Softwr

Inventory · head to head

Sortly vs Vend

Sortly logo

Sortly

Inventory

Visual inventory management with photo tracking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vend logo

Vend

Inventory

Cloud-based POS and retail management for stores

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Sortly mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android; Vend limited equipment selection with vendor-recommended hardware often being substandard quality
  • They diverge on capability: Sortly covers Photo-based inventory, Vend covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sortly and Vend actually diverge.

Attributes where Sortly and Vend differ
AttributeSortlyVend
Founded20132010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Sortly

  • Photo-based inventory
  • Custom categories
  • Low stock notifications
  • Barcode scanning
  • CSV export
  • API access
  • Zapier
  • Mobile app (iOS/Android) support

Only in Vend

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer management
  • Employee management
  • Sales analytics
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

Both cover

  • Multi-location support

What people use each for

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

Sortly

  • Visual inventory trackingnot Vend
  • Asset managementnot Vend
  • Photo documentationnot Vend
  • Mobile inventorynot Vend

Vend

  • Unifying inventory across physical stores and online channelsnot Sortly
  • Managing multi-location sales with centralized customer datanot Sortly
  • Processing transactions and loyalty rewards in single systemnot Sortly
  • Gaining real-time visibility into store-level sales performancenot Sortly

Where each one falls short

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

Sortly

  • Mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android
  • Minimal advanced reporting features lacking depth and customization options
  • No native serial number tracking capability, limiting asset management functionality
  • Synchronization problems occur when reconnecting from offline mode

Vend

  • Limited equipment selection with vendor-recommended hardware often being substandard quality
  • eCommerce feature restricted to higher-tier plans only
  • 24/7 phone and email support not included in all plans
  • Now integrated into Lightspeed Retail X-Series, potentially confusing for existing Vend customers

Pricing, plan by plan

Sortly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sortly review.

Vend

Free
  • Lean$69/month
    • Single register
    • Basic inventory management
  • Standard$119/month
    • Multi-outlet management
    • Promotions

Which should you pick?

Choose Sortly if

  • You need photo-based inventory.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want custom categories.
Sortly review

Choose Vend if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want inventory management.
Vend review

Questions people ask

Is Sortly or Vend better?
Neither clearly leads. Sortly starts at Free and Vend at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sortly or Vend?
Sortly starts at Free and Vend at Free.
Does Sortly or Vend run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Sortly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Sortly best used for?
Sortly is most often used for visual inventory tracking, asset management, photo documentation, mobile inventory. Of those, visual inventory tracking and asset management are not what Vend is typically brought in for.
What can Sortly do that Vend cannot?
Sortly covers Photo-based inventory, Custom categories, Low stock notifications, Barcode scanning. Vend covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer management, Employee management. Both handle Multi-location support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sortly: What is included in Sortly's free plan?

Sortly's free plan includes 100 unique items and 1 user license, sufficient for testing or very small inventories, with permanent access.

Source
Vend: What is Vend's current pricing structure?

Vend pricing includes Lean at $69/month for single-register operations, Standard at $119/month for multi-outlet management and promotions, and Advanced plans at custom pricing for enterprise needs.

Source
Sortly: What are Sortly's paid tier pricing and item limits?

Sortly offers Advanced ($49/month, 500 items), Ultra ($149/month, 2,000 items), Premium ($299/month, 5,000 items), and Enterprise with custom pricing for 10,000+ items. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

Source
Vend: Does Vend have a free trial?

Yes, Vend offers a 30-day free trial without credit card requirement for testing the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Sortly: Does Sortly offer offline functionality?

Sortly has offline mode on mobile apps, though with potential synchronization issues when reconnecting. Offline mode is not available on the free plan.

Source
Vend: What payment providers does Vend integrate with?

Vend integrates with multiple payment providers including Stripe, PayPal, Worldpay, Moneris, iZettle, Tyro, and Smartpay for credit card processing.

Source
Sortly: Does Sortly have a mobile app?

Yes, Sortly offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. However, users report slow performance and occasional crashes, plus lack of bulk actions available on the web platform.

Source
Vend: Does Vend support eCommerce integration?

Yes, Vend supports eCommerce integration, but it is only available on Advanced and Multi-Outlet plans, not on the base Lean plan.

Source
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