Best App for Household Inventory: How to Track Everything You Own
A household inventory is only useful if you build it once and can find anything in it six months later. Here's how to pick the right app and what to put in it first.
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What a home inventory app actually does
A home inventory app is a catalog of what you own. Each entry usually has a name, room, photo, purchase date, price, and serial or model number. When something breaks, gets stolen, or needs a warranty claim, you open the app instead of digging through email or guessing.
That sounds simple. Most people still track this in Notes, a shared Google Doc, or not at all. The problem is not knowing you need a list. It is that manual entry is slow, the list gets stale, and you cannot find the furnace filter size when you are standing in aisle 14.
A good household inventory app solves two jobs at once: documentation for insurance and reference for running the house. Those overlap more than most apps admit. Your refrigerator's model number matters for a claim and for ordering a water filter.
What to track (and what to skip)
You do not need every spoon. Focus on items that cost money to replace or that you look up repeatedly.
Track these first
- Major appliances: fridge, range, dishwasher, washer, dryer, HVAC. Model and serial numbers live on data plates. Our guide on where to find appliance model numbers covers each type.
- Electronics over $200: TVs, laptops, tablets, consoles. Serial numbers matter for theft claims and warranty calls.
- HVAC consumables: furnace filter size, AC filter size, last replaced date.
- Paint and finishes: room name, brand, color code. See how to save paint codes by room.
- Tools and outdoor equipment: mowers, snow blowers, grills with model numbers and purchase years.
- High-value furniture and jewelry: photo, approximate value, receipt if you have it.
Skip for now
- Pantry goods, clothing unless high value, generic decor under $50
- Anything you would not bother claiming or looking up again
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How to build your inventory without quitting
The number one reason home inventories fail is trying to do the whole house in one weekend. You will not. Do it in passes.
- Pass 1 (30 minutes): Kitchen and laundry. Scan barcodes on appliances still in boxes or on visible data plates. While you have model numbers, cross-check them against active recalls. Our guide to hidden product recalls covers five common ones still in millions of homes.
- Pass 2 (30 minutes): Living room and primary bedroom. TV, soundbar, laptop, mattress if it was expensive.
- Pass 3 (20 minutes): HVAC filters, water heater, thermostat. Write filter sizes even if you skip photos.
- Pass 4 (ongoing): Add new purchases when you unpack them. One item per box beats a backlog.
For insurance-grade detail, see our full walkthrough on home inventory for insurance. Same data, more emphasis on photos and values.
App types compared
Not every "home app" solves inventory. Match the tool to the job.
| App type | Best for | Weak spot |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance inventory (Sortly, Encircle) | Photos, values, claim export | Day-to-day specs like filter sizes |
| Spreadsheets / Notes | Free, flexible | No barcode scan, hard to search on mobile |
| Task apps (Cozi, shared calendars) | Chores and schedules | Not built for model numbers or warranties |
| Household management (kept) | Model numbers, filters, paint, contractors, warranties | Not a chore calendar |
If you want a deeper comparison of home organization categories, read best home management apps for 2026.
Why homeowners use kept
kept is a home inventory app built for the moment you actually need the information: hardware store, warranty call, contractor on the phone, insurance adjuster asking for serial numbers. For what building a catalog feels like in practice, read six months with kept. Open kept in Safari and add it to your iPhone home screen for one-tap access when you are standing in a store aisle.
- Barcode scan: point at a product label and model details fill in — here's how a home inventory app with a barcode scanner does the data entry for you.
- Structured fields: category, room, warranty end date, custom notes.
- Reference + inventory: same app holds your TV serial and your 20x25x1 filter size.
- CSV export: pull a list when you need it for insurance or taxes.
- Free to start: 15 items, no account. kept+ removes limits.
Inventory for insurance vs. daily reference
Insurance inventories care about replacement value and proof of ownership. Daily reference inventories care about specs you reuse: filter size, paint code, bulb type, contractor number.
Most homeowners need both in one system. Otherwise you maintain Sortly for claims and a notes app for filter sizes, and neither stays current.
If you ever file a claim, documentation wins. Read how to file a home insurance claim for what adjusters ask for on day one. Your inventory is the answer sheet.
kept stores model numbers, purchase dates, and warranty info for everything in your house. One scan, done.
[ try kept free ]Frequently asked questions
What is a home inventory app?
A home inventory app is software that lets you catalog what you own: item name, room, purchase date, price, photos, and serial or model numbers. Good ones also store the reference details you use repeatedly, like filter sizes and paint codes, and let you export the list for insurance claims.
What is the best home inventory app for homeowners?
The best home inventory app for most homeowners balances fast setup with daily usefulness. Insurance-focused apps like Sortly or Encircle excel at photos and values for claims. kept is built for both: barcode scan to capture model numbers and specs, warranty dates, contractor contacts, and filter sizes you need at the store, with CSV export when you need a claim list. Free to start, no download required.
How do I create a home inventory list?
Start room by room. Photograph or scan barcodes on items over $50 and anything with a serial number. Record make, model, purchase date, and price. Do one room per session so you do not burn out. Kitchen and living room first, then bedrooms, garage, and basement. A phone app beats a spreadsheet because you can add items where you stand.
Do I need a home inventory for insurance?
Yes, if you want your homeowners policy to pay what you are owed after a loss. Adjusters pay on documented items, not memory. A home inventory with photos, serial numbers, and purchase prices speeds claims and raises payouts. You do not need every fork. Focus on electronics, appliances, furniture, jewelry, and tools.
Is there a free home inventory app?
Yes. kept is free with no account required and holds up to 15 items on the free plan, including photos, warranty dates, and barcode scan. Sortly and others offer limited free tiers. For a full insurance-grade inventory with unlimited items and AI Capture, kept+ is $19.99 per year.