Pantry inventory: spreadsheet or app?
A spreadsheet is free and flexible, and works well for a small, stable stock that you update once a week. An inventory app with a barcode scanner is faster to keep up to date, works on your phone in the shop, shares stock with your household and warns you about expiry dates. The more products and people involved, the more an app pays off.
Comparison
| Paper list | Spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets) | Pantry app with barcode scanner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Free basic plan; advanced features paid |
| Adding a product | Write it down | Type name, amount, date | Scan barcode; name and photo filled in |
| Keeping it current | Hard | Easy to forget | Scan out when you use something |
| Expiry warnings | No | With formulas / conditional formatting | Built in |
| Use on phone in the shop | No | Possible, but clumsy | Yes |
| Share with household | One copy | Shared file | Multiple devices, same stock |
| Multiple locations | Separate lists | Extra column | Built in, with move function |
| Flexibility | High | Very high | Limited to the app's features |
When a spreadsheet is enough
- You have a small emergency supply that rarely changes.
- You update your inventory once a week at a computer.
- You want full control over columns and calculations.
When an app is better
- You want to know what you have while standing in the supermarket.
- Several people in the house take things out of the pantry.
- You want to be warned before food expires.
- You have many products or several places where you store food.
Moving from a spreadsheet to What Is In My Pantry
The easiest way is not to import your spreadsheet, but to scan your stock in one location at a time. Scanning is faster than typing, and you automatically get product photos from Open Food Facts. You can try all features free for one month.