mise vs Sortly: which inventory app should you choose?
By mise · Updated October 7, 2026
Quick answer: In mise, the AI identifies and categorizes everything by itself: name, brand, photo, group, category, size and unit. You don't add or type anything; you only adjust if you want to. In Sortly and the other apps, every item is added and categorized by hand.
With mise, you scan the barcode or snap a photo and the item goes straight into the count, complete and categorized; the same app closes out COGS, waste, minimum stock and the shopping list, with your team counting by area.
Sortly is a good app for tracking items, supplies and equipment. mise is built for businesses that count stock moving in and out every day (inventory counts in the US, stock takes in the UK) and don't want to spend hours setting up every product.
Side-by-side comparison
| mise | Sortly | |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying and categorizing items | The AI does it by itself: name, brand, photo, group, category, size and unit. You only adjust if you want to. | You add and categorize every item by hand (or import a spreadsheet). |
| Limits | No limit on products, counts or scans. | Plans cap the number of items. |
| Barcodes | Scans with your phone camera; also recognizes the product from a photo. | Scans barcodes and QR codes, including its own labels. |
| Built for | Any business that sells stock: bars, restaurants, cafés, bakeries, grocery and convenience stores, pharmacies, pet shops, hotels, liquor stores, distributors. | Small businesses tracking items, supplies and equipment. |
| Food cost and COGS | Recipe costing, purchases and sales logged (invoices by photo or XML) and real COGS. | Not what the app is built for. |
| Waste, par and ordering | Waste log with reasons, minimum stock (par) and shopping list. | Low-stock alerts. |
| Team and locations | Team per store and per count area. | Folders per location and user permissions. |
| Export | Excel, PDF or straight into your back-office system. | Reports and export. |
Do it in mise
- Scan the barcode or snap a photo: the AI identifies and categorizes the item by itself.
- Count by area, with your team, using your phone camera.
- Log purchases and sales (invoices by photo or XML) and see real COGS, waste and minimum stock.
- Build the shopping list and export to Excel or PDF.
7 days free, no card needed.
When Sortly is the better fit
If you track tools, equipment or parts that stay in the business, with no cost of goods sold, Sortly does the job well: photos, folders by location and its own QR labels.
When mise is the better fit
If you sell what is on your shelves (food, drink, retail stock), the heavy lifting is setting up and categorizing hundreds of products. In mise that step is gone: the AI identifies and categorizes everything, and the app also closes out COGS, waste, minimum stock and the shopping list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between mise and Sortly?
In mise, the AI identifies and categorizes everything by itself: name, brand, photo, group, category, size and unit. You don't add or type anything; you only adjust if you want to. In Sortly and the other apps, every item is added and categorized by hand. mise also calculates COGS, logs waste and builds the shopping list.
Can mise replace Sortly for a restaurant, bar or shop?
Yes. For businesses that count what they sell, mise runs the count from the barcode or a photo, with no manual setup, and shows COGS, waste and what to order. For tracking equipment, Sortly remains a good choice.
Can I move my Sortly list to mise?
Yes. Export your Sortly list as a spreadsheet and import it into mise, or just scan the barcodes: mise's AI identifies and categorizes each product.