WP Inventory

Sortly Alternative for WordPress: App vs Your Own Site (2026)

Monday, August 10th, 2026

You hit 100 items and the free plan stops. That is usually the moment people start comparing inventory tools seriously.

If you have searched for inventory software recently, Sortly probably came up first. Clean mobile app, photo-based items, QR labels and a free tier.

Then the caps arrive. Item caps, seat caps, custom field caps. The real choice is between a hosted app that charges by how much you track and how many people track it, or an inventory system that lives inside the WordPress site you already run.

Both are reasonable. They are reasonable for different businesses. This post is about telling which one you are.

Two different bets

Sortly is software as a service. You rent access, your data sits on Sortly’s servers and your bill scales with your catalogue and your team.

A WordPress inventory plugin is the opposite bet. The software runs on hosting you already pay for, your data sits in your own database and the cost does not move when your catalogue grows.

Neither model wins in the abstract. What matters is which set of constraints you can live with.

Where Sortly’s limits bite

Sortly’s pricing is built around caps. Here is what each plan allowed as of August 2026, taken from Sortly’s own pricing page.

Plan Per month Items Users Custom fields
Free $0 100 1 1
Advanced $49 500 2 5
Ultra $149 2,000 5 10
Premium $299 5,000 8 20
Enterprise Quote 10,000+ 12+ Unlimited

A 50% first-year discount applies to yearly plans for new customers, dropping to 20% after year one. Sortly’s help centre states there are no school or non-profit discounts.

Three caps cause most of the friction:

  • The item cap. Growth forces an upgrade, whether or not anything else about your operation changed.
  • The seat cap. Adding a part-time volunteer costs real money.
  • The custom field cap. The quiet one. Track five attributes today, need a sixth next year, change plans to add a text box.

Example: A community theatre catalogues costumes, props and lighting gear. It passes 500 items during its second season and needs six people updating stock during production week. On Sortly that combination pushes it to Ultra. On the WordPress site it already runs, the item count and the six staff logins cost nothing extra.

What Sortly does better

Being fair here matters, because picking the wrong tool wastes more than it saves.

  • Native mobile apps with offline access. If your team counts stock in a basement, a job site or a storage unit with no signal, WordPress does not match this.
  • In-app barcode and QR scanning. Phone camera, straight into the record.
  • Real-time sync across devices. Several people updating at once, everywhere, instantly.
  • Integrations. QuickBooks Online, Slack and Microsoft Teams on higher plans.

If your inventory work happens on a phone away from a desk, Sortly is built for that and a WordPress admin screen is not.

What WordPress does better

No item cap

WP Inventory Manager has no ceiling on item count. There is no row limit anywhere in the plugin. Catalogue size is a hosting question rather than a billing question.

Your existing users are your seats

Anyone with a WordPress login can be given inventory access. Ten staff cost the same as one. The Advanced User Control add-on narrows it further, setting each user’s view, edit and add rights to none, own items only or everything.

A public catalogue, not just a private database

This is the difference most comparisons miss. Sortly is an internal tool. WP Inventory Manager renders your inventory on the front end of your site with a shortcode, so the records your team manages can also be the catalogue your customers browse.

For a gallery, a rental yard or a parts supplier that removes an entire duplicate system. See how it plays out for equipment rental businesses.

Your data stays yours

Items live in your own database tables. Back them up, query them, export them to CSV and take them with you. Nothing goes read-only because a card expired.

Fields that match your business

Core ships with fields for number, name, description, size, manufacturer, make, model, year, serial and price. You rename or hide any of them under WP Inventory > Labels. When you need more, the Advanced Item add-on defines item types with their own text, number, dropdown and radio fields, with no cap on how many.

The three-year cost picture

Take a small organisation with 800 items and five people who need access. On Sortly that is the Ultra plan, which runs $888 for the first promotional year then renews near the standard yearly rate. Across three years you are looking at several thousand dollars. The number climbs again past 2,000 items.

The WordPress route uses hosting you already pay for. The core plugin is free. If you want the paid pieces, the All Access Pass bundles the add-on library for $199 a year. Item count and staff count do not change that figure.

The trade is real. You take on hosting, backups and updates yourself and you give up the mobile app.

Which one are you?

Five questions usually settle it:

  • Do you already run a WordPress site? If yes, the marginal cost of adding inventory to it is close to zero.
  • Does anyone need to see your inventory publicly? Customers browsing a catalogue or requesting a hold points hard toward WordPress.
  • Where does the work happen? Warehouse aisle with poor signal favours Sortly. Back office on a laptop favours WordPress.
  • How fast is your catalogue growing? Steady growth past a few hundred items makes per-item pricing expensive over time.
  • How many people touch it? Volunteers and seasonal staff get costly under seat licensing. WordPress accounts carry no per-seat fee.

Example: A construction firm tracking tools across three job sites should probably pay for Sortly. Crews scan items on their phones, often without signal. Nobody outside the company needs to see the list. The mobile app is the whole product for them.

Trying the WordPress route

Install WP Inventory Manager from the plugin repository and activate it. A WP Inventory menu appears in your admin sidebar with submenus for Status, Inventory Items, Categories, Labels, Display, Statuses, Add Ons, Settings and Support.

Go to WP Inventory > Inventory Items to add records, then WP Inventory > Categories to group them. Rename fields under WP Inventory > Labels. Then drop the shortcode on any page to publish the catalogue:

[wpinventory]

If your stock already lives in a spreadsheet, the Import Export add-on walks a CSV through a three-step upload, mapping and import wizard, so you are not retyping anything. Full steps are in the user documentation. Our roundup of the best WordPress inventory plugins covers the other options in this space.

Frequently asked questions

Is WP Inventory Manager a direct Sortly replacement?

Not feature for feature. There is no native mobile app and no offline mode, so if your team works from phones in low-signal locations, Sortly still fits better. What WP Inventory Manager replaces is the item cap, the seat cap and the monthly bill. It also publishes your catalogue on the front end of your website, which Sortly does not do.

How many items can WP Inventory Manager handle?

There is no item limit in the plugin. Practical scale depends on your hosting rather than your plan. Catalogues in the thousands run fine on ordinary shared hosting.

Can I move my Sortly data across?

Yes. Export your Sortly inventory to CSV, then use the Import Export add-on to map those columns onto WP Inventory Manager fields. The importer can create categories automatically as it runs, so your existing grouping carries over.

Do I need WooCommerce for any of this?

No. WP Inventory Manager runs independently on any WordPress site, including sites with no ecommerce at all. There is no cart and no checkout unless you add a payment add-on deliberately.

What does it cost to run inventory on WordPress?

The core plugin is free from the WordPress repository with no item or user limits. Paid add-ons cover multi-location stock, reservations, advanced search, QR codes and import or export. The All Access Pass bundles the library for $199 a year. That figure does not change as your catalogue or team grows.

Load your real catalogue and see

The core plugin is free with no item cap and no seat cap, so you can import your actual inventory and judge it against your current tool before spending anything.

Download Free →  Browse Add-Ons →

Categories: How-to
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How to Add Inventory Tracking to Your WordPress Site Without WooCommerce

Friday, May 22nd, 2026

If you’re running a small business and want to list and track your physical inventory on your WordPress site, you don’t need WooCommerce to do it.

WooCommerce is built for selling online. If you’re not processing payments through your site, installing it just to manage a stock list is overkill. It adds complexity, slows your site down, and gives you tools you’ll never use.

WP Inventory Manager is a lightweight WordPress plugin built specifically for this. You can install it, configure it, add your items, and have a working inventory catalog live on your site in under an hour.

Here’s exactly how to do it, following the official setup sequence.

What You’ll Need

  • A WordPress site (version 5.0 or later)
  • Admin access to your dashboard
  • Your inventory data: item names, quantities, descriptions, and any images

That’s it. No coding, no WooCommerce, no third-party accounts.

How the Setup Works

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

Go to wpinventory.com and download the plugin ZIP file. Save it to your computer and do not unzip it.

Then in your WordPress dashboard:

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Click Upload Plugin at the top of the page
  3. Browse to the ZIP file you downloaded and click Install Now
  4. Once installed, click Activate

You’ll now see a WP Inventory menu item in your left sidebar. That’s your starting point.

If you’re only installing the free version, you can also find it by searching “WP Inventory Manager” in the plugin directory. The upload method is recommended if you’re also installing any paid add-ons, since those aren’t in the public directory.

Step 2: Set Up Your Categories

The first thing the plugin prompts you to do from the main WP Inventory tab is set up categories. Do this before adding any items — it keeps your catalog organized from the start.

Go to WP Inventory > Categories and add your top-level categories.

For example, a restaurant supply company might use: Cookware, Smallwares, Refrigeration, and Furniture. A nonprofit tracking donated goods might use: Clothing, Electronics, Furniture, Books.

The docs also recommend reviewing Statuses at this stage. By default you have Active (visible on the front end, reservable) and Inactive (hidden). If you need additional statuses like “On Backorder” or “Featured,” you can add those now under the Statuses menu item.

Step 3: Configure Your Settings

Go to WP Inventory > Settings. This is where the plugin’s core behavior is defined. A few settings worth getting right from the start:

  • SEO URLs – Enable this so item links use the item name (e.g. /inventory/standing-desk/) instead of an ID number. Much better for search engines.
  • SEO End-point – Sets the base URL folder for all items. Set it to something like inventory or catalog to match your site structure.
  • Items Per Page – Controls how many items appear before pagination kicks in. Default is 20.
  • Hide Items Low Quantity – If you want items to disappear from the front end when stock drops below a threshold, enable this and set the number.
  • Theme – The plugin ships with a default display theme. If you plan to style things yourself with CSS, set this to “No Theme.”
  • Currency settings – Set your symbol, separator, and decimal format if you’re displaying prices.

Don’t feel like you need to configure everything on day one. The defaults are sensible. But SEO URLs and your end-point are worth setting before you publish anything, since changing them later will break existing links.

Step 4: Review Your Labels

Go to WP Inventory > Labels. This is where you rename the default field labels to match your business language.

Out of the box, the plugin uses generic terms like “Inventory Name” and “Quantity.” If your business calls these “Product,” “Stock Count,” or “Units Available,” change the labels here. They’ll update everywhere, in the admin and on the front end, so your team and your customers see consistent language.

This step is quick and easy to skip, but it makes the plugin feel like it was built for your specific operation rather than a generic one.

Step 5: Add Your Inventory Items

Go to WP Inventory > Inventory Items and click Add Inventory Item.

Each item has built-in fields including:

  • Name (required)
  • Category
  • Quantity
  • Description
  • Price (display only, not connected to a checkout)
  • Image
  • Serial Number / SKU
  • Status (Active or Inactive)

Fill in what’s relevant. You don’t have to use every field.

Practical example: A small furniture retailer adding a standing desk would enter: Name “Adjustable Standing Desk,” Category “Desks,” Quantity “12,” Description “Electric height adjustment, 3 memory presets, 60×30 surface,” and upload a product photo. That’s a complete, useful listing.

Add each item one at a time, or if you have a large existing catalog, the Pro version supports CSV import to save time.

Step 6: Display Your Inventory on a Page

Create a new WordPress page (or edit an existing one) where you want your catalog to appear. Add this shortcode:

[wpim_display]

Publish the page. Your inventory catalog is now live.

Visitors can browse by category and search by keyword out of the box. The layout works with most WordPress themes without styling conflicts.

If you want a standalone search bar or category filter, the plugin generates additional shortcodes for those. Check the shortcode options documentation for the full list of display parameters.

When to Upgrade

The free version handles a single location, unlimited items, and the full setup described above. It covers most small businesses completely.

If you need more, the paid add-ons are worth looking at:

  • Multiple locations (warehouse, retail floor, offsite storage): Locations Manager
  • Let visitors reserve or request items: Reserve Cart
  • Advanced filtering and search by custom fields: Advanced Search
  • Full stock tracking with quantity history: Advanced Inventory Manager

WP Inventory Pro bundles several of these for $79/year. The All Access pass at $199/year includes everything.

Your Inventory, Live in 30 Minutes

Install the plugin, set up your categories, configure a few key settings, label your fields, add your items, and drop a shortcode on a page. That’s the complete setup.

From there, you can layer in paid features as your needs grow, but most small businesses won’t need them on day one.

Get started at wpinventory.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need WooCommerce to use WP Inventory Manager?

No. WP Inventory Manager is a standalone plugin and does not require WooCommerce. It’s built specifically for businesses that want inventory management without an ecommerce platform.

What’s the correct order to set up the plugin?

Install and activate, then: Categories, Settings, Labels, add your Inventory Items, and finally display with the shortcode on a page. Setting things up in this order means your items will inherit the right configuration from the start.

Can I import my existing inventory from a spreadsheet?

CSV import is available in the Pro version. The free version requires adding items manually through the dashboard.

How many inventory items can I add?

There is no hard limit on the number of items in either the free or paid version.

What if I have inventory in more than one location?

The free version supports a single location. For multiple locations (warehouse, store, offsite), the Locations Manager add-on handles this and is included in the Pro and All Access plans.

Categories: Tutorials
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How Equipment Rental Businesses Manage Inventory in WordPress (Without WooCommerce)

Sunday, May 17th, 2026

If you run an equipment rental business, you already know the problem.


Equipment rental inventory managed in WordPress

Your catalog lives in a spreadsheet. Here’s what your typical day looks like: customers call to ask what’s available, you check the sheet, maybe check your email for pending reservations, and give them an answer that may or may not be accurate. Then you do it again for the next call.

At some point you try to fix it by building a WordPress website. You look at your options and most of them point you toward WooCommerce — a platform designed for selling products, not renting them out. The checkout flow doesn’t make sense for rentals. Dates and deposits require extra plugins. You’re bending a sales tool to fit a reservation workflow. There’s a simpler path.

What you actually need as a rental business

Before picking any tool, it helps to be clear about what the job is.

A rental business doesn’t need a shopping cart. It needs three things:

  1. A browsable, searchable catalog that customers can view on your website
  2. A way for customers to submit a reservation inquiry for one or more items
  3. A back-end system to track what’s in stock, what’s out, and where things are

That’s it. WooCommerce solves a different problem. You don’t need a payment gateway, product variations, or a shipping module. You need inventory visibility and a simple request form.

WP Inventory Manager is built for exactly this workflow.

How the setup works

Here’s how a typical equipment rental business sets this up from scratch using WP Inventory Manager.

Step 1: Install the free plugin and add your items

After installing WP Inventory Manager from the WordPress plugin directory, you start adding your items. Each item gets a name, description, quantity, images, and any custom fields you want — condition, dimensions, weight, rental rate, or anything else relevant to your catalog.

Custom fields are fully configurable. A tool rental shop might add fields for “power source” and “weight class.” An AV rental company might add “resolution” and “connector type.” You define what matters.

Step 2: Publish your catalog with a shortcode

Once your items are in, you display the catalog on any page of your site using a shortcode. Visitors can browse and filter the list by category, search by keyword, or sort by any field you’ve exposed.

No WooCommerce product page, no cart, no checkout. Just a clean, functional catalog that looks like part of your site.

Step 3: Add the Reserve Cart for reservation requests

The Reserve Cart add-on turns your catalog into a request-based workflow. Customers browse, add items to a cart, and submit a reservation request through a single form. You receive the inquiry with the item list attached and follow up directly.

This fits how rental businesses actually operate. The final confirmation happens when you’ve checked availability, discussed dates, and agreed on terms — not at an automated checkout screen.

Step 4: Track multiple locations (if needed)

If you operate out of more than one warehouse or yard, the Locations Manager add-on lets you assign stock levels per location. A customer in the north end of the city can see what’s available at the nearest depot. Your team can see the full picture across all sites.

Let’s take a concrete example

Say you run a small event equipment rental company. Your catalog has 60 items: tents, tables, chairs, lighting rigs, generators, and catering equipment.

Before WP Inventory Manager, your website had a static list of gear with a “call us to check availability” instruction on every page. Half your phone calls were people asking basic questions that were already answered on the page — they just couldn’t find them.

After setting up WP Inventory Manager, your catalog is searchable and filterable by category. Customers find the tent sizes they need, add three items to the reserve cart, and submit a request. You get an email with the full list. You confirm availability and send an invoice.

Phone calls drop. Inquiries from the website go up. Nothing about your actual rental process changes — you just stopped making your customers work to find information.

How much does WP Inventory cost?

The core WP Inventory Manager plugin is free with no item limits. For most rental businesses, the useful paid components are:

  • Reserve Cart add-on — included in WP Inventory Pro ($79/year) and All Access ($199/year)
  • Locations Manager add-on — included in All Access ($199/year)
  • All Access covers every add-on and unlimited sites, which makes sense if you manage more than one business location or WordPress install

For most single-location rental businesses, Pro at $79/year covers what you need.

When WP Inventory Manager is the right fit

This setup works well if:

  • You have a WordPress site and don’t want to rebuild it around WooCommerce
  • Your customers inquire and reserve rather than buy outright online
  • You need a front-end catalog that non-technical customers can actually use
  • You want to manage stock across one or more physical locations
  • You want a self-hosted solution you own, not a monthly SaaS subscription

It’s not the right fit if you need automated billing, date-based booking calendars with real-time holds, or deep integration with delivery scheduling software. Those are specific operational needs that require purpose-built rental platforms.

But for the majority of small rental businesses that need to get their catalog online and start receiving inquiries through their website, WP Inventory Manager gets the job done without the overhead.

How to get started

The free version is available directly from the WordPress plugin directory. Install it, add a few items, drop the shortcode on a page, and you’ll have a working catalog in under an hour.

When you’re ready to add reservation requests, see the Reserve Cart add-on or review the full pricing and add-ons at wpinventory.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I manage equipment rentals in WordPress without WooCommerce?

Yes. WP Inventory Manager is a standalone WordPress plugin that does not require WooCommerce. You can build a full rental catalog and accept reservation requests without setting up an ecommerce store.

How do customers request a rental through my WordPress site?

The Reserve Cart add-on lets customers browse your catalog, add items to a cart, and submit a reservation inquiry form. You receive the request by email and confirm directly with the customer.

Can I track which items are available at different locations?

Yes. The Locations Manager add-on lets you assign and track stock levels at multiple warehouses or depots, so you and your customers can see availability per location.

Is there a limit on how many items I can list?

No. The free version of WP Inventory Manager has no item limits. You can manage 10 items or 10,000 with the same plugin.

How is this different from a booking plugin like Booqable or a WooCommerce rental plugin?

Purpose-built rental platforms like Booqable handle date-based booking calendars and automated holds, which is useful for high-volume operations. WP Inventory Manager is a lighter-weight solution for businesses that manage reservations manually or over the phone and primarily need a clean catalog and an inquiry form on their website.

Categories: Use cases
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"Created an online museum for my club. Really impressive plugin. Support was responsive and helpful."

@hackrepair

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"Excellent, clean, simple inventory management. Well structured code — use it right away or customize it to your liking."

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"We purchased the entire suite. Installation was easy, small issues were fixed immediately, and the guidance during setup was invaluable."

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