haeminway What works, what doesn't, what it costs, honestly. The decision info you need before you commission anything.
A SaaS subscription is a fixed cost you rent every month. Build the same job once as a tool that runs inside your own Google account and small-scale upkeep is near zero — though never 100% always free. How to decide rent vs own.
GAS automation runs at zero, but adding AI introduces one variable cost: per-call usage. It's usually pennies. Decide model, volume, and whose key up front and it's predictable. Watch the data leaving your account and keep a human approval gate.
How to automate repetitive work — orders, bookings, inventory, settlement, field input — with Google Apps Script (GAS). What it does, how far it stays free, and where it hits limits, in one place.
A single-user app just needs a screen. An inspection app where several people write the same data hinges on sharing, collisions, and reports. Even so, narrow the scope and you can start with GAS, Sheets, and Drive at no running cost. There's a public demo you can try yourself.
One store or warehouse: stock in/out, low-stock alerts, and settlement: is fine with Sheets automation. Tens of thousands of SKUs and real-time multi-site is the limit.
It's free because there's no server to rent. Small workloads fit the Google free quota. Bulk sending, org features, and paid external APIs are the exceptions.
Three different cost structures. SaaS bills monthly, building costs your time, commissioning costs once. Standard features favor SaaS; tailored long-term use favors commissioning.