Google Sheets vs Sortly for Storage Inventory (2026)

Someone asked me last week what I use to track inventory in my units. When I said Google Sheets, they looked at me like I’d just told them I still use a flip phone.

Here’s the deal though. I’ve tried both. Sortly and Sheets. And I’ve got opinions.

Google Sheets Is Where Most of Us Start

Nobody teaches you how to run storage units. You just sort of figure it out as you go. And the first thing you figure out is that you need to write stuff down somewhere.

So you open Google Sheets. Maybe you’ve never built a spreadsheet before. Doesn’t matter. You type “Unit Number” in one box, “Customer Name” next to it, and you’re off.

That’s the beauty of it. It does whatever you want.

• Want a column for gate codes? Add it.
• Want to track who paid late last month? Go for it.
• Want to color-code units by size? Knock yourself out.

I ran my whole operation off a single spreadsheet for almost two years. Worked fine.

Until it didn’t.

Where Sheets Starts Falling Apart

The problem with a spreadsheet is that it only knows what you tell it. It’s dumb that way. It doesn’t think. It doesn’t check your work.

Type the wrong unit number? Sheet doesn’t care. Mark a unit as vacant when someone’s stuff is still sitting in it? Sheet just nods along.

I once spent an entire Saturday morning trying to figure out why unit 12 showed as empty when I knew damn well there was a couch and about thirty boxes in there. Turns out I’d fat-fingered the entry weeks earlier and never caught it.

Another thing. Spreadsheets don’t show you anything. They tell you. That’s different.

I can write “box of Christmas decorations” in a cell all day long. Doesn’t help me when I’m standing in a unit full of identical brown boxes trying to find the one with the ornaments.

Here’s what a spreadsheet can’t do for you:

• Show you a picture of what’s actually in the box.
• Warn you when you type something wrong.
• Scan a barcode so you don’t have to type at all.
• Keep a reliable log of who moved what and when.

You know what does help with all that? A picture. And a system built for it.

Sortly Fixes the Picture Problem

That’s the whole pitch with Sortly really. You take photos of everything.

Sounds simple. Sounds almost too simple. But if you’ve ever dug through a storage unit looking for one specific thing, you get why this matters.

Snap a photo of the box. Write a note. Done. Next time you need to find it, you pull up the app, look at the picture, and you know exactly which box to grab.

Sortly also does barcodes. You print labels, stick them on boxes, scan them in and out. I’ll be honest, I thought this was overkill until I watched a buddy of mine check in an entire truckload of stuff in about fifteen minutes using barcode scans. I was still typing entries into my spreadsheet like a chump.

Here’s what you actually get with Sortly:

• Photo attachments for every item.
• Barcode and QR code scanning.
• Activity logs showing who did what and when.
• Custom fields for things like dimensions or fragility.
• Offline mode so you can work without Wi-Fi.

The activity log is nice too. Useful if you’ve got employees or if a customer ever tries to claim they stored something they didn’t.

But Sortly Isn’t Free and That Matters

Here’s where I get skeptical. Sortly costs money every month. And depending on how many items you’re tracking, that cost climbs.

If you’re running a small facility with a handful of units, that monthly bill might not make sense. You could buy a lot of padlocks for what you’d spend on a year of Sortly.

There’s also a learning curve. It’s not hard exactly, but it’s not as simple as opening a spreadsheet either. You’ve got to set up your categories, figure out the labeling system, train whoever else uses it.

I’ve seen people pay for Sortly, use it for a month, then go right back to their spreadsheet because they never really learned the app.

Things to keep in mind before you commit:

• Monthly subscription adds up over time.
• Takes real effort to set up properly.
• Your team has to actually use it or it’s worthless.
• Overkill if you’re only tracking a few simple items.

So What Do I Actually Recommend?

Depends on you.

If you’re just tracking a few units for yourself and you don’t need pictures or barcodes, stick with Sheets. Save your money. It’ll do the job.

If you’re managing storage for other people, or you’ve got a lot of inventory, or you’re tired of playing detective every time someone asks where their stuff is, Sortly is worth a look.

If you’ve got employees who make mistakes, the scanning features alone might justify the cost. Human error gets expensive fast.

There’s no universal right answer here. I don’t care what anyone tells you.

Quick breakdown if you’re still on the fence:

• Go with Sheets if you’re small, broke, and only tracking basic stuff.
• Go with Sortly if you need photos, barcodes, or proof of what’s stored.
• Either way, the system only works if you actually use it.

A Quick Word From Us

We rent storage units. That’s what we do. And we’ve watched a lot of people move their stuff in and out over the years.

The ones who have the easiest time are the ones who kept some kind of record. Didn’t matter if it was a notebook, a spreadsheet, or an app. They just knew what they had and where it was.

If you’re looking for a unit and you need some help getting organized, come talk to us. We’ve seen every kind of storage situation you can imagine and we’re happy to share what works.

Give us a call or stop by. We’ll get you sorted.