Asseto vs Sortly Free: Where the Free Plan Stops Working
Sortly is one of the most popular inventory apps in the small-business segment, and the free tier is a big part of why. It looks great on a phone, the catalogue setup is fast, and 100 items plus one user costs nothing. Many clinics and salons start there. Some stay. This article is for the operators who started with Sortly Free and are bumping into limits — and for those evaluating it for the first time.
The short version: Sortly Free is a reasonable place to start. Asseto Free is a more capable place to grow. Below, the specific limits, the upgrade paths, and the points where one stops working and the other keeps going.
What You Get on Sortly Free
Sortly's free plan is intentionally limited. The specifics shift over time, but the general shape is:
For a single hobbyist user with a small catalogue, this works. For a clinic or salon, the 100-entry limit and the single-user constraint bite quickly.
What You Get on Asseto Free
Asseto's free plan is designed for a small service business to actually run on:
The key differences are the team access and the alerts. A clinic that needs the front desk, the lead hygienist, and the practice manager all to see inventory cannot use Sortly Free's single-user model. Asseto Free supports the whole team.
When Sortly Free Starts to Break
The most common moments where Sortly Free users hit a wall:
1. Adding a Second Team Member
The single-user limit is hard. The moment you want a second person to log stock movements, you upgrade or you start sharing one login (which breaks audit trails). The Sortly Advanced plan is required for multi-user access.
2. Adding More Than 100 Items
A mid-sized dental practice tracks 200+ items easily. A salon with retail products and back-bar stock easily exceeds 100. Once you hit the limit, every new product forces a decision: stop tracking something, delete an old entry, or pay.
3. Wanting Low-Stock Alerts
The whole point of inventory software is to prevent stockouts. Low-stock alerts on Sortly Free are not available; they require the paid plan. Without them, the software is essentially a quantity tracker that you have to remember to check.
4. Adding a Second Location
Multi-location is not in the free tier or the entry-level paid tier. A two-salon chain needs the higher Sortly tier to manage both sites.
5. Wanting Custom Fields for Lot or Expiry
Sortly Free offers one custom field. If you want lot number AND expiry date, you are already past the free tier.
When Asseto Free Stays Useful
Asseto Free is designed so a small clinic or salon can actually operate on it. The limits are 50 items and one location — but within those limits, the features are full:
The upgrade path to Pro is for businesses that genuinely need more items, more locations, or unlimited entries — not for businesses that hit an arbitrary feature gate.
Side-by-Side Free Plan Comparison
When Sortly Is the Right Choice
None of the above is a criticism of Sortly. It is a polished product with strengths Asseto does not match:
If you need a visual, photo-heavy inventory tool for non-clinical use — tracking rental equipment, event gear, AV kit, or art collections — Sortly is a great fit.
When Asseto Is the Right Choice
Pick Asseto if:
Try Asseto Free
Set up your catalogue, invite your team, and see how stock movements feel in a system designed for service work. The free plan handles a single location with 50 items, the alerts work from day one, and there is no clock counting down. If you outgrow the free tier, Pro at 9 EUR per month covers unlimited locations and items.
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