Inventory management app: stock in, stock out and counts in one place
By mise · Updated October 6, 2026
Quick answer: an inventory management app keeps a live stock figure for every item: deliveries go in, sales, usage and waste go out, and a regular count corrects the number. mise is an inventory management app for small businesses — restaurants, bars, cafés, stores, pharmacies, hotels — where you scan a barcode or take a photo and the product comes back complete, so there is no item list to build first. iPhone, Android and web; 7-day free trial with no card, then US$33 a month.
Most small businesses don't need warehouse software. They need to know what is on the shelf, what it cost, what went missing and what to order — without losing a week to setting up products.
What an inventory management app should do
- Build the item list for you. Typing hundreds of names, sizes and photos is why most apps never get used. In mise the barcode or a photo of the label brings the product back complete.
- Stock in. Deliveries from a photo, PDF or XML of the invoice, at the price you actually paid.
- Stock out. Usage and waste with a reason — spoiled, broken, staff meal, comp — so losses have a name.
- Stock on hand in real time, with a history of every movement per item.
- Par levels and an order list, so you order what is missing instead of eyeballing the shelf.
- Counts by location — stockroom, walk-in, bar, sales floor — with partial units.
- Variance and COGS. Compare two counts and see what went missing in units and dollars, and what your goods actually cost.
- Team and exports. Permissions per person, counters who don't see costs, and Excel, PDF and CSV for your accountant or POS.
Inventory management app vs spreadsheet vs generic inventory app
| Spreadsheet | Generic inventory app | mise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting items in | Type every row | Create each item, often with a photo | Scan the barcode or take a photo: the product comes back complete |
| Counting | Clipboard, then typing | Scan to find the item you created | Scan and type the quantity, by location |
| Partial units | Typed decimals | Often whole units only | Decimals, tenths of a bottle, weights from a Bluetooth scale |
| Waste, par, COGS | Separate tabs and formulas | Varies; many are built for warehouses or online sellers | Built in: waste with reasons, par levels, variance, COGS and food cost |
| Cost | Free | Free tiers with item or user limits | 7-day free trial, then US$33 a month |
A spreadsheet is fine for a few dozen items. Once a count takes more than an hour, or you can't say where last month's shrinkage went, an app pays for itself. More in AI vs Excel for inventory.
How inventory management works in mise
- Scan to add. Point the phone camera at the barcode: name, brand, photo, category and size come back. If mise doesn't know the product yet, its AI finds it. Items without a barcode are added once by name or by a photo of the label.
- Record deliveries from the invoice, and waste as it happens.
- Count by location whenever you want — weekly in food and drink, monthly or quarterly in retail. Several people can count at once, offline if needed.
- Read the result: stock value, variance against the last count, COGS for the period and what is below par.
Which businesses it fits
- Restaurants — see restaurant inventory app and restaurant inventory management.
- Bars and liquor stores — see bar inventory app and liquor store inventory.
- Cafés and bakeries — coffee shop inventory, bakery inventory.
- Grocery and convenience stores — convenience store inventory, grocery store inventory.
- Pharmacies (front store), pet shops and beauty stores — pharmacy, pet store, beauty supply store.
- Hotels and distributors — hotel inventory management.
What it doesn't do
mise is not a POS and not accounting software. It handles the stock — counts, movements, waste, par levels, COGS — and hands the numbers over in Excel, PDF or CSV for your POS, your accountant or your ERP.
Price
7 days free with everything included and no card. Then US$33 a month (£26 in the UK), with unlimited products and counts. In the UK this page's twin is the stock control app guide.
Scan a barcode or take a photo and the product comes back complete. Stock in, stock out, counts, waste, par levels and COGS. 7-day free trial, no card, then US$33 a month.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best inventory management app for a small business?
The one your team will actually use every week. Look for barcode scanning that brings the product back without setup, stock in from invoices, waste with reasons, counts by location, par levels and exports. mise does all of this on iPhone, Android and the web.
Is there a free inventory management app?
Some apps have free tiers that limit items, users or features, and a spreadsheet is free but slow. mise has a 7-day free trial with everything included and no card, then costs US$33 a month.
Does mise work on iPhone and Android?
Yes — App Store, Google Play and any web browser, with the same account and the same stock everywhere.
Do I have to set up my products first?
No. Scan the barcode or take a photo and the product comes back complete; if mise doesn't know it yet, its AI finds it. Only items without a barcode are added once by name.
Can it handle more than one location?
Yes. Each location keeps its own stock and counts, and the owner can see them separately or together.
Does it connect to my POS?
mise exports counts and stock reports to Excel, PDF and CSV, which you can import into your POS, accounting or ERP system. Sales and taxes stay in your POS.