Inventory CSV Diff & Stock Change Checker

Compare your current inventory CSV with the next supplier or warehouse snapshot. Find stock drops, items going to zero, added or removed SKUs, and duplicate entries before applying the update. Download an HTML review report, CSV findings, and JSON for your automation.

Try it without preparing files: click Try for free, leave Try the built-in example checked, and press Start. Open Review report (HTML) when the run finishes. The three-row example costs $0.01008 on the Free plan at up to 1 GB of memory under the rates below. Normal event pricing applies to the example.

See what the example finds

SKU	Current stock	Proposed stock	Result
DEMO-COF-001	12	0	100% stock drop and stock going to zero
DEMO-MUG-002	5	5	Unchanged; no finding
DEMO-TEE-003	Absent	8	Added SKU

The report returns Review required, 3 evaluated rows, and 3 findings. One row can trigger several findings without extra row charges. The example is labeled as built-in sample data in the report.

Use this for supplier feeds, warehouse exports, or an inventory workflow where you already have two snapshots. It compares your files and leaves the stock update to you. No store or ERP credentials are needed.

Compare your own inventory CSV files

1. Turn Try the built-in example off.
2. Choose SKU + Stock columns if both files have those exact headers. Choose Custom columns / multiple warehouses if headers differ or each SKU has separate warehouse quantities.
3. Upload the Current inventory CSV and Next inventory CSV.
4. Check Both snapshots cover the same complete scope. Both files must describe the same supplier, warehouse, or other declared scope; a partial update file is unsuitable for inferring additions and removals.
5. Keep the default review rules or change the thresholds, then press Start.
6. Open Review report (HTML). Download Findings (CSV) for a spreadsheet or Comparison report (JSON) for your workflow.

For the standard profile, use these headers. This is the example current snapshot:

SKU,Stock
DEMO-COF-001,12
DEMO-MUG-002,5

The example next snapshot is:

SKU,Stock
DEMO-COF-001,0
DEMO-MUG-002,5
DEMO-TEE-003,8

Paste CSV text, use public HTTPS CSV URLs, or select Apify datasets under the alternative-source sections. Choose exactly one source for each side.

Pricing

Pay per event, with platform usage included. All prices below are USD per event, not per 1,000 events.

Event	Free	Starter	Scale	Business
comparison-completed	$0.01	$0.009	$0.008	$0.007
row-evaluated	$0.00001	$0.00001	$0.00001	$0.00001
apify-actor-start	$0.00005	$0.00005	$0.00005	$0.00005

• Comparison: charged once when a completed report evaluates at least one proposed row.
• Rows: one event per evaluated proposed row, including unchanged rows and valid additions. Multiple findings on one row still count as one row event. Removed rows and uncheckable rows do not add row events.
• Start: charged by Apify, including failed runs. One event at up to 1 GB; higher memory adds start events.

Example, at up to 1 GB	Free	Starter	Scale	Business
Built-in example: 3 evaluated rows	$0.01008	$0.00908	$0.00808	$0.00708
Comparison: 1,000 evaluated rows	$0.02005	$0.01905	$0.01805	$0.01705

Maximum cost per run is a spending cap, not a minimum bill. The minimum allowed cap is $0.011. That covers the built-in example at up to 1 GB; a 1,000-row comparison on Free needs at least $0.02005, so use $0.021 or more.

The Actor checks the complete comparison cost before delivering and charging the custom events. Insufficient-budget runs incur no custom comparison or row charges; the Apify start event still applies. The Pricing tab is authoritative.

What is checked

Check	Default behavior
Stock drop	Flag a decrease strictly over 50% from a positive current quantity
Stock increase	Flag an increase strictly over 200% from a positive current quantity
Stock goes to zero	Flag a positive quantity changing to zero
Added or removed identity	Flag entries present in only one complete snapshot
Duplicates or invalid rows	Report them as uncheckable; do not choose a matching row
Warehouse identity	With location mapping, compare SKU + location separately

SKU matching is exact and case-sensitive. Quantities must be signed whole numbers in the supported 32-bit range. Blank quantities, decimal quantities, and stock-status words are uncheckable. Percentage checks require a positive current quantity.

A generic spreadsheet diff lists changed cells. This Actor matches inventory identities and applies your stock-review rules.

Custom columns and multiple warehouses

Choose Custom columns / multiple warehouses and map SKU, Quantity, and optional Warehouse / location independently for each file. For example, the current file can use item_code, available, and warehouse, while the next file uses sku, qty, and warehouse_id.

Map location on both sides or neither. The same SKU in Oslo and Bergen is then two separate inventory identities. Quantities are not added together across warehouses.

Reports and result status

Output	Use
Review report (HTML)	Read the status, coverage, counts, and individual findings
Findings (CSV)	Open the retained findings in a spreadsheet
Comparison report (JSON)	Use the canonical report in an integration
Dataset report	Read the same JSON report through Apify datasets
Run metadata	Inspect execution and billing details

Status	Meaning
review_required	The checks found changes to review
no_findings	The supported checks found no review items
incomplete	Rows were uncheckable or finding details were capped
no_changes	Both snapshots contained no data rows

Up to 100,000 data records per file are supported within the size limits. Uploaded and remote files are limited to 10 MB each; pasted CSV to 512 KB each. The finding list retains at most 1,000 entries while keeping the total counts.

The Actor does not synchronize stock, connect to live inventory, repair files, or approve updates. A report with no findings does not guarantee that a later update is safe.

API and recurring checks

The published Actor name is overbifrost/inventory-csv-diff-stock-change-checker. Keep Try the built-in example off when providing your own sources.

JavaScript example

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client
  .actor('overbifrost/inventory-csv-diff-stock-change-checker')
  .call({ demoMode: true }, { maxTotalChargeUsd: 0.011, memory: 512 });

if (run.status !== 'SUCCEEDED') {
  throw new Error(`Comparison failed: ${run.status}`);
}

const result = await client
  .keyValueStore(run.defaultKeyValueStoreId)
  .getRecord('OUTPUT');

console.log(result.value);

n8n and Make

Use an HTTP request to:

POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/overbifrost~inventory-csv-diff-stock-change-checker/run-sync-get-dataset-items?maxTotalChargeUsd=0.011&memory=512

Authenticate with an Authorization: Bearer header using your Apify token, set Content-Type: application/json, and use {"demoMode":true} as the first request body. For real comparisons, send the two snapshots and required confirmation, and increase the cost cap for the expected evaluated rows.

A successful response contains an array with one comparison report. Route review_required and incomplete to a human review step before your separate stock-update process.

Saved snapshots and scheduled runs

Save a named baseline to reuse a validated current snapshot. Save comparison input as an Apify Task and use an Apify Schedule for recurring checks. Comparing does not automatically advance the saved baseline. An optional webhook can send a small summary for selected result statuses.

FAQ and support

Can I compare a partial update with a full inventory export?

Additions and removals require both files to cover the same complete scope. Do not check the confirmation for a partial delta feed.

Do I need to write code or provide store credentials?

For uploads, use the Apify input form. No store login or ERP connection is used. API integrations need an Apify token.

Why does my first run use example data?

Try the built-in example is preselected so you can inspect a report before preparing files. Turn it off before using your own sources; example mode and customer sources cannot be combined.

What should I check if the comparison fails?

Turn the example off for real files, choose one source per side, check the complete-snapshot confirmation, and verify the selected headers or mappings. Also check the CSV delimiter and run cost cap. Open the error record for the exact error code.

Where can I get help?

Use the Actor's Issues tab. Include the run ID and error code when available; you do not need to include private inventory files in a public issue.

This Actor is part of SKUFuse — Stock Keeping Unit Fuse. For product-catalog imports, see Shopify CSV Import Checker & Catalog Diff and WooCommerce CSV Import Checker & Catalog Diff.