Choosing a tool
BoothInventory answers one question, which is what sold at each show and whether that booth fee was worth paying, so the honest comparison is whether you need that or something wider.
Most makers shop for software in January, after the last holiday market is packed away and before spring applications open. By then the season has already told you something uncomfortable: two shows carried the year, one barely covered gas, and you cannot prove which lines emptied at which booth because the counts live on a tote lid, a paper receipt and your memory of a windy Saturday. The tool you choose decides whether next season answers that or repeats it.
The pages below compare BoothInventory with three options this trade genuinely weighs up. We describe each at the level we can stand behind: what kind of product it is, which maker it assumes, and how much of the work it tries to cover. We do not quote anyone else's prices, plans or feature lists, because those change and you should confirm them with the vendor. What we can tell you is which shape of selling each approach suits, so your comparison time goes on fit.
BoothInventory vs Square Point of Sale
Square Point of Sale suits any seller who needs to take a card and hand over a receipt, while BoothInventory suits a maker who needs to know which fairs on the circuit are worth reapplying to.
BoothInventory vs Craftybase
Craftybase suits a maker whose hardest number is what a finished piece costs to make, while BoothInventory suits a maker whose hardest number is what a weekend at a given fair returns.
BoothInventory vs Google Sheets
Google Sheets suits a maker doing a handful of shows a year with a setup they enjoy maintaining, while BoothInventory suits a maker whose tab count has outgrown the season.
Free tools
One calculator prices the weekend before you send the application, the other tells you whether three weeks at the bench can fill the booth you plan to set up.
Working document
Four short stages you fill in at teardown, in the van and on Monday, ending with a restock list and a written verdict on whether that fair earns your application again.
Reading three options against each other only takes you so far when the real test is a fairground in July. Book a short walkthrough and bring last season's show list, jury fees and all. We will set two of your own fairs up side by side so the fit question gets answered with your booth costs instead of a feature list.