Without any app
For a short list, a tally on paper or in a spreadsheet still works: read each label, find the line, and add one. It gets slow and error-prone once there are dozens of items or several labels that look alike.
Counting with CountMinder
- With a list: import a CSV of item identifiers, descriptions, and expected quantities, then scan. Each line shows counted against expected, marked Short, Complete, or Excess.
- Without a list: choose Count without a list and start scanning. Each new barcode is added and counted as you go, every later scan of it adds one, and you can name items whenever it suits you. Undo removes a label you caught by mistake.
- Barcodes or printed numbers: Auto mode prefers a barcode and falls back to reading the printed item, model, or SKU number. Enter a quantity by hand for a full case or loose pieces.
What is free and what the Unlock adds
- Free: up to 20 different counted items and one active list, with scanning, counting by hand, and backup and restore of your data.
- Unlock: a one-time in-app purchase that removes those limits and adds CSV export of your counts. There is no subscription.
What stays on your iPhone
- No sign-in. Scanning and counting work without a connection, and printed numbers are read on the iPhone with Apple’s Vision framework.
- CountMinder never uploads your lists or counts, and camera images are not saved.
Its limits
- CountMinder does not look barcodes up online, so it knows an item’s name only from your list or from a name you give it.
- It is a counting and list-checking tool, not inventory management, point of sale, or purchasing software.
- iPhone only, iOS 17 or later.