Comparison
The Orca Scan alternative built for inventory.
We like Orca Scan — browser-based scanning is the right idea, and they proved it. The difference is what's behind the scanner: Orca Scan gives you a spreadsheet with per-user fees; Inventory Scan gives you items, photos, folders, stock counts, and alerts at one flat workspace price.
Free up to 100 items. 2 users included. No credit card.
Side by side
Inventory Scan vs Orca Scan.
| Inventory Scan | Orca Scan | |
|---|---|---|
| Data model | Inventory — items, photos, quantities, folders, activity log | Spreadsheet — sheets and rows you shape yourself |
| Free plan | 100 items, 2 users, item photos, labels | 50 rows, 1 user, no photo fields |
| Pricing model | Per workspace — $29/mo, 5 users included | Per user — $20/mo for 2 users, +$10/mo each extra |
| Cost for a 5-person team | $29/mo flat | $50/mo on Starter ($20 + 3 × $10) |
| Item photos | Every plan, including free | Business plan ($40/mo) and up |
| Stock counts with variance | Built in — sessions, live variance, one-click apply | Build it yourself with sheets and formulas |
| Low-stock alerts | Built in — daily digest, Pro plan ($29/mo) | DIY via custom triggers (Starter and up) |
| Integrations & API | Not yet — XLSX export today, API on the roadmap | Strong — Sheets, Excel, Zapier, Make, Power BI, APIs (Business plan) |
| Offline scanning | Not yet — on the roadmap | Yes, in the native apps |
Orca Scan prices and limits as published on orcascan.com, June 2026. Check their pricing page for current figures.
The honest version
Pick the right tool, even if it isn't ours.
Choose Inventory Scan if…
- You're tracking inventory, not collecting arbitrary data — items, quantities, and counts work out of the box.
- Per-user fees rub you the wrong way — the whole crew scans at one workspace price.
- You want photos on items without paying $40/month for the privilege.
- You'd rather have stock counts and alerts built in than assemble them from triggers and formulas.
Stick with Orca Scan if…
- You need barcode data flowing into Google Sheets, Excel, Zapier, or Power BI today.
- You scan offline in warehouses or sites with no signal — their native apps queue and sync.
- Your use case isn't inventory — field data collection, GPS asset maps, contactless forms.
- You need an API now — ours is still on the roadmap.
Switching
Your Orca Scan sheet is already an import file.
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01
Export your sheet
Download your Orca Scan sheet as CSV or XLSX — it's spreadsheet-shaped already.
-
02
Import here
Upload it. Name, barcode, quantity, and location columns auto-map, with a preview before anything is applied.
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03
Keep your barcodes
Existing labels keep working — the barcode column becomes the item code, so scanning finds the right item immediately.
FAQ
Switching questions.
How is Inventory Scan different from Orca Scan?
Both scan barcodes from a phone, but Orca Scan is a barcode-driven spreadsheet — sheets, rows, and per-user fees. Inventory Scan is an inventory tool: items with photos and quantities, folders, stock count sessions with variance, label printing, and low-stock alerts, priced per workspace rather than per user.
Is Inventory Scan cheaper than Orca Scan?
For teams, usually. Orca Scan's Starter plan is $20/month for 2 users plus $10/month for each extra user — a 5-person team is $50/month. Inventory Scan Pro is a flat $29/month for 5 users and 2,000 items. On free plans: Inventory Scan gives 100 items, 2 users, and item photos; Orca Scan gives 50 rows, 1 user, and no photo fields. See full pricing.
How do I move from Orca Scan to Inventory Scan?
Export your Orca Scan sheet as CSV or XLSX, then upload it to Inventory Scan. Columns like name, barcode, quantity, and location auto-map, you preview before applying, and folders are created from location columns. Your existing barcode labels keep working — put the barcode in the code column and scanning finds the item.
What does Orca Scan have that Inventory Scan doesn't?
Native mobile apps with offline scanning, integrations (Google Sheets, Excel, Zapier, Make, Power BI) and APIs on its Business plan, GPS asset maps, and flexible sheets for general data collection beyond inventory. If you need barcode data flowing into other systems today, Orca Scan is the safer pick.
Are item photos included on the free plan?
Yes. Every item can have photos on every Inventory Scan plan, including free. In Orca Scan, photo fields arrive on the Business plan at $40/month.
Import your Orca Scan sheet. See for yourself.
Free for 100 items and 2 users — photos included. If it's not a fit, your data exports straight back out as XLSX.