Guide / downloads, honestly
Inventory software: the full-version download question
The legitimate full versions exist in three shapes — trials, open source, and the spreadsheet — and one shape that is a trap. Here is the map, plus the download-versus-browser decision underneath.
The key facts
- The trap first: cracked "full versions" are malware with a licence violation — a business record must never run on one.
- The legitimate full versions: free trials of real products, open-source systems you host, and the spreadsheet.
- The deeper decision: download (local, alone) versus browser (shared, live) — that choice shapes everything else.
- BSimple: browser-based, full product free to trial, from $180/month (AUD) if it fits.
- 01The key facts
- 02The legitimate full versions, mapped
- 03Download versus browser — the decision underneath
- 04The path we would take
The legitimate full versions, mapped
Trials. The closest honest thing to a full free version: the complete product, your own data, for a limited time. BSimple's trial runs the whole system — stock, purchasing, orders, invoicing — with no card to start.
Open source. Genuinely full and genuinely free to run, with hosting, updates, backups and support taken on by you. The self-hosting trade and what public discussion converges on are covered elsewhere — the short version: it suits teams equipped to maintain it.
The spreadsheet. Free forever, no download risk, honest at one-person scale — the baseline every other option must beat. The free ladder covers it.
What does not exist legitimately is a proprietary full version, free forever, from a download site. The cracked copies that dominate those searches are malware delivery — and the business record, customer data and payment details they touch make them the most expensive free download available.
Download versus browser — the decision underneath
Every inventory tool lives in one of two places. A download runs on one machine: fast, offline, private by location — and alone. A second user, a phone in the warehouse, or a backup you restore-test all fight the local record. A browser application lives behind a URL: the same record from every device at once, updates and backups owned by the vendor, connectivity required.
The honest decision rule: if the record will ever be touched by two people or two devices, the browser wins on every count that matters. If it is genuinely one person offline, a local tool is a legitimate answer — price the backups. The PC-side comparison and the Windows-10 downloads cover the local options fairly.
The path we would take
We build BSimple, so weigh that. Start with the data you already have — the spreadsheet or export that holds your products. Try the full product on it: BSimple in the browser, your own quantities, receive a delivery, count a shelf, push an invoice to accounting. If the shared record earns its keep at $180/month (AUD), the download question answered itself; if your operation is genuinely solo and offline, the spreadsheet remains an honest home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I download full-version inventory software for free?
Legitimately: nowhere for proprietary products — cracked copies are malware and theft. The real equivalents are full-product trials, open-source software you host, or a spreadsheet. Each is safe; only the trials give you the complete paid product.
Is BSimple a download?
No — it is a browser application, which is why there is nothing to download, install or update. The trial runs the full product on your own data from any modern device.
What is the risk with cracked inventory software?
Malware on the machine that holds your business record — keyloggers, ransomware — plus the legal exposure of unlicensed software. For a business, one incident costs more than years of any legitimate subscription.
Can we start on a download and move later?
You can, and many do — the data usually exports. But plan the move before the record becomes load-bearing: the later it happens, the more history has to be rebuilt. The trial costs nothing but an afternoon.
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