Simple Inventory vs Countstead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Inventory
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HOW TO START Point your iPhone at a barcode or QR code and the count updates in seconds or simply enter the name and count info. SEE WHAT'S LOW Set a low-stock level for any item. When it drops below that level, ReStocker adds it to your reorder list automatically. One glance and you know what to buy. FIND IT FAST Every item keeps its storage location, photo, SKU, unit cost and expiration date, so you know what you have and exactly where it lives. NEVER LOSE YOUR LIST Your inventory syncs across iPhone and iPad with iCloud and backs up automatically. No account, no login. Import or export everything by CSV anytime. WHO IT'S FOR - Small shops, studios, market sellers and makers - Trades and field techs tracking van stock, tools and parts - Offices and supply closets - Home, garage, pantry and storage units - Collectors who want photos and counts in one place FEATURES - Barcode and QR scanning to add or count stock - Low-stock levels with an automatic reorder list - Storage locations, photos, SKU, unit cost and expiration dates - CSV import and export - iCloud sync and automatic backup across iPhone and iPad - No account or login required PRICING & SUBSCRIPTION Try every feature free for 3 days. After that, ReStocker requires a purchase. Either plan unlocks everything above, with no extra purchases and no feature tiers. - Weekly subscription: auto-renewing, with a 3-day free trial for new subscribers. - Lifetime: one-time purchase, no recurring charge. Your purchase works on every iPhone and iPad signed in to the same Apple Account. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited when you purchase. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://leanorbit.app/restocker/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Open ReStocker, scan your first item, and see what's really on the shelf.
Countstead
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Countstead is an inventory app for small businesses on iPhone and iPad. Record what comes in and goes out, count what is on the shelf, scan barcodes and see what is running low, even with no internet connection. No account is needed to start. It is built for shops, market stalls, makers, resellers, cafés and kitchens, salons and repair workshops: small businesses that keep physical stock and have outgrown a spreadsheet, without taking on an ERP or warehouse system. WORKS OFFLINE Items, counts, locations and history live on your iPhone or iPad and work without a connection. Your inventory stays on the device unless you turn on sync. SCAN BARCODES Scan a barcode or QR code with the camera to open the item and record stock. Scan a code you have not used yet and Countstead offers to create the item with the code filled in. Codes are read on the device and matched against your own items; nothing is looked up online. RECORD EVERY MOVEMENT Record stock in, stock out, counts, corrections and transfers between locations. Every change is added to the item's history, so the original entry stays visible. Quantities can be whole units or decimals, such as kilograms and litres. SEE WHAT NEEDS ATTENTION Set a low-stock level for each item at each location, and the Low Stock view lists everything at or below it. Add best-before dates to see what is expiring soon. Reports show what your stock is worth at cost. KEEP ITEMS ORGANIZED Give each item a photo, SKU, barcode, unit, unit cost, sale value, notes and tags, and find it by searching as you type. YOUR DATA, BACKED UP A snapshot is a complete copy of your inventory, with quantities, history and photos, saved on this device. Share it to keep it somewhere else, and restore it on this device or another one. Import up to 10,000 rows from a CSV file or Excel workbook, and export everything as CSV whenever you like. COUNTSTEAD PRO The free app holds up to 30 active items at one location. Countstead Pro is an optional subscription that adds: • Unlimited items • More than one location • Sync across your devices, set up separately with Sign in with Apple • Low-stock and expiry alerts on this device • Reorder suggestions from your usage • Guided counts • What moved, by period • Retail value and margin • Printable barcode label sheets • A PDF inventory summary and filtered CSV reports • Automatic daily backups on this device Countstead is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Indonesian. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://countstead.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Countstead at every 4 days against Simple Inventory's monthly. 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. Simple Inventory sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Countstead sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Simple Inventory ships an update monthly, Countstead every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Simple Inventory | Countstead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lean Orbit LLC | Imdad Ismail |
In-app purchases
Simple Inventory
- Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
Countstead
- Countstead Pro Monthly$10.001 Month
- Countstead Pro Annual1 Month trial$90.001 Year
Questions
Is Simple Inventory free?
Is Countstead free?
Do Simple Inventory or Countstead have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simple Inventory or Countstead?
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