---
{"title": "Encircle Contents vs Sortly in 2026", "description": "Compare Encircle Contents, Sortly, and Packing Buddy for moving boxes, item records, prices, setup, and questions to ask before choosing.", "url": "https://cleverdings.com/encircle-contents-vs-sortly/", "date": "2026-10-18"}
---
Compare Encircle Contents, Sortly, and Packing Buddy for moving boxes, item records, prices, setup, and questions to ask before choosing.

Encircle Contents says it covers field documentation, floor plans, mitigation and contents in the same app. [^1] Sortly says it helps small businesses manage physical inventory. [^2] Packing Buddy lets a household photograph items in boxes, create box labels, and find stored items later. [^3] [^3] [^3]

| Option | Own price | What its source says it does |
|---|---|---|
| Encircle Contents | not published | Offers field documentation, floor plans, mitigation and contents in the same app. [^1] |
| Sortly | not published | Provides inventory folders organized by location and type. [^2] |
| Packing Buddy | Free: 3 test boxes per device without an account; with a free account, 10 boxes, 25 AI reads and up to 4 photos a box. Plus costs $12.99 a month or $59 a year for 100 boxes. Pro costs $19.99 a month or $99 a year, with unlimited boxes and Bluetooth printers. [^3] [^3] | Takes photos of what goes into a moving box, lists the items and picks the room. [^3] |

## The short answer

Encircle Contents says it covers field documentation, floor plans, mitigation and contents in the same app. [^1] Sortly says it organizes inventory folders by location and type. [^2] Packing Buddy says it helps with household box lists by using photos to list items and pick the room for each box. [^3]

Encircle Contents says it can create an IICRC-aligned scope and a review-ready Xactimate estimate from field data. [^1] Sortly says it provides real-time reporting insights. [^2] Packing Buddy says it can create searchable box records and let a phone camera open a box from its QR code. [^3] [^3]

## What Encircle Contents, Sortly is built for

Encircle Contents says its platform covers field documentation, floor plans, mitigation and contents in the same app. [^1] It says its Scope to Estimate product can create an IICRC-aligned scope and a review-ready Xactimate estimate from field data. [^1] It also says it offers 2D digital floor plans. [^1]

Sortly says it provides inventory folders organized by location and type. [^2] It also says it provides real-time reporting insights. [^2] Its source says more than 15,000 businesses trust it to track their inventory. [^2]

## What Packing Buddy is built for

Packing Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. It lets a household take photos of what goes into a moving box, and AI lists the items and picks the room. [^3]

Each box gets a code like K-03, printed on its label. [^3] Labels can print from a home printer on store-bought Avery 5163 or compatible sheets, or on plain paper that is cut out and taped on. [^3] Scanning a box's QR code with any phone camera opens that box in the browser, no app needed. [^3] You can search boxes to find which box an item is in. [^3]

## Pricing and fees

The sources listed here do not publish a price for Encircle Contents. Sortly pricing is not published in the facts used for this page. Packing Buddy has a free option with limits and paid plans with published prices. [^3] [^3]

Packing Buddy Free includes 3 test boxes per device without an account, and a free account includes 10 boxes, 25 AI reads and up to 4 photos a box. [^3] Plus costs $12.99 a month or $59 a year for 100 boxes. Pro costs $19.99 a month or $99 a year, with unlimited boxes and Bluetooth printers. [^3]

## Getting started

Packing Buddy can be used from phones and a web browser. [^3] The web app is live, and on a computer you can choose photos already taken with nothing to install. [^3] Bluetooth printing works only in the phone app, not on the web. [^3]

Encircle Contents says its platform includes field documentation, floor plans, mitigation and contents. [^1] Sortly says it can be used on mobile, desktop, or tablet through cloud-based syncing. [^2] Packing Buddy can let a partner, friends or movers join through share links by typing their name, with no account needed. [^3]

## Things to check before you choose

Ask these questions of any option:

- What information should be recorded for each box or item?
- Does the tool match the way the household wants to find stored items later?
- Which devices can be used for the work that matters most?
- What does the price include, and what changes after a free option ends?
- Can other people help without creating their own account?
- What printing method does the household want to use?

## How to choose

If a household needs a system that lists items from box photos and picks a room, Packing Buddy says it does this. [^3]

If a household needs box labels that can be printed and scanned later, Packing Buddy says it provides printed labels and QR labels. [^3] [^3]

If a household wants to compare against tools that describe inventory organization, Encircle Contents and Sortly provide the cited inventory-related features above. [^1] [^2]

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Packing Buddy free?

Packing Buddy has a free option with limits. [^3] The free option includes 3 test boxes per device without an account, and a free account includes 10 boxes, 25 AI reads and up to 4 photos a box. [^3] Paid plans have published prices. [^3]

### Can Packing Buddy find items in moving boxes?

Packing Buddy says photos of items in a moving box can be used by AI to list the items and pick the room. [^3] It also says boxes can be searched to find which box contains an item. [^3]

### Does Sortly organize inventory by location?

Sortly says it organizes inventory folders by location and type. [^2] Its source also says it provides real-time reporting insights. [^2] Check the details of the tool before choosing how to record household items.

### Does Encircle Contents include floor plans?

Encircle Contents says it offers 2D digital floor plans. [^1] It also says its platform covers field documentation, floor plans, mitigation and contents in the same app. [^1]

### Can Packing Buddy share moving box information?

Packing Buddy says share links let a partner, friends or movers join by typing their name, with no account needed. [^3] It also says the movers link comes with the plan. [^3] Check who needs access before choosing a sharing method.

Free: 3 test boxes per device without an account; with a free account, 10 boxes, 25 AI reads and up to 4 photos a box. [^3] - [Visit Packing Buddy](/go/start-packingbuddy)

## Sources

[^1]: Encircle Contents, encircleapp.com, read 2026-10-11 (https://www.encircleapp.com)
[^2]: Sortly, sortly.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.sortly.com/)
[^3]: Packing Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-packingbuddy)