Inventor vs CEF Supply Hub
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Inventor
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The SmartStores solution family enables customers to effectively manage and control usage of indirect material in both storeroom environments and van stock management. It provides realtime enterprise wide visibility and control over your indirect materials to make sure that you are getting the most out of your indirect materials investment. Inventor-e SmartVan is a stock management solution that enables customers to effectively manage and control usage of indirect material on vans. It comprises a SmartVan iOS application that is downloaded to a compliant device with NFC (Near Field Communication) capability. This is linked in real time through 3G/4G to Inventor-e’s cloud-based SourcererTM software. The SmartVan App allows individual users to issue items to themselves or against a job code. The user logs in with their PIN. If job codes are required for allocation, then they are preloaded into Sourcerer and automatically appear on the user’s screen when logged in. If job codes are used, SmartVan will prevent items being issued unless a job code has been selected. The user then simply taps the phone against an Inventor-e NFC tag on the appropriate product bin - this creates the pick list of items and allows the user to enter quantities required. When the list is complete the user ends the transaction by tapping ‘Confirm Items Issued’. To use this application you need to have a user account setup in Sourcerer. Your device will need to be activated before it can connect to Sourcerer.
CEF Supply Hub
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Your van is your workshop, and CEF SupplyHub keeps it stocked. Manage what you carry, reorder from your branch, and log what you use on the job, all from your pocket. And when the signal drops, you keep working. Your orders and receipts queue up and sync the moment you are back online. Here is what you can do: My Stock: See everything on your van at a glance. Order Products: Reorder from your branch in a few taps. Products Used: Log what you have fitted so your stock stays spot on. Receive Goods: Check off deliveries and top your van back up. Product Catalogue: Search the range available to your account. Works Offline: No signal, no problem. Everything syncs when you reconnect. Built for the engineers of CEF customers who need their stock to keep up with the day. Note: SupplyHub is for authorised CEF users only. Your administrator sets up your access.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CEF Supply Hub at daily against Inventor's every 3 weeks. Inventor's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Inventor ships an update every 3 weeks, CEF Supply Hub daily. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Inventor | CEF Supply Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Inventor-e | City Electrical Factors Ltd |
In-app purchases
Inventor
No in-app purchases
CEF Supply Hub
No in-app purchases





