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Shopify now has its own stock counts, and for a lot of shops they are enough. If you count one location at a time, with a manager who signs off before stock changes, use them first. This page is for the shops that run into the edges. It is current as of November 2026, and every claim about Shopify links to the help page or changelog post we read on November 9, 2026.
We make Binly, so weigh what we say about Binly accordingly. The Binly side comes from our own product code, checked the same day.
Where the built-in count is enough#
You want a count with a manager's sign-off. Shopify's flow is built for it. Staff count, then Request review sends the count to a manager, who looks at the Expected and Counted columns, can reject single items, and approves. Each change lands in the adjustment history. In Binly the person who reviews the count is the one who applies it.
You count in the POS app. If your staff already work in Shopify POS and the location has POS Pro, they can run the count there (our guide to POS stock counts covers the setup), by scanning with the device camera or a paired scanner, and each person enters a PIN so every counted item is tied to a name. Binly runs in your Shopify admin, on a phone or a computer.
You count one location, a few hours at a time. A Shopify count covers one location, which is the right size for a single-location shop, and the basic steps are the same either way.
You do not need the difference in dollars, and you do not need to hand anyone a file of the count. For a handful of products on a Tuesday afternoon, the built-in tool is the shortest path.
Where Binly adds something#
Selling while you count. In Shopify POS, a product whose stock changes mid-count, for example from a sale, is marked outdated and can no longer be counted. Binly keeps counting and, when you apply, works from what changed since each line was counted, so a sale made after the count is kept. A line with no recorded starting quantity falls back to writing the counted number as it stands.
Files. Shopify's help page says counts cannot be exported. Binly lets you download the counted items as a CSV and make a valuation file from a finished count, with quantity, unit cost and total value by location. The year-end use is in our year-end physical inventory count checklist.
Differences in money. Binly's item table has a Difference (value) column next to the unit difference, worked out at cost, or at retail price where an item has no cost. Shopify's help pages show Expected and Counted quantities and do not describe a cost or dollar value for differences. Our page on stocktake variance review covers the review step.
A count that does not show the answer. In Binly's counting feed, a line's expected quantity appears only after you have counted that line. Knowing the number in advance is how a count ends up agreeing with the computer and not with the shelf. The full item table and the name search do show expected, so this is a habit of the counting screen and not a lock. In Shopify POS counts, expected quantities are displayed to the person counting. Shopify's admin help page does not say.
Cost tracking. This one is beyond counting. On Pro, Binly spreads freight, duty and discounts across a purchase order as landed cost, and can keep a weighted-average cost when you receive stock. Weighted average is opt-in per shop. Last purchase cost is the default. We do not compare these with Shopify, because the count pages we read do not cover costing.
Side by side, as of November 2026#
| Shopify built-in | Binly | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you count | Admin: Products, Inventory, Stock counts. POS: needs POS Pro and POS 11.16 or later | An app in your Shopify admin, on a phone or a computer |
| Scanning | Admin: barcode scanner or by hand, each scan adds one. POS: device camera or paired scanner | Phone camera or USB barcode scanner, or type |
| Several people at once | Yes, admin and POS | Yes, on Pro. One phone per count on Free and Starter |
| Expected quantity while counting | POS: shown. Admin: not stated in the help page | Hidden in the counting feed until the line is counted |
| Review before stock changes | Request review, manager approves, items can be rejected. Complete count skips review and cannot be undone | Review screen, then apply. Or mark as reviewed with no change to Shopify. One reviewer: review, then apply |
| Difference in money | Quantities only in the help pages | Difference (value) column |
| Sale during the count | POS: product marked outdated, cannot be counted | Apply works from what changed since the line was counted |
| Export | Counts cannot be exported | Counted items CSV, valuation CSV |
| Locations | One location per count | Each location counted on its own. All locations on Pro |
| Limits we found | No bundles. No assigning staff to a count. Duplicate barcodes cause a scan error | Free up to 500 products, Starter up to 4,000 |
| Price | Admin: no plan requirement stated. POS: POS Pro | Free, $12, $25 or $69 a month |
What Binly costs#
| Plan | Price | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 500 |
| Starter | $12 a month | Up to 4,000 |
| Pro | $25 a month | No cap |
| Growth | $69 a month | No cap |
Barcode-scanned stocktakes are on every plan. Pro adds all locations, several phones on one count, landed cost and weighted-average cost. Growth adds supplier price lists, early-pay savings and a month-end cost of goods sold pack.
Pick by what you do. One location at a time, no file to hand over and no need for the money view: stay with Shopify's count. Under 500 products and you want the money view or the valuation file: Binly's Free plan covers it. More than one location, or landed and weighted-average cost: that is where Pro earns its price.
Sources#
Every Shopify statement above comes from one of these pages, read on November 9, 2026.
- Shopify help: Stock counts
- Shopify help: Creating stock counts
- Shopify help: Performing and reviewing counts
- Shopify help: Stock counts in Shopify POS
- Shopify changelog: Run stock counts in POS, September 28, 2026
Frequently asked questions#
Does Shopify have a built-in inventory count?
Yes. Shopify's admin has Stock counts under Products, then Inventory. You create a count for one location, add products, record quantities by scanner or by hand, and a manager approves the result before quantities change. Counting inside Shopify POS needs a POS Pro subscription at the location and POS 11.16 or later.
When is Shopify's built-in count enough?
When you count one location at a time, your products are single items and not bundles, a manager can approve the result, and you do not need the differences in money or an export of the count. If that describes you, use it first.
Can I export a Shopify stock count?
Shopify's help page on creating counts says counts cannot be exported. Binly lets you download the counted items as a CSV, and make a valuation file from a finished count.
Can I keep selling while I count?
Yes, and the two tools handle it differently. In Shopify POS, a product whose stock changes mid-count, for example from a sale, is marked outdated and can no longer be counted. Binly keeps counting. When you apply, it starts from what Shopify holds now and applies only the difference your count found, so sales made after a line was counted stay. A line with no recorded starting quantity gets the counted number as it stands.
How much does Binly cost compared with the built-in count?
Binly is free for stores up to 500 products. Starter is $12 a month up to 4,000 products, Pro is $25 a month with no product cap, and Growth is $69 a month. Shopify's help pages do not state a plan requirement for counts in the admin, and they require POS Pro for counting in the POS app.