# AppSheet or LightInventory for inventory on Google Sheets

> Build your own stock app in AppSheet, or use a ready inventory system on your Sheet? Setup, controls, history, Google access and price, compared with sources.

Source: https://www.lightinventory.com/compare/appsheet · Last updated: 2026-10-29

Both keep your stock data in a Google Sheet you own. The difference is what sits on top of it. AppSheet is Google's no-code platform for building your own apps, inventory included. LightInventory is a ready-made inventory system with approvals and a verifiable history built in. This page compares the two as of 29 October 2026, with a link to the source for every claim about AppSheet.

> **Note:** LightInventory is in development and not yet generally available. Where this page describes LightInventory, it describes the product as designed.

## The short answer

- **Choose AppSheet** if you want to build your own app, need more than inventory on one platform, or already have AppSheet Core through your Google Workspace plan.
- **Choose LightInventory** if you want inventory control that works on day one, with approvals, location-scoped roles and a tamper-evident history, without designing an app yourself.

## Side by side

| | AppSheet | LightInventory |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A no-code app builder; you build or adapt the inventory app ([AppSheet](https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/appsheet/376242260902)) | A finished inventory system that uses your Sheet as its data layer |
| Setup | Start from a template, from your data or with Gemini, then configure tables, views and automation ([Google](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/14699210)) | Connect a Sheet; items, locations, movements and history tabs are created for you |
| Approvals | Built by you with automation; no ready approval module ([Google](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/14714804)) | Built in: receipts, transfers and count adjustments can wait for an approver |
| Roles | Security filters and role-based access from the Core plan; Starter has no app security controls ([AppSheet pricing](https://about.appsheet.com/pricing/)) | Owner, Admin, Approver, Editor and Viewer, each limited to the locations you choose, on every paid plan |
| History | Audit History of app interactions, kept 7 days (53 days on Enterprise Plus) ([Google](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/10104794)) | Every change with who, what, when and why, kept in your Sheet, tamper-evident, and any change can be reverted |
| Edits made directly in the Sheet | Not recorded by AppSheet's Audit History, which covers app activity only ([Google](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/10104794)) | Detected and recorded |
| Google access for the builder | Broad access to files and spreadsheets for app creators ([Google](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/10104378)) | Only the files you pick or create (Google's `drive.file` scope) |
| Price | Starter $5, Core $10, Enterprise Plus $20 per user per month; Core is included in most paid Workspace editions ([AppSheet pricing](https://about.appsheet.com/pricing/), [Google](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/appsheet/manage-appsheet-in-your-organization)) | Free for 1 person and 1 Sheet; Team $2.49 per user per month billed annually ($2.99 monthly) |

## Where AppSheet is better

- **It builds any app.** Maintenance, inspections, field forms and inventory can run on one platform and one licence.
- **It may already be paid for.** Most paid Google Workspace editions include AppSheet Core licences for verified domains.
- **Enterprise identity and audits.** Enterprise Plus adds Okta, Active Directory and OpenID Connect sign-in, and AppSheet states a SOC 2 Type 2 audit ([AppSheet security](https://about.appsheet.com/security)).
- **Many data sources and native mobile apps,** with barcode and NFC scanning on phones ([Google](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/10106618)).

## Where LightInventory is better

- **No building.** Inventory logic, approvals, roles and reports are designed in, so nobody on your team has to become an app developer or maintain the app later.
- **Control is the product.** Approvals before stock changes, roles scoped to locations, and a history that shows if anyone tampers with it.
- **Direct Sheet edits are caught.** If someone types into the Sheet instead of using the app, the change is detected and recorded rather than silently accepted.
- **Narrow Google access.** LightInventory can only open the Sheets you choose.
- **Security on every plan.** Passkeys and multi-factor sign-in are included, not an add-on.

## Questions

### Can I use AppSheet and LightInventory on the same Sheet?
Not on the same tabs. LightInventory manages its own tabs and treats changes from other tools as direct edits, so it would flag AppSheet's writes. Use separate Sheets.

### Is AppSheet free?
You can build and test apps with up to 10 users at no cost. Deployed apps need a paid plan, which many Workspace customers already have through AppSheet Core ([AppSheet pricing](https://about.appsheet.com/pricing/)).

### Does LightInventory work without Google Workspace?
Yes. A personal Google account is enough. Your data stays in a Google Sheet in that account.

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Facts about AppSheet were checked on 29 October 2026 on the pages linked above and are reviewed every quarter. AppSheet and Google Workspace are trademarks of Google LLC. LightInventory is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google. If anything here is out of date, write to support@lightinventory.com and we will correct it.