GBP
EUR- TAG IT
- SCAN IT
- TRACK IT
Blog Article
Wasp Inventory and Sortly both help you stop tracking stock in a spreadsheet, and both let you scan items with a barcode or QR code. They serve different types of businesses and different operational needs.
Sortly focuses on straightforward inventory management for small businesses. Wasp Inventory is also easy to use while offering more advanced inventory management capabilities for businesses that need them. It offers cloud and on-premise deployment, supports a wide range of barcode hardware, and includes U.S.-based sales and support. Here’s how they compare, and how to tell which one is a better fit for your business.
Sortly is straightforward inventory management software. It’s a cloud-based inventory management system with web and mobile apps, organized around folders and photos, aimed at small businesses that want to replace spreadsheets with a basic inventory solution.
Wasp Inventory is dedicated inventory management software from Wasp Barcode Technologies, available as a cloud or on-premise solution. It provides everything businesses need for everyday inventory management while adding advanced capabilities such as barcode scanning, purchasing, reporting, serialized inventory, lot and date code tracking, and support for multiple users as inventory requirements grow. Wasp also offers barcode scanners, mobile computers, barcode printers, and labels that are pre-tested for compatibility, while supporting a wide range of third-party barcode hardware. Instead of sourcing software and hardware from different vendors, businesses can get everything from a single provider.
Sortly is designed for businesses that want a basic way to organize inventory and eliminate spreadsheets. It’s a good fit when inventory processes are straightforward and you primarily need to know what you have and where it’s located.
Wasp Inventory is built for businesses that want straightforward inventory management today while having access to advanced inventory capabilities as their needs evolve. Multiple sites, more users, barcode-based receiving and picking, purchasing, inventory audits, detailed reporting, or higher transaction volumes. Wasp Inventory supports iOS and Android mobile devices as well as dedicated barcode scanners and mobile computers, depending on how your team works. Al Rugaib Furniture runs Wasp Inventory across 95 sites, 160 users, and 33,267 items, and processes more than a million inventory transactions a year.
“Managing the high volume of inventory traffic manually was unsustainable, leading to inefficiencies in control.”
— Usman Ali, Inventory Control Supervisor, Al Rugaib Furniture
Wasp Inventory is designed to support organizations of all sizes with inventory management capabilities that scale to more demanding requirements.
Verdict: Both products handle everyday inventory management. If you want the flexibility to add advanced inventory control, traceability, barcode-driven processes, support for more users or locations, and other advanced capabilities as your requirements evolve, Wasp Inventory is the stronger long-term choice.
This is where the differences become more noticeable.
Sortly includes the essentials: item records, folders and subfolders, custom fields, barcode and QR code scanning, low-stock alerts, activity history, and stock counts for reconciling inventory. Those features work well for everyday inventory tracking. Businesses that need advanced inventory controls, reporting, and traceability often require additional capabilities.
Research by Raymond Panko at the University of Hawaii found that 88% of audited spreadsheets contain errors. That’s one reason businesses move to inventory management software. As inventory operations grow, maintaining accurate inventory records becomes increasingly difficult without tools designed for inventory control.
Wasp Inventory builds on those capabilities with serialized item tracking, lot and date code tracking, inventory audits, detailed reporting, and a complete transaction history that records every inventory movement. It also supports wireless warehouse workflows for receiving, picking, transfers, and counts, plus kits and assemblies with bills of materials (BOM) tracking and work-in-process inventory for light manufacturing.
“Maintaining an accurate inventory count on Excel was time-consuming and error ridden. We saw results from implementing Wasp’s products on the first day of use.“
— Paul Huffaker, Vice President, Racesource
Verdict: Wasp wins. Sortly covers the essentials for inventory tracking, while Wasp Inventory includes those same core capabilities while adding advanced inventory controls, serialized and lot tracking, detailed reporting, and manufacturing capabilities that growing businesses often need.
Sortly scans with the camera on your phone or tablet. It reads barcodes and QR codes in the app, it can generate and print labels, and it can pair with some third-party Bluetooth scanners.
Wasp Inventory also supports barcode scanning from Android and iOS devices, while giving businesses the option to use dedicated barcode scanners, rugged mobile computers and barcode printers. Wasp offers its own hardware that is pre-tested for compatibility with the software, while also supporting a wide range of third-party barcode hardware. Businesses can choose the devices that best fit their operation or work with Wasp as a single source for inventory software, barcode hardware, and support.
For a small back office, a phone may be all you need. For a crew scanning hundreds of items a shift in a cold warehouse or out in the field, dedicated barcode hardware can improve speed, durability, and ergonomics.
Verdict: Wasp wins. You can start with Android or iOS devices, add dedicated barcode hardware as your needs change, and rely on one provider for software, hardware, and U.S.-based support.
Sortly includes a set of built-in reports (activity history, inventory summary, low-stock, move summary, and a handful more), and the availability of those reports depends on your plan tier. Reviewers rate Sortly highly overall but single out reporting and analytics as the thin spot: limited custom reporting, no image inclusion in reports, and a mobile app that lacks some of the bulk actions available on the web. For businesses with straightforward reporting needs, that may be enough. As businesses require more detailed reporting and inventory visibility, reporting and transaction history become increasingly important.
Wasp Inventory records every inventory transaction including receipts, transfers, adjustments, and other inventory movements, giving businesses a complete transaction history for reporting, inventory, reconciliation, and inventory audits. It also includes more than 70+ standard reports, custom reporting, and scheduled report delivery, making it easier to monitor inventory, identify trends, and share information across the business.
“Processes and reporting have significantly improved. Items are tracked by serial numbers, allowing us to efficiently manage missing items and fulfill customers’ orders promptly.”
— Usman Ali, Inventory Control Supervisor, Al Rugaib Furniture
Verdict: Wasp wins. Businesses that need deeper reporting, detailed transaction history, and inventory reconciliation capabilities will find substantially more depth in Wasp Inventory.
Sortly is marketed for both inventory and basic asset tracking in the same software. It handles the basics well: check-in and check-out, date-based maintenance alerts, custom fields, and high-resolution photos to record an asset’s condition. What it doesn’t do is depreciation or full lifecycle tracking. It isn’t made for the accounting side of fixed assets.
Wasp takes a different approach. Wasp Inventory is designed for consumable inventory and stock, while Wasp Asset is a separate product built specifically for tracking fixed assets throughout their lifecycle. It includes features such as depreciation, maintenance history, asset audits, check-in and check-out, reassignment, and lifecycle reporting.
Businesses that manage both inventory and fixed assets often use Wasp Inventory and Wasp Asset together, with each product focused on the job it was designed to do.
Verdict: Wasp wins if fixed assets are an important part of your business. Wasp Asset provides the specialized tools that Wasp Inventory and Sortly are not designed to replace. If you only need basic asset tracking alongside inventory, Sortly may be sufficient.
Sortly is cloud-only. That’s the right model for a lot of small businesses, and it means zero infrastructure to run.
Wasp Inventory gives you the choice. Run it as Wasp Inventory – Cloud, or as Wasp Inventory – On Premise, depending on your IT requirements, security policies, or deployment preferences. An on-premise option can be important for organizations with strict IT standards, regulatory requirements, or environments where a cloud-only deployment isn’t the right fit.
Verdict: Wasp wins. Both products offer a cloud solution, but Wasp also gives businesses the option to run the software on-premise when their IT requirements or business policies call for it.
Sortly’s pricing is straightforward, and so are its limits. As of July 2026 the list plans are Free, Advanced at $49 a month, Ultra at $149 a month, Premium at $299 a month, and a custom Enterprise tier. (Sortly is currently running a first-year promotional discount, so the live page may show lower intro prices. The numbers above are the standard rates.)
The detail that matters for a growing company is that every tier caps two things at once: how many users you get, and how many item entries you can hold. Seats run 1, 2, 5, 8, and 12-plus across the tiers. Item entries run 100, 500, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000-plus. Scanning and low-stock alerts start on the paid Advanced plan, not the free one. And the pieces a scaling operation tends to want, the API and the QuickBooks Online connection, sit on the most expensive tiers. None of that is a knock on Sortly for its intended buyer. It’s simply where the ceiling is, and reviewers cite those caps and the recent price increases as the reasons they start shopping.
Wasp Inventory uses per-user pricing rather than limiting users and inventory records by subscription tier. Businesses aren’t constrained by item entry limits or forced to move to a higher plan simply because their inventory grows. As operations expand, Wasp Inventory Complete supports more advanced requirements with a REST API, eCommerce integrations, ShipStation integration, and native QuickBooks Online and NetSuite integrations. These integrations are available with the appropriate licensing. That makes it easier to add users, locations, inventory, and connected business systems as your operations grow.
Verdict: Wasp wins. Businesses that expect to add users, locations, inventory, or business systems over time will have more room to grow with Wasp Inventory’s per-user pricing and integration capabilities. If your inventory needs are modest and likely to stay that way, Sortly’s lower cost plans may be all you need.
Sortly is self-serve by design. You sign up, you set it up yourself, and support is there when you need it. For businesses with straightforward implementation requirements, that approach works well.
Wasp supports customers with a U.S.-based implementation and support team and has been recognized by Capterra for Best Customer Support and Best Value. Businesses rolling out inventory management across multiple locations or implementing barcode hardware can work with a single provider for software, hardware, implementation, and ongoing support.
“I highly recommend Wasp Inventory. Not only is it a great product, but the customer support team is quick to respond and easy to work with.”
— Jesse Whitmire, Supply Specialist, Montana Youth Challenge Academy
Verdict: Wasp wins. Businesses that want implementation assistance and a single source for inventory software, barcode hardware, and U.S.-based support will find more hands-on support with Wasp.
| Category | Wasp Inventory | Sortly |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit |  Businesses that need everything required for everyday inventory management, plus advanced inventory management and traceability | -- Businesses with straightforward inventory requirements |
| Barcode scanning | Android/iOS devices; barcode scanners, rugged mobile computers | Android/iOS devices; supports select Bluetooth scanners |
| Hardware from the same source | Yes (barcode scanners, mobile computers, barcode printers) |  No |
| Inventory counts | Inventory audits | Stock counts |
| Low stock alerts / reordering | Low stock alerts and reorder points | Low stock alerts with automated reordering |
| Serialized inventory | Yes | No |
| Lot & date code tracking | Yes | No |
| Kits & bill of materials (BOM) | Yes | No |
| Work-in-process inventory | Yes | No |
| Cloud / On-Premise | Both | Cloud only |
| Fixed-asset management | Via Wasp Asset (separate product) | -- Basic asset tracking |
| Users | Per-user licensing | -- Limited by subscription tier |
| Inventory records | Unlimited | -- Limited by subscription tier |
| Integrations | -- REST API, QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, eCommerce, and ShipStation available with Wasp Inventory Complete (additional licensing required) | -- API and QuickBooks Online available on higher tiers |
| Support | U.S.-based support and implementation team | -- Self serve |
There are real situations where Sortly is the better fit:
If that’s you, Sortly may be the right fit for your current requirements.
Wasp Inventory is the better fit if you want software that handles everyday inventory management today while giving you access to more advanced capabilities as your requirements evolve. Those capabilities include:
Moving from Sortly to Wasp Inventory isn’t about replacing a bad product with a better one. It’s about choosing inventory management software that provides the capabilities your business needs today while giving you room to grow tomorrow. Whether your requirements are straightforward or more advanced, Wasp Inventory delivers the essentials for everyday inventory management plus the capabilities to support your business as it grows.
Explore the Wasp Platform or book a free consultation to see which Wasp solution is the best fit for your business.
Yes. Wasp Inventory is a strong alternative to Sortly for businesses that want easy-to-use inventory management with the flexibility to add advanced capabilities as their requirements evolve. It supports inventory audits, serialized inventory, lot and date code tracking, detailed reporting, transaction history, cloud or on-premise deployment, and barcode scanning from Android and iOS devices, dedicated barcode scanners, and rugged mobile computers. Whether you’re choosing an inventory system for the first time or replacing an existing one, Wasp Inventory is built to provide advanced inventory management capabilities while remaining easy to use as your business grows.
Sortly can track basic asset information, but it doesn’t support depreciation or the full lifecycle management needed for fixed assets. Wasp offers a separate product, Wasp Asset, designed specifically for tracking fixed assets, including depreciation, maintenance history, assignments, and asset reporting. If you need to manage both inventory and fixed assets, many businesses use Wasp Inventory and Wasp Asset together, with each product focused on the job it was designed to do.
No. You can scan barcodes with the Wasp Inventory mobile app on an Android or iOS phone or tablet, or use dedicated barcode scanners and rugged mobile computers. Wasp also offers barcode hardware that’s pre-tested for compatibility, while supporting a wide range of third-party barcode devices. Businesses can start with mobile devices and add dedicated hardware as their operations grow.
Businesses often make the move when they need more advanced inventory management capabilities, such as serialized inventory, lot and date code tracking, inventory audits, more advanced reporting, barcode-driven inventory processes, support for more users or locations, or cloud or on-premise deployment. If you already know your business will need those capabilities, Wasp Inventory is a strong choice from the start and is built to grow with your business.
They price differently. Sortly uses tiered plans that cap users and item entries at each level, so costs rise as you buy up tiers to lift those caps. Wasp Inventory prices per user without limiting inventory records or locations by subscription tier. For a small, stable team Sortly can be cheaper. For a growing operation, per-user pricing with room to scale is often more predictable.merce, BigCommerce, and other e-commerce platforms via direct connectors. That said, Zoho Inventory’s e-commerce integrations across Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and Etsy are deeper and more mature, particularly for businesses running multichannel online retail as their primary use case. If your business is primarily online retail, Zoho is likely the better fit. If your operation combines e-commerce with warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, or field operations, Wasp’s broader feature set typically wins.
Wasp Inventory scales further. Sortly caps both seats and item entries on every tier, topping out around 12-plus users and 10,000-plus items on its Enterprise plan. Wasp Inventory uses per-user pricing and supports inventory across multiple locations without those subscription limits. The flexibility is one reason growing businesses choose Wasp Inventory as their inventory needs evolve.
The best way to evaluate any inventory management platform is to see it run on your actual workflows.
If Wasp is the right fit, we’ll show you exactly how. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you that too.
We see that you have items in your cart. Changing currency with an active shopping cart will result in those items being removed from your cart.
Purchases outside North America are transacted through our UK office directly. If you wish to continue browsing in USD, click the cancel button below or close this window, otherwise click Continue to switch currency.
