Best Inventory Management Tools for Resellers 2026
Compare Sortly, Closo, and spreadsheet methods for tracking your reselling inventory and profits.
Sortly
The most visual and intuitive inventory app for resellers. Photo-first approach makes it easy to track bin store finds with images, tags, and custom fields.
Quick Comparison
Sortly
Closo
Google Sheets
Key Takeaways
- Sortly is the most visual and intuitive inventory tool — perfect for photo-first bin store tracking
- Closo is the only tool built specifically for resellers with P&L and marketplace integration
- Google Sheets is a solid free option that works great up to 500 items
- Any inventory system is better than no system — your 'death pile' is costing you money
- Track COGS from day one — knowing your actual profit per item changes how you source
Why Inventory Management Matters for Resellers
Every successful reseller eventually hits the same wall: you can't remember what you paid for things. That vintage jacket in your closet — was it $3 from Tuesday's bin store trip or $8 from the Goodwill Outlet? Without tracking COGS (cost of goods sold), you can't calculate actual profit. And without actual profit data, you can't make smart sourcing decisions.
The difference between resellers who scale past $1,000/month and those who plateau is almost always systems. Specifically: knowing what you have, what it cost, where it's listed, and how long it's been sitting.
The Death Pile Problem
If you resell from bin stores, you know the cycle: you haul home bags of finds, photograph and list the easy stuff, and the rest goes into a pile. That pile grows. Items sit unlisted for weeks, then months. This is the death pile, and it's the single biggest profit leak in reselling.
Inventory management doesn't have to be complex to solve this. Even a simple system that tracks "purchased" vs "listed" vs "sold" creates accountability and visibility.
Choosing the Right System for Your Volume
Under 100 items: A Google Sheet is perfectly fine. Don't overthink it. Track the basics: item, cost, listed platform, sold price.
100-500 items: This is where photo-based tools like Sortly shine. You need to be able to search your inventory visually and know at a glance what's listed and what's sitting in the death pile.
500+ items: You need marketplace integration and automated profit tracking. Closo connects to your selling platforms and automatically matches sales to inventory items, saving hours of manual data entry.
Tips for Staying on Top of Inventory
Log items the same day you buy them. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to do it. Take photos at the store or immediately when you get home.
Set a weekly listing goal. Inventory that isn't listed can't sell. Set a realistic goal (10 items per day, 50 per week) and use your inventory system to track progress.
Review your "stale" inventory monthly. If something hasn't sold in 60 days, relist it, reprice it, or consider donating it and taking the tax deduction. Holding costs are real — that shelf space could hold something more profitable.
Track your source locations. After a few months, you'll see which bin stores consistently produce profitable finds and which aren't worth the drive.
Detailed Reviews
Sortly
The most visual and intuitive inventory app for resellers. Photo-first approach makes it easy to track bin store finds with images, tags, and custom fields.
Pros
- Photo-first inventory — snap a pic, tag it, done
- QR code and barcode scanning built in
- Custom fields for purchase price, platform listed, etc.
- Free tier supports up to 100 items
- Clean mobile app for iOS and Android
- Team sharing for reseller partnerships
Cons
- Paid plans get expensive for high-volume sellers
- No direct marketplace integration
- Reports are basic on free and starter plans
- No built-in profit/loss tracking
Closo
Built specifically for resellers with P&L tracking, marketplace integration, and COGS tracking. The best option if you want your inventory and accounting in one tool.
Pros
- Built for resellers — understands COGS, marketplace fees, and profit margins
- Connects to eBay, Poshmark, Mercari for automatic sales tracking
- Profit and loss reporting per item and per period
- Tax-ready reports for Schedule C filing
- Growing free tier
Cons
- Newer app — still adding features
- Smaller user community for troubleshooting
- Mobile experience less polished than Sortly
- Some marketplace connections require manual setup
Google Sheets
The zero-cost option that most successful resellers start with. Fully customizable but requires manual data entry. Pair with our free ROI calculator spreadsheet for a solid starting system.
Pros
- Completely free with a Google account
- Fully customizable — build exactly what you need
- Works on any device with a browser
- Easy to share with partners or accountants
- Tons of free templates available online
Cons
- 100% manual data entry — time consuming
- No barcode scanning or photo support
- No marketplace integration
- Easy to fall behind on updates
- Gets unwieldy past 500+ items
How We Evaluated
Our recommendations are based on hands-on testing and extensive research across the reseller community. Here's what we looked for:
Ease of Data Entry
How quickly can you add a new item from a bin store haul? We timed adding 10 items in each tool.
Inventory Visibility
Can you quickly find an item, check what's listed where, and see what's in your death pile?
Profit Tracking
Does the tool calculate COGS, fees, shipping, and net profit per item and in aggregate?
Marketplace Integration
Can the tool sync with eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, or Amazon to auto-track sales?
Scalability
Does the tool work for 50 items and 5,000 items? How does performance and cost scale?
Mobile Experience
Can you add items from your phone at the bin store? Quality of the mobile app or mobile web experience.
Our Verdict
For most resellers, Sortly offers the best balance of ease-of-use and features. Its photo-first approach is perfect for bin store finds where you need to quickly catalog items. If profit tracking is your priority, Closo is the better choice with its built-in P&L reports and marketplace connections. And if you're just starting out, a well-organized Google Sheet is genuinely effective — don't let anyone tell you that you need expensive software to track inventory.
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