengths: Quick setup, simple UX. Excel import/export for onboarding. Weekly office hour (Fri 11am) and video course for support. From Pro: Datanorm, IDS, Open Masterdata, OCI and an API with webhooks.
• Target audience: Trades businesses that primarily want to reduce search time and avoid double orders. Useful for teams with distributed locations (workshop, vehicle, jobsite).
• Limitations: Focus on transparency and organization. Ordering is manually triggered (cart, supplier price comparison). No indication of fully automatic, rule-based replenishment.
• Price: Starter from €289 net/year (1–3 users), Pro from €789 net/year (4–10 users, incl. interfaces). Enterprise on request. Limit: up to 8,000 per category (materials, tools, keys). 30-day free trial (as of 24 Feb 2026).
• DACH check: High (per vendor): German provider. Verify DPA, data location and sub-processors in the vendor’s documentation.

openHandwerk (office workflows and projects)

Similar to HERO, openHandwerk offers a cloud platform for overall business organization, including solid inventory features.

• Strengths: Strong project management and good integration into existing workflows. Advanced inventory topics (like vehicle stock) are often solved via partner integrations (e.g., Lager im Griff).
• Target audience: Mid-sized businesses that want to digitize most processes.
• Downside: Can feel too complex for very small teams that only want an inventory app.
• Price: License-based from ~€16/user/month (24-month term). Exact pricing on request (as of 24 Feb 2026).
• DACH check: High (based on vendor focus): DACH market and German processes; verify DPA/GDPR docs case-by-case.

repleno (automation for consumables)

repleno is built for businesses that want to reduce manual material lists and reorder consumables based on rules (note: repleno is our product).

• Strengths: One scan covers three tasks at once: record consumption, update stock, and trigger replenishment in the background if needed.
• Target audience: Small trades businesses (electrical, HVAC, construction) with recurring consumables replenishment.
• Automation: Automatic replenishment. The system applies your rules and triggers orders when needed.
• Vehicle stock: Current focus is main stockroom. Vehicle stock and mobile inventory are on the roadmap for the second half of 2026 (as of 24 Feb 2026, without guarantee).
• Limitations: repleno currently requires a stable internet connection (no offline mode). In basements with no reception, the app can still hit limits.
• Price: Item-based flat rate from €25/month. A typical trades business uses the Go plan from ~€42/month (annual billing). Unlimited users are included in every plan (list price, as of 24 Feb 2026).
• DACH check: High (from our perspective): DACH focus (language/support/invoicing). For your decision, verify DPA/GDPR docs and data location case-by-case.

Sortly (visual inventory lists)

Sortly is a widely used app for simple, visual inventory management. It’s strong if you primarily need a clean inventory list with photos.

• Strengths: Strong visual component (photos), easy QR code creation, intuitive interface.
• Target audience: Teams that want a visual inventory list without complex replenishment logic.
• Limitations: No truly automatic replenishment logic. The focus is tracking, not procurement. Support is primarily in English.
• Price: From ~US$49/month (Advanced plan, 2 users included). For teams with 5 users: ~US$149/month (Ultra plan). List prices with monthly billing (as of 24 Feb 2026).
• DACH check: Medium. US provider: verify GDPR/DPA and data location carefully. More in our Sortly vs. repleno comparison.

Further alternatives (ERP/ERP-like with inventory module)

The market is larger than 6 tools. We intentionally leave the following solutions out of the “inventory apps” comparison, because they model inventory as part of an ERP/merchandise management suite and therefore pricing/modules and scope are hard to compare 1:1. If you want to digitize inventory together with procurement, documents and office workflows, this category can be a better fit:

Odoo: A modular system where inventory can be one building block among many. Interesting if you want to unify multiple areas (e.g., purchasing, sales, projects) in one system. Check which apps/modules you truly need, the implementation effort, and whether you need a partner (as of 24 Feb 2026).

Powerbird: A heavyweight industry solution for electrical and HVAC businesses. Particularly strong due to deep industry features (e.g., copper surcharges) and excellent wholesaler interfaces (OCI, UGL, IDS) for direct price comparison and ordering. The inventory module is part of the overall suite and less intended as a standalone app. Check the complexity beforehand and whether you truly need the full ERP power (as of 24 Feb 2026).

STREIT: Typically more “ERP/merchandise management for trades” than a pure inventory app. This can be useful if inventory is part of a broader digitization project. Check whether the inventory module matches operational reality (jobsite/vehicle/goods receipt/stocktaking) and how hard onboarding is for the team (as of 24 Feb 2026).

Taifun: Often positioned as an industry solution/ERP in the trades with workflows around items, purchasing and billing. If you don’t want to treat inventory in isolation but as part of office processes, this category can fit. Check how much mobile scanning you need and whether it’s realistic without add-ons (as of 24 Feb 2026).

weclapp: If you think of inventory as part of a merchandise management system (item master, purchasing/sales, documents), an ERP is often the better comparison frame. Check how deep mobile stockroom processes (withdrawals/goods receipt/stocktaking) are covered and which modules you need (as of 24 Feb 2026).

Xentral: Often relevant when procurement, documents and integrations are the core focus. As an ERP the category is different from “inventory apps”. Pay special attention to setup complexity, pricing structure (users/modules) and whether mobile workflows stay “simple enough” for your team (as of 24 Feb 2026).

Note: this list is not exhaustive and not a recommendation. It’s meant to help you pick the right category faster (as of 24 Feb 2026).

Comparison table: which app fits you?

Table note: the “Cost (5 users) / month” line is based on listed prices and typical assumptions (5 users, relevant modules, possibly annual billing). Actual costs depend on term, add-ons and negotiated conditions (as of 24 Feb 2026).

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)

The best app depends on your strategy:

• Want your entire office (invoices, etc.) in one tool? Look at HERO or openHandwerk.
• Need retail counter + inventory? Inventorum can fit.
• Need order and visibility with wholesaler integrations (IDS, Open Masterdata)? Lager im Griff is worth a look.
• Want to save time and automate replenishment based on rules? repleno is the best fit from our perspective.
• Want a beautiful visual list of tools and equipment? Go with Sortly.

A modern stockroom is not an end in itself — it should take work off your shoulders. Test the tools in your day-to-day operations before committing.

Checklist: 10 questions before you decide

1. Do I need to record consumption on jobsites and in vehicle stock even when reception is bad?
2. Is there a clean scanning workflow for withdrawals, goods receipt and stocktaking?
3. Can I manage multiple locations and track transfers?
4. Are there roles and approvals so not everyone can order everything?
5. Does the tool support reorder point or min-max so replenishment is reliable?
6. How quickly can I get exports or an API if I want to integrate later?
7. Do language and support fit my team and working hours?
8. Are DPA, data location and sub-processors documented transparently?
9. Is pricing per user, per warehouse or per module — and what does growth cost?
10. How hard is onboarding, and is there a real trial with your own items?

Want to learn more about modern stockroom strategies? Read our ultimate guide to warehouse management without ERP, calculate your potential ROI, or take a look at the IFH Göttingen research report on digitization in the trades.

Ready for the next step? Test the tools that fit your use case and compare them in your daily work.