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Inventory · head to head

ABC Inventory vs Quartzy

A

ABC Inventory

Inventory

Free inventory software for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

Lab inventory and ordering software funded by the supply marketplace attached to it

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ABC Inventory has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ABC Inventory the free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024; Quartzy the vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • They diverge on capability: ABC Inventory covers Purchase orders, Quartzy covers Request and approval.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABC Inventory and Quartzy actually diverge.

Attributes where ABC Inventory and Quartzy differ
AttributeABC InventoryQuartzy
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by user tier
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows DesktopWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1995Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ABC Inventory

  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Multi-location
  • Excel export
  • Barcode printing
  • Label printing
  • Windows Desktop support

Only in Quartzy

  • Request and approval
  • Quartzy Shop
  • Order tracking
  • Spend reporting
  • Barcode scanning
  • PunchOut
  • Vendor catalogues

Both cover

  • Inventory tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ABC Inventory

  • Desktop inventorynot Quartzy
  • Order managementnot Quartzy
  • Purchasingnot Quartzy
  • Stock controlnot Quartzy

Quartzy

  • An academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs outnot ABC Inventory
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot ABC Inventory
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot ABC Inventory
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot ABC Inventory

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ABC Inventory

  • The free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024
  • The free licence excludes phone, email and online support, per the same capture of 20 November 2024

Quartzy

  • The vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • Seat limits are tight, at three users on Academia and five on Industry, and exceeding them pushes you into a quoted Enterprise contract rather than a predictable per seat increment.
  • It is not a LIMS: there is no sample workflow, instrument integration, electronic lab notebook or 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, so a lab moving toward regulated work will need a second system.
  • Prices are billed annually, so the USD 250 Industry plan is a USD 3,000 upfront commitment for a five-person team, which is significant for an early-stage company.
  • Supplier catalogue coverage and pricing accuracy vary by region, and labs outside the United States frequently find their usual distributors missing or their contract pricing not reflected.

Pricing, plan by plan

ABC Inventory

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full features
    • Single user
    • Basic support
  • Network$199/month
    • Multi-user
    • Network access
    • Priority support

Quartzy

$50/month
  • Academia$50/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 3 users
    • Inventory tracking and request workflow
  • Industry$250/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 5 users
    • Everything in Academia
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • PunchOut integration with institutional procurement

Which should you pick?

Choose ABC Inventory if

  • You need purchase orders.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows Desktop.
  • You also want sales orders.
ABC Inventory review

Choose Quartzy if

  • You need request and approval.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want quartzy shop.
Quartzy review

Questions people ask

Is ABC Inventory or Quartzy better?
Neither clearly leads. ABC Inventory starts at Free and Quartzy at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABC Inventory or Quartzy?
ABC Inventory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ABC Inventory and $50/month for Quartzy.
Does ABC Inventory or Quartzy run on more platforms?
ABC Inventory runs on Windows Desktop. Quartzy runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use ABC Inventory for free?
Yes. ABC Inventory has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quartzy starts at $50/month.
What is ABC Inventory best used for?
ABC Inventory is most often used for desktop inventory, order management, purchasing, stock control. Of those, desktop inventory and order management are not what Quartzy is typically brought in for.
What can ABC Inventory do that Quartzy cannot?
ABC Inventory covers Purchase orders, Sales orders, Multi-location, Excel export. Quartzy covers Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking, Spend reporting. Both handle Inventory tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quartzy: How much does Quartzy cost?

USD 50 per month billed annually for up to three users on Academia, USD 250 per month for up to five users on Industry, and quoted pricing for unlimited users on Enterprise.

Quartzy: Do I have to buy supplies through Quartzy?

No, you can record orders placed elsewhere. But the Shop is how Quartzy earns beyond the subscription, and supplier credits are tied to it.

Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

No. It handles inventory and purchasing. It does not do sample workflow, instrument data or regulated electronic records.

Quartzy: What happens when we exceed the user limit?

You move to Enterprise, which is quoted rather than listed, so budget for a step change rather than an extra seat charge.

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