Cratify vs spreadsheets

Cratify vs a
home inventory spreadsheet.

A spreadsheet is a fine way to list what you own; Cratify adds photos instead of typing, search that forgives typos, containers inside containers, and the people you live with.

Or use it on the web →

Free forever plan · iOS, Android & web · No credit card

Cratify Search with the misspelled query Halloweeen: 8 possessions found, shown as a photo grid including a purple witch costume in Halloween Decorations in the Garage, candle lanterns, foam jack-o'-lanterns and a green dinosaur costume
An extra “e” in Halloween, and search still finds all eight, with photos and where each one is kept.

The short version

Where Cratify differs.

A spreadsheet holds whatever you type into it. Cratify is built around what you own, where it's kept, and whose it is.

A photo, not a row

Snap a photo and AI names the possession, with a suggested category, description and tags. Multi-Scan names up to 15 from one photo.

Where it's kept, built in

Containers inside containers, in rooms and places. Collections gather the camping gear or the holiday decorations wherever each piece is kept.

Your household, not a file

Note whose each possession is, from the kids to the dog. Share one room or one container instead of the whole inventory. Sharing is on every plan.

Side by side

Cratify and a spreadsheet, side by side.

The questions worth asking of any home inventory, answered for Cratify and for the spreadsheet most people start with.

Comparing Cratify with a home inventory spreadsheet
What to check Cratify A spreadsheet
Adding possessionsA whole home is hundreds of possessions. Entry speed decides whether you finish.
Snap a photo and AI names it, with a suggested category, description and tags. 50 AI scans a month free, unlimited with Lifetime.
 You type each row, one cell at a time.
PhotosA photo jogs your memory in a way “blue vase” never will.
Each possession keeps its photos, and search results and grids show them. Up to 20 photos per possession with Lifetime.
 Possible in most spreadsheet apps, as images or links you match to each row yourself.
Finding it againThe reason you built the inventory in the first place.
Search covers names, descriptions, categories, tags, containers, rooms, people and collections, forgives typos, and includes what your household shares with you.
 Find matches the words you typed.
Where it's keptReal homes nest: a container on a shelf, in a closet, in a room.
Containers inside containers, in rooms and places. Open any container to see everything inside it, all the way down, with totals.
 Location columns you keep up to date.
What's in a containerStanding in the garage, you want to know which one to open.
Scan its QR code, or the name you already wrote on it with Handmarks, and it opens with everything inside. Adding Handmarks comes with Lifetime.
 Filter a location column, then go and look.
CollectionsHoliday decorations and camping gear are rarely kept in one spot.
One list across rooms, containers and places. Check each piece off as you pack, or send the list as a PDF.
 A filter or a separate tab.
Who owns whatIn a shared home, “whose is this?” matters as much as “where is it?”
Every possession can belong to someone, even people who don't use Cratify. Each person gets a page with what's theirs.
 An owner column you add.
SharingEveryone who lives there should be able to look it up.
Share a location, a room or a single container, as editor or view-only. Included on every plan.
 Share the file. Access usually covers the whole file.
On your phoneYou're usually standing in the garage, not sitting at a desk.
Made for the phone in your hand: the camera adds, Scan opens a container, search finds a possession. On the web too, all in sync.
 Spreadsheet apps run on phones, but wide rows are harder to read and edit on a small screen.
Your dataAn inventory should be yours to keep.
Private by default and visible only to the people you share with. Export or delete your data at any time.
 A file you keep, which most spreadsheet apps can open.
What it costsCheck the free limits, and whether the price repeats every month.
Free for up to 250 possessions. Lifetime is $49.99 once, a launch price rising to $99 on Dec 1, 2026. It never renews.
 Usually free.

Spreadsheet apps differ in the details. The right-hand column describes spreadsheets in general, not any one app.

Fair is fair

When a spreadsheet is enough.

Plenty of people keep a good home inventory in a spreadsheet. Here's when that works, and when Cratify is worth the switch.

A spreadsheet is enough if…

  • You're listing a few dozen possessions, not a whole home.
  • You mainly want totals and formulas, like purchase prices added up.
  • You're the only one who updates it, usually at a computer.
  • You'd rather keep a file than use an app.

Cratify earns its place when…

  • Your inventory runs to hundreds of possessions across rooms, containers and places.
  • You want to know which container to open while you're standing in front of the shelf.
  • Several people live there, and you want to know whose each possession is.
  • Typing every row is why your last spreadsheet stalled.

Already have a spreadsheet? Keep it for as long as it's useful. Cratify's free plan holds up to 250 possessions, so you can try both side by side.

Instead of typing rows

One photo. Every possession named.

Typing row after row is the slow part of a home inventory spreadsheet. Point your camera at a shelf, a closet or a garage wall. Multi-Scan finds each possession in the photo, names it and files it in that container, and you can fix any name it got wrong.

  • One possession at a time works on every plan: 50 AI scans a month on Basic, unlimited with Lifetime.
  • Multi-Scan comes with Lifetime: up to 15 possessions from one photo.
  • Have three of the same possession? Set a quantity instead of adding it three times.
Cratify Multi-Scan on a garage shelf: fourteen possessions outlined and named, including a white cooler box, a camping lantern and a red plastic sled

Pricing

Free to start. Pay once, own it forever.

Your home isn't something you rent month to month, and knowing what's in it shouldn't come with a monthly bill.

Basic
$0 / forever
Start organizing today, no credit card
  • Up to 250 possessions
  • Up to 50 containers
  • 2 locations, 5 rooms
  • 50 AI scans per month
  • Sharing with your household
  • Print QR codes, and scan Handmarks your household adds
Start free
Stacky, the Cratify mascot, peeking out of a cardboard box Launch price
Lifetime
$49.99 once
Rises to $99 on Dec 1, 2026
  • Unlimited possessions, containers, rooms and locations
  • Unlimited AI identification
  • Multi-Scan: up to 15 possessions from one photo
  • Add Handmarks to any container
  • 20 photos per possession
  • Retail barcode scanning
  • Every future feature included
  • No subscription, no renewal
Get Lifetime

New accounts can try Lifetime free for 3 days first, with no card and no automatic charge.

FAQ

Questions people ask while comparing.

Is a spreadsheet good enough for a home inventory?

It can be. If you're listing a few dozen possessions, mostly at a computer, and you're the only one updating it, a spreadsheet works well. Cratify helps once the list runs to hundreds of possessions, when you need to know which container to open, or when your household shares it.

What does Cratify do that a spreadsheet doesn't?

You add possessions by photo instead of typing, and AI names them. Containers sit inside containers, in rooms and places. Search forgives typos. You can scan a container's QR code or Handmark to see what's inside, note who owns each possession, and share a single room or container with your household.

Is Cratify free?

Yes. The Basic tier gives you 250 possessions, 50 containers, 2 locations, 5 rooms and 50 AI scans per month, free, with no credit card. When you need more, Lifetime unlocks everything for one payment of $49.99 (launch price, rising to $99 on Dec 1, 2026). New accounts can try Lifetime free for 3 days first, with no card and no automatic charge.

Is Lifetime a subscription?

No. Lifetime is one payment that unlocks unlimited possessions and AI identification, Multi-Scan, adding Handmarks, product barcode scanning and every future feature. It never renews.

Can my household share it, like a shared spreadsheet?

Yes, and you choose how much to share. Share a location, a room or a single container with the people you live with, as editor or view-only. Sharing is included on every plan, including Basic.

Can I take my data with me?

Yes. Your inventory is private by default and visible only to the people you share with, and you can export or delete your data at any time.

More comparisons

Comparing something else?

Side-by-side pages for the apps and methods people weigh against Cratify.

Try it on your own possessions.

Free forever plan. 250 possessions, 50 containers, 50 AI scans a month. No credit card required.

Or use it on the web →