Packing Buddy vs Scanlily in 2026
Packing Buddy and Scanlily compared for a household move: what each does, published prices, how to start, and what to check before choosing.
CleverDings is published by the makers of Benefit Buddy, Postal Buddy and Packing Buddy, which are compared here alongside other apps.
Packing Buddy turns photos of a moving box into an item list and gives the box a short label code [1] [1]. Scanlily's pages describe a $9 USD a month Pro plan as best for homes, collectors, and solo professionals [2], and a $35 USD a month Ultra plan as best for small teams that lend, move, and track equipment [2].
| Option | Lower paid plan | Higher paid plans | Free option or trial | Annual billing | Card fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scanlily | Pro $9 USD per month [2] | Ultra $35 USD per month [2]; Premium $75 USD per month [2]; Enterprise custom pricing [2] | Ultra 14-day free trial [2] | Two months free [2] | not published |
| Packing Buddy | Plus $12.99 a month or $59 a year for 100 boxes [1] | Pro $19.99 a month or $99 a year, with unlimited boxes and Bluetooth printers [1] | 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 [1] | Plus $59 a year; Pro $99 a year [1] | not published |
The short answer
Packing Buddy lets you take photos of what goes into a moving box, and AI lists the items and picks the room. [1] Each box gets a short code on its label. [1]
Scanlily's pages describe several plans. Its Pro plan is described as best for homes, collectors, and solo professionals. [2] Its Ultra plan is described as best for small teams that lend, move, and track equipment. [2]
If you want to find which box holds an item, Packing Buddy's sources say you can search your boxes. [1] If you want equipment checkouts or reservations, Scanlily's sources list them on its Ultra plan. [2] If you want to take your data with you, Scanlily's page says you can download it anytime. [2]
What Scanlily is built for
The facts available here come from Scanlily's own pricing page, so this section stays close to them.
Scanlily's page describes its Pro plan as best for homes, collectors, and solo professionals. [2] Its Ultra plan is described as best for small teams that lend, move, and track equipment. [2] Its page lists the Ultra plan with an asterisk beside its user and item limits, so check the pricing page for what the asterisk means. [2]
Ultra includes equipment booking for checkouts, reservations, and pickups. [2] Its page lists "Multiple sites & locations - pick, send & transfer stock" under Ultra. [2]
Above that, the Premium plan is described as best for companies and client-service professionals. [2] Enterprise offers custom pricing, 10,000+ items, SSO, and system integrations, and asks you to contact the company. [2]
Scanlily's page also says you can download all your data, images, and attachments anytime with no subscription lock-in. [2]
The facts here do not describe what the plan for homes includes day to day, so check that on Scanlily's own site.
What Packing Buddy is built for
Packing Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site.
For a household move, you take photos of what goes into a moving box, and AI lists the items and picks the room. [1] Each box gets a short code like K-03 that is printed on its label. [1] You can print blank QR labels in advance and start a box later by scanning one. [1]
Labels print on common Avery or compatible label sheets from a home printer, or on plain paper. [1] Scanning a box's QR code with any phone camera opens that box in the browser, no app needed. [1] You can search your boxes to find which box an item is in. [1]
Share links let a partner, friends or movers join by typing their name with no account. [1] The movers link is available on your plan. [1]
The app and its AI box lists are available in 30 languages. [1]
Pricing and fees
Scanlily's Pro plan costs $9 USD per month. [2] Its Ultra plan costs $35 USD per month. [2] Its Premium plan costs $75 USD per month. [2] Enterprise has custom pricing. [2] Scanlily says annual billing is two months free. [2] A card fee and the limits of the Pro plan are not published here.
Packing Buddy has a free option: 3 test boxes per device without an account, or with a free account, 10 boxes, 25 AI reads and up to 4 photos a box. [1] Plus costs $12.99 a month or $59 a year for 100 boxes. [1] Pro costs $19.99 a month or $99 a year, with unlimited boxes and Bluetooth printers. [1] A card fee is not published.
If you cancel Packing Buddy, you keep your boxes and can still open, edit, reprint and search them, but you cannot add new ones. [1]
Getting started
For Scanlily, the facts here cover trials and contact routes only. Its Ultra plan has a 14-day free trial. [2] Enterprise asks you to contact the company. [2] How sign-up and setup work for the plan for homes is not published here, so check Scanlily's own pages.
For Packing Buddy, you can try it before making an account: the free option gives 3 test boxes per device without one. [1] The web app is live, and on a computer you can choose photos you already took with nothing to install. [1] It runs on phones and in a web browser. [1]
To label boxes, you print on Avery or compatible sheets from a home printer, or on plain paper. [1] You can print blank QR labels first and start a box later by scanning one. [1] On Pro, Bluetooth label printers work in the phone app, not in the browser. [1]
Things to check before you choose
These questions apply to either tool.
- How many boxes or items will the whole move need, and does the plan you want cover that count?
- Does the plan include the extra people you want to let in, such as a partner or movers?
- What happens to your lists if you stop paying? Ask whether you can still open and download them.
- Which printer do you own? Check whether labels print on your home printer or need a special one.
- Will you pack from a phone, a computer, or both, and does the tool work on those?
- Is a price shown per month or per year, and is there a card or payment fee on top?
- Does a free option or trial cover a full test box before you pay?
How to choose
If you want AI to list the items from photos of a box, Packing Buddy's sources say it does that. [1]
If you want to print labels at home on Avery sheets or plain paper, Packing Buddy's sources say it supports that. [1]
If you want partners or movers to join without making an account, Packing Buddy's sources say share links work that way. [1]
If you want to keep your boxes searchable after cancelling, Packing Buddy's sources say you can still open, edit, reprint and search them. [1]
If you want equipment checkouts, reservations, and pickups, Scanlily's sources list them on its Ultra plan. [2]
If you want multiple sites and locations to pick, send and transfer stock, Scanlily's page lists that. [2]
If you want a lower monthly price to start, compare Scanlily's Pro at $9 USD per month [2] with Packing Buddy's Plus at $12.99 a month [1], and check what each includes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scanlily free?
The facts available here say its Ultra plan has a 14-day free trial [2], and that its Pro plan costs $9 USD per month [2]. Check Scanlily's own pricing page for any free option before you decide.
How much does Packing Buddy cost?
Packing Buddy has a free option with 3 test boxes per device and no account needed [1]. A free account gives 10 boxes, 25 AI reads and up to 4 photos a box [1]. Plus costs $12.99 a month or $59 a year for 100 boxes, and Pro costs $19.99 a month or $99 a year [1].
Can Packing Buddy labels print on a home printer?
Yes. Labels print on common Avery or compatible label sheets from a home printer, or on plain paper [1]. Bluetooth label printers are also an option on Pro, but they work in the phone app and not in the browser [1].
Do boxes disappear after cancelling Packing Buddy?
If you cancel, you keep your boxes. You can still open, edit, reprint and search them, but you cannot add new ones [1]. Check the plan's box limit before you choose a plan.
Can Scanlily data be downloaded?
Scanlily's page says you can download all your data, images, and attachments anytime with no subscription lock-in [2]. The facts here do not say which file formats are offered or how the download works, so check that on Scanlily's own site before you rely on it.
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. [1]
Try Packing BuddySources
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