OrbitEquip vs Sortly
OrbitEquip vs Sortly — which inventory and asset tracking solution is right for your team? An honest comparison of features, pricing, and use cases.
Sortly is a visual inventory management app that’s gained popularity for its clean, photo-based approach to tracking items. OrbitEquip is built specifically for equipment and tool management. Both are good products — they just serve different primary use cases.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | OrbitEquip | Sortly |
|---|---|---|
| Visual inventory (photos) | ✓ Asset photos | ✓ Core feature |
| QR code tracking | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Premium plans |
| Check-in/check-out | ✓ Full workflow | ✓ Basic |
| Maintenance scheduling | ✓ Full system | Limited (custom fields) |
| Due date tracking | ✓ Automated reminders | Not available |
| Custom fields | ✓ Pro plan | ✓ All paid plans |
| Folders & sub-folders | Not available | ✓ Core feature |
| Barcode scanning | ✓ Supported | ✓ Premium |
| Reporting | ✓ Comprehensive | ✓ Basic |
| Multi-location | ✓ All plans | ✓ Paid plans |
| Free tier | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes (limited) |
Pricing
| OrbitEquip | Sortly | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 3 users, 50 assets | 1 user, 100 entries |
| Entry paid | $49/month (10 users, 500 assets) | $39/month (3 users, 2,000 entries) |
| Mid tier | — | $79/month (10 users, 10,000 entries) |
| Top tier | $199/month (50 users, 10,000 assets) | Custom pricing |
| Barcode/QR | Included all plans | Premium plans only |
| Custom fields | Pro plan | All paid plans |
Key Differences
Visual Organization
Sortly’s biggest strength is its visual, folder-based organization. You can organize items into nested folders with photos, making it feel like a digital photo album of your inventory. This is great for general inventory management.
OrbitEquip organizes assets by category, location, and status — a structure that makes more sense for equipment management specifically.
Equipment Management
OrbitEquip is purpose-built for equipment and tools. Features like maintenance scheduling, checkout due dates with reminders, and equipment-specific reporting are first-class citizens. Sortly treats these as secondary to visual inventory.
Checkout Process
OrbitEquip’s checkout workflow is designed for field crews — scan a QR code, select a team member, set a due date, done. Sortly’s checkout is functional but feels more like inventory allocation than a field-ready tool checkout system.
Use Case Focus
Sortly excels at general inventory — think office supplies, retail stock, event equipment, or personal collections. OrbitEquip is built for tools and equipment management in construction, manufacturing, and field service.
Who Should Choose OrbitEquip?
- Construction and field service teams managing tools and equipment
- Organizations that need maintenance scheduling and tracking
- Teams that want a structured checkout system with due dates
- Companies that need equipment-specific reporting (utilization, maintenance costs, loss rates)
Who Should Choose Sortly?
- General inventory management across diverse item types
- Teams that value visual, folder-based organization
- Retail, events, or office environments (not heavy equipment)
- Users who need to track non-equipment inventory (supplies, merchandise, assets)
The Bottom Line
Sortly is a great visual inventory app. OrbitEquip is purpose-built equipment tracking software. If you’re managing a toolbox or a warehouse full of supplies, Sortly might work. If you’re managing job site equipment, maintenance schedules, and field crew checkouts, OrbitEquip is the better fit.
Try OrbitEquip free for up to 3 users — no credit card required.
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